Sports, March 31st

By Slaten Swords · Friday, March 31st, 2023 at 6:38 am CDT

High School Track and Field

Mt. Pleasant will be competing at Williamsburg’s Co-Ed Invitational on Tuesday, April 4th.

New London will be competing at the WACO relays on April 4th.

Danville and Winfield-Mt. Union will be competing at the Dave Aamodt Relays on April 4th.

The Central Lee girls track and field team will be competing at the Fairfield Track Meet on April 4th and the boys will be competing on April 6th at the Pekin Invitational.

High School Soccer

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ and boys’ soccer teams had their game with Central Lee tonight postponed to April 21st due to the inclement weather.

WACO’s boy soccer team held their own in the first half but ultimately fell to Fairfield 3-0. The Warriors next game will be April 3rd against Washington.

The Central Lee boys’ soccer team moves to 0-2 on the season after falling to Sigourney 3-0 last night.

High School Tennis

The Mt. Pleasant girls were swept by Davis County in their first match of the season. Victoria Smith and Bethany Drury each won 3 sets in their respective games. Their next meet will be against Keokuk on April 3rd at home.

Youth Basketball

The next event will be the Easter Weekend 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament held at Iowa Wesleyan University for 3rd graders through adults. For a registration form, contact Coach Ronnie Ashton at 319-931-2896 or Iowa Wesleyan’s Men’s Head Coach Jordan Ashton at 319-461-9023. Registration due by April 4th. It starts at 9am on April 8th.

Amateur Boxing

This weekend, over 60 Iowa amateur boxers will be competing in the first Golden Gloves Tournament since 2019. The event will take place in Iowa City with the first match scheduled for 6 pm.

Iowa Wesleyan Athletics

The Tiger softball team dropped both of their games to Culver-Stockton yesterday on the road. In game one, Ivy Geerdes knocked in the lone run of the day on a single in the fourth that scored Julia Hill. Aspyn Harrison had a solid outing in the circle as she went 6 innings allowing only 3 hits, striking out 7, and only 1 of the 2 runs were earned. Kara Krieger had the lone extra base hit for the Tigers with a double. Game two was called after 5 innings as the Wildcats had a big fourth inning and put up 7 runs to walk away with the 10-1 win. Geerdes again had the lone RBI on a 3rd inning single, scoring Harrison. Harrison also notched a double in the losing effort. The Tigers next game will be at home on April 4th against Clarke University. KILJ will be on the call with pregame at 1:45 pm.

The Tiger baseball team will take on Culver-Stockton College on April 4th.

The Tiger golf teams will be competing at the Wildcat Classic on April 2nd at 9 am. Brevin Wilson joined us on Tiger Nation yesterday and he talked about how important Iowa Wesleyan is to him.

The outdoor track and field teams will compete at the Mustang Open tomorrow at 11:30 am.

This Day in Sports History

1923 – First dance marathon in New York City; Alma Cummings sets record of 27 hours with 6 different partners.

1986 – 48th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Louisville beats Duke, 72-69; first tournament to use a shot clock (initially set at 45 seconds).

1991 – 10th NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Virginia, 70-67; first overtime win in the NCAA’s 10-year history.

Olsons Named Citizens of the Year

By Theresa Rose · Thursday, March 30th, 2023 at 7:51 pm CDT

Since 1972, the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce has presented the Citizen of the Year award to a nominee living and/or working in the Mount Pleasant area who has made a significant impact on the community. This year the Chamber Board of Directors selected Tim and Sally Olson for this honor. Mount Pleasant Chamber Alliance Executive Vice President Rachel Lindeen made the announcement at the Chamber’s Annual Banquet held Thursday evening.T.T.T., PEO, Kiwanis, Old Threshers, Festival of Lights and more. Lindeen also announced that the Chamber selected Bob Griffith as its’ Volunteer of the Year.  Each year Chamber staff members select the individual who by their tireless effort and commitment has had a significant impact on the Chamber and the Community. And last but not least, Tom and Marilyn Young were named Ambassadors of the Year. This couple takes the job of Ambassador very seriously and always does so with a smile.  Not to mention they can always be counted on. Retiring Chamber Board directors Lori White, Jennifer Moutrie and David George were recognized and Board President Elect Alicia Yocum gave the Toast to the Future.

