Goodwill of the Heartland coming to Mount Pleasant

Goodwill is coming to Mount Pleasant and opening its doors on July 28^th! When asked how this new store will positively impact the town, Brad Watkins, Marketing Director, responded – “First, we will bring jobs. We have a hiring event planned at the new store location on Tuesday, June 20^th from 3:00 – 7:00 pm and Saturday, June 24^th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. We will conduct open-interview, so if you’re looking for an excellent job opportunity with good hours, good pay, and great benefits, you will want to put those dates on your calendar and plan to attend one of these events. We are looking to hire 15 – 17 full- and part-time employees.

Secondly, Goodwill’s mission is to help people reach their full potential through education, training, and the power of work. While we do hope to offer in person assistance with training programs in the future, right now, anyone in the Mt. Pleasant area can access our online training and vocational certification programs through our website: www.goodwillheartland.org. Our website has all the current information you need – not just for our job training programs, but also important information about our store hours and the things we will and won’t accept as donations.

Finally, we will partner with area human services agencies to offer vouchers for people in need who can use these vouchers to shop our stores for clothing items at no cost to them.

Buckle Up May 22 – June 4, and Every Day

Kansas City, MO — This Memorial Day weekend, and every day, law enforcement is urging drivers to buckle up during the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 22 to June 4, 2023.

“We want seat belt use to be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike,” said NHTSA Regional Administrator Susan DeCourcy. “It’s not just a safe thing to do — it’s the law. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash.”

According to NHTSA, in 2021, there were 11,813 unbuckled passenger-vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 57% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m. – 5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. That’s why a major focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law education and enforcement, writing citations day and night.

NHTSA data shows that seat belt use is higher among females than males. In fact, more than twice as many males were killed in crashes as compared to females in 2020. Of the males killed in crashes during that same year, more than half (55%) were unrestrained. For females killed in crashes, 43% were not buckled up.

“No matter the type of vehicle you’re driving in or the type of road you’re driving on, the best way to stay safe in case of a vehicle crash is to wear your seat belt,” DeCourcy continued. “Unfortunately, many families are suffering because their loved ones refused to follow this simple step. In Region 7 alone, which includes Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, in 2021, we lost 927 community members because they did not buckle their seat belts. If you know a friend or a family member who does not buckle up when they’re in a vehicle, please ask them to form this life-saving habit. Help us spread this important message before one more friend or family member is killed as a result of not buckling up.”

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.

The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of a Burlington man for possession of methamphetamine.

Reportedly around 10:29pm Tuesday, May 16^th, a Des Moines County Deputy performed a regular check on a disabled motorcycle in the 500 block of Summer Street. The Deputy observed the man who appeared to be under the influence based on his behavior. After further investigation, 35 year old Gary Lee Swanson of Burlington was found to be in possession of methamphetamine.

He was subsequently arrested and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and transported to the Des Moines County Correctional Center.