Sports, October 7th

By Slaten Swords · Saturday, October 7th, 2023 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Football

Mt. Pleasant and Keokuk clashed last night with the Panthers looking to play spoiler and despite going into halftime down seven, Keokuk ran away with the game 47-26. Mt. Pleasant’s defense came to play in the first half with two turnover on downs keeping Keokuk out of the endzone. The Panthers would tie the game at seven after Payton Walker hit a speeding Phoenix Watson in stride for an 86-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Nevertheless, Keokuk’s defense would aid its offense by corralling an interception and setting up Brenton Hoard for a walk-in touchdown to give the Chiefs a 14-7 lead at halftime.  

Similar to last year’s game, Keokuk would take over in the third quarter with 19 unanswered points; the Chiefs would run Malachai Douglas in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Walker would find the endzone three times in the fourth quarter to end the game with 278 total yards. Head Coach John Bowlin knows his team will continue to show up. The Panthers will celebrate Senior Night next Friday against Fort Madison.

In other Class 3A District 4 matchups, Assumption thumped Washington 35-0 and Mt. Vernon cruised past Fort Madison 45-7. 

Fairfield got back in the win column with a 20-7 victory over South Tama. The Trojans will host Solon next Friday.

Columbus scored 40 unanswered points to start the game last night against Van Buren County to win 61-14. The Warriors will travel to take on Lisbon and the Wildcats will celebrate their senior night next Friday against Danville. 

Danville was not able to extend their win streak last night as Lisbon took them down 63-14. 

West Burlington-Notre Dame defeated Albia 19-8 last night. The Falcons will host Davis County next Friday. 

#10 Mediapolis handled Davis County 42-7 last night. The Bulldogs will end the regular season against Central Lee on the road. 

Central Lee was defeated by Mid-Prairie last night 33-13. Cory Jones rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown in the losing effort. 

#10 WACO demolished English Valleys last night 51-6. Clayton Miller passed for 96 yards and three touchdowns, Colton Leicthy caught two touchdowns, and Chase Waterhouse started the scoring with a safety. 

New London fell to Moravia last night 74-14. The Tigers will end the season next Friday against English Valleys. 

#1 Winfield-Mt. Union had their game last night against Mormon Trail forfeited. The Wolves will face off against HLV next Friday. 

High School Volleyball

Mt. Pleasant will be competing in the Oskaloosa Invite today.

Winfield-Mt. Union will look to claim the SEISC North Championship on their senior night when they clash with Wapello on October 10th. 

WACO will participate in the Washington Classic today.

Mediapolis will compete against #14 West Burlington on October 10th. 

New London, Van Buren County, and Central Lee will participate in the Davis County Invitational today.

Danville will face off against New London on October 10th. 

Holy Trinity Catholic will head over to Pella today to compete in a quad with Knoxville and Valley also in attendance. 

Cross Country

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

College Football

The University of Iowa will celebrate Homecoming today against Purdue at 2:30 pm. 

Iowa State University will take on TCU in a home game tonight at 7 pm.

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

1916 – Georgia Tech, coached by John Heisman, defeats Cumberland, 222-0; most lopsided score in the history of US college football.

1984 – Walter Payton passes Jim Brown as NFL’s career rushing leader.

2012 – New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees breaks Johnny Unitas’ NFL record for consecutive games with a TD pass (48) when he connects with Devery Henderson in Saints 31-24 win over San Diego at the Superdome.

Local High School Football Scores (Week 7)

By Slaten Swords · Friday, October 6th, 2023 at 11:55 pm CDT

Class 4A

Burlington 28, Clinton 21

Class 3A

Keokuk 47, Mt. Pleasant 26

Assumption 35, Washington 0

Mt. Vernon 45, Fort Madison 7

Fairfield 20, South Tama 7

Solon 21, Williamsburg 14

Class 2A

West Burlington-Notre Dame 19, Albia 8

Mediapolis 42, Davis County 7

Mid-Prairie 33, Central Lee 13

Class A

Columbus 61, Van Buren County 14

Lisbon 63, Danville 14

8-Player

Moravia 74, New London 14

WACO 51, English Valleys 6

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

By Yorke Prough · Friday, October 6th, 2023 at 3:05 pm CDT

This October, State Treasurer Roby Smith is encouraging employers to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) by joining IAble in supporting an inclusive work environment.

