Van Buren County Man Arrested on Drug Related Charges

By Kadie Johannson · Wednesday, February 11th, 2026 at 7:17 am CDT

A Van Buren County man is in custody following an arrest on drug-related charges.

According to the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office, 26-year-old Aaron L. Williams was arrested Tuesday morning around 8 o’clock on a Van Buren County arrest warrant. Williams faces two counts of possession of a controlled substance—methamphetamine and marijuana—and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Authorities say the charges stem from a prior incident on December 4th of 2025 at a residence in the 200 block of East Cedar Street in Birmingham, where Williams was arrested on an unrelated Jefferson County warrant. During that arrest, a search reportedly revealed suspected controlled substances in his pockets.

The items were seized and sent to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation crime lab, where testing confirmed the substances to be methamphetamine and marijuana.

Williams remains in custody. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public that all criminal charges are accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Sports, February 11th

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, February 11th, 2026 at 6:36 am CDT

High School Basketball

In a night of triumph and heartbreak, the Mt. Pleasant girls’ team snapped a nine-game losing streak by beating West Burlington 42-37, while a shorthanded boys’ team lost to the Falcons 51-50 in overtime.

The Panthers gained separation in the 3rd quarter by going on a 17 to 6 run on a night that every point was needed. Abby Carthey swarmed the court with 16 points and six steals in the winning effort. The Panthers finished the regular season with a 4-17 record. Presley Prill’s 11 points led the Falcons, who finished the regular season with an 11-10 record.

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team got out to a fast start from beyond the arc last night, hitting five threes in the first quarter, including four from Ryan Helling. However, without Noah Lange, who will miss the rest of the season due to injury, the Panther offense stalled and was unable to overcome the Falcons going 6 of 8 from the free throw line in overtime.

Isaiah Lange put up 18 points for the Panthers, while Silas Lotzow and Ayden Figuereo each collected 18 points for West Burlington, who finished the regular season with an 12-8 record. 

Panther boys’ head coach Eric Rawson understands it will have to be a complete team effort to fill in the gap left by Noah Lange,

“Yeah, certainly your defense leads to your offense. And there in the second quarter, we struggled offensively, and they were able to execute offensively and score. So, we gave up some second chance opportunities on long rebounds and backside rebounds. Those things happen when you’re not used to having a 6’7 guy there to clean it up. So, and it’s not like we’re asking one guy to come out and get an extra ten rebounds. It’s gotta be a collective from the group. And we’ll certainly get that figured out.”

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will hit the road to take on Fairfield on Friday, February 13th, with tip-off at 7:30 pm.

The Fairfield girls’ team fell to Davis County last night, 60-50. The Trojans finished the regular season with a 4-15 record. 

The Danville boys’ team clobbered Davis County last night 75-44 to end the regular season having won five of their last six. The Bears enter postseason play with a 12-9 record. 

The WACO boys’ team collected a much-needed victory last night, handling Wapello, 61-48. Holden Hughes led the Warriors with 20 points, while Kinnick Richenberger put up 17 points in the effort. 

The WACO boys’ team finished the regular season with an 11-10 record, while the Wapello boys’ team collected a 5-16 record. 

The Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team was unable to overcome a slow start against Pekin last night, falling 46-44. The Wolves will enter districts with a 13-7 record. 

The #3 Burlington Notre Dame boys’ team gave Keokuk all they had last night but a late surge left the Nikes short, 59-57. Notre Dame put up a 20-2 regular season record. 

The Central Lee boys’ team will hit the road to take on Davis County tomorrow, February 12th, at 7:30 pm.

Girls’ Regional Basketball

The regional brackets for Class 1A are set to start tomorrow, February 12th, at 7 pm and Classes 2A and 3A starting on Saturday, February 14th, at the same time. Here’s a look at our local competition.

In Class 1A Region 4, New London will make the trip to Lone Tree.

Wapello will host Burlington Notre Dame.

Over in Region 6, Winfield-Mt. Union will travel to Highland. 

WACO will face off against Pekin on the road. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

In Class 2A Region 8, Van Buren County will host Columbus. 

For Class 3A Region 5, the Southeast Conference will meet up in Washington as the Demons will face off against Fairfield. 

In Region 6, #9 Mediapolis will get another swing at Central Lee at home.

Boys’ District Basketball

The Class 1A district bracket is scheduled to start on Friday, February 13th, with the preliminary round. The first round for Classes 1A and 2A is scheduled for Monday, February 16th, with all games tipping-off at 7 pm.

