Iowa DNR Reminds You to Stay Safe on the Ice this Winter

The recent blast of arctic air is growing ice on lakes and ponds, particularly across the northern two-thirds of Iowa. Outdoor ice enthusiasts are ready to get out ice fishing, snowmobiling, ice skating or fat-tire bike riding.

The DNR recommends a minimum of four inches of clear ice for fishing and at least five to seven inches for snowmobiles and ATVs. Larger off-road utility vehicles should wait for seven or more inches of clear ice.

Ice forms at different rates on each body of water depending upon the size and water depth. Once frozen, conditions change constantly and ice thickness can vary across the lake. Rocks, trees, docks or other things that poke through the ice will conduct heat and make the ice around it less stable. Trust your instincts – if the ice does not look right, don’t go out.

A blanket of snow on top of an ice-covered lake insulates the ice, slowing the growth of ice and hiding potential hazards or weak spots. River ice is 15 percent weaker than lake ice. Ice with a bluish color is safer than clear ice. Avoid slushy or honey-combed and stay away from dark spots on the ice. Don’t walk into areas where the snow cover looks discolored.

Safety Tips on the Ice:

  • No ice is 100 percent safe.
  • New ice is usually stronger than old ice.
  • Don’t go out alone – if the worst should happen, someone will be there to call for help or to help rescue.
  • Let someone know where you are going and when you will return.
  • Check ice thickness as you go out – there could be pockets of thin ice or places where ice recently formed.
  • Avoid off-colored snow or ice. It is usually a sign of weakness.
  • The insulating effect of snow slows down the freezing process.
  • Bring along these basic items to help keep you safe: hand warmers, ice cleats to help prevent falls, ice picks (wear around your neck) to help you crawl out of the water if you fall in, a spud bar, a life jacket, a floating safety rope, a whistle to call for help, a basic first aid kit and extra dry clothes including a pair of gloves.
  • Use extreme caution when snowmobiling on ice. Snowmobiles can be difficult to steer and take a long time to stop with limited traction on ice. Slow down and avoid heavy braking.

Sports, December 11th

High School Basketball

Mediapolis’ matchup against Wilton has been canceled for tonight.

New London versus Columbus has been canceled for tonight. 

The Danville girls’ team had their matchup against Fort Madison tonight postponed. Danville will host Central Lee tomorrow, December 12th, with the night starting at 6 pm.

WACO will travel to Lone Tree tomorrow with game one at 6 pm.

Wapello will compete against Hillcrest Academy tomorrow with the girls’ contest playing at 6 pm.

Burlington Notre Dame will travel to New London tomorrow with tip-off at 6 pm for the girls’ contest. 

Mt. Pleasant will host Fort Madison tomorrow at 6 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will have the call with the pregame show at 5:45 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic will host West Burlington tomorrow with game one at 6 pm.

Van Buren County will travel to Mediapolis tomorrow with the boys’ game following the girls at 7:30 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will hit the road to play Highland tomorrow with the girls playing first at 6 pm.

Fairfield will take on Washington at home tomorrow with game one of the doubleheader at 6 pm.

High School Girls Basketball Rankings

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released their third edition of the season’s rankings and southeast Iowa kept their two teams within the top 15.

In Class 3A, Mediapolis climbed into the top 10 after starting the year 3-0 with an impressive three-point victory over #12 Tipton at a neutral site. The defense continues to be the backbone for the Bulldogs, as the defense averages 15 steals per game. But they have also shot lights out from beyond-the-arc with a 38% clip as a team, including a 56-three-point percentage from Ellah Wagenbach.

After starting the year 0-2, Burlington has picked up two convincing victories to remain ranked at #11 in Class 4A. The offense has reignited after a cold start, averaging 67 points in their last two wins. Their big three of Mylee Stiefel, Daphne Brown, and Vanessa Woodsmall are averaging 49 of the team’s 55 points per game.

High School Bowling

Mt. Pleasant’s meet against Keokuk tonight has been postponed. 

Fairfield will duel Mt. Pleasant on Monday, December 15th, at home.

High School Wrestling

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference boys’ duals have been postponed for tonight.

The girls’ Washington meet has been canceled for tonight.

Mt. Pleasant versus Keokuk has been postponed for tonight.

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team will wrestle at the Zimmerman Tournament tomorrow, December 12th, at Maquoketa High School. 

