Leo E. Haines, 60, of Brighton passed away on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Funeral arrangements are pending at the Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant.
Leo E. Haines, 60, of Brighton passed away on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Funeral arrangements are pending at the Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant.
There was a motor vehicle accident on Saturday afternoon which involved a rollover. At 2:35pm on November 18th, at 270th St and Benton Avenue, a multiple vehicle accident occurred. Multiple occupants were involved, and the vehicle caught fire. A multitude of agencies responded, including Mt. Pleasant Fire and Rescue, Henry County Health Center, Henry County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa State Patrol. There is no further information released at this moment.
Girls’ High School Basketball
Mt. Pleasant will open their season with a road matchup against Pella tomorrow, November 21st. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will have the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.
Mediapolis will travel to compete against Danville tomorrow at 6 pm.
New London will host Calamus-Wheatland tomorrow at 6 pm.
Central Lee and Winfield-Mt. Union competed in a close matchup over the weekend and despite being outscored 11 to 6 in the fourth quarter, the Wolves walked away with a 27-26 victory. Jayden Mueller led the way with 7 points for the Hawks. Winfield-Mt. Union will take on Lone Tree tomorrow at 6 pm in a road matchup. Central Lee will take on Mediapolis on November 28th on the road.
WACO will open up conference play against Pekin tomorrow in a road matchup at 7:30 pm.
Holy Trinity Catholic fell to Keokuk over the weekend 64-27. The Crusaders will take on WACO on November 27th in a road matchup at 6 pm.
Van Buren County will host Cardinal on November 27th at 6 pm to begin their season.
The boys’ basketball season will officially begin on November 27th.
High School Wrestling
Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union competed at the Wilton Tournament over the weekend, finishing in 7th place. Quinn Smith, in the 130-pound weight class, Dakota Smith, in the 145-pound weight class, and Jada Moats, in the 190-pound weight class, all finished in third place for their respective weight classes.
The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team will compete in an Invitational on November 27th at Fort Madison.
The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team’s next meet will be December 2nd at a tournament hosted by Wapello.
WACO traveled to BGM over the weekend and was led by Rylee Rice’s first place finish for the 110-pound weight class. Elyssa Graber grabbed second place for the 105-pound weight class and Macy Bonebrake also took second place for the 190-pound weight class.
The WACO girls’ team will compete tonight in a tournament hosted by West Liberty.
College Football
Iowa State University held #7 Texas to just six points in the first half, but the Longhorns eventually found their stride to spoil the Cyclones’ senior night 26-16. Rocco Becht threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns, but the run game managed only nine yards. The Cyclones will end the regular season on Saturday, November 25th, against Kansas State in a road matchup at 7 pm.
#20 Iowa has punched their ticket to the Big 10 championship after defeating Illinois 15-13 over the weekend to claim the West Division title. Kaleb Johnson rushed for a touchdown, while Deacon Hill tossed for 167 yards and a score in the winning effort. The defense has been unstoppable since their loss to Penn State, allowing just 9.7 points per game in their last seven games. The Hawkeyes will play on Friday, November 24th, at 11 am at Nebraska.
For the Hawkeye broadcast, tune in to KILJ 105.5 FM. For the Cyclone broadcast, tune in to KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130.
College Basketball
The Iowa State men’s team is now 4-0 on the season after dismantling Grambling State yesterday 92-37. The Cyclones had five players finish with double-digit points with Tamin Lipsey leading the team with 17 points. Iowa State’s next game will be a Thanksgiving showdown against VCU in a road matchup at 4:30 pm.
The Iowa State women’s team will host Southern tonight at 6:30 pm.
The #2 Iowa women’s team took down Drake yesterday 113-90. Caitlin Clark finished with a double-double, 35 points and 10 assists, while Kate Martin added another 25 points to the winning effort. The Hawkeyes will compete in the Gulf Coast Showcase on Friday, November 24th, at 6:30 pm against Purdue-Fort Wayne.
The Iowa men’s team will face off against Oklahoma on Thursday, November 23rd, at 2 pm.
This Day in Sports History
1934 – Busher Jackson becomes the first player in NHL history to score four goals in a period, notching all four in the third period of a 5–2 victory over the St. Louis Eagles.
1969 – Pelé scores his 1,000th goal.
1988 – The inaugural Emerald Isle Classic was held at Lansdowne Road in Dublin with a crowd of 42,524 in attendance. It featured a 2–7 Boston College team beat the 8–1 Army Black Knights, 38–24. The first major college football game played in Europe.
The closing of a business can impact many individuals in multiple different ways. The closing of a college that has been a staple in a small community for over 180 years? That can be devastating. Iowa Wesleyan closed its doors for good in May, and as expected, it has taken many creative brains to help resident’s move on.
One way they did that is my opening up the college to “community days” which granted people the opportunity to enter some of the historical buildings one final time and walk around, reminiscing on days gone by. It is not that community members were only allowed to walk around. No, they were allowed to take home a souvenir to keep.
These community days yielded great success, with many returning to their homes with items that benefited them. Some took home mattresses, other desks, and few were lucky enough to become the new owner of a filing cabinet. Issues arose, however, when it was discovered that private information had been stored inside.
The problem is being attacked by the authorities, and it seems like this scary situation is soon to be resolved. Mt. Pleasant Chief of Police, Lyle Murray, commented “It’s being addressed and resolved. Everyone has been cooperative and helping.”
One of the great brains who has been working tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition for a town now without a college, Doug Moore, also offers words of reassurance. “They have been recovered. That’s all for now.” The people can rest knowing that the proper measures are being taken to protect these documents.
The Winfield Police Department responded to a house fire on Saturday, November 18th, at 4:56pm. After investigation by the State Fire Marshall, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winfield Police Department, an arrest was made.
Matthew W. Hesseltine of Crawfordsville was arrested and charged with Arson, Theft, Trespass, and Criminal Mischief. Reports suggest that the house, located at 100 Block N Olive St, was empty as the owner passed away earlier this month.
Mt. Union Fire and Rescue, Olds Fire and Rescue, Winfield Fire and Rescue, and Winfield Fire Department also responded to help fight this fire.


IHSAA– The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the district assignments for the upcoming season. The board also approved changes to individual postseason by expanding the state tournament to 24 qualifiers for weight class in each classification and eliminating sectional tournaments.
In Class 1A, WACO, New London, and Wapello will be competing in district 12, which will be hosted by Wilton.
Van Buren County will be wrestling in district 8, hosted by Pleasantville.
For Class 2A, Fairfield will be hosting district 3 with Burlington Notre Dame, Keokuk, Mediapolis, and Mt. Pleasant all competing.
Washington will be wrestling in district 12, which is hosted by Williamsburg.
For Class 3A, Burlington and Fort Madison will be wrestling at Bettendorf for district 2.
For Class 1A and Class 2A, the top two place-winners at each weight class will advance to state and for Class 3A it will be the top three place-winners. The district tournaments are scheduled for February 10th.
The Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra wants to alert concertgoers to a change in location for this afternoon’s KIDSYMPHONY. Rather than at the Chapel Auditorium, the 2 pm concert will take place at the First United Methodist Church at 309 North Main Street in Mount Pleasant today, Saturday, November 18.
KIDSYMPHONY! “Peter and the Wolf” is a concert for families and is bigger & better than ever! This 45 minute concert features music from Star Wars & Disney’s Encanto. Fun, interactive and educational! Tickets are $5 for adults-Kids are FREE! The show starts at 2:00pm at the First United Methodist Church, 309 North Main Street in Mt. Pleasant!