Sports, February 22nd

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, February 22nd, 2024 at 6:31 am CDT

Girls’ Regional Basketball

The Class 1A Region 7 championship game between Danville and Calamus-Wheatland lived up to the billing last night; unfortunately, the Bears could not pull off the upset, falling 56-51. After a back-and-forth first quarter and most of the second quarter, the Warriors ended the half on a 9 to 1 run to lead 29 to 21 at halftime and that was all they needed as Kahlie Hill finished with 20 points. Danville head coach Matt Morris talked about his team’s effort after the game. 

Seniors Rylee Morris and Kenna Furnald led the way in scoring as Morris put up 16 points with Furnald scoring 12 points and collecting four steals. Jaeda Molle finished with 6 points and a handful of offensive rebounds. Coach Morris talked about the senior class after the contest. 

Danville finished the season with a 19-5 record with all 19 of their wins done in consecutive fashion. 

The girls’ state tournament is set to begin on Monday, February 25th, at 10 am with Class 5A leading off the day.

Boys’ Substate Basketball

In Substate 5, Holy Trinity Catholic will take on Winfield-Mt. Union at Fairfield High School on Saturday, February 24th, at 7 pm with the winner advancing to state. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm. 

Class 2A Substate 4, West Burlington will face off against Cascade on Saturday at Iowa City High at 7 pm. 

For Class 3A Substate 5, Keokuk will face off against #5 Solon tonight at 7 pm. 

High School Bowling

The State Tournament wrapped up yesterday with the Class 1A individual championship and the Class 2A team championship. For the Girls’ Class 1A individual championship, Kylee Kirchner of Vinton-Shellsburg narrowly defeated Molly Bramble of Louisa-Muscatine 219-204 to win the championship. Rylee Pulliam of Clarinda took 3rd place with a final of 257-137.

Keokuk ended the tournament with a sweep of the team state title and the individual title as the Chiefs defeated LeMars 3-0 in the championship match. Maquoketa took down Lewis Central for 3rd place as Decorah finished in 5th place. 

On the Boys’ side, the individual champion for Class 1A went to Vann Lessig of Vinton-Shellsburg as he snuck by with a 262-212 final over Noah White of Charles City. Malcomb Clark of Monticello finished with the bronze. 

Clinton edged past LeMars 3-2 to take home the Class 2A team championship. Keokuk lost to Western Dubuque 3-0 in the 5th place match to claim 6th place. 

College Basketball

The #4 Iowa women’s team will travel to take on #14 Indiana tonight at 7 pm.

The Iowa State women’s team picked up a road win last night against Houston 76-64. The duo of Addy Brown and Audi Crooks was unstoppable as they both finished with double-doubles with Brown scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, while Crooks cashed in for a game high 25 points and collected 12 rebounds. The Cyclones will compete against BYU on Saturday, February 24th, at 6 pm.

The #6 Iowa State men’s team will host West Virginia on Saturday at 1 pm. 

The Iowa men’s team will travel to face off against #12 Illinois on Saturday at 1:15 pm. 

This Day in Sports History

1888 – “Father of American Golf” John Reid first demonstrates golf on a Yonkers cow pasture to friends. 

1893 – The first Iron Bowl: Auburn beats Alabama 32-22 in Birmingham.

2018 – The US wins the Olympic women’s ice hockey gold medal for the first time in 20 years with a 4-3 shootout victory over Canada in Pyeongchang; scores tied 3-3 after overtime.

Lee County Sheriff’s Office is Hiring

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, February 22nd, 2024 at 6:07 am CDT

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a certified peace officer. Applications are available at the civil department or on their Facebook page. They have multiple opportunities within their department, such as SWAT, a drug task force, and k9 officers. Those applying must be a full-time certified peace officer. Lateral transfers can bring up to 7 years vacation accrual. Please call 319 376 1082 with any and all questions.

Gas Prices over $3 Across Iowa – Weekly Fuel Report

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, February 22nd, 2024 at 6:06 am CDT

Gasoline prices continue to rise, this week 7 cents higher than last, now averaging $3.01 across Iowa. This is still 20 cents lower than this time last year, and 26 cents less than the national average.

Diesel prices also rose, now at $3.83 after a three-cent increase from last week. This is 27 cents lower than the national average, and 23 cents less than 12 months ago.

A look at our heating fuels reveals,

Propane prices averaged $1.59 per gallon statewide.

Home heating oil prices averaged $3.27 per gallon statewide.

Natural gas prices rose 15 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $1.76/MMbtu

After a steep decline last week, natural gas prices gained some of that back, rising 15 cents this week to $1.76/MMbtu.

