Sports, December 14th

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, December 14th, 2022 at 8:06 am CDT

High School Basketball

The WACO girls basketball team clobbered Highland 49-20 last night holding the Huskies to just one point in the third quarter. The boys team handled Highland 78-17 with five players scoring in double digits. Hunter Hughes led the team with 19 points. The Warriors will be back in action at home Friday, December 16th, to play against Hillcrest Academy with the girls playing at 6 pm.

The Danville boys basketball team came out on top last night with the Bears defeating Van Buren County 61-47.

The New London girls basketball team got crushed by Mediapolis last night 77-31 with the Bulldogs jumping out to a 29-6 lead after the first quarter. The Tigers will be on the road to face off against West Burlington Friday with the girls going at 6 pm followed by the boys.

Holy Trinity Catholic dropped both of their games to Burlington Notre Dame with the girls falling 61-20 and the boys losing 83-34. Gabby Deery led the scoring for the Nikes with 17 points. Holy Trinity Catholic will travel to play Van Buren County Friday with the girls starting at 6 pm.

The Central Lee boys basketball team fell to West Burlington 74-36 last night. The Hawks will host Danville Friday at 6 pm.

Mt. Pleasant will face off against Washington on Friday with a chance at first place in the conference as the girls will be on the road and the boys will be at home with both games scheduled to start at 7:30 pm. KILJ will be covering the girls game with pregame at 7:15 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will have to wait until Friday when they host Columbus with the girls game starting at 6 pm.

High School Wrestling

The Mt. Pleasant boys wrestling team will be back in action at home against Fort Madison and Mid-Prairie tomorrow, December 15th.

The girls team will wrestle December 17th at the Wilton Tournament.

High School Bowling

The Mt. Pleasant Panthers girls and boys teams next competition will be January 5th against Washington at the Iris Bowling Center.

Iowa Wesleyan Athletics

Former Iowa Wesleyan Assistant Football Coach, Mike Leach, passed away yesterday at the age of 61 from a heart attack. Coach Leach was an assistant coach at Iowa Wesleyan for three seasons under Hal Mumme where the two constructed a high volume passing offense called the “Air Raid Offense” that transformed the Tigers into a playoff team in just their third season. This offense broke almost all of the passing records at Iowa Wesleyan with many of them still standing. Mike Hampton, the Assistant Athletic Director of Internal Operations and Special Projects and the Head Softball Coach, was just a part-time softball coach at the time and he remarked how humorous Leach was. Leach was in his third season as Head Coach at Mississippi State where they finished 8-4 and will be playing the University of Illinois for a bowl game.

The women’s basketball team captured Coach Williamson’s 274th career win at Iowa Wesleyan, which ties Olan Ruble for most all-time for the Tigers. It was another close contest for the Tigers as the game was locked at 32 heading into halftime, but the trio of Isabell West (19 points), Kyla Moore (12 points), and Breanna Wendland (12 points) each put up double digit points to come out with the victory 60-54. Coach Williamson will look to break the record Thursday, December 29th, on the road against Bellevue University for the Bellevue Classic at 12:30 pm.

The men’s basketball team extended their winning streak to 11 games in a close game to St. Ambrose University last night winning 70-64. The Bees were only down three with less than eight minutes to go, but the Tigers were able to fend off the swarm. Allante Pickens led the team with 15 points while Hakeem Odunsi came off the bench adding 13 to the effort. They will be at home Saturday, December 17th, to face off against Williams Baptist University at 1 pm. KILJ will be on the call.

The women’s wrestling team is in action December 16th at the Eagle Duals at Avila University, while the men’s team will have to wait until next year to wrestle at Central Methodist University on January 10th.

The Tiger’s next indoor meet will be the Dutch Athletics Classic on January 14th.

This Day in Sports History

1901 – First table tennis tournament is held at the London Royal Aquarium.

2019 – 85th Heisman Trophy Award: Joe Burrow, Louisiana State University (QB); highest percentage of first place votes ever with 90.7%.

