Ava Greiner Wraps Up Her 4-H and FFA Career with Championships and Gratitude

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, July 15th, 2025 at 1:18 pm CDT
Ava Greiner And Her Show Lamb

WASHINGTON, Iowa — For Ava Greiner, the 2025 Washington County Fair marks the end of an era and the celebration of a remarkable youth career rooted in hard work, passion, and community.

A senior sporting a special gray polo to signify her final year, Greiner has been a fixture in the livestock barns for nearly a decade. She’s a nine-year member of the ’76 Progressive 4-H Club and has spent the last six years with the Keota FFA chapter. This week’s fair marks her final showing season before she heads off to Iowa State University.

Ava Working her Final 4H Lamb Show

Greiner’s final showing day was one to remember. She was awarded Grand Champion Market Lamb and Reserve Grand Champion Breeding Ewe, topping off a career filled with similar highlights and steady growth as an exhibitor and leader.

In addition to her sheep, Ava also exhibited a goat earlier in the week and submitted projects in photography and cake decorating inside the exhibit hall. She’s not quite done yet—her sheep will appear once more in the Showdown and Final Drive—but for the most part, she says, “this is going to be a wrap for me. It’s a good note to go out on.”

As she closes the chapter on her 4-H and FFA journey, Ava Greiner looks ahead to new opportunities at Iowa State University, where she plans to major in animal science. She’s especially interested in pursuing a career in livestock embryology or the pharmaceutical side of the industry.

From barn boots to biotech, Ava’s journey is far from over—but the legacy she leaves behind in the show ring is one marked by dedication, leadership, and heart.

Jeffry Lynn Larson

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, July 15th, 2025 at 10:34 am CDT

Jeffry Lynn Larson January 3, 1953 – June 29, 2025

Jeffry Lynn Larson, 72, of North Richland Hills, Texas, passed away on June 29, 2025, at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Grapevine, Texas, surrounded by loved ones.

Born on January 3, 1953, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Jeff was the son of Dale and Bernadine (Bozarth) Larson. He graduated from Winfield-Mt. Union High School in 1971 and earned his degree from the University of Iowa in 1975. Jeff built a distinguished career in the insurance industry as a construction underwriter, earning respect for his integrity, expertise, and dedication.

On January 23, 1982, Jeff married the love of his life, Linda Felder, in Winfield, Iowa. Together they shared more than four decades of love, laughter, and adventure. Jeff and Linda had a passion for travel and made cherished memories exploring the country together. A devoted sports fan, Jeff found joy and connection in following his favorite teams and sharing the excitement with friends and family.

Jeff is survived by his brother Larry (Linda) Larson of Iowa City; his sister Cindy (Bill) Finke of Winfield; his nephews Jim (Laurie) Larson of Lakeville, Minnesota, Scot (Sheila) Larson of Flower Mound, Texas, Bill Northamer of Coralville, and Jabe (Dana) Finke of Winfield; nieces Lisa Bata of Marion, Peggy (Bryan) VanZante of Tiffin, Kiley (Josh) Schroeder of Hiawatha, Erika (Paul) Troyna of Colwell, Toni (Brad) Schwickerath of New Hampton, and Annie Felder of Cedar Rapids; and his brother-in-law Mike (Kate) Felder of Alta Vista. He is also lovingly remembered by many great-nieces and great-nephews.

Jeff was preceded in death by his parents, Dale and Bernadine Larson; his beloved wife, Linda; his brother, Dick Larson; and his sister-in-law, Mary Larson.

He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, October 4th at 10:00am at Sheridan Cemetery on 170th Street, west of Mt. Union, Iowa, where family and friends will gather to honor and celebrate Jeff’s life.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice in Jeff’s honor.

Sports, July 15th

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, July 15th, 2025 at 6:31 am CDT

Postseason Baseball

For Class 3A Substate 6, Fairfield’s season came to an end last night against Pella in a 6-0 shutout. Two errors by the Trojan defense placed the squad in a bad spot, despite Voss Richardson tossing five strikeouts in five innings, allowing only one hit and one earned run in the process. Dain Burkhart collected a double on a 2 for 3 performance at the plate. Fairfield finished the season with a 21-11 record. 