The Wapello girls’ team will compete in a tournament on Saturday, December 13th, at Marion High School.

The Mediapolis girls’ team will travel to Keokuk for an Invite on Saturday.

Southeast Iowa Playbook

Danville was our school of focus for last night’s episode of the Southeast Iowa Playbook with seniors Macie Wagner and Dillan Mason being our special guests. 

Wagner talked about the most important lesson she has learned through her time in athletics,

“Having a good attitude through everything always has a better outcome than like making everything negative or getting down on yourself when you don’t perform how you want. A positive attitude always like keeps you levelheaded and for me personally I’ve always had a better outcome with a better attitude.”

Mason discussed his goals for the rest of the basketball season,

“I would say a big one is I’d probably, I want to average above like 12 to 15 points… I’ve always loved basketball, so being able to like to be one of the leading like not leading, but like up there with leading scores and help our team get the wins but also being able to just hold anyone who I guard as long as I’m on them. I mean, just keep them under like 10 points. I mean, I really take pride in playing defense of something that I feel because if we have other people scoring and I can take away the best player, then that goes hand-in-hand with helping us get the wins.”

If you missed last night’s episode, then follow this link: Danville Episode

Southeastern Community College

The women’s basketball team fell to Des Moines Area Community College last night 63-35. Trinity Barrett put up 10 points in the effort. The Blackhawks will travel to Central Community College on Saturday, December 13th.

The men’s basketball team picked up a 67-60 victory over Malcom X College last night. Jacob Franklin led the scoring with 15 points. The Blackhawks will compete in the Highland Tournament tomorrow, December 12th. 

College Football

#23 Iowa will take on #14 Vanderbilt on December 31st at 11 am for the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida. 

College Basketball

The women’s Cy-Hawk series saw #10 Iowa State outlast #11 Iowa in a thrilling 74-69 final. The Cyclones were lifted by a trio of double-doubles: Audi Crooks put up 30 points and 10 rebounds, Addy Brown tabbed 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Jada Williams went off for 11 points and 12 assists.

The #10 Iowa State women’s team will host UNI on Sunday, December 14th, at 5 pm.

The #11 Iowa women’s team will look to get back in the win column on Saturday, December 13th, against Lindenwood at 2 pm at home.

The men’s Cy-Hawk series will be renewed tonight with tip-off at 7 pm as the unranked Hawkeyes look to knock off #4 Iowa State. KILJ 105.5 FM will have the call. 

This Day in Sports History

1951 – Joe DiMaggio (New York Yankees) announced his retirement from major league baseball. DiMaggio only played for the Yankees during his 13-year career.

1971 – The Los Angeles Lakers set an NBA record with 21 consecutive wins. They would go on to win 33 consecutive games. 

1985 – The single “Superbowl Shuffle” by Chicago Bears Shufflin’ Crew was released.

Two SE IA Cities Will Benefit From Iowa DOT Traffic Safety Improvement Program Funding

On Tuesday, 12/9/25,  the Iowa Transportation Commission approved $9,752,043 in total funding for 28 separate projects from Iowa’s Traffic Safety Improvement Program. The program was created in 1987 for the purpose of increasing traffic safety on all of Iowa’s roadways. This funding is available for use on institutional, city, county, or state roads through an annual application process.

Two local cities will receive funding for their projects.

The City of Burlington will receive $500,000 for a roundabout on Division Street and West Burlington Avenue. The total project cost estimated at just over 1.4 million dollars.

The City of Fairfield will also benefit from the DOT Traffic Safety Improvement Program, receiving $212,630 for pedestrian improvements on Main Street and Burlington Avenue. Fairfield’s project is estimated at $373,000 for the full project.

The complete list of projects can be found on the Iowa DOT Traffic Safety Improvement Program web page or by visiting KILJ.com under the news tab.

Man Found Dead Near Snake Alley Sunday – No Foul Play Suspected

Authorities say a man found dead near Snake Alley in Burlington on Sunday morning died of natural causes. At around 11:45 a.m., Craig “Doc” Patterson, 65, of Burlington, was found dead on the 600 block of Washington Street, according to the Burlington Police Department.

Emergency personnel and the Burlington Police Department had initially been called to the scene after receiving a report of an unresponsive man at the location. Patterson was pronounced dead at the scene. The preliminary investigation indicates that Patterson’s death was the result of medical event. No foul play is suspected.

