Tammie Susanne Goates Rackow

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, September 20th, 2023 at 3:17 pm CDT

Tammie Susanne Goates Rackow, 60, of Mt. Pleasant, IA passed on September 12, 2023 with family by her side at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, IL.

Tammie was born on November 23, 1962 in Putnam County, MO to Ronald and Judith (Bowman) Minear. She spent most of her school years in Oskaloosa, IA and later took classes at Indian Hills Community College In Ottumwa and Southeastern Community College in Burlington. She moved to Fairfield after high school, then lived in Mt. Pleasant, Burlington, and Meservey before settling back in Mt. Pleasant to be closer to her family. She married David Rackow on March 19, 2021. She was a member of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mt. Pleasant.

Tammie was a truly compassionate and loving person. She enjoyed gardening, riding on the motorcycle, boating, camping, taking long drives, and spending as much time with family and friends as she could. She was so proud of her family and would light up every time she spoke of them. She rarely missed the opportunity to visit or gather with family and friends.

Tammie is remembered as someone who was whoever you needed her to be at any given time: a confidant, a therapist, a supporter, a teacher, a change of perspective, and most of all a friend. She was so many things to so many people. Those who knew and loved her saw her as a beacon of strength and an inspiration. That strength undoubtedly helped her deal with the challenges life threw her way, and she did so with grace, humility, and unwavering faith. Her fun-loving and lighthearted spirit resonated with everyone she was around and will continue on in the hearts of every life she touched.

Those left to honor her memory include her children: Sara Moyes, Alisha (Chris) Iserman, and Morgan Manley (Cole Foster); step-children: Candace Buchanan; Walker Goates, Aurora Aasheim, Harley Navarrete, Olivia Gentile, Raquel Navarrete, Amber (Philip) Jacobs, Natasha (Jacob) Timm, and Jesse Bruer; grandchildren: Arya Kirkpatrick, Phoenix Quagliano, Lucca Moyes, Adylinn Iserman, and Leo Foster; one great grandson: Nicholas Glasgow; and many beloved step-grandchildren.  She is also survived by her husband, David; sisters: Theresa Rogers, Michelle (Mike) Gray, Tanya (Mark) Kukuzke, and Dawn (Greg) Roemen; stepmother: Laurel Minear; and step-siblings: Shonda (Brian) Endrizal, Kendra (Jason) Messamaker, and Nathan Thomas; and many nieces and nephews.

Tammie was preceded in death by her parents, husband Kent Goates, and twin sisters Sarah and Susan.

Funeral service will be at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, 910 E. Mapleleaf Dr. Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641 on Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 10:00 AM followed by fellowship and remembrance at Union Block, 105 W. Monroe St. Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641

Cards may be mailed to: Ali Iserman, 2154 Jewel Ave. Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641

Mike Hampton for Mt. Pleasant Community School Board

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, September 20th, 2023 at 3:13 pm CDT

Mike Hampton has announced his candidacy for the Mount Pleasant Community School Board.

Mike graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College and remained in Mt. Pleasant, where he taught government and European and World History for 23 years. He also spent many years as boys’ and girls’ coaches, spanning a variety of different sports. Hampton is also a retired Captain of the 224th Engineers BN in the Iowa National Guard.

Hampton commented on his candidacy, and with children who have attended Mt. Pleasant school K-12, he believes he would be a great fit for the board. “As a member of our fine community, I am interested and committed to the children and students of Mt. Pleasant Community Schools. I feel the youth that fill our classrooms are everybody’s business as they are the future. As an active retiree, I have the time and the commitment to give back. Through the years of working with all ages of people, I have learned the importance of listening, gathering multiple perspectives, and basing decisions on the best course of action.

As a former Henry County Supervisor, he knows all about making tough choices. “Decision-making is hard, but together we can only hope decisions will be made benefit to all. I would be proud to represent you on the Mt. Pleasant Community School Board.”

The Mt. Pleasant Community School Board election is on November 7th, 2023. All seven seats on the board are up for election.

Mikaela Foecke: A Unanimous Choice for the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union for the 2023 Athletic Union Volleyball Hall of Fame

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, September 20th, 2023 at 1:11 pm CDT

Fort Madison, IA- Holy Trinity Catholic has been a powerhouse for Volleyball with 14 trips to the State Tournament, which includes last year squad. There was a span of 10 seasons where the Crusaders were battling for the crown every year. But there’s only one team that can call themselves State Champions and that is the 2014 squad anchored by Mikaela Foecke Richter (then Mikaela Foecke).

