Parkview Home of Wayland Achieves Rare Deficiency-Free Survey in Annual State Inspection

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, June 13th, 2025 at 10:18 am CDT

Parkview Home in Wayland is celebrating a significant achievement this week after earning a Deficiency Free Survey during its annual inspection conducted by DIAL — the Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing. The survey, which took place June 10-12, 2025, is a rigorous review process required for every nursing home in Iowa and across the United States.

The inspection team evaluated Parkview Home for compliance with numerous federal and state regulations that ensure residents receive high standards of care. These regulations cover critical areas such as dignity, health, safety, and quality of life. Inspectors observed practices, reviewed records, and interviewed staff and residents to assess whether the facility met all requirements.

Achieving a deficiency-free survey is a rare accomplishment — only about 10% of nursing homes nationwide are able to meet every standard without a single citation. To do so, a facility must demonstrate full compliance with all Skilled Nursing Home federal and state requirements.

Parkview Home’s staff and leadership are proud of this recognition, which highlights their commitment to providing quality care to residents in a safe and respectful environment.

This honor reflects the hard work and dedication of the entire team at Parkview Home, and underscores the facility’s mission to deliver excellence in senior care in the Wayland community.

Great River Health Launches Free Durable Power of Attorney Support, Notary Services for Community Members

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, June 13th, 2025 at 9:00 am CDT

West Burlington, Iowa — Great River Health is offering a new, no-cost service aimed at helping individuals take charge of their healthcare decisions through advance directive planning. The organization announced it is now providing free assistance with Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) for Healthcare forms, as well as access to certified notary services for anyone in need.

This initiative is designed to empower individuals to clearly communicate their healthcare wishes in the event they are unable to speak for themselves.

While many people are unfamiliar with the process or unsure how to begin, Great River Health is working to remove those barriers by providing 30-minute appointments with trained volunteers. These volunteers are not only equipped to guide patients through the form but are also certified notaries, making it easier for the documents to be completed and validated in one sitting.

Appointments can be scheduled in two ways:

This community-focused program is part of Great River Health’s ongoing commitment to patient advocacy and informed healthcare planning.

Mildred “Millie” Irene Henry Jones

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, June 13th, 2025 at 7:47 am CDT

Mildred “Millie” Irene Henry Jones, of Richland, Iowa, passed away peacefully at home on June 11, 2025, at the age of 99.

Millie was born on March 19, 1926, in Monroe County, Tennessee, the daughter of Bob T. and Ada (Bivens) Henry. She began her education in a one-room schoolhouse in Antioch and later attended Friendsville Academy in Friendsville, Tennessee. Her passion for learning led her to Marion College in Indiana, where she earned a teaching degree in 1955. While attending college, Millie played on the basketball team and sang in the college choir.

After graduating, she began teaching fourth grade in Swayzee, Indiana. Soon after, Millie answered a call from the Friends United Meeting to serve as a teacher for missionary children in Kenya, East Africa—a mission that lasted three and a half years.

Upon returning to the United States, Millie was introduced to Robert B. Jones, son of Bruce and Addie Lincoln Jones. They were married on September 12, 1964, and made their home on a farm near Pleasant Plain, where they raised two sons, Evan and Calvin.

Millie was deeply involved in her community and faith. She was a dedicated member of the Pleasant Plain Friends Church, serving as a Sunday School teacher, board member, and active participant in the United Society of Friends Women on both local and international levels. Committed to education, she also served two terms on the Fairfield School Board.

Millie’s sense of humor, vibrant personality, and faith in God shone through in all aspects of her life. In her free time, she enjoyed reading, traveling, and sporting events.

Millie is survived by her husband of over 60 years, Bob; her sons, Evan and Calvin Jones (Renee Buchholz); sisters-in-law Janet Jones and Emma Jean Henry; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers Wilker, Ray, Vestal, Rex, and Calvin Henry; and her sisters Voreta Henry and Annie Kirkland.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, June 16, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Pleasant Plain Friends Church, with Pastor Stan Bauer officiating. The family will receive visitors starting at 10:00 a.m. Burial and a dinner will follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to Pleasant Plain Friends Church or The Lord’s Cupboard.  Friends may leave online condolences or join the webcast at www.cranstonfamilyfuneralhome.com.