IAble is Iowa’s Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) plan and allows Eligible Individuals and their support system to save money without jeopardizing eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid and other federal benefit programs. “Working individuals with a disability may decline a promotion or an offer to work more hours so they can stay under asset caps, but here’s the good news, Eligible Individuals can save over $30,000 per year and protect their money when it is invested in an IAble account,” Smith said. “Help us spread the word by introducing IAble to your workplace and exploring the resources we have put together for you.”

Employers can utilize the IAble Employer Guide to find ways to inform employees about IAble and learn how to establish IAble payroll direct deposit as a free tool to help expand your benefits package. Other organizations linked on the Resources for Employers page can help employers learn about ABLE plans, find tips on creating inclusive work environments and receive guidance on job accommodations.

Books for Babies Bolstered By Grant

By Yorke Prough · Friday, October 6th, 2023 at 11:03 am CDT

The popular Books for Babies campaign that provides each baby born at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in Fort Madison a book will continue thanks to a grant received by the Keokuk Education Association.

“We want to encourage families to read together early and often,” Diane Berner, Keokuk Community School District TAG program coordinator and kindergarten through third grade gifted education teacher, who submitted the grant application, said. “Books for Babies is a small start and we have wonderful local library services to support them.”

The association received the Iowa State Education Association Community Outreach Grant for the seventh year in a row to continue the campaign through 2024. The program also provides information about local library programs and parent tips for reading with their baby.

According to a 20-year study led by Mariah Evans, University of Nevada, Reno, having as few as 20 books in the home has a significant impact on propelling a child to a higher level of education, and the more books added, the greater the benefit.

The books and library information are delivered to families by Briley Wildar, manager of the BirthPlace, and her department staff. Angela Budnik, director of marketing & communications at Great River Health, Monica Winkler, director of the Keokuk Public Library, and Merissa Lewiston all assisted with coordination and materials.

The Iowa State Education Association provides community outreach funds to encourage members and local associations to collaborate and create opportunities for community service or school projects. The funded projects should meet an identified need within the community, be sustainable and help build visible foundations for deeper relationships with students, families, and communities. ISEA’s mission is to “promote quality public education by placing students at the center of everything we do while advocating for education professionals.”

“We are thrilled to be able to continue this successful program with the support of KEA, ISEA, Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center, Fort Madison, and the Keokuk Public Library,” Berner said. “This is truly a community effort to improve literacy.”

Man Leads Lee County on 100mph Pursuit

By Yorke Prough · Friday, October 6th, 2023 at 10:43 am CDT

A man has been arrested in Lee County for exceeding speeds of 100mph. On October 5th at 2:29pm, a Trooper was in an ongoing pursuit near Keokuk with a green Chrysler Sebring.

When backup arrived, the Chrysler had crashed into an embankment while trying to make a right turn onto 250th Ave from Hilton Road, after reaching a reported speed of 102 mph. A stop sign was damaged in the crash, resulting in an estimated damage cost of $500.

The driver, Drew Garretson, was placed under arrest and taken to the Lee County Jail. His vehicle was subsequently towed from the scene.

Mt. Pleasant Man Made 2-Hour Drive to Des Moines to Meet Minor – Update

By Yorke Prough · Friday, October 6th, 2023 at 10:36 am CDT

A Mt. Pleasant man was arrested on September 21st by Des Moines Police for enticing a minor. KILJ now has more information.

Paul Miller engaged in conversation with what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl in an online chat room. He was actually speaking with an undercover Des Moines Police Officer, who posed as a minor.

Miller made the 2-hour trek to Des Moines to meet with what he thought was an underage girl, with the intent of committing sexual acts. Instead, he met police officers who subsequently placed him under arrest.

As a result, Paul Wesley Miller, 48 of Mt. Pleasant, was charged with enticing a minor under 16 for sexual purposes, a class D felony. Miller was also given an Order of Protection, which prohibits him from engaging in conversation with unattended minors and requires his absence from spots that minors typically hang around. His bond was set at $50,000. A formal reading of his charges is scheduled for Thursday, November 9th, 2023.

Sports, October 6th

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

High School Football

Mt. Pleasant will stay on the road to take on Keokuk tonight at 7 pm. KILJ will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm. 

In other Class 3A District 4 matchups, Washington will host Assumption and Fort Madison will wrestle with Mt. Vernon at home.

Fairfield will attempt to bounce back tonight against South Tama in a road matchup.

#10 Mediapolis will host Davis County tonight.

