At the Mount Pleasant City Council meeting last night, Anthony Blint was announced as the new Fire Chief for the city of Mount Pleasant. Formerly Senior Captain, Blint will take over as Chief on Monday, April 1^st, as long-time Fire Chief Drew Schumacher submitted his letter of resignation to the City Council in January.

The Midwest Old Threshers Association is excited to announce the 2024 Reunion Entertainment on the KILJ Stage. The announcement was made yesterday evening at the special Chamber Alive After Five hosted by Old Threshers at the Temple Theatre in Mount Pleasant.

Jim and Marlene Depriest, longtime teachers for the Mount Pleasant Community School District, were announced as the Grand Marshals for the 2024 Harvest Day Parade.

On Thursday, August 29^th, The Oak Ridge Boys will take the stage in what will be their first time performing at Old Threshers in over 30 years. Performing on the KILJ Stage in 1990 and 1992, the group continues to play great music all across the country.

Next up on the KILJ Stage is Chris Cagle. Performing on Friday, August 30^th, this will be Cagle’s first time taking the stage at Midwest Old Threshers. Cagle made his debut on Billboard Hot Country Songs charts with “My Love Goes On and On, a single from his debut album, Play it Loud.

Reunion goers in 2012 and 2013 might remember LOCASH, the talented duo from Nashville, Tennessee. They will light up the KILJ stage on Saturday, August 31^st! With new releases such as “Three Favorite Colors” and classics, you do not want to miss LOCASH.

Rounding off the long weekend of entertainment is the Frontmen! Featuring the dynamic voices of Richie McDonald, Larry Stewart, and Tim Rushlow, the group has collectively sold over 30 million records with over 30 major hits between them. Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 1^st, for a night of incredible entertainment.

Please note that all country music shows are free with the purchase of gate admission to the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion. However, seating for each free concert is first-come, first-served. If you want to guarantee a seat, you can purchase one of their limited number of special 24″ wide reserved seats in the Grandstand center green section for $15 per person, per show.

Reserved seats for the concert will be available today at 8 AM. You can buy them online at https://shop.oldthreshers.com/collections/tickets, call at 319-385-8937, or stop by in person.

On March 8^th, 2024, at approximately 10:14PM, a traffic stop was conducted in the 2300-grid of Franklin Avenue in rural Mount Pleasant.

The driver was identified as Lisa Lowery of Hillsboro, Iowa. A subsequent investigation of operating while under the influence ensued and standardized field sobriety test administered.

As a result of this incident Lisa Lowery was charged and taken into custody for operation while under the influence (OWI). A written warning for speed and expired vehicle registration was also given.

***A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendants are

presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.***

The Henry County Conservation Department Board meeting scheduled for tonight (03/13) has been moved to Tuesday, March 19th, at 4:30pm.

At approximately 2:58 AM on 3/12/24, Wapello Fire and Rescue was called to 14945 145th Street in rural Grandview for a report of a ditch fire.

Upon arrival, fire crews found several area of grass on fire along an approximately one-half mile stretch of the roadway. A high-voltage overhead electric line was found to have fallen onto the ground and fenceline. Fire crews monitored the fire until the power company could cut the electricity. Fire crews then quickly extinguished the fire and returned to base.

There were no firefighter injuries, and the fire was caused by a raccoon which climbed a pole and shorted out an electric insulator. Wapello Fire was assisted on scene by Eastern Iowa Light and Power and Louisa County Sheriff’s Office.

Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.0 percent in January, down from the 3.2 percent announced in December but unchanged from a revised December rate. The state’s jobless rate was 2.9 percent one year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate remained at 3.7 percent in January.

The total number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 50,900 in January, down 1,100 from revised December data. The total number of working Iowans decreased by 1,200 to 1,653,800. The labor force participation rate decreased to 67.3 percent from a revised December rate of 67.5 percent.

”January’s report was mixed. On the positive side, it shows the total number of nonfarm jobs remains 12,700 above last year’s total, even after retail businesses pared 2,000 jobs following the holidays,” said Beth Townsend, Executive Director of Iowa Workforce Development. “We also saw 2,300 people leave the workforce voluntarily in January. Given we have over 58,000 job openings currently in Iowa, it is important we retain the Iowans in the workforce and recruit those who have dropped out. We help Iowans find great career opportunities every day, and we encourage those who have been out of the workforce for a period of time to get in touch. We can help you find your next great career.”

Visit www.iowalmi.gov for more information about current and historical data, labor force data, nonfarm employment, hours and earnings, and jobless benefits by county.