Mt. Pleasant’s Kynlee White Ready to Sprint Onto Southeastern Community College’s Track and Field Program

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 8:34 pm CDT

Mt. Pleasant, IA- The Mt. Pleasant Girls’ Track and Field program has been nearly unstoppable in southeast Iowa over the past decade after taking back the Southeast Conference (SEC) championship from Washington for their 11th title in 13 years.

A big reason for that success has been Kynlee White, leading to the speedster signing her letter of intent to continue her Track and Field career at Southeastern Community College. White discussed what went into the decision,

“Yeah, it’s actually started a while back in the summer. I went all the way to Wisconsin and visited two huge schools there, and I was like, yeah, maybe I want to be far away and do that, and then I stayed in touch with those schools, but I came back, went to some smaller D3 schools, and I loved them, but then I realized maybe I don’t want to be far away in those schools. I don’t want to go to a big school either. Also, if you know any of my teachers or any of my coaches, I like to say I’m an athlete-student. I don’t like school at all, so maybe going to a four-year school wouldn’t be the route for me, so I’d rather go to a two-year, smaller school and keep it close.”

The senior has put together quite the resume through her three years as a Panther, setting a new school record in the 4×200 meter relay with Alex Scott, Kiyah Sanders, and Ellie Freeman, which was also an SEC meet record helping the Panthers take back the conference title. A moment she would put at the top of the list of memories,

“You know, it was down to the last race. I was in that race, the 4×400, which I don’t always run that, but I like to do what’s, I’m a very team [oriented] player. I like to do what our team needs, and I actually wasn’t the anchor of that, but it was between two teams, and we had to get that to win, and I put everything I had out there to get it to win, and it was a really surreal moment.”

Additionally, she is a three-time state qualifier—three times for the 4×200, twice for the 4×100, and once in the 200-meter dash and sprint medley—and two-time Drake Relays qualifier. Even though White has done just about every other sport the school offers, the spring season can never come around quick enough,

“Me and my friend Ella, that’s all we ever talk about. If you’re ever around us, it’s always, oh, track’s this many days away, or this many days away, and I’ve been distracted by playing other sports, but always, I’m always ready to be back on the track doing what I love.”

At last year’s State Track Meet, White took 6th in the 4×100 meter relay and 10th in the 4×200 meter relay with the team’s 5th place finish in the 4×100 meter relay in her sophomore campaign being her best finish. With the gift of speed, the thought process on the oval is simple,

“Coach [Scot] Lamm always tells me not to think, just go,” said Kynlee White. “He says that I’m an athlete, and just go. There’s nothing, so you can’t really think about anything. Once you’re out on there, you literally can’t be in your head. Just go, do it.”

With the track season looming, it is nice to have the dream finalized for White,

“I always wanted to be a college athlete and specifically running track. You know, I participate in other sports, volleyball, basketball, but I like to say I just do those to stay in shape, and I’ve really enjoyed them the last basketball season, but running track has always been my favorite, and I’ve always wanted to continue doing it.”

White is looking at enjoying her senior season with her friends and coaches with the expectation to get back to the Blue Oval twice this season. More than anything it’s an opportunity to keep the tradition of Mt. Pleasant track rolling,

“Just do what Mount Pleasant Track does best, and go kick butt out there…”

In terms of studies, White has narrowed down her choice but has not officially decided,

“I haven’t really thought too much into it. That’s what, one of the hardest decisions was, was thinking about what I’m gonna do. I originally thought I was gonna do kinesiology, but then I realized I don’t want any of the careers that come out of that, so I think business administration, there’s, it’s very versatile, and there’s a lot that I can, a lot of different pathways I can go with that.”

The season will get underway with the Indoor State Meet scheduled for March 12th at Iowa State University.

Prep Boys’ Basketball: #4 Burlington Notre Dame Outlasts Holy Trinity Catholic to Claim Back-to-Back District Championships

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 1:17 pm CDT

Burlington, IA- In a rematch of last year’s District Championship, #4 Burlington Notre Dame was able to squash a late rally by Holy Trinity Catholic to advance to their second consecutive Substate Championship in a 64-51 final.

