| On June 22, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that Clay, Lucas, Crawford, Lee, Pottawattamie, Wright, Page, Henry, and Mitchell Counties will receive $24,760,000 to replace nine bridges in poor condition. This award is in addition to the bridge repair or replacement projects that are funded through the new bridge investment program through IIJA state formula funds.
The bipartisan infrastructure bill reauthorized the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grants to support surface transportation projects of local and/or regional significance. “Unfortunately, Iowa leads the nation in the overall number of structurally deficient bridges, and that’s one of the many reasons I supported the bipartisan infrastructure law. I’m glad to see that nine rural bridges will be replaced and improve travel and safety for the Iowans who use them. I’ll continue doing my part to ensure more of Iowans’ hard-earned tax dollars come back to our state and to improve our all of our communities.” Chuck Grassley |
Horse Show at the Jefferson County Fair
The Greater Jefferson County Fair horse show has finished, and we now know the names of the horses and their owners. The “horse of the year” has been given to “Jessie” and their owner, Wayne Wiley, who also picked up the awards of Junior Horse Showmanship, Horsemanship, and Champion Pony. The champion horse went to Peyton Freeman and her horse “Maddie.” The full list of awards is below.
Elizabeth Tedrow – Reserve Champion Pony – Arrow
Sterling Spees Reserve Champion Horse – Rey Lenas Darlin
Gabby Diers – Reserve Champion Other Breeds – Reba
Peyton Freeman – Champion Other Breeds – Biscuit
Peyton Freeman – Champion Horse – Maddie
Sterling Spees – Senior Horse Showmanship
Francis Miller Intermediate Horse Showmanship
Wayne Wiley Junior Horse Showmanship
Nicole Robb Senior Cowgirl Queen
Francis Miller Junior Cowgirl Queen
Nicole Robb Senior Horse Horsemanship
Emerson Porter Intermediate Horse Horsemanship
Wayne Wiley Junior Horse Horsemanship
Wayne Wiley Horse of the Year “Jessie”
Gabby Diers – Most Improved Horseman
Francis Miller High Point Intermediate
Nicole Robb High Point Senior
Peyton Freeman Speed Champion Intermediate
Kate Miller Speed Champion Juniorx
Elizabeth Tedrow Speed Champion Senior
Wayne Wiley- Champion Pony – Jesse
Jefferson County Fair Queen and Little Miss
The 2023 Queen is Briana Steele is the 17-year-old daughter of Carrie and Jason Steele. In school, Briana belongs to the National Honor Society as the vice president and FFA in which she services as the president. She is also a student council member, elementary mentor, and participated in basketball and volleyball. Briana belongs to her church youth group and enjoys volunteering for carry on
bags, McElhinny House garage sale, PTO activities, day camps as well as package meals for the heartland, is a Salvation Army bell ringer, volunteered for the Delaware County 4-H food stand and camera corps. She has earned academic achievement awards, FFA Star Greenhand and Star Chapter Farmer Award, outstanding 4-H member and community service award. She has been an usher at the Iowa State Fair. Briana plans to attend Iowa State University to major in elementary education and minor in agronomy. She enjoys hunting, fishing, farming, cooking and helping anyone who needs it.
The 2023 Little Miss is Anna Carlson. Anna is the daughter of John and Melanie Carlson. She is 7 years old. In addition to being crowned the 2023 Little Miss, she was awarded the FarmHer Award for her passion and extensive knowledge about each of her animals and all of the plants grown in her garden. Anna is a member of the Lockridge Clover Kids. Anna is very creative and loves art!
Sports, June 23rd
High School Baseball
Mt. Pleasant lost to Fairfield 9-3 last night after the Trojans scored all nine of their runs in the 4th inning. The Panthers jumped out to a 3 to 0 lead after an RBI double by J.C. Sitar in the 3rd inning, an RBI double by Ben Newton in the 4th inning, and a bases loaded hit by pitch taken by Zerek Venghaus in the 4th inning as well. Tallon Bates was called to the mound and he shut out the Panthers the rest of the way, which included getting out of two bases loaded jams.
Bates also went 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs in the game for the Trojans. 8 of the 9 batters for the Trojans ended up tallying at least one RBI. This locks the Panthers and Trojans for 2nd place in the conference standings. The Panthers will face off against Fort Madison on June 26th in a doubleheader on the road.
