Sports, April 16th

High School Track and Field

Central Lee hosted their invitational last night with Keokuk winning the girls’ meet with 174 points and Fort Madison taking the boys’ meet with 155 points. 

On the girls’ side, Van Buren County took third place with 123 points. Kayley Snowgren won the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes and 38 seconds. Marlee Mertens took the high jump with a leap of 4 feet and 10 inches and the 4×800 meter relay team won with a time of 11 minutes and 12 seconds. 

Central Lee grabbed 37 points with their top individual finisher being Kylie Fortune with a fourth place jump of 14 feet in the long jump. 

On the boys’ side, Van Buren County finished in second place with 130 points while Central Lee and New London took fifth and sixth place, respectively. The Warriors saw Lincoln Bainbridge win the 1600-meter run with a time of 4 minutes and 54 seconds and the 3200-meter run with a time of 10 minutes and 49 seconds. Tyler Stoltz earned the win in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet and 2 inches.  

Grant Myhre grabbed first place in the 400-meter dash and the long jump with a leap of 20 feet for the Hawks. The Tigers were led by London Franklin’s second place finish in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet and 10.75 inches. 

The Central Lee and Van Buren County boys’ and girls’ teams will compete on Thursday, April 18th, at Louisa-Muscatine.

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ and boys’ teams hosted the Panther Relays yesterday and the Panthers girls’ team won with 152 points, while Mediapolis won the boys’ side with 210 points followed by Mt. Pleasant with 133 points. 

On the girls’ side, Josie Gilmore, Meadow Carter, Rellana Van Deuren, and Jayden Yoder won the 4×100 meter shuttle hurdle with a time of 1 minute and 13 seconds. Kynlee White picked up the win in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.96 seconds. Kiyah Sanders, White, Alex and Andi Scott grabbed the win in the 4×200 meter relay with a time of 1 minute and 45 seconds. Bailey Jalas joined White and the Scott sisters in the 4×100 meter relay with a time of 49.71 seconds. Gilmore won the high jump with a leap of 4 feet and 8 inches. Lastly, Savannah Slobodnik won the discus with a toss of 114 feet and 8 inches. 

Danville grabbed third place with 89 points as Alaina Gourley won the 400-meter dash with a time of 59.59 seconds. Jaeda Molle raced to a win in the 200-meter dash with a time of 27.19 seconds. Mediapolis finished in sixth place with 68.5 points with Bryn Wright finishing in third place in the 1500-meter run with a time of 5 minutes and 23 seconds. 

West Burlington took seventh place, Winfield-Mt. Union finished in ninth place, WACO grabbed 11th place, and New London finished in 13th. For the Falcons, Ady Lamm was the best finisher with a third place time of 13.47 seconds in the 100-meter dash; Kaitlyn Kipp also took third in the 800-meter run. For the Wolves, Josie Nelson finished with the silver in the 100-meter hurdles and the 400-meter hurdles. 

Switching to the boys’ side, Mediapolis won 11 of the 19 events. The Schmidgalls dominated for the Bulldogs with Nathan Schmidgall racing to a time of 54.74 seconds to win the 400-meter dash. Will Schmidgall took the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes and 8 seconds. Noah Schmidgall won the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.38 seconds. Ben Wolter earned the gold in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.29 seconds. Solomon Zaugg picked up the win in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4 minutes and 23 seconds, which beat the meet record. Lathan Keller took the high jump with a leap of 5 feet and 10 inches. Mediapolis then won the 4×110 meter shuttle hurdle, the 4×200, the 4×100, the 4×400, and the distance medley relays. 

Mt. Pleasant, the runner-up, was led by their throwing events and Avin Truong. Harmon Ensminger narrowly defeated fellow Panther, Franklin Tousignant, with a throw of 43 feet and 7 inches in the shot put, while Tousignant won the discus with a heave of 123 feet and 6 inches. Truong finished in first place in the 100-meter dash with a new meet record time of 11.31 seconds, the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.08 seconds, and the long jump with a leap of 21 feet and 11 inches, which beat his own meet record by nearly a foot. 

