Sports, February 4th

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 at 6:31 am CDT

High School Basketball

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team attempted 19 more free throws than Fairfield last night, but it was not enough to overcome the Trojans’ seven threes in a debilitating 45-44 final. Abby Carthey finished with a game high 18 points for the Panthers, while Faith Jones knocked in 14 points for Fairfield.

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Keokuk on Friday, February 6th, with the girls’ teams playing at 6 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 5:45 pm.

Fairfield will host Burlington on Friday with game one at 6 pm.

The Holy Trinity Catholic boys’ team clobbered Fairfield last night, 64-26, after holding the Trojans to just 10 points in the first half. Corbin Van Niewaal led the scoring with 19 points. 

The Holy Trinity Catholic girls’ team handled New London last night, 36-15, to end a six-game losing streak. 

Columbus split their night against Pekin with the girls’ team winning, 37-35, and the boys’ team faltering 60-49. 

West Burlington was swept by Burlington last night with the girls’ team falling 73-32 and the boys’ team losing 56-49.

The Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team finally squashed their 18-game losing streak last night, defeating WACO 40-34. Madisen Kellogg was magnificent, scoring 33 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the winning effort. The Wolves’ boys’ team completed the sweep behind a strong second half effort to beat the Warriors, 54-31. 

Southeast Iowa Super Conference Shootout

The girls’ teams seeded #3-#8 will lead off the SEISC shootout tomorrow, February 5th, with Louisa-Muscatine, Pekin, and WACO hosting a pair of games.

The #3 and #4 seeds will meet up at Louisa-Muscatine with the north teams acting as the home team. In the #4 seed game, Van Buren County will take on Columbus at 6 pm, while West Burlington will face off against the hosts at 7:30 pm in the #3 seed contest. 

The #5 and #6 seeds will compete at Pekin with Wapello tangling with Holy Trinity Catholic in the #6-seed game at 6 pm followed by Pekin colliding with Central Lee at 7:30 pm to decide the #5 seed.

Lastly, New London and Hillcrest Academy will lead off the night at WACO with tip-off at 6 pm for the #8 seed-contest, while WACO will take on Burlington Notre Dame for the #7 seed at 7:30 pm.

The Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team will host Cedar Valley Christian on Friday, February 6th, at 6 pm.

Highland and Mediapolis will face off for the conference title on Saturday, February 7th, at 2:30 pm at Highland, while Danville will compete with Lone Tree to lead off the day at 1 pm.

The boys’ will start play on Friday with Central Lee hosting the #3 and #4 seeds, Holy Trinity Catholic will have the #5 and #6 seeds, and Van Buren County will house the #7 and #8 seeds with the south division acting as the home team.

At 6 pm, #4 West Burlington will play #4 WACO at Central Lee, #6 Danville will tip-off against #6 Wapello, and #8 New London will tussle with #8 Lone Tree at Van Buren County.

At 7 pm, #3 Central Lee will face off against Pekin, #5 Holy Trinity Catholic will tangle with #5 Columbus, and #7 Van Buren County will take on #7 Highland.

Burlington Notre Dame will hold the #1 and #2 seed games on Saturday with Mediapolis clashing with Winfield-Mt. Union at 6 pm and the conference title going to either the Nikes or Hillcrest Academy at 7:30 pm.

High School Wrestling

The Burlington Notre Dame boys’ team fell to Woodward-Granger in the Regional Dual semifinals last night, 42-38. Andre Worrell, Rowan Berndt, Ryan Rose, Jared Glendening, Kael Cook, and Joey Glendening each picked up victories for the Nikes. 

The Van Buren County boys’ team will compete in a quad tomorrow, February 5th. 

The Fairfield boys’ team will duel Washington tomorrow.

The boys’ district wrestling meets are scheduled for February 14th.

The 2026 girls’ state tournament will take place tomorrow and Friday, February 6th. KILJ will be providing updates for 17 local wrestlers. For a full look at their first round matches, follow this link: First Round Matchups

High School Bowling

The girls’ state meet is scheduled for February 10th through the 12th in Waterloo. Keokuk will be competing as a team, while Mt. Pleasant’s Shyann Smith will bowl as an individual along with Keokuk’s Allison Sapp, Jaelynn Ketterer, and Josie Sapp.

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will host their invite tomorrow, February 5th, with Central Lee and West Burlington making the trip.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) released the state qualifying meet assignments and Central Lee will host West Burlington, while Fairfield will travel to Monticello in Class 1A.

 In Class 2A, Clinton will play host to Burlington, Keokuk, and Mt. Pleasant.