Columbus will hit the road to take on Van Buren County tonight. 

Central Lee will take on Mid-Prairie at 7:30 pm for their Homecoming game.

Danville will host Lisbon tonight in an attempt to extend their win streak to four games. 

#10 WACO will face off against English Valleys at 7 pm in a home game.

New London will compete against Moravia at 7 pm.

Mormon Trail has forfeited their game against #1 Winfield-Mt. Union tonight.

High School Volleyball

Mt. Pleasant will be competing in the Oskaloosa Invite tomorrow, October 7th. 

Winfield-Mt. Union swept Pekin last night by scores of 25-10, 25-16, and 25-11. Mariana Piper and Quin Smith tied for the team lead in kills with six, while Aurey Meeker tallied 10 assists and three aces from the service line in the winning effort. The Wolves will look to claim the SEISC North Championship on their senior night when they clash with Wapello on October 10th. 

WACO will participate in the Washington Classic tomorrow.

Mediapolis will compete against #14 West Burlington on October 10th. 

New London, Van Buren County, and Central Lee will participate in the Davis County Invitational tomorrow.

Holy Trinity Catholic celebrated their senior night in style with a dominant win over Danville in straight sets: 25-13, 25-11, and 25-12. The Bears will face off against New London on October 10th. 

Holy Trinity Catholic will head over to Pella tomorrow to compete in a quad with Knoxville and Valley also in attendance. 

Cross Country

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

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference (SEISC) meet ran yesterday and the Pekin girls team grabbed first place while Mediapolis fended off Danville for the gold on the boys’ side. 

On the girls’ side, Chloe Glosser for Pekin had the fastest time with the only sub-20 minute time. Kaitlyn Kipp finished in third place for West Burlington-Notre Dame with a time of 21 minutes and 9 seconds. Alaina Gourley led Danville’s second place effort with a time of 21 minutes and 24 seconds. Abby Arnett and Ava Ourth also finished in the top ten.

Kayley Snowgren finished eighth overall for Van Buren County and Shelby Schultz led the way for Mediapolis with a time of 23 minutes and 17 seconds, which helped clinched fourth place for the Bulldogs. 

On the boys’ side, Solomon Zaugg and Owen Schmidgall finished with gold and silver for Mediapolis with a difference of only four seconds between the two runners. Carter Fesler and Jackson Shacklett finished in fifth and sixth, respectively, for Danville as the Bears took second as a team. 

Van Buren County grabbed fourth as a team with Lincoln Bainbridge finishing in fourth place with a time of 17 minutes and 11 seconds. Kohlby Newsom took 10th place and Gabriel Hemsworth finished in 13th place, which helped Winfield-Mt. Union grab seventh place. Central Lee finished in eighth and Holy Trinity Catholic took ninth place. 

College Football

The University of Iowa will celebrate Homecoming tomorrow, October 7th, against Purdue at 2:30 pm. 

Iowa State University will take on TCU in a home game tomorrow at 7 pm.

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

1920 – The first brothers to oppose each other in the World Series as Cleveland’s Wheeler Johnston pinch-hits while his brother, Jimmy, plays 3rd base for Brooklyn.

1926 – Babe Ruth becomes the first MLB player to hit three home runs in a World Series game as the New York Yankees beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 10-5, in Game four at Sportsman’s Park, St. Louis.

1945 – Tavern owner “Billy Goat” Sianis buys a seat for his goat for Game 4 of the Baseball World Series, but is escorted out and casts the infamous “Billy Goat” curse on the Chicago Cubs.

Propane! Get Your Propane!

By Yorke Prough · Friday, October 6th, 2023 at 6:03 am CDT

With propane prices lower than last year and supply above the five-year average, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is encouraging propane consumers to make preparations ahead of the arrival of colder temperatures and winter conditions.

“Though it has felt more like summer lately, we know colder weather is coming and it’s a good time to top off the tank if you rely on propane to heat your home or livestock barn,” said Secretary Naig. “With lower propane prices than last year, higher supply levels, and persistent drought accelerating the dry down of grain in the field, conditions are right for propane consumers to proactively prepare for winter.”

As of October 4, the state average propane price in Iowa stood at $1.53 per gallon, down from $1.89 a year ago. Beginning October 2 and continuing through March of 2024, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will compile a weekly state average propane price in coordination with EIA. These findings can be found as part of the Department’s weekly fuel reports.