IHSAA- After taking a week off due to the weather, the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) has issued out the third edition of the boys’ basketball rankings for all the classifications. Despite the extra time for teams to make a move, there was only one #1 team dethroned.
Cedar Rapids Kennedy is still on top in Class 4A as they boast the only undefeated record in the class. Iowa City West and Waukee hold on to the 2nd and 3rd spots, respectively. North Scott fell from the #4 slot down to #7 after going 3-1 since the January 8th rankings.
For Class 3A, Clear Lake sits on top of the rankings with an 11-0 record. Solon ranks 4th in the rankings, despite being the only other team in the top ten with an undefeated record. Assumption rounds out the top ten with a 7-5 mark.
Class 2A saw Regina Catholic sneak in to the top ten with a 12-2 record, but West Lyon and Western Christian retained the top two spots on the list, respectively. Monticello slid down the list from the #3 spot all the way to #7 on the list as Hudson took over the free #3 slot.
This leaves Class 1A having the new #1 team as North Linn suffered their first loss of the season to Alburnett, resulting in Marquette Catholic and the Lynx flipping spots. Winfield-Mt. Union remained ranked at #3, followed by Madrid and Keota, respectively.
Gary Meth, Jr., 53, of Mount Pleasant, died Sunday, January 21, 2024, at Park Place Elder Living.
Gary was born April 5, 1970, in California, the son of Gary and Geraldine (May) Meth, Sr. He held a few general labor jobs, and most recently worked at Walmart. Gary loved his family and enjoyed spending quality time with them, as well as his dogs.
Gary is survived by his son Chaz Meth; special friend Jennifer Hopkins; two sisters Sherry (Randy) Carver, Terry Carver; brother Jerry Meth; two nephews Zach Carver, Spencer Carver; niece Stormy Carver; and a great niece Sommer Carver.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
According to his wishes his body has been cremated and no services are planned at this time. The Olson-Powell Chapel & Crematory is caring for Gary and his family. www.powellfuneralhomes.com
Danville, IA- Saturday was a time to celebrate and relive the achievements of two legendary figures in Danville’s history as the 2017-2018 Girls’ Track and Field team and Boys’ head Basketball coach Ken Laffoon were officially inducted into the Danville Athletic Hall of Fame for the 2024 class.
The celebration took place between the boys’ junior varsity and boys’ varsity basketball game against Davis County as the Bears junior varsity had just finished dismantling the Mustangs to start off the afternoon.
The 2017-2018 Girls’ Track and Field team was introduced first as this team finished in the top 11 in ten events to claim Danville’s first Track and Field state championship. On their way to the hardware, Alyssa Pfadenhauer grabbed four medals as she finished in first place in the 400-meters, joined Grace Grothe, Alexis Bauer, and Kathry Luers in the first place Sprint Medley team, McKenzie Speer replaced Luers in the 4×400-meter relay team for gold, and a third-place finish in the 200-meter.
Also grabbing gold was the team of Grothe, Bauer, Speer, and Luers in the 4×200 meter relay. The same team took second in the 4×100 meter relay. Luers claimed 7th place in the 200-meters. Speer leapt to a 9th place finish in the high jump. Lastly, Addison Parrott took 10th in the 3000-meters and 11th in the 1500.
The full team included Kaley Eisenmann, BreAnn Yaley, Kenzi Downing, Drew Fox, and Breanna Teel. Assistant coaches Lucas Gourley and Amanda Richardson also attended, moreover, head coach Natalie Ford was happy to have her team reunited again,
“It’s a pretty amazing honor, you know, its really great to see all these faces back here and get all the girls back together and we were all just talking about how different, you know, things are even five years later. It’s a really cool thing to do, I’m glad Danville does something like this. It gives a lot of past athletes a chance to come back and get honored, so it’s very cool.”
In a season full of memories, Ford had trouble picking out her favorite, but she finally settled on the one featured at the induction ceremony.
“Coaches aren’t usually allowed down on the track at state, so once we got that trophy, we were all down there together for the first time and, you know, they got all the roses, the trophy, all the medals, so we just soaked it up once last time all together down on the track. So, probably that.”
The other member of the 2024 class is one familiar throughout southeast Iowa as he was inducted into the Iowa basketball coaches Hall of Fame back in 2019 and a mainstay at the state tournament as the leader of Bears varsity boys’ basketball team. Ken Laffoon, a six-time District/Substate Coach of the Year recipient, got to enjoy his moment in the limelight, but if it was up to him it would’ve gone to the community,
“When I was hired in Danville in the 1994-95 school year, it was the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I was blessed to get this job and to keep this job for 25 years after that. The Danville community is just that good, so any award I get like at the state Hall of Fame or the Danville high school Hall of Fame that’s a reflection of the community. They support you like crazy.”
Laffoon led the Bears to seven state tournament appearances, which included back-to-back state championships back in the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons, and runner-up finishes in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.