(From Burlington Notre Dame Athletics Facebook Page)

The battle of the Catholics has become a classic as of late with the two recently going against one another in important postseason matchups for both volleyball and basketball. This series has reclaimed its knack for a thriller that was present during the late 2000s and early 2010s, which saw eight of nine matchups decided by two possessions or less.

Although, much like the mid-2010s, the Nikes have generated some separation from the Crusaders, now racking up five straight victories over Holy Trinity Catholic. While last night’s final depicts a contest that was never close, Notre Dame watched their lead dwindle to just three with less than two minutes on the clock in the 4th quarter.

When talking about preparation that goes into playing a Southeast Iowa Super Conference South rival for the third time in a season, Nike head coach Dan Kies knew it would be a clash of competing identities trying to gain superiority,

“Yeah, I mean, gotta prepare just like we did both times we saw them. They played much better against us the first time we saw them. Their second time, they were a little flat to start out. But that’s a team that’s got guys that can play it. They play with discipline. They try to play their style of game. They’re gonna try and play a certain way. We’re gonna try and play a certain way. But both teams know each other, so yeah, gotta get ready and just see if we can’t take care of business. But it’s gonna be a tough matchup.”

In the first quarter at Father Minnett Gymnasium of the Class 1A Substate 5 District 9 Championship contest—at least for the first several minutes—neither team was backing down from the challenge. Holy Trinity Catholic’s defense opted to go with a zone look that collapsed in on the lane, hoping to minimize Shay Stephens, while the Nike defense looked for their man-to-man defense to lead to steals in transition.

Both offenses were ready for these looks. For the Crusaders, Layne Rung, who had averaged just 9.3 points against Notre Dame through his four years, took the challenge head-on, knocking down tough shots and notching 11 points in the first quarter.

On the other end of the floor, the Nikes played inside-out with quick drives leading to kickout three-pointers. Notre Dame hit five of them in the opening frame, including three from Griffin Kies as he went for 11 points of his own. Still, the extra help from beyond the arc gave Notre Dame the 23 to 15 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Despite the offensive output, the teams held on to their gameplans and neither team could buy a basket in the second quarter. Combining for just eight made field goals in the second quarter, the lead remained eight heading into the halftime break, 33 to 25.

The big surprise of the half was Stephens scoring just five points and for most of the first half struggled to get open against the defense of freshman Jack Ragar. For Crusader head coach John Hellige, the first half went exactly to plan defensively,

“Yeah, just really wanted to kind of try to slow him down as much as we could. Kind of limiting the transition and trying to control the defensive boards and limit our live ball turnovers is really what we tried to do tonight. For the most part, I thought the boys did a good job with the game plan.”

While the defense was doing their job, both teams struggled on offense in the third quarter. Rung continued his one-man show for the Crusaders with a pair of threes and a bucket inside the arc putting him at 24 points for the game and cutting the lead to seven, 45 to 38, to start the 4th quarter.

“Amazing player, amazing player, amazing young man” said Coach Hellige of his senior Rung. “He did everything this season we needed him to do. He’s kind of played behind a couple guys the last few years, and this year it was his turn to step into the spotlight, and boy did he ever. Had a great senior year, and just super proud of him.”

Mid-way through the 4th quarter, a Kellen Porter takeaway and transition basket for Stephens gave Notre Dame an eight-point lead, 54 to 46, causing coach Hellige to call a timeout. The Crusaders answered the call to action, much like coach Hellige did at the onset of the season.

The Holy Trinity Catholic seniors urged Hellige to stay on and coach the team and out of the break it was senior Corbin Van Niewaal that collected the in-bounds pass and plugged it in for the old-fashion three-point play. Lead down to five. A subsequent miss by the Nikes and a transition lay-up by Ragar cut the lead to three, 54-51 with two-and-a-half minutes to go.

