A truck was stolen from Mount Pleasant on Wednesday morning. Just after 12:30am, the Mt. Pleasant Police Department was advised of a stolen truck from the 1300 block of E Haynes Ct in Mt Pleasant IA.

Then, at 3:17am, a juvenile female from Cedar Rapids turned herself in as she had been separated from the other juveniles that had stolen the truck. Upon investigation it was determined that the group of juveniles from Cedar Rapids and Mt Pleasant had stolen the truck before heading to Winfield to partake in more car burglaries. The juveniles then stole a car from Winfield and came back to Mt Pleasant.

The juvenile was charged with Theft 1^st, a Class C Felony and transported to a facility. The others were not located yet and the investigation is ongoing and more charges are expected.

At approximately 7:45 hours, both stolen vehicles were located in Mt Pleasant and processed and turned back over to the owners.

The Mt Pleasant PD was assisted by the Henry County Sheriff’s Office and Winfield PD.  Once again, we remind citizens to lock their vehicles and buildings.

Mount Pleasant has been chosen as an overnight community for the 51^st RAGBRAI on July 26, 2024.   To make this event possible, volunteers are needed.   The Mount Pleasant RAGBRAI committee is seeking day of volunteers and/or help with committee planning.   To sign up to be a part of this event, check out mtpleasantragbrai.com

For additional information, please contact the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance at 319-385-3101.

The price of regular unleaded gasoline rose 14 cents, averaging $3.31 across Iowa according to AAA.

Crude Oil Summary

• The price of global crude oil rose this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by $2.87 per barrel over last week, currently priced at $81.98.
• Brent crude oil rose $2.68 and is currently priced at $86.15.
• One year ago, WTI crude sold for $67.64 and Brent crude was at $72.42.

Motor Fuels

• As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $3.31 across Iowa according to AAA.
  • Prices rose 14 cents from last week’s price and are up 12 cents from a year ago.
  • The national average on Wednesday was $3.52, up 12 cents from last week’s price.
• Retail diesel prices in Iowa rose 1 cent this week with a statewide average of $3.79.
  • One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.90 in Iowa.
  • The current Iowa diesel price is 26 cents lower than the national average of $4.05.
• Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16.
• The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $2.45 for U87-E10, $2.77 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.80 for ULSD#2, $3.07 for ULSD#1, and $1.98 per gallon for E-70 prices.

Heating Fuels

• Propane prices averaged $1.59 per gallon statewide.
• Home heating oil prices averaged $3.20 per gallon statewide.
• Natural gas prices rose 2 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $1.70/MMbtu

Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.

After a threat was made against the Van Buren County High School around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, the Sheriff’s Office promptly responded.

This incident was investigated by the Sheriff’s Office staff with assistance from the High School’s administration. It has been determined that there is no ongoing threat to the staff or students.

According to Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office, multiple people called in reference to the school going into lockdown. However, the lockdown was for an unrelated police K9 unit check of vehicles in the parking lot. The lockdown had nothing to do with any threat to the school.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the administration of Van Buren County High School for their prompt alert and response to today’s incident.

We would also like to thank the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for the use of their K9 team.

March 2024

Upcoming Events Around Henry County

March
27th – Commercial Pesticide – Ornamental & Turf Pest Control
27th – Region 27 Ames STEM Trip
29th – 4-H Babysitter Clinic
April
2nd – Introduction to Planning & Zoning for Local Officials
13th – 4-H Regional Clothing Workshop
15th-20th – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Week

To find out more information about these upcoming events head to the Henry County Extension website or Facebook page!

Horticulture Headlines

Creating Raised Bed Planters

Wanting to add functional and attractive raised garden beds to your home? Click here for types of raised beds, advantages of having raised garden beds, and the construction of them.

Manage Garden Plants that Break Dormancy Early

Recent warm temperatures across Iowa may cause some concerns for gardeners as they see buds and foliage emerge in February. This puts plants at risk of damage if below-average temperatures return. In this article, you will be advised on what to do when plants break dormancy early. Click here to read full article.

Henry County & 4-H Happenings

SWITCH – Salem Elementary

This month, Erin was off to Salem Elementary School for her SWITCH Program. SWITCH (School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health) is an innovative school wellness initiative designed to support and enhance school wellness programming. With the help of the students pedaling the blender bike, Erin made peach-carrot smoothies! Smoothies are a good snack and an easy way to add your fruits and vegetables for the day.

Peach-Carrot Smoothie Recipe: frozen banana, peaches, and cooked carrots. Add your choice of yogurt, milk, water, or peach juice, and enjoy!

Van Allen 4-H After School Program

We are four weeks into the 4-H After School Program at Van Allen! The students have been diving into the Engineering Design Process. Students first designed their doghouses on paper and then brought those designs to life by making them out of cardboard with the help of their mentors! It was fun seeing how creative these young engineers were and how they overcame obstacles while putting the houses together.