Sports, June 13th

By Slaten Swords · Friday, June 13th, 2025 at 6:41 am CDT

High School Baseball

Mt. Pleasant kept responding to Burlington’s call for offense until Austin Donahoe entered in relief and allowed only two hits in the final five innings, leading to a Grayhound 12-8 win last night. Payton Walker clubbed two doubles for two RBIs as Grayson Lowery collected his first double of the season for two RBIs. Panther head coach Brent Broeker discussed the message to his team after the game,

“You know, I told them. I said, you know, ‘I was proud of them, that they fought.’ You know, we were down 5 runs in that first inning. And it’s one of those where you could just, you know, pitch the tent and just call it quits or battle back. And we put up three in the bottom of the first. And we just kept bouncing back. Got it back to 8-8. So, we’re right in that game. We had one bad inning defensively when we brought in Rich and they got through that one last punch and scored four, and we just couldn’t come back from that.”

The Panthers will make the trip to Atlantic tonight at 7:30 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union lost a pitchers duel to Hillcrest Academy last night, 3-2. Kason Dopler struck out six in six innings of work. The Wolves will make the trip to Lone Tree tonight at 5:30 pm.

Central Lee is on a five-game winning streak after walking-off Van Buren County last night, 3-2. Bo Herdrich smacked a solo home run in the winning effort, while Kayden Simmons knocked home a run for the Warriors. 

Central Lee will travel to Burlington Notre Dame tonight at 7:30 pm.

Van Buren County will host Mediapolis at 7 pm tonight. 

Danville was smacked by Burlington Notre Dame last night 10-0. The Bears will face off against Pekin at 7:30 pm at home.

New London nearly pulled off the upset last night but fell to #7 Mediapolis, 5-4. Kye Reighard led the Tigers, slugging a triple for four RBIs. 

New London will compete against West Burlington tonight at home at 7 pm.

West Burlington’s offense was unstoppable last night in a 24-9 walloping of Lone Tree. Brock Thuleen clouted a home run for four RBIs, while Garret Bence totaled six RBIs behind two doubles.

Fairfield remained undefeated in Southeast Conference play last night after shutting out Keokuk, 12-0. Aiden Westercamp and Luke Konczal each clocked triples, combining for seven RBIs. Dain Burkhart collected seven strikeouts in four innings of work. The Trojans remain on the road tonight to face off against Chariton at 7 pm.

Wapello will tangle with Highland tonight at 7:30 pm on the road. 

High School Softball

Holy Trinity Catholic defeated Danville 12-0 last night. The Crusaders will compete in a tournament tomorrow, June 14th, at Hillcrest Academy.

Danville will host WACO at 7 pm tonight.

West Burlington/Notre Dame handled Lone Tree last night, winning 8-2. The Falcons will make the trip to New London tonight at 7 pm.

Columbus lost to Louisa-Muscatine last night, 10-0. The Wildcats will battle Pekin tonight at 7 pm.

WACO was shutout by Wapello last night, 10-0. Mila Jordan pitched four innings of two-hit ball, fanning eight in the win. 

Wapello will square off against Highland tonight at 7:30 pm.

Mediapolis and New London needed nine innings to decide who would score the first run of the game and it was Layne Price who walked it off for the Bulldogs in a 1-0 victory.

Fairfield’s 13-run 3rd inning helped the Trojans snap a three-game losing streak, blowing past Keokuk 17-0. Emmelia Miller smacked a double for four RBIs in the win. 

Mt. Pleasant fell to Burlington last night 9-2. 

#15 Central Lee defeated Van Buren County last night 5-4 after pushing across the winning run in the 9th inning.

Mediapolis, Central Lee, Mt. Pleasant, and Van Buren County will meet up at Fairfield today for an invitational. 

High School Softball Rankings

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released their updated rankings yesterday and two local teams remain in the top 15 for Class 3A.

Washington stayed put at #9 in the rankings after going 5-3 since the last round of rankings. The Demons cemented their position atop the Southeast Conference standings after sweeping Fairfield in a doubleheader earlier this week.

Central Lee’s victory over West Burlington/Notre Dame led to the Hawks taking over that #1 spot in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division and the #15 slot in the rankings. Kenna Sandoval continues to lead the offense, batting 0.452 for the season with three home runs and 10 RBIs.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team will be starting up their optional summer runs on Monday, June 16th. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. The runs will continue through mid-August until the cross country camp. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees clobbered the ball in last night’s 16-12 victory over the Quincy Doggy Paddlers, accumulating five extra-base hits. Cole Yearsley led the demonstration of power with a home run and a team-leading four RBIs. 

The Clinton LumberKings have rattled off three consecutive victories after taking down the Danville Dans last night 7-2. 

The Bees versus LumberKings matchup scheduled for tonight will be postponed to tomorrow, June 14th. It will be played as a home doubleheader at Community Field with game one at 5 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1924 – The New York Yankees win by forfeit over the Detroit Tigers after a brawl amongst the teams and spectators ensues in the 9th inning.

