Sports: July 7th

By Slaten Swords · Friday, July 7th, 2023 at 6:23 am CDT

High School Postseason Softball

In Class 4A Region 6, Keokuk was the location of heartbreak central as the Chiefs took down Mt. Pleasant 8-7 last night. Keokuk put the first two runs on the board off of an RBI single by Ada Wood and a sacrifice by Gracie Thompson. Saige Burchett flipped the script with a 3-run homer in the second inning to give the Panthers a 3 to 2 lead. The Chiefs tied the game in the third inning.

Burchett continued dominating at the plate as she demolished another ball over the left field fence to take back the lead and an RBI for Ella McNamee gave the Panthers an insurance run to lead 5 to 3. McNamee would add another RBI in the 6th with Jayden Housh making it 7 to 3 Panthers. The Chiefs would score one in the bottom of the 6th inning before pushing across 4 runs in the bottom of the 7th inning including the game winning bases loaded walk to punch their ticket to the next round. 

The Panthers finished the season with a 5-25 record. The Chiefs will take on Norwalk tomorrow, July 8th.

In Class 1A Region 8, Sigourney and Wapello will face off tomorrow at 7 pm with the winner going to the regional championship. 

In Class 3A Region 8, Washington’s 4 RBI performance by Haley Mitchell helped propel the Demons past Central Lee 10-1 yesterday. The Hawks end the season with a 21-8 record. The Demons will take on Assumption tomorrow at 7 pm.

It took 9 innings, but West Burlington snuck out with the 2-1 win over Fairfield last night. Lauren Summers went all 9 innings in the circle as she fanned 12 Trojans on her way to the win. Fairfield ended the season with a 13-15 record. The Falcons will face off against West Liberty tomorrow at 7 pm on the road.

In Class 4A Region 6, Knoxville beat Fort Madison yesterday 3-2. The Bloodhounds finished the season with a 16-13 record. The Panthers will travel to take on Burlington tomorrow. 

High School Postseason Baseball

In Class 1A Substate 5: District 9, Burlington Notre Dame will take on Moravia tomorrow, July 8th, at 7 pm. KILJ will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

In Class 2A Substate 5: District 10, Van Buren County handled Winfield-Mt. Union last night 12-0. Anthony Duncan, Tyler Stoltz, and Dylan Richardson each collected 2 RBIs. The Wolves finished the season with a 6-14 record. 

Mediapolis breezed past Central Lee 11-1 yesterday to move on to the next round where the Bulldogs will take on the Warriors in the district championship tomorrow at 7 pm.

In Class 3A Substate 4, Washington will take on the #2 seed Davenport Assumption at 5 pm.

In Class 3A Substate 5, we will see a Southeast Conference matchup to start off the playoffs with Mt. Pleasant hosting Fairfield at 7 pm. KILJ will be on the call with pregame at 6:45 pm. 

Fort Madison will travel to take on Benton and Keokuk is on the road to face off against Cedar Rapids Xavier with both games taking place at 7 pm.

Class 4A will have 8 substates and brackets of 6 teams. Each team will have an opponent for the first round with the highest winning seed getting a bye to the next round. Burlington will take on North Scott in Substate 6 as the #4 seed.

The first round for Class 3A and 4A will take place tonight. 

Mt. Pleasant Cross Country

On Mondays and Wednesdays, runs will begin at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre at 6:30 am.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, runs will start at 7 pm at Saunders Park by the swimming pool.

The runs will continue throughout the summer until the middle of August. If you have any questions, reach out to Coach Murray at 319-850-0867.

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees will face off against the Quincy Gems tonight.

The Clinton LumberKings defeated the Quincy Gems last night 10-5. Tate Gillen went 2 for 3 with a double and a home run to lead the winning effort with 6 RBIs. The LumberKings will have a doubleheader tomorrow, July 8th, against the Normal CornBelters.