 

James Kent “Jim” Moline

By Theresa Rose · Thursday, March 30th, 2023 at 5:10 pm CDT

James Kent “Jim” Moline, 81, of Farmington, Iowa, passed away at 5:10 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at his home in Farmington.

He was born on January 7, 1942, in Fort Madison, Iowa, the son of Donald and Katharyn Irene (Schau) Moline. In 1972, he married Kathy Woods, together they had three children: Carla, Kelly and Donnie.

Survivors include his three children: Carla (Jeff) Wilson of Waukee, Iowa, Kelly (Kristopher) Schmidt of Clive, Iowa and Donnie (Jennifer) Moline of Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. Also surviving are his eight grandchildren: Emma, Olivia, Jacob, Maggie, Chloe, Brynn, Grayson and Lily.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Jim was a member of Embury United Methodist Church, the Donnellson Saddle Club, honorary life member of the Central Lee FFA Alumni, past board member of Lee County Cattlemen’s Association and a member of the Lee County Sheep Producers. He farmed, worked at Donnellson Tire, hauled livestock throughout Southeast Iowa and drove a school bus for the Central Lee School District until his retirement. Jim was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan. He also enjoyed camping, giving wagon rides with his team of horses, working at the Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters at the Iowa State Fair and helping his buddy Bobby Reid at the Tri-State Rodeo. Most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren.

A visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 3, 2023, at Schmitz Funeral Home in Donnellson.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 3, 2023, at Schmitz Funeral Home.

Burial will be at Embury Cemetery, rural Donnellson, Iowa.

Following Jim’s services, a luncheon will be held at Charleston Board of Trade in Charleston.

A memorial has been in his memory for Central Lee FFA.

Schmitz Funeral Home of Donnellson is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.

Former National Guardsman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography Possession

By Theresa Rose · Thursday, March 30th, 2023 at 5:01 pm CDT

Davenport, IA – A Salem man was sentenced yesterday to 100 months in prison for possession of child pornography.
According to court records, law enforcement began investigating Jason Robert Wesely, 39, a former member of the Iowa National Guard, after receiving a cybertip from a social media platform in May 2020. The tip included descriptions of Wesely’s sexual conversations with
an undercover agent, pretending to be a 14-year-old child. Further investigation revealed that Wesely belonged to a chat group where child pornography was shared among its members. Wesely admitted to belonging to the group and to viewing and sharing child pornography. Wesely
was ultimately discharged from the Iowa National Guard. Following his prison term, Wesely was ordered to serve eight years of supervised release.There is no parole in the federal system.United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the
announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and the Iowa State Patrol investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which
was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821

High School Girls Soccer: First Rankings of the 2023 Season Released

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, March 30th, 2023 at 4:06 pm CDT

Prep Girls Soccer- With the girls soccer season officially starting earlier this week, the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released their first rankings for the year.

In Class 1A, last year’s champion headlines the rankings as Des Moines Christian is ranked #1. The Lions are 1-0 on the season after taking down Perry 10-0. Davenport Assumption was the runner-up last year and start out ranked 2nd this year. Dike-New Hartford comes into the rankings at #3. Two surprises in the top 15 as Gilbert comes in ranked 5th after going 7-9 in Class 2A last year. Dubuque Wahlert is another team that had a losing record last year that finds themselves ranked 12th.  A big reason for that is the Golden Eagles having their returning goal scoring leader in Emma Donovan, as she netted 12 goals last season.

Hard to argue against Dallas Center-Grimes being put at the top of the list for Class 2A after their undefeated season from last year that ended in a state championship. North Scott and North Polk follow behind in the rankings in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Pella is ranked 9th, Clear Creek-Amana finds itself ranked 14th, and Atlantic rounds out the list.

It will be quite the battle in Ankeny as Ankeny Centennial, last year’s state champion, and Ankeny rank 1st and 2nd, respectively. Waukee Northwest finds themselves ranked 3rd. In a bit of a surprise, Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln, last year’s runner up, is out of the top 5 and find themselves ranked 7th. Lastly, just the third team to have a losing record last year and be ranked in the top 15, Urbandale grabs the 15th spot with a record of 8-10 from a year ago.