In Class 1A, Pekin will square off against Hillcrest Academy tonight at 7 pm for the substate 5 championship. The two teams split their matchups from earlier in the season with the Panthers winning back in May, 8-7, and the Ravens claiming a 2-0 shutout in mid-June.

For Class 2A Substate 4, #5 Mediapolis will take on MFL MarMac for the substate championship tonight at 7 pm at the Solon Recreation and Nature Area. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

Postseason Softball

Classes 1A and 2A held their regional championships last night, here are the upcoming state matchups for Tuesday, July 22nd, for both classes.

In Class 1A, Wayne grabbed the #1-seed with a 25-2 record and they will face off against the #8-seed Highland after the Huskies upset Iowa Valley 6-3. #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 the #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. 

For Class 3A Region 5, Washington will face off for the region champion tonight at 7 pm at Assumption. 

Local Athletic Summer Camps

Mt. Pleasant will be hosting Panther Hoopla: A Southeast Iowa Basketball Camp starting tomorrow, July 16th, and running through the 18th. Coaches will work with the campers in a fun and challenging environment, filled with drills, player development, and competitive games at the Mt. Pleasant High School gym.

The morning session is for 6th through 8th graders, and it runs from 8:30 am to 10:30 am. The afternoon session will go from 1 pm to 3 pm for 3rd through 5th graders.

In other camp news, an upcoming registration due date to look out for is July 18th for 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. 

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

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees will face off against the Normal CornBelters on the road today. 

The Clinton LumberKings will host the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp tonight at 7:05 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1912 – Jim Thorpe placed in the top 4 in all 10 events for a then-Olympic record 8,413 points to win the Decathlon gold medal at the Stockholm Olympics. He had his medal stripped in 1913 due to playing pro baseball, reinstated in 1982.

1999 – The inaugural game at the Seattle Mariners’ Safeco Field held in Seattle, Washington.

2007 – MLB Philadelphia Phillies lose to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 10-2 to become the first franchise in major American sport with 10,000 all-time losses.

Lynn Elizabeth Hitchings

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, July 15th, 2025 at 5:07 am CDT

Lynn Elizabeth Hitchings, 82, of New London, passed away Thursday, July 10, 2025 at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center, West Burlington.  She was born August 28, 1942, in Burlington to Fred and Hillis Long Brissey.  On September 11, 1960, she married Charles “Chuck” Hitchings in Burlington; they later divorced.  Lynn was of the Christian faith and attended New London Christian Church.

Lynn worked at several New London businesses over the years, including The Geode Café, Helen’s Variety, Whitaker’s Market, AmPride/Casey’s, and Mustang Market/Jet Stop; while also doing in-home babysitting.  Lynn was no stranger in town.  She later went to work at WalMart in Burlington from where she retired.  Lynn enjoyed cooking; watching the Food Network, game shows and her soap operas; working jigsaw puzzles; taking trips to Cantril and Kalona (especially the bakery); and good BBQ ribs.

Survivors include her soul mate and companion of more than thirty years, Eldon Waddle; her children Terri (Brian) Carter and Pam (Duane) Blint of New London, Doug (Janice) Hitchings of Maryville, Tennessee, Danny Scott Hitchings of Burlington, Lori (Rick) Corporon of Mascoutah, Illinois, Kevin Hitchings of Dallas, Texas, Jo Lynn Edgington of Wellman, Iowa, Josh (Jill) Waddle of Waterloo, and Jennie (Jeremy) Wesely of Salem; grandchildren Joel (Kara) Carter, Jena (Spencer) Watts, Ashley (JT) Hauser, Camryn (Greg Usher) Blint, Tyler (Maggie Skeffington) Corporon, Kylie (Josh) Snyder, Logan (Victoria) Corporon, Madison (Chase) Cooper,  Miles Edgington, Zachary and Reese Wesely, and Sam, Kate, Charlotte and Ruth Waddle; great-grandchildren, Maya and Grayson Carter, Kainen and Kooper Watts, Paisley, Jamie, Harvey and Lottie Hauser, and Lydia and Finn Snyder.  Her greatest pride and joy was her family, especially the kids, always wanting to hold the babies.  She was preceded in death by her parents and sister Ruth Brissey.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am, Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at the New London Christian Church with Pastors Rod and Nathan Cooper officiating.  The family will greet friends beginning at 9:00 until the time of the service.  According to her wishes, her body has been cremated and private inurnment will be held at Memorial Park Cemetery, Burlington.  A memorial has been established for the Children’s Ministry at New London Christian Church.  Elliott Chapel, New London, is assisting the family and online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.

