Sports, February 29th

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, February 29th, 2024 at 6:37 am CDT

Girls’ State Basketball

The Quarterfinal round is complete for all five classes as today marks the first of the Semifinal matchups. Here’s a recap of yesterday’s matchups.

Class 2A almost saw two upsets in the bottom half of the bracket as both lower seeds had a lead at halftime. #2 Panorama utilized a 22-point third quarter to eventually defeat #7 Grundy Center 59-49. Morgan Crees finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, and four steals. 

#3 Westwood kept their undefeated season alive after holding #6 Central Lyon to just seven second half points to win 35-32. The Rebels shot just 25% from the field as Addy Johnson led the winning effort with 11 points. #2 Panorama and #3 Westwood will square off tomorrow, March 1st, at 11:45 am.

Moving on to Class 1A, #1 North Linn has dominated for the entire year and that remained true against #8 Montezuma, holding the Braves to six first half points to win 68-38. Macy Boge cashed in for 20 points. 

#4 St. Albert defeated #5 Bishop Garrigan 53-42. Avah Underwood totaled a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. #1 North Linn will face off against St. Albert tomorrow at 1:30 pm.

#2 Newell-Fonda sprinted past #7 Calamus-Wheatland 68-30 after scoring 35 points off of their 29 turnovers. Kinzee Hinders scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win.

#3 Remsen St. Mary’s took down #6 Martensdale-St. Marys 52-33 to round out last night. Remsen St. Mary’s fed off of points off turnovers and second chances. #2 Newell-Fonda will square off against #3 Remsen St. Mary’s tomorrow at 3:15 pm. 

The order of the Class Semifinals today will start with Class 5A then Class 3A with Class 4A finishing off the day. #1 Johnston will take on #4 Waukee at 10 am. #7 Cedar Falls will face off against #3 Dowling Catholic for Class 5A. 

For Class 3A, #1 Estherville Lincoln Central will compete against #4 Mt. Vernon. #2 Des Moines Christian will tango with #3 Solon.

To round out the day, #1 Clear Creek-Amana will be attempting to stay unbeaten against #5 North Polk as well as #2 Waverly-Shell Rock as the Go-Hawks face off against #3 Bishop Heelan at 6:45 pm for Class 4A.

Boys’ State Basketball

#4 Winfield-Mt. Union will take on #5 Lynnville-Sully on Monday, March 4th, at 12:15 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at noon.

#4 West Burlington will face off against #5 Treynor on March 4th at 7:15 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7 pm.

College Signing

The Waldorf University men’s soccer team will be adding a Panther to their roster in the fall after Angel Avila signed his letter of intent to play for the Warriors yesterday.

Avila has collected two assists and two goals in his Mt. Pleasant career playing as a midfielder. He will be joining a Warrior squad that finished 2-14-1 last season and he’s looking forward to the opportunity to get some quality playing time.

“You know, I like the program. I connected really well with the coaches; the men’s soccer program is pretty good, and I feel like I get really good playing time there. But play as a probably in the midfield. That’s where I shine most.”

The Panthers are looking to improve upon their 4-10 record from last season as they search for their first winning season since 2018-19 and Avila is looking to make that happen.

“I feel like I just want to do really good, perform really good for the team. I’m just excited for what’s to come. We’re aiming for state, hopefully.”

Mt. Pleasant will start the season at home on March 28th against Clear Creek-Amana with Fairfield on April 4th being their first home conference matchup.

College Basketball

The #6 Iowa women’s team stomped Minnesota last night 108-60. Caitlin Clark finished with a triple-double as she scored 33 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 12 assists as she became the all-time major women’s college basketball leading scorer. The Hawkeyes will take on #2 Ohio State on Sunday, March 3rd, at home at noon.

The Iowa State women’s team took down Kansas State last night 82-76. Addy Brown went off for 24 points as she also grabbed 11 rebounds to finish the night with a double-double. The Cyclones will host Cincinnati on Saturday, March 2nd, at 1 pm.

The #8 Iowa State men’s team’s stingy defense gave the Cyclones the 58-45 win against Oklahoma last night. Demarion Watson scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds off the bench in the winning effort. The Cyclones will face off against UCF on Saturday at 3 pm. 

The Iowa men’s team will face off against Northwestern on Saturday at 4:30 pm on the road.

This Day in Sports History

1940 – Detroit’s Cecil “Tiny” Thompson becomes first goaltender in NHL history to play 40 (or more) games for 12 straight seasons; milestone comes in a 3-1 Red Wings loss at Toronto.

1964 – Cincinnati’s Jerry Lucas and Oscar Robertson combine for a rare 40-40 performance as the Royals beat host Philadelphia 76ers, 117-114; NBA MVP Robertson has 43 points; Rookie of the Year Lucas, 40 rebounds.

1992 – Boston’s Ray Bourque becomes just the third defenseman in NHL history to score 1,000 career points with a goal and 2 assists in the Bruins’ 5-5 tie with Washington Capitals at Boston Garden.

Mt. Pleasant’s Angel Avila Commits to Waldorf’s Men’s Soccer Program

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 at 4:38 pm CDT

Mt. Pleasant, IA- The Waldorf University men’s soccer team will be adding a Panther to their roster in the fall after Angel Avila signed his letter of intent to play for the Warriors today.

For Avila, this signing has fulfilled a childhood dream of his,

“Definitely when I was young, I always wanted to play up there [college]. You know, I feel like this is like the highest level I can probably compete at, for now.”

Avila has collected two assists and two goals in his Mt. Pleasant career playing as a midfielder. He will be joining a Warrior squad that finished 2-14-1 last season and he’s looking forward to the opportunity to get some quality playing time.