You Better See Her Now: Caitlin Clark Wins 2023 Naismith Player of the Year

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, March 30th, 2023 at 2:57 pm CDT

NCAA Women’s Basketball- Only three days removed from Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking triple-double against Louisville in the Elite 8, the junior was awarded the 2023 Naismith Player of the Year. The award goes to the most outstanding player in women’s basketball and it is hard to contest that Clark does not deserve the recognition.

A run through her season statistics would make anyone double-take. Clark ranks 3rd in scoring (27.3 points per game), 1st in assists (8.6 assists per game), and she works for rebounds (6.9 rebounds per game). She leads the nation with five triple-doubles and is 2nd all-time in career triple-doubles with 11. Other notable marks: MVP in the Big Ten Championship tournament, a unanimous AP All-American selection, 1st 40-point triple-double in NCAA Tournament history for men and women, and is the first to record over 900 points and 300 assists in a single season in Division I NCAA basketball history.

Clark is just 16 points away from scoring 1,000 on the season, which would make her the 6th player to do such a thing in Division I women’s basketball history. Standing in her way is a Final Four matchup with last year’s Naismith Player of the Year, Aliyah Boston, and undefeated South Carolina tomorrow at 8:30 pm.

Don Johnson

By Theresa Rose · Thursday, March 30th, 2023 at 11:05 am CDT

Donald “Don” Jean Johnson, 88, passed away on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at his home in Winfield.

There will be a graveside service with military rights at the Winfield Scott Township Cemetery in Winfield for extended family on Thursday, March 30th at 4:30 pm. Family would like to invite all friends and family at Occasions on Oak, 111 South Oak Street in Winfield, IA for fellowship and a Celebration of Life in honor of both Don & Peggy Johnson.

Don is survived by his four children, Patrick of Muscatine, Dennis of Cedar Rapids, Jeanne (Kevin) Mullen of Winfield, Jackie (Garry) Idle of Cedar Rapids; lgrandchildren Angie (John) Mathis, Muscatine, Brandi (Alex) Haight, Ft. Madison, Travis (Courtney) Mullen of Mt. Union, Kelsey (Tim) Bolin of Mt. Pleasant, Brooke Hand of Denver, CO, Sean Idle and Eric Idle both of Iowa City; 8 great-grandchildren with another due in July, sister Mary Jo of Washington, as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy in 2021, parents and step-father, brothers John and Richard, daughter-in-law Kathy Johnson, and nephews Kevin Johnson and Rick Johnson.

Don was born August 14, 1934 in Washington, Iowa to Walter “Pat” and Beulah (Meredith) Johnson. In his early years he attended school in a one room country school house near Ainsworth, taught by his aunt Grace Ferns. Following school he served in the Navy from 1952-1956. He returned to Washington after serving and met the love of his life, Peggy Moyer and they married in 1957. They resided in Washington before moving to Winfield in 1968. He worked for Iowa DOT for over 20 years and worked for River Products until retirement. Don enjoyed fishing, playing cards, spending time with friends and especially his family, watching the St. Louis Cardinals and westerns. He was a great story teller and prankster. His kind soul and contagious laugh will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Condolences may be submitted on IowaCremation.com under “obituaries”.

From Rep. Taylor Collins

By Theresa Rose · Thursday, March 30th, 2023 at 8:52 am CDT

Special Newsletter Edition

 

Iowa Wesleyan Announces Closure; Blames… the Governor?

Yesterday, the SE Iowa community got the news they had long suspected, yet doubted would ever actually occur – that Iowa Wesleyan University, after 181 years, would close its doors for good. For those familiar with the University’s operation it was not surprising due to the fact that the University had consistently been operating in the red over the last decade. It’s worth noting, the University had racked up over $26 Million in debt with the USDA alone. However, what caught many off guard was the fact that IWU leadership decided on an announcement with one last push to defer blame, and wrongfully accused the Governor as the reason for the institutions’ closure.