There’s a laundry list of adjectives you can use to describe Foecke’s career, but the simplest one—even acting as an understatement—is tremendous. And that tremendous career resulted in a unanimous election into the Athletic Union Volleyball Hall of Fame for 2023.

Holy Trinity Catholic attended the State Tournament every year Foecke was on the team and with each year the Crusaders got one step closer to lifting the trophy. In 2011, Foecke’s freshman year was her “worst” year with 480 kills, 123 blocks, 57 aces, 78 digs, and a hitting efficiency of 0.419 (her lowest). The Crusaders were knocked out of the first round by Janesville three sets to one but ended the season with a 47-3 record.

Her sophomore season saw improvements in every statistical category besides blocks: 624 kills, 110 blocks, 61 aces, and 231 digs. This offensive improvement led Holy Trinity Catholic to the semifinals after beating Marquette Catholic in straight sets in round one, which saw Foecke set a new mark for most solo blocks in a tournament game at three. Unfortunately, Tripoli, the eventual champions, knocked the Crusaders out of the tournament.

Foecke was the last person you wanted to see on the other side of the net in her junior campaign as she compiled a season-best 145 blocks. The Crusaders looked poised for the crown after taking down Guthrie Center in round one and Gehlen Catholic in four sets in the semifinals. However, Janesville returned to spoil the fun as they won in four sets. It was another 47-win season for Head Coach Melissa Freesmeier and Mikaela Foecke; however, the greatest prize was still out of reach for the time being.

2014 was a special season. Foecke put up season-bests in kills with an otherworldly 812, aces with 170, and hitting efficiency of 0.619. Add 95 blocks and 270 digs and you have a recipe for Foecke to be named the 2014-15 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year. With a laundry list of accolades, the only one missing was State Champion. The Crusaders simply dominated as they swept Gehlen Catholic, Tripoli, and Central Lyon on their way to Holy Trinity Catholic’s first State Championship in school history. Foecke was unstoppable as she set the tournament record for kills in a match with 37 against Tripoli. 48 wins, a State Championship, Class 1A All-State Tournament Team, 2014-15 Under Armor First Team All-America honoree, and 2014-15 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year, cannot ask for a more storybook ending to a high school career.

Mikaela Foecke finished her high school career with a state record of 2,813 kills, 473 blocks, 378 aces, and 854 digs. Foecke touts a career record of 187-17 and is a two-time Gatorade State Volleyball Player of the Year. Additionally, she won gold at the NORCECA Women’s U20 Continental Championship. Unanimous almost doesn’t seem definitive enough for a Hall of Fame career such as this.

In case you were wondering, she was also a two-time National Champion at the collegiate level with Nebraska. She’s also a two-time NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player. She finished her Cornhusker career with 1,638 kills and 132 aces, both top ten marks in school history when she graduated. The great crescendo to her collegiate career was winning the 2018 Senior CLASS Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I volleyball who excels in four arears: classroom, community, character, and competition.

Foecke played professionally for Il Bisonte Firenze out of Florence, Italy and now works for Ecsell Sports to help teams build more successful teams.

The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place at the State High School Volleyball Championship finals at the Xtream Arena prior to the Class 1A championship match.

Mt. Pleasant EveryStep Hospice Presented with Prestigious Award Placing Them Top 3 in Iowa

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, September 20th, 2023 at 10:04 am CDT
The EveryStep Hospice Mount Pleasant team: Front row (L-R): Rose Stiles, Gordon Hawkins, Jo Heidt; Back row (L-R): Gwendolyn Norton, Kerstien Smith, Kathleen Fry, Amy Frantz, Felicia Sharp, Katie Smith, Deanna Balderas, Kimberly Endecott-RN. Not pictured: Christina Gersema, Alexis Ullrich, Ana Garcia-Mendez, Allison Smith, Suzanne Porth, Kat Humphrey, Carrie Green.

The EveryStep Hospice team in Mt. Pleasant has been recognized as a “Superior Performer” by Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP). The prestigious honor comes after the team achieved an overall caregiver and family satisfaction score ranking in the top 20% of all eligible SHP clients for 2022 calendar year.

This award places EveryStep Hospice in Mt. Pleasant above the rest, as they are one of just three award recipients in the entire state. This is the third consecutive award for the Mt. Pleasant team.

EveryStep Hospice regional director, Kimberly Endecott commented on this great achievement. “The Mount Pleasant team is serving patients and their families during one of the most difficult times in their lives and they are doing it with such compassion, skill and expertise. This is an amazing accomplishment.” EveryStep has been providing nonprofit hospice care services for more than 45 years in Iowa.

“SHP is proud to present the SHPBest awards to our top-performing customers. We commend these organizations for their continuous focus on delivering the highest quality of care to their patients,” said Rob Paulsson, president of SHP.

