Southeast Iowa Fishing Report: Big Hollow Lake, Lake Geode, and Area Rivers

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, July 18th, 2025 at 7:16 am CDT

Southeast Iowa — With hot summer weather settling in, water temperatures across Southeast Iowa continue to climb, influencing fish behavior and pushing most species into deeper, shaded, or structure-heavy areas. Anglers can still find fair action by timing their trips for early morning or late evening hours and focusing on specific habitats.

Big Hollow Lake (Des Moines County)

Water temperatures are around 88 degrees, with the most consistent action happening early and late in the day.

  • Black Crappie – Fair: Crappies are suspended in 7 to 8 feet of water in flooded timber. Try vertical jigging or drift trolling near the tree edges.
  • Bluegill – Fair: Look in about 6 feet of water, especially in brushier timber pockets where they can escape predatory bass.

Lake Geode (Henry County)

Temperatures range from 86 to 89 degrees, with green water and about 2 feet of clarity. The thermocline is at 12 feet.

  • Black Crappie – Fair: Focus on artificial habitat structures in 8 to 10 feet of water, with fish suspended a few feet above the bottom.
  • Bluegill – Fair: Found in 8 to 9 feet of water off rocky shorelines.
  • Channel Catfish – Fair: Mostly 12- to 13-inch fish, but some larger catfish have moved in from local ponds. Target them near the old work road by the in-lake silt dam.
  • Largemouth Bass – Fair: Bass are hanging around rock piles and structure in 6-8 feet of water.

Cedar River (Moscow to Columbus Junction)

The river is currently bank full and slowly receding. Caution is advised, as water levels remain high and current conditions may limit accessibility.

Iowa River (Columbus Junction to Mississippi River)

Currently at minor flood stage near Wapello, with levels expected to drop back within banks by late Saturday. Fishing may improve as water levels normalize.

Skunk River (Rose Hill to Coppock)

The river is about a foot below bank full. Conditions are more favorable for anglers, though flows may still be high in certain stretches.

For more information on the lakes and rivers listed above, contact the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430. Stay safe, stay cool, and happy fishing!

P.E.O. Heritage Tour comes to Mount Pleasant

By Kadie Johannson · Friday, July 18th, 2025 at 7:09 am CDT

It was a big day for P.E.O. in Mount Pleasant, Thursday, July 17, 2026. Your three local Mount Pleasant chapters hosted the international presidents and officers for the annual Heritage Tour to showcase the birthplace of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. With nearly 6,000 chapters spread throughout the United States of America and Canada and 190,000 members, the philanthropic educational organization of women supporting women has grown tremendously from the seven Iowa Wesleyan students who founded the organization in 1869.

Yesterday about 80 women were in attendance, including the current International Chapter President Cathy Moss from Louisville, Kentucky and Iowa State Chapter President Pam Schulz who resides in Marion, Iowa. Heritage Tour participants toured the former Iowa Wesleyan Campus, including the P.E.O. Memory Rooms Museum housed in Old Main and went on a town tour to see historic landmarks and homes related to P.E.O. Before heading back to Des Moines for their P.E.O. annual leadership training, they enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the historic Union Block Building, where five of the seven founders graduated from Iowa Wesleyan University.

To learn more about P.E.O. and the Heritage Tour, visit here to listen to the interview! Or visit www.peointernational.org

Sports, July 18th

By Slaten Swords · Friday, July 18th, 2025 at 6:30 am CDT

Postseason Baseball

Classes 1A and 2A will be heading to Merchants Park in Carroll, Iowa, to start their journey to the state championship on Monday, July 21st, for Class 1A and Tuesday, July 22nd, for Class 2A. Here’s the matchups.

To start off the day on Monday in Class 1A, #8 Hillcrest Academy will square off against #1 Remsen St. Mary’s at 11 am. 

#4 Martensdale-St. Marys will compete against #5 Kee at 1:30 pm, followed by #2 Lynnville-Sully facing off against #7 East Buchanan. The night cap at 7 pm will be #3 Saint Ansgar taking on #6 Logan-Magnolia.

For Class 2A, #1 Underwood will attempt to defend their first state title against #8 Cascade at 11 am.

