Prep Girls’ Wrestling: First Round Matches for KILJ’s Local Wrestlers

By Slaten Swords · Monday, February 2nd, 2026 at 11:10 am CDT

Coralville, IA- The third annual sanctioned Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s (IGHSAU) State Wrestling tournament is returning to Xtreme Arena in Coralville on Thursday, February 5th, and wrapping up on Friday, February 6th, with 17 local southeast Iowa wrestlers vying for a spot atop the podium.

Here’s the first-round matchups for our local wrestlers broken down by class and school.

Class 1A

Van Buren County

After a successful team season that resulted in the Warriors winning the Southeast Iowa Super Conference title in its second season of existence, two wrestlers found their way to the state tournament.

In the 100-pound weight class, Brystol Wiley earned the #6 seed after winning her regional and entering the tournament with a 29-5 record. The freshman will take on Rylin Casey of Ogden, who sports a 39-11 record for the season. The winner will compete against either undefeated #3 Abigail Peterson of Denver or #14 Sawyer Rushton of Weber.

#12 Armoney Adams will have an uphill battle in the 105-pound weight class after finishing as the runner-up at regionals. Still, the sophomore enters with a 27-4 record for the season and will face off against #5 Sophia Hazen of ATU. The junior dislocated her elbow last season, missing out on the state tournament after qualifying as a freshman.

The winner will tackle either #4 Sophia Calpito of Charles City or Weber’s #13 Finley Rushton.

Wapello

The Arrows were able to qualify three for the state tournament, which includes a #1 and a #2 seed for their respective weight classes.

Three-time state qualifier, #2 Kenadee Helscher, who also collected her 100th career win earlier this year, will have her target set on #1 Ainsley Hemann of Osage after the sophomore defeated her by fall in the championship match and ruined a perfect season for the Arrow.

Helscher will again enter the tournament undefeated at 42-0 in the 105-pound weight class, as the senior attempts to end the season with a 45-0 record. She will be tasked with #15 Kayda Freeman of Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont for her first-round match. The winner will take on either #7 Dani Curiel of Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley or #10 Brielle Starkweather of North Fayette Valley.

In the 115-pound weight class, Clara Ball earned the #1-seed after going 47-3 for the season. As a freshman last year, Ball finished in 6th place in the 110-pound weight class and with no one from the top eight returning from the weight class last year, it is all hers for the taking.

Ball will wrestle #16 Khloe Neal of SH-BCLUW in the first round. The winner will face off against either #8 Cadence Kinzie of Atlantic or #9 Taryn Moore of Alburnett.

Lastly, despite winning the regional, Reese Connolly was granted the #15 seed of the 235-pound weight class. The freshman is the only one of the weight class to enter with a losing record for the season at 15-19.

She will compete against #2 Haley Armstrong of Atlantic, who is looking for an undefeated senior season. The winner will compete against either #7 Kendra Allison of Fairfield or #10 Aliyah Payne of Clarinda.

Fairfield

The Trojans will have two battling it out on the mats in the Xtreme Arena, as Samantha Lyons attempts to build upon her 4th place finish last year in the 170-pound weight class. This year, she will enter as the #2 seed with a 28-1 record, competing against the #15 seed freshman from GTRA, Harper Manwarren.

The winner will face off against #7 Afton Dean of Lamoni or #10 Sophia Stephan of Cascade.

#7 Allison needed the wrestle back to earn the runner-up position at the regional championship, but whatever it takes to earn a trip to the dance is all that is needed. She will look to improve upon her 1-2 record at state last year.

Pekin

The Panthers will also be sending three to Coralville with #6 Lexa Nelson expected to finish in the same spot she finished last year in the 105-pound weight class. The senior, who is 34-4 on the year, will tangle with #11 Kierstan McRoberts of Osage for the opening round. The winner will take on either #3 Macy Rasmussen of Audubon or #14 Brandi Houston of Davis County.

Another senior will get her shot for Pekin, as #11 Lila Miller will wrestle #6 Makenna Kurth of Waukee in the 120-pound weight class. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals against either #3 Kate Krause of Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont or #14 Amiah Lint of BGM.

In the 145-pound weight class, #4 Hailey Pedrick, who went 35-3 in her senior year regular season, will meet #13 Cara Schuette of Kuemper Catholic. The winner will compete against either #5 Paytn Haack of Emmetsburg or #12 Taya Metzger of Central Lyon-George Little Rock.