Read more about the SHPBest awards program, including methodology and award recipient lists at https://www.shpdata.com/hospice/shpbest-cahps-hospice/.

Iowa Economic Development Authority Meeting in Fairfield – Hopes to Bolster Community Growth

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, September 20th, 2023 at 8:17 am CDT

The Iowa Economic Development Authority is hosting a meeting in Fairfield on Thursday, September 21st. This is an informational meeting for those who are interested in learning more about how they can help their community grow. Economic growth may include the creation of additional jobs, growth of businesses, development of new housing units, increase property values or potential population growth.

The idea is that, through this workshop, vibrant downtown areas can be bolstered by the Catalyst Grant. This grant assists communities with the redevelopment or rehabilitation of buildings to stimulate economic growth or reinvestment in the community.

Funding is based on annual availability, and 40% of funds will be awarded to cities with populations under 1,500. $100,000 is the maximum grant given. Funds are available for the rehabilitation of one commercial building per community. If two buildings are under the same ownership and connected, they will qualify. Deconstruction is also an option, but only in dire situations or safety issues.

This meeting is scheduled for 10:00am-12:00pm at the Fairfield Public Library.

For more information, visit the link below.

Community Catalyst Building Remediation | Iowa Economic Development Authority (iowaeda.com)

Ryan Coop for SCC Board of Trustees

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, September 20th, 2023 at 7:01 am CDT

Today, Ryan Coop announced he will seek election to the first district of the Southeastern Community College Board of Trustees, representing the Mt. Pleasant, WACO, Winfield – Mt. Union, and New London community school district.

Coop is eager to expand live classes and other educational opportunities at the SCC Mt. Pleasant Center and other regional SCC offices.

“After Iowa Wesleyan announced their closure this year, it became clear that Henry County was going to need a stronger higher education presence in the community,” said Coop. “While the Mt. Pleasant SCC office offers occasional classes, it is far from realizing its full potential. Our community has a rich educational heritage, and I am prepared to dedicate my time on the board of trustees to ensuring that Henry County continues to be a beacon of higher learning for generations to come.”

Ryan was elected to fill a vacancy on the Marion Township Board of Trustees in 2022 where he currently serves as Chairman. For the past two years he’s served as a Clerk at the State Legislature and during the interim, engaged in political advocacy – encouraging voter turnout and other grassroots organizing, ensuring that Iowa’s elected representatives are engaging with their constituents.

Before his service in the State House, Ryan graduated from Mt. Pleasant Christian School and worked at GrayBarn Industries, a local print shop. Ryan was born and raised in Mt.Pleasant, and attends Wellspring Evangelical Church.

Sports, September 20th

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, September 20th, 2023 at 6:32 am CDT

High School Football

It’s Homecoming week for Mt. Pleasant as the Panthers play host to last year’s Class 3A runner-up Mt. Vernon on Friday, September 22nd. KILJ will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm. 

In other Class 3A District 4 matchups, Washington will hit the road to take on Keokuk and Fort Madison will travel to Davenport to face off against Assumption. 

Fairfield will take on Benton Community this Friday in a road game. 

Mediapolis will face off against West Burlington-Notre Dame this Friday as both teams battle for winning records. 

Columbus will face off against Highland at 7 pm.

Central Lee will travel to Albia this Friday. 

Danville will compete against Wapello at 7 pm this Friday.

Van Buren County will hit the road to face off against Louisa-Muscatine this Friday at 7 pm.

New London will be suiting up this Friday to take on HLV with kickoff at 7 pm.

WACO will take on Easton Valley this Friday. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will look to keep the momentum going against English Valleys this Friday for their Homecoming match. 

High School Volleyball

Mt. Pleasant and Washington battled in a conference matchup last night in Mt. Pleasant, but it was the road team coming out on top in straight sets by scores of 25-20, 25-22, and 25-16. Service errors were the downfall for the Panthers last night with the second set acting as the swing set. Washington had a late 19 to 11 lead before Mt. Pleasant roared back and tied the game at 21, but the Demons would fend off the comeback attempt and hold on to the momentum. Alex Scott had an impressive game with 11 kills and two aces for the Panthers, Emma Starr tallied 7 kills in the match. Head Coach Logan Wall and her staff are searching for what will get the Panthers over the hump. Mt. Pleasant will take on Fairfield on the road next Tuesday. 

Winfield-Mt. Union, WACO, and Holy Trinity Catholic head into the Southeast Iowa Super Conference (SEISC) Tournament tomorrow, September 21st, with a 4-0 conference record. 

New London and Danville will be back in action tomorrow for the SEISC tournament. 

