Sports, March 12th

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, March 12th, 2024 at 6:25 am CDT

High School Track and Field

The Mt. Pleasant and Van Buren County boys’ teams will compete at Central College on Friday, March 15th, while the Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will run on Saturday, March 16th.

The WACO and Central Lee boys’ teams and the WACO girls’ team will travel to Central College on Thursday, March 14th, to start their season.

The Winfield-Mt. Union and New London boys’ teams will travel to Danville on March 18th to get the season rolling. 

The New London and Van Buren County girls’ teams will travel to Columbus for their first meet of the year on March 18th. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team will travel to Washington on March 21st for a meet. The girls’ team will compete in a relay on March 26th at West Burlington.

High School Soccer

The WACO boys’ team will open the season on March 28th against Fairfield on the road at 5 pm.

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ and girls’ teams will take on West Liberty on March 25th at home with the girls’ game scheduled first at 5 pm. 

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ will host Mediapolis on March 26th to start their season at 4:30 pm, while the boys’ will travel to Danville to play at 5 pm on the same day. 

The Danville girls’ team will face off against Assumption on March 25th on the road at 5 pm.

The Mediapolis boys’ team will take on Burlington on March 26th on the road at 5 pm.

College Basketball

The #2 Iowa women’s team will wait for Selection Sunday on March 17th to find out their seeding for the women’s national championship.

The Iowa State women’s team’s offense was unstoppable yesterday against #17 Oklahoma as the Cyclones stomped the Sooners 85-68. Audi Crooks had another superb showing with 25 points and nine rebounds in the winning effort as Emily Ryan totaled a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists. The win marked their sixth win against a ranked opponent this season. The Cyclones will face off against #5 Texas for the Big 12 championship tonight at 8 pm.

The #7 Iowa State men’s team will compete against either Texas or Kansas State on Thursday at 6 pm in the Big 12 tournament. The Cyclones will be led by All-Big 12 First Team and All-Defensive Team honoree Tamin Lipsey and All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Newcomer Team honoree Keshon Gilbert.

The Iowa men’s team grabbed the 7th seed in the Big Ten tournament and will take on the #10-seed Ohio State on Thursday, March 14th, at 5:30 pm.

March Madness

The NCAA men’s basketball season is winding down as teams are battling for position and the opportunity to be crowned National Champion in this year’s March Madness bracket.

KILJ, with the help of The Press Box and Wiley’s Interior Furnishings and Design, will be hosting another bracket challenge, but things will be done a little differently this year. March 17th marks Selection Sunday with the brackets being released after 5 pm central time.

A printable bracket will be posted to KILJ’s Facebook page after Selection Sunday for you to fill out. You can either bring your bracket out to our station or email it to sports@kilj.com. The four play-in games will not count towards your final score. Brackets are due by the end of the day March 20th.

For a full list of rules and prizes follow this link: KILJ Bracket Challenge 

This Day in Sports History

1881 – Andrew Watson makes his Scotland debut as the world’s first black international football player and captain.

2020 – The 2020 NCAA men’s basketball tournament is canceled over concerns of the spread of COVID-19; first time ‘March Madness’ not held since it began in 1939; women’s tournament also canceled.

2023 – PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Scottie Scheffler becomes the third golfer, after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to hold the Masters and Players titles at the same time.

Iowa HHS Promotes Volunteer Opportunities and Recognitions

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, March 12th, 2024 at 6:07 am CDT

Iowa HHS recognizes the incredible work being done throughout the state of Iowa by countless volunteers to improve local communities and the state.

Each year, over 57% of Iowans volunteer in some capacity to serve others. Iowa HHS offers numerous volunteer opportunities and recognition ceremonies through Volunteer Iowa and other areas of the Department to encourage all Iowans to get involved and give back.

“We are thrilled to be able to recognize the outstanding contributions of so many selfless Iowans who continue to give back to our state through their passionate volunteer efforts,” said Iowa HHS Director Kelly Garcia. “Iowa HHS provides many unique volunteer opportunities for all Iowans to get involved in their communities. Volunteering not only helps a specific cause, but also has tremendous impact on a person’s mental health and cognitive wellbeing. I hope Iowans will see the value in volunteering and commit to helping others and our community.”

