At 6:14pm on July 25, 2023, Burlington Police Officers were dispatched to the intersection of South 8th and Elm Streets on a report of gunshots. Officers were told a male had fired shots at a silver Ford Edge as it drove by the intersection. Numerous shell casings were found in the intersection but the targeted vehicle had left the scene. A short time later, employees from the Dollar General Store located at 1015 Division advised a man named Terrance Gordon, arrived there with a gunshot wound to his torso. Officers discovered the injured male had arrived there in a silver Ford Edge that had been struck by multiple bullets. The victim was transported to Southeast Iowa Medical Center with serious injuries.

During the investigation, officers were told Immanuel Johnson, 17, and Hamazah Tandia, 16, were involved in the shooting. Detectives were able to observe video footage from a vehicle’s dash camera that showed Johnson hand a handgun off to Tandia, who then shot into the vehicle numerous times.

Officers located Johnson and took him into custody after a brief foot chase. Johnson was found to be in possession of a handgun at the time of his apprehension. Tandia has not been located but arrest warrants have been obtained for his arrest.

As a result, Imanuel Lovell Johnson, 17, was charged with Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon (Class C Felony), and Willful Injury (Class C Felony).

Hamazah Tandia, 16, has warrants for Attempted Murder (Class B felony), Intimidation With A Dangerous Weapon (Class C Felony), and Willful Injury (Class C felony). Tandia should be considered armed and dangerous. If you have information about Hamazah Tandia’s whereabouts, call Crime Stoppers at 319-753-6835. If your tip leads to his arrest, you will be eligible for a reward of up to $1000.00

With August quickly approaching, it’s easy to forget that there is still plenty of fun to be had this summer. The Winfield Crooked Creek days are a sure way to enjoy some time before summer gives way to fall. Starting at 5:00 pm on Friday, August 4^th with a meal at Twin Lakes Country Club and ending with a car show and trophy presentation on Sunday, August 6^th, there is fun to be had for the whole family.

In fact, Crooked Creek Days has been in operation since 1994, and this year the theme is “Build It, They Will Come.” While there may not be any baseball legends hitting homeruns, this is a great way for friends, family, and community to join together with plenty of activities to keep them entertained. If you enjoy running, there is a 5k run on Saturday at 8:30 am. Cool off with a water balloon toss, and even an escape room if you want to put your detective skills to the test.

The Crooked Creek Days of Winfield is a three-day event and is sure to bring smiles to all.

It feels weird to say, but summer is slipping away as August approaches. Back to school will be on everyone’s minds, and that means school supplies. Countless pencils, pens, erasers, and binders need to be bought, on top of all the other needs.  The Fellowship Cup is hosting a Back to School supply distribution on August 14^th from 10:00am to 2:00pm. They will provide basic school supplies for each grade level, and all you need to do is show up! Parents are still responsible for purchasing any additional supplies requested on individual school and grade level lists. This will be in the Community Room at the Fellowship Cup at 203 N. Jefferson St in Mt. Pleasant.

If you’d like to help out by donating items, they are in need of 1 inch, 2 inch, and 3 inch binders, as well as filler paper (wide rule) with 3 holes. They are also in need of dry erase markers. You can drop these items off at the Fellowship Cup on Monday’s and Thursday’s from 8:00am until 4:00pm. If those days don’t work, please call ahead to arrange drop off.

For more information, just call 319 385 3242.

There was an apparent structure fire on July 26^th in the evening. While details at this time are limited, we do know that this occurred at 402 N Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, and that there were many agencies involved including Mt. Pleasant Fire, Mt. Pleasant Police Department, Mt. Pleasant Utilities, and EMS was brought on scene as well. The police blocked off access to the intersection around 9:15.

KILJ now has an update to this situation.

At approximately 8:44pm on July 26^th, a report of a house fire in Mt. Pleasant brought firefighters to the scene. Upon arrival at 402 N Main St, the first engine reported fire on the southeast corner on the first level of a two-story house. They did an initial knockdown of the fire, and then the second crew arrived to assist. The fire was quickly extinguished, however, due to the extreme heat and smoke from the fire, fire crews believed it best to search the entire house for hotspots.

Mutual aid crews from New London and Salem were dispatched for additional manpower. 25 firefighters, 4 engines, and two command vehicles were on scene for “about 3 hours.”

This fire is currently under investigation.

The Fire Chief would like to thank the community members for their support by bringing drinking water for all the firefighters. “This kind gesture confirms that we have the greatest communities in SE Iowa.”

At the Mt. Pleasant City Council meeting on Wednesday, July 26^th, a public hearing was held on the appeal of Dangerous or Vicious Animal determination.

A dog went through the inside door and screen door of a house after it was left open by accident. The dog proceeded to attack and bite a mail carrier. The owner of the dog spoke at the meeting, saying that the dog has gone 13 years without an incident and that he is not a dangerous animal, and then requested that title to be taken down. The resident took all the blame for not shutting the door, and it must have been that they were at a new residence that scared the dog. The man did take him to the vet immediately and was told that the dog was healthy.

The Council ultimately voted on removing the dog from the city limits to avoid future problems, voting unanimously. The resident now must relocate the dog “as soon as possible” and inform the police when the dog is no longer in the city.

The Westland Mall in West Burlington will no longer host Marshalls. The large department store will be moving to a new building at 3320 E Agency Road. Situated right by Planet Fitness and across the Hobby Lobby, store-goers can expect the current location to be closed down by August 20^th. However, they need not fret as the grand opening of the new location is set for August 24^th, 2023!

Jeremy Hess, director of economic development for the Greater Burlington Partnership confirmed the move himself.