Joshua Michael Bergen, convicted of Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury, Willful Injury Causing Bodily Injury, and Burglary 3rd Degree in Louisa County, as well as Escape of Felon in Des Moines County, failed to report back to the Burlington Residential Facility as required yesterday.

Bergen is a 30-year-old, 5’5″, 169-pound white male. He was admitted to the work release facility on Jan. 18, 2024.

Persons with information on Bergen’s whereabouts should contact local police.

On 04/02/24, at 5:09am, the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Henry County Sheriffs Office, and Henry County Health Center Emergency Medical Services were notified of a Motor Vehicle Accident with the vehicle in the ditch near mile marker 238 off the westbound lanes of Highway 34. Once on scene it was observed the vehicle was occupied and there were 3 small dogs in the vehicle.

The subject in the vehicle was identified as Ann Kelly of Clinton, Iowa. Ann was assessed by HCHC EMS on scene and later released on scene.

Upon investigation it was determined that Ann was traveling westbound on highway 34, entered the ditch, struck a utility pole, a tree, and came to rest in the ditch several yards away from original entry. Upon further investigation, Ann had a revoked Iowa Drivers License.

Ann was taken into custody after release from medical assessment and was transported to the Henry County Jail where she was charged with Driving While Revoked a Serious Misdemeanor, Reckless, Operate Without Ignition Interlock Device a simple misdemeanor,  Failure to Maintain Control.

The vehicle was considered totaled with over $2500 worth of damage. The 3 dogs were unharmed.

The Mount Pleasant Police Department was assisted by the Henry County Sheriffs Office, HCHC EMS, and Breuers Towing and Recovery Service.

Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee brought the request of an additional deputy before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday’s meeting. This request came after Winfield-Mt.Union school district explored the idea of adding a School Resource Officer (SRO) for safety, security, and training, on a part time basis.

While McNamee has brought this before the board before, it was not officially voted on as the supervisors waited to garner more information, partly due to a new proposed legislation in the Iowa Senate which would see funds available for school districts to acquire an SRO. The Sheriff was not alone in this battle. Joining him was the New London Community School District Superintendent, Chad Wahls, who has seen his district personally benefit from the presence of an SRO in their buildings. So successful has this SRO, Deputy Lopez, been, that Wahls and the school board requested to make this full-time next year.

Once again, facts about recent school shootings were brought up. In fact, well over 300 of these have happened in schools across the country in just the past 6 years. McNamee asked for the board to be proactive, as he believes it is not a matter of “if” but “when.”

Gage Gill, Winfield Mt. Union 6-12 principal, mentioned how he sees students on their worst and best days. Having an SRO in the building will help ensure those students will experience less and less bad days.

What certainly benefited McNamee was the “penny for penny” reimbursement offered by either school district. Not only will the deputies see their wages (while working at the school) paid for by the district, their gas, uniform, tires, and everything else in between will be fully funded by the school.

Although budget cuts are coming in the size that this county seemingly has not seen, the Supervisors did approve an additional deputy for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office in a unanimous decision. This will likely see a full-time deputy in the New London school district and a part timer in the WMU buildings.

Perhaps McNamee has wind energy to thank for this approval, at least in a sense, as many citizens leftover from the wind energy moratorium discussion voiced their support for the additional deputy cause.

Do you have a great business idea?  Have you always wanted to own a business in downtown Mount pleasant?  Is your current business planning to expand services or add a new product line?  Do you have a piece of equipment you wish you could purchase for your business?

Main street Mount Pleasant is looking for interested entrepreneurs who could use dollars to expand and grow their business idea within the Mount Pleasant Main Street district.  The Open 4 Business contest, launched in 2015, is an opportunity for businesses located within a state-designated Main Street district, to compete for a chance to win up to $28,000 in grant funds to assist with a business development or expansion project that will help them grow their business.

Businesses must complete an online application and submit a short video outlining their business idea and how it will benefit the local economic climate in their community. A 25% cash match is required. Businesses must have been in operation for at least 1 year to apply. The grant funds are administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa program.

All applications and videos must be turned into the Main Street Mount Pleasant office by April 24,2024.  The Economic Vitality Committee will review the applications and contact the applicant to schedule a time to meet. Each designated Main Street community may submit one local business applicant that could represent Mount Pleasant at the state competition to be held in Cedar Rapids on August 5, 2024.

For complete details about this program, please contact Lisa Oetken at lisa@mpiowa.org or 319-385-1629, or Robin Bostrom, Business Specialist, Iowa Downtown Resource Center/Main Street Iowa at 515.348.6176 or robin.bostrom@iowaEDA.com.

The Henry County Supervisors met on Tuesday morning for the 3^rd Reading of the Resolution to Establish a Temporary Moratorium on the Rezoning of Land to the Alternative Energy Overlay District. This resolution was approved by all three board members, and it went into effect immediately. This moratorium will expire on March 2^nd, 2025 at 11:59pm. However, it can be extended or terminated early.

With the room completely full and citizens standing in the hallway as well, many were happy to hear the results of the vote. A citizen thanked the supervisors for their “wise consideration” and multiple people clapped for the moratorium.

Multiple public hearings will be held on this issue in the future as the resolution states that they want to find the most appropriate uses of land for the county.

April is Financial Literacy Month, and State Treasurer Roby Smith is encouraging all Iowans to strengthen their financial education skills.

“There’s always something to learn to enhance our financial well-being. This year, my office has been working hard to find resources that are educational and engaging for Iowans from ages 3 to 103,” Smith said. “From book lists to lesson plans to financial calculators to games, there’s something for everyone.”

As part of the month’s celebration, Smith is encouraging parents, guardians and educators to check out the Financial Education and Empowerment resources on his website, iowatreasurer.org

The New London Community School District has released a letter to parents and guardians regarding an upcoming active threat drill.

“Dear Parents and Guardians,

We wanted to remind you about our upcoming second active threat drill for the 23-34 school year, scheduled for April 2, 2024. Deputy Lopez, our School Resource Officer, will be leading the drill to help us all be more prepared in case of any emergency. The drill on April 2, 2024 will be for the MS/HS only. Clark Elementary will conduct their second drill on April 28, 2024.

Our objective is to conduct multiple drills throughout the school year to ensure the safety of our school community. Similar to a fire drill, this exercise is designed for a different kind of situation. The goal is to familiarize everyone with the necessary steps to take in the event of an active threat, ensuring that we are all on the same page and well-prepared.

Deputy Lopez, along with our dedicated school staff, will guide the students through a practice run, simulating what actions to take in the event of an active threat in or around the school premises. This drill aims to equip everyone with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively.

To support the success of this drill, we kindly ask for your assistance. You can talk to your children about the upcoming drill, assuring them that it is a practice session aimed at ensuring everyone’s safety. Encourage them to ask any questions or share concerns they may have. Your communication with your children helps reinforce the importance of being prepared.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we work together to maintain the safety of our school district. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Mr. Wahls, Mr. Kracht, or Mr. Palmatier.”