Mount Pleasant school board members are looking at ways to strengthen communication with the community and are inviting more public input.

During their January 26th work session, board members reviewed the ad hoc facilities committee results and demographic data on enrollment in the district but also spent time discussing how to better connect with district residents.

The district has been working on a more user-friendly district website which should be rolling out soon. All members agreed a new website that is easier to navigate will make a big difference on the accessibility to information for parents and community members with Board President Angie Blint calling the new website “a welcome change”. The board also mentioned they want to continue with and even expand the “student spotlight” feature during their board meetings.

Much of the discussion on communication centered around ideas discussed at the recent Iowa School Board Convention. Board Member Aaron Williamson brought up the idea of holding monthly open-forum style sessions that are less formal than regular board meetings for community members to ask more questions and have more of a discussion with the public, as meeting laws don’t really allow it during official board meetings. The open forum meeting style would include the superintendent and rotate between board members so that two board members were also present.

Residents who want to hear the full discussion can watch the recorded livestream of the meeting, where the communication conversation begins approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes in.

Community members are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas directly with the board. Click here to view the list of current school board members and their emails.

• Angie Blint, Board President, angie.blint@mtpcsd.org, Representing: At Large
• Aaron Williamson, Board Vice President, aaron.williamson@mtpcsd.org, Representing: District 1
• Josh Maher, Board Member, josh.maher@mtpcsd.org, Representing: District At-Large
• Mike Hampton, Board Member, mike.hampton@mtpcsd.org, Representing: At-Large
• Mark Overberg, Board Member, mark.overberg@mtpcsd.org, Representing: District 2
• Craig Hurd, Board Member, craig.hurd@mtpcsd.org
• Kevin Schrader, Board Member, kevin.schrader@mtpcsd.org

According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, in 2025, Iowa residents purchased:

Fishing

• 198,202 annual licenses
• 8,794 lifetime fishing licenses
• 17,405 three-year licenses
• 1,098 seven-day license
• 3,586 one-day license
• 41,850 trout fees
• 166 paddlefish licenses
• 19,513 third line licenses (resident and nonresident combined)
• 30,344 fishing, hunting and habitat combination licenses

Hunting

• 42,868 annual licenses
• 47,185 hunting and habitat annual combination licenses
• 3,466 lifetime hunting licenses
• 6,477 hunting and habitat three-year licenses
• 803 apprentice (hunting and habitat) licenses
• 25,004 migratory game bird licenses
• 42,789 habitat fees
• 13,929 furharvester annual licenses age 16 and older
• 315 furharvester annual licenses age 15 and younger
• 410 furharvester and habitat annual combination licenses
• 423 lifetime furharvester licenses

Deer

• 14,507 youth general deer, 1,510 antlerless deer licenses
• 245 disabled hunter general deer, 31 antlerless deer licenses
• 52,232 archery general deer, 20,369 antlerless deer licenses
• 5,088 early muzzleloader general deer, 1,096 antlerless deer licenses
• 40,253 first shotgun general deer, 16,369 antlerless deer licenses
• 42,010 second shotgun general deer, 17,084 antlerless deer licenses
• 16,723 late muzzleloader general deer, 8,023 antlerless deer licenses

Turkey

• 5,161 spring bow licenses
• 18,917 spring gun/bow licenses seasons 1-3
• 17,890 spring gun/bow licenses season 4
• 6,837 spring youth gun/bow licenses
• 2,022 fall gun/bow
• 1,527 fall bow

Landowner-Tenant

Deer

• 48 antlerless deer licenses
• 30,406 free general deer, 20,261 free antlerless
• 1,895 antlerless deer licenses
• 421 antlerless deer licenses
• 5,603 antlerless deer licenses
• 1,439 antlerless deer licenses

Turkey

• 2,458 spring gun/bow season 1-3
• 2,233 spring gun/bow season 4
• 900 bow licenses
• 30 youth licenses
• 3,317 free general fall turkey

In 2025, nonresidents purchased…

Fishing

• 28,076 annual licenses
• 2,816 seven-day licenses
• 13,411 three-day licenses
• 17,261 one-day licenses
• 7,595 trout fees
• 37 paddlefish licenses

Hunting

• 6,348 annual licenses age 18 and older
• 15,203 hunting and habitat annual combination licenses age 18 and older
• 4,984 five-day licenses
• 2,163 five-day hunting and habitat combination
• 13,290 habitat fees
• 3,840 migratory game bird fees
• 380 apprentice (hunting and habitat) licenses
• 142 furharvester annual licenses
• 47 furharvester and habitat annual combination licenses

Former Fort Madison Mayor Matt Mohrfeld is being recognized for his years of public service.

The Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission has selected Mohrfeld as the recipient of the 2025 Leland McCosh Award for Outstanding Public Service. The award honors elected officials, past or present, who have demonstrated a strong commitment to serving their communities.

The Leland McCosh Award was established in 1985 to commemorate exceptional public service and leadership throughout Southeast Iowa.
Mohrfeld was presented with the award by Mike Norris, Executive Director of the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission, in recognition of his dedication, leadership, and lasting impact on the region during his time in public office and his continued commitment to public service.

The Henry County Board of Supervisors met in work session Tuesday, following their regularly scheduled meeting, to continue budget reviews for county departments.

During the session, Sheriff Rich McNamee presented an in-depth overview of the Sheriff’s Office proposed budget. One of the key discussion points was the office’s electronic key-fob access system. Sheriff McNamee was informed that the current system is seven years old and already considered obsolete. Replacing the system is estimated to cost approximately sixty thousand dollars. Sheriff McNamee told the board he would like to explore new vendors before moving forward with a replacement through the current provider.

Additional highlights from the sheriff’s presentation included plans to equip jail staff with stab-resistant vests. McNamee noted that grant funding may be available to help offset a portion of the cost. The sheriff also addressed the need to replace body cameras currently used by jail staff. Many of the cameras, which were previously used by deputies, are no longer functioning reliably.

The board also reviewed the proposed budget for the Henry County Attorney’s Office. No representative from the County Attorney’s Office was present at the review. As a result, supervisors raised questions regarding several budget line items. With assistance from the County Auditor’s Office, most of those questions were addressed during the meeting.

The Henry County Board of Supervisors plans to hold another budget work session next Friday. KILJ will have the official agenda once it is released.

The Ottumwa Community School District is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the Ottumwa Legacy Foundation and a $20,000 grant from the Cargill Cares Council to support the expansion of the Ottumwa Schools Agricultural Education Center. These investments will significantly enhance hands-on learning, agricultural career pathways, and real-world student experiences across the district.

The grant monies contribute to an expansion of the Ottumwa Community School District Agricultural Center/FFA, located at 14880 IA-149, adding modern animal housing, instructional space, animal stalls, wash bays, storage areas, and expanded breezeways. These improvements allow students to move from classroom simulations to lab-based instruction in animal science, veterinary technology, agricultural biotechnology, and livestock management.

“This project gives students real responsibility and real experience,” said Kelly Genners, President of the Legacy Foundation. “Caring for animals builds skills students carry into any career and into their own lives.”

The expansion is expected to begin in early 2026. The project will be completed in phases, with the barn and barnyard becoming fully operational by the 2026–2027 school year and crop farming, animal care expansion, and showing areas coming online through 2028.

The expansion supports growing student interest in agriculture and FFA programming. Current enrollment includes 65 students in agriculture courses and 98 students participating in FFA, with plans to increase both as new courses and hands-on opportunities are added. By 2027–2028, more than 90 students are expected to enroll in advanced classes, including agribusiness, advanced horticulture, agronomy, advanced animal sciences, and additional specialty coursework, while maintaining a goal of over 100 FFA members. The program ensures that all students, including those who do not live on farms, can participate in supervised, experiential learning.

“We are extremely grateful for our community partnerships and continued investments in Ottumwa students,” said Superintendent Mike McGrory. “This expansion strengthens our agricultural program, opens new pathways for student success, and provides meaningful, real-world experiences.”

The Ottumwa Community School District extends sincere appreciation to the Legacy Foundation, Cargill Cares Council, and the community for their ongoing support of our students and student programs.