Highland

Highland will have three wrestlers at the state tournament. #2 Adley Sweeting will be looking to win the 120-pound weight class as a freshman. She enters with a 35-1 record and will compete against #15 Gracyn Stone of Louisa-Muscatine. The winner will face off against either #7 Remington Wadsworth of South Winneshiek or #10 Kiley Collins of West Liberty, the program’s second career 100 match winner.

In the 140-pound weight class, #11 Maiya Singbell will have a showdown with #6 Alexa Heffin of Garner-Hayfield in the opening round. The winner will take on either #3 Lucy Konechne of Central Lyon-George Little Rock or #14 Kimora Owens of Williamsburg.

Lastly, #12 Chloe Sexton will look to upset #5 Maren Subbert of Hampton-Dumont-CAL in the first round of the 190-pound weight class. The winner will compete against #13 Claire Schumacher of MVAOCOU/Western Iowa or #4 Ava Trende of New Hampton/Turkey Valley.

Class 2A

Fort Madison

In her senior season, Mara Smith will look to finish on the podium against after taking 4th place in the 130-pound weight class last year. Now, Smith is the #3 seed in the 140-pound weight class with a showdown against #13 Khloee Schimdt of Western Dubuque. The winner will advance to wrestle either #6 Lauryn Metcalf of Ames or Lindsay Trotter of Lewis Central.

In the 145-pound weight class, #8 Kat Diprima will compete against #9 Kerene Panya of Le Mars. Diprima went 33-5 in her junior campaign and will look to move on to the quarterfinals to take on either #1 Lizzy Wolf of Benton Community, who finished in 3rd place last year, or #16 Emma Smith of Pella.

Burlington

The Grayhounds return two top eight performers from last year’s state tournament in Amaziah Twillie and Macy Peterson, who both finished in 6th place for their respective weight classes.

Twillie will have to work to earn that position back in the 155-pound weight class, as she enters as the #7 seed. Her first-round matchup will be against #10 Halle Mosaquites of Hinton, who has more wins, 32 versus 28, and less losses, 6 versus 10, than Twillie.

The winner will wrestle either #2 Regan Jensen of Algona or #15 Jolyssa Rodes Perez of Sioux City West in the quarterfinals.

In the 170-pound weight class, Peterson is also not expected to return to her same place as last year; the junior claimed the #9 seed and will face off against #8 Aurora Lloyd of Linn-Mar in the first round. The winner will either take on last year’s 155-pound champion #1 Amalia Djoumesssi of Waverly-Shell Rock or #16 Sakina Aruna of Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

More Information

Stay tuned to KILJ for live updates for our local wrestlers throughout the day and end-of-day reviews from the two-day event. The first session will begin at 10 am on Thursday. KILJ would like to thank all of our sponsors for allowing us to cover the 2026 IGHSAU State Wrestling Tournament!

Ronald James Lamansky

By Kadie Johannson · Monday, February 2nd, 2026 at 10:42 am CDT

Ronald James Lamansky was born September 12th, 1956, with a hanky in his back pocket, a pair of vise grips in another pocket, and a hat with the logo of the company whose seed corn he was going to plant the following spring. Ron passed in his sleep on January 29th, 2026 with Westerns on the TV – like he was used to watching when he was at home. Most people knew him as Ron, but we knew him as Dad, and that is how we will refer to him from this point on. His grandson, Lincoln, would tell you that “Paca” would also be acceptable.

Dad was one of seven children born to H. Roy and Beverly (Dory) Lamansky. Dad grew up on the family farm near the sprawling metropolis of Pleasant Plain, Iowa. Dad learned young to wake up early, work hard, fix about anything with a piece of wire from the back of his truck, and predict the weather… most of the time. Later in life, he continued the hard work of farming and also construction but found enough time to raise a family, spoil grandchildren, and hone the fine art of taking a nap in his favorite chair. These naps were always aided by an old, worn-out, dilapidated pillow over his head to drown out whatever was going on in the living room at the time, including a family Christmas one year. Dad continued to farm, enjoy his family, and nap until a sudden recent illness stopped him from playing in the dirt and forced him to lie in it.