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

3 Arrested at Ottumwa Home After Search Warrant Reveals Firearms, Drugs

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, February 22nd, 2024 at 6:05 am CDT

A search warrant was executed in Ottumwa on Wednesday by the Southeast Iowa Inter-Agency Drug Task Force, Ottumwa Police Department’s Emergency Response Team, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

As a result of this search at 339 N. Moore Street, police seized 3 firearms, marijuana, and evidence of drug distribution. This search has led to three people being arrested.

Isaiah Kevon Dennis, age 24, was arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Washington County, Iowa for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Marijuana. Bond for this warrant was set at $1,000 cash only.

Jovanta Marice Bays, age 26, was arrested for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp, both Class “D” Felonies.

Decareyanna Ruth Marie Brown, age 22, was arrested and charged with Keeping of Dangerous Animal Prohibited (Pit Bull), a Simple Misdemeanor.

This investigation is ongoing and additional criminal charges are pending.

Please note the following pursuant to recent Supreme Court rulings: “A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

John Kline

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, February 22nd, 2024 at 5:54 am CDT

John K. Kline, 72, of Mt. Pleasant, died Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

John Kenneth Kline was born April 5, 1951 in Melrose, Iowa, the son of John L. and Veronica J. (Paylo) Kline. He graduated from Albia High School (Albia, IA) in 1970. He was united in marriage to Carolyn Clark. The couple later divorced. On April 25, 1997, John married Marygen Schwartz in St. Charles, MO. Marygen preceded in death on December 31, 2000. On May 29, 2006 in Mt Pleasant, John was united in marriage to Diane Gail Scheulen Rediger. They were married nearly 18 years.

John was a career soldier in the United States Army. He entered service to his country at Ft. Des Moines, IA, shortly after graduating from high school. He served as a Food Service Specialist at several different bases and 6-months in Saudi Arabia. John retired from the Army as a Staff Sergeant in 1991 at Ft. Knox, KY, after 20 years of service. John was very proud of his service to his country.

After returning to civilian life, John worked for Transcontinental Cold Storage and Tyson Foods, both in Columbus Junction.

John was a member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus Fr. John Manning Council and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #7461 of New London.

John so loved visiting with family and friends. He also loved the viewing of many old television re-runs.

Those thankful for sharing in John’s life include his wife, Diane, of Mt. Pleasant; his daughters – Gwen Sharb of Nelsonville, OH and Crystal Brockway of Elkin, NC; his son – Tim Kline of Athens, OH; a son adopted in his heart – Brian Walters of Independence, IA; a brother Paul Kline and a sister Margaret Beakler, both of Eddyville, IA; 13 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren. He was joyfully anticipating the birth of his sixth great grandchild.

The funeral service for John will be 10:30 AM on Monday, February 26 at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 N. Main St., Mt. Pleasant, with Father Dominic Nguyen officiating. Burial with Military Honors by the Iowa Military Funeral Honors Detail will be in the Keokuk National Cemetery, Keokuk, IA. An open visitation will take place from 1-7 PM on Sunday, Feb. 25 at the Kimzey Funeral Home. The family will not be present.

Those considering an expression of sympathy may direct memorials to the family. Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com

Two Central Lee Students at American Junior Academy of Science

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, February 21st, 2024 at 3:56 pm CDT

The Central Lee High School had two students represent at the 2024 American Junior Academy of Science Conference, in conjunction with the American Academy for the Advancement of Science Conference in Denver, Colorado.

Senior Sidney Gruntmeir, daughter of Amy and Brian Gruntmeir, and Junior Alivia Cook, daughter of Nathan and Amy Cook, spent a week learning in Colorado. The two young researchers had the opportunity to tour research labs at the Air Force Academy, present their science research, and network with scientists from around the world. The pair have also been inducted as fellow to the AmJAS. Congratulations to Sidney and Alivia.

FFA Strawberries Enroute!

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, February 21st, 2024 at 11:00 am CDT

Two officers with the Mount Pleasant FFA attended the Annual Henry County Corn Growers Banquet on Tuesday evening. They represented the chapter well by discussing the big things happening. Alex Buck spoke about chemicals and materials that corn helps make.

For those of you who ordered strawberries, they are projected to be delivered on February 29th at Beck’s. Students will be contacting their buyers. They sold a total of 600 flats this year, which helped raise money for the chapter. The top seller was Briar Bender, selling 110.25 flats.

Henry County Health Center Senior Life Solutions – Good Heart Health Linked to Strong Mental Health

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, February 21st, 2024 at 10:59 am CDT

Henry County Health Center’s Senior Life Solutions can help those who are struggling with a recent-heart related diagnosis or a decline in mental health. Maintaining good heart health is crucial for your physical well-being, and it also plays a significant role in supporting mental health. Numerous studies have show a strong connection between a healthy heart and a sound mind. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and stress management contribute not only to a healthy cardiovascular system, but also to improved mental well-being.

Contact Henry County Health Center’s Senior Life Solutions at 319 385 6552 for more information.