Shots Fired Incident in Burlington

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, December 20th, 2023 at 6:40 am CDT

The Burlington Police Department began an investigation into a shots fired incident reported in the South Hill neighborhood.

Just after 10pm on Saturday, the 16th of December, DESCOM received a call about the sound of gunfire between the 500-block of South 8th and South 9th Streets. Officers converged on the area and located a witness who said the gunfire came from the rear of 411 South 8th Street. New information as released to officers when a witness told them that they had heard two male subjects arguing prior to the gunshots.

Officers contacted the occupants of 411 South 8th Street and questioned them about the incident. While speaking with the occupants, officers observed four shell casings on the ground very close to the residence.

One of the male occupants said he had fired a handgun into the air during an argument with another male. The occupants were cooperative with the officers and allowed officers to enter the residence to secure the handgun. Two handguns were located in a backpack within the residence, and they were placed into evidence along with the shell casings.

Subsequently, Andrew James Keever, 30, has been charged with Discharging A Firearm In City Limits, a simple misdemeanor, for the incident.

Vivek Coming to Southeast Iowa

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, December 20th, 2023 at 6:39 am CDT

Southeast Iowa is not a popular destination this close to Christmas for most people, however, presidential candidates are flocking to the small towns to drum up support. Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis will be in Burlington and Washington respectively this week, with a third candidate coming to Mt. Pleasant, Fairfield, and Columbus Junction.

Vivek Ramaswamy will be in Fairfield on Thursday, December 21st, to host a town hall at the Pizza Ranch at 2:15pm. Afterwards, he will take a quick drive to Mt. Pleasant for a town hall. He must love Pizza Ranch, as he will be at the Mt. Pleasant location beginning at 3:45pm. Then, at 5pm, those in Columbus Junction can find the presidential candidate at the Columbus Junction Public Library.

Sports, December 20th

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, December 20th, 2023 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Basketball

Mt. Pleasant hosted Keokuk last night in a conference doubleheader. For the girls’ game, Keokuk’s experience and tenacious defense led to a 74-14 final. The Panthers struggled to maintain any continuity on offense and the Chiefs were unstoppable from three-point land as Kendra Boatman nailed six threes on her way to a game-high 28 points. Paityn Ensminger, Kynlee White, and Abby Carthey each scored four points in the effort.

The boys’ game featured the two top teams in the Southeast Conference squaring off to see who would sit atop the rankings to enter the new year. In a back-and-forth affair that saw Keokuk’s last second three from Diego Garcia rim out, it was Mt. Pleasant that walked out with a hard fought 57-55 win. Payton Hagans had a monster game as he dropped 37 points, a career high. Head Coach Eric Rawson talked about Hagans’ performance after the game. 

Christian Stacy also finished in double figures with 10 points on the night. The Panthers head into winter break with a 5-3 record and a 4-0 conference record. Coach Rawson talked about how big the win was heading into the break. 

Holy Trinity Catholic swept Clark County last night with the girls’ team winning 54-24, while the boys’ team breezed past Clark County 61-34. Luke Hellige led the Crusaders with 24 points on the night. The girls’ team will travel to take on Mt. Pleasant tomorrow, December 21st, at 6:45 pm with KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, on the call with the pregame show at 6:30 pm. The boys’ team enters winter break with a 6-3 record. 

The WACO girls’ team kept it close, but ultimately fell to Lone Tree last night 49-39. Emma Wagler led the Warriors with 15 points. The boys’ team clobbered Lone Tree 74-49. Hunter Hughes went off for 21 points in the win with Colton Leichty cashing in for 15 points. The girls’ team will head into winter break with a 4-5 record, while the boys’ team will host North Linn tomorrow at 7:30 pm as they recognize the contributions Bob Hilmer made to both communities.

The Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team lost to Highland last night 49-34. The girls’ team is 3-8 heading into winter break. The boys’ team breezed past the Huskies 66-13. Abram Edwards tallied a double-double, scoring 10 points and gathering 11 rebounds. Cam Buffington led the Wolves with 18 points. The boys’ team heads into winter break with an 8-1 record. 

The New London boys’ team will travel to Regina Catholic tomorrow at 7:30 pm, while the girls’ team will compete against Columbus tomorrow at 6 pm at home. 

The Danville boys’ team will host BGM tomorrow at 7:30 pm. The girls’ team will head into winter break with a 5-4 record.  

The Central Lee girls’ team heads into winter break with a 3-5 record. The Central Lee boys’ team is 2-6 entering winter break.

The Mediapolis girls’ team heads into winter break with an 8-1 record. The boys’ team touts a 5-3 record heading into winter break. 

The Van Buren County boys’ team will face off against Columbus on January 4th at 7:30 pm and the girls’ team will travel to Fairfield on January 2nd at 7:30 pm. 

High School Wrestling

The WACO boys competed in the BGM holiday duals last night and fell to South Tama, 66-17, Baxter, 37-36, and BGM, 42-36. Against South Tama, Louden Huisenga won by fall and Gage Samo took his match by technical fall. Samo picked up a win against Baxter by fall. Lastly, Gage Samo, John Mclaughlin, Deacon Bird, and Kale Warren all picked up wins by fall against BGM. The boys’ team will compete in a meet at Washington on January 4th.