Superintendent Henriksen to Retire at End of 2025-2026 School Year

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, July 14th, 2025 at 3:51 pm CDT

MOUNT PLEASANT — After two decades of leading school districts across Iowa, including recent years at the helm of the Mount Pleasant Community School District, Superintendent John Henriksen has announced that the 2025-2026 school year will be his last.

Henriksen’s announcement marks the beginning of a transition period for the district, as the school board prepares to begin the search for the next superintendent. While the timeline and process for hiring a successor have not yet been finalized, the board is expected to begin those conversations in the coming months.

Henriksen joined the Mount Pleasant Community School District as superintendent with a steady hand and a strong focus on academic achievement, staff support, and community engagement. His tenure has seen the district through statewide funding changes, pandemic recovery efforts, and the development of legislative priorities to support rural education.

More details on the superintendent search process will be shared as the board discusses next steps. Meanwhile, Henriksen says he’s committed to ensuring a smooth transition and a successful final year.

“There’s a lot of work yet to do, and I’m looking forward to seeing it through,” he said.

HENRY COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH July 16th, 2025 12:30 p.m.

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, July 14th, 2025 at 10:44 am CDT

HENRY COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH

July 16th, 2025 12:30 p.m.
Henry County Public Health- Conference room
Mount Pleasant, Iowa

Agenda

I. CALL TO ORDER
II. APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES 05/14/2025*
III. ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT
a. Statistics
b. Past due collections/billing
IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS
V. PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT
a. Budget
b. BOH report
c. General assistance report
d. Measles update
e. State Audit results
VI. OLD BUSINESS
VII. NEW BUSINESS
a. Policy review: Bad debt, Fiscal management procedures, Financial responsibility, Determination of financial obligations*
VIII. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ADJOURNMENT
a. Introduction with Morgan Francy
b. NEXT MEETING

MOUNT PLEASANT MUNICIPAL UTILITIES Regular Meeting July 15th 1P.M.

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, July 14th, 2025 at 10:06 am CDT

 AGENDA

 

  1. CALL TO ORDER.
  2. Roll call.Approval of Agenda.

 

  1. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS.
  2. Regular Board Meeting June 17, 2025 – Approval.
  •                                                                                                                                
  1. Approval of Warrants.
  2. Treasurer’s Report – Jody Fuller.
  3. LEGAL COUNSEL.                                                                        
  4. Attorney – Timothy J. Whipple (Ahlers & Cooney P.C.).                              
  2. Nate Lucas – General Manager                                                                                                                           
  3. Cedar Lane Well #7 and Water Distribution System Project – Update
  4. Possible Closed Session with guests -Pursuant to Section of Iowa Code 22.7(3) to discuss Well #7 litigation-
  5. AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) – Update
    1. Board review of the replacement metering project.
  6. Hydraulic Model & Water Distribution Study – Update
  7. a) Board review of the modeling project.
  8. Hoaglin Dr. Overhead to Underground Improvement Project – No Update
    1. Board review of the Hoaglin Dr. overhead to underground improvement project.
  9. Transmission System Power Supply Project – Update.
  10. Status update of the associated 69 kV transmission system power supply work.
  11. Possible Closed Session with guests – Pursuant to sections of Iowa Code 388.9 to discuss marketing and pricing strategies or proprietary information related to electric transmission
  12. Monthly Activities.                                                              

 

  1. OTHER BUSINESS.
  2. Other Business, Unscheduled for Consideration by Board of Trustees.
    1. Closed Session will convene w/ guests.
      • Pursuant to sections of Iowa Code 7(3) to discuss marketing and pricing strategies or proprietary information related to electric wholesale power supply.
  1. Discussion of the 2025 Employee Handbook Update

 

 

                                                                           Next Regular Board Meeting: 1:00 p.m. August 19th, 2025