State of Iowa Launches New Behavioral Health and Disability Services Systems

By Allison Jacobs · Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025 at 6:42 am CDT

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services launched its newly redesigned Behavioral Health and Disability Services Systems—making it easier for Iowans across the state to get the care they need.

Iowans can access mental health, substance use, problem gambling, and disability support services through a new, statewide Behavioral Health Service System.

The system is supported by the Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organization, run by the Iowa Primary Care Association. That means less red tape for providers—and more time focused on patients.

Iowans can also get 24/7 support through Your Life Iowa, offering help via phone by calling 988, text, or online chat. And now, Behavioral Health System Navigators are available to connect people to services in their local communities.

For disability services, the state is rolling out new Disability Access Points, or DAPs, as part of the Aging and Disability Resource Center Network. These DAPs will help Iowans, and their families find services, make referrals, and build plans for independent living.

Governor Kim Reynolds says the goal is to ensure every Iowan has access to the care they need, no matter where they live. And Iowa HHS Director Kelly Garcia calls it a major step toward a more person-centered approach.

To learn more about the new systems, visit hhs.iowa.gov.

To learn more about Iowa’s Behavioral Health Service System visit: hhs.iowa.gov/ibhss

To learn more about Iowa’s Disability Service System, visit: hhs.iowa.gov/disability-service-system

Sports, July 2nd

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025 at 6:32 am CDT

High School Baseball

Mt. Pleasant clobbered West Burlington last night 13-2 behind J.C. Sitar’s second home run of the season as his three RBIs led the team. Ayden Figuereo finished the game with three hits and an RBI for the Falcons. West Burlington ends the regular season with an 8-11 record.

Mt. Pleasant will host #2 Sigourney tonight at 7 pm.

Central Lee walked-off Danville last night in an uncharacteristically low scoring contest with a 2-1 final. Gage VanAusdall and Chase Johnson each tabbed an RBI in the winning effort. Jaden Bauer had shut down the Hawks offense for 6.1 innings, allowing only six hits and striking out seven.

Central Lee will travel to Keokuk tonight at 7:30 pm.

Wapello fell to Highland last night 11-1.

Fairfield’s 11 runs were not enough to sink the Clippers as Clear Creek Amana put up 17 runs in the victory. Aiden Westercamp knocked home three runs as Luke Konczal continued to slug the ball with two doubles and two RBIs. The Trojans will face off against Burlington tomorrow, July 3rd, at 7:30 pm with the winner taking the Southeast Conference championship.

In what should have been their toughest game of the season, #5 Mediapolis demolished Class 1A’s #2 Sigourney last night 12-0. The Bulldogs will play Cascade tonight in a doubleheader on the road to end their regular season.

Winfield-Mt. Union got back in the win column last night after defeating Lone Tree 5-1. Tyson Kaalberg swatted a double for three RBIs in the winning effort. The Wolves will host Pekin tonight at 5:30 pm.

Van Buren County will celebrate their Senior Night tonight at 5:30 pm against Davis County.

Postseason Baseball Brackets

In Class 1A Substate 5 District 10, Danville and Van Buren County will be heading off to Moravia for the Saturday, July 5th, doubleheader. The Bears will square off against Moravia at 7 pm, while Van Buren County will start off the night at 5 pm.

On the bottom half of the bracket, Burlington Notre Dame will venture to New London to face off against Keota at 5 pm, while New London will host the nightcap against Wapello at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call for both games with the pregame show at 4:45 pm.

Moving to Class 2A Substate 4 District 7, Mediapolis earned a bye and will host the winner between West Liberty and Camanche on July 8th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Substate 5 District 9, West Burlington and Louisa-Muscatine will meet up in Wilton at 5 pm in the battle of the Falcons. Winfield-Mt. Union will take on the hosts at 7 pm, where the winner will advance to compete against Central Lee on July 8th at 5 pm at Chariton Middle School.

For Class 3A Substate 5, Washington will face off against Assumption on the road. In Substate 6, Mt. Pleasant will travel to play Fairfield for the fourth time this season, while Keokuk will take on Pella and Fort Madison will venture to Xavier with both games on the road. 

For Class 4A Substate 3, Burlington grabbed the #4-seed and will hit the road to compete against the #3-seed Muscatine.

Classes 3A and 4A will start postseason action on July 11th with first pitch at 7 pm. 

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant could not stop scoring last night in a 17-10 thrashing of West Burlington/Notre Dame. Chaley Cook got the win in the circle and produced one of the team’s five doubles to bring home four runs. 

Mt. Pleasant will head back home tonight to square off against Davis County with first pitch at 7 pm.

