Sports, May 4th

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, May 4th, 2023 at 6:25 am CDT

High School Track and Field

The Mt. Pleasant girls and boys teams will travel to Washington for their Southeast Conference meet tonight. The girls team for the Panthers will look to repeat as conference champions, while the boys team will have to dethrone Washington.

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference meet for the boys and girls will be run today at WACO. On the boys side, Mediapolis will look to defend their North title and New London will try to repeat as the South champion. The girls Sorth champion was West Burlington-Notre Dame last season and the North title winner was Pekin.

High School Soccer

The Mt. Pleasant girls team will look to get back in the win column tonight against Fairfield on the road.

The Mt. Pleasant boys team will host Fairfield today.

The WACO boys team will host Hillcrest Academy tomorrow, May 5th.

The Danville boys team will take on Wapello on the road tonight.

The Central Lee boys will take on Columbus today at home.

The Central Lee girls team will be at home against Columbus tonight.

High School Golf

The Mt. Pleasant boys team competed in the Southeast Conference meet yesterday and finished in 4th place with a score of 370. Washington won the conference meet with a 302 score as Roman Roth led the way with a score of 70. The Panthers next competition will be on May 10th for the 3A sectional meet.

The Mt. Pleasant girls team will compete in the SEC conference tournament on May 10th.

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference (SEISC) boys teams competed in their conference meet yesterday with Hillcrest Academy winning by nearly 30 strokes against runner-up Mediapolis, 322 to 351. New London finished in 4th place behind Wapello with Van Buren County rounding out the top 5. Central Lee placed tied for 6th and Winfield-Mt. Union finished in 8th place with 387 strokes. Caleb Larson from Central Lee finished with an 82. Carter Loyd shot an 88 on the day as he paced the Wolves. New London, Winfield-Mt. Union, Danville, and Holy Trinity Catholic will compete in the 1A sectional meet on May 10th.

The girls SEISC competition will be taking place on May 8th.

High School Tennis

The Mt. Pleasant girls team will travel to Burlington for the Southeast Conference meet today.

The Mt. Pleasant boys team is  11-0 on the season heading into their conference meet tonight.

College Signings

Aaiden Ashton will be joining his brother in Fulton, Missouri next year after signing his letter of intent to play basketball at William Woods University yesterday. His new coach, Jordan Ashton, sees a lot of potential in his new recruit.

“Just his growth, his continued growth every year. I mean you could see it with the numbers, you can see it with his body just how he looks, and I think he still has—obviously I’m a little biased—a ton of potential and room for growth going forward. And he works hard too, it’s not just something that kind of happened. He puts in the work, so I think he has a bright future.”

Ashton finished his senior season averaging 14.5 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game as he shot 43% from the field. He helped the Panthers finish with an 18-6 record, a 12-game winning streak, and their first conference championship since the 2017-18 season. Ashton talked about his enjoyment of last season,

“It was really fun, much love to my teammates and all of them guys. And good luck next year for those who are sticking around.”

The 6’2 guard will be joining an Owls squad that collected an 8-8 conference record on their way to a 15-13 overall record last season.

Southeast Iowa Playbook

Keetyn Townsley and Bradie Buffington joined us on the Southeast Iowa Playbook yesterday and they explained why they love being a part of the Winfield-Mt. Union community.

Iowa Wesleyan Athletics

The Tiger baseball team earned the 4th seed in the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) tournament and they will be facing off against Georgia Gwinnett College on May 6th.

The Tigers outdoor track and field teams will be competing at the Fighting Scot Outdoor Invitational on May 6th.

Vice President for Advancement and Athletics Derek Zander will be joining us on Tiger Nation this morning at 9 am.

This Day in Sports History

1869 – Cincinnati Red Stockings play their 1st official baseball game, a win against the Great Western Baseball Club, 45-9.

1893 – Cowboy Bill Pickett invented bulldogging, the skill of grabbing cattle by the horns and wrestling them to the ground.

1980 – White Sox 1st baseman Mike “Spanky” Squires catches the final inning of a 11-1 loss to Brewers, becoming first lefty to catch since Cubs Dale Long in 1958.