2021 – Steph Curry makes his 2,974th three-point shot to pass Ray Allen as the NBA’s greatest career 3-point shooter during Golden State Warriors’ 105-96 win over NY Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Sarah Swift

By Theresa Rose · Wednesday, December 14th, 2022 at 5:51 am CDT

Sarah Swift, 68, of Salem passed away on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at her home in Salem.

Funeral arrangements are pending at the Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant.

 

Mike Noel

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, December 13th, 2022 at 4:40 pm CDT

Mike Noel, age 74, of Mount Pleasant, died Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at his home. Funeral services are pending at the Olson-Powell Memorial Chapel.

Authorities Release Details of Officer Involved Shooting

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, December 13th, 2022 at 12:59 pm CDT

On December 7, 2022, Wapello County law enforcement officers attempted to apprehend Charles Hall, 35, of Ottumwa on an arrest warrant for robbery. Hall fled from officers on multiple occasions and across multiple jurisdictions.

Iowa State Patrol Trooper Jeremy Cole located Hall near the intersection of 118th Street and Dewberry Avenue in rural Blakesburg. While attempting to arrest Hall, he brandished a weapon. Trooper Cole discharged his duty weapon striking him.

Law enforcement provided Hall on-scene medical care. He was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital, where he remains in serious condition.

Trooper Cole, a three-year veteran of the Patrol, was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released.

Per the policy of the Department of Public Safety, Trooper Cole has been placed on critical incident leave.

The Division of Criminal Investigation will forward their investigative findings to the Davis County Attorney for review.

No additional information will be released.

December 7, 2022

Blakesburg, Iowa – On December 7th, 2022 the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was called to an officer involved shooting near rural Blakesburg. The incident occurred at the conclusion of a pursuit of an armed robbery suspect. The suspect is being treated for an apparent gunshot wound(s) at an area hospital.

No further information is being released at this time.

Note: A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

U.S. News & World Report Names Sunrise Terrace Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Among Best in Iowa

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, December 13th, 2022 at 10:19 am CDT

Winfield, Iowa – December 14th, 2022 – Sunrise Terrace Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Winfield, Iowa has been recognized as a Best Nursing Home for long-term care for 2022-2023 by U.S. News & World Report.

The annual Best Nursing Homes ratings, now in their 13th year, assist prospective residents and their families in making informed decisions in consultation with their medical professionals about where to receive short-term or long-term care. Only 16% of U.S. skilled nursing facilities earned the “best Nursing Home” designation this year.

Sunrise Terrace is a CMS rated 5-Star facility and a top 10 ranked skilled nursing facility, out of 423 facilities, in the State of Iowa.

“To make the top 16% out of 15,000+ skilled nursing facilities across the United States is something we are very proud of. Our staff works hard each and every day to ensure Sunrise Terrace is able to provide a high quality skilled nursing facility to Winfield, Henry County, and Southeast Iowa” says Lindsay Remick, Administrator. “In the past, most residents and their families choose nursing homes based on location. However, as it should, this is changing and it is important to choose a facility where you or your loved one will receive the care they have earned and most importantly, deserve.” “Before choosing a skilled nursing facility, I encourage you to do your research on Medicare.gov’s Care Compare website, make a visit to the facilities you are considering, chat with the individuals who will be caring for your loved one, see how the residents are treated, judge how clean the facility looks, and just get that sense of what it would be like to live there.”

For 2022-2023, U.S. News rated more than 15,000 nursing homes on care, safety, infection rates, staffing and health inspections. For the first time, the Best Nursing Homes rating feature a new measure on weekend staffing and another new measure on infection rates that led to hospitalizations.

“Choosing the right nursing homes based on care needs and comfort is a critical decision for prospective residents and their families,” said Zach Adams, health data engineer at U.S. News. “The Best Nursing Homes ratings highlight nursing homes that excel in short-term rehabilitation and long-term care needs.”