Dad participated in 4-H and FFA and somehow found time to be an outstanding athlete in football and wrestling at Fairfield High School. His dedication both on the field and on the mat earned him recognition and numerous awards. One of his three daughters was talented enough to carry on the family tradition of being an outstanding athlete, while his other children were satisfied with their collection of participation awards, lack of athletic ability, and one science fair win.

Dad married Christe Olson on May 25th,1985, in Fairfield, Iowa. They celebrated their 40th year together last year. His children are still trying to figure out how they put up with each other for that long. During the time(s) they were able to put up with each other, they became the proud owners/parents of three new daughters and one pre-owned son with, at that time, low mileage.

Dad contributed to proper child-rearing by ensuring his daughters knew how to eat ice cream from a spoon before other age-appropriate solid foods. This is probably why all his daughters have digestive issues, lactose intolerance, and probably the reason that one of them had to have their gall bladder removed.

Dad didn’t buy the grandchildren a horse, he WAS their horse. There were times Dad couldn’t assume the horsey position fast enough, and one of the kiddo’s would have their arms around his neck, already hanging on for dear life. Dad would then flail his arms, like a stallion in the wild, giving the full experience. Come to find out, Dad was receiving the full experience of being choked out by a three-year-old, and it wasn’t part of the act. We also found out that if you close your eyes while Dad was giving his ride, the sound of his knees popping on the floor sounded almost like a shod horse on concrete.

Dad didn’t know a stranger. If you took him somewhere and he wandered off, he could usually be found talking about just about anything with someone he had just befriended five minutes earlier. Dad was always willing to help someone in need or loan them anything they needed… if he could find it or remember who he had loaned it to several years ago. He was once even seen offering his hanky to someone in need. We really hope it was clean.

Dad was not a fancy dresser. His Sunday best (which he wore every day) almost always consisted of a T-shirt and any pair of denim pants with a thigh pocket for his vise grips and a back pocket for his hanky. And if it was cold out, Dad added to his wardrobe by wearing a long-sleeved shirt under his short-sleeved T-shirt, not over it, as most people would. Then there were the occasions when he would deviate from his everyday wardrobe and wear shorts, accented by knee-high white tube socks that matched his white legs and, wait for it, brown open-toe sandals. He usually wore this ensemble, yup, you guessed it, when we took him somewhere, and he wandered off and found a new friend to talk to.

Left to honor and cherish Dad’s life and memory are his wife Christe (yes this how it is spelled), his children and spouses: Cady (athlete) and Richard McCarty of Richland, Iowa; Cara (participation award recipient) and Josh Beck of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Cala (participation award recipient) and Jerred Leonard of Fairfield, Iowa; Cody (science fair winner) and Kim McCoy of Ottumwa, Iowa and his grandchildren; Madilyn and Eleanora “Rabbit” McCarty; Owen and June Beck; Lincoln and Lyla Leonard; and Quinn, Kaelin, and Kinnick McCoy. And of course we can’t forget Dad’s loyal varmint locating dog, Turbo. It is hard to believe the loyalty that Turbo continued to give after Dad accidentally grazed Turbo’s ear with an errant round during an impromptu varmint removal party at 2 AM.
Dad, thanks for being ours…we will love you forever!

Visitation for family and friends will be from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 at Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield. A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday, February 5th 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at The Elks Lodge in Fairfield. Memorials may be made to the family and sent to 2565-122nd St. Fairfield, Iowa 52556.

Extraordinary Nurses Recognized at Great River Health with DAISY Awards

By Kadie Johannson · Monday, February 2nd, 2026 at 7:18 am CDT

Great River Health awarded their first DAISY Awards for Extraordinary Nurses® of 2026. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care nurses provide patients and families every day.