Class 1A Substate 5 District 9 is where most of our local teams were placed with #3 Notre Dame grabbing on to the top seed.

To start off the bracket, New London will host Highland on Friday with the winner advancing to play the Nikes. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

On Monday, Winfield-Mt. Union and Danville will square off in the #4-#5 seed contest with the Wolves getting to host.

Holy Trinity Catholic will take on WACO at home. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

Over in Substate 5 District 10, Wapello will travel to Hillcrest Academy on Monday.

In Class 2A Substate 5 District 9, Central Lee earned the first round bye and will take on the winner between West Burlington and Cardinal with the Falcons getting to host. 

On the top half of the bracket, Van Buren County will hit the road to play Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont to open the first round.

In Substate 5 District 10, Columbus will face off against Durant on the road and Mediapolis will host Louisa-Muscatine for their first round showdowns. 

The Class 3A and Class 4A brackets will be released on Monday.

High School Wrestling

The boys’ district wrestling meets are scheduled for Saturday, February 14th.

High School Bowling

The girls’ state meet commenced yesterday and the Keokuk girls’ team was looking to defend their Class 2A championship, instead Decorah walked away with the title over Clinton, 3-1. 

The Chiefs were sent to the consolation bracket after bowling the 7th best score of the field with 2,467 pins. There, Keokuk would get swept in the first round by Denison-Schleswig before overcoming Newton for 7th place in a 3-1 final. 

Over in the Class 1A individual tournament, despite starting as the 5th seed, Olivia Steines of Camanche rolled her way to a narrow victory in the championship match, 193-185. 

The Class 2A individual tournament will get underway today with Mt. Pleasant’s Shyann Smith and Keokuk’s Allison Sapp, Jaelynn Ketterer, and Josie Sapp all competing.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) released the state qualifying meet assignments for the boys’ teams and Central Lee will host West Burlington, while Fairfield will travel to Monticello in Class 1A.

 In Class 2A, Clinton will play host to Burlington, Keokuk, and Mt. Pleasant.

Both meets are scheduled for Monday, February 16th, at 10 am.

Southeastern Community College

The women’s basketball team will travel to Ellsworth Community College tonight at 5:30 pm.

The men’s basketball team will travel to Indian Hills Community College on Saturday, February 14th, at 7 pm.

The men’s and women’s wrestling teams will travel to North Iowa Area Community College for the District Championships on Sunday, February 15th. 

College Basketball

The Iowa State women’s team had their five-game win streak snapped last night, losing 83-69 to BYU. Audi Crooks cashed in for 18 points. The Cyclones will tip-off at 1 pm on Sunday, February 15th, at home against Kansas State.

The #15 Iowa women’s team will host Washington tonight at 6:30 pm.

The Iowa men’s team will travel to Maryland tonight at 5 pm.

The #5 Iowa State men’s team suffered their second unranked loss of the season, falling to TCU on the road last night 62-55. In an all-around sloppy game, the Cyclones committed 17 turnovers and shot just 21.7% from three-point land. Joshua Jefferson and Tamin Lipsey tied for the team lead in points with 12 apiece. The Cyclones will look for redemption against #9 Kansas at home on Saturday, February 14th, at noon.

This Day in Sports History

1965 – Braves propose to pay 5 cents from each ticket to bring a new team to Milwaukee.

1974 – First Major League Baseball arbitration case; Minnesota Twins pitcher Dick Woodson seeking $29,000 wins; Twins offered $23,000.

1990 – In a huge upset, James “Buster” Douglas KOs Mike Tyson in the 10th round in Tokyo, Japan to win the world heavyweight boxing title.

MPHS January Portrait of a Panther Students Announced

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 at 4:50 pm CDT

Mount Pleasant High School is recognizing its January Portrait of a Panther students.

School officials announced Angel Joseph and Brynnlin Rodibaugh as this month’s honorees. In addition, six other outstanding students were nominated: Shaye Barbee, Olivia Hill, Louie Lord, Chloe Parriott, Ellaina McMullin, and Caden Mullin.

Students were nominated by staff members for demonstrating qualities such as resilience, integrity, compassion, responsibility, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Please congratulate these students if you see them at school or around town, and encourage them to keep up the great work. We are proud of our Panthers!

 

Henry County Supervisors Move Forward With Interim County Attorney Appointment

By Shelbi Swinscoe · Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 at 2:32 pm CDT

The Henry County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 12:15 p.m. to take action on filling the vacancy in the Henry County Attorney’s Office.

During the meeting, supervisors approved a motion to post a public notice of intent to appoint an interim county attorney. The board plans to make the appointment during a supervisor’s meeting scheduled for February 19.

