Day Two of the Iowa High School Boys’ State Tournament Wrestling: Class 2A has 6 Wrestlers in the Championship Bracket

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, February 16th, 2023 at 11:24 pm CDT

Des Moines, IA- Day two of the Iowa High School Athletic Association state wrestling tournament is in the books with our semifinals now set. We’ll take a look at our local wrestlers from Class 2A going by weight class.

In the 106-pound weight class, Carter West of Burlington Notre Dame won his only match of the day by a 2-0 decision against Klayten Perreault of Mt. Vernon to move on to the semifinals. West will take on Emmitt Newton of Davis County.

Cael McCabe of Fairfield and Kael Cook of Burlington Notre Dame were both eliminated from the 113-pound weight class. McCabe and Cook both won their first match of the day as McCabe bested Tony Horness of Ballard in a 3-0 decision and Cook defeated Myles Beck by fall. In the second match, McCabe in a close match in a 1-0 decision. Cook lost by a 6-1 decision.

In the 120-pound weight class, Aaron Boone of Washington went 2-0 on the day as he took down Kyler Jessup by fall in the first match and then defeated Aldin Swanson by tech fall to move on in the consolation bracket. CJ Davis of Burlington Notre Dame also went 2-0 on the day as he took Ben Walsh in the first match by fall and then defeated Seth Ettleman by a 6-1 decision to keep his hopes alive in the consolation bracket.

Kaiden Dietzenbach of Burlington Notre Dame made short work of the consolation bracket in the 126-pound weight class as he won the first match over Elijah Klocke of Benton Community by tech fall. In the second match, Dietzenbach took down Cael Nelson by fall and he will wrestle Jakob Regan of Waukon in the consolation bracket.

In the 132-pound weight class, Caden Greiner of Washington was eliminated in the first round of the consolation bracket in the a close match to Tucker Vitzhum by a 9-8 decision.

Tate O’Shea of Keokuk dominated Carson Turnis in a 7-0 decision in the 138-pound weight class to move on to the semifinals. O’Shea will face off against the 2nd seed Luke Spaur of Knoxville.

In the 145-pound weight class, Dante Zuinga of Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union lost by fall to Chris Aragon to end his tournament run.

Triston Miller of Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union won his first match of the consolation bracket by an 8-5 decision but was eliminated by Coy De Boer by an 8-4 decision in the 152-pound weight class. Isaiah Fenton of Burlington Notre Dame defeated Aiden Flora by a 9-5 decision to move on to the semifinals where he will wrestle the 14th seed Lucas Kral.

In the 160-pound weight class, Cole Storm of Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union and Chase Greiner of Washington both lost their first match of the consolation bracket to eliminate them from the tournament.

CJ Walrath of Burlington Notre Dame continues his undefeated season as he took down Jace Mulder by fall to move into the semifinals where he will be matched up with Jackson Boese of Van Meter as he defeated the 4th seed Karson Downey by sudden victory.

In the 195-pound weight class, Curtis Stender of Washington was eliminated by Jacques Zomermaand of Sioux Center by forfeit.

Dre Smithburg of Fairfield was eliminated in the first round of the consolation bracket by Drew Jackson by a 7-1 decision in the 220-pound weight class. Kai Malone of Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union won his first match of the day by fall over Kaine Clinkenbeard of Spirit Lake Park. In the next round, Trevor Dieren would knock him out of the tournament winning by a 10-5 decision.

In the 285-pound weight class, Brandon Brinkschroeder of Fairfield was eliminated by fall at the hands of Colton Wieland of Carroll. Russell Coil of Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union continues to give out upsets as he took down the 7th seed Trent Cakerice of AP-GC by a 9-2 decision to move on to the semifinal round.

Stay tuned to KILJ 105.5 FM and kilj.com for more updates throughout the day over the course of the tournament.

USDA Announces Conservation Reserve Program Signup for 2023

By Theresa Rose · Thursday, February 16th, 2023 at 3:18 pm CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 16, 2023 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can begin applying for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup starting February 27 through April 7, 2023. CRP is a cornerstone voluntary conservation program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a key tool in the Biden-Harris administration’s effort to address climate change and help agricultural communities invest in the long-term well-being of their land and natural resources.

 

“The Conservation Reserve Program is one of the largest private lands conservation programs in the United States, offering a range of conservation options to farmers, ranchers and landowners,” said Matt Russell, FSA State Executive Director in Iowa. “CRP has and continues to be a great fit for farmers with less productive or marginal cropland, helping them re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and support wildlife habitat. Under this administration, we have made several updates to the program to increase producer interest and enrollment, strengthen the climate benefits of the program and help ensure underserved producers can find a pathway to entry into CRP.”

