A deceased body was located near Alexandria, Missouri, which detectives believe are the remains of a missing Keokuk man. The remains, which were found in a secluded tree line, are thought to be those of 37 year old Lane Miller of Keokuk. Miller was reported missing on January 8th, 2024.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Clark County Coroner Edwin Wilson, Lee County Sheriff Stacey Webber and Detective Chad Donaldson, Keokuk Police Department Detective Steve Dray, and Alexandria Mayor Franklin Shipley. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Lane Miller.
Have you ever wanted to clean a river? Well, now you can. Iowa Project AWARE (A Watershed Awareness River Expedition) is an annual volunteer-driven initiative dedicated to cleaning up and preserving Iowa’s waterways. This year, volunteers from across the state will come together to remove trash and debris from the Skunk River, spanning 75.6 miles from Keokuk County to Des Moines County, while raising awareness about the importance of environmental stewardship and water quality protection. To date, the project has removed over 489 tons of garbage out of Iowa waterways!
The event will feature a week-long cleanup effort, educational workshops, and recreational activities aimed at engaging participants of all ages and backgrounds. Volunteers will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their communities while enjoying the natural beauty of the Skunk River and surrounding areas. Registered volunteers can enjoy delicious catered meals daily!
A Tuesday morning Henry County Supervisors meeting saw plenty of citizens in attendance.
While the Henry County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss provided a weekly update, it wasn’t him that most citizens were there for. While wind energy was not officially on the agenda, it is the topic that everybody seems to be interested in right now.
A request for guidance from the county attorney was sent in by the supervisors regarding the ordinance for Alternative Energy Overlay. To be safe, they would like to know what their legal responsibilities are.
It is supervisor Lindeen’s hope that by this Thursday they will have a concise document detailing the changes that the board wants to see from the ordinance. They would then present this to Joe Buffington, the Planning and Zoning Director. The Planning and Zoning Commission would meet to discuss the new proposed changes to the ordinance, and then discuss further with the Board of Supervisors. It must be stated that this ordinance is not final.
Lindeen also mention that the county will continue working on this ordinance in an orderly manner. What pace that is, he is unsure.
The Planning and Zoning Commission has a meeting for Tuesday, March 12th, at 6:00pm at the Henry County Courthouse. This work session is open to the public.
The supervisors are still taking emails from citizens regarding the proposed wind energy project in Henry County. Their email is supervisors@henrycountyiowa.us
Bruce W. Andre, 82, a longtime resident of Fairfield, passed away on February 29, 2024, at the University of Iowa Medical Center Downtown in Iowa City surrounded by his wife, Portia, and family.
A celebration of Bruce’s life will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Fairfield Golf and Country Club in Fairfield, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parents Association.
Bruce was born on September 26, 1941, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Wilbur and Louise (Hatfield) Andre. On August 21, 1965, he married Portia Gonzalez at the First United Methodist Church in Fairfield.
Bruce taught middle school social studies at the Cardinal School District for 36 years. Bruce was an active member of the Fairfield Area Community Theatre, where he played many roles over the years, including the King in Fairfield’s production of The King and I. He was also an active member of the First United Methodist Church choir and the Masonic Lodge. Bruce enjoyed spending time with his family at their cabin in Wisconsin and watching his grandchildren participate in their activities. Bruce was also a long-time member of the Iowa Air National Guard, retiring after 27 years as a Senior Master Sergeant.
Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Portia; his children, Heidi Bowman of Fairfield and Mike Andre of Arlington Heights, Illinois; his grandchildren, Baylee, Brynna, Blair, Brittan, Abby, Kiley, and Brooke; his great-granddaughter, Jovie; and his brother, Rex (Virginia) Andre of Minnetonka, Minnesota. Bruce and Portia were also foster parents to 97 children over the years.
Bruce was preceded in death by his parents.
If you would like to offer condolences to Bruce’s family, please visit his obituary at www.behnerfh.com.
Henry County Sheriff Richard McNamee is proud to announce that the Henry County Sheriff’s Office started a county-wide “School Safety Project”. The project was led by Henry County Deputy Sheriff/ New London School Resource Officer Carlos Lopez, whose initial goal was to provide school safety kits for the New London Community School District, then additionally for all the classrooms in Henry County. To accomplish this goal, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the Mt. Pleasant Community School Foundation to begin submitting grant applications.
This project has been supported by the Mount Pleasant Police Department, the New London Police Department, the Winfield Police Department, the Wayland Police Department, Henry County Emergency Management, Henry County EMS, New London Community School District, Mt Pleasant Community School District, Winfield-Mount Union Community School District, WACO Community School District, and the Mount Pleasant Christian School.
The current goal of the “School Safety Project” is to protect our children, grandchildren, and school staff in their classrooms by placing medical bleed control kits in all classrooms/staff rooms at every school in Henry County. The bleed control kits will allow students and staff to have the ability to be proactive in taking steps to save lives in the event of an active attack.
It is important to note that training on the bleed control kits will be done at all schools. The bleed control kits contain lifesaving medical supplies. This training provides valuable medical education that can be taken through adulthood.
Medical supplies are being purchased for the bleed control kits. Donations are still being accepted. Donors will be recognized in each school building and through media sources.
As of today, we have received grants from the Henry County Health Center Foundation, Enhance Henry County, Hoaglin Foundation, and donations from the Walmart Distribution Center, Beck’s Superior Hybrids, the City of New London, and the New London Municipal Utilities.
To donate, drop-off a check made out to the Mt Pleasant Community School Foundation at Two Rivers Bank or the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. Indicate on the memo line that the donation is for “School Safety Project”. For more information, contact Deputy Carlos Lopez at the Henry County Sheriff’s Office 319-385- 2712.
The New London Community School District released a letter to parents regarding a new event for high school students.
On March, 27, 2024, New London High School is hosting “Operation Prom,” for all 9th-12th grade students. This will be an immersive event that brings the realities of prom season to life. Students will have the opportunity to see the realities of what takes place at an accident scene.
Students will be part of a simulated accident and emergency response, providing a hands-on experience of the potential consequences of risky behaviors. As well as students and law enforcement, medical personnel, firefighters, life flight crews, and funeral home representatives will be on-site to interact with students.
The training will focus on smart decision-making, safety, and understanding the consequences of choices made during celebratory events.
Operation Prom is designed to create awareness and foster responsible decision-making among our teens during prom season. A way for parents to get involved is by supporting your teen’s participation and discussing the importance of responsible choices.
If you have any questions, need more information, or you would like to opt your student out of the learning opportunity please feel free to contact Mr. Kracht or Mrs. Wagner at 319-367-0500.
Some of the material may be graphic in nature since it will be a simulated accident scene.
