Adaugo Nwachukwu is a Finalist for USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023 at 10:37 am CDT

Mt. Pleasant, IA- The ballots are open for the first USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year Award and Adaugo Nwachukwu is one of the six finalists. It will be tough competition for the Tiger as each wrestler went undefeated for the season and is at least a one-time champion. Here is a quick rundown of the competition.

Lexie Basham of Texas Wesleyan went 18-0 on the season and is now a two-time NAIA champion.

Marissa Gallegos is a redshirt junior for Colorado Mesa who went 28-0 and finished as the 2023 NCWWC champion at 123-pounds. She is the only non-multiyear champion.

Dymond Guilford is a graduate student from University of Cumberlands and she totaled a 21-0 record on the year at 170-pounds and is now a three-time NAIA champion.

Yelena Makoyed of North Central is now a three-time NCWWC champion after finishing with a 28-0 record.

Peyton Prussin of Life University is a three-time NAIA champion as she finished the year with 3 pins and 9 technical falls.

Lastly, Adaugo Nwachukwu is just a sophomore for Iowa Wesleyan but she has dominated the mat ever since arriving in Mount Pleasant. Nwachukwu was the first National Champion and All-American in the program’s history as a freshman losing only one match on the year. Over the summer, she competed for Team USA and took home the bronze medal in the Women’s Freestyle in the 62KG division. She used that momentum to finish her sophomore season with a 31-0 record where 29 of her matches ended by pin or tech fall. She won the Heart of America Conference title, named NAIA Outstanding Wrestler of the Year, and is now a two-time NAIA Champion after winning the crown this year in the 136-pound weight class. Nwachukwu is the first in program history to win multiple National Championships.

The award will be decided by three groups: wrestling journalists, women’s college head coaches, and fans.

Follow this link to cast your vote before it ends on March 27th at 8 am: https://usawrestlingevents.com/wcwoty

Public Invited to D.A.R. Celebration

By Theresa Rose · Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023 at 9:52 am CDT

On Thursday, March 24, 1923, a group of women led by Ella Rosemond Mackin gathered in Mt. Pleasant to form the James Harlan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).  Current members of the James Harlan Chapter of DAR invite the community to help commemorate it’s first 100 years.  The celebration will be held on Saturday, March 25, 2023 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Ashford Park Clubhouse, 1801 Ashford Avenue, Mt. Pleasant.  The event is free and open to the public.

The celebration will kick off with an open house at 1 p.m.  A program will begin at 1:30.  The Women in American History Award will honor two local women.  Following the awards, Iowa author Cheryl Mullenbach will present on “Mischievous Women of the Progressive Era”.  Cathy Helman, James Harlan DAR member from Salem will add information about local “mischievous” women.

In addition to the anniversary celebration, the chapter is marking it’s anniversary in other ways.  Visitors to the Mt. Pleasant Public Library or the lower level of the Henry County Courthouse can view displays commemorating the James Harlan Chapter’s milestone.  James Harlan Chapter member Becky Wright made the patriotic quilt on display at the library.  Vice Regent Charlene Seggerman assembled items illustrating DAR’s goals and activities to display in the courthouse.

The Daughters of the American Revolution, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization. Each of the women who belong to the DAR can document their ancestry back to at least one patriot who played a role helping to win independence during the Revolutionary War.  The organization is dedicated to three main goals: promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children.

According to James Harlan Chapter Regent Gayle Olson, there are currently 59 members in the local chapter who work to accomplish these goals through a combination of committee work, recognizing community members and continuously learning.  “We are an involved group with many activities and partners.  Each month, we work on a specific service area.  If you have an interest in history, education or patriotism, we always have projects in progress.”

For information on joining DAR, contact Carol Klopfenstein, 319- 257-6987.  For information on the anniversary celebration, contact Gayle Olson, 319-257-6967.

Sports, March 22nd

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023 at 6:25 am CDT

High School Track and Field
The boys’ will be competing in the Steve Roth Relays tomorrow, March 23rd, and the girls will be competing at Burlington Notre Dame on March 28th.