Lastly, Danville gathered 96 points to finish in third place. Carter Fesler won the 3200 meter run and the Bears also picked up victories in the 800 sprint medley and the 4×800 meter relay. 

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will travel to Washington on Thursday with Danville and Mediapolis also in attendance. The boys’ team will travel for the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Ike Ryan Relays on Thursday with Mediapolis participating. 

The WACO boys’ team hosted the Warriors Relay yesterday as Winfield-Mt. Union took first place with 120 points, West Burlington grabbed fourth place, and WACO finished in sixth place.

Picking up individual victories for the Wolves was Sheaden Adams in the 400-meter dash, Kohlby Newsom in the 800-meter run, Gabriel Hemsworth in the 400-meter hurdles, and Cam Buffington in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet and 5 inches. 

The Warriors picked up first place finishes in the 4×100 meter shuttle hurdle and the high jump with Louden Huisenga leaping 5 feet and 8 inches. The Falcons were highlighted by Landry Haberichter’s first place finish in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.97 seconds. 

The Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ and boys’ teams will host their senior night meet on Thursday with Danville, New London, West Burlington, and WACO bringing both teams. 

High School Soccer

The WACO boys’ team will host Highland on Thursday, April 18th. 

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team had their matchup against Washington today postponed. The Wildcats will face off against Central Lee on Thursday with the girls playing first at 5 pm. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team clobbered Highland last night 9-2. The boys’ team will take on WACO on April 23rd at 5 pm, while the girls’ team had their competition against Keokuk tonight postponed. A new date and time has yet to be determined.  

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team was unable to keep up with Burlington last night, falling 7-2 to the Grayhounds. The Panthers will take on Fort Madison with the girls at home and the boys on the road on Thursday. 

The Danville boys’ team picked up a victory last night against Burlington Notre Dame 2-0. Kadu Garcia and Colin Pealer each scored a goal for the Bears, while Aiden Konig tallied 8 saves. Danville will travel to take on Hillcrest Academy on Thursday. 

The Central Lee boys’ and girls’ teams celebrated their senior night in style against Wapello with each team winning 10-0. 

High School Tennis

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team earned their fifth victory of the season after defeating Burlington Notre Dame last night 6-3. Jana Isanta, Ellie Situmeang, Bethany Drury, and Audrey Richmond picked up wins in singles competition. Isanata and Situmeang won 8-3 in their doubles match, while the team of Drury and Richmond shut out their opponents for the victory. The girls’ team will host Keokuk on Thursday, April 18th, while the boys’ will face off against Keokuk on the road. 

High School Golf

The Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team won their matchup against WACO yesterday with Carter Loyd’s 9-hole score of 41 leading the way. Malachi Rinner was the top golfer for WACO with a score of 49. 

The Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ and girls’ teams will hit the road for a meet tomorrow, April 17th, at Wapello with the Danville boys’ team and the Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team also in attendance. 

The WACO boys’ and girls’ will travel to Columbus on Thursday, April 18th. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team traveled to Washington for their SEC meet last night and it was the host team that came out on top with a team score of 150 with the Panthers taking second place with a team score of 179, which overtook Fairfield for second place through three meets. The Demons were led by Roman Roth as he shot a 33 (-2). 

The Panthers had four golfers finish under 50 for the meet with Reece Coffman shooting 6-over par (41). Fairfield shot a 184 followed by Keokuk and Fort Madison, respectively. Archer Kreuter shot a 43 for the Trojans, Chase Eckland and Jayden Thomas both shot a 48 in the Chiefs, and Cole Quitten led the Bloodhounds with a 10-over par. 

