Mary Ross

By Yorke Prough · Monday, October 9th, 2023 at 4:07 pm CDT

Mary Jane Ross, 93, of Mt. Pleasant and formerly of Iowa City and Burlington, died Saturday, October 7, 2023 at Park Place Elder Living in Mt. Peasant.

Mary was born December 22, 1929, in Burlington, Iowa. She was the daughter of John Thomas and Myrtle Marie (Hines) Ross the eldest of three girls: Joann (Royal) Timmerman now both deceased, and Barbara (David) Gibbs (David deceased) of Burlington, Iowa.

Mary lost the use of her left leg in a bathing accident when she was but 5 years old, later half of that leg would be amputated and Mary would embrace her new freedom from crutches and wheelchairs.   She married Daniel Mason Woolley in 1946.  Together they would have four children and raise them in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado before returning to Iowa and divorcing. Her children are Daughter – Carolyn Ann Gross (John) of Iowa City, Iowa, now deceased; Son – Michael David Woolley of Glenwood Springs, Colorado; Son – Richard Lewis Woolley also of Colorado, now deceased and Daughter – Jeannine Marie Christner (Todd) of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa

Mary is also survivied by eight grandchildren – Ted Detrick, Jason Gross, Kelly Wallace, Jennifer Garland, Heather Hammer, Christina Feehan, Danny Woolley, and Jordan Woolley. From these eight grandchildren Mary received 16 Great Grandchildren living in California, Colorado, Minnesota, Maryland, and Iowa. Mary is now a Great Great Grandmother to 4 little ones all living in the Mt. Pleasant area.    These are just the beginning of the next generation.

Mary loved children and spent most of her life caring for them. Family photo albums were filled with not just her children and grandchildren’s pictures but all the children she cared for in her home daycare that she operated for 20+ years in Iowa City.  These children were all as much her family as any of her grandchildren.

In the late 1970s Mary had a born-again experience in her home.  From that day on she held Jesus as her Savior and told as many as would listen about Jesus and her experience.  Mary was a member of the Parkview Church in Iowa City, Iowa until she was unable to drive or find a ride.

A memorial service for Mary will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, October 28th at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 N. Main St., Mt. Pleasant. Chaplain Gordon Hawkins of EveryStep Hospice will officiate. The family will be present to greet friends 1 hour prior to the service.

Prep Football: New Week of Rankings as Postseason Nears

By Slaten Swords · Monday, October 9th, 2023 at 2:52 pm CDT

Prep Football- The Iowa High School Athletic Association released their third edition of rankings for 8-Player, Class A, Class 1A, and Class 2A along with the second Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) for Classes 3A, 4A, and 5A.

Winfield-Mt. Union is still king of the hill in 8-Player after improving to 7-0 last week due to a forfeit by Mormon Trail. WACO is still ranked 10th after dominating English Valleys last Friday 51-6. The most exciting game last week was #2 Gladbrook-Reinbeck facing off against #9 Clarksville; the Rebels could not overcome Clarksville’s late surge as the Rebels fell 38-36. Clarksville is now ranked 4th and Gladbrook-Reinbeck fell back to 6th.

In Class A, nine out of the top ten teams remained in their position from a week ago with Saint Ansgar, Woodbury Central, and West Hancock taking the top three spots, respectively. Previously unbeaten #9 Lake Mills fell to West Hancock 41-0 last Friday, leaving room for Starmont, whose only loss came against North Linn, to take the #9 spot. Lake Mills will have another tough battle this week as they take on Saint Ansgar.

In Class 1A, the top four teams remained the same in Grundy Center, Underwood, Sumner-Fredericksburg, and MFL MarMac, respectively. Wilton hopped up to the #5 slot after defeating #7 West Branch 21-17; additionally, #5 Denver was knocked out of the top 10 with a 28-7 loss to MFL MarMac. Treynor and South Hamilton reentered the top ten at the #9 and #10 spots, respectively.

No teams were knocked out of the top ten in Class 2A with Central Lyon/George-Little Rock staying on top of the rankings. Western Christian’s 42-7 loss to Central Lyon/George-Little Rock caused the Wolfpack to tumble two spots down the list to #7. Mediapolis kept their #10 ranking after dismantling Davis County 42-7.

Class 3A had a shakeup in the RPI rankings after Solon defeated Williamsburg 21-14 last Friday. Clear Lake is now the #1 team followed by Creston, the only two teams undefeated in Class 3A. Solon and Williamsburg rank #3 and #4, respectively. Mount Vernon jumped up one spot to #7 after Humboldt’s loss. Assumption moved up seven spots in the rankings to #12. Fort Madison and Keokuk rank #21 and #22, respectively, as they both tout 4-3 records.