#5 Mediapolis will play #4 Unity Christian at 1:30 pm on Tuesday. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 1:15 pm. Mediapolis junior Kyler Crow is used to the feeling of being counted out,

“You know, a lot of people have said we’ve had a bad schedule, or an easy schedule and a lot of people have put us down and I just mean I can’t wait to see their faces when they see that we’re on the ride to Carroll and a lot of the teams that they bet on aren’t so, you know, it feels great to be the underdogs. I mean, we’ve always been the underdogs in every tournament we go to. So, going to State is huge.”

At 4:30 pm, #3 Van Meter will take on #6 Chariton and #2 Pleasantville and #7 West Lyon will end the night at 7 pm.

Classes 3A and 4A held their substate championships last night, here’s the list of state qualifiers.

Class 3A and Class 4A will be heading to Lewis and Clark Park in Sioux City for a one-year layover before returning to Cedar Rapids next season. Here are the matchups.

In Class 3A, #1 Wahlert Catholic enters as the favorite as the take on #8 Boone to start Monday’s slate of games at 11:30 am. The winner of that matchup will face off against the winner between #4 Assumption and #5 Saydel. On the bottom half of the bracket, #2 Pella will compete against #7 Sergeant Bluff-Luton at 5 pm and #3 Bishop Heelan will have their showdown with #6 Carlisle.

Class 4A will get started on Tuesday morning with #6 Waukee attempting to upset #3 Iowa City High at 11:30 am. At 2 pm, #2 Johnston and #7 Prairie will square off, followed by #4 Waukee Northwest versus #5 Iowa City Liberty at 5 pm. #1 Sioux City East and #8 Bettendorf will be the night cap at 7:30 pm.

Postseason Softball

Class 4A will begin the tournament on Monday, July 21st, with #1 Xavier tasked with #8 Pella at 10 am. #4 Dallas Center-Grimes will play #5 ADM at 10:30 am. #7 North Scott will be looking for the upset against #2 Norwalk, while #3 North Polk will attempt to take down #6 Western Dubuque.

Class 5A will hold the early afternoon contests with #1 Waukee Northwest playing #8 Dowling Catholic. #4 Ankeny Centennial will continue their rivalry with #5 Valley at 3 pm. #2 Linn-Mar will compete against #7 Pleasant Valley at 4:45 pm and #3 Southeast Polk will act as the home team against #6 Cedar Falls.

Class 3A’s bracket will be split between Monday and Tuesday, July 22nd, with the top half of the bracket being the nightcaps with #1 Wahlert Catholic facing off against #8 Center Point-Urbana and #4 PCM linking up with #5 West Liberty at 7:30 pm.

On Tuesday, #7 Washington will attempt to spoil #2 Williamsburg’s trip to Fort Dodge at 10 am and #3 Albia will take on #6 Estherville Lincoln Central at 10:30 am.

In Class 1A, Wayne grabbed the #1-seed with a 25-2 record and they will face off against the #8-seed Highland. #4 Riverside and #5 Newell-Fonda will link up in the early evening matchup. 

With a 28-4 record, #2 Clarksville will square off against #7 Newman Catholic with the winner scheduled to face off against the winner between #3 Wapsie Valley and #6 St. Edmond. 

Over in Class 2A, #1 Van Meter enters as the favorite as the Bulldogs look to defend their Class 2A title with an opening round matchup against #8 East Marshall. Grabbing the #4 and #5 seeds were Durant and West Fort, respectively.

#2 Louisa-Muscatine flew past Pella Christian 6-3 on their way to their first state tournament appearance since 2022. The Falcons will compete against #7 West Monona. Lastly, #3 West Lyon will take on #6 Cascade at 3 pm. 

Local Athletic Summer Camps

Today is the registration due date for two local volleyball camps: the Mediapolis volleyball camp for 3rd all the way through 9th graders starting on August 4th and the Danville youth volleyball camp for 2nd through 8th graders starting on the same date. 

The WACO youth volleyball camp for 5th through 8th graders and the high school camp’s registration due date is Wednesday, July 23rd. 

