Midwest Old Settlers and Threshers Association Awarded $210,000

The Enhance Iowa Board awarded over $3 million in Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grants to projects in 10 communities.

Mount Pleasant is one of those communities that will benefit as the Midwest Old Settlers and Threshers Association was awarded $210,000 toward the development of 100 additional camping sites, restoration of an existing heritage electric railway passenger car and purchase of an additional one. The total project cost is just over $1.5 million.

The Enhance Iowa Program provides financial incentives to communities for the construction of recreational, cultural, educational or entertainment facilities that enhance the quality of life in Iowa. To date, 149 CAT grants have been awarded by the board, totaling $50,230,070.

Sports, April 5th

High School Track and Field

The Mt. Pleasant and WACO boys’ and girls’ teams participated in the Demon Relays yesterday and here are the highlights. 

On the boys’ side, Mt. Pleasant grabbed a second place finish in the 4×100 meter relay with a time of 45.33 seconds. The Panthers took another silver in the 4×400 meter relay with a time of 3 minutes and 48 seconds. Nate Stroud took fifth in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet and 10 inches. Harmon Ensminger finished in sixth place in the shot put with a toss of 43 feet and 6 inches. The Panthers finished in 8th place as a team with 24 points. 

For WACO, Louden Huisenga was one of the top finishers with a fourth place run in the 110 meter hurdles, collecting a time of 17.48 seconds. Gage Samo also grabbed fourth place in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1 minute and 2 seconds. Clayton Miller leapt to a fifth place finish in the long jump with a distance of 18 feet and 4 inches. The Warriors finished in 9th place as a team with 22 points. Prairie was the top team with 196 points. 

On the girls’ side, Mt. Pleasant’s Alex Scott and Kynlee White finished with the gold and silver, respectively, in the 200 meter dash with a top time of 26.9 seconds. The Panthers finished in first in the 4×200 meter relay with a time of 1 minute and 48 seconds. Josie Gilmore grabbed third place in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 18.52 seconds. Ella Ensminger took second place in the shot put with a heave of 38 feet, while Kylee Hill of Burlington won the event with a toss of 39 feet and 10.25 inches. Hill also won the discus with a toss of 114 feet and 8 inches with Savannah Slobodnik of Mt. Pleasant taking second place with a throw of 112 feet. 

Zoey Dennler was the top finisher for WACO with a sixth place finish in the 100 meter hurdles, earning a time of 18.84 seconds. The Panthers finished in third place as a team with 82 points. Tipton was the top team with 104 points.

The Mt. Pleasant, Mediapolis, Central Lee, Winfield-Mt. Union, and Danville girls’ teams will travel to Fort Madison for a meet on Tuesday, April 9th. The boys’ team will host a meet on Thursday, April 11th.

The WACO relays will run on Monday, April 8th, with the Van Buren County and New London boys’ and girls’ teams in attendance. 

The Van Buren County girls’ team competed in the Burdell Hensley Invitational last night. Lexie Wiley took second in the discus with a throw of 88 feet and 2 inches. The 1600 medley relay team also grabbed second place with a time of 4 minutes and 52 seconds. 

The Mediapolis, Danville, and Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ teams will travel to Wapello for a meet on April 9th.

The Central Lee boys’ team will travel to Fairfield for a meet on April 9th. 

High School Soccer

The WACO boys’ team fell to Hillcrest Academy last night 4-0. Rowan Miller scored two goals for the Ravens. The Warriors will face off against Danville on Monday, April 8th, at 5 pm on the road. 

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team fell 4 to 2 in penalty kicks to Mid-Prairie last night, falling 2-1. The boys’ team suffered a similar fate, losing 3-1. The boys’ team will take on Highland on Monday at home with the girls’ playing on Thursday, April 11th, against Mediapolis on the road. 

The Mt. Pleasant boy’s team took on Fairfield last night to get conference play underway and it resulted in a thriller at East Lake that the Panthers won in penalty kicks, 5-3. The Trojans tied the game at one with a minute left in regulation and after two scoreless overtime periods Kolbein Ostby, Dylan White, Jonah Zimmer, and Caleb Carrillo Reyes each netted a penalty kick. Axel Noriega Ruiz had the lone goal during regulation as Zach LeBlanc saved three penalty kicks throughout the game. The Panthers will take on Washington on Monday on the road. The girls’ team will travel to face off against Fairfield tonight at 5 pm. 

The Mediapolis girls’ team will take on West Liberty tonight at 5 pm in a road matchup. 

The Central Lee girls’ team will compete against Washington tonight on the road. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team will face off against Wapello on Monday at 7 pm. 

High School Tennis

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ picked up their second win of the year with a 9-0 finish against Fort Madison last night. Jana Isanta, Mary Kate Peterson, Bethany Drury, and the team of Drury and Audrey Richmond each shut out their opponent. 

The boys’ team also had success against the Bloodhounds, winning 7-2. Phoenix Watson, Gavin Ross, Sawyer Fulton, Dane Cook, and Elijah Rynders each picked up a win in singles, while the teams of Fulton and Cook and Zach Johnson and Rynders picked up wins in doubles. 