West Burlington/Notre Dame will take on Burlington in a road doubleheader tonight with game one at 5 pm.

Wapello’s three-game winning streak was snapped in a 4-1 loss to Highland last night. The Arrows will compete against Northeast tonight at home at 5 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic crushed WACO last night 23-4.

WACO will travel to Highland tonight at 5:30 pm.

New London will face off against Holy Trinity Catholic tonight at 7 pm at home.

Kennedy Woepking nearly lifted Columbus to victory herself against Pekin, clouting a home run and tallying six RBIs in the 15-6 rout of the Panthers. The Wildcats end the regular season with a 12-11 record. 

Danville could not upset Central Lee last night in their regular season finale, losing 3-0 to the Hawks. 

Central Lee will make the trip to Keokuk tonight with first pitch at 7 pm.

Van Buren County will hit the road to take on Centerville tonight at 7 pm.

Fairfield will take on Burlington at home tomorrow, July 3rd, at 7:30 pm.

Mediapolis will host Davis County on July 8th at 5:30 pm.

Postseason Softball

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the postseason brackets for all five classes, here’s a look at our local matchups. 

For Class 1A Region 1, game one on July 7th will pin WACO against Wapello at 7 pm with the Arrows getting a home game. The winner of the matchup will play Holy Trinity Catholic at West Point South Park on July 9th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Region 2, Van Buren County will host Danville on July 7th at 7 pm with the winner advancing to play #2 Louisa-Muscatine on July 9th in a road showdown.

Also playing on day one will be New London/Winfield-Mt. Union, as the Tigers will make the pilgrimage to Pella Christian High School to face off against the Eagles. The winner will take on Wilton in the quarterfinals.

Columbus earned a bye and a home game with the Wildcats gearing up for a contest with Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on July 9th at 7 pm in the top half of the bracket with Louisa-Muscatine expected to host the July 11th contest in the semifinals if both teams advance.

On the bottom half of the Class 4A Region 3 bracket, it is a repeat of the season opener as Mt. Pleasant will travel west to face off against Oskaloosa. The Panthers struck first that night with a two-run homer off the bat of Paityn Ensminger, but could not keep the momentum going as they fell 11-3. KILJ will be on the call.

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees allowed 10 runs in the first inning to the Quincy Doggy Paddlers before falling 18-8 in eight innings. Caleb Seibers knocked a double and brought home two runs. 

The Clinton LumberKings defeated the Normal CornBelters last night 10-5. Kaden Frommelt clocked a two-run homer in the winning effort. 

The Bees and LumberKings will meet at Community Field tonight with game time at 6:30 pm for the first game of a three-game series. 

2025 Prospect League All-Star Game

The Burlington Bees will be sending five players to the 2025 Prospect League All-Star game being held in Springfield on Tuesday, July 8th, at 6:30 pm at Robin Roberts Stadium.

Kooper Schulte has been showing off his power at the plate with 13 extra-base hits, which ranks second in the league, tied for the league lead in triples, and his 24 RBIs puts him in the top 10 for the league. Schulte will also participate in the Homerun Derby.

Caleb Siebers has brought home 17 runs, while scoring 17 runs himself, and he’s clocked four homers.

Mason Schwalbach has collected 16RBIs thanks to his batting average sitting near 0.400 for the season, including six extra-base hits.

Two guys on the mound that claimed a spot on the All-Star team are Braeden Sunken and Kaelen Clarkson.

Sunken has recorded five saves, which ranks second in the league, in 11 appearances, posting a 2-1 record with 3.14 ERA. Clarkson, a lefty, has thrown 12 strikeouts in 15 innings strewn across four starts. His ERA currently sits at 3.00.

This Day in Sports History

1903 – Pitcher Jack Doscher, debuts for the Chicago Cubs, the first son of a major leaguer (Herm played from 1882-92) to play in the MLB. 

1941 – Joe DiMaggio hits a 3-run homer off Boston’s Dick Newsome to pass Willie Keeler’s MLB record 44 game hitting streak. The streak lasts 56 games. 

1989 – Jockey Steve Cauthen wins the Irish Derby on Old Vic to become the first rider in history to sweep the world’s four major Derbies (Kentucky, Epsom, French, Irish).

The Burlington Bees Send 5 to the 2025 Prospect League All-Star Game

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 at 2:01 pm CDT

Burlington, IA- The Burlington Bees have started off the second half of the regular season on a two-game win streak after finishing the first half on a bit of a sour note in terms of the standings. However, the Bees tout five All-Stars on their team after a stellar start to the year.

Kooper Schulte, who busted onto the scene after earning Prospect League Hitter of the Week to open the season after hitting for the cycle and totaling five RBIs in their first game of the year, grabbed a spot on the All-Star team.