From Jake Wenig’s three-point shot to win the state championship, the development of Michael and Steven Soukup along with Brock Ita, or a wild shot in a freshman game that went rattling around frame holding the basket up, there was always a sea of blue that would follow and cheer on the Bears, something that still sticks with Laffoon to this day.
Since his departure from the sidelines, the Soukup twins have led Danville back to the state tournament as they co-coach the Bears. Despite his legacy of collecting a career record of 508-181, which includes 433 wins at Danville, he’s happy to see Michael and Steven make the program their own,
“One of the things that I like about what Mike and Steven have done is that they’ve put their own mark on the team. You know when I watch them [the team] play, I’m like ‘we didn’t do that’ or ‘we didn’t do this’ and I’m not one of those guys that tell Mike and Steven ‘you know, do this and do that’ if they ask for a question, I give them an answer. But they put their own mark on the program, and they’ve been successful, I mean, they’ve already been to the state tournament, took me a lot of years to get there! So, I’m very proud of them, I’m very proud of every kid that’s ever played for us.”
The Bears put an exclamation point on the weekend when the varsity team went on to take down Davis County 60-43 after the ceremony. Another win for a school that has become accustomed to the feeling.
Anita Hill, 84, of Mt. Pleasant passed away on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at the Southeast Iowa Reginal Hospice House in West Burlington.
A Celebration of Anita’s life will be held on Saturday, January 27, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. til 4:00 p.m. at the Murphy Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant.Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society or to the Kidney Foundation in her memory. According to her wishes cremation has been entrusted to the care of Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant.
Eleanore Ann (Miller) Swigart, 84, of Mt. Pleasant was promoted to heaven on Sunday, December 24, 2023, to be with Jesus for Christmas.
A Celebration of Ellie’s life will be held on Saturday, January 27, 2024, with a Memorial Service at 11:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Calvary Baptist Church, followed by a time of food and fellowship until 2 p.m. Memorials may be directed to Baptist Mid Missions/Bible International or to the Iowa Regular Baptist Camp at Ventura, Iowa. Cremation has been entrusted to the care of Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant.
Certain members with the Mount Pleasant High School band had the privilege of spending the day on Saturday with the SEIBA Honor Band. SEIBA, Southeast Iowa Bandmasters Association, encompasses 17 counties in Southeast Iowa. Students were selected through a rehearsal a few short weeks ago.
This proved to be a great experience for students, as they were able to work with seasoned conductors, meet other students, and experience the thrill of performing in facilities at the University of Iowa Voxman School of Music.
The high school band commissioned 2 new pieces and got to meet the composers too! Jolynn Keomanivong, a senior, was selected as the 3rd place winner of the Major Landers Scholarship. This award is given to students planning to major in Music Education at an Iowa College or University. According the Middle School band director, Mount Pleasant was well represented.
Once again, those students selected for the prestigious SEIBA were: Congratulations to: 8th graders Carly Mullin on Bass Clarinet, Swaylin Henderson on Clarinet, Chris Carapia-Segundo on Tenor Sax, and 7th grader Michael Gossen on Alto Sax.
From the highschool, 12th grader Drake Landau on guitar in the jazz band, 12th grader Jolynn Keomanivong as 1st chair tenor sax in the concert band, and 10th grader Elias Heaton on contra bass clarinet.
Marvin “Jim” Schenk, 84, of Mount Pleasant, died Sunday, January 21, 2024, at his home.
Jim was born May 27, 1939, in Mount Pleasant, the son of Raymond and Frances (Craig) Schenk. He graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1959. On January 7, 1962, Jim was united in marriage to Barb Manning at the Open Bible Church in Mount Pleasant. He served in the United States Army for two years, where he was stationed in Germany. He worked in several factories, and retired from Metro Mail. Jim was a member of the Faith Christian Outreach Church. He enjoyed being outdoors doing yardwork and fishing. Jim was known to be humble, faithful, loyal and a hard worker.
Jim is survived by his wife Barb; son Jim Schenk of Mount Pleasant; daughter, Lorie McBrien of Los Angeles, CA; grandson, Bran
don McBrien of Los Angeles, CA; and adopted grandson Derek Brake of Mount Pleasant. He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers: Robert, Larry, Roger, and a sister Bonnie Thomas.
Funeral service will be held at 12:00 p.m. Thursday, January 25, 2024, at the Olson-Powell Chapel and Crematory. Pastor Gary Van Nyhuis will officiate. Burial will be in the Forest Home Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until time of service on Thursday. A memorial fund has been established for Faith Christian Outreach Church. The Olson-Powell Chapel and Crematory is caring for Jim and his family. www.powellfuneralhomes.com
The second week of this year’s legislative session was busy as we have quickly begun work on bills that have been set in motion. Several more subcommittees met this week and legislators are digging into the work before us. The Senate was not in session Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, and Wednesday was Veterans Day at the Capitol. This is a day that provides us the opportunity to meet with the veterans that come to visit and to talk with them about issues and initiatives important to them. It is always humbling to listen to these brave men and women who have dedicated their lives in service for our country.
