Sports, October 11th

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Football

Mt. Pleasant will celebrate Senior Night this Friday, October 13th, against Fort Madison. KILJ will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm, kickoff at 7:30 pm.

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

Fairfield will host #4 Solon 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 #5 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

Fairfield has made it back-to-back years as the Southeast Conference champions after defeating Washington two sets to none. Mt. Pleasant finished the entire tournament with a 2-3 record after defeating Keokuk last night two sets to one, winning the third set 16-14, and losing to Burlington in straight sets by scores of 26-24 and 25-22. The Panthers will have a rematch against the Chiefs in Keokuk on October 17th for the first round of the Class 4A regional. 

Winfield-Mt. Union and Wapello clashed last night for the SEISC North title and it was the Arrows who cruised their way to a sweep of the Wolves by scores of 25-10, 25-21, and 25-15. Audrie Gipple and Kellee Milks each registered seven kills in the game for the Wolves. Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Danville in the first round of the Class 1A regionals at home on October 16th.

The sets were close but Danville took down New London in straight sets by scores of 26-24, 25-19, and 25-16. The Tigers will travel to compete against Burlington Notre Dame on October 16th for the first round of regional play.

Central Lee had their senior night spoiled last night by Burlington Notre Dame as the Nikes won in straight sets. Lexi Korschgen tallied 30 assists and Avianna West notched 18 kills in the winning effort. Taylor Jones had 17 kills and five blocks for the Hawks. Central Lee will compete against Solon in the Class 3A quarterfinal round on October 17th. 

WACO forced a fifth set against Highland last night but the Huskies took the set 15-6 to win the match. The Warriors will host Iowa Valley on October 16th for the first round of regionals.

Mediapolis had the match tied at one set apiece but West Burlington was too much as the Falcons won the next two sets 25-15 and 25-22. 

Holy Trinity Catholic will compete in the Mediapolis Tournament tomorrow, October 12th. 

Van Buren County will travel to Wilton for the quarterfinal round of regionals on October 18th. 

Cross Country

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

The state qualifying meet assignments were announced yesterday and for Class 1A Winfield-Mt. Union, WACO, DAnville-New London, Holy Trinity Catholic, and Van Buren County will travel to Regina Catholic on October 19th. 

In Class 2A, Mediapolis, Central Lee, and West Burlington-Notre Dame will compete at Williamsburg on October 19th. 

Pella will serve as the host for Mt. Pleasant, Fort Madison, Keokuk and Washington for the Class 3A meet on October 18th. 

Southeast Iowa Playbook

Tune in to KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, tonight at 6 pm for the Southeast Iowa Playbook. Our special guest this week is Mikaela Richter, volleyball superstar, a coach for the Holy Trinity Catholic volleyball team. 

College Football

The University of Iowa will hit the road to take on Wisconsin this Saturday, October 14th.

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

1927 – New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig is named American League MVP; despite hitting an MLB record 60 Home runs, Babe Ruth, as a former winner, is not eligible.

1991 – Chip Beck ties a PGA record lowest 18 hole score of 59 during the 3rd round of the Las Vegas Invitational at the Sunrise Golf Club.

2020 – NBA Finals: the LA Lakers beat the Miami Heat 106-93 in Game 6 to win record equaling 17th title; MVP: LeBron James; first to win the award with 3 different teams.

Allan Geddes

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

Allan “Monte” Montague Geddes, 92, of Mediapolis, passed away on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.    Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral & Cremation Service in Mediapolis.  Funeral Service will be 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at the funeral home.  Graveside services will be at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at McConnell-Geddes Cemetery northwest of Fountain Green, Illinois.    A memorial has been established in Monte’s name.    Online condolences can by left for the family at www.sandhfuneralservice.com. 

Allan Montague Geddes was born on Jan. 15, 1931 imn LaHarpe, IL, the son of Allen G. and Edna Montague Geddes.  He married Erma M. Melvin on June 19, 1955 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA.  He was a member of the Fountain Green Presbyterian Church.  He attended grade school and the first three years of high school in Fountain Green and graduated from La Harpe high school in 1949.  He was Ammo Cpl 4th Gun Section with C Battery, 780th Field Artillery Battalion in the Korean War in 1952 & 1953.  He remained in the Illinois National Guard where he received his commission in 1957.  He was active in the American Legion and served the First District of Iowa as Commander in 1980-81 and fourteen years as Finance Officer.  He also was a life member in the American Legion, VFW, KWVA and Masonic Lodge #195 in La Harpe, IL.