“You know, I like the program. I connected really well with the coaches; the men’s soccer program is pretty good, and I feel like I get really good playing time there. But play as a probably in the midfield. That’s where I shine most.”

The Panthers are looking to improve upon their 4-10 record from last season as they search for their first winning season since 2018-19 and Avila is looking to make that happen.

“I feel like I just want to do really good, perform really good for the team. I’m just excited for what’s to come. We’re aiming for state.”

Mt. Pleasant will start the season at home on March 28th against Clear Creek-Amana with Fairfield on April 4th being their first home conference matchup.

Earl Kerr Jr. – Pending

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 at 2:40 pm CDT

Earl L. Kerr, Jr., 89, of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and formerly of Danville, Illinois, died Tuesday, February 27th.

Funeral arrangements are pending at the Sunset Funeral Home, 3940 North Vermillion Avenue in Danville, Illinois.

The Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant, IA, is assisting Earl’s family with local arrangements.

Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com

Carl Proper

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 at 2:20 pm CDT

Carl Richard Proper, 96, of the Kensington, formerly of Donnellson and Bonaparte, Iowa, passed away at 12:00 a.m. Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at the Kensington in Fort Madison.

He was born on October 29, 1927, in Fremont, Nebraska, the son of Donald Harley and Clara H. (Johnson) Proper. On January 10, 1952, he married Barbara Jean Stevens in Farmington, Iowa. She preceded him in death on October 22, 1998.

He is survived by one daughter: Cheryl (Donald) Folker of Farmington, Iowa; one son: Steven Proper of Bonaparte, Iowa; four grandchildren: Steve Junior (Cara) Proper, Derek (Miranda) Proper, Amy Folker, Heather Folker; three great grandchildren; one great – great grandchild and one brother: Donald Proper.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife: Barbara; daughter: Ramona; four sisters: Dorothy, Virginia, Irene, Wannabelle and one brother: Worthy.

Carl served in the United States Navy as a signalman during WWII. He worked as a linotype operator for Wallaces Farmer Magazine and the Ottumwa Courier. He also had worked at Blue Bird in Mt. Pleasant. After retirement, he and his wife Barbara moved to Branson, Missouri where he worked at Silver Dollar City. Carl was a member of the Bonaparte American Legion Sargent – Osweiler Post #563. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, visiting and spending time with family and friends.

A visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 1, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in Farmington.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 1, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home with Reverend Mark Caston officiating.

Burial will be at the Bonaparte Cemetery with full military rites presented by the Bonaparte American Legion.

A memorial has been established in his memory for PAW Animal Shelter.

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

Man Crashes Into Unknown Vehicle in Lee County

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 at 9:55 am CDT

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office reports of a motor vehicle accident on Tuesday. 22-year-old Nicholas Ziegelmeyer of Burlington was traveling south bound in the 1800 block of Highway 61 in a sedan just after noon. Ziegelmeyer is uncertain of how the event unfolded but stated that he was merging to the right when there was a collision. The driver stated that he has a medical condition and probably should not have been driving.

The damage to his vehicle consisted of a shredded tire and the fender peeling to the rear of the vehicle. There were dark marks on the side of the hood and what was left of the upper area of the passenger side front fender. He mentioned that he was unsure of what the second vehicle was, however, he knows it was bigger than his car. There were no parts from the unknown vehicle at the scene and due to the lack of, and there not being another vehicle on scene, it is probable that the unknown vehicle was a semi hauling a trailer.

Ben Bennett

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 at 9:24 am CDT

Ben L. Bennett, 74, of Yarmouth passed away on Sunday, February 25, 2024, at the Henry County Health Center in Mt. Pleasant.

According to his wishes no services will be held at this time and his cremation has been entrusted to the care of Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.murphyfuneralandmonuments.com

The Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant, is caring for his arrangements.

Wind Energy Discussed at Henry County Supervisors – Urged to Slow Down

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 at 8:49 am CDT

Wind energy was once again a main talking point for the Henry County Supervisors meeting on Tuesday morning. With multiple citizens in attendance, some in support and some opposed, the conversation was lively.

An RWE representative spoke about the funding towards school districts that a wind farm would contribute to. According to this representative, WACO would see 9.9 million dollars, Winfield-Mt.Union would receive 6.6 million, and Mt. Pleasant would gain 3.5 million dollars, over the lifetime of the contract. This is based on the current levy rate and the total project value of 450 million dollars. For Mount Pleasant, that would be just over $94,000 a year.

When asked what will happen to that additional revenue for school districts if a turbine has to shut down for an extended period of time, an RWE representative responded. School revenue from a wind farm is based on the assessed value of the property, not based on production. The tax revenue remains the same regardless of when the turbines are spinning.

With Joe Buffington, the Planning and Zoning Director, in attendance, the Supervisors discussed Section 6-2-11-2 through 11-6 Alternative Energy Overlay District ordinance. Supervisor White said that he believes the changes to the ordinance are being rushed. He would like to see the county slow down as he believes the ordinance is important for Henry County. It was noted at the meeting that it was the county that requested the ordinance change, not RWE.

Many additional questions were brought up, and it seems the supervisors will need to discuss those with the Henry County Engineer.

Deceased Male Found Inside Submerged Vehicle

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 at 8:48 am CDT

The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of a submerged vehicle in the Des Moines River after an individual called on the 26th of February. The caller mentioned that they were fishing near Rock Bluff Park when they saw the vehicle in the middle of the river.

The next day, the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office, Ottumwa Fire Department, and Deran’s Towing and Recovery formulated a plan to retrieve the vehicle from the water. After several attempts the vehicle was eventually removed and the body of a deceased male was located inside. The identity of the body is not being released at this time and has been transported to Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner.

The death is under investigation by the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office.