 

Producers and landowners enrolled more than 5 million acres into CRP through signups in 2022, building on the acceptance of more than 3.1 million acres in the largest Grassland CRP signup in history. There are currently 23 million acres enrolled in CRP, with 1.9 million set to expire this year. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is aiming to reach the 27-million-acre cap statutorily set for fiscal year 2023.

 

General CRP

 

General CRP helps producers and landowners establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland. Additionally, General CRP includes a Climate-Smart Practice Incentive to help increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by helping producers and landowners establish trees and permanent grasses, enhance wildlife habitat, and restore wetlands.

 

Continuous CRP

 

Under Continuous CRP, producers and landowners can enroll in CRP throughout the year. Offers are automatically accepted provided the producer and land meet the eligibility requirements and the enrollment levels do not exceed the statutory cap. The Climate-Smart Practice Incentive is also available in the Continuous signup.

 

FSA offers several additional enrollment opportunities within Continuous CRP, including the Clean Lakes Estuaries and Rivers Initiative (CLEAR30), the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative, the Farmable Wetlands Program (FWP), and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The CLEAR30 Initiative, which was originally piloted in twelve states in the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay watershed, has been expanded nationwide, allowing producers and landowners to enroll in 30-year CRP contracts for water quality practices. Under this administration, FSA also moved SAFE practices back to the Continuous CRP signup, giving producers and landowners more opportunities to participate in the initiative. Through the FWP, producers and landowners can enroll land in CRP as part of their efforts to restore previously farmed wetlands and wetland buffers, to improve both vegetation and water flow.

 

This administration has also made significant improvements to CREP, which leverages federal and non-federal funds to target specific State, regional or nationally significant conservation concerns. Specifically, USDA made significant improvements to CREP to reduce barriers and make the program more accessible to a broad range of producers and new types of partners. These updates included flexibility for partners to provide matching funds in the form of cash, in-kind contributions, or technical assistance, along with an investment in additional staff to work directly with partners. Through CREP, for the first time ever, three Tribal Nations are now partnering with USDA to help conserve, maintain, and improve grassland productivity, reduce soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat.

 

Grassland CRP

 

FSA will announce the dates for Grassland CRP signup in the coming weeks. Grassland CRP is a working lands program, helping landowners and operators protect grassland, including rangeland and pastureland and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as working grazing lands. Protecting grasslands contributes positively to the economy of many regions, provides biodiversity of plant and animal populations, and provides important carbon sequestration benefits to deliver lasting climate outcomes.

 

How to Sign Up

 

Landowners and producers interested in CRP should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or to apply for the program before their deadlines.

 

Producers with expiring CRP acres can use the Transition Incentives Program (TIP), which incentivizes producers who sell or enter a long-term lease with a beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher who plans to sustainably farm or ranch the land.

 

More Information

 

Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States. It was originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production. The program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits.

 

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.

From Senator Mark Lofgren

By Theresa Rose · Thursday, February 16th, 2023 at 3:13 pm CDT
View this email in your brow

 

Dear Senate District 48,

– Week 6 – 

This Week in the Senate

The first six weeks of the legislative session have flown by. It has really helped that the weather has been so nice, allowing all legislators the benefit of safe travel to and from the Capitol. The current snow storm aside, it has been an unusually mild winter in Iowa so far, and I am most thankful for that!

UNI Day at the Capitol
Tuesday was University of Northern Iowa Day at the Capitol. With it also being Valentine’s Day, normally a day to display the pink and red, the Capitol was swarming with Panther Purple. With strong representation from the various colleges; students, staff and alumni were eager to share with legislators and visitors the various projects and learning that are making a difference for Iowans. Brandon Crawford shared with me some of the ways he has been able to assist in the research process that is underway at the Institute for Decision Making on the UNI campus and in outreach across the state.
The Petrichord Quartet from the UNI School of Music performed in the First Floor Rotunda throughout the day!

