Henry County Engineers Office announces a culvert replacement project on Ash Avenue (W-46), south of Hillsboro. The road will be closed starting Wednesday, May 31st for approximately 2 months, weather permitting. There is a posted detour route, please drive with caution. Questions can be answered at 319 385-0762.
Mount Pleasant Henry Street Project Update
Kinney & Sons have stopped removing concrete on the East side of N. Van Buren St. and are now grading and preparing for engineering fabric and sub base placement. For the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend N. Van Buren St. & W. Henry St. Intersection will be closed to traffic. West Henry St. from just west of Marion St. to N. Van Buren will be opened to homeowners as the grading, fabric is placed, and sub base rock is finished. Kinney & Sons have some sewer repair work to do at the manhole in W. Henry St. at the alley between Marion & N. Van Buren. This could hold up getting all driveways open before the weekend.
Sports, May 25th
High School Soccer
Fort Madison will compete against Pella for the Regional Championship tonight.
High School Golf
The New London girls’ team and Olivia Hines of Mediapolis will be competing in the state tournament with day one of the two day tournament starting today.
Deerwood Golf Club will be sponsoring KILJ’s coverage of the girls’ state golf meet.
High School Baseball
Mt. Pleasant and Clear Creek Amana were in a tight game throughout, but the Panthers would finish just short of the comeback in front of the opponent’s home crowd falling 3-2. Jake Ensminger had a solid outing on the mound for the Panthers as he tossed 5 innings with three runs coming across, but only two of the runs earned; additionally, he tallied five strikeouts while giving up only six hits.
Down 3 to 0 entering the 6th inning, the Panthers would utilize small ball and a controversial call to get Garrett Cook, who was running for Carson Andreasen who worked the walk, Payson Coleman, and Wyatt Woodsmall on base. Payton Hagans would pick up his first RBI of the season when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. A passed ball would score another run to make it 3 to 2. Unfortunately, the Clippers would shut out the Panthers the rest of the way to take the win as the Panthers left 11 runners on base in the contest. The Panther’s next game will be May 30th in a road doubleheader against Washington. KILJ will be on the call with pregame at 5:15 pm.
Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against West Burlington tonight.
New London will take on Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 7 pm at home.
Danville will face off against Hillcrest Academy tonight at home.
Central Lee will travel to face off against Burlington Notre Dame tomorrow.
High School Softball
Mt. Pleasant fell to Central Lee 15-7 last night. Jolynn Martin, Sage Burchett, and Jayden Housh all went 2 for 4 in the game. Martin and Burchett each tallied a double with Martin tallying 3 RBIs, Burchett grabbed 2 RBIs, and Housh got 1 RBI. The Panthers will host Mid-Prairie tomorrow, May 26th.
Holy Trinity Catholic will host Pekin tonight.
Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against West Burlington today at 7 pm.
Danville will host Hillcrest Academy tonight with first pitch at 7 pm.
Central Lee will travel to face off against Holy Trinity Catholic tomorrow.
High School Tennis
For boys’ tennis, the Class 1A doubles champion was Jack Briggs and Joshua Roozenboom of Pella. The singles champion was Caden Branum of Decorah.
The Class 2A individual champion was Waukee Northwest’s Kaden Taylor winning 6-3 in both sets. The doubles champion was Kellan Croatt and Jake Nelson of Waukee Northwest.
The girls’ state individual tournament will start tomorrow and continue May 27th.
Iowa Wesleyan Athletics
The NAIA National Championship meet keeps going today and tomorrow for outdoor track and field. All Tiger competitors will begin competition today.
This Day in Sports History
1935 – Legendary American athlete Jesse Owens equals or breaks 6 world records in 45 minutes at a Big Ten meet at Ferry Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan; remembered as “the greatest 45 minutes ever in sport.”
1986 – Kansas City Royal George Brett gets his 2,000th hit.
1997 – Todd and Mel Stottlemyre become first father and son to win 100 games in Major League Baseball.
From the Mount Pleasant City Council Meeting
The Mount Pleasant City Council met in regular session Wednesday night. The Council approved salary increases of 4% for fiscal year 2024 for members of the Public Professional and Maintenance Employees Union, the city staff and the Fire Department.
The Council passed a motion approving a Midwest Old Threshers request for $20,000 in funding from hotel/motel/tax. The funds will be use to purchase and expand the grounds around McMillan Park and Midwest Old Threshers. Council members Matt Crull and Terry McWilliams abstained from voting. Crull is part of the Midwest Central Railroad and McWilliams is the Old Threshers CEO and Administrator.
A public hearing was set for June 14 at 5:30 pm to allow comment on a request to vacate a section of road right of way 1800 block of East Monroe. Derek Wellington who owns Wellington Electric at 1801 E. Monroe approached the City about possibly purchasing some unused road right of way allowing for a building expansion of his business.
Following a public hearing at the Wednesday night meeting the City Council approved the exchange of Industry Road right of way as part of MidAm Building Supplies. The local company is building a new 130,000 square food manufacturing facility on the last three lots that were available for sale in Crossroads Industrial Park. The MidAm building plan doesn’t require Industry Avenue as a through street. The company has agreed to construct a turnaround in exchange for City right of way.