KILJ Remembers on this day in 1986….

On this day, December 10, 2025, KILJ Radio remembers the shooting death of 53-year-old Mt. Pleasant Mayor Edward M. King that stunned the city of Mt. Pleasant and rocked the nation. On this day, 39 years ago, in 1986, Mayor King was shot and killed, and two city council members: Ron Dupree and Joann Sankey were left with severe injuries. The gunman, Ralph O. Davis, walked into a Mt. Pleasant City Council meeting and shot them over a sewer dispute.

In addition to being mayor, Edd King was Vice President and Director of Personnel at what was then known as Metromail. He knew everyone and most people by their first name.

Edd King and the former E.A. Hayes put Mt. Pleasant, at the crossroads of Highway 218 and 34, on the map. They were instrumental in bringing Pioneer Hi-Bred International and the Walmart Distribution Center to Mt. Pleasant.

The Mayor Edd King Memorial Fountain can be found in Mt. Pleasant’s Central Park as a constant reminder of what Mayor King meant to the city of Mt. Pleasant and the tragedy that struck our small town.

Henry County Supervisors Regular Meeting Agenda for Thursday, December 11, 2025

Henry County Supervisors will meet in regular session at 9 a.m. Thursday, December 11, 2025 at the Henry County Courthouse. Supervisors are made up of Chairman Marc Lindeen, Vice-Chair Chad White, and Steven Detrick.

Here’s what’s on the agenda:

1. Approval of Agenda

2. Approval of Minutes

3. County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss Weekly Updates

4. P & Z, Joe Buffington, Lot 1 Schlatter Subdivision Phase II, in Section 15 Jefferson Township

5. Discussion & Possible Action Seeking Outside Council for Reimbursement to Carlos Lopez

6. Discussion with Local Morticians & County Responsibilities

Supervisors’ Sub-Committees’

Sports, December 10th

High School Basketball

The WACO girls’ team fell to Louisa-Muscatine last night 45-32. The Warriors will travel to Lone Tree on Friday, December 12th, with game one at 6 pm.

Wapello swept Lone Tree last night with the girls’ team winning 59-54 and the boys’ team sneaking out with a 49-44 victory. Jakayla Nelson collected a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Wapello will compete against Hillcrest Academy on Friday with the girls’ contest playing at 6 pm.

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team battled against Burlington Notre Dame last night but ultimately finished short of the mark, losing 73-52. Aiden Humble drained five three-pointers for 19 points in the effort, while Shay Stephens sank 30 points in the win. 

Burlington Notre Dame will travel to New London on Friday with tip-off at 6 pm for the girls’ contest. 

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team fell to Oskaloosa in a close match last night, 51-50. Abby Carthey led the team with 16 points, while Myah Starr backed her up with 15 points. The Panthers will host Fort Madison on Friday at 6 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will have the call with the pregame show at 5:45 pm.

The West Burlington boys’ team stormed past Van Buren County last night 72-49. 

Holy Trinity Catholic will host West Burlington on Friday with game one at 6 pm.

Van Buren County will travel to Mediapolis on Friday with the boys’ game following the girls at 7:30 pm.

Mediapolis split their non-conference showdown with Washington last night with the girls’ team winning 49-30 and the boys’ team narrowly falling 55-52. Ellah Wagenbach banged home seven threes on her way to 23 points in the winning effort. The Bulldogs will face off against Wilton on the road tomorrow, December 11th, with game one at 6 pm. 

Winfield-Mt. Union was swept by Hillcrest Academy last night, 51-47 in the girls’ game and 53-40 in the boys’ contest. Madisen Kellogg scored 19 points for the girls’ team. The Wolves will hit the road to play Highland on Friday with the girls playing first at 6 pm.

Fairfield was swept by Ottumwa last night with the girls losing 68-34 and the boys’ team falling 51-46. The Trojans will take on Washington at home on Friday with game one of the doubleheader at 6 pm.

The Columbus girls’ team lost to Highland last night 53-35. New London will face off against Columbus tomorrow at home with the girls’ playing first at 6 pm.

The Danville girls’ team will square off against Fort Madison tomorrow with tip-off at 6:30 pm. The Danville boys’ team will host Central Lee on Friday at 7:30 pm.