The former New London Tiger has been showing off his power at the plate with 13 extra-base hits, which ranks second in the league, tied for the league lead in triples, and his 24 RBIs puts him in the top 10 for the league. Schulte will also participate in the Homerun Derby.

Caleb Siebers, from Carmi, Illinois, has continued his momentum from his freshman season at Olney Central College as he currently sits with a slash line of 0.316/0.396/0.519. Seibers has brought home 15 runs, while scoring 15 runs himself, and he’s clocked four homers.

Another Bee from Southern Illinois that has earned a spot on the All-Star team is Mason Schwalbach. The Saluki has collected 15 RBIs thanks to his 0.383 batting average, including six extra-base hits.

Two guys on the mound that claimed a spot on the All-Star team are Braeden Sunken and Kaelen Clarkson.

Sunken has recorded five saves, which ranks second in the league, in 11 appearances, posting a 2-1 record with 3.14 ERA. Clarkson, a lefty, has thrown 12 strikeouts in 15 innings strewn across four starts. His ERA currently sits at 3.00.

The 2025 Prospect League All-Star game will be held in Springfield on Tuesday, July 8th, at 6:30 pm at Robin Roberts Stadium with the Eastern and Western Conferences facing off against one another.

Arrest of Keokuk Man on Felony and Misdemeanor Drug Charges

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 at 1:23 pm CDT

The Lee County Narcotics Task Force reports the arrest of a Keokuk man on felony and misdemeanor drug charges.

Charles Austin Spiller, age 65, of Keokuk is charged with: Possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver, a class D felony; Iowa drug tax stamp violation, a class D felony; and Possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor.

These criminal charges are the result of a search warrant that was executed at Spiller’s residence as part of an ongoing investigation. Spiller was found to be in possession of a large amount of marijuana during the search of his residence.

The Lee County Narcotics Task Force were assisted by the Keokuk Police Department.

The defendant in this case is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Lee County Narcotics Task Force is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Justice and the funds administered by the Iowa Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy.

Vehicle Roll Over in Henry County July 1st

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 at 1:22 pm CDT

On July 1, 2025, at approximately 5:21 a.m. the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call of a vehicle roll over in the 1400 grid of US Highway 34. After investigation it was determined that Jesus Vargas Morales, 39, Blue Island, Illinois; was traveling eastbound in a 2007 Toyota, FJ Cruiser. Morales lost control of the vehicle and struck a cable barrier prior to rolling on its top. The vehicle is estimated to be totaled. No injuries were reported.

 

***A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendants are

presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.***

Report from MPCSD Board Session 6.30.25

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 at 6:35 am CDT

The Mount Pleasant School Board met in a special session last night, Monday, June 30th. They moved through the top agenda items quickly and unanimously approving the 2025-26 milk bid and a motion to approve legal counsel conflict of interest waiver.

The school board approved Anderson Erickson Dairy as their milk supplier for the 2025-26 school year, after calling for 3 bids and collecting 2 responses. Anderson Erickson came in the most cost effective at $0.33 for 1% white, $0.35 for chocolate, and skim white milk coming in at $0.37 per carton.

The school board also approved a motion to move forward on a conflict-of-interest waiver with their legal representation. Mount Pleasant School District is taking the necessary steps forward to enter into agreement with the New London School District for their Homeschool Assistance Program. Essentially, this agreement allows for New London homeschooled students to access the programming in the Mount Pleasant School district while still enrolling in their home school district for activities such as sports. This motion was just to approve the waiver so the legal counsel can draft the agreement between the two schools, which happen to use the same legal office. Hence the necessity for a conflict-of-interest waiver.

Discussion then turned to the future of the MPCSD and its facilities in their work session. The first topic of discussion was consideration to move Central Office and the Homeschool Assistance Program, both of which are currently housed in office space the district rents for around $46,000 per year, to already purchased buildings on Central Campus, formerly Iowa Wesleyan Campus. Many board members had questions and sought more information on how much the plans from the architect may cost, getting various options for renovations like moving Central Office to the Chapel versus the Howe Student Union, and overall if the cost for these renovations was really the best use of their penny sales tax dollars.

As these questions surfaced, the conversation naturally moved to the topic of demographics and future planning needs and nothing definitive was decided. Currently the district has a one-year lease in place for Central Office and HSAP to stay in their current rented space August 2025-August 2026. Superintendent Henriksen will get more information to share with the board the topic will be revisited, although consensus at this time was not to spend money on renovations if they were going to be upwards of $800,000 like the draft of the previous master plan had listed.