Winfield-Mt. Union will compete against Louisa-Muscatine tonight to end the regular season.
Van Buren County took down New London 15-4 yesterday. The Tigers will face off against West Burlington tonight. The Warriors will take on Burlington Notre Dame today at home.
Danville lost to Central Lee last night in a score that resembles a football final 24-14. Corbin Pohren knocked two doubles and notched 6 RBIs in the winning effort. The Bears end the regular season 1-15.
Mediapolis scored one run in each of the final three innings including the one extra inning to beat West Burlington 8-7. Brock Thuleen finished 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs for the Falcons. The Bulldogs will take on Central Lee today.
In Southeast conference (SEC) play, Keokuk will take on Fairfield and Burlington will square off against Washington on June 26th.
High School Softball
Mt. Pleasant fell to Fairfield last night 10-0. Olivia Hollander went 3 for 3 for the Trojans with a home run, a triple, and the game-ending single to finish the game with 5 RBIs. The Panthers travel to take on Fort Madison on June 26th in a doubleheader matchup.
Danville will face off against New London on June 27th.
New London will travel to take on West Burlington tonight.
Winfield-Mt. Union lost to Lone Tree yesterday 17-3. The Wolves will take on Louisa-Muscatine at home to close out the season tonight.
Holy Trinity Catholic will take on Van Buren County today.
West Burlington handled Mediapolis last night 14-0. Avery Crear notched the lone hit for Mediapolis. The Bulldogs will compete against Central Lee today.
In SEC games, Burlington defeated Fort Madison 5-0 and Keokuk fell to Washington 13-1. The Grayhounds will take on the Demons and the Chiefs will face off against the Trojans on June 26th.
High School Postseason Baseball
Class 1A and 2A released their postseason brackets yesterday and here’s a look at some of our local teams matchups.
In Class 1A Substate 5: District 9, Burlington Notre Dame enters as the #1 seed. New London enters as the 5th seed and will take on Highland on July 1st in the first round with the winner taking on the Nikes.
In District 10 for Class 1A, Danville will face off against Sigourney on July 1st on the road.
Shifting our attention to Class 2A, our local teams will be beating up one another to see who makes it out of Substate 5: District 10. Van Buren County gets the top seed and a first-round bye. Mediapolis earned the #2 seed and a bye. Winfield-Mt. Union will take on Louisa-Muscatine and Central Lee will face off against West Burlington. The first round matchups take place on July 1st.
The brackets for Class 3A and 4A will be released next week between June 26th and the 29th.
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 defeated the Alton River Dragons in comeback fashion after breaking the tie in the top of the 9th and scoring two runs to win 8-6. Mason Schwalbach started the scoring with a solo home run in the 1st inning and Keanu Spenser clobbered a grand slam to tie the game at 6 in the 8th inning. Jaden Hackbarth tallied the game winning two RBIs. The Bees will host the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp tomorrow, June 24th.
The Clinton LumberKings will host the Lafayette Aviators tonight.
This Day in Sports History
1972 – Bernice Gera becomes first female umpire in MLB history, Geneva Senators and Auburn Twins in Geneva, New York.
1972 – President Richard Nixon signed the Education Amendments of 1972 into law. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in college sports.
2008 – Félix Hernández of the Seattle Mariners hits a grand slam against the New York Mets, the first pitcher to do so since Steve Dunning in 1971.
Burlington High School Fire
At 5:42 PM Thursday, June 22, 2023, the Burlington Fire Department responded to The Burlington Community High School at 421 Terrace Dr. for a report of a fire on the roof near the gymnasium. Upon arrival, firefighters found light smoke in the area. Further investigation found a small portion of the rubber roofing material melting. Firefighters used a small amount of water to extinguish the burning roof.
The fire started due to a hot piece of slag that resulted from welding work. The slag then contacted the rubber base of a safety cone, which melted into the rubber roofing membrane.
The fire is classified as accidental and not considered suspicious.
The damage costs are estimated to be $3,000.
9 Burlington firefighters responded to the initial call and were assisted by Burlington Police Department, West Burlington Fire Department, BHS staff, and Carl A. Nelson staff. There were no injuries reported. Firefighters cleared the scene at 6:33 PM.
Two Residents Enjoy 100th Birthday Celebrations
Wayland, Iowa. A small town with a population of 975 people. Some would say it’s just a “pass over town” or may think that excitement is hard to come by. However, the town had much to celebrate on June 22nd, 2023, as not just one, but two residents of Parkview Home turned 100 years old on the same day.