TC and TK Panther were also present for UNI Day! Pictured with Senator Lofgren: TC Panther and UNI Freshman and MHS Graduate, Kimberly Frisbie

Improving Efficiency and Legitimacy in Iowa’s Public Assistance Programs

Senate Study Bill 1105 started its way through the legislative process this week. This bill is designed to address the issue of errors and fraud in Iowa’s public assistance programs. According to the Iowa City Press Citizen, the total amount of unemployment insurance overpayments for 2022 was up 6,086% since 2017, costing over $129 million in unwarranted spending. Fraud payments were also up 242% last year totaling $13.8 million. This unwarranted spending takes away benefits from those who are legitimately in need. SSB 1105 works to prevent this problem by adapting a more efficient process for identifying eligibility for welfare. Efficient programs and organizations to check employment, assets, residency, and citizenship already exist. The State of Iowa simply needs to use them. SSB 1105 helps ensure these programs are available for Iowans in legitimate need and protects the taxpayer from fraud and government inefficiency.

Ensuring Government Does Not Become Too Large

During her Condition of the State address, Governor Reynolds shared her priority for making government “efficient, effective, and small again,” putting forward a plan for realignment of departments this year. Last year, the departments of Human Services and Public Health were merged into the new Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. This action did not cost any employees their job nor did it downgrade any service. What it did was streamline the organization and allowed for a tight-knit group to work more closely together. The current plan is to continue with this success by streamlining Iowa’s 37 cabinet agencies to 16.  Senate Study Bill 1123 has been put forth to accomplish this goal. Several subcommittees have already met to ensure affected parties can speak and senators can receive public input. I have also sought input from some of the affected department directors on how they foresee this proposal playing out. So far, I have heard positive comments about the governor’s proposal. It has been nearly 40 years since Iowa has taken a comprehensive view of its government structure and doing so now seems appropriate. The goal of this bill will be to reduce unnecessary friction among agencies, improve efficiency and collaboration, and prevent government from enlarging.

Directors Present to Senate Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee
This week the Senate Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee was fortunate to hear from representatives from The University of Northern Iowa. Randy Pilkington and Dan Beenken shared with the committee their various projects and initiatives that are at work in all 99 counties across the state. It was great to learn the ways that UNI is making a difference for small and family businesses in Iowa and how innovation continues to be at the forefront of decision making as they work alongside Iowa Economic Development and our other state universities to promote Iowa Manufacturing 4.0. They also shared how they are partnering with Iowa Workforce Development to promote small business startup in Iowa through IASourcelink. If you or someone you know is looking to start their own business, this is a great place to go for resources on “How to”, “Best Practices” and “Tools” to get you started.

Rural Emergency Health Services a Priority

We also had some floor debate this week. One notable bill, Senate File 75, creates a new license for hospitals, called rural emergency hospitals (REH). A rural emergency hospital means a facility that provides rural emergency health services 24/7 and does not provide any inpatient acute care. This designation would help stabilize rural hospitals that may be struggling and help bring in more money through Medicare. This bill also included state licensure of ambulatory surgical centers to provide better transparency and enforcement of these health facilities. Health care access is a major concern in rural Iowa, and one we hear often about from constituents. Senate File 75, which passed the Senate 48-0, helps keep hospitals open in our rural communities and helps to ensure Iowans have access to important health care services.

Best regards,
Mark

 

 

Senator Mark S. Lofgren
Iowa State Senator
District 48
563-272-8683
mark.lofgren@legis.iowa.gov
Information provided by the Iowa State Senate and House of Representative Caucus Staff

Day Two of Iowa High School Boy’s State Tournament Wrestling: 3 Local Wrestlers Move into the Semifinals for Class 1A

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, February 16th, 2023 at 1:51 pm CDT

Des Moines, IA- Day two of the Iowa High School Athletic Association state wrestling tournament is in the books with our semifinals now set. We’ll take a look at our local wrestlers from Class 1A going by weight class.

In the 106-pound weight class, Codder Malcom of Wapello was eliminated from the tournament by Caleb Hoffman of Kuemper Catholic by fall. Malcom went 1-2 in the tournament.

Gage Samo of WACO was knocked to the consolation bracket in the 113-pound weight class by Cael Morrow of Akron-Westfield on a 6-0 decision. Samo will take on Caleb Swedin of GTRA in the consolation bracket.

In the 126-pound weight class, Gage Burden of New London was eliminated as he fell to Payton Harger of Earlham in the first round of the consolation bracket.

Zach Harbison of Wapello won his first match of the day against Dawson Beyer of Sibley-Ocheyedan on a 5-2 decision. However, Harbison would be eliminated from the 138-pound weight class after falling to the 5th seed Tiernan Boots of Lisbon. Harbison would finish the tournament 2-2.

In the 152-pound weight class, Kyler Crow of Mediapolis is still battling in the consolation bracket as he defeated Verdy Klocke of Pocahontas Area by fall. In his next match, he took on Grant Russell of West Monona-Whiting and won the match via fall. Cooper Gates of West Branch will be his next opponent tomorrow.