As board president Angie Blint moved forward with the work session, she proposed many questions about future planning. What do the next 3-5 years look like for MPCSD and what does the demographic data offer for insight as they move forward with future planning needs? Superintendent Henriksen presented a lot of data and general trends in funding and enrollment across the state, using sources from the Iowa department of education and the Iowa state data center, highlighting that the population in Henry County has the biggest decline in the entire state at -4.6%.

Currently certified enrollment for MPSCD is 1,757 with the state funding per pupil at $7,988. However, the district is spending much more per pupil than that, upwards of $10,000 depending on which school the pupil attends in the MPCSD. It is important to note it costs the district 15.8% more to educate a student at Salem Elementary school than any of the elementary schools in town over a 4-year average.
Note in 2015, 2,021 students were enrolled at MPCSD. The reason for the decline has many facets: decline in population, decline in birth rates, and ESA (known commonly as the school vouchers) noted as reasons that affect the schools funding. The projected enrollment for MPCSD in FY2030 is 1,523 students with an estimated cost per pupil state funding projected at $8,647.

In short, the data presented pointed in a clear direction; the school board must do something to lower their cost per pupil throughout the district, otherwise in fiscal year 2030, the school budget would be in a short fall of approximately $865,535. It was clear to all the board members and the audience that while the school is fiscally sound now, the future presented major budget challenges. What could they do?
The discussion was quiet, as the board members processed the data presented. What was realistic moving forward? Board president Angie Blint offered more questions for discussion and reflection, rather than on a clear path forward at this time.

Overall, the feeling of the board was they needed to reset and revisit the master plan realistically. What are the actual options for the next 3 to 5 years? The sense from the school board was they’d rather be proactive now, than reactive later due to huge funding shortfalls projected. It seems the board will look at section numbers and class sizes to see where the cut-off for cost effectiveness is as a next step in determining if they need to close any attendance centers or move to a centralized elementary model. The elephant in the room no one wants to face or deal with, and yet it is there looming over MPCSD like many other school districts in Iowa.

Questions from the public were allowed with only a few commenting – suggested salary freezes for administration and wondering if there is a way to reduce the budget without cutting personnel. In response, Superintendent Henriksen said those things can and should be looked at, however, we will probably have to do more than just that in the coming years – class size and how many sections of each grade level needed is where the most savings can be made. No decisions were made about any future planning, just discussion.

To rewatch the entire board session please visit the stream on their YouTube.

Sports, July 1st

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 at 6:32 am CDT

High School Baseball

Mt. Pleasant traded wins with Burlington last night with the Grayhounds snatching game one 13-2 and the Panthers grabbing game two 11-7. J.C. Sitar extended his RBI-streak to eight games after recording a sacrifice fly in game one, while Griffen Jones led the way in game two with three RBIs followed by Payton Walker with two RBIs as he cracked a double. 

West Burlington was thwacked by Hillcrest Academy last night 17-6. Levi Fletcher-Bates logged two hits and an RBI in the loss. 

Mt. Pleasant will travel to West Burlington tonight at 7:30 pm. 

Central Lee’s late offensive production saw the Hawks outscore Burlington Notre Dame 8 to 4 in the final three innings to steal the win 11-8. Kayden Calfee collected three RBIs in the winning effort. 

Central Lee will take on Danville at home tonight with first pitch at 7:30 pm.

Burlington Notre Dame will host Fort Madison tonight at 7 pm.

Danville fell to Wapello last night 8-5. Kolton Small led the effort for Wapello with a two-RBI double, while Alex Holtkamp, Addison Clayton, and Zander Stotlar each notched an RBI for the Bears. 

Wapello will face off against Highland tonight at 7 pm at home.

New London hammered Lone Tree last night 16-1 to end their regular season. Everyone got involved in the win for the Tigers with Cale Westerbeck slugging a double for three RBIs, Gavin Menke-Bailey sprinted around the basepath for a triple and two RBIs, while Memphis Watson clouted a double for an RBI, got the win on the mound, and set the school record for stolen bases in a year with his 38th. 

Fairfield’s sweep of Keokuk last night, 11-1 in game one and 13-3 in game two, sets up a winner-takes-all conference showdown on Thursday between Burlington and the Trojans. Dayson Workman clobbered a double with three RBIs in game one, while Zandrik Allison slashed the same stat line in game two. 

Fairfield will compete against Clear Creek Amana at home at 7:30 pm tonight. 

#5 Mediapolis will travel to Class 1A’s #2 Sigourney tonight at 5:30 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Lone Tree tonight at 5:30 pm at home. 

Van Buren County will celebrate their Senior Night tomorrow, July 2nd, at 5:30 pm against Davis County.