This Day in Sports History

1912 – American athlete Jim Thorpe wins 4 of 5 events to win the Pentathlon gold medal at the Stockholm Olympics, medal stripped 1913 (played pro baseball), reinstated 1982.

1934 – Mary Hirsch, daughter of 3-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Max Hirsch, becomes the  first woman to be licensed to train thoroughbred horses in the United States.

1985 – Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Boris Becker beats South African Kevin Curren 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 to become the youngest man (17) to win a Wimbledon singles title.

Burlington, West Burlington, and Keokuk, Awarded Tax Credits and HOME Program Loans

By Yorke Prough · Friday, July 7th, 2023 at 6:20 am CDT

The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors recently awarded a total of more than $15 million in federal housing tax credits and HOME program loans to support the construction and rehabilitation of a total of 410 affordable rental homes for Iowans. The awards were made to 11 rental housing projects, notably in Burlington, West Burlington, and Keokuk.

 

“Housing is foundational to the economic mobility of Iowans and the strength of our communities,” said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Debi Durham. “The financing announced today will provide hundreds of Iowa families and seniors with homes in which they can thrive in communities all throughout the state.”

 

“Not only will the new Keokuk Family Flats provide an additional 47 rental homes in our community, but it will also be a tremendous catalyst for economic ripple effects as more of our workforce will be able to live near where they work,” said City of Keokuk Mayor Kathie Mahoney.

 

Housing Tax Credits
The Internal Revenue Service makes an annual per capita allocation of federal tax credits to each state for the Federal Housing Tax Credit program. The Iowa Finance Authority is charged with allocating those credits to affordable housing developers. The developers who receive tax credits sell them to investors to generate equity for the housing developments.

 

View Award Listing Here

Chuck Grassley Visit to Mount Pleasant

By Yorke Prough · Friday, July 7th, 2023 at 6:15 am CDT

Thursday, July 6th U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley held a Henry County town hall meeting at Access Energy Cooperative in Mount Pleasant as part of his 99-county tour. Many constituents were in attendance as well as city, county, and state officials. A wide range of topics were discussed as Grassley opened his remarks stating, “There are no inappropriate questions; I don’t get those from Iowans.”

 

Some topics brought up by the attendees that affect Iowans were rural internet access, our ongoing relationship with China, and robo calls. Grassley’s response to a question on rural internet access included information about the Infrastructure bill which allocated $65 billion over the next 5 or 6 years for broadband expansion across the country. Iowa was awarded $415 million for the effort. Grassley said the bill was passed two years ago, but the money still hasn’t filtered down yet.

 

Our complex relationship with China was another hot topic, especially when talking about trade with China – imports and exports. Iowa exports about 40% of our pork to China, but that number has been decreasing. Remarks from the crowd stated a growing concern for what that will do to our economy here. Grassley couldn’t speak with certainty on the future of our trade relationship with China but did mention that our dependency on China for pharmaceutical drugs and ingredients, as well as personal protective equipment like masks and gowns, is a growing concern which was highlighted during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

 

Lastly a constituent asked what was being done about those dreaded robo calls. The crowd groaned in agreement. Grassley remarked they have passed legislation that has cracked down on robo calls and spam but admitted it hasn’t eliminated them stating, “Clearly, more needs to be done.”

 

This town hall was the only town hall open to the public on his schedule for this week, crossing off 47 of the 99 counties in Iowa he represents. KILJ asked the Senator if this town hall was a typical of the discussions he’s been having as he tours the state.

Prep Softball: Final Rankings for the Season

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, July 6th, 2023 at 4:52 pm CDT

Prep Softball- The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released their final rankings for Class 3A through Class 5A as the playoffs get underway tonight.