The 160-pound weight class has two heavy hitters for Southeastern Iowa with the #5 seed Louden Huisenga of WACO and the #2 seed Dom Lopez of New London. Unfortunately, Huisenga lost to Max McGill of Woodbury Central by injury sending him to take on John McGill of Colfax-Mingo in the consolation bracket. Lopez became the all-time winningest wrestler in Iowa state history at 220 after taking down Andrew Kimball of Don Bosco by major decision. He will take on Kaden Broer of West Monona-Whiting, the 3rd seed, as he searches for the perfect season and his first state championship.

Michael Raines of New London also keeps his hopes alive in the 170-pound weight class consolation bracket as he went 2-0 on the day defeating Logan Wearmouth of Martensdale-St. Mary’s by fall in the first match of the day, then he defeated Owen Hoover of CAM by a 5-1 decision. This sets up a matchup with the 10th seed Jordan Saul of GTRA.

In the 195-pound weight class, Drew Diers of WACO was eliminated by Aiden Sullivan in the first round of the consolation bracket. Trent Wilkerson of New London is moving through the consolation bracket as he defeated Tate Mayer by tech fall in the first round of the consolation bracket, then defeated Corbin Hill of Denver by an 8-1 decision. He will take on Jack Schwenn of Belle Plaine. Josh Glendening of Mediapolis is in the semifinals after he took down Schwenn by major decision. He will battle Nathan Beitz of Maquoketa Valley in a contest between the #2 seed Glendening and the #3 seed Beitz.

Spencer Kessel of Louisa-Muscatine will be moving on to the 220-pound weight class semifinal after taking down Henry Lund of AHSTW by fall. He will face off against the #1 seed, Jared Thiry of Don Bosco.

Stay tuned to KILJ 105.5 FM and kilj.com for more updates throughout the day over the course of the tournament.

Collins Capital Connection

By Theresa Rose · Thursday, February 16th, 2023 at 10:41 am CDT

To the People of House District 95

 

We’re now wrapping up the sixth week of the legislative session in Des Moines and we are quickly approaching the first legislative funnel. The funnel deadline is one that requires a bill to be passed out of committee in order to be considered yet this session. The only exception to this are bills related to taxes and the state budget.

 

Fighting the WOKE Agenda

This week the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee hosted the President’s of Iowa’s three public universities. The Education Appropriations Subcommittee is the panel charged with determining how much money to give to our three public universities for each fiscal year. As a member of this committee, I had many questions for the Presidents, mostly regarding how they continue to blow through taxpayer dollars when it comes to administrative costs at their institutions. Most alarming though, and something that I was able to confirm with each of them at the hearing, was the salaries of just four of the top DEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) posts on campus. Below is a list of these positions and their annual salaries:

  • University of Iowa Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: $255,000 a year.
  • Iowa State Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: $247,000 a year.
  • University of Northern Iowa Chief Diversity Officer AND Director for Diversity, Inclusion & Social Justice: over $200,000 a year combined.

This hearing received widespread coverage in the media just due to the nature of my questions, but the point of them was the fact that these costs continue to be passed onto students in the form of higher tuition costs, and increased students fees. This is unacceptable, and all options remain on the table to control these rising costs, and ensure Iowans tax dollars are not being used to push the WOKE agenda.

 

Protect Children, Support Parents – Education Committee Prohibits Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Instruction in K-6

Yesterday the House Education Committee, which I also serve on, passed a bill that does not allow gender identity and sexual orientation instruction to be taught to kindergarten through sixth grade students. Gender identity means a gender-related identity of a person, regardless of the person’s assigned sex at birth. Sexual orientation means actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality.

This means that all instruction regarding human growth and development not only has to be age-appropriate and research-based, but also cannot include promotion or instruction on these topics. Children in these grades should be focused on curriculum and instruction in math, science, language arts and history. There is no compelling reason young children should have class time spent on gender identity and sexual orientation instead of core academic subjects.

 

Transparency for Temp Staffing Agencies in Health Care

This week, the House Health and Human Services Committee unanimously passed House Study Bill 24 to ensure that Iowa’s taxpayer funds are not being gouged by temporary staffing agencies charging health care entities unnecessarily high costs. This bill ensures that temporary nursing staffing agencies (registered nurses, LPNs, CNAs, etc.) are the target of the requirements described below.