Below are details on the specific recognition and volunteer opportunities:

 

2024 Governor’s Volunteer Awards

The annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards, which recognizes individuals and organizations for their generous volunteer efforts, is now accepting nominations through April 30, 2024 at 10:00 p.m. Categories for the awards include: individual, group, and length of service.

Since 1982, the Governor’s Volunteer Awards have recognized thousands of volunteers for their efforts to make their communities and the state better through projects in arts and culture, education, mentoring, and STEM to name a few.

Nominations are accepted online from: City, county, state and federal governments, community colleges, private colleges, universities, Iowa MENTOR certified programs, K-12 schools (public and parochial), national service programs operating in Iowa (AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Seniors), nonprofit and charitable organizations, and non-state government organizations.

To learn more, please visit https://volunteer.iowa.gov/about/recognition-programs/governors-volunteer-awards.

 

Give Back Iowa Challenge

Registration for the 10th annual Give Back Iowa Challenge, an eight-week challenge from April 1 – May 31, 2024, aimed at engaging Iowans in employer-supported volunteering efforts, is now open.

The Give Back Iowa Challenge was created in 2015 as a competitive challenge for Iowa employers to track the volunteer efforts of their employees. Last year, 24 employers participated in the challenge logging over 17,000 volunteer hours.

“It has never been more important to support the physical and mental well-being of employees than it is today,” said Jami Haberl, executive director of the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative. “Volunteering as an organization is a fantastic way to build a sense of community and connection that will foster the supportive culture workplaces should strive for.”

Volunteering not only has a significant impact on meeting community needs, but employer supported volunteering has a positive impact on business, including improved employee engagement, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and retention.

For more information and employers interested in participating in the challenge should visit https://volunteer.iowa.gov/volunteering/employers/give-back-iowa-challenge.

 

Iowa Citizens Foster Care Review Board

The Poweshiek County Foster Care Review Board is seeking volunteers to join the board, which ensures children in the foster care system receive the services they need during the process of finding a permanent home.

Each county in Iowa has a Foster Care Review Board that is part of the Iowa Citizens Foster Care Review Board program and serve as a forum where key parties involved in the child’s case hear about both the progress and the challenges being encountered. Board members then offer recommendations for ways to clear any obstacles while also ensuring the case maintains a sense of urgency.

This volunteer opportunity requires an average of 10 hours a month of reviewing specific case materials and attending the monthly board meeting.

For more information about the FCRB program, call or text Cara Galloway, Program Coordinator for the Foster Care Review Board for Southeast Iowa at 515-499-3160 or visit https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/programs-and-services/fcrb.

Fire in Crawfordsville

By Yorke Prough · Monday, March 11th, 2024 at 3:34 pm CDT

There was a structure fire in Crawfordsville this morning. The Crawfordsville Fire Department was paged to the 200 Block of Main and was joined by multiple departments from Washington and Henry County for mutual aid.

Barbara Tull

By Yorke Prough · Monday, March 11th, 2024 at 2:22 pm CDT

Barbara “Barb” Tull, 75 of Donnellson, Iowa passed away at 8:00 p.m. Sunday, March 10, 2024, at her home in Donnellson surrounded by her family and loving pets who haven’t left her side for the last few months.

She was born on January 16, 1949, the daughter of Leonard and Dehlia (Ball) Krebill. On May 5, 1968, she married Raymond Tull in Donnellson, Iowa and they were married for fifty-five years.

Survivors include her husband: Raymond; her son: David (Tricia) Tull and her daughter: Julie (Jason) Humes; three grandchildren: Tyler (Rachel) Hoskins, Jonathon Humes and Kaidin Humes; sister Deanna (Richard) Reu; brother and sister-in-law: Kenny and Carol Tull. Also surviving are several nieces, nephews and cousins; her pets: Lilly, Minnie and Melvin.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers and sisters-in-law: Bill and Lela Tull, Dick and Darlene Tull; niece: Cathy Anderson and several very close friends.

Barb was a 1967 graduate of Central High School. She started working at Lee County Bank and Trust three days after graduating from high school and was employed there for forty-one and a half years until her retirement in 2008. She was a member of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, where she taught Sunday School for many years and was also involved with the women’s fellowship group.