He grew up on the family farm and loved that life, but later was employed by Iowa Industries in Burlington, Iowa.  He was a production supervisor with Champion Spark Plug manufacturing operation and retired in 1990. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed golf, fishing and hunting. He was a master gardener and beekeeper. He also enjoyed people and never met a stranger. He had a wonderful sense of humor and usually had a story or a joke to share.

He is survived by his wife; two sons Thomas K. and Brett A. (Margaret) of Plano, TX; one sister Joy Geddes of Arlington Heights, IL.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister Jean Lynn of Peoria, Illinois.

Kody Barton

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, October 10th, 2023 at 2:49 pm CDT

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

Kody was born July 4, 1991, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, the son of Kevin and Gina (Luko) Barton. He graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 2010. He worked various jobs with Hope Haven. Kody enjoyed anything to do with farming including driving tractors and combines, mowing, and tilling. He looked forward to long side by side rides with his dad while listening to country music. Kody carried a backpack with pictures, candy cigarettes, and beef jerky chew. He was known to offer up a friendly wave, an ornery laugh, and grin. Kody especially enjoyed teasing his nieces and nephews.

Kody is survived by his mother, Gina Rooks of Mount Pleasant; father, Kevin (Linda) Barton of Mount Pleasant; 5 sisters: Aimee (Eric) Sanderson of Hillsboro, Lisbeth (Vegas) Whaley of New London, Whitney (Jake) Falline of Mount Pleasant, Haley (Willy) Callaway of Stockport, Gracie Rooks of Mount Pleasant; thirteen nieces and nephews: Alexis, Silver, Lukus, Landon, Christian, Lane, Pru, Olivia, Isis, Norah, Kollyns, Oaklyn, Fallyn; and grandmothers: Shirley Luko of Mount Pleasant and Mary Detrick of Mount Pleasant. He was preceded in death by his grandparents: Rex and Lavina Barton, Russell (Luke) Luko, Betty Ballard and Larry Detrick.

Funeral Service will be held 10:30 am Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the Olson-Powell Chapel and Crematory in Mount Pleasant. Burial will be in the Lambirth Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 9:00 am until time of service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Hope Haven. www.powellfuneralhomes.com

Car Collision in Mt. Pleasant Tuesday Morning

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, October 10th, 2023 at 2:45 pm CDT

The Mount Pleasant Police Department were dispatched to the intersection of W. Washington St. and South White St. in reference to a two-vehicle collision.

Upon investigation, it was determined a white 2012 Chevrolet traverse owned and operated by Misty Kellogg of Mt. Pleasant was westbound on Washington St and stopped within the travel portion. The Kellogg vehicle attempted to make a left turn onto white St. The driver of the white traverse failed to see a black 2011 Honda accord, owned by Chad Zeleny and operated by Reece Coffman of Mt. Pleasant. The Zeleny vehicle was traveling east on Washington St.

A collision occurred with substantial damage to both vehicles. Misty Kellogg was transported from the scene by Henry County ambulance. Reece Coffman was later transported to Henry County Health Center by a family member.

Damage to the Kellogg vehicle was estimated at $3000. Damage to the Zeleny vehicle was estimated at $10,000.00.
Misty Kellogg was cited for failure to yield upon left turn. Mount Pleasant Police were assisted by the Mount Pleasant Fire and Rescue.

Prep Football: A Look at District Standings with Playoffs Looming

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, October 10th, 2023 at 1:39 pm CDT

Prep Football- The postseason for 8-Player, Class A, Class 1A, and Class 2A is a little over a week away with the regular season set to end this Friday; consequently, it’s time to take a look at the district standings and playoff hopefuls for our local teams.

In 8-Player, the district champion, district runner-up, the third-place district team, and at-large statewide bids will qualify for the playoffs. In District 6, the standings go as such:

  1. Winfield-Mt. Union (4-0)
  2. WACO (4-1)
  3. Iowa Valley (3-2)
  4. English Valleys (1-3)
  5. New London (1-3)
  6. HLV (0-4)

Winfield-Mt. Union, WACO, and Iowa Valley have clinched the playoffs with the opponents to be decided early next week.

The rules of qualification change for Classes A, 1A, and 2A with the district champion, district runner-up, district third place team, and district fourth place team qualifying for the postseason, no at-large bids.