City Administrator Brent Schleisman was given permission to sign a state grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation for funds to replace the oldest hangar roof at the Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport.
A Look at the Mt. Pleasant Girls’ Soccer Season Stats
Mt. Pleasant- The Mt. Pleasant high school girls’ soccer team fell to Central DeWitt last night in the regional semifinal match 4-1. The Sabers put up three goals in the first half before Elly Manning cut into the deficit before halftime; nevertheless, the Sabers would score one more goal and fend off the Panthers attack.
The Panthers had a fine season with one of the highlights of the season coming against Washington on senior night. Up to that game, the Panthers and Demons had played in 7 straight games that ended in extra time or penalty shots. Elly Manning, the lone senior for the Panthers told her teammates before the game,
“It’s so nice I mean, obviously, I just wanted us to win. I told them before the game I don’t really care personally I just said for my senior night, let’s not go into overtime, let’s get it done, 80 minutes!”
Manning netted two goals in the 3-0 win over the Demons in front of the Panthers home crowd.
Charice Auwerda, a sophomore, led the team in goals with 24 and assists with 18. Manning finished second on the team in goals and assists (23 goals and 12 assists). Tori Wilson netted 10 goals, Hailey Parrott tallied 8 goals, Aurora Hummell grabbed 4 goals, and Mattisyn Wenke scored one goal. Eli Heaton had 68 saves on the season.
Auwerda and Manning ranked #1 and #2 in the Southeast conference in goals and assists, respectively.
The Panthers finished the season with an 11-6 record and a 6-4 conference record that ranked them 3rd in the conference.
Henry County Under an Air Quality Alert
Wildfire Smoke Contributes to Exceedances of Ozone Air Quality Standards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2023
DES MOINES – Wildfire smoke carries particulates as well as massive amounts of gases and a cocktail of chemicals that can enhance ozone formation hundreds or even thousands of miles downwind.
Smoke from wildfires in Canada has impacted Iowa the last several days and exceedances of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone were measured at two sites in northwest Iowa Monday and six sites across Iowa yesterday, May 23rd–Emmetsburg and Pisgah in western Iowa, Waverly and two sites in Cedar Rapids in northeast Iowa, and just north of Davenport in eastern Iowa all measured ozone levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Smoke from the fires has been evident across much of the state recently and elevated particulate and ozone levels may be a concern over the next several days.
Groups most likely to suffer adverse health effects from ozone and particulates in smoke include asthmatics, those with respiratory difficulties or heart disease, the elderly, children and pregnant women. The DNR encourages members of these groups to limit outdoor activity when air quality conditions are at or above unhealthy levels.
Current fire and smoke information can be found on EPA’s fire and smoke map at
https://fire.airnow.gov/.
Campus Mowing Project
Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility Warden Marcy Stroud confirmed Wednesday that a crew of inmates are mowing the Iowa Wesleyan University campus this week. There is a group that will also help with moving some items to a central location on the campus. Many members of the facility staff live in Mount Pleasant and many have attended IW. As a neighborly gesture they reached out to the USDA to make the offer of one time mowing assistance. Stroud said she was told the USDA is working on setting up a contract for regular mowing but was very appreciative of the offer of help since it appears there is not a contract in place yet. The United States Department of Agriculture will officially assume ownership of the campus June 1. The University announced March 28 that it would close and that, because the USDA holds the major loan, ownership would default back to that agency.
Shirley Ann Underwood Hunter (final arrangements)
Shirley Ann Underwood Hunter, 81, of Mt. Pleasant, formerly of New London, died Tuesday, May 23, 2023 in the Emergency Department at Henry County Health Center. She was born May 31, 1941 to John and Edith M. Underwood. She was a 1958 graduate of Denmark High School. On May 21, 1960 she married Gary Hunter in New London. He died December 2, 2013.
Shirley worked at Pleasant Manor Care Center and was a homemaker. She enjoyed making quilts, doing embroidery and spending time with her grandchildren.
Survivors include two daughters, Sherry (Jerry) Teberg of Mt. Pleasant and Melissa Wiggins of Brighton; son, John Hunter of Iowa City; grandchildren, Tanner Waterhouse and Nicole Hunter-Wiggins; great-grandchildren, Aiden and Annalise Waterhouse; brothers, Charles (Peggy) Underwood and Dick (Vicki) Underwood of Ft. Madison; sisters, Nancy Underwood of Ft. Madison and Bonnie (Mike) White of Missouri; and sister-in-law Donna Overlin of Olds. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, brother Roger Underwood, son-in-law Nevelle Wiggins, and brother-in-law Ken Overlin.
According to her wishes, her body has been cremated. A graveside service for Shirley will be held at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 (Shirley’s birthday) at Burge Cemetery, New London. Inurnment for Shirley and her beloved husband Gary will immediately follow the service. Elliott Chapel, New London, is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.