High School Baseball Rankings

The Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association released their final rankings for Class 2A yesterday and Mediapolis claimed the #5 spot with a 22-1 record heading into their toughest contest of the year against Class 1A’s #2 Sigourney, who also only has one loss on the year. 

Compared to last year, the Bulldogs are a complete team. Their squad’s pitching staff touts a 2.39 ERA much like last year with a stellar defense backing them up with a 0.940 fielding percentage. But, their greatest improvement has been at the plate with a team batting average of 0.315, that’s 53 points better than last year. 

Lance Ludens has been unstoppable at the plate and the mound with a 0.559 batting average, knocking in 24 runs, while striking out 46 with an ERA of 1.83 to go along with a perfect 6-0 record on the mound.

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant picked up their first win over Burlington since 2019, defeating the Grayhounds 4-0 in game two. Chaley Cook spun a complete game six-hitter, notching a strikeout in the win. Saige Burchett and Keagyn Coleman each tabbed two hits for an RBI in the win. The Panthers fell in game one 8-1 as Linzy Striegel had the lone RBI.

Mt. Pleasant will take on West Burlington/Notre Dame on the road tonight at 7 pm.

West Burlington/Notre Dame’s Senior Night was spoiled by Hillcrest Academy last night in a narrow 3-2 loss. Tannisyn Christofferson and Madalynn Knapp both clocked RBI doubles for the Falcons.

Wapello crushed WACO last night 15-0. Macey Hackett slugged a double and a home run for three RBIs in the win. 

Wapello will host Highland tonight at 7 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic will face off against WACO tonight at 7 pm on the road.

Fairfield outsprinted Keokuk last night 10-8 in game one and 12-7 in game two. Leah Helmick collected three RBIs in game one with a double, while Laney Norris knocked in three in game two. The Trojans will take on Burlington at home on Thursday, July 3rd, at 7:30 pm.

Columbus lost 9-1 to #2 Louisa-Muscatine last night. Lily Coil’s solo home run was the only source of offense for the Wildcats. Columbus will travel to Pekin tonight at 7 pm. 

Danville will host Central Lee tonight for a senior night doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Van Buren County will hit the road to take on Centerville tomorrow, July 2nd, at 7 pm.

New London will face off against Holy Trinity Catholic tomorrow at 7 pm at home.

Mediapolis will host Davis County on July 8th at 5:30 pm.

Postseason Softball

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the postseason brackets for all five classes, here’s a look at our local matchups. 

For Class 1A Region 1, game one on July 7th will pin WACO against Wapello at 7 pm with the Arrows getting a home game. The winner of the matchup will play Holy Trinity Catholic at West Point South Park on July 9th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Region 2, Van Buren County will host Danville on July 7th at 7 pm with the winner advancing to play #2 Louisa-Muscatine on July 9th in a road showdown.

Also playing on day one will be New London/Winfield-Mt. Union, as the Tigers will make the pilgrimage to Pella Christian High School to face off against the Eagles. The winner will take on Wilton in the quarterfinals.

Columbus earned a bye and a home game with the Wildcats gearing up for a contest with Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on July 9th at 7 pm in the top half of the bracket with Louisa-Muscatine expected to host the July 11th contest in the semifinals if both teams advance.

On the bottom half of the Class 4A Region 3 bracket, it is a repeat of the season opener as Mt. Pleasant will travel west to face off against Oskaloosa. The Panthers struck first that night with a two-run homer off the bat of Paityn Ensminger, but could not keep the momentum going as they fell 11-3. KILJ will be on the call.

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees will travel to face off against the Quincy Doggy Paddlers tonight at 6:30 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings will take on the Normal CornBelters tonight on the road at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1859 – First intercollegiate baseball game, Amherst beats Williams 66-32 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, under rules that differ wildly from today’s baseball rules. 

1904 – The III Summer (Modern) Olympic Games opened in St Louis, the first held in the United States. 

1982 – Cal Ripken Jr. makes the first of his record 2,216 consecutive MLB starts at shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles.

Increased Traffic Expected for the Fourth of July

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 at 6:15 am CDT

Triple A is expecting the upcoming 4th of July holiday to set travel records both in Iowa and nationwide.  The number of people in Iowa and the Midwest totals about 203,000 travelers by air and ground, which is down slightly from last year by less than 1%.  Law Enforcement officials remind people to be safe on the road, be patient and remember, it’s the law for Iowa motorists to move over if there’s a stopped vehicle with its emergency flashers on.  If a lane change isn’t possible, to at least slow down and prepare to stop. Ignoring the law could bring a $200 fine and suspension of the driver’s license for up to a year.