In Class A District 5, the standings shake out as such:

  1. Lisbon (6-0)
  2. Columbus Community (5-1)
  3. Pekin (4-2)
  4. Danville (4-2)
  5. Van Buren County (3-3)
  6. Wapello (1-5)
  7. Highland (1-5)
  8. Louisa-Muscatine (0-6)

Pekin holds the tiebreaker over Danville and the Bears hold the tiebreaker over Van Buren County. So, Danville, in their first year of competition since 2016, are looking at a playoff bid, while Van Buren County will be the first team out.

In Class 2A District 5, here’s how the teams stand:

  1. Mediapolis (4-0)
  2. Mid-Prairie (3-1)
  3. West Burlington-Notre Dame (2-2)
  4. Albia (2-2)
  5. Davis County (1-3)
  6. Central Lee (0-4)

The Falcons take on Davis County and Mid-Prairie faces off against Albia. If Davis County defeats West Burlington-Notre Dame and Albia cannot win, there will be a three-way tie with each team having beat the other.

The tiebreaker would come down to the 17-point tiebreaker. This method looks at the plus and minus points of district games and divides that number by the total number of games played in district.

As it stands, Albia has a +/- of 1.50, West Burlington-Notre Dame has a -1.50, and Davis County holds a -11.25 plus/minus.

Stay tuned to KILJ as the playoff qualifiers will be announced this Friday night after the games have concluded.

Fire Prevention Week Cooking Tips

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, October 10th, 2023 at 10:59 am CDT

Did you know? The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is due to unattended cooking. During Fire Prevention Week, there are many tips to help you stay alert and prevent fires.

The National Fire Protection Association warns you to “cook with caution” as there are many ways that fires can break out. Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, stay away from the stove. Stay in the kitchen if you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food. Turn off the stove if you step away for even a minute.

Check on your food consistently and stay in your home while the stove or oven is being used. Make sure to set a timer to remind you when your food is ready. Of course, keep all flammable items, such as food packaging and oven mitts, away from the stove top.

If you do happen to have a small grease fire on the stove top, quickly cover the pan with a lid, turn off the heat, and wait until it is completely cooled to remove the lid. If a fire occurs in the oven, turn off the heat and keep the door closed!

If you have any doubts about fighting the fire, don’t. Leave the residence and immediately call 911 once you are outside and safe. Close the door on your way out to help contain the fire.

For more tips and information during Fire Prevention Week, visit www.NFPA.org

Prep Cross Country Rankings: Two Ranked Teams Heading Into the Southeast Conference Meet

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, October 10th, 2023 at 10:52 am CDT

Prep Cross Country- The Iowa High School Track and Field and Cross Country has released their penultimate team rankings for the season and here’s how our local teams shake out.

In Class 3A for the boys, Washington moved up one spot on the rankings to 7th as the Demons are led by fourth ranked runner in senior Micah Rees. Fort Madison fell back a spot in the rankings from #15 last week to #16 this week.

On the girls’ side for Class 3A, Washington moved back a spot while Fort Madison gained a spot in the rankings to have the two Southeast Conference (SEC) rivals in back-to-back spots with the Demons in 17th and Bloodhounds in 18th. Avery Rump of Fort Madison is still positioned as the second-best runner in Class 3A; moreover, Paetyn Wiegland joined the rankings at the #28 slot for the Bloodhounds. The Demons are anchored by Iris Dahl the #9 runner in Class 3A.

The two teams will clash in the SEC meet on Thursday, October 12th.

Mediapolis improved four spots in boys’ Class 2A as the Bulldogs are now ranked 13th overall. A big reason for their success is Solomon Zaugg and Owen Schmidgall, the two runners are ranked #4 and #6, respectively.

For boys’ Class 1A, Danville climbed the ladder to be ranked in the top ten at #8. Carter Fesler is ranked #27 and Jackson Shacklett is #30 in the individual rankings for the Bears.

Lincoln Bainbridge of Van Buren County moved up the rankings as well on the individual side from 22nd to 17th in Class 1A.

For girls’ Class 1A, Danville went from unranked last week to #18 after a strong performance at Southeast Iowa Conference meet last week.

Henry County Conservation Monthly Meeting on Wednesday

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, October 10th, 2023 at 8:29 am CDT

The Henry County Conservation Board will hold their October 2023 Board meeting on Wednesday, October 11th, 2023, at 4:30 pm. The meeting will be held in the Oakland Mills Conference Room due to the threat of rain in the afternoon.

Items on the agenda will include South-Shore Sanitation System Update, Renovation of Animal Area, REAP Assembly Meeting, Director Update, and Naturalist Reports.

Please contact the conservation department if you have any questions, 319-986-5067.