High School Bowling

Mt. Pleasant will host Keokuk tomorrow, December 11th. 

Fairfield will duel Mt. Pleasant on Monday, December 15th, at home.

High School Wrestling

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team had their triangular postponed last night with a makeup date to be announced at a later time. The Wildcats will wrestle at the Zimmerman Tournament on Friday, December 12th, at Maquoketa High School. 

The WACO boys’ team finished the quad with a 1-2 record last night, defeating Sigourney-Keota 48-33. Braxton Stauffer collected a 2-1 record for the night with a win by fall and a win by a 7-1 decision. 

The New London boys’ team competed in the Cardinal Comet Duals last night and finished 0-3. Killian Kelly finished the night undefeated for the Tigers.

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference will hold their Duals tomorrow, December 11th, for the boys’ teams.

Mt. Pleasant will square off against Keokuk tomorrow at home.

The Van Buren County and Fairfield girls’ teams will compete at the Washington meet tomorrow.

The Wapello girls’ team will compete in a tournament on Saturday, December 13th, at Marion High School.

The Mediapolis girls’ team will travel to Keokuk for an Invite on Saturday.

Southeast Iowa Playbook

Tune in to KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, tonight at 6 pm for a new episode of the Southeast Iowa Playbook with Danville being our school of focus.

Southeastern Community College

The women’s basketball team will travel to Des Moines Area Community College tonight at 5:30 pm.

The men’s basketball team will travel to Malcom X College tonight at 7 pm.

Yota Ishikawa earned Third-Team All-American honors as he recorded six goals and five assists in a top-five national finish for the Blackhawks’ men’s soccer season. 

College Football

#23 Iowa will take on #14 Vanderbilt on December 31st at 11 am for the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida. 

College Basketball

The women’s Cy-Hawk series, pinning #10 Iowa State against #11 Iowa, will be played in Ames tonight at 6 pm.

The men’s Cy-Hawk series will be renewed tomorrow, December 11th, with tip-off at 7 pm as the unranked Hawkeyes look to knock off #4 Iowa State. KILJ 105.5 FM will have the call. 

This Day in Sports History

1922 – The First National Football League Championship: the undefeated Canton Bulldogs (10-0-2) are named inaugural champions.

2012 – 78th Heisman Trophy Award: Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (QB); first freshman to win the award.

2016 – 82nd Heisman Trophy Award: Lamar Jackson, Louisville Cardinals (QB), youngest player to win at 19.

Mount Pleasant City Council Meeting Agenda for Wednesday, December 10, 2025

The Mount Pleasant City Council will meet in Regular Session on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at City Hall, 307 E. Monroe Street, second-floor meeting room at 5:30 p.m.

A G E N D A
1. Roll Call.

2. Consent Agenda: To the Public – All items with an asterisk (*) are routine
by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion and a roll call of the Council-
members. There will be no separate discussion of items unless the Mayor, a Councilmember
or citizen so request, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and
will be considered in its normal sequence on the Agenda.

3. Receive & file communications.

4. Approve agenda.

*5. Approve minutes of previous meetings.

*6. Approve payment of bills.

*7. Receive report of Officers.

8. Old Business –

a) 2nd reading of Ordinance amending Chapter 14, Article V other offenses, by
prohibiting loitering and panhandling in certain areas.

b) 2nd reading of Ordinance amending Chapter 25 (Municipal Fees and Charges)
pertaining to Hazardous Materials Response Charges.

* c) Renewal of a Class C Retail Alcohol License and Outdoor Service for
Pressbox Grille & Bar Inc at 1110 West Washington Street.

* d) Renewal of a Class E Retail Alcohol License for Iowa Wine & Spirits at 109
South Jefferson Street.

9. New Business –

a) Approve the City’s 5-year CIP (Capital Improvement Program) with the FAA for airport improvements.

b) Resolution approving the hire of Amber Thorne for the position of Administrative Assistant with the City Clerk’s office.

c) Approve the purchase of a 2009 dump truck for the Public Works Department.

d) Resolution approving purchase of real estate from Mount Pleasant Community School District.

e) Approve the hiring of Thomas McInerney, Architect for schematic design services – remodeling of 405 East Monroe Street.

10. Public Forum.

11. Adjourn to meet in adjourned session on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.