Check out this link for other local summer athletic camps: School Summer Camps

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees have now scored 102 runs in their last 10 games, improving to 8-2 in that span after knocking off the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes last night, 10-2. Corey Boyette smacked a home run for two RBIs, while Blake Gaskey threw six scoreless innings, fanning five in the win. The Bees will stay at home tonight to take on the Quincy Doggy Paddlers at 6:30 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings have dropped their third straight contest after surrendering four runs in the top of the 8th inning to fall to the Normal CornBelters last night, 4-2. The LumberKings will travel to start a two-game series against the Thrillville Thrillbillies tonight at 7 pm. 

This Day in Sports History

1914 – MLB Boston Braves start ‘miracle’ move from last place to become World Series champs.

1927 – Ty Cobb nabs his 4,000th MLB career hit.

1959 – William ‘Bill’ Wright becomes the first African American to win a major golf tournament (U.S. Amateur Public Links Championships).

Colin Anderson Dominates 2025 Henry County Meat and Breeding Goat Shows

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, July 18th, 2025 at 5:10 am CDT

The 2025 Henry County Fair Goat Show proved to be a showcase of excellence, featuring outstanding entries across market and breeding divisions. With a deep field of competitive youth exhibitors, the judges had their work cut out for them as they evaluated animals on structure, muscle, finish, and rate of gain (R.O.G.).

Market Goat Division

Lightweight Class
In the Light Weight Meat Goat class, Tyi-Alicyn Alter led the way to earn Champion Lightweight honors with a well-balanced, stylish goat. Reserve Champion Lightweight went to Ava Kempker, whose goat impressed with finish and performance.

Medium Weight Class
Colin Anderson claimed the Champion Medium Weight Meat Goat title with a goat praised for structural correctness, smooth lines, and strong performance. Abigail loyd followed with a Reserve Champion finish, showing a goat with good dimension and growth.

Heavy Weight Class
Beatrice Anderson earned the Champion Heavy Weight Meat Goat honor with a standout entry that combined mass and balance. Aubrey Loyd took Reserve Champion Heavy Weight with a powerful goat that showed well in the ring.

Top Overall Market Goat Results

  • Grand Champion Meat Goat: Colin Anderson

  • Reserve Grand Champion Meat Goat: Abigail Loyd

  • 3rd Place Overall Meat Goat: Aubrey Loyd

  • 4th Place Overall Meat Goat: Beatrice Anderson

  • 5th Place Overall Meat Goat: Tyi-Alicyn Alter

Champion County Born Meat Goat was awarded to Abigail Loyd, highlighting local breeding excellence.

Breeding Doe Division

Colin Anderson extended his success into the breeding classes as well, taking home the title of Grand Champion Breeding Doe with an animal praised for completeness, femininity, and overall design. Beatrice Anderson was named Reserve Champion Breeding Doe, following closely with a high-quality, well-balanced doe.

Top Breeding Doe Placings:

  • Grand Champion Breeding Doe: Colin Anderson

  • Reserve Champion Breeding Doe: Beatrice Anderson

  • 3rd Place Overall: Beatrice Anderson

  • 4th Place Overall: Aubrey Loyd

With wins across both divisions, Colin Anderson’s efforts stood out in a highly competitive field. Judges praised the overall quality of the show, noting the attention to structure, growth, and handling ability. Congratulations to all exhibitors for an excellent showing at the 2025 Henry County Fair.

Tate Beard Claims Top Honors in Breeding Ewe Show at Henry County Fair

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, July 17th, 2025 at 1:56 pm CDT
Tate Beard and his Grand Champion Sheep

Tate Beard, a member of the Scotts sod busters 4-H Club, had a banner day at the Henry County Fair, earning both Grand Champion and Reserve Champion honors in the breeding ewe division.

Beard, the son of Philip and Katie Beard, brought two standout animals to the ring

 

Securing first and second place is no small feat, and Beard says it reflects the many hours of hard work and dedication behind the scenes.

But he’s not done yet. Tate will be back in the show ring later this week with his market wethers.

 

 

Tate Beard with his Reserve Champion Sheep

As the fair continues, Beard’s determination and strong showing are setting a high bar for the rest of the competition — and proving that commitment and care behind the barn doors can lead to big moments in the spotlight.

