Jesse Howard for SCC Board

By Yorke Prough · Friday, October 20th, 2023 at 7:53 am CDT

Jesse Howard is running for SCC District 1 Board of Trustees. Jesse aims to be the voice for Danville, New London, and Mt. Pleasant school district residents. Working together to expand opportunities and create a brighter future for Southeast Iowa.

Jesse Howard’s extensive experience in leadership, both in the military and board service, sets him apart as a candidate for SCC District 1 Board of Trustees. As a First Sergeant in the Iowa Army National Guard, Jesse has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a deep commitment to serving his community, state, and nation. His 21 years of military service have instilled in him a sense of discipline, dedication, commitment to teamwork, and a strong work ethic.

In addition to his military service, Jesse Howard has dedicated the past eight years to serving on the New London School Board, where he currently serves as the Board President.  Jesse has also served for the past five years on the Iowa Association of School Boards and currently serves as the President-Elect.

His experience in board governance has provided him with invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by our school districts. As a trustee, Jesse will be a strong advocate for expanding Career and Technical Education opportunities and increasing continuing education opportunities in Henry County. He is committed to ensuring that students have access to the skills and knowledge needed for success in the workforce.

Jesse firmly believes in the power of collaboration and unity. He understands that by working together, we can achieve anything we set our minds to. Jesse is committed to building relationships, fostering partnerships, and ensuring that every voice is heard. As a trustee, he will be dedicated to representing the interests and concerns of Danville, New London, and Mt. Pleasant school district residents.

“Let’s build a brighter future for Southeast Iowa,” Jesse Howard said. “Together, we can create an environment where education is accessible, opportunities abound, and our communities thrive. I look forward to the opportunity to serve Southeast Iowa and am asking for your vote of confidence on November 7th.  Please vote Jesse Howard as our next SCC District 1 Trustee.”

With Jesse Howard as your trustee, you can expect fresh ideas, innovative solutions, and a relentless drive to improve our community college. He will champion initiatives that prioritize student success, promote the expansion of Career and Technical Education opportunities, increase programs to assist adult learners to earn a higher education, and provide resources for lifelong learning. Jesse is committed to ensuring that SCC District 1 becomes a hub of educational excellence and opportunity.

The upcoming election presents a crucial opportunity to shape the future of our community college. By voting Jesse Howard for SCC District 1 Trustee, you are choosing a leader with proven experience, a commitment to service, and a vision for a brighter future for Southeast Iowa.

“Together we can create a better future for our children and communities.” – Jesse Howard

For further information, interviews, or inquiries, please contact: Jesse Howard at jesse_howard@outlook.com

 

 

About Jesse Howard: Jesse and his wife Kasi have two children, and reside in New London, IA. He is a dedicated military veteran with 21 years of service where he currently serves as a Company 1SG in the Iowa Army National Guard. He possesses a strong background in board governance, serving on the New London School Board and Iowa Association of School Boards. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Leadership.

 

Jesse is a dedicated leader with a strong commitment to education, collaboration, and community development. Jesse aims to serve and represent the residents of Danville, New London, and Mt. Pleasant school districts, and is committed to working tirelessly to improve our community college and ensure a brighter future for Southeast Iowa.

 

Vote Jesse Howard for SCC District 1 Trustee – your voice, our future!

Sports, October 20th

By Slaten Swords · Friday, October 20th, 2023 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Football

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Davenport Assumption tonight to end their season. 

In other Class 3A District 4 matchups, Keokuk will look to pull off the upset against Mt. Vernon at home and Washington will take on Fort Madison.

Fairfield will end the regular season against Grinnell tonight. 

Columbus will host Maquoketa Valley for the first round of the playoffs at 7 pm.

Danville will travel to face off against Wapsie Valley at 7 pm for the first round of playoffs. 

West Burlington-Notre Dame will hit the road to compete against Camanche for the first round of the playoffs. 

#10 Mediapolis will start their playoff journey against Anamosa tonight at home with kickoff starting at 7 pm.

#10 WACO will host Baxter tonight at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will have the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

#1 Winfield-Mt. Union will take on Belle Plaine at 7 pm tonight for the first round of the playoffs. KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130 will have the call with Jeff Broeg. 

High School Volleyball

Burlington Notre Dame and Holy Trinity Catholic will square off in the Class 1A Region 8 semifinals on October 23rd at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

West Burlington will host Wilton on October 23rd at 7 pm.

Wapello will be competing against Don Bosco on October 23rd at 7 pm for a chance to advance to the regional championship. 

Fairfield was eliminated last night by Assumption in straight sets by scores of 25-15, 25-9, and 25-17. The Trojans finished the season with a 20-12 record. 