Williamsburg has been the team to beat in Class 3A as they finished as the top team with Davenport Assumption being ranked 2nd. However, Mt. Vernon tripped during the last week of the season as they were swept by Benton, 8-6 and 10-2, along with a loss to North Scott and Fort Dodge the Mustangs went from 3rd to 7th. Wahlert Catholic’s win over the #7 ranked team in Class 4A, Xavier, resulted in them vaulting into the #3 slot. Due to Benton’s strong end to the season, they jumped up the rankings from 11th to 6th. Grinnell and West Liberty fell out of the top 15. Washington took the #14 spot with Sumer-Fredericksburg rounding out the top 15. The Demons are led by the power bat of Ella Greiner who has 5 home runs on the season along with 39 RBIs.

In Class 4A, Carlisle’s 5-4 record in their last 9 games resulted in the Wildcats losing their crown as North Polk is atop the list with a 28-4 record. Beyond some teams swapping positions, the rankings were constant from last week. Burlington locked in at the #12 spot. Gilbert was replaced by Clear Creek-Amana in the #14 spot.

Ankeny Centennial’s 31-5 record on the season cemented the Jaguars as the top team in Class 5A. Ankeny hopped over Waukee Northwest after the Wolves were swept by the #4 team in Class 4A Norwalk to end the season. #9 Pleasant Valley and #4 Muscatine faced off last week, which resulted in the Muskies being swept and being dropped to #7 and Pleasant Valley up to #6. Dubuque Senior replaced Des Moines Lincoln in the #13 slot. Waukee ranks 14th despite their 16-22 record.

Melvin George

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, July 6th, 2023 at 4:19 pm CDT

Melvin (Mel) Eugene George, 83, of Lockridge, IA formerly of Hamilton, Illinois, received his Crown of Life Friday, May 5, 2023 at Jefferson County Hospital in Fairfield, Iowa surrounded by his family.  Melvin was born at home in Belknap, Iowa on February 7, 1940 to John (Tiny) and Edith Mae Johnson George.  Melvin was later raised on a farm in Lockridge, Iowa.  He went to school in Lockridge and graduated in 1959 from Fairfield High School in Fairfield, Iowa.  Melvin then graduated from DeVry Institute in Chicago with a degree in electronics.  On August 18, 1962, he married Judy Maxine Prickett at First Baptist Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.  They later moved to Hamilton, Illinois.  Melvin started working for Deb Daugherty for seven years, then in 1969 he bought Daugherty’s TV from Deb.  He later built his home in rural Hamilton where he and his lovely wife raised their three kids.

Melvin was a member of First Lutheran Church in Keokuk, Iowa where he served as elder, church council president and a trustee.  He also enjoyed singing in the church choir.  Being an expert in electronic, Melvin also served his congregation by keeping the sound system up to date.  Later in life they moved to Lockridge, Iowa and became members of Word of Life Lutheran Church in Fairfield.  He was a lifetime member of Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International and the NRA.  In 1977 he and Pastor Harold Meyers started Christ Vision, a low power Christian television station in Keokuk where he served as an electronic engineer.  Melvin was a member of the Hamilton Jaycees and became a member of the Deer Run Golf Course in Hamilton in 1972.  In 1994 Melvin and Judy took a short-term mission trip to Jamaica.  His hobbies included fishing, hunting, gardening (canning), bird watching, country line dancing with his wife, and tinkering with things.  He especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren.

Survivors include his sons; Mark (Armilda) of Hamilton and Marty (Sue) of Fremont, Iowa; daughter Joni (Mike) Wikman of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; and an adopted daughter Cathy Giberson of Fairfield, Iowa; eight grandchildren, Josiah, Geoffery, Noah, Hannah, Caleb, Lauren, Joshua and Paige; sister-in-law Karen George Herzog of Northfield, MN; sisters-in-law Shirley Giberson of Hillsboro and Barb Prickett of Salem; brothers-in-law Gary Prickett of Burlington and Randy Prickett of Salem; and several nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his wife Judy; his parents; brother John; brothers-in-law James Prickett, Ronald Prickett, and Dewight Giberson; and sisters-in-law Rose Prickett, Deborah Prickett, and Brenda Prickett.