On the girls’ side, Mt. Pleasant acted as the host team, but Keokuk exited with the victory with a team score of 208 with the Panthers taking second with a 217. Mt. Pleasant’s Kylie Walderbach tied with Keokuk’s Irelynn Seay with a 48 for the course. Sophia Walderbach finished with a 54 for the Panthers. Fort Madison took third place followed by Washington and Fairfield, respectively. 

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team’s SEC meet has been canceled due to the forecasted weather, while the boys’ team will head to Fairfield on Friday, April 19th, for a makeup meet. 

New London will take on Central Lee on the road on Thursday.

The Central Lee boys’ team fell to Mediapolis yesterday 174 to 185. The Bulldogs were led by Jacob Grier as he shot a 39 for the course. 

Southeastern Community College

SCC baseball won a high scoring affair yesterday against Ellsworth Community College 19-12. The Blackhawks will host Des Moines Area Community College on Thursday, April 18th.

The SCC softball team will face off against Indian Hills Community College tomorrow, April 17th, at home in a doubleheader. 

This Day in Sports History

1929 – New York Yankees become the first MLB team to permanently feature numbers on backs of uniforms; numbers correspond to position in batting order.

1939 – Stanley Cup Final, Boston Garden, Boston, MA: the Boston Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-1, for a 4-1 series win; the first best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final series.

1959 – MLB Philadelphia Phillies’ Dave Philley gets a major league record 9th straight pinch hit, having ended the previous season with a streak of 8.

Chick-fil-A Finds Permanent Home in Southeast Iowa

Chick-fil-A is coming to Burlington — permanently.
Jeremy Hess, director of economic development for the Greater Burlington Partnership, said the restaurant will be near the corner of Agency Street and Roosevelt Avenue.
The restaurant should open by early next year, according to Hess.
Hess said the location, which will be in the same block as Walgreens and Pizza Ranch, used to belong to Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center. Chick-fil-A purchased the location from Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center, which had considered putting a quick care unit there at one time.

Man Arrested After Pursuit in Des Moines County

The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of a man following a pursuit.

According to a news release, at about 7:08 PM Friday, April 12th, Des Moines County Deputies responded to the area of Highway 61 to be on the lookout for a vehicle that had struck a Lee County patrol vehicle.

A short time later, deputies located the suspect vehicle as it turned onto Skunk River Road from Highway 61.  As deputies got closer, the driver of the suspect vehicle reversed into the deputies’ vehicle before taking off west on Skunk River Road towards Augusta.

Deputies followed the suspect vehicle through Augusta then east on Highway 16.

Authorities were able to deploy spike strips in the path of the suspect vehicle near Highway 16 and Highway 61.  The vehicle continued to drive recklessly with flattened tires north on Highway 61 in the southbound lanes.

The vehicle eventually crashed into the ditch on Summer at Old Highway 61, and the suspect attempted to flee on foot before being arrested.

The suspect, Dustin Turner, was taken to Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries sustained in the crash.

Turner is originally from Jonesboro, LA but has been staying in the Burlington area.

After being released from the hospital, Turner was arrested and charged with Eluding, Assault on a Peace Officer with a dangerous weapon, Interference with official acts, and 6 traffic offenses.

Severe Weather/MPCSD Superintendent Message

April 15, 2024

MPCSD Superintendent John Henriksen:  The National Weather Service is predicting several rounds of strong thunderstorms over the next couple of days. The timing of these storms is as follows:

Round 1: Tuesday 2:00am – 8:00am

Round 2: Tuesday 2:00pm – 9:00pm

Round 3: Wednesday 4:00am – 10:00pm

Henriksen met with building principals this afternoon to review safety protocols for severe weather and the district is prepared to “shelter in place”, if necessary, until the several weather threat has passed.  If severe weather hits at school dismissal time, “we ask that you wait until the threat has passed before picking up your student/s.”  It is possible that school staff may have to shelter, and will be unable to allow access to the building or answer phone calls.