Both meets are scheduled for Monday, February 16th, at 10 am.

Southeastern Community College

The women’s basketball team will host Des Moines Area Community College tonight at 5:30 pm.

The men’s basketball team will take on Sauk Valley Community College at 7 pm tonight at home. 

College Basketball

The Iowa State women’s team will travel to Utah on Saturday, February 7th, at 6 pm.

The #10 Iowa women’s team will host Minnesota tomorrow, February 5th, at 6 pm.

The Iowa men’s team will stay on the west coast to play Washington at 10 pm tonight.

The #7 Iowa State men’s team will take on Baylor at home at 1 pm on Saturday.

This Day in Sports History

1987 – The Sacramento Kings scored only four points in the first quarter against the LA Lakers; fewest points in a period since the introduction of the 24 second shot-clock in 1954.

1991 – Baseball’s Hall of Fame board of directors vote unanimously to bar Pete Rose, due to his betting on games while a player and manager.

1997 – Mario Lemieux is the 7th NHL player to score 600 goals.

Willis L. Deuser

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026 at 2:21 pm CDT

Willis LeRoy Deuser, 85, of Fairfield, passed away Monday, February 2, 2026 at his home.

A Memorial Service celebrating his life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, February 5, 2026 at Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield. Visitation will be 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service Thursday. Burial will be at a later date at Maple Hill Cemetery in Birmingham. Memorial contributions may be made to the Fairfield Community Center.

Willis was born December 18, 1940 in Farson, Iowa, the son of Carl and Elsie (Johnson) Deuser. He married Joyce Ann Goemaat, February 18, 1961 at Zion Bible Church in Douds. She preceded him in death October 25, 2020.

Willis held a factory job until 1982 when he began working in sales of janitorial supplies at King’s in Fairfield. He later worked at Rockwell/Meritor, retiring in 2000.

Willis enjoyed watching sports, including basketball and NASCAR. He was an avid Iowa Hawkeyes fan. Willis enjoyed gardening, fishing, and traveling, making yearly trips to Florida.

Those left to honor his memory include his children, Lee Deuser of Eldon, Ron (Charissa) Deuser of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Sandy (Sonny) Hootman of Farmington, Iowa, Monty (Angie) Deuser of West Des Moines, Iowa, and Heidi (John) Ferguson of Fairfield; thirteen grandchildren, Luke Deuser, Justin Deuser, Nichole (James) Chapman, Chrysten Deuser, Aubrey (Anthony) Lumetta, Kaely Deuser, Andrew Sonny Hootman, Benaiah (Audrey) Hootman, Kate Hootman, Micaiah Hootman, Nate Deuser, Becca Deuser and Janell Ferguson; great-grandchildren, Gideon Chapman and Soloman Hootman.

In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Warren Deuser; and sister, Wanda Warner.

Online condolences may be made to Willis’s family by viewing his obituary at www.behnerfh.com.

Wayne E. Johnson

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026 at 11:22 am CDT

Wayne Edward Johnson, 76, of Danville, died Sunday, February 1, 2026, at his daughter’s home in Saint James, Missouri. He was born in Burlington on May 23, 1949 to Cecil R. and Patricia M. Schaefer Johnson. He married Diana “Dee” Ruth McCabe on July 26, 1968 in Middletown, Iowa.  She died February 20, 2025.

His family moved from Burlington to Kahoka, Missouri, then back to Danville when he was a child.  Wayne attended school in Revere, Missouri and Danville.  He was a member of West Burlington Christian Church and New London Christian Church.

He worked at Lehigh Leopold in West Burlington until they closed in 1990. He then got his CDL, and worked for Single Source, CRST-Cedar Rapids, and Ruan-Hon, and was very proud that he achieved a Million-mile safety award. He also worked at Phelps Field Tile Company in New London.  Wayne was an excellent woodworker and proudly built their family dining room table.  He was a member of the Moose and Lions Clubs; in the 1970’s was a TroupMaster for Boy Scouts; volunteered at Old Threshers Main Ground and Campground since he was sixteen years old; enjoyed camping with his wife; being with his family; and Cardinals baseball.  He loved fishing, enjoyed watching the cardinals, grew beautiful roses and since moving to his daughter’s in Missouri, he loved sitting on her front porch watching the cars go by, listening to the windchimes and watching the birds in the birdhouses.  He enjoyed watching Grit TV, reading Louis L’Amour books; very much enjoyed his Danville coffee group and never knew a stranger.