Henry County Supervisors Explore Workforce Merger, Burn Ordinance, and Approve School Resource Officer Contract For New London

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, July 17th, 2025 at 10:22 am CDT

Henry County Supervisors Explore Workforce Merger, Burn Ordinance, and Approve School Resource Officer Contract

MOUNT PLEASANT — July 17, 2025
The Henry County Board of Supervisors met Thursday morning for a full agenda that included a public hearing on a proposed burn ordinance, contract approvals, and participation in a multi-county discussion on merging Iowa’s regional workforce development boards.

Workforce Development Merger Proposal

The board joined a Zoom call with Mississippi Valley Workforce Development to discuss a proposed merger with the South Central and Northeast Iowa workforce areas. The consolidation is prompted by drastic federal funding cuts that have left the South-Central region unable to operate past October 1 without restructuring.

Key points:

  • The merger would preserve local control and service delivery by combining administrative efforts.
  • Supervisors expressed concern about how financial liabilities would be shared among counties.
  • The decision must be unanimous across the three regions, with a letter of intent due by August 18.

Public Hearing: Open Burn Ordinance

A motion was made and approved to enter a public hearing on a proposed open burn ordinance intended to reduce unnecessary fire department calls, particularly during red flag or burn ban conditions.

One county resident addressed the board, voicing support for the ordinance’s intent but stressed the need for clear communication and public education. “Where do you find out if you’re in a burn ban or red flag day?” he asked. Also raising concerns about how smaller burns and recreational fires would be treated.

Board response:

  • Supervisors and emergency officials clarified that recreational and contained fires are not the target.
  • The ordinance focuses on large-scale burns like CRP or ditch burning, particularly under risky weather conditions.
  • Education and outreach will be a priority. County emergency alerts, a public safety app, Facebook, and other media will be used to notify the public about burn bans and red flag warnings.

The public hearing was then closed, with no objections. Supervisors noted that official readings of the ordinance will follow at future meetings.

Contract Approved for School Resource Officer

The board next reviewed a 28E agreement with the New London School District to provide a School Resource Officer (SRO). The board approved the agreement.

Other Business

The board briefly discussed the possibility of a future 28E agreement with the City of Salem, though no timeline has been established. Updates will be provided after the public safety committee meets.

The meeting concluded with subcommittee reports and general updates.

Brownfield Ag News Youth Belt Buckle Ceremony Honors Henry County 4-H and FFA Accomplishments

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, July 17th, 2025 at 10:09 am CDT

At this year’s fair, several graduating 4-H and FFA members were recognized for their years of hard work and dedication with a special keepsake: a commemorative belt buckle, courtesy of Brownfield Ag News. The belt buckle symbolizes the culmination of their youth agriculture careers and the impact the programs have had on their lives.

Among those honored was Briar Bender, a member of the Wayne Soil Savers. Briar received the Brownfield Ag News belt buckle as he wraps up his time in both 4-H and FFA.

Briar is the son of Tracy and Jason Bender.

Another honoree, Alyssa Greaber, is a longtime member of the Jefferson Juniors 4-H Club.

Alyssa, the daughter of Troy and Cassie Graber.

The Brownfield belt buckle ceremony is a tradition aimed at recognizing young people who have committed years to leadership, livestock, community service, and personal growth through 4-H and FFA.

Sports, July 17th

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, July 17th, 2025 at 6:37 am CDT

Postseason Baseball

Classes 1A and 2A will be heading to Merchants Park in Carroll, Iowa, to start their journey to the state championship on Monday, July 21st, for Class 1A and Tuesday, July 22nd, for Class 2A. Here’s the matchups.

To start off the day on Monday in Class 1A, #8 Hillcrest Academy will square off against #1 Remsen St. Mary’s at 11 am. 

#4 Martensdale-St. Marys will compete against #5 Kee at 1:30 pm, followed by #2 Lynnville-Sully facing off against #7 East Buchanan. The night cap at 7 pm will be #3 Saint Ansgar taking on #6 Logan-Magnolia.

For Class 2A, #1 Underwood will attempt to defend their first state title against #8 Cascade at 11 am.

