The Iowa Mississippi River Parkway Commission (MRPC) will meet Friday, March 24, at the Des Moines County Heritage Center Museum, 501 N. Fourth St., in Burlington. Interested parties may attend in-person or join the meeting by using the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84738780642. To join the meeting by conference call, dial 312-626-6799 and use Meeting ID: 847 3878 0642# and then press # to enter the meeting. The link and phone line will be active…
PLAYERS WORKSHOP PRESENTS MYSTERY-THRILLER
A frustrated novelist insults his estranged wife until she snaps and shoots him. But where did the corpse go? Deadly games are afoot as the tables constantly turn for both victims and killers, in Players Workshop’s upcoming stage production of Murder by the Book, a mystery-thriller by Duncan Greenwood and Robert King, which runs at the Workshop at 1431 Grove St., Burlington, on March 24-25, 30-31, and April 1 at 7:30 p.m., and on March 26 and April 2 at 2:00 p.m. For more information on the play contact the Workshop at 319-753-6623, go to www.playersworkshoptheater.com, or check the Players Workshop Facebook page.
Murder by the Book is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Publishing; Players Workshop is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization.
Joe Link
Joseph Dennis Link, 77, of West Point, Iowa, passed away at 1:12 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at the Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in Fort Madison.
He was born on February 23, 1946, in West Point, Iowa, the son of Carl and Martha (Holtkamp) Link. On December 20, 1969, he married Mary Susan (Hatala) Link at Sacred Heart Church in Fort Madison.
He is survived by his wife: Mary; son: David (Amy) Link of Solon, Iowa; granddaughters: Morgan and Sophia and grandson: Jackson all of Solon; sisters: Maureen Kieler of West Point, Agnes (Steve) Koellner of Fort Madison; brothers: Bernard (Leah) Link of West Point, and Maurice (Ann) Link of Yankton, South Dakota; brother-in-law: Robert (Polly) Hatala of Cedar Rapids and several nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws.
He was preceded in death by his parents; in-laws: Norman and Cleo Hatala, and brother-in-law: Dan Kieler.
Joe was a 1964 graduate of the former St. Mary’s High School in West Point, and attended St. Benedict’s College and Iowa State University.
Joe was a member of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, Teamsters Local 238, and the former Prairie Hunters. He enjoyed playing euchre, was an avid hunter and fisherman, and always had a good “story” to tell about his adventures. At a very young age he learned to drive a truck because he wanted to see what was “all out there.” This led Joe to being a lifelong truck driver traveling both across the country and later the local area. When asked if he liked his job, he said, “I don’t like my job; I love my job!” He was also a twenty-five year cancer survivor.
After retiring, Joe really enjoyed the travels to Colorado, Texas, Niagara Falls, and driving on the backroads of the local area. His greatest joy was being with his grandchildren.
A visitation will be held from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, March 19, 2023, at Schmitz Funeral Home in West Point, where the family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. A parish rosary will be recited at 3:00 p.m.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 20, 2023, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in West Point.
Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in West Point.
Memorials have been established in his memory for the West Point Fire and Rescue, Calvary Cemetery or West Point Library.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com. Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with arrangements.
New Classification System for Football Moves Mt. Pleasant to Class 3A
IHSAA Report- The IHSAA came together a few months ago to declare that they were going to use a socioeconomic factor to determine the “final classification numbers” for the 2023 and 2024 football seasons. The data for school enrollment (BEDS) and free and reduced lunch percentages have been processed and the Panthers will be moving down a classification.
The Panthers move down from 4A to 3A to rejoin fellow Southeastern rivals in Fairfield, Keokuk, and Washington. Despite the different classification, the Panthers did face off against these teams last year and went 0-3 against them. Mt. Pleasant ranks just underneath the line of 4A, so they will be the biggest Class 3A team with a BEDS number of 0.45. Danville will no longer be combining with Mt. Pleasant as the Bears will field a team for Class 1A.
Also presented at the meeting were the spring and summer sport manuals for golf, tennis, track and field, and baseball. The following dates are subject to change. The golf season will begin the week of March 27th with the Sectional tournament starting on May 10th and the State tournament going May 22nd and 23rd. The Tennis season will begin the week of March 27th. Track and field will be limited to 16 meets, not including IHSAA meets, the Drake Relays, or indoor track and field meets. Baseball has a 40-game limitation, and they begin play the week of May 15th.
An additional rule the IHSAA has adopted is teams may use a courtesy runner for the pitcher or the catcher as soon as they get on base or anytime while on base. The same runner may not run for both positions. If a player is used to only courtesy run in a game, then the game does not count as one of his 40 games.