Survivors include his sons Michael Johnson of Austin, Texas and Joshua (Brandi) Johnson of Burlington; daughters Michelle (Troy) Warth of St. James, Missouri and Johanna Hand of Clarksville, Tennessee; nineteen grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; brothers Terry Johnson of Bible Grove, Missouri and Harry Johnson of Downing, Missouri; sister Sharon (Neil) Cornwell of Winfield, Iowa; nieces, nephews and a host of friends.  He was preceded in death by his wife; parents; and brother Van Johnson.

Visitation will begin at 1:00 PM, Sunday, February 8, 2026 at Elliott Chapel, New London, with the family receiving friends from 5:00 – 7:00 PM.  The Funeral Service will be at 10:00 AM, Monday, February 9, 2026 at New London Christian Church with Pastors Rod and Nathan Cooper officiating.  The family requests that friends wear western or Cardinals baseball attire for the service.  Burial will follow at Prairie Grove Cemetery, rural West Burlington.  Memorials have been established for Be There Ministries in Ethiopia and New London Christian Church.  Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.

Applications Open Now for Hellman Lee County IMPACT Grants to Support Lee County Nonprofits

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026 at 7:54 am CDT

The Lee County Charitable Fund has officially renamed its annual IMPACT Grant to the Hellman Lee County IMPACT Grant, honoring the legacy of longtime community leader, philanthropist, and North Lee County advocate Merlin Hellman.

The Hellman Lee County IMPACT Grant is open for application now and will award grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to eligible Lee County, Iowa 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and qualified governmental entities. Applications must be submitted by April 6, 2026.

Administered by the Lee County Charitable Fund, a volunteer grant committee made up of board members from the North Lee Community Foundation and the Keokuk Area Community Foundation, the IMPACT Grant is designed to support large-scale projects that create meaningful, long-term benefits for Lee County residents.

The grant’s new name honors Merlin Hellman, whose life reflected a deep commitment to service, stewardship, and community responsibility. A founding member of the North Lee Community Foundation and instrumental in the establishment of the Lee County Charitable Fund, Hellman served on numerous boards and organizations throughout Lee County. His philanthropy helped strengthen schools, libraries, faith communities, and human service organizations across the region.

“As one of the founders of the Lee County Charitable Fund, Merlin Hellman worked alongside community leaders throughout the county to provide critical grants and resources for schools, nonprofit organizations, charities and health care organizations from all corners of Lee County,” said the Foundation’s Executive Director Roger Ricketts, “Merlin’s vision of the Lee County Charitable Fund and the Community Foundations in Lee County enabled generous donors and community leaders to believe that we, all of us working together, would and should make a big impact for all who call Lee County their home. It is with pride that we honor Merlin’s legacy and vision for our county with the Merlin Hellman IMPACT Grant.”

Organizations interested in applying are encouraged to attend the KACF & NLCF Grant Workshop Luncheon on February 25, 2026, to be held at Fort Madison’s Turnwater Reception Room. The workshop will provide an overview of the application process, funding priorities, and tips for submitting a strong proposal.

Grant guidelines, eligibility requirements, and application materials can be found at leecountycharitablefund.org. Additional information is available at northleecf.org and keokukfoundation.org.

Cover Crop and Soil Health Workshop in Mt. Pleasant on February 19, 2026

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026 at 7:48 am CDT

Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with Lower Skunk River Water Quality Initiative Project and Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development, will host a cover crop workshop in Mt. Pleasant on Thursday, Feb. 19, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event is open to farmers and landowners at no cost and includes a complimentary meal.

The workshop aims to equip attendees with best management practices for establishing and managing cover crops.

“Cover crops offer many benefits to farmers and landowners, including reduced soil erosion, weed suppression potential, reduced nitrogen and phosphorus loads entering water bodies and increased organic matter in the soil,” said Liz Ripley, conservation and cover crop outreach specialist with Iowa Learning Farms.  “When paired with no-till, additional benefits include increased water infiltration and reduced erosion during heavy rain events.”

The workshop will feature a farmer panel of local cover crop users who will share their recommendations for getting started and sticking with cover crops. The agenda will also include Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service soil health specialist J.D. Hollingsworth and area resource soil scientist Jason Steele. They will share their experiences with cover crops and no-till as farmers and discuss the impacts of cover crops on soil health. Ripley will also share best management practices for establishing and managing cover crops successfully based on research conducted on farms throughout the state.

The field day will be held at the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Henry County office, located at 127 North Main Street, Mt. Pleasant. The event is open to farmers and landowners, though reservations are required to ensure adequate space and food. For reasonable accommodations and to RSVP, please contact Liz Ripley at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu by Feb. 12. Attendees will be entered in a drawing for ISU Prairie Strips honey.