#5 Mediapolis will play #4 Unity Christian at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, July 22nd. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 1:15 pm. Mediapolis head coach Rick Whitaker doesn’t foresee any first-time nerves with this squad,

“For sure. I’ll try to give him the lowdown of, like, you know, the process of what we’re going to do and kind of get them ready for that. But these kids play, you know, they play Perfect Game. They play just a ton of ball with some scouts in the crowd and stuff. So, I’m not sure, you know, I don’t know. They might have those jitters, but I don’t think this team will. I think we’ve played so much ball that it probably won’t matter.”

At 4:30 pm, #3 Van Meter will take on #6 Chariton and #2 Pleasantville and #7 West Lyon will end the night at 7 pm.

Classes 3A and 4A held their substate championships last night, here’s the list of state qualifiers.

Class 3A: Bishop Heelan (last year’s runner-up), Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Boone, Wahlert Catholic, Assumption, Pella, Carlisle, and Saydel.

Class 4A: Sioux City East, Waukee Northwest, Waukee, Johnston, Prairie, Iowa City High, Iowa City Liberty, and Bettendorf. 

Postseason Softball

Class 4A will begin the tournament on Monday, July 21st, with #1 Xavier tasked with #8 Pella at 10 am. #4 Dallas Center-Grimes will play #5 ADM at 10:30 am. #7 North Scott will be looking for the upset against #2 Norwalk, while #3 North Polk will attempt to take down #6 Western Dubuque.

Class 5A will hold the early afternoon contests with #1 Waukee Northwest playing #8 Dowling Catholic. #4 Ankeny Centennial will continue their rivalry with #5 Valley at 3 pm. #2 Linn-Mar will compete against #7 Pleasant Valley at 4:45 pm and #3 Southeast Polk will act as the home team against #6 Cedar Falls.

Class 3A’s bracket will be split between Monday and Tuesday, July 22nd, with the top half of the bracket being the nightcaps with #1 Wahlert Catholic facing off against #8 Center Point-Urbana and #4 PCM linking up with #5 West Liberty at 7:30 pm.

On Tuesday, #7 Washington will attempt to spoil #2 Williamsburg’s trip to Fort Dodge at 10 am and #3 Albia will take on #6 Estherville Lincoln Central at 10:30 am.

In Class 1A, Wayne grabbed the #1-seed with a 25-2 record and they will face off against the #8-seed Highland. #4 Riverside and #5 Newell-Fonda will link up in the early evening matchup. 

With a 28-4 record, #2 Clarksville will square off against #7 Newman Catholic with the winner scheduled to face off against the winner between #3 Wapsie Valley and #6 St. Edmond. 

Over in Class 2A, #1 Van Meter enters as the favorite as the Bulldogs look to defend their Class 2A title with an opening round matchup against #8 East Marshall. Grabbing the #4 and #5 seeds were Durant and West Fort, respectively.

#2 Louisa-Muscatine flew past Pella Christian 6-3 on their way to their first state tournament appearance since 2022. The Falcons will compete against #7 West Monona. Lastly, #3 West Lyon will take on #6 Cascade at 3 pm. 

Local Athletic Summer Camps

Tomorrow, July 18th, is the registration due date for two local volleyball camps: the Mediapolis volleyball camp for 3rd all the way through 9th graders starting on August 4th and the Danville youth volleyball camp for 2nd through 8th graders starting on the same date. 

The WACO youth volleyball camp for 5th through 8th graders and the high school camp’s registration due date is July 23rd. 

Check out this link for other local summer athletic camps: School Summer Camps

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees thrashed the Normal CornBelters last night 18-3. Caleb Seibers collected eight RBIs as he cracked a grand slam and a triple, while Kooper Schulte went 3 for 3 with a triple and four RBIs. The Bees head back home tonight against the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes at 6:30 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings dropped their matchup against the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp last night 11-2. The LumberKings will host the CornBelters at 6:30 pm tonight.

This Day in Sports History

1902 – The Baltimore Orioles forfeit to St. Louis having only five players available to play; they then forfeit their franchise back to the American League.

1936 – New York Giants future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell begins MLB record 24 game winning streak, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-0 at Forbes Field.

1974 – Bob Gibson becomes the second pitcher to strike-out 3,000 (Cesar Geronimo).