 

 

Aaiden Ashton Joins His Brother at William Woods University

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 4:21 pm CDT

Mt. Pleasant- The Ashton’s are taking over Fulton, Missouri as Aaiden Ashton signed his letter of intention to play basketball and major in business at William Woods University. This decision comes after Jordan Ashton was announced as the next head coach for the Owls on April 13th and officially started on April 28th. Coach Ashton will be bringing five members of Iowa Wesleyan’s team from last year, so familiarity did not seem to be an issue for Aaiden Ashton,

“It’ll be really helpful, just for comfortability and help get situated.”

Aaiden Ashton was a focal point for the Panthers the past two seasons as he put up 511 points and secured 213 rebounds, which included a shooting percentage of 40.6% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range. Ashton took a major step forward in his senior season as Payton Hagans, Owen Vansickel, and Ashton was akin to guarding Cerberus when they were all healthy. Coach Ashton talked about how much Aaiden has improved over the years.

“Just his growth, his continued growth every year. I mean you could see it with the numbers, you can see it with his body just how he looks, and I think he still has—obviously I’m a little biased—a ton of potential and room for growth going forward. And he works hard too, it’s not just something that kind of happened. He puts in the work, so I think he has a bright future.”

Ashton finished his senior season averaging 14.5 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game as he improved his shooting from the field eight points from his junior season—35.4% to 43%. This backcourt trio helped the Panthers finish with an 18-6 record, a 12-game winning streak, and their first conference championship since the 2017-18 season. Ashton talked about his enjoyment of last season,

“It was really fun, much love to my teammates and all of them guys. And good luck next year for those who are sticking around.”

The 6’2 guard will be joining an Owls squad that collected an 8-8 conference record on their way to a 15-13 overall record last season.

Mount Pleasant Community School District Board Committee Meetings

By Theresa Rose · Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 4:06 pm CDT

Mt. Pleasant CSD – Central Office 1010 East Washington Street – Suite 102

The Mount Pleasant Board of Education POLICY AND SITE COMMITTEES will meet at 4:00 PM on Thursday, May 4, 2023 to review/discuss:

 POLICY COMMITTEE

  1. Statewide Voluntary Pre-School Program Update
  2. Second Reading of School Board Policy Series 300 Administration
    1. Policy 302.5 Superintendent Consulting/Outside Employment
  3. 28E Agreement with Burlington CSD for Swimming
  4. Henry County Assessor Information
  5. Grade-Alike Elementary Planning Update

SITE COMMITTEE

  1. FY24 Buildings and Grounds Projects Update
  2. FY23 Van Purchase
  3. FY24 PPEL Plan Update

The Mount Pleasant Board of Education FINANCE COMMITTEE will meet at 3:00pm on Friday, May 5, 2023, to review/discuss:

  1. 2023-2024 Student Registration Fees
  2. 2023-2024 Hot Lunch Price – Revised
  3. 2023-2024 General Liability/Worker’s Comp Insurance Renewal
  4. Statewide Voluntary Pre-School Program Update
  5. Four Oaks Contract Renewal
  6. FY24 Non-Certified/Administrator Personnel Compensation Packages

These meetings are open to the public and patrons are welcome.

Charles R. “Charlie” Wesely

By Theresa Rose · Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 3:27 pm CDT

Charles R. “Charlie” Wesely, 90, of Mt. Pleasant, formerly of Salem, died Saturday, April 29, 2023 at Savannah Heights in Mt. Pleasant.

A Celebration of Life will be held later this summer. Inurnment will take place in the Salem East Cemetery at a later date. The Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant, IA, is assisting the family with the arrangements. Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com.

 

Henry County Board of Supervisors Meeting Agenda

By Theresa Rose · Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 3:23 pm CDT

AGENDA

May 4, 2023

Approve Agenda

Approve Minutes

9:00 Monthly Department Head Meeting

10:00 Resolution to Sell Tax Sale Certificate for

202 E Sphar St   Mt Union

Other County Business as time allows

Supervisors Sub-Committee Updates

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

By Theresa Rose · Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 3:20 pm CDT

NHTSA Reminds Drivers and Riders That May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

Motorcyclist Safety Is Everyone’s Safety

Kansas City, MO — This May, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Region 7, which includes Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, would like to remind all motorists that Motorcyclist Safety Is Everyone’s Safety. May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the end of May ushers in the unofficial start of the summer road-travel season. Safe riding and driving practices will help reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on our nation’s highways. It’s everyone’s responsibility — both the motor vehicle driver and the motorcyclist — to practice safe habits on the road and, ultimately, to Share the Road.