This quickly led to the Governor having to issue a statement clarifying what actually occurred over the last two months:

“It wasn’t until February 3, 2023, that my office received a request from the university for $12 million for ongoing operating costs. As I’ve said many times, we endeavor not to spend one-time federal dollars on ongoing expenses. To better understand their request and the financial health of the university, my office engaged an independent, third-party accounting firm to conduct due diligence. The firm reported that Iowa Wesleyan had a $26.1 million loan from the USDA, using their campus as collateral, that could be recalled in full as early as November 2023. Additionally, Iowa Wesleyan’s auditor cited ongoing concerns about the university’s fiscal health, stating “significant operating losses and reduced liquidity raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.” The firm also highlighted that while enrollment at Iowa Wesleyan has grown over the past three years, their financial health has continued to deteriorate over the same period. 

“Based on this and other factors, the independent accounting firm determined that providing one-time, federal funds would not solve the systemic financial issues plaguing the university. If the state would have provided the federal funding as requested and it was used to finance debt or other impermissible uses according to US Treasury guidelines, the state and taxpayers could have been liable for potential repayment to the federal government. Moreover, the state has separately received $122 million in requests from other universities and community colleges across the state.

“With this information, I made the difficult decision to not pursue the university’s funding request.” 

President Plunkett’s accusation was even so egregious that the President of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities weighed in when being interviewed by the Iowa Capitol Dispatch:

“To blame the governor is absolutely, 100 percent preposterous,” Steinke said. “That makes me angry. In fact, to blame the governor is stupid. And yet the only person they blame is the governor,” he said. “I mean, there is no blame assigned to the trustees, to the administration, to the officials of the university – no, there’s none of that. No, they say this is all because the governor didn’t give them $12 million. Let me tell you something: That was an unbelievably dumb request. The governor was never going to provide $12 million in COVID money to a private, not-for-profit college that was on the verge of collapse.”

Steinke also noted that Iowa Wesleyan’s proposal that the governor give them $12 million of COVID relief funds demonstrates a lack of understanding as to how such funds can be legally used. He noted that the university’s financial problems date back to at least 2018, when the school reported it was on the brink of closing. That was long before the pandemic and long before Reynolds was approached for financial help.

It’s unfortunate President Plunkett decided to play politics rather than take responsibility for the financial disaster the university’s leadership put the institution in over the last decade, but it’s indicative of her long record of incompetent leadership.

As also reported by the Iowa Capitol Dispatch, in 2014, Plunkett announced she was resigning as President of Vermont’s Burlington College while a group of protesting students surrounded her car. Her resignation followed revelations of a similar financial disaster, the schools accreditation being suspended, and votes of no confidence from students, faculty and staff. In 2016, Burlington College closed, and by then, President Plunkett had already parachuted into the Midwest to escape the disaster her and Jane Sanders (Yes, the wife of the self described ‘democratic-socialist’ Senator Bernie Sanders) had caused. What was her next job after helping shutter Vermont’s Burlington College? Her role leading the budget for Iowa Wesleyan University as Vice President for Finance and Treasurer.

Moving Forward

The greatest challenge facing the community now is when Iowa Wesleyan closes on May 31st, the campus will be owned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. University leadership at the time put up the entire campus as collateral when the USDA provided them with their loan – an astonishingly poor decision. Over the last 24 hours I’ve been identifying who the main point of contact with the USDA will be, and talking with local and regional leaders to strategize how the community can best move forward with the University’s assets. In addition, I’ll be meeting with community stakeholders at Mount Pleasant City Hall on Friday to explore those options. I’ve also asked representatives of many of our state colleges and universities to provide information on openings to the current faculty at staff at the University. They all seemed very receptive, as many of them have open positions that have needed filled for some time.

This is obviously devastating news for the SE Iowa community but the rallying of support I’ve seen so far has been truly incredible. This is not the result anyone wanted, but nevertheless, we must now find a way forward. As many of the folks responsible for this disaster seek to find someone else to blame, or run for the hills, the SE Iowa community is prepared to work through this tragedy and find solutions.

 

Sincerely,

Rep. Taylor Collins
Iowa House District 95