Betty Messer and Mary Olson have both lived very different lives, taking them to places such as Illinois, Hawaii, and now they both share a home at the Parkview Home in Wayland. Incredibly, they also share their birthday with a third resident who turned 89, and the dog that brightens up the resident’s lives every Monday, Ticker. Adding all of the special birthdays (including the dog) reveals 300 combined years of life to celebrate.
It certainly was a celebration, with cake and ice-cream, pictures of the birthday girls down the years, and mementos that they have kept as the times change. Family from all over the country came to visit. Friends were made, many photos were taken, and the girls even ended the celebration by taking a ride in a limousine.
Although the year may have changed, Mary Olson said that she never thinks of life that way. In fact, she tells us to all “take life one day at a time.” I am thankful both ladies shared wisdom, and I am looking forward to their 101st.
Class 1A and Class 2A Brackets Released: An Early Look at the Local Matchups
IHSAA- The postseason baseball brackets have been released for Class 1A and 2A and here’s how the competition shakes out for our local teams.
In Class 1A Substate 5: District 9, Burlington Notre Dame enters as the #1 seed as they currently tout a record of 21-6 and rank 8th in the Baseball Coaches Association’s latest poll for Class 1A. New London enters as the 5th seed and will take on Highland on July 1st in the first round with the winner taking on the Nikes.
New London defeated Highland 13-5 earlier this week with Nicholas Powell clobbering the ball for 4 RBIs. Burlington defeated New London twice this season (8-1 and 10-3) and Highland once (12-1). Moravia is the #2 seed in the District.
In District 10 for Class 1A, Danville will face off against Sigourney on July 1st on the road. Hillcrest Academy enters as the #1 seed, and they will host Lone Tree in the first round. The 6th seed Wapello will travel to Sigourney to face off against Regina Catholic.
Shifting our attention to Class 2A, our local teams will be beating up one another to see who makes it out of Substate 5: District 10. Van Buren County gets the top seed and a first-round bye. Mediapolis earned the #2 seed and a bye.
The Warriors will take on the winner between Louisa-Muscatine and Winfield-Mt. Union and Mediapolis will take on the winner between Central Lee and West Burlington. Both first-round games will take place on July 1st at Central Lee.
Winfield-Mt. Union and Louisa-Muscatine will compete against one another to close out the season tomorrow, June 23rd. Van Buren County defeated both teams this season by a combined score of 22 to 3.
Central Lee has gone 2-0 against West Burlington this season and both high scoring one-run games (7-6 and 10-9). Mediapolis took down Central Lee 3-1 earlier this season, but they face off against West Burlington for the first time this year tonight and tango with the Hawks tomorrow.
Van Buren County has defeated Mediapolis twice this season and by the same score 2-1.
The brackets for Class 3A and 4A will be released next week between June 26th and the 29th.
Sinclair Tractor 25th Anniversary Celebration!
Sinclair Tractor will be celebrating their 25th Anniversary on Saturday, June 24th. This event is a private, invite-only party for 8,000 to 10,000 customers, employees, and business partners, as well as a fundraiser for the 5 Food Banks that service our area, providing food to 352 local food pantries.
With rising inflation and food insecurity at an all-time high, Sinclair Tractor owner & CEO Bob Sinclair felt it important to use this event to give back to the communities that have helped support Sinclair Tractor for the first 25 years. As a long-time supporter of the food banks, Bob Sinclair stated, “Inflation is tough. More and more people are going to find it hard to put food on the table. Sinclair Tractor has been blessed over the past 25 years to be a part of these communities, and we need to do our part to help those who are struggling.”
Sinclair Tractor has set a goal to raise $1 Million dollars for the food banks in Southeast Iowa, Northeast Missouri, and Western Illinois, and with the help of several business partners we are well on our way. While the party is free to its invited guests, there will be multiple opportunities for people to give back in the form of a donation to the area food banks.
This event is scheduled from 8am-7pm, a full day of activities. McMillan Park will be used starting June 20th-June 26th for set up and tear down.
Of course, with the influx of visitors, there will be many more cars on the road, so drive carefully and watch out for visitors. Also, many restaurants and fast-food chains will most likely see an increase in foot and car traffic during that day as a result of all the visitors.