High School Soccer
The Mt. Pleasant girls’ soccer season will begin on March 28th against Mediapolis on the road.
WACO’s boy soccer team will start their season at home against Fairfield on March 30th.
The Central Lee boys’ soccer team will take on Keokuk on March 27th as the Hawks start their season on the road.

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.

March Madness
The Sweet 16 will get back to action tomorrow and Thursday. The winner of the KILJ Bracket Challenge will get a free cabin rental from Henry County Conservation and a $100 gift certificate to Wiley’s Interior Furnishings and Design with 2nd place getting a meal a month from the Press Box.
For the women’s bracket, Iowa will take on Colorado in the Sweet 16 as Caitlin Clark continues her dominance.
Division III National Championship
Central College has collected their 8th indoor national title for the men’s track and field program and it comes from Mount Pleasant native, senior Sam Beatty. Competing at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship in the high jump, Beatty was tied with Samuel Hetrick of Penn State University as they both cleared 6 feet 9 inches. Both competitors attempted 6 feet 10.25 inches, but both missed all three of their attempts. Beatty won the tiebreaker as Hetrick had one more miss at lower bars than Beatty. It is the Dutch’s 37th individual national titles across all sports.

Iowa Wesleyan Athletics
The Tiger softball team fell in both games of their road doubleheader against Mount Mercy University to fall to 4-15 on the season. In game one, the Tigers were tasked with going against the NAIA First Team All-American from a year ago in Jayna Witzany and she showed why by registering a strike out for every out in 5 innings of work as the Mustangs took it 8-0. Game two was a different story. The Tigers got on the board first with a Kelsey Topliff bunt that scored Kara Krieger to give Iowa Wesleyan a 1-0 lead. The Mustangs responded with their own run to tie it up. Then the Tigers played small ball that resulted in 5 runs in the top of the second as Julia Hill doubled home a run, Jordan Lantz singled home two runs, Krieger added an RBI, and T. Burbridge notched her first hit and RBI of the season. The 6 to 1 lead was cut when the Mustangs put up 2 runs in the 5th inning and the top of the 6th inning started with a single by Lantz but a double play shifted all momentum to Mount Mercy. The result was 6 runs scored in the bottom of the 6th inning as Natalie Tecklenburg hit a three run home run to give us the final score of 9-6. Head Coach Mike Hampton says his team still has to learn how to finish games. The Tigers have to bounce back quickly as they face off against Hannibal-LaGrange University in a doubleheader today.
The Tiger baseball team will take on William Woods University on March 28th for a home doubleheader with game one at 3 pm.
The women’s golf team will have their home opener on March 27th at the Purple Cup.
The men’s golf team will be competing at the Jim Wetherbee Invitational in Galesburg, Illinois on March 25th and 26th for the season opener.

The outdoor track and field season will be getting underway at the Viking Relays on Saturday, March 25th at 10 am.
Henry Shannon was named an Honorable Mention for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) team. The freshman averaged 12.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He is the first Tiger to receive NAIA honors since Nate Fuqua was named an NAIA All-American in the 2010-2011 season.

Isabell West and Kyla Moore were named NAIA All-American Honorable Mentions after leading the Tigers to a 23-7 record. West nearly averaged a double-double with 18.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Moore received her second Honorable Mention of her career after averaging 15.3 points per game along with 2.5 steals per game.

This Day in Sports History
1984 – Islander Bryan Trottier ties NHL record scores 5 seconds into game.
1989 – Clint Malarchuk of the Buffalo Sabres suffers a near-fatal injury when another player accidentally slits his throat.
1989 – Pete Rozelle announces retirement as NFL commissioner after 29 years.

 

Mount Pleasant Man Identified As Victim in Crash

By Theresa Rose · Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023 at 5:54 am CDT

The West Burlington Police Department has identified the victim in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 34. According to a news release, on Thursday, March 16th, at 5:50 PM the West Burlington Police Department responded to a report of a single-vehicle crash on Highway 34 at the Gear Avenue exit. Officers arrived at 5:51, along with Burlington and West Burlington firefighters and paramedics. A preliminary investigation showed that the driver, 55-year-old Bruce C. Yurth Jr. of Mount Pleasant was traveling eastbound on Highway 34 when his vehicle veered across the median and westbound lanes of traffic, entered the north ditch, and struck a tree. Yurth was taken to Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased.