After trading misses, Stephens took the ball himself and drove to low block and got one to go off the glass to move the lead back to two possessions and from there the Crusaders were unable to get a stop, while the Nikes went 5 for 6 from the free throw line in the quarter to escape with the 13-point win.

After starting the year 4-5, Holy Trinity Catholic had ventured their way back to their third consecutive District Championship. A standard that coach Hellige has come to expect from the program,

“Yeah, yeah, we did a really good job. For a team that really was counted out this year, they said we didn’t have a lot returning and we were able to finish 16-8 season, third straight district final appearance. So just proud of the seniors, their hard work. And my seniors year over year set the example for these younger guys, and this year was no exception.”

Despite all the odds, coach Hellige never lost faith in his squad,

“I mean, I always believe in my guys, and I felt like we had a chance to get back to the district final, or even a little further. I mean, we wouldn’t have showed up tonight if we didn’t think we could stand toe to toe with Notre Dame.”

For Burlington Notre Dame, the Nikes improve to 23-2 on the season with all of their losses coming against higher class teams. They now are set to return to the Substate Championship—a year after falling to North Linn, 56-52, in the same spot—to face off against Calamus-Wheatland as they look for their first trip to the state tournament since 2009.

Calamus-Wheatland also enters the game with a 23-2 record with both losses coming against #9 Marquette Catholic, a team Notre Dame beat 85-71 back in mid-January. The game is scheduled for Saturday, February 28th, at Iowa City High with tip-off at 4 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 3:45 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic Scorers: Layne Rung 26 points, Jack Ragar 11 points, Corbin Van Niewaal 7 points, Graeme Meredith 3 points, Jay Ellison and Nathan Box 2 points.

Burlington Notre Dame Scorers: Griffin Kies 22 points, Shay Stephens 13 points, LJ Harris and Eli Oleson 8 points, Tatum Warner 7 points, Payne Prottsman and Garrison Reid 3 points.

Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission Executive Board Meeting on Thursday, 2/26/26

By Kadie Johannson · Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 10:58 am CDT

The Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission Executive Board will meet on Thursday, February 26, 2026 at noon. The meeting will be held at the Commission’s office at 211 North Gear Avenue, Suite 100 in West Burlington, with a call-in option available at (312) 626-6799 using Meeting ID 872 1622 3582, as well as online access via Zoom.

View the full agenda here.

W-MU’s Crooked Creek FFA Chapter Celebrates National FFA Week

By Kadie Johannson · Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 10:50 am CDT

The Winfield- Mt. Union Crooked Creek FFA Chapter is celebrating National FFA Week with a full slate of activities and sharing information about why FFA makes such an impact in their lives.

Members of the Winfield-Mount Union Ag and Crooked Creek FFA Chapter are taking part in themed dress-up days:

  • Monday – Pajama Day
  • Tuesday – Blue & Gold Day
  • Wednesday – Jersey Day
  • Thursday – Hat Day
  • Friday – Flannel Day

The celebration highlights the impact of agricultural education and leadership development through FFA. Members build public speaking skills, explore more than 250 career paths in agriculture, compete in judging events, earn scholarship opportunities, serve the community, and advocate for agriculture. Students interested in joining are encouraged to speak with a current Crooked Creek FFA member to learn more.

The week of celebration also comes on the heels of sub-district competition, where Crooked Creek FFA members posted impressive results.

In the Discovery Test, Jake Cummings placed 14th and earned a Silver rating, while Layton Carroll finished 17th, also earning Silver.

In the Greenhand Test, Baylie Heacock brought home 2nd Place with a Gold rating.

Abigail Loyd competed in Individual Ag Sales and placed 6th, earning Bronze honors.

Katie Miller earned 4th Place and a Gold rating in the Job Interview contest.

And in Creed Speaking, Tate Beard captured 2nd Place with a Gold rating and will advance to District competition on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Happy National FFA Week to Winfield-Mount Union and the Crooked Creek FFA Chapter.

