MOUNT PLEASANT — The Henry County Republican Party hosted its annual fundraising dinner last week, drawing a crowd of supporters, local officials, and statewide leaders. The event, held to fund year-round operations of the local GOP headquarters, was marked by patriotic spirit and conservative messaging.

Pastor Gary Leeds opened the evening with a prayer and testimony before Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird delivered the first keynote. Bird spoke about her Cold Case Unit, border security, and strong support for law enforcement—and for President Trump.

Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer followed, sharing her personal journey into politics and highlighting her work on education reform, STEM initiatives, and school safety. “We’ve got a strong statewide ticket,” she said, encouraging momentum heading into the 2026 elections.

Senator Mark Lofgren celebrated the passage of Iowa’s hands-free driving law, crediting community advocates, while Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks fired up the crowd with a call to action. She touted her fundraising success and contrasted Republican policies with Democratic opposition, particularly on taxes, defense, and the border.

Secretary of State Paul Pate closed the program, emphasizing Iowa’s national leadership in election security and encouraging continued grassroots support.

Attendees left energized, discussing campaign strategies and legislative wins over dinner. The evening underscored a clear message: local Republicans are focused, funded, and ready for November.

MOUNT PLEASANT — The Henry County Engineer’s Office is calling on residents to help secure critical funding for a local bridge replacement project by taking a short online survey.

In partnership with the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and over 20 other cities and counties, Henry County is part of a coordinated effort to apply for federal grant funding aimed at replacing aging infrastructure. Locally, the project would replace the existing bridge on Iowa Avenue, just north of Mount Pleasant, with a modern 176-foot pretensioned, prestressed concrete beam bridge.

Public input is a key part of the grant application process, and officials say completing the brief survey could make a big difference.

“This is a valuable opportunity to improve a vital piece of our transportation network,” the Engineer’s Office said. “We’re asking residents to take just a few minutes to help support this much-needed project.”

The survey takes less than five minutes to complete and is available at: hdr.jotform.com/team/public/2025-CHBP.

Officials encourage the public to respond soon, as timely community input will strengthen the overall grant submission.

Champion Derby Beef Live – Owen Weisinger

Reserve Champion Derby Beef Live – Tate Schmitt

Champion Derby Beef Carcass – Benjamin Hulsebus

Reserve Champion Derby Beef Carcass – Mason Overberg

1^st Place Rate of Gain – Mason Overberg

2^nd Place Rate of Gain – Grant Hasenclever

Champion Angus Female –Brystol Gerdes

Champion Charolais Cross – Owen Weisinger

Champion Maintainer – Owen Weisinger

Champion Simmental Female – Henry Steffensmeier

Champion Foundation Simmental – Bryston Gerdes

Champion White Park – Carrigan Carroll

Champion Commercial Cow/Calf – Zikayla Houtz

Champion Bucket Bottle Return Heifer – Mason Overberg

Champion Commercial Heifer – Jaren Gerdes

Supreme Champion Beef Female – Brystol Gerdes

Reserve Supreme Champion Beef Female – Owen Weisinger

3^rd Overall Beef Female – Brody Moeller

4^th Overall Beef Female – Brystol Gerdes

5^th Overall Beef Female – Owen Weisinger

Champion Overall Junior Bucket Bottle Calf – Aiden McDowell

Reserve Champion Overall Junior Bucket Bottle Calf – Makayla Newberry

Champion Overall Intermediate Bucket Bottle Calf – Arabella McDowell

Reserve Overall Intermediate Bucket Bottle Calf –Johnathan Seyb

Champion Overall Senior Bucket Bottle Calf – James Seyb

Reserve Champion Overall Senior Bucket Bottle Calf – Baylor Ferriera

Champion Dairy – Adam Pieper

Champion Dairy Showperson – Baylor Ferriera

Champion Return Bucket Bottle Calf – Tate Schmitt

Reserves Champion Return Bucket Bottle Calf – James Seyb

Grand Champion Market Beef – Emma Mohrfeld

Reserve Grand Champion Market Beef – Owen Weisinger

3^rd Overall Market Beef – James Denning

4^th Overall Market Beef – Brycen Mehl

5^th Overall Market Beef – Tate Schmitt

Champion Advanced Showmanship – Henry Steffensmeier

Champion Senior Showmanship – Owen Weisinger

Champion Intermediate Showmanship – Jaren Gerdes

Champion Junior Showmanship – Brycen Mehl

The Henry County Engineer’s Office is asking for the public’s help to receive a grant for bridge funding.  The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT), in partnership with over cities and counties, is applying to receive federal grant funding to replace an existing bridge in Henry County located on Iowa Avenue, North of Mt. Pleasant. The bridge will be replaced with a 176’ pretensioned, prestressed concrete beam bridge.

We need your help by completing a brief survey! Your answers will be used to support the grant application. This online survey will take less than five minutes to complete. hdr.jotform.com/team/public/2025-CHBP The survey link can also be found on the Henry County website.