Sports, January 6th

By Slaten Swords · Saturday, January 6th, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Basketball

Mt. Pleasant got to enjoy two types of basketball games against Fairfield last night: an overtime buzzer beater and a clobbering of a conference opponent, both wins for the Panthers. The girls’ game started slow with the Trojans holding on to an 18 to 12 lead at halftime, but the Panthers battled back in the second half and at one point led late; however, Fairfield captured the lead 36 to 34 with time running down. Paityn Ensminger ripped away a loose ball and found an open Kynlee White who knocked a mid-range bucket to force the game into overtime. 

Again, Fairfield grabbed on to a four-point lead; yet, Mt. Pleasant battled back again with two clutch Kynlee White free throws, a steal from Alexa Fuller, and an Abby Carthy lay-up and free throw to cut the deficit down to 50 to 49. The Panthers were left with one last shot and it was Carthey, who finished the game with 13 points, that called game with a lay-up that just crawled over the front of the rim and in to seal the 51-50 final. Head coach Curt Watson was beyond proud of his team’s effort after the game. Savannah Hollander led the Trojans with 20 points. White and Juliana Burns contributed 10 points each in the win and coach Watson believes this confidence will carry his team forward. The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will face off against Burlington at home on Friday, January 12th, at 6 pm. 

In the boys’ game, Mt. Pleasant extended their win streak to six games after their 64-43 victory over Fairfield. The Panthers saw Nate Stroud and Noah Lange dominate the lane as they both finished with 14 points. Payton Hagans led the team with 25 points, while Eli Zillman collected 17 points for Fairfield. Head coach Eric Rawson talked about the atmosphere after the win. The Panthers will host Wilton on Monday, January 8th, at 7:15 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will have the call with the pregame show at 7 pm. 

The New London girls’ team fell to Burlington Notre Dame last night 84-21. The boys’ team lost to the Nikes 83-51. 

WACO swept Pekin last night with the girls winning 41-35 and the boys team taking their matchup 53-31. Emma Wagler went off for 19 points in the girls’ game, while the boys were led by Hunter Hughes’ 18 points. The Warriors will travel to New London on Monday, January 8th, with the girls’ scheduled to play at 6 pm. 

The Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team rushed out to a 68-31 victory over Lone Tree last night. Abram Edwards collected a double-double with 13 points and 18 rebounds, while Cam Buffington led the Wolves with 20 points. The Wolves girls’ team was unable to keep up with the Lions as they fell 64-46. Winfield-Mt. Union will host Mediapolis on Monday with the girls’ leading off the night at 6 pm. 

The Mediapolis girls’ team utilized a 20-0 run to start the game to take down Van Buren County last night 57-33. The Van Buren County girls’ team will compete against Burlington Notre Dame on January 12th at 6 pm, while the boys’ team will face off against New London on Tuesday at 7:30 pm. 

The Holy Trinity Catholic girls’ team defeated Central Lee last night 56-37. The boys’ team for the Crusaders also picked up a win in dominating fashion 59-22. Luke Hellige led the way with 25 points on the night. Central Lee will face off against Fort Madison today at 11:30 am at home. 

The Danville girls’ team cruised past West Burlington last night 72-20. The West Burlington boys’ team remained undefeated after taking down Danville 70-57. The Bears girls’ team will face off against Holy Trinity Catholic on Monday at 6 pm, while the boys’ team will host the Crusaders on Tuesday, January 9th, at 7:30 pm.

High School Wrestling

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team competed at the Highland tournament yesterday and had two wrestlers compete. Paris Phosy finished 1-2 in the 115-pound weight class, while Katana Phangchanthong finished 2-2 in the 120-pound weight class. The Panthers will travel to Washington to compete in a dual on January 11th. 

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union and WACO girls’ teams will participate in the scramble on Monday, January 8th, at Burlington Notre Dame. 

The boys’ teams of Mt. Pleasant, New London, WACO and Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union will participate in a tournament today at Highland. 

High School Bowling

Mt. Pleasant will bowl in the Louisa-Muscatine tournament today.

College Basketball

The #4 Iowa women’s team is off to their best start since the 1995-96 season after taking down Rutgers last night 103-69. Caitlin Clark finished with a triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Hawkeyes will travel to take on Purdue on January 10th at 7 pm. 

The Iowa State women’s team will face off against BYU tonight at 5 pm in a road matchup. 

The Iowa State men’s team will travel to Oklahoma tonight at 5 pm. Catch the game on KILJ AM 1130 or kilj.com.

The Iowa men’s team will compete against Rutgers at home today at 11 am. 

This Day in Sports History

1681 – First recorded boxing match is engineered by Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle; his butler takes on his butcher and the butcher wins. 

1980 – The Philadelphia Flyers set the longest unbeaten streak in North American sports history with 35 consecutive games without a loss.

1995 – Atlanta Hawks’ coach Lenny Wilkens passes the legendary Red Auerbach to become the NBA’s all-time winningest coach, with 939 career victories.

Fan Vote is Open for the 2024 Dan Gable Mr. and Ms. Wrestler of the Year Award with Kaiden Dietzenbach of Burlington Notre Dame Named One of the Finalists

By Slaten Swords · Friday, January 5th, 2024 at 3:59 pm CDT

Prep Wrestling- IAwrestle announced their top 15 for the Mr. and Ms. Wrestler of the Year Awards in coordination with Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA).

High school coaches nominated their best wrestler, and the IWCOA whittled the list down to the top 15 in each of the three classifications for the men and a combination of all the classifications for the women’s award.

The lone wrestler to make the list from southeast Iowa was Kaiden Dietzenbach of Burlington Notre Dame in Class 2A. Dietzenbach took 3rd place at the 2023 Iowa Wrestling State Tournament as the Nikes finished in second place as a team.