Iowa Learning Farms field days and workshops are supported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit the Iowa Learning Farms website.

Sports, February 3rd

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026 at 6:34 am CDT

High School Basketball

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team had their five-game win streak snapped last night in a tight 55-51 final against Marion. Isaiah Lange cashed in for 16 points, as he has led the scoring for the past four games. The Panthers will travel to Keokuk on Friday, February 6th, with the girls’ teams playing at 6 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 5:45 pm.

The #9 Mediapolis girls’ team picked up their 20th win of the season in dominating fashion over Fort Madison last night, 56-35. Ella Wagenbach scored 19 points with five threes to lead the charge. The boys’ team needed a dramatic overtime lay-up with 2.7 seconds remaining from Will Luttenegger to escape with a 51-49 victory over the Bloodhounds. Max Griffin led the team with 15 points. 

The New London girls’ team lost to Cardinal last night, 54-24. 

Tonight, the Holy Trinity Catholic boys’ team will take on Fairfield at home with gametime at 7:30 pm, while the girls’ team will travel to New London with the night tipping-off at 6 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union split their doubleheader with Columbus last night with the girls’ team falling 66-56, while the boys’ team picked up the 61-50 victory. Madisen Kellogg logged 25 points and five steals in the effort.

Columbus will take on Pekin at home tonight with game one starting at 6 pm.

WACO will meet up on the road against Winfield-Mt. Union tonight with the girls tipping-off at 6 pm.

The #3 Burlington Notre Dame boys’ team lost their first game of the season last night in a top 10 showdown against Class 2A’s #10 Pella Christian, 70-66. The Nikes were outscored 22 to 9 in the third quarter. 

The Fairfield girls’ team will host Mt. Pleasant tonight at 7:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm.

West Burlington will take on Burlington at home tonight with game one at 6 pm.

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference Shootout is scheduled to start on Thursday, February 5th, with the girls’ teams seeded #3-#8 facing off. The same seeds for the boys’ teams will play on Friday.

Boys Basketball Rankings

The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) released their sixth edition of the boys’ basketball rankings yesterday and Burlington Notre Dame remained at #3 in Class 1A as the top four kept their positioning.

Despite their loss last night, the Nikes are still ranked within the top 10 of Class 1A in point differential with the 2nd most points per game. Shay Stephens continues to be the focal point of the offense with the third most points per game at 25.2 and assists per game with 7.2 in Class 1A. Notre Dame will look to win the SEISC shootout against Hillcrest Academy on Saturday, February 7th, at Southeastern Community College.

High School Wrestling

Burlington Notre Dame will travel to Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont for the Regional Dual Semifinals tonight to take on Woodward-Granger with the winner facing off against the Rockets. 

The Van Buren County boys’ team will compete in a quad on Thursday, February 5th. 

The boys’ district wrestling meets are scheduled for February 14th.

The 2026 girls’ state tournament will take place on Thursday and Friday, February 6th. KILJ will be providing updates for 17 local wrestlers. For a full look at their first round matches, follow this link: First Round Matchups

High School Bowling

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team traveled to Clinton yesterday for the Class 2A Region 4 state qualifier and one Panther punched their ticket to the state tournament. Mt. Pleasant finished in 4th place with a team score of 2,403 as Shyann Smith registered the 6th highest score of the meet with 568 total pins. 

Over in Ballard, Keokuk claimed the Region 2 championship as they hope to defend their Class 2A state championship. Josie Sapp bowled the fourth highest score amongst the qualifying individuals with 649 total pins. She will be joined by Allison Sapp and Jaelynn Ketterer as an individual qualifier. 

The girls’ state meet is scheduled to start on February 10th in Waterloo. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will travel to Keokuk tonight for a triangular. 

The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) released the state qualifying meet assignments and Central Lee will host West Burlington, while Fairfield will travel to Monticello in Class 1A.

 In Class 2A, Clinton will play host to Burlington, Keokuk, and Mt. Pleasant.

Both meets are scheduled for Monday, February 16th, at 10 am.

Southeastern Community College

The women’s basketball team will host Des Moines Area Community College tomorrow, February 4th, at 5:30 pm.

The men’s basketball team will take on Sauk Valley Community College at 7 pm tomorrow at home. 

SCC has found an interim head coach for the spring 2026 volleyball season in Shavonna Rhodes with the possibility of continuing the role into the Fall 2026 season. Rhodes brings collegiate coaching experience and a player centered approach to the SCC Blackhawks. Before becoming an Assistant Coach at Southeastern, she previously served as an Assistant Volleyball Coach at Andrew College, where she was involved in practice planning, player development, recruiting, and match preparation.