Clear Creek Amana continued their undefeated season after sweeping Keokuk last night in dominating fashion. The Chiefs finished the season with an 11-16 record. The Clippers will host Oskaloosa for the regional championship after Burlington fell in straight sets by scores of 25-17, 25-15, and 25-15. The Grayhounds collected an 18-23 record for the season. 

Cross Country

The Danville boys’ team’s second place finish at Regina Catholic yesterday means the Bears qualified as a team for the state meet. Jackson Shacklett with a time of 17 minutes and 36 seconds and Carter Fesler, finishing with a time of 17 minutes and 42 seconds, took 4th and 5th place, respectively. Isaac Shinn also finished in 7th place. 

Van Buren County just missed out on qualifying as a team with a third place team finish. Lincoln Bainbridge earned the gold as an individual with the only sub-17 minute time (16:52), which qualified him for the state meet. Kohlby Newsom qualified individually for Winfield-Mt. Union with a 3rd place finish in 17 minutes and 30 seconds. Damian Vergara qualified for Columbus with a time of 18 minutes and 3 seconds, which earned him 8th place. The Wildcats took sixth place as a team.

Holy Trinity Catholic took 10th place as a team with Sheldon Kruse’s 41st place finish leading the squad. WACO’s top runner was Keiran Luitjens with a 49th place finish.

On the girls’ side, Danville finished in fourth place as a team as Alaina Gourley raced to a 4th place finish with a time of 21 minutes and 36 seconds. Columbus finished in fifth as a team, but Iris Garza took 3rd place with a time of 21 minutes and 12 seconds. Both runners qualified for the state meet as individuals. 

Wapello took seventh place as a team with 164 points. Kayley Snowgren grabbed 12th place for Van Buren County with a time of 22 minutes and 27 seconds to lead the Warriors. Afton Wilkerson was the first runner to finish for Winfield-Mt. Union with a time of 25 minutes and 25 seconds, which was good enough for 38th place. Justine Lynn took 61st place for WACO.

In Class 2A, the Mediapolis boys’ team lead by a 2-3-5 finish from Owen Schmidgall (16:21), Solomon Zaugg (16:55), and Will Schmidgall (17:13), respectively, finished in first place as a team with 16 less points than the second place team. 

Central Lee took eighth place as a team with Leo Thomas leading the Hawks with a 36th place finish with a time of 19 minutes and 13 seconds. Sage Eggar was the top runner for West Burlington-Notre Dame with a time of 18 minutes and 54 seconds, which earned him 28th place. 

On the girls’ side, Mediapolis finished in seventh place as a team with Lily Rude and Paige Steiner leading the Bulldogs with a 38th and 39th place finish, respectively. Kailyn Kipp of West Burlington-Notre Dame qualified as an individual with a time of 20 minutes and 29 seconds, which earned her a 6th place finish. Sapphire Cummings of Central Lee finished in 69th place. 

The state meet will be run at Fort Dodge with Class 1A and 4A running on October 27th and Class 2A and 3A competing on October 28th. 

College Football

#24 Iowa will take on Minnesota at home tomorrow, October 21st.

Iowa State University will enjoy their bye week.

For the Hawkeye broadcast, tune into KILJ 105.5 FM.

This Day in Sports History

1963 – Jim Brown sets a then-NFL single-season rushing record, 1,863 yds. 

1996 – MLB Atlanta Braves Andruw Jones is the youngest player to homer in the World Series.

2004 – MLB American League Championship: Boston Red Sox come back from 0-3 to beat New York Yankees, 4 games to 3. The first team in MLB history to do so.

William Biggs

By Yorke Prough · Friday, October 20th, 2023 at 6:08 am CDT

William Alexander Biggs, 15, of Ft. Madison, IA, died Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at his residence.

William was born January 12, 2008 in Mt. Pleasant. He was the son of Cody Alexander Biggs and Cassi Jo Marie Hand. William was a Sophomore at Ft. Madison Community High School. He was involved in the school’s Deca Class, a class focused on the study of business, as William had aspirations of becoming a medical lawyer. William explored his musical talents as he played guitar and the trombone for a period of time. A gifted artist, William loved drawing, creating comic book characters, reading, journaling and playing chess with his mom. He could be found “tinkering” with his dad when they were repairing or building their projects. Sharing memes and videos, he loved being with family and his friends, he cared about everyone. He was a loving son, brother and friend and he would do anything for his family or friends. With his grandmother, he attended Lincoln Street Baptist Church in Mt. Pleasant. He always wanted to make you laugh, as that was his favorite way to express his love. He wanted to make everyone smile.