According to Trackwrestling, the junior is 14-1 on the season; moreover, FloWrestling has Dietzenbach ranked #5 in the 132-pound weight class with his only loss coming to #1 Kade Blume of Roland-Story.

The IWCOA has selected 12 coaches and officials to vote on the top 7, but there is a fan vote that counts as the 13th vote. Fans have the ability to vote once per day until January 19th at 12 pm central time when the list will be narrowed to seven.

There will be another fan vote that will run from January 22nd to February 5th to determine the final three wrestlers. One last round of voting will take place until the winner is announced at the luncheon awards banquet held on February 28th.

Dan Gable and Mark Ironside will be handing out the awards to the winner and the two runner-up student athletes from each classification.

For a full list of the finalists and where you can vote, follow the link: 2024 Dan Gable Mr. and Ms. Wrestler of the Year Award

Arrest Made After Meth Found in Vehicle

By Yorke Prough · Friday, January 5th, 2024 at 3:25 pm CDT
On January 5, 2024, a deputy with the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle for an equipment violation at Vineyard St. and Belmont Ct. During the traffic stop, deputies located methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle. Deputies identified the driver as Rodney Lee Savage, age 51, of Ft. Madison, Iowa.
Rodney was placed under arrest for possession of a controlled substance 3rd offense, a D felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor. Rodney was transported to the Des Moines County Correctional Center.

Fort Madison Man Sentenced After FBI Investigate Daycare Threat

By Yorke Prough · Friday, January 5th, 2024 at 3:21 pm CDT

On Friday morning in North Lee County Court, Roy James Vowels, 34, of Fort Madison was sentenced to two years in prison on conviction of Harassment in the 1st degree. This comes after an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Fort Madison Police Department Detective Bureau.

On May 12th, 2023, the detectives with the Fort Madison Police Department Detective Bureau received information from the FBI indicating that Vowels had made an online threat to carry out a mass killing at an unspecified daycare facility. The threat was received by an individual located outside of the United States who, with the assistance of a US resident, reported the threat to the FBI.

Vowels was taken into custody by detectives hours later and charged with making a threat of terrorism.  Vowels later plead guilty to an amended charge of Harassment in the 1st degree on October 13th, 2023.

The Fort Madison Police Department was assisted in this investigation by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Lee County Attorney’s Office.

The Fort Madison Police Department reminds individuals, if they see something, say something. Acts of violence can be prevented if suspicious activity or behavior are reported.

This conviction underscores the importance of reporting suspicious behavior in preventing violence. Only by investigation can we determine just how credible these threats are, and if an arrest is appropriate.

MPCSD Confirms Purchase of Iowa Wesleyan “Central Campus” Properties

By Yorke Prough · Friday, January 5th, 2024 at 11:31 am CDT

As of January 5th, 2024, it has been confirmed by the superintendent of Mt. Pleasant Community School District, John Henriksen, that the property purchase of former Iowa Wesleyan buildings is complete. In a statement, he mentioned that all documents have been signed and the funds have been transferred to the proper parties.

This central campus includes the Howe Student Activity Center and Ruble Arena, Student Union, Old Main, Pioneer Hall, P.E.O Memorial Building, and the University Chapel.

This does not mean that the property will be used to house the proposed “Central Elementary.” As of this moment, it is unclear what the buildings will be used for, but the school board will discuss this question in future meetings.

KILJ will continue to update the public on this matter as more information is released.

Greater Iowa Swap Meet and Flea Market Ticket Information

By Yorke Prough · Friday, January 5th, 2024 at 10:28 am CDT

The Greater Iowa Swap Meet and Flea Market brings in visitors from all over for a weekend of trading. The Old Threshers Facebook Page has plenty of information regarding this event coming up on May 24th and 25th, but they want to make sure that the correct information is put out to the public. Facebook scammers are always a danger, and they can fool even the smartest of people. Old Threshers wants to be very clear that they do not sell outside spaces for this event in advance, and the inside spaces are sold over the phone with staff or in person at their office. If you are in the market to purchase a ticket, ensure that you are getting it from a staff member.

Fairfield Frightened! Schools Locked Down on Thursday After Handgun Incident Closeby

By Yorke Prough · Friday, January 5th, 2024 at 10:04 am CDT

A scary situation occurred in Fairfield yesterday when the Fairfield Community School District went into lockdown. This was after the Fairfield Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was alerted of a male displaying a handgun in close proximity to the schools.

It is important to note that this incident had no relation to the tragic school shooting in Perry, Iowa, on January 4th, 2024. No students or school employees were involved in the incident in Fairfield.

Around 12:03pm, the dispatch center received a 911 call reporting a male in the 100 Block of E. Broadway with a handgun. Deputies and Officers responded to this situation and took the suspect into custody. A search revealed a loaded firearm and a significant quantity of controlled substances.

Bowe James Cook, age 31 of Winfield, was subsequently charged with the following: Felon in Possession of Firearm, a Class D Felony, Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine, a Class C, Drug Tax Stamp Violation, Class D, Interference with Official Acts, a Simple Misdemeanor, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Simple Misdemeanor.

Please contact the Fairfield Police Department at (641) 472-4146, or call 911 in an emergency, if you have any information. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

FPD would like to thank the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety for their assistance in this investigation. This is an active investigation and additional charges may be filed.

Criminal charges are merely an accusation, and all persons are assumed innocent until found guilty in court.

Wendall Whaley

By Yorke Prough · Friday, January 5th, 2024 at 9:04 am CDT

Wendall Whaley, 66, of Mount Pleasant, died Thursday, January 4, 2024, at the Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House in West Burlington. Services are pending at Olson-Powell Chapel & Crematory.