How the mighty fall, Gilbert’s 38-7 loss to Bondurant-Farrar sent the Tigers from #1 to #8 in the RPI and elevated the Bluejays from #6 to #4. ADM is now the top team in Class 4A followed by Western Dubuque and Lewis Central. #25 Burlington climbed five spots in the rankings after winning last Friday.

Class 5A had muted movement in the top ten with Southeast Polk and Dowling Catholic still battling to end their season with a perfect record. Waukee fell three spots to #8 after their 38-0 loss to Southeast Polk. Valley had one of the highest jumps in the rankings, going from #28 last week to #20 this week, despite just boasting a 2-5 record. Ottumwa ranks 31st in the rankings with an RPI of 0.370.

For a full list of the rankings and RPI rankings click here: High School Football Rankings

Kody Barton

By Yorke Prough · Monday, October 9th, 2023 at 11:01 am CDT

Kody Barton, 32, of Burlington, formerly of Mount Pleasant, died Monday, October 9, 2023, at his home.

Funeral services are pending at Olson-Powell Chapel & Crematory.

Ron DeSantis Enjoys Warm Coffee in Mt. Pleasant

By Yorke Prough · Monday, October 9th, 2023 at 10:49 am CDT

While the next Presidential Election isn’t until November 5th, 2024, candidates have been flocking to towns all across the US as they attempt to win over the constituents.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spent his weekend in Iowa, as he traveled through 5 counties. As a presidential candidate, his mission is to complete the “Full Grassley” where he will visit all 99 counties in Iowa. At close of day on Sunday, he had reached 67.

During his three-day bus tour as a special guest with Never Back Down, Gov. DeSantis grabbed a cup of coffee and met with guests at the Mt. Pleasant Hy-Vee on Sunday morning. Among the guests were Senator Dickey, Representative Collins, and Henry County Supervisor Chad White.

He then continued his tour, stopping in Washington County to attend church where he addressed the crowd regarding a political hot topic.

“Our rights do not come from the government, they come from the Lord our God. And that begins with the right to life itself,” said Ron DeSantis.“And when some people say that signing legislation to protect the right to life — like we did in Florida with the heartbeat bill, like your governor in Iowa did with the heartbeat bill — anyone who tells you that that’s somehow a ‘terrible thing’ is not standing for the right to life.

DeSantis is attempting to drum up support from Iowans for the Republican caucus, which is set for January 15th, 2024. This is also Martin Luther King Day and comes a few weeks earlier than the previous caucuses.

Armed Robbery Suspect Gets Away – FMPD Needs Your Help!

By Yorke Prough · Monday, October 9th, 2023 at 10:39 am CDT

The Fort Madison Police Department is requesting any information from the public regarding a robbery that took place over the weekend.

On Saturday October 7th, 2023 at 9:08 PM, Fort Madison officers and a K-9 unit responded to a robbery report at Dollar General, 429 Avenue H.  A lone male subject entered the store displaying a knife to the clerk and instructed her to open the register. He proceeded to remove cash from the drawer and fled on foot. No one was injured in the incident.

The initial response did not yield an arrest or immediately identify the suspect. He was described as a male, of medium height, smaller build wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, black sweatpants, black tennis shoes, and a blue facemask. Surveillance videos from the store and other sources are being analyzed by detectives. Further details are being withheld pending investigation.

The Fort Madison Police Department asks area residents and businesses to check their security camera video about the time of the robbery for any similar sightings.  Information can be submitted to:

Police Dept. Office M-F 7:00 AM 4:30 PM  (319)372-2525

LeeComm Dispatch  24/7                               (319)372-1310

 

 

Sports, October 9th

By Slaten Swords · Monday, October 9th, 2023 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Football

Mt. Pleasant will celebrate Senior Night this Friday, October 13, against Fort Madison. KILJ will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm, kickoff at 7:30 pm. The Panthers are excited to play in front of the home crowd. 

In other Class 3A District 4 matchups, Keokuk will travel to Assumption and Mt. Vernon will host Washington.

Fairfield will host Solon, who’s on a six game winning streak which includes victories over Williamsburg and Mt. Vernon, this Friday. 

Danville will look to get back in the win column and spoil Columbus’ senior night this Friday. 

Van Buren County will travel to take on Lisbon at 7 pm. 

West Burlington-Notre Dame will host Davis County this Friday. 

#10 Mediapolis will end the regular season against Central Lee on the road at 7:30 pm. 

New London will end the season this Friday against English Valleys. 

#1 Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against HLV this Friday at home at 7 pm.

High School Volleyball

Mt. Pleasant fell to Ottumwa and Fairfield in straight sets over the weekend at the Oskaloosa Invite. The Panthers will be competing in the second round of the Southeast Conference tournament tomorrow, October 10th. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will look to claim the SEISC North Championship on their senior night when they clash with Wapello tomorrow.