Van Buren County and Mediapolis enter the SEISC tournament with a 3-1 conference record. 

Cross Country

It was a rainy evening but the Mt. Pleasant Invitational went off without a hitch as Avery Rump of Fort Madison led the pack and the girls varsity to a win for the large schools with a time of 19 minutes and 41 seconds. Washington finished in second place followed by Oskaloosa, Keokuk, Fairfield, and Mt. Pleasant. Nelle Peterson was the top runner for the Panthers with a time of 24 minutes and 42 seconds, which placed her in 28th individually. Monroe James took 32nd place. 

Mid-Prairie dominated in the girls small school race with their top runners all finishing within the top 8 including the race winner in Danielle Hostetler and the runner-up in Brooklyn Stutzman. Kaitlyn Kipp of West Burlington-Notre Dame finished in third place. Alaina Gourley helped Danville to a second place finish as her time of 21 minutes and 55 seconds grabbed her 7th place. Shelby Schulz was Mediapolis’ top runner with a 15th place finish as the Bulldogs finished in third as a team. Winfield-Mt. Union’s top runner was Afton Wilkerson with a 33rd place finish and Justine Lynn was WACO’s top finisher with a time of 28 minutes and 37 seconds. 

For the boys large school results, Micah Rees raced to a Demon win with a time of 16 minutes and 29 seconds. Tyler Alderton, his teammate, finished in second for Washington with a time of 17 minutes and 7 seconds, giving the Demons the team win. Mt. Pleasant was led by Ben Carthey’s time of 17 minutes and 19 seconds and Jude Dykstra’s run of 18 minutes and 8 seconds, which placed the duo in fourth and sixth place, respectively. Locken Henderson had a great race for the Panthers as his time of 18 minutes and 14 seconds snatched him a 7th place finish. Fort Madison, Fairfield, and Keokuk finished in fourth, fifth, and sixth place, respectively, as a team. 

In the boys small school race, Owen Schmidgall continued his great season for Mediapolis with another first place finish with a time of 16 minutes and 47 seconds. Will Schmidgall and Solomon Zaugg’s top 10 finish was still not enough to give them the team title with Mid-Prairie grabbing the win. Danville took third place as a team led by Jackson Shacklett’s third place finish with a time of 17 minutes and 33 seconds. Isaac Shinn took 10th for the Bears. Gabriel Hemsworth’s 15th place finish paced the Wolves to a fifth place team finish. Central Lee and Holy Trinity Catholic finished in 7th and 8th place, respectively. Leo Thomas finished in 20th place for the Hawks and Tanner Williams was the top finisher for the Crusaders in 38th place. Keiran Luitjens was the top runner for WACO in 27th place. 

Mt. Pleasant and WACO will compete in the Washington Invitational on September 26th. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will run on September 25th in Iowa City. 

Mediapolis and Van Buren County will run tomorrow in Burlington. 

Danville will run at Williamsburg on September 26th for a meet. 

Southeast Iowa Playbook

Tune in for the Southeast Iowa Playbook on KILJ 105.5 FM or kilj.com tonight. The school of focus for the week will be WACO as they celebrate their homecoming. Seniors Colton Leichty and Zoey Dennler will be our guests for the show.

College Football

#24 Iowa will be tested this Saturday, September 23rd, against #7 Penn State at 6:30 pm. 

Iowa State University will take on Oklahoma State this Saturday to begin Big 12 play. 

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

1924 – Carl Mays is the first pitcher to win 20 games for three different teams.

1953 – Cubs’ Ernie Banks hits his 1st major league home run.

1987 – Chicago running back Walter Payton scores his then-NFL record 107th rushing touchdown in the Bears’ 20-3 victory over Tampa Bay.

Burlington Man Arrested After Eluding Deputies on Motorcycle at 100mph

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, September 20th, 2023 at 6:18 am CDT

A man has been arrested after eluding deputies on a motorcycle. On September 19th, at approximately 11:40am, Des Moines County Deputies performed a traffic stop on a motorcycle in the 14000 block of US Highway 61. The driver, Bradley Michael Haynes, 33, of Burlington, was known to have a barred driver’s license. The motorcycle also did not have registration plates.

Deputies attempted to halt the motorcycle using lights and sirens, however, the driver took off reaching speeds greater than 100mph on US Highway 61. Deputies terminated the pursuit at that time.

Approximately 20 minutes later, Haynes pulled into the drive at his residence on the same motorcycle he eluded deputies on. They approached Haynes, arresting him for driving while barred, operating a non-registered vehicle, and felony eluding. Haynes was then transported to the Des Moines County Correctional Center.