From the Iowa Department of Public Safety Regarding Swatting Calls

By Theresa Rose · Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023 at 5:44 am CDT

Tuesday, several school districts across Iowa received “swatting calls” that referend an alleged active shooter scenario. According to Department of Public Safety officials, the first swatting call originated in Clinton County at approximately 8:00 a.m., and the last call was received at 10:30 a.m. in Creston. Officials estimate that approximately 30 calls were received by local law enforcement agencies.
A “swatting call” refers to a false claim intended to trigger an immediate and widespread law enforcement deployment or emergency service response to a specific location. Hoax reports such as the ones experienced Tuesday commonly consist of claims of serious violent attacks, such as a bomb threat, active shooter, and/or a hostage situation.
Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan K. Bayens said these false reports are a tactic intended to illicit a large-scale law enforcement response. “The design of it is to create confusion and chaos. It’s designed to draw a large law enforcement presence to a school even though there is no active threat. And by all accounts and for all intents and purposes, it appears thus far that is what Iowa experienced.

Bayens said Tuesday’s swatting calls impacted the following communities:
• Cedar Rapids
• Iowa City (multiple schools)
• Clinton
• Davenport
• Muscatine
• Cerro Gordo County
• Story County
• Lee County (multiple schools)
• Waterloo
• Boone
• Mason City
• Charles City
• Clear Lake
• Creston
• Des Moines
• Oskaloosa
• Marshalltown
• Monona
• Nevada
• North Liberty
• Ottumwa
• Decorah
Immediately after receiving these calls, local law enforcement and school officials reported all relevant information to the Department’s Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, which then re-disseminated the information to local law enforcement agencies throughout the state. Bayens said this proactive information sharing allows schools and law enforcement to better determine their response protocols should one of their schools receive a similar call. “By reporting these calls to us, we can quickly inform our school and law enforcement partners, which in this case may have impacted the nature of their response and stemmed the flow of more calls to other communities,” Bayens said.
The Department is continuing to work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate and identify the caller. Bayens said the initial information leads investigators to believe the calls are similar in nature and likely originated from a single source.
State school safety officials and Governor Kim Reynolds were able to quickly inform the public about the swatting calls as part of a scheduled press conference and launch of a new school safety app called Safe+Sound Iowa. The app was made available to all public school districts and accredited non-public schools today. Parents, students, and community members can anonymously report any tips to law enforcement through dps.iowa.gov/SafeandSoundIowa, downloading the free Safe+Sound Iowa app, or by calling 800-224-6018.