WACO participated in the Washington Classic over the weekend and fell to Washington and Regina Catholic in straight sets. The Warriors will take on Highland tomorrow on the road. 

Mediapolis will compete against #14 West Burlington tomorrow.

Davis County held their invitational over the weekend with Central Lee, Van Buren County, and New London all in attendance. Central Lee battled their way through pool play taking down Chariton and Van Buren County two sets to one and sweeping Cardinal. The Hawks and Warriors advanced to the semifinals. 

Davis County defeated Centerville, two sets to one, and New London in straight sets. The Mustangs and Tigers advanced to the semifinals out of their pool.

New London had Central Lee against the ropes, but the Hawks, anchored by Taylor Jones’ 5 blocks, won set three 15-7 to advance to the championship. Van Buren County set the stage for revenge in the championship match after defeating Davis County in straight sets by scores of 21-19 and 21-13. 

Van Buren County had all of the momentum entering the final match and took down Central Lee in straight sets by scores of 21-9 and 21-18 to win the championship. Jones tallied 51 kills and 18 blocks throughout the entire tournament for Central Lee. 

The Warriors will travel to Wilton for the quarterfinal round of regionals on October 18th. 

Danville will face off against New London tomorrow.

Central Lee will play tomorrow against Burlington Notre Dame for their senior night. 

Holy Trinity Catholic competed in Pella over the weekend and lost to Knoxville in straight sets and Pella, two sets to one. The Crusaders will compete in the Mediapolis Tournament on October 12th. 

Cross Country

Mt. Pleasant will be competing in the Southeast Conference (SEC) meet on October 12th. 

College Football

The University of Iowa enjoyed their Homecoming with a 20-14 win over Purdue last weekend. Kaleb Johnson rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown in the winning effort. The Hawkeyes will hit the road to take on Wisconsin this Saturday, October 14th.

Iowa State University is back to 0.500 after defeating TCU 27-14. Rocco Becht threw for 138 yards and a touchdown for the Cyclones. Iowa State University will face off against Cincinnati this Saturday at 11 am.

For the Hawkeye broadcast, tune into KILJ 105.5 FM and the Cyclone broadcast will be on 98.5 FM and AM 1130. 

This Day in Sports History

1915 – Woodrow Wilson becomes the first US President to attend a World Series game.

1981 – The United States Auto Club appeals panel restores disputed Indianapolis 500 victory to disqualified first-across-the-line Bobby Unser.

1997 – The New York Rangers are the first NHL team to open with four straight ties.

Occupants Alerted By Smoke, Fire Breaks Out Through Burlington Home

By Yorke Prough · Monday, October 9th, 2023 at 6:21 am CDT

At 1:40AM Sunday, October 8th, 2023, the Burlington Fire Department responded to a reported house fire at 2225 Cherry Street. Burlington Firefighters arrived at 1:46am to light smoke in the area. Further investigation found a receptacle fire located on the second floor of the residence.

2225 Cherry is owned by Kimberly Cipoletto. The property was insured at the time of the incident and damage to the structure is estimated at $5,000.

The occupants were alerted by the smell of smoke. There were no smoke alarms in the residence. Smoke alarms and a CO alarm were installed prior to BFD clearing the scene.

The fire is classified as accidental and not considered suspicious.

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported, and firefighters cleared the scene at 2:55AM. 12 Burlington firefighters responded to the incident and were assisted by the West Burlington Fire Department.

Ongoing Investigation Into Saturday Shooting in Washington

By Yorke Prough · Monday, October 9th, 2023 at 6:19 am CDT

On Saturday, October 7 at approximately 10:20PM the Washington Police Department was notified of a motor vehicle accident and gunshots being fired near the intersection of East Madison Street and South 9th Avenue.

Upon arrival, officers located an abandoned vehicle with extensive front-end damage near the intersection and several spent shell casings nearby.

Witnesses provided information that the lone male shooter with a hooded sweatshirt had exited the vehicle and fired shots in the direction of a second vehicle and left the area on foot.

Officers were contacted by an individual early Sunday morning reporting they had been involved in the incident and had gunshot damage to their vehicle. There were no injuries reported.

The vehicles were impounded and with assistance from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation officers recovered additional evidence from both vehicles.

This is an active ongoing investigation, and no further information is being released currently.

Washington Chief of Police Jim Lester said, “This appears to be a targeted incident and we do not believe there is any ongoing risk to the public.”

Chief Lester urges anyone with information to contact the Police Department at 319-653-2107 and that anyone with video cameras on South Second Avenue and East Madison Street review video from this time and to contact the Police Department.

The Washington Police Department was assisted by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Conservation, Washington County Communications, Washington County Attorney’s Office, Washington Fire Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.