Henry County Health Center Diabetes Education Hosts Energy Bite Make and Take Class
Mount Pleasant, Iowa, [March 14, 2023] – Henry County Health Center’s Diabetes Education is hosting an Energy Bite Make and Take Class on Tuesday, April 4th from 1:00-2:00pm in the Health Education Center.
Participants will have the opportunity to make several different energy bites including monster cookie, blueberry white chocolate, oatmeal raisin and double chocolate.
To register call 319-385-6518. There is no fee for the class.
The HCHC Diabetes Education Center has earned Iowa State Certification. It has also been awarded Recognition from the American Diabetes Association, which assures that it has met the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. HCHC’s Diabetes Education team offers Certified Diabetes Educators through the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators.
HCHC is prepared and committed to caring for you and your loved ones. No youth under the age of 14 are allowed to enter Henry County Health Center unless the child is a patient coming for an appointment. Please remember to cover your coughs and sneezes, and stay home when ill.
Gail L. Church-Wigington
Gail L. Church-Wigington, 45, of Mt. Pleasant passed away on Saturday, March 11, 2023 at the Henry County Health Center in Mt. Pleasant.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 18, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. at the Murphy Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant with Pastor Debra Savage officiating.
Burial will be in the White Oak Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 1:30 until service time on Saturday at the Murphy Funeral Home.
A memorial has been established in her memory.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.murphyfuneralandmonuments.com
Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant, is caring for her arrangements.
The Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra (SEISO) presents the second of their Masterworks Series
SEISO PRESENTS HINDEMITH’S ICONIC WORK MATHIS DER MALER ON THEIR SECOND MASTERWORKS SERIES CONCERT
MYSTICAL FOOTPRINTS.
The Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra (SEISO) presents the second of their Masterworks Series concerts this season, Mystical Footprints, on March 18th at 7:30 PM at Ottumwa’s Bridge View Center and March 19th at 2:00 PM at Burlington’s Capitol Theater and 6:30 PM at Iowa
Wesleyan’s Chapel Auditorium in Mt. Pleasant. This concert combines Hindemith’s masterpiece with several other lesser-known pieces making for a varied and exciting program. Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler is the centerpiece of this concert and is not to be missed. The
SEISO Chorus will be featured on Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus”, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs with soloist Blair Buffington, and Williametta Spencer’s At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners. The program is rounded out by the 2022 Marilyn Minford McCoid Young
Artist Competition winner, Mattias Luitjens, a senior at WACO High School, performing Henryk Gorecki’s Piano Concerto. “I’m thrilled with the variety of this program and I think anyone that comes is really going to enjoy it. We combine some well-known composers and works with some that will be unfamiliar,” said Robert McConnell, Music Director of the SEISO. “The Hindemith is particularly enjoyable
and patrons will be reminded of our performances of his Symphonic Metamorphosis last season. I think many people are surprised at how easy it is to enjoy our concerts and how different they are from what they expected.” Tickets to the Masterworks Series concerts in Burlington, Ottumwa and Mt. Pleasant may be purchased at the door or on our website www.seiso.us. Adult tickets are $20. Children/student
tickets (aged 0-22) are free. There is no reserved seating. Make the most of your concert experience by attending the ‘Prelude.’ Music Director Robert McConnell will be on hand 45 minutes before each performance to talk about the programmed music in depth. ‘Prelude’ is supported through a grant from the Charles W. Rand Memorial Lecture Fund in Burlington and is offered free of charge to all audience members.
If you have questions, please contact the SEISO Office at seiso@iw.edu. More information is available on the SEISO web site at www.seiso.us
Henry County Now a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary County
The Henry County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution Tuesday declaring the county to be a second amendment sanctuary county. A group of citizens brought the resolution to the board asking the supervisors to take a stand to preserve 2nd Amendment rites. The group, including Sheriff McNamee said they believe our second amendment rights are in danger. And while the definition of “sanctuary” means no government body can come here to take away rights” basically the resolution was a proclamation that Henry County supports the second amendment. There was discussion as to whether this would supersede the Federal government. Even with this approval a future board of supervisors could still do away with the resolution. Supervisor Marc Lindeen asked why they simply couldn’t state they supported the entire constitution. Supervisor Chad White felt they should use the same language as the other Iowa counties. The final paragraph of the resolution states the Henry County Board of Supervisors hereby declares Henry County to be a second amendment sanctuary county and hereby states its opposition to the enactment of any legislation that would infringe upon the constitutional right of the people of Henry County to keep and bear arms. The resolution is from the Iowa Firearms Coalition. Thirty-nine other counties in Iowa including Des Moines, Van Buren and Washington have made the same declaration.