Rash of Swatters

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 at 4:15 pm CDT
“Today (Tuesday), all across the State of Iowa, 911 Centers were contacted by “Swatters” reporting violent situations in our Schools. LeeComm Dispatchers did an excellent job recognizing these calls. Law Enforcement responses were swift and coordinated in our County. All our Children are safe.
LeeComm Director Solem was quick to contact Homeland Security and the FBI is now involved.”
Reports like this also came from Iowa City, Muscatine and Clinton. KILJ contacted Mount Pleasant School Superintendent John Henriksen who was in contact with Mount Pleasant Police Chief Lyle Murray.  The Chief said these swatters had not contacted Henry County 911.
From Radio Iowa….
The commissioner of the Iowa Department of Public Safety says at least 30 school district received swatting calls this (Tuesday) morning. Those are calls where someone reports a shooting to get police to respond. D-P-S commissioner Stephan Baynes says the first call came into Clinton and they were able to determine what happened…..”Immediately our Division of Intelligence was monitoring, it was taken in ingesting the information, and we’re pushing it out to several thousand law enforcement officers within the first half hour to 45 minutes,” he says. “And then once the additional calls rolled in, we could even more kind of robustly communicate this was likely a swatting event.”
Bayens says Clinton reacted well when the first call came in. “When the balloon went up, so to speak, there were cops from probably five different counties, the State Patrol, anyone and everyone came running,” Bayens says. “And the school from what I understand it a great job of locking the school down, communicating well with the community.” Clinton eventually canceled classes for the day. Bayens says the calls came in from east to west across the state, so there was a warning for schools as the situation progressed. “I imagine by the time the call is rolled into central Iowa, I would hazard a guess that almost all of law enforcement in these communities knew what was likely coming. And that way they can take a drastically different response because they know the genesis of it,” he says. The swatting calls came on a day when Governor Kim Reynolds and Commissioner Bayens had already scheduled a news conference to talk about a new ap developed by the Governor’s School Safety Bureau. Reynolds says she was updating on the situation right away and was glad the calls were not real. “It’s what no Governor, no parent or anybody, Superintendent, teachers kids want to hear. And we’re grateful, and just so thankful that that’s what it was,” Reynolds says. She says it highlights the importance of what the School Safety Bureau is trying to do to keep schools safe. Commissioner Bayens says it is hard to track these types of calls and they often come from out of the state or country. He says they did follow the same pattern. “Everything in terms of the details are the same, the methodology, the phone number, the voice, the content,” he says. He was asked about the accent of the caller. “The calls are in English, whether it’s an Iowa accent or not, I guess it depends on I mean, there’s folks from everywhere, so I don’t know what an Iowa accent is anymore,” Bayens says “I can say it’s probably not traditionally what we think is Midwestern and in sourcing, and that’s about all I can say — I’m not a linguist expert, but I can I can at least tell you that.” Bayens says the calls are designed to draw in law enforcement and create confusion. He says they were able to mitigate some of that by immediately analyzing and determining these were swatting calls.

Sam Beatty Captures National Title For the Dutch in the High Jump

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 at 12:15 pm CDT

Pella, IA- Central College has collected their 8th indoor national title for the men’s track and field program and it comes from Mount Pleasant native, senior Sam Beatty. It’s the Dutch’s third high jump title in school history.

At the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship, Beatty was tied with Samuel Hetrick of Penn State University as they both cleared 6 feet 9 inches. Both competitors attempted 6 feet 10.25 inches, but both missed all three of their attempts. Beatty won the tiebreaker as Hetrick had one more miss at lower bars than Beatty.

Coach Brandon Sturman said, “Once it got down to two guys, I think it took some pressure off and it ended up working out for him.”

The Dutch now tout 37 individual national titles across all sports.

NEW REPORT REINFORCES IOWA AGRICULTURE’S ROLE IN ‘FEEDING THE ECONOMY’

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 at 10:02 am CDT

Economic impact study reveals new data on jobs, wages and economic output, beating pre-pandemic levels

 [WEST DES MOINES, Iowa]—March 21, 2023— In Iowa, more than 325,800 jobs totaling $13.9 billion in wages are directly attributed to agriculture, according to the seventh annual Feeding the Economy report released by 25 food and agriculture groups.

The agricultural industry is also responsible for $96.5 billion of direct economic output in the state. When factoring in “induced impact” of linked food and agriculture industries and the spending power of those employed by them, Iowa agriculture’s economic impact more than doubles to $221.8 billion.

            “These numbers say what we already know—progress in agriculture starts with people,” says Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson. “As new technology and markets are developed to increase agricultural sustainability and offer more choices to the consumer, it will be these people with boots-on-the-ground who continue to make Iowa agriculture even stronger than it is today.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, between 1948 and 2019, land use for agriculture decreased by 28% while land productivity grew nearly four times and labor productivity grew more than 10 times. In fact, agriculture’s total factor productivity growth rate is among the highest of U.S. sectors.

Nationwide, the report shows the U.S. food and agriculture sector directly supports nearly 23 million jobs, provides $927 billion in wages and contributes over $8.6 trillion to the U.S. economy, a 22% increase since the 2019 report. The 2023 report also reveals nearly one-fifth of total manufacturing jobs in the U.S. are related to the production of agricultural products.

The full report and list of sponsoring groups can be found at www.FeedingTheEconomy.com.                     

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