Based on the predicted timing of the storms, the school bus schedule could be affected.  If transportation delays are necessary, changes will be communicated through MPCSD Social Media accounts, Infinite Campus Messenger, and KILJ Radio.

Finalists for 2024 Small Business of the Year Announced!

Chamber Announces

2024 Small Business of the Year Finalists

MOUNT PLEASANT – The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance is pleased to announce that Small Business Week will be celebrated April 29 – May 3, 2024. In conjunction, we are pleased to announce the five finalists for the 2024 Small Business of the Year Award. Congratulations to From the Heart Flowers & Gifts, Orthodontic Associates of Iowa, Sa3m Sao Market, Southeast Iowa Realty, Inc. and Triple Seven Trucking.

Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.

In the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance, more than 250 businesses have less than 25 employees. Those businesses contribute over $60,000 to the Chamber annually and collectively, small business accounts for more than 1200 jobs in the community.

The 2024 Small Business of the Year will be announced at the Small Business Breakfast on May 3.

Small Business Week is made possible by these sponsors:  Platinum-Pilot Grove Savings Bank; Silver – Community 1st Credit Union

 

Prep Track and Field: IHSAA Releases State Qualifying Meet Sites

Prep Track and Field- The 2024 High School State Track and Field competition at Drake Stadium is a month away from getting underway on May 16th and running through the 18th and the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) released the sites for the State Qualifying Meets today.

The State Qualifying Meets are currently scheduled to run on Thursday, May 9th, for all classes and for both the boys and girls.

There will be no more than 24 qualifiers in any event as Classes 4A, 3A, and 2A will have the top place winners advance, while Class 4A will have the next 12 best statewide performance advance and Classes 3A and 2A will have the next 8 best statewide performances advance.

Class 1A will just be the top place winner in each event plus the next 14 best performances statewide. If a tie happens, the highest qualifying meet place winner will be the qualifier. If there is still a tie the school’s name alphabetically will qualify. In 2025, it will change to the first school’s name alphabetically.

Class 4A State Qualifying Meet Sites

  • Cedar Rapids, Jefferson
  • Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln
  • Dubuque, Senior
  • Iowa City, City
  • Norwalk
  • Waukee Northwest

Class 3A State Qualifying Meet Sites

  • Atlantic
  • Clear Lake
  • Mount Pleasant
  • North Polk
  • Saydel
  • Sergeant Bluff-Luton
  • Solon
  • West Delaware

Class 2A State Qualifying Meet Sites

  • Dike-New Hartford
  • Denver
  • Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
  • Manson Northwest Webster
  • Roland-Story
  • Spirit Lake
  • Tipton
  • Treynor

Class 1A State Qualifying Meet Sites

  • Belle Plaine
  • BGM
  • Earlham
  • Edgewood-Colesburg
  • Fremont-Mills
  • Mount Ayr
  • North Union
  • Saint Ansgar
  • Sigourney
  • Westwood

Dennis Dean Dodson

Dennis Dean Dodson 67, of St. Paul, Iowa, passed away at 9:48 a.m., Thursday, April 11, 2024, at the Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House in West Burlington, Iowa.

He was born on February 27, 1957 in Fort Madison, Iowa, the son of Lloyd Dennis and Barbara Ann (Carpenter) Dodson. On April 23, 1993, he married Sharon Jean Blind in Independence, Missouri.

He is survived by his wife: Sharon; children: Frank, Tim, LeAnn, Darrel, Jody and Denny, Jr.; thirteen grandchildren; many, many great grandchildren; mother: Barbara Sharp; father: Lloyd Dennis Dodson; brothers: Phillip Dodson, J.R. Alllison; sisters: Tammy  Young, Sonya Dodson; BEST FRIENDS EVER: Larry and Robin Bennett. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents and son: Phillip Dodson.

Dennis served in the United States Navy. He was a member of the America Legion and worked as an electrician.

A visitation will be held from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in West Point, where the family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, April 21, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in West Point.

A memorial has been established in his memory.

Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com