Changes to the Governor’s Proposal for AEAs
As I mentioned last week, the Governor has initiated a bill SF to make changes to our Area Education Agencies across the state. I appreciate all the messages I have been getting from my constituents on this issue, and it is evident that this is a topic that many Iowans care about. Because we are all dedicated to ensuring Iowa students have the best resources at their disposal and have the support they need to be successful in their education, it only seems right that we look at our AEAs and make sure that all of them are providing the support that is needed by our districts to carry out their task of educating our students.
On Thursday, the governor announced several changes to her proposed bill in an effort to achieve the goal of improving services to students with disabilities and improving student achievement. Since this bill has just begun the legislative process, we are still looking through the details of the legislation and getting feedback about how this would affect our districts. I want you to know that I am making every effort to learn more about our AEAs and have already spoken with and met with Shane Williams, Director of Educational Services for Mississippi Bend AEA.
I also spent part of this morning meeting with various staff members at Madison Elementary in Muscatine and Shannon Pasvogel, a Math Consultant for Mississippi Bend AEA. Everyone I spoke with was passionate about the partnerships with the AEA that have advanced teacher competencies, enhanced student learning and provided valuable resources for students, staff and families. I look forward to learning more about our AEAs in order to make an informed contribution to the discussions about the proposed legislation. Thank you to Principal Stephanie Zillig for the invitation to visit her school and for allowing me to also come for lunch with my favorite Kindergarten granddaughter, Mikayla!
Change Needed for the Statute of Repose
On Wednesday morning a subcommittee met to begin the legislative process on one of my bills for this session, Senate File 2035. SF 2035 has to do with adding an additional exception to the statute of repose in Iowa. The statute of repose is a limitation for how long a plaintiff has to file a lawsuit in a medical malpractice case. Current Iowa las limits a plaintiff to a maximum of six years with one exception (leaving a foreign object in the body). This bill adds a second exception to the six-year rule. In the event a medical provider conceals an act, omission, or occurrence that was the cause of injury or death, the time limit is waived.
This bill came about because of an Iowa constituent, Elizabeth Downey, reaching out to me about her 18+ year journey to seek justice for her mother, Linda Berry. After hearing her story, I felt compelled to attempt to bring about change for all Iowans regarding the statute of repose. I know that new legislation cannot take away the pain and suffering that this family has endured, but perhaps knowing that no other family in Iowa will have to go through what they’ve gone through will give them some peace of mind.
Elizabeth’s journey began when her mother had her first CT scan in 2004 and her medical provider failed to inform her of a mass. In 2006 another CT scan revealed the same mass and again, she was not informed of the mass. In 2009, five years later, a third CT scan was completed and she was told by her provider that her scan was normal, but she then received a call from a resident doctor that said she needed to come back as “not everything was OK”. They diagnosed her with colitis and prescribed an antibiotic. Unbeknownst to the family, this CT scan revealed that the mass on her kidney had increased in size since the 2004 and 2006 scans, but no one mentioned the mass once again. A fourth CT scan was necessary just two days later and at that point radiology recommended to Dr. Grossman, her care provider, that a follow up should be done to make sure the mass was not cancerous, yet still no one mentioned the mass to Linda.
Seven years later, in 2016, a fifth CT scan was necessary and it revealed the kidney mass. During discharge, a nurse mentioned the mass to Linda. According to the family this was the first time they knew about it. Linda was later diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma and died from it in 2019.
Before her death, Linda had sued the hospital, medical provider and others for medical negligence and her family pursued the case after her death. A district court ruling dismissed the case on the grounds that the alleged concealment act and the alleged malpractice act were the same thing and because of that no action could be brought more than six years after the event. The family appealed their case to the Iowa Court of Appeals and it was allowed to proceed to the Supreme Court. However, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld the district court ruling based on current Iowa law. It was my honor to welcome Elizabeth Downey, daughter of Linda Berry, and her attorney, Molly Hamilton, to the subcommittee meeting where she testified to the members about the necessity for making this important change to Iowa law. I look forward to bringing this legislation to fruition so that all Iowans are able to seek justice when medical harm or negligence occurs.
Some of the Other Bills that Moved through Subcommittees this Week
SSB 3001 (Commerce) – Requires health insurance policies, plans, etc. provide coverage for “biomarker testing”. This is an analysis of an individual’s biological specimen to aid in diagnosis, treatment, management, or monitoring of a disease or condition.
SF 2003 (Education) – Requires elementary and secondary schools and licensed child care centers to include information on exemptions and requirements for exemptions regarding immunizations in any communication to parents or legal guardians from a school nurse, with registration documentation, and on the websites of the school or child care center.
SSB 3039 (Local Government) – Prohibits common interest communities and unit owners associations from forbidding the display of American flags on the exterior of a resident’s home.