The Best Nursing Homes methodology factors data such as resident care, safety, and outcomes. To calculate the Best Nursing Homes rating, U.S. News evaluated each nursing home’s performance using a variety of data obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Both short- and long-term ratings include data on consistency of registered nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs, and success in preventing ER and hospital visits. The long-term care rating also includes measures of whether a home changed ownership and how well they were staffed on weekends. The short-term rehabilitation rating also includes measures of a home’s success in preventing falls, preventing serious infections, and making sure residents are able to return home.

 

About Sunrise Terrace

Built in 1975, Sunrise Terrace is a 46-bed, privately owned, skilled nursing facility located in Winfield, Iowa. A top provider in Southeast Iowa, Sunrise Terrace has been a CMS rated facility for 8+ consecutive years and has been a top 10 ranked facilities in the State of Iowa by American Health Care Association’s Top Line Report. We offer long-term care, short-term rehabilitation with our “Get Well…Go Home” program, short-term respite care, contracted hospice services, and outpatient therapy in our 1,000 square foot therapy gym that has state-of-the-art therapy equipment unique to Southeast Iowa.

 

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice, and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

County Foundation Awards $146,000

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, December 13th, 2022 at 10:18 am CDT

The Enhance Henry County Community Foundation has awarded $146,000 to 29 County organizations. An estimated 25,000 people will benefit from the 18th round of grants to be made by the Enhance Henry County Community Foundation.

The 29 grants were announced at a special celebration and media advisory event held at the Union Block Building in Mt. Pleasant on December 13th beginning at 11 am. The event was open to the public, all grant recipients, public officials from throughout the county and community leaders.

This was the 18th time that the Enhance Henry County Community Foundation has engaged in grantmaking. The foundation applied for and received funds from the County Endowment Fund legislation.

“Our foundation received a total of $160,670.00. Twenty five percent of this was restricted to permanent endowment and 75 percent was required to be released through local competitive grantmaking. In addition, we took $32,042.24 from our endowment earnings and granted them as well.” said Robert Meyer, Foundation President.

“We received grant applications totaling $482,151.80. We only wish that we had more resources at the foundation because we know there are many needs and worthy projects throughout the county.”

The Enhance Henry County Community Foundation was organized by representatives from throughout Henry County.  “Our mission involves helping the communities and non-profit organizations of the county,” said Robert Meyer.   “We want to partner with communities and non-profit organizations to help them with programs and projects that might otherwise not be available to the individuals, families and visitors to our county.”

As an affiliate foundation, the Enhance Henry County Community Foundation can assist donors who wish to make outright and testamentary gifts of support to our foundation or other charitable organizations in the county.  “It’s even possible for local charitable organizations to establish their own funds and benefit from special tax credits and the professional expertise and investment management we help provide,” said Robert Meyer.

Further information about Enhance Henry County Community Foundation is available by contacting, Lora Roth at 319-385-8728.

For more information contact:

Enhance Henry County Community Foundation

Lora Roth

Foundation Administrator

319-385-8728

lora@kilj.com

Former Iowa Wesleyan Assistant Coach Mike Leach Dies at 61

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, December 13th, 2022 at 10:00 am CDT

College Football- Mike Leach died from a heart attack that he suffered last night. Leach was at the tail end of his third season as head coach for Mississippi State University having led them to an 8-4 record this year (19-17 overall). The school announced his death this morning:

“Mike was a giving and attentive husband, father and grandfather,” the Leach family said in a statement. “He was able to participate in organ donation at UMMC as a final act of charity. We are supported and uplifted by the outpouring of love and prayers from family, friends, Mississippi State University, the hospital staff, and football fans around the world. Thank you for sharing in the joy of our beloved husband and father’s life.”

Mike Leach was a football coach with a law degree who wanted to be a pirate. Leach was eclectic to put it simply. Coach Hal Mumme and Leach joined forces in 1989 at Iowa Wesleyan University and created a new offense that featured a high volume of passing called the “Air Raid Offense.” The Tigers went 24-11 during the time while setting nearly every passing record in a game, season, and career. Mike Hampton, the Assistant Athletic Director of Internal Operation and Special Projects and the Head Softball Coach at Iowa Wesleyan, was a part-time Softball Coach at the same time Leach was coaching at Iowa Wesleyan and remarked, “His humor, his dry sense of humor, and his story telling was remarkable.”