Those thankful for sharing in William’s life include his mother, Cassi (Eric Gaul) Hand of Little York, IL; his father, Cody (Misty Grant) Biggs of Ft. Madison; his siblings from his mother’s side – Autumn, Buster, Rachel, Warwick and Emily Gaul; his siblings from his father’s side – Nikko and Olivia Biggs and Adrian Cook; his paternal grandparents – Maria Santiago and Bryan Biggs and several aunts, uncles and cousins as well as a host of friends.

His maternal grandparents, Rick and Brenda Hand, precede William in death.

A visitation for William will be held from 1-7 PM on Sunday, October 22  at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant. A graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, October 23 at the Salem East Cemetery. Those attending the service are asked to meet at the Kimzey Funeral Home, from where the procession will leave on Monday morning at 10:30

Memorials may be directed to the family. On-line condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com

Parking Lot Snow Removal Bids for Henry County

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, October 19th, 2023 at 11:52 am CDT

PUBLIC NOTICE

HENRY COUNTY IS REQUESTING BIDS FOR PARKING LOT SNOW REMOVAL AT

SITE #1:   THE HENRY COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 100 E WASHINGTON ST and ACROSS THE STREET AT OLD LEC

    SITE #2:  THE HENRY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES BUILDING,

            205 W MADISON ST BACK PARKING LOT ONLY (Jackson street)

SITE #3:  THE HENRY COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES BUILDING, 106 N JACKSON ST

SITE #4:  THE HENRY COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CENTER, 900 W WASHINGTON ST

SITE #1 COMPLETED BY 6:00 AM; SITE #2 & #3 COMPLETED BY 6:30 AM; SITE #4 COMPLETED BY 7:00 AM

SALT AND SAND ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS

BIDS ARE TO BE IN WRITING AND COVER THE SEASON OF 2023/2024 AND 2024/2025

BIDS SHOULD BE IN THE AUDITOR’S OFFICE BY NOVEMBER 3. 2023

PLEASE CALL THE AUDITOR’S OFFICE FOR DETAILS AT:  319-385-0756

Man Accidentally Backs into FMPD Vehicle

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, October 19th, 2023 at 10:32 am CDT

There was a multiple vehicle accident in the 3400 Block of Avenue Q in Ft. Madison on Wednesday. Just after 2pm, a deputy with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to an accident involving a Fort Madison Police Department Vehicle.

The deputy observed a FMPD Vehicle disabled with right front-end damage, and a red Ford with damage to the left rear. After speaking with both individuals, the driver of the Ford was identified as Manuel Salazar. He had told the deputy that he pulled out of his parking spot and started driving eastbound but put the car into reverse to speak with his friend, and subsequently wrecked into the squad car.

The FMPD vehicle was towed from the scene and the Ford was pulled off the roadway and left on scene. No airbags were deployed and no injuries were reported. Manuel Salazar was cited for unsafe backing.

Garbage Can Fire Maniac Finally Put Behind Bars

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, October 19th, 2023 at 8:31 am CDT

If you live in the Saunderson Heights area of Burlington, you may have noticed a heat wave of sorts. This is not due to some astronomical phenomena, but rather garbage cans and their contents lit on fire. A Burlington man has been arrested after three suspicious garbage can fires arose in this area.

The first incident was reported at approximately 3:18pm on September 27, 2023, in the alley between the 100 block of South Gunnison and the 100 block of South Marshall. A garbage can had been damaged by a fire within it.

The second incident occurred at approximately 11:45am on October 8th. A garbage can belonging to 127 S. Woodlawn was damaged after a fire started within.

The third incident occurred the morning of October 9th at approximately 7:26am. A fire was lit in a garbage can at 1406 Market which caused damage to the can.

During the investigation into all three fires, surveillance video was obtained which recorded video of the individual setting the fires. The suspect was the same man in all 3 videos, and he was identified as Larry Gilbert Sr.

Gilbert Sr. was located and interviewed regarding the fires. After the interview, detectives applied for arrest warrants charging Gilbert Sr. for setting the fires. He was then arrested on October 17th, on warrants regarding the fires.

Larry Joe Gilbert Sr., 73, of Burlington was charged with three counts of Reckless Use of Fire, an aggravated misdemeanor, and three counts of Criminal Mischief – 5th degree, a simple misdemeanor.

The Burlington Police Department was assisted in this investigation by the Burlington Fire Department.

Richard Bolander Jr. Arrested for Child Pornography

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, October 19th, 2023 at 8:22 am CDT

The Burlington Police Department was made aware of individuals capturing child pornography on the internet within the Burlington, Des Moines County area. As a result of the investigation, on October 18, 2023, Burlington Police Detectives arrested Richard Keith Bolander Jr. for 10 counts of Possession of Child Pornography.