She enjoyed camping, especially trips to the Iowa State Fair, Branson and Duluth. Crocheting, she made and donated at least eighty hats for Iowa CLICK for Babies at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids raising awareness for shaken babies. Visiting with the retirees’ group from the bank. In the Fall she enjoyed picking up corn from the family farm to feed the squirrels and birds. She also enjoyed attending her grandchildren’s events.

Per her wishes her body has been entrusted to the crematory of Schmitz Funeral Home for cremation.

A visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in Donnellson.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in Donnellson with Pastor Tony Keefe officiating. Following the service, a luncheon will be held at the Lee County Fairgrounds Learning Center.

Burial will be held at a later date at Evangelical Cemetery, Donnellson.

A memorial will be established in her memory.

Barb’s family would like to Thank the Lee County Hospice nurses and staff. The services they provided were invaluable and much needed during this difficult time. THANK YOU!

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

Amazon Facility Coming to Burlington

By Yorke Prough · Monday, March 11th, 2024 at 8:45 am CDT
The Greater Burlington Partnership is delighted to announce that Amazon is entering into an agreement to open its first facility in Burlington, a site that will support last-mile deliveries in the region. This facility will be approximately 38,600 square feet located in the Flint Ridge Business Park at 715 West Burlington Ave. Launch plans for the facility are in the early stages, with renovations to the existing structure slated to start in the coming weeks.
“This last-mile facility will allow us to better serve customers in the southeast Iowa,” said Jason Vangalis, manager of economic development for Amazon. “We’re grateful for our partnership with the Greater Burlington Partnership, City of Burlington, and Des Moines County to launch Amazon’s first facility in the area, and we look forward to sharing more details about this facility and the good jobs we’ll offer in the future.”
Amazon supports more than one million employees worldwide who are innovating and working to serve customers throughout several global fulfillment centers, retail locations, data centers, corporate offices, tech hubs, and headquarters locations. Hourly employees in customer fulfillment and transportation generally earn between $17 and $28 per hour.
“We look forward to the positive impact this significant development will have on our community and the opportunities it will create for the local workforce,” said Jeremy Hess, Director of Economic Development, Greater Burlington Partnership.
“This is a huge win for the region! We are very thankful Amazon has chosen to invest in our city and region through its capital investment and job creation. The City of Burlington thanks its Economic Development partner, the Greater Burlington Partnership, for its outstanding efforts to continually develop workforce opportunities. Truly we are all partners in success. What a great day!” said John Billups, Mayor Burlington.
Occupying the former Dura Plastics building, the facility will undergo immediate interior and exterior renovations for the last-mile operation. Last-mile facilities are the final stops in Amazon’s transportation network before packages are delivered to customers’ doorsteps. Employees sort packages according to delivery routes who finish the shipping cycle by delivering goods like books, household items and toys.
This location will feature advanced automation technologies, and the wages offered will surpass the regional average.

Shed and Contents Total Loss Following Sunday Evening Fire in Wapello

By Yorke Prough · Monday, March 11th, 2024 at 7:59 am CDT

A fire broke out on Sunday evening in rural Wapello. Just before 7:30pm on March 10th, Wapello Fire and Rescue was called to 11682 K Avenue on a report of a structure fire. Grandview Fire Department was also paged. Heavy smoke and flames could be observed from several miles away so assistance was requested from several area fire departments.

Fire crews arrived on scene to find a 32′ x 82′ machine shed fully engulfed in flames. The fire was spreading to the adjacent grass and timber and the heat was damaging a camper that was parked nearby. The fire was quickly brought under control and was eventually extinguished by firefighters. The building and contents were a total loss. The building and some of the contents were insured by the property owner however, the remaining personal property owned by the tenants was not insured. The estimated damage to the structure is $35,000 and the damaged contents are estimated at $25,000.

There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is undetermined but is considered accidental. A total of fifteen Wapello firefighters responded to the incident and were assisted by seven Grandview firefighters, nine Columbus Junction firefighters and nine Morning Sun firefighters. Also assisting was Wapello Community Ambulance and Louisa County Sheriff’s Office.