1973 – Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Ron Cey, and Bill Russell play together for the first time, setting the record of staying together as an infield for 8 1⁄2 years (LA Dodgers).

2012 – San Francisco Giants’ Matt Cain pitches the first perfect game in the franchise’s history against the Houston Astros.

Southeast Iowa Fishing Report June 12th

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, June 12th, 2025 at 8:38 pm CDT

SOUTHEAST

Big Hollow Lake

Water temperature is 73 degrees. Duckweed is thick on top of the curly-leaf pondweed beds, but not bad elsewhere. Black Crappie – Good: Try a small jig or a slip bobber and minnow in 7 to 8  feet of water along the outer edges of the curly-leaf pondweed beds on the northside of the lake. Bluegill – Fair: Most spawning beds are still vacant. Look for bluegills in a pocket in the curly-leaf pondweed beds or out in the trees down about 6 feet. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Find bass in the brush or outer edges of the weed beds; use soft plastics rigged weedless.

Lake Belva Deer
Water temperature is 74 degrees. Water clarity is 7 feet.  Black Crappie – Good: Try slow drifting and vertically jigging over the habitat and in about 12-16 feet of water. Trolling speed of about 1 mph works best. Bluegill – Fair: A few male bluegills are on the spawning beds; many remain out in 10-12 feet of water.

Lake Darling
Water temperature is in the mid-70s. Water clarity is good (50-60 inches). The water still has a a green cast. Black Crappie – Good: Anglers are catching crappies off of the brush and rock piles in deeper water by the dam. Bluegill – Fair: Some bluegills are returning to the spawning beds.  Many more are staying out around the rock piles in 6-8 feet of water. Largemouth Bass – Good: Bass fishing has picked up with the return of the females from deeper water.  Best bite is early morning before it gets too hot.

Lake Geode
Water temperature is73 degrees. Water clarity is 5 1/2 feet. Water willows are making a comeback. Black Crappie – Good: Try vertically jigging in the habitat in 8 to 9 feet of water.  . Bluegill – Good: Many spawning beds were reoccupied earlier this week. Use worm and a small bobber to avoid spooking the fish. Largemouth Bass – Good: Bass are looking for young bluegills and crappies to feed on. Find bass in tree falls and rock piles along the old haul road;  shallow diving crankbaits should draw their attention.

Lost Grove Lake
Water temperature is 72.  Curly-leaf is still in good health. Algae on top of it is getting fairly thick.  Bluegill – Good: Anglers are catching bluegill along the outer edges of the flooded brush in 6-8 feet of water. Largemouth Bass – Good: Best bite is the first 2 or 3 hours of daylight or just as the sun starts to set.  If you catch a calm no wind period, switch to topwater for the big splash.

Skunk River (Rose Hill to Coppock)The river is stable at about half bank full. More than adequate water levels for boats. Channel Catfish – Good: Use cut baits and stink baits.  Mulberries are starting to ripen; catfish really like to eat mulberries.

Yenruogis Pond
Water is extremely clear; you can see 11 feet down on a cloudy day. Water temperature is 74 degrees. Bluegill – Good: Bluegills are still on the spawning beds.  Use flyrods and poppers or ultralight rods and tiny jigs in this clear water. Largemouth Bass – Fair: Try topwater baits on the less noisy side.  You can see the bass coming from a distance.

For more information on the above lakes and rivers call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.

Arlene Louise Davison

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, June 12th, 2025 at 8:36 pm CDT

Arlene Louise Davison, 85, a resident of Batavia, entered into new life with Jesus, Monday, June 10, 2025 at Parkview Care Center in Fairfield.

Visitation for family and friends will be 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Sunday, June 15, 2025 at Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield. Funeral services celebrating her life will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, June 16th at Behner Funeral Home with Pastor Danny Cary officiating. Burial will be at Batavia Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Lord’s Cupboard of Jefferson County in care of Behner Funeral Home, 203 S. Main St. Fairfield, Iowa 52556.

Arlene was born February 19, 1940 the daughter of George and Wanda (Mourer) Brewington. She was united in marriage to Carroll Davison, September 16, 1957 in Fort Madison, Iowa. Their union was blessed with five children. Carroll preceded her in death, April 21, 2009.

Arlene’s early years were spent in Richland, Bettendorf, and Davenport before settling in Batavia. For a time, she worked at a machine shop in Fairfield and then for Jefferson County Hospital in housekeeping and dietary. After retiring, she worked at Batavia BP.