The latest Great River Health DAISY Award recipients are:

  • Angela Hollingsworth, RN, works as a Case Manager for the Southeast Iowa Regional Home Health & Hospice team. Nominated by a hospice patient’s husband, Angela helped create one last meaningful surprise for his wife. This patient had been bedridden for several years, is nonverbal, and has limited eyesight. Though she was not the assigned hospice nurse, Angela learned of the patient’s lifelong love for horses and knew she had to bring her pony for a visit. Angela led her pony into the patient’s living room, where the horse gently rested its nose on the patient’s hand. Angela helped the patient touch the pony and talked quietly to her. The family watched as the patient’s face lit up, a silent, beautiful moment filled with meaning. The patient’s husband shared, “I just want to thank Angela for this special time.”
  • Senitra Howard, is a Registered Nurse on the Medical Care Unit (MCU) at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center, West Burlington, Becky, a patient on MCU, complained of a heavy feeling in her chest, and Senitra came in to evaluate her. Becky thought it was her bra putting pressure on her chest, but she was not wearing a bra, causing Senitra concern.  She wanted to contact Becky’s doctor for further assessment, but Becky was not concerned and just wanted to go to sleep.  Senitra persisted and asked to at least talk with Becky’s daughter. Becky said Senitra knew she was scared and stayed with her until her son and daughter arrived. Becky ended up getting a stent placed because of a heart attack! Becky said she cannot thank Senitra enough for what she did to help her.  Becky expressed these sentiments, “Please let my Senitra know I love her! God, love her-she was my angel!” Becky added that all the nurses who took care of her have been “absolutely wonderful!” Keeping a sense of humor is really important to Becky, and they all let her joke with them, “One cannot lose her sense of humor because sometimes it is hard to accept reality without humor to go along with it.”

A committee at Great River Health chooses the award recipients to receive The DAISY Award. Angela and Senitra were honored at a special Daisy Award ceremony in their departments, attended by the Honoree’s colleagues, patients, and visitors.  Each Honoree received a certificate commending her as an “Extraordinary Nurse.”  The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.”  Honorees also received a DAISY Award pin, and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. The Great River Health Daisy Award recipients will be featured on the Daisy Foundation website along with recipients from around the world.

Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues on an ongoing basis.

Great River Health employs over 815 nurses, providing patient care at their Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center – Fort Madison and West Burlington – campuses; along with Henry County Health Center in Mount Pleasant.

More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.

House Fire in Rural Burlington Deems Residence a Total Loss; No Injuries Reported

By Kadie Johannson · Monday, February 2nd, 2026 at 7:10 am CDT

A house fire in rural Burlington has left a home uninhabitable, but no injuries were reported.

According to the Burlington Fire Department, crews were dispatched around 11:42 Friday morning to a residence in the 13800 block of 151st Avenue in Flint River Township for a report of a house fire. Due to heavy smoke visible while crews were in route, a box alarm was called to request additional assistance.

Firefighters arrived about 14 minutes later and found smoke coming from the structure, with flames visible shortly after arrival. Crews had to relay pump water to the scene due to the home’s setback from the roadway.

The occupants were home at the time of the fire and reportedly noticed the smell of smoke before discovering the fire. Officials say there were no working smoke alarms in the home at the time.

The home was insured, and damage is still being assessed, but the residence is considered uninhabitable due to extensive damage.

The Burlington Fire Department was assisted by DESCOM, West Burlington Fire, Danville Fire, Mediapolis Fire, Gladstone Fire, the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, REC, and the American Red Cross.

No injuries were reported. The fire has been ruled accidental and any further updates will be released by the Fire Marshal if they become available.

UPDATE: Woman Found Dead in Keokuk Identified – No Foul Play Suspected

By Kadie Johannson · Monday, February 2nd, 2026 at 7:00 am CDT

Updated on 2/3/26: The woman found dead in Keokuk on Saturday morning has been identified as 35-year-old Danielle Clark of Keokuk.

 

Original from 2/2/26: Keokuk Police are investigating the death of a woman found unresponsive on a city sidewalk Saturday morning.

According to a press release from the Keokuk Police Department, Officers were dispatched at approximately 8:05 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2026 to the 1300 block of South 7th Street after a report of an unresponsive female lying on the sidewalk. Officers arrived within a minute and observed no signs of life.

Authorities say there were no visible indications of life-threatening injuries. The woman was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel.

Police emphasize there is no ongoing threat to the public related to this incident.

The woman’s identity is being withheld currently pending notification of family members. Additional details may be released as the investigation continues.

The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation has been requested to assist the Keokuk Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division.