The Panthers will face off against Keokuk on Monday, April 8th, with the girls’ on the road and the boys’ at home.

Southeastern Community College

For baseball, SCC swept Marshalltown Community College yesterday, winning 3-1 in game one and 9-2 in game two. The Blackhawks will travel to take on Iowa Lakes Community College today in a doubleheader. 

The SCC softball team will take on Marshalltown Community College on Monday, April 8th, in a road matchup.

College Basketball

The #1-seed Iowa women’s team will travel to Cleveland to compete against UConn in the Final Four tonight at 8:30 pm. 

 March Madness

The KILJ bracket challenge, sponsored by The Press Box and Wiley’s Interior Furnishings and Design, is down to the final four and 21 of the 34 brackets still have a champion in the dance. The Final Four starts tomorrow, April 6th, at 5:09 pm.

The standings have been updated and you can follow this link to see the top ten: KILJ Bracket Challenge Standings

This Day in Sports History

1972 – The regular MLB season fails to open due to a player strike for the first time in history; 86 games are lost before the labor dispute is settled.

1984 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar breaks Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time career scoring record of 31,419 points.

1989 – Los Angeles Dodger Orel Hershiser’s consecutive scoreless streak of 59 innings ends.

Further Discussion on Repurposing Hershey Hall

Mike Norris with the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission and Christopher Ales on behalf of Hershey LLC, met with the Henry County Supervisors to discuss the continuation of redevelopment and reuse of Iowa Wesleyan property.

Christopher Ales plans to send an application to the State which will provide funding for his vision of repurposing the Hershey Hall into affordable housing. As part of this $6.8 million project, 22 apartment units will be added to the town of Mt. Pleasant. All will be 2-3 bedroom and atleast 90% of those will qualify for low to moderate income housing.

If the application is approved by the State in July, construction could begin as early as next spring with the units ready by the end of 2025.

Marc Lindeen, a Henry County Supervisor, believes that this is a wonderful thing for our county and city.

A resolution was voted on in support of this project.

Golf Course Road Closed for 5-6 Weeks

The Des Moines County Engineer has released the following message about a road closure.

The following route will be closed starting Monday, April 8th for a paving project. Weather permitting, we anticipate this route to remain closed for approximately 5 – 6 weeks.

Golf Course Road
(Between 9458 Golf Course Rd and DMC Hwy 99.)

We are sorry for any inconvenience that this causes and we appreciate your patience while we improve our roads in Des Moines County.

Henry County Supervisors Meeting Agenda 04/09

Henry County Supervisors

100 E Washington St  Ste 202

Mt Pleasant IA  52641

Fax:  319-385-3601

 

Chad White, Member            Marc Lindeen, Vice-Chairman        Greg Moeller, Chairman    

           319-385-0759                                 319-385-0760                                  319-385-0761________                       

 

AGENDA

 

April 9, 2024

Approve Agenda

Approve Minutes

9:00 Jake Hotchkiss, Engineer Weekly Update.

Approve Resolution to Void Outstanding Warrants

Other County Business as time allows

Supervisors Sub-Committee Updates

Mt Pleasant School District Finance Committee Meeting Agenda 04/05

4/5/2024, 12:30 PM
Finance Committee Meeting
Mt. Pleasant CSD – Central Office | 1010 East Washington Street, Suite 102
Add to your calendar: Google | Outlook (.ics) | Yahoo
 
The Agenda for the Finance Committee meeting has been published. You may review the agenda by clicking on Meeting Title link below.

Meeting Title:  4/5/2024, 12:30 PM-Finance Committee Meeting

 
Sincerely,

Cindy Smith
Administrative Assistant

Meeting Agenda
1. FY25 Certified Budget Proposal Review
2. FY25 Budget Guarantee Resolution
3. 2024-2025 Proposed Registration Fees
4. 2024-2025 Proposed Hot Lunch Prices
5. 2024-2025 Substitute Teacher Pay Review
6. 2024-2025 Four Oaks Student and Family Services Agreement

RAGBRAI 51 Route Revealed!

RAGBRAI® LI announces the full route for the 51st ride across the state.

Thirty-five communities make up the pass thru and meeting towns on this year’s route. They join the eight overnight towns that were announced in January. The communities will host riders enroute to their final destinations each day.

“I’m excited for this year’s full route.” said Matt Phippen, RAGBRAI Ride Director. “It combines iconic views of Iowa with communities that have proven they can provide world class hospitality and experience for the riders.”

We will expand gravel options from one day to seven days in 2024. Connected to the road routes the gravel options range from 2 to 14.5-mile sections and total 53 miles for the week. Riders will experience all grades of gravel, epic rollers and climbs, and pass by the historic Holliwell Covered Bridge in Winterset, Chief Wapello’s Gravesite and Memorial Park in Agency and endless breathtaking views.

“We moved from a one-day option to a seven-day option to showcase all the great gravel that Iowa has to offer,” said Phippen. “I love gravel and think this year provides more scenic views and ways to ride gravel that I’m excited for riders to experience.”