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union, Mt. Pleasant, and WACO girls’ teams will compete at a tournament after winter break on January 5th at Highland. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ teams will have to wait until after winter break with the Panthers competing on January 4th at Sigourney.

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will compete Saturday, December 23rd, at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont. 

New London will wait until after winter break to compete in a quad at Cascade on January 4th. 

High School Bowling

Mt. Pleasant will take on Washington on January 4th. 

College Football

Iowa State University will take on Memphis in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis on December 29th at 2:30 pm. The Cyclones defeated Memphis in the 2017 AutoZone Liberty Bowl 21-20. 

#20 Iowa will face off against #25 Tennessee in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on January 1st at noon. 

College Basketball

The #4 Iowa women’s team will face off against Loyola-Chicago tomorrow, December 21st, at 5 pm at home.  

The Iowa State women’s team will compete against UNI tonight at 6:30 pm. 

The Iowa State men’s team will host Eastern Illinois tomorrow at 7 pm. 

The Iowa men’s team will host UMBC tonight at 7 pm. 

This Day in Sports History

1921 – The American League votes to return to a best-of-7 World Series, while the National League votes for a best-of-9; Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis casts the deciding vote for a best-of-7. 

1966 – The NBA awards the Seattle Supersonics a franchise for 1967-68 season. 

1979 – Behn Wilson scores the game-tying power play goal with 4:08 remaining in regulation to keep the Philadelphia Flyers unbeaten streak alive at 28 — tying the NHL record for longest undefeated stretch — in a 1-1 draw with the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Spectrum.

Felon Wanted in Burlington

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, December 20th, 2023 at 6:25 am CDT

After news came yesterday of two men wanted for multiple warrants in the Burlington area, another man has joined that wanted list. Brodi Sattler, 23, is wanted on warrants including Felon Escape from Custody. Again, if you know the whereabouts of Brodi Sattler, please call the Burlington Area Crime Stoppers at 319 753 6835. You will receive a cash reward if your tip leads to the arrest of Brodi Sattler.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Brought to Mt. Pleasant

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, December 20th, 2023 at 6:06 am CDT
The Mount Pleasant Public Library is pleased to announce the addition of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to our suite of services, beginning December 2023. The addition of this service ensures the youngest of all library patrons, those birth-age 5 (children will automatically age out of the program the month prior to their 5th birthday, and will receive a book congratulating them on graduating on to kindergarten), are able to build a home library of high-quality books, develop a love of reading at an early age, and begin kindergarten ready to read with positive book experiences. Children must live in the Mt. Pleasant 52641 zip code, with a valid Mount Pleasant address, to be eligible for participation.
Interested parents and guardians can visit https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability to enter their zip code and complete the registration process for each eligible child. For more information, contact Kayleigh at the library (mpleasant.director@gmail.com), visit our website, or listen to KILJ for updates.
This program is made possible by The Mount Pleasant Public Library Foundation. Donations toward the continued sponsorship of this program can be made at the library, directly to The Mount Pleasant Public Library Foundation (307 E. Monroe St. Suite 101 Mount Pleasant, IA 52641).

City Hall Closed for Christmas

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, December 19th, 2023 at 11:08 am CDT

In observance of Christmas, City Hall will be closed on Monday, December 25, 2023. Garbage collection will be delayed a day during the week of December 25th.

Flags at Half Staff All Day Tuesday

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, December 19th, 2023 at 8:24 am CDT

Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered all state flags in Iowa to be lowered to half-staff on from sunrise to sunset on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 in honor and remembrance of Sandra Day O’Connor, who was the first woman to serve as a United States Supreme Court Justice. O’Connor died on December 1, 2023 at the age of 93. She served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1981 to 2006.

 

The governor’s order is issued in conjunction with President Joe Biden’s proclamation to lower all United States flags to half-staff for the same length of time on her day of interment.

 

Flags will be at half-staff on the State Capitol Building and on flag displays in the Capitol Complex. Flags will also be half-staff on all public buildings, grounds and facilities throughout the state.

 

Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flags at half-staff for the same length of time.

Keokuk Community School Board Appoints New Member

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, December 19th, 2023 at 8:23 am CDT

Keokuk Community School Board voted in LeAnn Clifford as a new board member to fill a vacancy at the school board meeting on Dec. 18.

Clifford showed interest in the position via email after a position became open on the school board. At the meeting the board provided background information on each of the candidates and then asked for nominations and voted.

“I had been approached by board members saying I would be a good fit and was asked if I would be interested in being on the board,” Clifford said. “Part of the reason why I wanted to join is to be able to make a difference in the community.”

She moved to the district five years ago with her two children and is originally from Kahoka, Missouri. Her daughter is a senior and her son is a freshman both at Keokuk High School. Clifford is heavily involved in activities, athletic boosters and works the gates at many events.

Clifford was invited to join the board at the table at the Dec. 18 meeting and will serve on the board immediately.