This investigation is ongoing and additional charges are anticipated.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Sports, October 19th

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, October 19th, 2023 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Football

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Davenport Assumption tomorrow, October 20th, to end their season. 

In other Class 3A District 4 matchups, Keokuk will look to pull off the upset against Mt. Vernon at home and Washington will take on Fort Madison.

Fairfield will end the regular season against Grinnell tomorrow.

Columbus will host Maquoketa Valley for the first round of the playoffs at 7 pm.

Danville will travel to face off against Wapsie Valley at 7 pm for the first round of playoffs. 

West Burlington-Notre Dame will hit the road to compete against Camanche for the first round of the playoffs. 

#10 Mediapolis will start their playoff journey against Anamosa tomorrow at home with kickoff starting at 7 pm.

#10 WACO will host Baxter tomorrow at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will have the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

#1 Winfield-Mt. Union will take on Belle Plaine at 7 pm tomorrow for the first round of the playoffs. KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130 will have the call with Jeff Broeg. 

High School Volleyball

Holy Trinity Catholic and Danville met in the quarterfinal round last night and the Crusaders dominated from the beginning, winning in straight sets: 25-10, 25-11, and 25-15. The Crusaders were led by a team kill efficiency of 0.245 and six aces. Presley Myers finished with 11 kills and eight blocks, while Mary Kate Bendlage tallied 10 kills and 19 digs. Danville was led by Kenna Furnald’s seven kills. The Bears finished the season with a 13-15 record. 

Burlington Notre Dame traveled to Moravia last night and shocked the Mohawks, taking them down in straight sets in convincing fashion: 25-12, 25-7, and 25-9. Burlington Notre Dame and Holy Trinity Catholic will square off in the Class 1A Region 8 semifinals on October 23rd at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

WACO was defeated by Central City last night in straight sets by scores of 25-16, 25-8, and 25-12. The Warriors finished with a record of 18-13.

Van Buren County fell to Wilton last night in straight sets by scores of 25-18, 25-20, and 25-21. The Warriors finished the season with a 15-21 record. 

West Burlington swept Cardinal yesterday as the Falcons allowed only 19 points in the match. West Burlington will host Wilton on October 23rd at 7 pm.

Burlington will travel to take on Oskaloosa and Assumption will host Fairfield tonight.

Cross Country

Class 3A competed in their state qualifying meet yesterday and Mt. Pleasant, Keokuk, Fairfield, Fort Madison, and Washington all traveled to Pella to run. On the girls side, Washington just missed qualifying as a team, finishing in 4th place. Iris Dahl was an individual state qualifier with her 5th place finish. Fort Madison grabbed 5th place as a team with two qualifiers: Avery Rump with a time of 19 minutes and 15 seconds and Paetyn Wiegand with a time of 20 minutes and 6 seconds. Keokuk and Fairfield finished in 7th and 8th place, respectively. Mt. Pleasant took 12th place with Monroe James finishing in 56th place with a time of 24 minutes and 16 seconds leading the Panthers. The two seniors for Mt. Pleasant, Tatum Kane and Hailey Parrott, each finished with lifetime bests. 

On the boys side, Washington qualified as a team, finishing in second place led by Micah Rees’ time of 15 minutes and 48 seconds, which was good enough for second overall. Tyler Alderton finished in 9th place for the Demons. Jacob Shottenkirk’s 6th place finish for Fort Madison earned him an individual qualification for state, while the Bloodhounds grabbed 5th place. Mt. Pleasant finished in 7th place as a team with Ben Carthey leading the way for the Panthers with a 16th place finish with a time of 16 minutes and 58 seconds. Locken Henderson finished in 26th place. Fairfield and Keokuk finished in 11th and 12th place, respectively. 

Winfield-Mt. Union, WACO, Danville-New London, Holy Trinity Catholic, and Van Buren County will travel to Regina Catholic today.

In Class 2A, Mediapolis, Central Lee, and West Burlington-Notre Dame will compete at Williamsburg today.

College Football

#24 Iowa will take on Minnesota at home this Saturday, October 21st.

Iowa State University will enjoy their bye week.

For the Hawkeye broadcast, tune into KILJ 105.5 FM.

This Day in Sports History

1957 – Montreal Canadien Maurice “Rocket” Richard, becomes the first NHL player to score 500 goals.

1966 – Bobby Orr makes his NHL regular-season debut for the Boston Bruins against the Detroit Red Wings.

2022 – Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola faces his brother San Diego Padres catcher Austin Nola in the first MLB playoff sibling pitcher-batter battle; Austin goes 1-2, with a rally starting RBI in an 8-5 win at Petco Park, San Diego.