A Celebration of Life for Mr. George will be held at 10:30 am, July 15, 2023 at Word of Life Church, Fairfield, with Pastor Jason Christensen officiating.

Memorials to assist with funeral expenses may be directed to:  Martin George, 260 S. Miles, Fremont, Iowa 52561.  Elliott Chapel, New London, is assisting the family with arrangements and online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.

Bryce Sena

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, July 6th, 2023 at 4:18 pm CDT

Bryce William Sena, 30, of Danville, formerly of Burlington, died Thursday, July 6, 2023 at his home in Danville.  He was born March 10, 1993 in Mt. Pleasant to Marcus Darrell Sena and Angela Joan Mullin.  He was a 2011 graduate of Burlington High School and was of the Christian faith.

He worked for seven years at Tenneco in Burlington.  Bryce enjoyed fishing, grilling, racing, four-wheeling, and watching NASCAR and sprint races at Knoxville.  He especially loved spending time with family, and his son Zeppelin.

Survivors include his son Zeppelin William Sena; his mother Angela Mullin of Burlington; father Marcus Sena of West Burlington; grandparents Carol and William Mullin of Sperry; great-grandmother Joyce Dickey of Donnellson; half-sister Kayla Stafford; half-brother Josh Cook; uncle Jesse (Mandi) Mullin of Mt. Union; many other aunts and uncles; and cousins Broc and Cody.  He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, and cousin Drew Mullin.

Visitation will begin at noon on July 21, 2023 at Elliott Chapel with the family receiving friends from 5:00 – 8:00 PM.  Funeral services for Bryce will be held at 11:00 am, July 22, 2023 at the Chapel with a luncheon immediately following at the Mt. Union United Methodist Church.  According to his wishes, his body will be cremated and inurnment will be held at Trinity Cemetery at a later date.

Memorials have been established for his son, Zeppelin; and for Mental Health Awareness.  Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.

RAISE Grant Award To Fund Bridge in Mt Pleasant

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, July 6th, 2023 at 4:05 pm CDT

The US Department of Transportation has announced a RAISE grant award of $24.76 million for the construction of nine County bridges in Iowa. The RAISE grant stands for “Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity”.

Henry County’s 235th Street Bridge over Big Creek located on Business 34, west of Mt, Pleasant is one of the nine bridges included in the grant. The estimated cost for replacement of the Henry County Bridge is $5,000,000. The grant will pay for 4 million, which is 80%. The remainder of the funds will be paid through the County’s Farm to Market fund.

The plan is to construct the Henry County bridge in FY 25 • as an approximate eight-month project,

Nine Iowa Counties worked together with HDR Consulting a three-month period collaborating information, graphs, letters of recommendation from local entities and man, zoom meetings to submit a large packet to the federal government. The other counties included in the award are Clay, Crawford, Lee, Lucas, Page, Pottawattamie, Mitchell, and Wright.

 

Iowans Selling Hay and Straw

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, July 6th, 2023 at 10:55 am CDT
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship offers a free, searchable online directory to connect Iowa farmers who have hay or straw to sell with buyers who are interested in purchasing it.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is encouraging farmers or those with hay or straw to sell to update their listing at least once per year or as they have new inventories to offer. Organizations associated with promoting and marketing hay and straw can also access the free, online tool.

“Building markets for Iowa products is a priority for us, and the Hay and Straw Directory is a free, searchable online tool that connects Iowa sellers with both in-state and out-of-state buyers,” said Secretary Naig. “The Hay and Straw Directory is most effective and useful when it includes updated information, so I would encourage those with hay or straw to sell to make your updates now.”

To search by product and county, visit the online directory.

Anyone can view the hay and straw directory, but only Iowa sellers can be included on the list.

If you are an Iowan interested in selling hay or straw or need to update your information, you can do so by creating an account in the online system. You may also contact Judy Allison with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at 515-281-8604 or judy.allison@iowaagriculture.gov.