Interviews with individuals already known to be interested in the position are expected to be held on Friday, February 13. Supervisors noted that interviewees have the right to request their interviews be conducted in closed session, as permitted under Iowa law.

The appointed individual would serve as county attorney from the date of appointment until the next general election, unless a special election is triggered through a citizen petition. To force a special election, residents would need to submit a petition with just over 500 valid signatures from Henry County voters within 14 days of the appointment.

According to the Henry County Auditor’s Office, the cost of a special election is estimated to be at least $20,000, which would be paid by county taxpayers.

The meeting adjourned following the discussion.

 

Nominate Your Favorite Restaurant in Iowa’s Best Burger Contest

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 at 1:45 pm CDT

The Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association have announced the return of the Iowa’s Best Burger Contest, inviting Iowans to once again nominate their favorite burgers while supporting local restaurants across the state.

Now in its 17th year, the contest celebrates Iowa-raised beef and the restaurants that serve it, connecting consumers, cattle producers, and the foodservice community. Each year, thousands of nominations are submitted from across Iowa.

Kylie Peterson with the Iowa Beef Industry Council says the contest is a grassroots way to highlight quality beef and encourage people to explore local restaurants, while celebrating beef’s role at the center of the plate.

Nominations for the Iowa’s Best Burger Contest are open now and close March 9, 2026, at 5 p.m. The Top Ten burgers will be announced March 13, 2026 with the overall winner named on May 1, 2026, kicking off May Beef Month in Iowa.

Restaurants must serve a 100-percent real beef patty on a bun or bread product to be eligible. Finalists will be evaluated through a secret taste test by contest judges.

Iowans can nominate their favorite burger online at iabeef.org.

Henry County Board of Supervisors to Meet at 12:15 p.m. Today, 2/10/26

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 at 11:07 am CDT

The Henry County Board of Supervisors will meet today, Tuesday, February 10th, for a special meeting.

The meeting will begin at 12:15 p.m. at the Henry County Courthouse, located at 100 East Washington Street in Mount Pleasant.

On the agenda, supervisors will discuss and take possible action on posting public notice of their intent to appoint an interim Henry County Attorney. The board will also discuss scheduling interviews for individuals already known to be interested in the position.

The meeting is open to the public. KILJ plans to be there to bring you a report.

MPCSD’s Dr. Angie Butler Named 2026 Central Office Administrator of the Year

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 at 11:02 am CDT

A Mount Pleasant school leader is being recognized at the state level for excellence in educational leadership.

Dr. Angie Butler, Director of Instruction with the Mount Pleasant Community School District, has been named the 2026 Central Office Administrator of the Year by the School Administrators of Iowa.

In announcing the award, SAI Executive Director Lisa Remy praised Butler for her strong instructional leadership, saying she has fostered a culture of continuous improvement while empowering educators across the district. Remy noted that Butler’s clear expectations and responsive support make her a model for central office administrators statewide.

Dr. Butler brings nearly 20 years of experience in K-through-12 education. She began her career as a special education teacher, a role she says shaped her commitment to equity and access for all students. Those values are reflected in her guiding principles—Passion, Authenticity, Respect, Integrity, and Synergy—which she uses to guide her leadership.

Before coming to Mount Pleasant in 2022, Butler served in several roles in the Burlington and Washington school districts, including teacher, instructional coach, principal, and director of special education.

She is also an adjunct instructor at Viterbo University and Mount Mercy University and serves as an intern supervisor for Viterbo. Butler earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Northern Iowa in 2023.

One reference highlighted Butler’s leadership in developing the district’s “Portrait of a Panther” initiative, which outlines the core competencies Mount Pleasant graduates are expected to achieve and integrates them into daily classroom practice.

Reflecting on the honor, Butler said she is grateful to work alongside dedicated educators and to be part of a community that strongly supports its schools and students.

Dr. Butler will be formally honored at the School Administrators of Iowa conference this August.

Construction Worker Airlifted After Being Struck by Vehicle

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 at 10:53 am CDT

On Monday, February 9, 2026, at approximately 3:55pm, the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 24000 block of Highway 34 for a motor vehicle accident involving injuries. During the investigation, it was determined that a construction worker was struck by a motor vehicle.

The victim was airlifted from the scene by MercyOne. The extent of the victim’s injuries is unknown at this time.

The names of the driver and the victim are being withheld pending notification. More information will be released at a later time.

The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Blakesburg Fire & Rescue, ORMICS, MercyOne, and Wapello County Emergency Management.