College Basketball

The Iowa State women’s team will travel to Utah on Saturday, February 7th, at 6 pm.

The #10 Iowa women’s team will host Minnesota on Thursday, February 5th, at 6 pm.

The Iowa men’s team will stay on the west coast to play Washington at 10 pm tomorrow, February 4th. 

The #7 Iowa State men’s team will take on Baylor at home at 1 pm on Saturday.

This Day in Sports History

1876 – Albert Spalding invests $800 to start a sporting goods company, manufacturing the first official baseball, tennis ball, basketball, golf ball and football.

2008 – Super Bowl XLII, University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ: the New York Giants upset the New England Patriots, 17-14; MVP: Eli Manning, New York, QB. Thus, ending the Patriots bid for a perfect season.

2013 – Super Bowl XLVII, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, New Orleans, LA: the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31; MVP: Joe Flacco, Baltimore, QB. First Super Bowl loss in 49ers history.

Steven M. Pilkington

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026 at 5:53 am CDT

Steven M. Pilkington, Sr., 66, a resident of Fairfield, passed away Sunday, February 1, 2026 at Jefferson County Health Center in Fairfield.
There will be no services held at this time. Memorials may be made to Noah’s Ark Animal Foundation. Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield is assisting the family.

Steve was born December 31, 1959 in Moberly, Missouri, the son of Marion Jesse and Helen B. (Gravitt) Pilkington. He married Sueanna Mae Wolverton, March 30, 1979 in Moberly. She preceded him in death May 23, 2024.

Steve worked for various factories throughout his life. He enjoyed watching television and spending time with his dog.

Those left to honor his memory include his children, Sheryl Pilkington, Steven Pilkington, Jr. and Juston (Rizza) Pilkington, all of Fairfield, and Willie (Bre) Pilkington of Centerville; many grandchildren; and his sister, Brenda.

In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Sherri Rich.

Prep Boys’ Wrestling: Burlington Notre Dame Dominates Their Way to Another SEISC Championship

By Slaten Swords · Monday, February 2nd, 2026 at 11:56 am CDT

Van Buren County, IA- The Southeast Iowa Super Conference boys’ teams met up on Saturday for their conference tournament and for the second consecutive year Burlington Notre Dame locks up the conference crown in dominant fashion.

The Nikes collected 267.5 points with seven conference champions and finished with 115 more points than Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union’s second place squad. Highland, Louisa-Muscatine, and WACO rounded out the top five.

Four of the seven Nikes were repeat conference champions with Kohen Dietzenbach in the 113-pound weight class, Rowan Berdt in the 120-pound weight class, Colt Boyles in the 132-pound weight class, and Kael Cook in the 150-pound weight class.

Ryan Rose in the 126-pound weight class, Tate Sherwood in the 144-pound weight class, and Joey Glendening in the 165-pound weight class each finished atop their respective podiums to round out the gold for the Nikes.

Dietzenbach had one of the more anticipated matchups of the night as he met WACO’s Ian Maize in the championship match. In a hard-fought match, Dietzenbach kept his undefeated season rolling with his 34th win by a 5-2 decision.

Rose defeated Van Buren County’s Leo Jirak in the final moments of the third round. Cook took down Harley Larrimore of WACO by fall in the opening round.

Jared Glendening finished as a runner-up in the 138-pound weight class after earning the conference title last year. He fell by major decision to Rocky Hamilton of Highland.

The Wildcats finished in second as a team despite touting zero conference champions. Nevertheless, Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union did have four runner-ups.

Justin Knipfer was pinned by Landon Sweeting of Highland in the 106-pound championship match. For the second year in a row, Bowen Thomson fell to Boyles in the championship match of the 132-pound weight division.

Mediapolis was the reason for the other two runner-up stories, as Kyler Crow handed Trevor Phillips the loss by fall in the 175-pound weight class, while Peyton Jones won by major decision over Kason Dopler.

Cohen Wolford, 157-pound weight class, and Grayson Nagle, 215-pound weight class, led the charge for Wapello as they each claimed the conference crown for their respective weight class. Wolford’s win made it back-to-back conference crowns. Nagle defeated Van Buren County’s Alex Scott by fall.

New London’s Liam Garvey claimed 4th place, while Killian Kelly earned 6th place to lead the Tigers.

Up Next

Burlington Notre Dame will compete in the Regional Dual meets tomorrow, February 3rd. The boys’ district wrestling meets are scheduled for February 14th with state scheduled for February 18th through the 21st as the Nikes look to repeat as Class 2A champions. KILJ will be providing live updates throughout the day and end-of-day recaps.