Leach would become a head coach at Texas Tech University from 2000-2009 compiling 84 wins over his ten years and became the winningest coach in school history. He then took the job at Washington State and stayed there until 2019 amassing another 55 wins. Leach finished with an 158-107 overall record.

In case you weren’t sold on the account of his eclecticism, Leach once gave a spirited answer about Bigfoot and aliens during a press conference. Here is what he said about his thoughts on aliens.

“To me, it’s always been naïve. On Earth, they say, ‘We’re the only ones.’ Really? Why? Have you been to the other planets? Have you checked out the other planets? I mean, to me it makes more sense that if it happened here, it happened somewhere else than it does that it only happened here.”

Coach Mike Leach was a beloved character everywhere he went, always delivering entertaining quotes.

Sports, December 13th

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, December 13th, 2022 at 6:06 am CDT

High School Basketball

Mt. Pleasant celebrated senior night, but only one team got to celebrate as the girls fell 51-34 to Benton to start the night. The Panthers quickly found themselves down 19-1 after the first quarter as the Bobcats had the hot hand from beyond the arc and were playing stellar defensively. Andrea Lopreato was two rebounds shy of a double-double as she led the Panthers with 17 points. They move to 2-5 on the season.

The boys team looked like they were heading for the same fate as the Bobcats had the lead exiting the first quarter 11-8. Then Payton Hagans took over the game and led the effort as the Panthers outscored the Bobcats 57-24 over the next three quarters for a 65-35 victory. For Coach Rawson it was only a matter of time before Hagans’s  29 point performance. Both teams will face off against Washington on Friday, December 16th, with a chance at first place in the conference as the girls will be on the road and the boys will be at home with both games scheduled to start at 7:30 pm.

WACO will travel to play Highland tonight, December 13th, with the girls starting at 6 pm.

Danville will look to get back on track tonight at home against Van Buren County with the first game scheduled for 6 pm.

The New London Tigers will play Mediapolis tonight with the girls scheduled to start at 6 pm. Holy Trinity Catholic will face off against Burlington Notre Dame at home with the girls going at 6 pm.

The Central Lee boys basketball team will tip-off against West Burlington tonight at home at 7:30 pm, while the girls team will have to wait until Friday, December 16th, to host Danville at 6 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will have to wait until Friday, December 16th, when they host Columbus with the girls game starting at 6 pm.

High School Wrestling

The Mt. Pleasant boys wrestling team will be back in action at home against Fort Madison and Mid-Prairie on Thursday, December 15th.

The girls team will wrestle December 17th at the Wilton Tournament.

High School Bowling

The Mt. Pleasant Panthers girls and boys teams competed against Fairfield yesterday with the boys team falling by 360 pins and the girls team coming out on top by 132 pins. The boys team was led by Alec Payne who knocked down 343 total pins as Jonathan Fortin had the best game total with a 190. The girls team was led by Addison McGehearty and Bethany Drury as they both totaled 299 total pins. Kylie Alldrege was right behind them with 297 total pins. Their next competition will be January 5th against Washington at the Iris Bowling Center.

Iowa Wesleyan Athletics

The men’s basketball team will be back in action tonight on the road against Saint Ambrose University at 7:30 pm.

The women’s basketball team’s next game is tonight as they travel to play Grace College at 2 pm.

The women’s wrestling team is in action December 16th at the Eagle Duals at Avila University, while the men’s team will have to wait until next year to wrestle at Central Methodist University on January 10th.

The Tiger’s next indoor meet will be the Dutch Athletics Classic on January 14th.

This Day in Sports History

1983 – 9,655 fans see the highest-scoring NBA game: Detroit 186, Denver 184 (3 OT).

1997 – 63rd Heisman Trophy Award: Charles Woodson, Michigan (CB). First mainly defensive player to win the award.

2018 – German basketball forward Dirk Nowitzki takes the court for his record 21st NBA season with the Dallas Mavericks, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 20 seasons with the LA Lakers.