The Henry County Conservation Board will hold their August 2023 Board meeting on Wednesday, September 13th, 2023, at 4:30 pm in the conservation board meeting room at the office in Oakland Mills.

Items on the agenda will include: Introduction of New Board Member, South-Shore Sanitation System Update, Director Update, and Naturalist Reports.

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

On Wednesday, September 6^th at 3:28pm, damage was delivered by a vehicle to the Caseys at 400 W Washington St in Mt. Pleasant. The Mt. Pleasant Police Department was dispatched and found that a white sedan, operated by Rose Reitz, was attempting to park in front of Caseys. Her brakes failed, causing the vehicle to collide into the building.

Total damage was estimated at $3000. There were no injuries reported at the scene.

The Mt. Pleasant Police Department was assisted on scene by Henry County EMS.

There is a MPCSD Board Meeting tonight at 6:00pm in the Highschool Media Center. This will serve as a regular meeting with focus on the November 7^th School Board election as well as an informational meeting for the special election on Tuesday. There will also be an update on the School Resource Officer Program.

For the full agenda, head over to https://www.mtpcsd.org/ and follow the board tab.

On September 9, 2023, at approximately 2:20 AM Des Moines County deputies were dispatched to Timberline Estates at 14876 Washington Road Lot #65 in reference to a burglary at that location.

Upon arrival, deputies spoke to a female victim who advised that Kendrell Rogers and an unknown white male, later identified as Collin Ensley, had entered her home through a window.  After both individuals entered the residence, Rogers assaulted the victim by choking her.  Rogers and Ensley then fled from the scene.  Deputies then spoke with another resident in Timberline Estates who advised two subjects matching Rogers’ and Ensley’s description had requested to come into their residence and requested to stay for the night, which they refused.  Deputies located footprints in the grass possibly belonging to Rogers and Ensley and requested the assistance of Burlington Police Department’s K9 Officer to attempt to track the suspects.

With the assistance of the BPD K9 officer and a West Burlington Police officer, deputies tracked Ensley and Rogers to a vacant trailer in Timberline Estates.  Deputies were able to see Ensley and Rogers inside the trailer and were able to take them into custody without further incident.

Kendrell Rogers, age 31, of West Burlington, IA was charged with Burglary 1^st degree, Aggravated Domestic Abuse/Assault, Violation of a No Contact Order, and Trespass.

Collin Ensley, age 26, of Burlington, IA was charged with Burglary 1^st degree and Trespass.

There was a single vehicle accident in Washington on Friday, September 8^th.

At 8:51am, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a Nissan Armada that had flipped over and off the road. The driver told bystanders that he had “no injuries.”

Upon arrival, the deputies found the man had left the scene of the incident. Witnesses told the sheriff department that he had hitched a ride with another man in a Ryder truck.

Towing was contacted and his vehicle was towed from the scene. Later information revealed that the owner of this vehicle is from Ottumwa, and he called the Sheriff’s Department three hours later to arrange a time to discuss the accident. Possible citations will be administered.

Keep Iowa Beautiful is thrilled to announce the start of the 14th Photography Contest, an annual contest aimed at raising awareness of Iowa’s natural and environmental beauty.

The two-phase contest began late last week, with the entry deadline on December 16, 2023. Each of the five categories will be awarded $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place.

“The annual photo contest gives local photographers a chance to contribute to the visual story of Iowa,” said Andy Frantz, Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful. “There are five categories to enter your favorite photo of what makes you proud to be an Iowan and captures the beauty and spirit of Iowa. Beyond just displaying Iowa’s scenic charm, this competition also spotlights the pool of homegrown talent spanning our entire state.”

The five first-place winners will all be featured on Keep Iowa Beautiful’s social media in January while the public will vote for the favorite photo. The winner will receive an additional $100.

The Robert D. Ray Best of Show Awards, determined by a distinguished panel, will also be announced at that time. The Robert D. Ray Best of Show award amounts are $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $100 for third place.

The five categories are:

Iowa Landscape
Capture Iowa’s beauty through depictions of Iowa’s landscape, including but not limited to: farm fields, rolling hills, and wooded forests.

Iowa Water
Feature Iowa’s beautiful water systems with depictions of Iowa rivers, streams, ponds and lakes.

Iowa Cities
Iowa’s urban centers are hubs of history, culture, and beauty. This category features depictions of Iowa’s cities, street scenes, and urban landmarks.

Iowans in Action
This category aims to capture the spirit of Iowa through depictions of the people that live, work, and play in Iowa. All means of action that can be captured: biking, running, fishing, hunting and hiking are but a few.

Iowa Wildlife
Iowa is home to a variety of beautiful critters. This category aims to showcase Iowa’s beauty through depictions of Iowa’s wildlife animals: mammals, fish, birds, bugs and more!

A $5 fee is required for each photo entered. Contest rules and entry guidelines can be found on the Keep Iowa Beautiful website: https://keepiowabeautiful.org/photography-contest

The Des Moines County Road Department has announced the closure of another route. Plank Road, between Sunnyside Avenue and West Burlington Avenue, will be closed starting Monday, September 11^th, and will reopen by mid afternoon on Friday, September 15^th. This is dependent on weather and may end up taking longer if we have adverse conditions.