Sports, February 2nd

By Slaten Swords · Monday, February 2nd, 2026 at 6:37 am CDT

High School Basketball

Mt. Pleasant split their home showdown with Mediapolis over the weekend, with the girls’ team falling 76-36 and the boys’ team crushing the Bulldogs 68-35. Grace Holsteen dropped 30 points in the girls’ game. The Panther boys’ team hit a school-record 68.3% of their shots against the Bulldogs with Isaiah Lange’s 17 point/10 rebound double-double leading the way. Will Luttenegger scored 11 points in the losing effort. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will travel to Marion tonight at 7:15 pm. 

Mediapolis will face off against Fort Madison tonight at home with game one at 6 pm. 

The Fairfield girls’ team will host Mt. Pleasant tomorrow, February 3rd, at 7:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm.

Central Lee was swept by Keokuk over the weekend with the girls’ team losing 72-52 and the boys’ team folding 68-49. 

The Van Buren County girls’ team won their weekend matchup against Clark County, 45-35, while the boys’ team fell 68-51. 

New London will attempt to bounce back tonight at Cardinal with the night beginning at 6 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will take on Columbus tonight with the girls’ teams playing at 6 pm. 

Burlington Notre Dame will compete against Pella Christian at home tonight with the girls’ team playing at 6 pm.

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

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

Tomorrow, 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.

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, February 6th. 

High School Wrestling

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference boys’ teams had their conference tournament over the weekend and Burlington Notre Dame made it back-to-back conference titles with a dominant 267.5 points followed by Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union with 152 points.

The Nikes finished the meet with seven conference champions: Kohen Dietzenbach, who is 34-0, Rowan Berndt, Ryan Rose, Colt Boyles, Tate Sherwood, Kael Cook, and Joey Glendening. 

Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union collected a handful of silver medals with Justin Knipfer, Bowen Thomson, Trevor Phillips, and Kason Dopler each claiming a 2-1 record. 

Mediapolis’ Kyler Crow went 3-0 in the 175-pound weight class to add another conference championship to his mantle, while Peyton Johnson won by major decision in the 190-pound weight class to nab the gold. 

Wapello had a pair of conference champions in Cohen Wolford, who won by technical fall in the 157-pound weight class, and Grayson Nagle, who pinned both of his opponents in the 215-pound weight class. 

Lastly, WACO’s Ian Maize fell to Dietzenbach by a narrow 5-2 decision in the championship match of the 113-pound weight class, while Harley Larrimore finished as the runner-up in the 150-pound weight class. Leo Jirak and Alex Scott of Van Buren County each took 2nd place in their respective weight classes, while New London’s Liam Garvey led the team with a 4th place finish. 

Burlington Notre Dame will travel to Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont for the Regional Dual Semifinals tomorrow, February 3rd, 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 Mt. Pleasant boys’ team competed in the Southern Iowa Classic over the weekend and the Panthers took 3rd place with 139.5 points, following Fort Madison and Fairfield, respectively. 

Aven Beauchamp, Levi Evans, and Ramzy Davis of Mt. Pleasant rallied for 1st place in their respective weight classes. Fairfield also had a trio of gold medal winners in Jasper Carpenter, Dusty Haynes, and Dain Burkhart. 

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 14 local wrestlers. 

High School Bowling

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will compete at the Class 2A Region 4 state qualifier today at Clinton, while the West Burlington girls’ team will host Fairfield and Central Lee for the Class 1A Region 8 state qualifier.

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will travel to Keokuk tomorrow, February 3rd, 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 fell to Iowa Western Community College over the weekend, 85-63. Ariana Aguilar tabbed a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Blackhawks will host Des Moines Area Community College on Wednesday, February 4th, at 5:30 pm.

The men’s basketball team surged past Malcom X College, 91-82, over the weekend. Prophet Fields cashed in for 21 points. The Blackhawks will take on Sauk Valley Community College at 7 pm on Wednesday at home. 

College Basketball

The Iowa State women’s team defeated UCF 65-52. Jada Williams collected 23 points in the winning effort. The Cyclones will travel to Utah on Saturday, February 7th, at 6 pm.

The #8 Iowa women’s team lost to #2 UCLA yesterday, 88-65. Ava Heiden scored 19 points in the loss. The Hawkeyes will host Minnesota on Thursday, February 5th, at 6 pm.

The Iowa men’s team drubbed Oregon last night, 84-66. Bennett Stirtz was unstoppable, claiming 32 points and dishing out seven assists. The Hawkeyes will stay on the west coast to play Washington at 10 pm on Wednesday, February 4th. 

