Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig reminded Iowans to apply for Choose Iowa value-added grants ahead of the December 15 deadline. Choose Iowa grants can be used to expand the availability of Iowa grown, Iowa raised and Iowa made foods, beverages, and other agricultural products.

These cost-share grants match up to $25,000 per project to help farmers, businesses, and non-profits increase or diversify their agricultural product offerings, which provide more local food choices to consumers.

Applicants can use Choose Iowa grant funding to add new processing, packaging or sales techniques that add value to the crops, livestock, and other products that they produce.

In its first two years, the Choose Iowa grant program received hundreds of applications totaling nearly $3.3 million in requests. Twenty-eight recipients were awarded in 2023 for projects ranging from increasing cold storage, to expanding processing proficiency and distribution capabilities, to improving production capacity and efficiency.

Individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations that are currently living or operating in Iowa may apply for Choose Iowa value-added grants. Preference will be given to small to medium-sized businesses. Details about the grant program, including financial matching requirements, application, and eligibility, are available on the Choose Iowa website.

Applications should be submitted through the online portal on the Choose Iowa website and are due by 12:00 p.m. on December 15, 2023. Grant recipients will be announced in March 2024. Questions about Choose Iowa value-added grants can be directed to chooseiowagrant@iowaagriculture.gov.

KILJ now has additional information regarding the death of a woman in Burlington on December 5^th. An autopsy was completed on the victim of a gunshot incident, and the victim has been identified as 35-year-old Krystal Hope Lopez of Burlington. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

Original Post:

On December 5, 2023, at approximately 9:59 p.m., Burlington Police Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 1000 Blk of Elm St., in Burlington, for an unresponsive female. Upon arrival Officers located a deceased female victim who appeared to have suffered a single gun shot wound.

The facts and circumstances surrounding this case are still under investigation. An autopsy is scheduled for December 7, 2023 and no further details will be released at this time.

The Burlington Police Department believes there is no immediate threat to the community in regards to this incident.

The Burlington Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division is being assisted in the investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

The Henry County Supervisors have been in discussion with department heads over a possible budget cut. At this moment, due to House File 718, funding over the next four years will need to decrease 1.3 million dollars. The general basis levy, which is currently set at $4.83 in Henry County, will need to be $3.50.

Henry won’t be the only county affected by this file, with 39 others’ needing to cut their budget in the same time frame.

Over the past few months, the department heads have been closely scrutinizing their budgets, finding potential avenues to help the county in the long run. Currently, one option that is being weighed is an early retirement severance package. It is no secret that a 20 year old is going to be paid less than someone who has been working in public service for 40 years. This is just one route that the supervisors might choose. After today’s Henry County Supervisors meeting, it sounds as if personnel might be let go if they can’t find a way to decrease the budget drastically.

While this has all been speculated, a senator from Mahaska County told the supervisors that this benchmark of $3.50 is going to stay.

The Mt. Pleasant Community High School Student Council deserves a round of applause, after they organized a Cereal Box Drive for the Fellowship Cup. This was the first of its kind, but if the success of the event is anything to go on, will not be the last. This was in conjunction with “Kindness Week” and Thanksgiving, which encouraged students to show an attitude of gratitude.

Advisory classes brought in donations of cereal boxes, and the Advisory class with the most donations were even rewarded with an ice cream treat.

239 boxes of cereal were donated by advisory students across the Mt. Pleasant High School. This will impact many lives across Southeast Iowa.

On December 6th at approximately 11:30pm, a traffic stop was conducted by the Mount Pleasant Police Department on a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt for a stop sign violation. The driver who was identified as 27-year-old Allen James Hart and passenger who was identified as 27-year-old Nathen Cosgrove were present in the vehicle.

While a pat down search for weapons was being conducted, Allen fled on foot failing to stop. Allen wasn’t able to be located. While Allen fled on foot it was found that Nathen had fled on foot as well for a short distance before injuring himself. Nathen was apprehended by Officers and Sheriffs Deputies. A search of Nathen’s person was conducted with marijuana and drug paraphernalia being located on his person.

Nathen was transported to the Henry County Health Center Emergency Room by Ambulance.

It was later found that Nathen had an active arrest warrant out of Burlington, IA and there was a firearm present in the vehicle that Nathen had been in possession of prior to fleeing.

A short time later that night, Nathen was taken into custody after leaving the Emergency Room.

On the morning of 12/08/23, Allen was taken into custody as well.

Nathen was charged with Dominion/Control of Firearm by Felon, a  D Felony, Interference with Official Acts,  Simple Misdemeanor, Possession of Marijuana, a Serious Misdemeanor, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia,  Simple Misdemeanor

Allen was charged with Interference with Official Acts, Simple Misdemeanor, and received traffic citations for Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability and Failure to Obey Stop Sign.

On May 6^th, 2023, the West Burlington Police Department responded to a report of a burglary at Cricket Wireless at 411 W Agency Road Suite 3. The store had been burglarized at that time, with stolen phones and U.S. currency, the total amount taken adds up to several thousand dollars.

An investigation began in order to catch the suspect. On May 26^th, a residential search warrant was conducted at 38 Midtown Lane in regards to this investigation. During this Search Warrant several items of evidence were seized to further the investigation.

On August 21^st, the West Burlington Police Department issued arrest warrants for Diamonte Ladon Walls for charges on Burglary 3rd Degree and Possession of Controlled Substance.

Diamonte Ladon Walls was arrested in DuPage County, Illinois on September 14^th, following the robbery of a Verizon Wireless store. Walls was charged with one count of Armed Robbery with a Firearm and one count of Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon. Walls is currently being held at the DuPage County Jail and will be extradited back to Des Moines County at the conclusion of his Illinois cases.

The West Burlington Police Department was assisted by the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce, Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, and the Burlington Police Department.