Sports, March 11th

By Slaten Swords · Monday, March 11th, 2024 at 6:35 am CDT

High School Track and Field

Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will compete at Central College on Friday, March 15th, while the girls’ team will run on Saturday, March 16th.

The WACO boys’ and girls’ teams will travel to Central College on Thursday, March 14th, to start their season.

The Winfield-Mt. Union and New London boys’ teams will travel to Danville on March 18th to get the season rolling. 

The New London girls’ team will travel to Columbus for their first meet of the year on March 18th. 

High School Soccer

The WACO boys’ team will open the season on March 28th against Fairfield on the road at 5 pm.

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ and girls’ teams will take on West Liberty on March 25th at home with the girls’ game scheduled first at 5 pm. 

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ will host Mediapolis on March 26th to start their season at 4:30 pm, while the boys’ will travel to Danville to play at 5 pm on the same day. 

The Danville girls’ team will face off against Assumption on March 25th on the road at 5 pm.

College Basketball

The #3 Iowa women’s team claimed the Big Ten championship over the weekend for the third consecutive season with a dominating 95-68 win over Michigan in the semifinals and a narrow 94-89 victory over Nebraska in an overtime thriller. Against the Wolverines the offense was unstoppable as four Hawkeyes finished in double figures. Caitlin Clark led the way with a double-double, collecting 28 points and 15 assists as she shot over 50% from the field.

The Big Ten Championship match saw the Hawkeyes erase an 11 point deficit in the third quarter with an even stretch in the fourth quarter making way for an overtime period. Nebraska held a one-point lead with less than a minute to go before Iowa scored five quick points off a three and two free throws from Clark after a steal by the senior. Clark tallied another double-double with 34 points and 12 assists as Hannah Stuelke added 25 points. The Hawkeyes will wait for Selection Sunday on March 17th to find out their seeding for the women’s national championship.

The Iowa State women’s team punched their ticket to the Big 12 semifinals after defeating Baylor over the weekend 67-62. Addy Brown finished with a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds as Audi Crooks scored a game high 23 points. The Cyclones will face off against #19 Oklahoma today with the winner advancing to the Big 12 championship game. 

The #6 Iowa State men’s team ended the regular season on a loss after falling to Kansas State 65-58 over the weekend. Curtis Jones led the scoring with 16 points off the bench. The Cyclones will compete against either Texas or Kansas State on Thursday at 6 pm in the Big 12 tournament. 

The Iowa men’s team had their senior night spoiled by #12 Illinois over the weekend 73-61. Payton Sandfort led the scoring for the Hawkeyes with 23 points as he drilled five three-pointers. Iowa grabbed the 7th seed in the Big Ten tournament and will take on the #10-seed Ohio State on Thursday, March 14th, at 5:30 pm.

March Madness

The NCAA men’s basketball season is winding down as teams are battling for position and the opportunity to be crowned National Champion in this year’s March Madness bracket.

KILJ, with the help of The Press Box and Wiley’s Interior Furnishings and Design will be hosting another bracket challenge, but things will be done a little differently this year. March 17th marks Selection Sunday with the brackets being released after 5 pm central time.

A printable bracket will be posted to KILJ’s Facebook page after Selection Sunday for you to fill out. You can either bring your bracket out to our station or email it to sports@kilj.com. The four play-in games will not count towards your final score. Brackets are due by the end of the day March 20th.

For a full list of rules and prizes follow this link: KILJ Bracket Challenge 

This Day in Sports History

1912 – First Stanley Cup challenge game to be played in three 20-minute periods (formerly 30-minute halves), Quebec beats Moncton, 9-3 on way to series sweep.

1986 – New York Islanders Mike Bossy is the first NHL player to score 50 goals in nine straight seasons.

1991 – Monica Seles ends Steffi Graf’s streak of 186 weeks ranked as the #1 women’s tennis player.

Mount Pleasant RAGBRAI Theme

By Yorke Prough · Monday, March 11th, 2024 at 6:12 am CDT

The Ragbrai theme for Mount Pleasant was announced over the weekend. On Friday, July 26th* cyclists from all over the country will ride into Mount Pleasant, looking for great food, drink, entertainment, and a place to lay their head. Fittingly, the theme this year is “Make Yourself at Home.”