 

“There were 5,932 motorcyclists killed in traffic crashes in 2021, a 7.7% increase from 2020 (5,506),” said NHTSA Regional Administrator Susan DeCourcy. She continued, “Motorcyclist deaths accounted for 14% of the total highway fatalities in 2021 Sadly, motorcyclists are significantly overrepresented in traffic crashes and fatalities each year. In fact, motorcyclists were about 28 times more likely than passenger vehicle occupants to die in a motor vehicle crash and were 4 times more likely to be injured. We want to change that, and it starts with everyone on the road understanding that motorcyclist safety is everyone’s safety.”

 

One of the primary contributing factors to motorcyclist fatalities is speeding. According to NHTSA, 34% of all motorcycle riders involved (killed or survived) in fatal crashes in 2020 were speeding, compared to 22% for passenger car drivers, 16% for light-truck drivers, and 7% for large-truck drivers. Motorcycle riders 25 to 29 years old involved in fatal crashes had the highest speeding involvement at 45%.

 

Alcohol impairment also plays a significant role in motorcycle-involved crash fatalities: 41% of the 2,158 motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2020 were alcohol-impaired. In 2020, motorcycle riders involved (killed or survived) in fatal crashes had higher percentages of alcohol impairment than any other type of motor vehicle driver (27% for motorcycle riders, 23% for passenger car drivers, 19% for light-truck drivers, and 3% for large-truck drivers), and those killed were almost three times more frequently found to be alcohol-impaired at night than during the day (40% and 14%, respectively).

 

Like seat belts, helmets are a simple and effective way to reduce the likelihood of injury or death during a crash. However, helmet use has declined from 69% in 2020 to 64.9% in 2021. In contrast, helmet use continues to improve in states that require all motorcyclists to be helmeted. Additionally, it’s important to understand that both motorcyclists and their passengers should always wear a helmet. Among riders with passengers, helmet use among riders with passengers continued a sharp decrease at 52.1% in 2021, down from 65% in 2020 and 79.7% in 2019. In contrast, riders wearing DOT-compliant helmets saw their passengers’ helmet use increase significantly from 84.5% in 2020 to 91.1% in 2021.

 

Safe driving and riding practices by all road users — drivers and riders alike — will help reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on our nation’s highways. Motor vehicle drivers and motorcyclists should keep the following tips in mind when on the road:

 

  • Observe all traffic laws and always obey the speed limit.
  • Drive and ride alcohol- and drug-free.
  • Avoid distractions that place other road users at risk.
  • Yield to motorcyclists, especially while turning at intersections.
  • Wear high-visibility personal protective gear and DOT-compliant motorcycle helmets. NHTSA data estimates that helmets saved 1,872 motorcyclists’ lives in 2017 and that 749 more lives could have been saved if all motorcyclists had worn their helmets. Learn how to identify a safe, DOT-compliant helmet at nhtsa.gov/motorcycle-safety/choose-right-motorcycle-helmet

 

This May, let’s commit to safe driving and riding, and to our role in ensuring a safe motorcycle-riding environment. To ensure a safer riding experience, NHTSA recommends that all riders complete a rider education and training course. For more information on motorcycle safety, visit www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/motorcycles. For additional statistics please visit https://cdan.nhtsa.gov/ and search “motorcycle” under Crash Data Publications.

Sports, May 3rd

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Track and Field

The Mt. Pleasant girls and boys teams will travel to Washington for their Southeast Conference meet tomorrow, May 4th. The girls team for the Panthers will look to repeat as conference champions, while the boys team will have to dethrone Washington.

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference meet for the boys and girls will be run tomorrow at WACO. On the boys side, Mediapolis will look to defend their North title and New London will try to repeat as the South champion. The girls Sorth champion was West Burlington-Notre Dame last season and the North title winner was Pekin.

High School Soccer

The Mt. Pleasant girls team will look to get back in the win column tomorrow, May 4th, against Fairfield on the road.

The Mt. Pleasant boys team will host Fairfield tomorrow.

The WACO boys team will host Hillcrest Academy on May 5th.

The Danville boys team will take on Wapello on the road tomorrow night.

The Central Lee boys will take on Columbus tomorrow at home.

The Central Lee girls team will be at home against Columbus tomorrow.

High School Golf

The Mt. Pleasant boys team will compete at their conference meet today.