The #8 Iowa State men’s team cruised to their largest margin of victory in a road conference game in program history over the weekend in a 95-61 clubbing of Kansas State. Joshua Jefferson led the team with 19 points. The Cyclones will take on Baylor at home at 1 pm on Saturday.

This Day in Sports History

1892 – Professional boxers Harry Sharpe and Frank Crosby took part in the longest boxing match fought with modern rules. Sharpe won the match, which went on for more than five hours, by knockout in the 77th round.

1970 – Pete Maravich becomes the first to score 3,000 college basketball points. 

1997 – Scotty Bowman becomes first coach in NHL history to win 1,000 games.

February 2, 2026 – February 8, 2026

By Slaten Swords · Sunday, February 1st, 2026 at 10:26 am CDT
02/01/26
Belated - Tina Matthews
02/02/26
Tony Maxwell
02/02/26
Jim Swailes
02/03/26
Wyatt Gatlin
02/03/26
Angie McCall
02/03/26
Marcus Moothart
02/03/26
Barb Kennedy
02/03/26
Theodore Miller
02/03/26
Guy Sammons (Belated)
02/04/26
Steve Sammons
02/04/26
Shari Cline
02/04/26
Cindy Ridinger
02/04/26
Tim Griest
02/05/26
Krista Mills
02/05/26
Barb Rich
02/05/26
Mackenzie Van Amerongen
02/05/26
Charli Burns
02/05/26
Derek Braun
02/05/26
Dave Ackles
02/05/26
Randee Duncan
02/05/26
Jeff Johnson
02/05/26
Addison Krutsinger
02/06/26
Heidi Riepe (80th)
02/06/26
James Haffarnan
02/06/26
Vivian Bjork
02/06/26
Leonard Hesseltine
02/06/26
Jim Haffarnan
02/06/26
William Bensmiller
02/07/26
Cindy Rauscher
02/07/26
Susan DuWulf
02/08/26
Mark Stalder
02/08/26
Kelly White
02/08/26
Lee Penebaker
02/08/26
Marc & Maureen Lindeen *Anniversary
02/07/26
Hannah Sturm

Henry County Caucuses & SE Iowa Days on the Hill

By Slaten Swords · Saturday, January 31st, 2026 at 6:50 am CDT

2026 Caucuses are planned for Henry County on Monday, February 2nd!  Area Republicans and Democrats say caucuses play an important role in the political process.  Local residents have a voice in shaping party priorities, selecting delegates and participating locally.  Doors for the caucus open at 6pm with activities beginning at 7pm.  The following are the caucus locations:

For Republicans, caucus sites vary by precinct:

  • Precinct 1: Waco High School Library at 706 N Pearl St, Wayland, IA 52654
  • Precinct 2: Winfield Veterans Building at 116 N Locust St, Winfield, IA 52659
  • Precinct 3: Salem Elementary School at 412 E Jackson St, Salem, IA 52649
  • Precincts 4-7: First United Methodist Church of Mount Pleasant at 309 N Main St, Mount Pleasant, IA 52641
  • Precinct 8: Salem Elementary School at 412 E Jackson St, Salem, IA 52649
  • Precinct 9: New London Community Center at 103 W Washington St, New London, IA 52645

Henry County Democrats will hold all of their precinct caucuses at the First Presbyterian Church in Mount Pleasant located at 902 South Walnut Street.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and caucus activities begin at 7 p.m. Participants can register when they arrive if needed.

All of these locations plus party contact information is available at KILJ.com under the news tab or on community calendar for Monday, February 2nd.  KILJ’s Kadie Johannson will be travelling to Des Moines next week on February 4th and 5th for Southeast Iowa days on the hill.

Each year, more than 100 delegates from Southeast Iowa travel to the State Capitol in Des Moines for a two-day advocacy experience. Participants are provided an opportunity to interact with state lawmakers to discuss regional priorities and advocate for targeted investments that support growth. The agenda includes a luncheon with all attendees and evening networking reception with Iowa lawmakers —often featuring top voices from both parties and chambers. It’s a unique opportunity to build relationships, elevate our region’s voice, and make a lasting impact on policy decisions. Stay tuned to KILJ Radio News for Kadie’s reports.