The southern route is roughly 434 miles and 18,375 feet of climb. That makes it the eighth shortest and hilliest route on record. An anticipated 20,000 plus registered riders, with participants from all 50 states and over 17 international locations are expected this year.

Registration is open through May 15 at RAGBRAI.com/ragbrailiregistration. Day by day details and important dates are listed below.

****

 

Day-by-Day Details:

 

Day 0: Glenwood

Saturday, July 20 

RAGBRAI Expo

Location: Downtown Glenwood

Time: 12pm-9pm

 

Day 1: Glenwood to Red Oak

Sunday, July 21

THEME DAY: Tire Dip, Mile of Silence, Gravel  MILEAGE: 41.9 miles ELEVATION: 2,435 ft.

 

Gravel Option: 

Miles: 7.6 miles

Elevation: 638 ft

 

Route:

Glenwood * Silver City * Henderson – Meeting Town * Emerson * Red Oak

 

Day 2: Red Oak to Atlantic

Monday, July 22

THEME DAY: Hometown Pride Jersey Day, Gravel

MILEAGE: 40.7 miles

ELEVATION: 1,702 ft

 

Gravel Option: 

Miles: 3.7 miles

Elevation: 250 ft

 

Route: 

Red Oak * Elliott * Griswold – Meeting Town * Lewis * Atlantic

 

Day 3: Atlantic to Winterset

Tuesday, July 23

THEME DAY: College Jersey Day, Gravel  MILEAGE: 82 miles ELEVATION: 4,519 ft.

 

Gravel Option: 

Miles: 4.5 miles

Elevation: 339 ft

 

Route: 

Atlantic * Wiota * Cumberland * Massena * Fontanelle * Greenfield – Meeting Town * Orient * Macksburg * Winterset

 

Day 4: Winterset to Knoxville

Wednesday, July 24

THEME DAY: RAGBRAI Jersey Day, Gravel MILEAGE: 75 miles ELEVATION: 3,041 ft.

 

Gravel Option: 

Miles: 9.5 miles

Elevation: 708 ft

 

Route: 

Winterset * St. Charles * St. Marys * Indianola – Meeting Town * Milo * Lacona * Melcher-Dallas * Knoxville

 

Day 5: Knoxville to Ottumwa

Thursday, July 25

THEME DAY: I Ride 4 Day, Gravel MILEAGE: 62.9 miles ELEVATION: 2,502 ft.

 

Gravel Option: 

Miles: 4.6 miles

Elevation: 223 ft

 

Route:

Knoxville * Attica * Lovilia * Albia – Meeting Town * Eddyville * Chillicothe * Ottumwa

 

Day 6: Ottumwa to Mt. Pleasant

Friday, July 26

THEME DAY: Karras “Century” Loop, Mr. Porkchop Jr. Day, Gravel MILEAGE: 84.8 miles ELEVATION: 3,160 ft.

 

Gravel Option: 

Miles: 8.4 miles

Elevation: 218 ft

 

Route: 

Ottumwa * Agency * Eldon * Selma * Libertyville * Fairfield – Meeting Town * Pleasant Plain  * Brighton * Wayland * Trenton * Mt. Pleasant

 

Day 7: Mt. Pleasant to Burlington

Saturday, July 27

THEME DAY: Tire Dip

MILEAGE: 46.5 miles

ELEVATION: 1,016 ft

 

Gravel Option: 

Miles: 14.5 miles

Elevation: 295 ft

 

Route: 

Mt. Pleasant * Mediapolis * Kingston * Burlington

 

IMPORTANT DATES: 

  • Registration price increase on April 15, 2024
  • Registration closes on May 15, 2024
  • RAGBRAI L Pre-Ride June 1-8, 2024
  • RAGBRAI L Expo – Saturday, July 20 o     Time: 12pm-9pm  o       Date: Saturday, July 20 o     Location: Glenwood, Iowa
  • RAGBRAI L July 21-27, 2024 o    Day 0: Glenwood o        Day 1: Red Oak  o          Day 2: Atlantic o      Day 3: Winterset o        Day 4: Knoxville o          Day 5: Ottumwa o             Day 6: Mt. Pleasant  o    Day 7: Burlington

 

REGISTER for RAGBRAI

 

New Firetruck for Wapello Fire Department

The Wapello Fire Department is getting a new firetruck.

After being authorized $325,000 from the Wapello City Council due to damage from their former ladder truck, the department got to work. However, increasing costs of fire apparatus and demand made it awfully difficult to find what they were looking for. Spending months combing through every used aerial apparatus listing, all the acceptable ones were too expensive. That’s where Facebook comes in. Scrolling through the popular interface, a used aerial was found in Texas for less than $200,000.

Firefighters traveled to Texas and spent over 6 hours performing a detailed inspection and found that the truck was acceptable. Purchasing it for just $175,000, the truck arrived yesterday morning. According to the department, a ladder truck equivalent to this one would be 1.8 million dollars if purchased new today. Photos are posted on their Facebook page, Wapello Fire and Rescue, if you’d like to check the truck out for yourself.