The Mt. Pleasant girls team will compete in the SEC conference tournament on May 10th.

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference (SEISC) boys teams will compete at the SEISC Conference meet today with the girls SEISC competition taking place on May 8th.

High School Tennis

The Mt. Pleasant girls team will travel to Burlington for the Southeast Conference tournament tomorrow, May 4th.

The Mt. Pleasant boys team is  11-0 on the season heading into their conference tournament tomorrow.

Iowa Wesleyan Athletics

The Tiger baseball team earned the 4th seed in the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) tournament and they will be facing off against Georgia Gwinnett College on May 6th.

The men and women golf teams seasons are done after the CAC tournament concluded play yesterday. The men’s team finished in 4th place after finishing with a team score of 984. Trace White was the top golfer with a score of 231, which placed him in 12th. Kenny Tucker was the Champion of Character for the Tigers. The University of Victoria is this year’s CAC champion.

The women’s team claimed fifth place as Michal Wohlleber and Natalie Ames tied for 22nd place with a 182 score. Wohlleber was the Tigers Champion of Character. USC Beaufort took the CAC championship.

The Tigers outdoor track and field teams will be competing at the Fighting Scot Outdoor Invitational on May 6th.

This Day in Sports History

1910 – Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States is renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

2000 – The sport of geocaching begins, with the first cache placed and the coordinates from a GPS posted on Usenet.

2018 – Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan becomes NFL’s first $30 million per season player after agreeing to a $150 million contract extension.

 

 

Fellows, Brown Named SCC 2023 Distinguished Alumni

By Theresa Rose · Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 5:56 am CDT

 

Southeastern Community College will host receptions for this year’s Distinguished Alumni honorees prior to the May 10 and May 11 SCC commencement ceremonies.

 

Keokuk 2022 Distinguished Alumnus, Brent Fellows, will be honored at a reception on Wednesday, May 10, at 5 p.m. on SCC’s Keokuk campus. He will present the keynote speech at Keokuk’s commencement, to be held outdoors at Keokuk’s campus.

 

West Burlington 2022 Distinguished Alumnus, Susan Brown, will be honored at a reception at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, in the banquet room at Burlington Memorial Auditorium. She will present the keynote address during West Burlington’s commencement at the Burlington Memorial Auditorium.

 

Brent Fellows was born and raised in Keokuk, Iowa. Before graduating in 1989 from Keokuk High School, he began taking classes at SCC.

 

After graduating from high school, he worked for the family business, Turbo Wash Inc., a small chain of self-service carwash facilities located in Iowa and Illinois. He also sold car washing equipment for Southern Pride Manufacturing throughout the Midwest. In 1996, he and his wife opened Main Street Storage in Keokuk.

 

He earned his associate’s degree from SCC in 2000 and continued his education at Western Illinois University, graduating in 2002 with a double major, a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Law Enforcement Justice Administration.

 

Brent served in the Iowa Army National Guard, 224th Engineer Battalion, Detachment 1, Company C from 1988 – 1994. He also served on the Keokuk City Council from 2002 – 2005.

After moving to Florida in 2007, he attended the Florida Law Enforcement Academy and was sworn in as a police officer for the Orlando Police Department.

 

Brent and his wife Nicole met while attending SCC and were married in 1996. They have two sons.

 

Raised in Oquawka, Illinois, Susan Brown graduated with an associate degree in nursing from SCC’s West Burlington campus in 1990. After gaining experience as a nurse, Susan went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa 2001 and her master’s degree as a nurse practitioner from the University of Chicago in 2011.

 

While working at Great River Medical Center she was instrumental in establishing the critical care nurse educator program. Susan’s love for teaching brought her back to SCC where she served as an adjunct clinical nursing instructor.

 

Susan now works as a nurse practitioner in nephrology at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center.

 

In addition to her professional career, she works with the National Kidney Foundation on continuing education programs, gives presentations at the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings, and has published several articles. Her masters project was considered research of significance by the National Institutes of Health on rapid response teams. Susan’s goal is to continue to teach and publish on issues in critical care and nephrology.

 

Susan’s biggest joy has been raising her six children with her husband, Lawrence. Her family was her inspiration to achieve great things in the medical field..

 

Distinguished alumni are selected by the SCC Alumni Association board from nominations. Nominate an exceptional alumus at scciowa.edu. The deadline for nominations is September 1.