Henry County Board of Supervisors Meet Tomorrow, Thursday, 2/26/26

By Kadie Johannson · Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 10:40 am CDT

The Henry County Board of Supervisors will meet Thursday at 9:00 a.m. at the courthouse in Mount Pleasant.

On the agenda: Secondary Roads updates from County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss, including consideration of a RISE grant application for improvements to Goodyear Road and Washington Street, also known as Business Highway 34. Supervisors will also discuss quarry and county rock crushing contracts and set a public hearing date for the Fiscal Year 2027 budget.

In other business, Paul Katsion, a member of the Optimus Club and planner of Mount Pleasant’s 250th Celebration of America this 4th of July, will discuss plans to recover a time capsule buried on the courthouse lawn. The time capsule was reportedly placed there in 1976 for America’s bicentennial with the intention for the contents to be uncovered for America’s Semi quincentennial or 250th birthday.

The meeting is open to the public. View the full agenda here.

Mount Pleasant City Council Meets Tonight, Wednesday, 2/25/26

By Kadie Johannson · Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 10:37 am CDT

The Mount Pleasant City Council will meet in regular session today, Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Council members will hear annual updates from Midwest Old Threshers Vice President Alan Buckert and from Joy Lapp of the Historic Preservation Commission.

Under new business, the Council will consider a resolution authorizing an application for RISE funds for improvements to Goodyear Road and Washington Street, also known as Business Highway 34. The Council will also hold the first reading of an ordinance amending city code sections related to signs and industrial district regulations.

The meeting is open to the public. View the full agenda here.

Rep. Watkins (R-Donnellson) Passes His First Piece of Legislation In Iowa House

By Kadie Johannson · Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 10:34 am CDT

On Monday, February 23, 2026, Representative Blaine Watkins (R-Donnellson) of House District 100 successfully floor managed his first piece of legislation through the Iowa House.

House File 2521 amends code to require an animal shelter volunteer or employee to accept a dog or cat in order for it not to be considered abandonment. If an animal is dropped off outside a shelter without any contact with someone from the shelter, that animal is considered abandoned, and county attorneys could prosecute the individual who abandoned the animal.

“This bill ensures that when someone surrenders a cat or dog an employee or volunteer must accept the animal,” Watkins said. “This provides a clear safeguard against animal abandonment.”

HF 2521 passed bipartisanly through the Iowa House with a vote of 89-0.

 

Lee County Sheriff’s Office Sees Increase In Fraudulent Activity Known As “Check Washing”

By Kadie Johannson · Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 10:28 am CDT

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is alerting area residents to an increase in fraudulent activity known as check washing.

In a notice released this week, the Sheriff’s Office says check washing is a form of fraud in which criminals steal legitimate checks, chemically “wash” them to remove the original ink, and then rewrite the check to themselves or another party in order to redirect funds.

Authorities say criminals often target checks left in residential mailboxes. Once stolen, the checks are altered and fraudulently deposited or cashed, leaving victims with significant financial losses.

Residents are urged to watch for red flags that may indicate a check has been tampered with. These include faded or discolored areas on the check, inconsistent handwriting, or altered watermarks.

To help prevent becoming a victim, the Sheriff’s Office recommends using fraud-resistant checks with built-in security features such as watermarks, monitoring bank accounts regularly for discrepancies, and considering electronic payments as a safer alternative when possible.

Officials also advise depositing outgoing mail in secure blue postal collection boxes rather than leaving it in residential mailboxes, and not leaving mail in your mailbox overnight. If you plan to be away from home, have your mail held at the post office or picked up by a trusted friend, family member, or neighbor.

In addition, residents are reminded not to discard credit card records or bills in household trash. Sensitive documents should be shredded or destroyed before disposal. Enrolling in online banking and closely monitoring accounts for unauthorized transactions can also help detect fraud early.

If you suspect you have been a victim of check washing, report it immediately to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and contact your local police department or sheriff’s office.