Mt. Pleasant City offices will be closed on Friday, November 10th, in observance of Veterans Day.

The average cost of attending a four year college in the United States, including room and board, is estimated to be $25,000-30,000 a year. It is next to impossible for many highschool seniors to attend the college of their dreams because they can’t afford it. If you’re a Cyclone fan, however, there is good news.

The Christina Hixson Opportunity Award provides awards to high school seniors from each of Iowa’s counties.

These awards are designed to demonstrate Iowa State University’s commitment to the student potential that exists in various ways beyond the measures of class rank or standardized test scores.

The Christina Hixson program provides each recipient with a half-tuition grant (estimated value of more than $20,000 over eight semesters) to be used at Iowa State University.

This scholarship is currently available to high school seniors graduating in 2023 who will be entering as a first-year student at Iowa State University in Fall 2023. This program will provide 100 undergraduates with half-tuition scholarships (estimated value of more than $18,000 over eight semesters). Selection is based on the student’s county, eligibility and potential as demonstrated through the application, letter of recommendation, and financial need analysis. Students may major in any curriculum and must maintain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average for renewal.

*Recipients will be notified by May 1^st*

Hixson Opportunity Awards grants one award per county. The county corresponds to the student’s residence at the time of high school completion, which may be different from the county in which the high school is located. If a county has no suitable applicants, an award will not be made for that county.

Applications can be found and submitted online at  https://hixson.dso.iastate.edu/ Applications must be submitted online for the Christina Hixson Opportunity Award by February 1 with acceptance to ISU by February 1 and completion of the FAFSA as well.

Mission Statement: The mission of the Hixson Opportunity Awards program at Iowa State University is to foster excellence and ensure the success of all participants. The Hixson program provides various academic, financial, and personal supports to recipients of this private scholarship program, named for Iowa native Christina Hixson. Our dedication to serving all students, aligns with the mission of the University and Division of Student Affairs, and underscores our commitment to their overall success and well-being.

Mount Pleasant High School is proud to announce the October 2023 Students of Character, Tulip Lien and Peyton Hainline. These students have demonstrated Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. Students are nominated by the MPCHS faculty each month. If you see these students at school or in the community, please tell them to keep up the good work! We are Panther Proud of you all!

#GoPanthers #PantherProud

Additional nominees:

Henry Adams

Ka’Kiyah Sanders

Jacie Campbell

Jayden Ullrich

Keegan Birdsell

Madeline Watson

Matthew Del Valle Quinones

Ramzy Davis

Rylie Copeman

Tucker French

Zatori Williams

With cold temperatures soon invading our towns and snow and ice as products, you don’t want to be surprised when it comes. One way you can protect yourself is by learning the secrets of the sky. The National Weather Service is offering 3 virtual Winter Skywarn Spotter sessions this month.

This is supplemental training that is not required to be a volunteer spotter. This 90-minute presentation will focus on the cool season with additional education for “all season spotters” as well.

During this training, you will be equipped with the essentials in order to spot a storm. Included in this session include basics of thunderstorm development, fundamentals of storm structure, identifying potential severe weather features, information to report/how to report, and basic severe weather safety.

This training is free and open to the public via registration links.

November 16 – 6:30-8:00 pm
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3739112926038092633

November 21 – 1:00-2:30 pm
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3647763300979686233

November 29 – 6:30-8:00 pm
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6501920664337412190

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service to join the SKYWARN® program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches and nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are encouraged to become a spotter.