Arlene loved keeping busy, helping others, playing with her grandchildren, bingo, and playing pool. Arlene was an avid pool player and quite a sharp shooter which she played for 40 plus years. She won many bets after some young’uns challenged her to a game of pool. Arlene won best player of the year and best duo team award. She spent her time with crochet, crafts, cooking, and baking.

Those left to honor her memory include her children, Chris “Maynard” (Linda) Davison, Tina (Chuck) McCoy, April Davison, and June (Nathan) Barta; daughter-in-law, Christina Davison; 11 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren; siblings, Joan (Earl) Barnett of Texas, John (Patty) Brewington of Batavia, Kenneth (Gaye) Brewington of Wisconsin, and Alice (Chuck) Dyer of Oregon.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents and son, Michael Davison.

Mt. Pleasant Track and Field Celebrates a Season Full of New School Records

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, June 12th, 2025 at 3:24 pm CDT

Mt. Pleasant, IA- The girls’ and boys’ track teams made their way to Mt. Pleasant High School yesterday for their annual postseason banquet where memories are relived from throughout the season and awards are handed out to the top performers and leaders from the respective teams. With three new school records, the Panthers enjoyed a successful 2025 season.

(Picture Courtesy of Scot Lamm: Front Row (L-R): Kynlee White, Izzy Sloat, Ellie Freeman, Alexis Wagner, Natalie Freeman, Linzy Striegel, and Alex Scott)

(Back Row (L-R): Kaden Schadt, Silas Hulett, Avin Truong, and Mason Frueh)

Starting on the girls’ side, the Panthers rattled off six meet victories before reclaiming the Southeast Conference crown from Washington with a strong performance from their relay teams and short distance sprinters. 

The 4×200 meter relay team broke four meet records, including the SEC meet record before setting a new school record of 1 minute and 43 seconds at the state qualifier. The team of Kynlee White, Ellie Freeman, Kiyah Sanders (not pictured above), and Alex Scott finished in 10th at state in the 4×200. 

Izzy Sloat received rookie of the year as she attended state for two events: the sprint medley relay and the long jump, taking 12th place in the latter with a leap of 16 feet and 3.25 inches. Linzy Striegel joined her at the long jump pit, claiming 21st place at state, earning Most Improved along with Alexis Wagner.

Scott could not ask for a better season, breaking the school record in the 4×200 meter relay and the 200-meter dash, rushing to a time of 25.56 seconds at the state prelim for 13th place. Additionally, she finished in 6th place in the 100-meter dash and the 4×100 meter relay at state. She was the leading scorer of the team.

Also having an incredible season was junior Paityn Ensminger. The junior consistently reshaped the record book with her best toss of the season of 39 feet and 11.5 inches ranking 4th in school history. Ensminger would claim 3rd place at the SEC meet and 8th place at state.

For the boys’ team, Kaden Schadt took home Rookie of the Year as he led the team with a height of 6 feet in the high jump. Silas Hulett joined him in Rookie of the Year honors as he paced the long distance team. Mason Frueh earned Most Improved as the junior tossed the discus 140 feet and 10 inches for a team personal best.

Lastly, Avin Truong collected Leading Scorer for the season, despite suffering an injury in the later half of the season. Nevertheless, the senior broke the 23-foot mark in the long jump, setting a school record with a distance of 23 feet and 8 inches.

Payton Walker (not pictured above) and Natalie Freeman received the Panther Award.

Linda Diane Courtney

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, June 12th, 2025 at 1:39 pm CDT

Linda Diane Courtney, 76, of Libertyville, Iowa, passed away Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at Arbor Court in Mount Pleasant.

A celebration of Linda’s life will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to the family in care of Jon Courtney, Sr., 1246-265th Street, Libertyville, Iowa 52567.

Linda was born December 12, 1948, the daughter of Clarence and Ruth Andyway. She married Jon Courtney Sr. in Memphis, Missouri on December 16, 1967.

Linda worked as a house cleaner and a factory worker in the surrounding area. She enjoyed knitting, crochet, playing board games, camping, and fishing with Jon.

Those left to honor her memory include her husband, Jon Courtney, Sr.; son, Jon (Wanetta) Courtney, Jr. of Mount Pleasant; sisters, Donna Clingan, Vicki Husk, and Judy Dietrich; brother, Dick Andyway; grandchildren, Tyler (Melanie) Courtney, Tanner Courtney, Hannah (Jade) Hobbs, and Josie (Christopher) Lebert.

She was preceded in death by her parents; son, James Courtney; sister, Millie Lopez; and brothers, Leonard Andyway, Gilbert Andyway, and Allen Andyway.

Online condolences may be made to Linda’s family by viewing her obituary at www.behnerfh.com.