This bill helps provide transparency in pricing by requiring these temp nursing agencies report quarterly a detailed list of the average amount charged to the health care entity for each agency worker category, and average amount paid by the agency to the agency workers for each worker category. The bill also requires these health care employment agencies to register with the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, and requires DIA to investigate complaints against these agencies. Most importantly, this bill requires agency workers to be qualified and meet health regulation requirements for the health care setting they are working in. Lastly, this bill prohibits non-competes, as it has been seen that these agencies are using these for even CNA positions.

 

House Ways and Means Passes Increase to Adoption Tax Credit

This week the House Ways and Means Committee passed House File 67 which phases in an increase in the adoption tax credit. Currently, the adoption tax credit equals the amount of qualified adoption expenses paid or incurred by the taxpayer in connection with the adoption of a child, not to exceed $5,000 per adoption. Adoption costs are varied by adoptive parents can usually expect costs somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000. Those costs include attorney’s fees, home study costs, application fees, and background check and fingerprinting fees.

House File 67 phases in an increase to the maximum amount of the adoption tax credit as follows:
•    For the tax year beginning January 1, 2024, $7,500 per adoption
•    For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, $10,000 per adoption

 

Legislative Forums

Tomorrow morning, Friday, February 17th at 8AM, I’ll be attending a forum hosted by the Great Burlington Partnership. Attendance is only open to chamber members, but a live video of the forum can be found on the chambers website. Our next in person forum / event should be the Mount Pleasant Legislative Breakfast hosted by the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, February 25th, at 8:30AM on Iowa Wesleyan’s campus.

Sincerely,

Rep. Taylor Collins
Iowa House District 95

Judith Lee Williams

By Theresa Rose · Thursday, February 16th, 2023 at 8:42 am CDT

Judith Lee Williams, 76, of Birmingham, IA, passed away on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City.  In accordance with Judy’s wishes, her body has been cremated.  Visitation will be on Sunday, February 19, 2023, with family present from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Cranston Family Funeral Home in Fairfield.  A memorial service will be held on Monday, February 20, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at Cranston Family Funeral Home, with Pastor Larry Smith officiating.  Burial of cremains will be in the Packwood Cemetery immediately following the service.  Gifts to a memorial will be designated later by the family and may be left at the funeral home or mailed to the family at 10900 Lark Avenue, Birmingham, IA 52535.  Friends may leave online condolences at www.cranstonfamilyfuneralhome.com

 

Judy was born on September 14, 1946, in Blandinsville, IL, to Gaylord and Gertrude (Shipman) Lefler.  She attended school in Blandinsville, IL.  Judy married LeRoy Payne, and together they had three sons.  Later in life, Judy met Keith Williams, and they were united in marriage on May 13, 2000, in Birmingham, IA.  She worked at Traffic Devices in Fairfield for nine years and then at Van Buren County Hospital for six months before retiring in 2010.  Judy was a member of the Birmingham Presbyterian Church for 22 years, where she enjoyed playing the piano. Judy and Keith enjoyed traveling to Branson to watch country music shows. She loved taking pictures and was an active member of the Red Hat Society. Judy truly appreciated and was passionate about showing her support for all service men and women.

 

Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Keith of Birmingham, IA; two sons, Faron Payne and Jay Payne, both of Burlington, IA; one stepdaughter, Kimberly (Mike) McGuire of Marion, IA; ten grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, along with many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, son Darryl Payne, and a brother, Kenneth Lofler.

Daniel Edward “Ed” Donald

By Theresa Rose · Thursday, February 16th, 2023 at 8:30 am CDT

Daniel Edward “Ed” Donald, age 83, most recently of Parkview Nursing Home, Fairfield, and previously Mt. Pleasant, and Stockport, IA passed away Tuesday, February 14, 2023, at the Jefferson County Health Center.

A gathering for friends and family will be held Saturday, February 18, 2023, at the Stockport Legion Hall, Stockport, IA, with family present from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. a meal will be served at 6:00 p.m.

Funeral Service will be 1:30 p.m., Sunday, February 19, 2023, at Behner Funeral Home with Pastor Gary Van Nyhuis officiating.  Inurnment will be held at later date at Smith Cemetery, between Stockport and Birmingham, IA.

Ed was born January 10, 1940, in Stockport, IA on the family farm to Daniel and Nola (Pope) Donald.  He married Roberta Keller June 22, 1958, in Stockport IA, they divorced, remarried in 1982 and later divorced.

Ed graduated from Stockport High School in 1958, where he excelled in Basketball, Baseball, & Music.  He was a farmer for much of his life but after graduating high school, he co-owned the Stockport Texaco Station with his father.  He also worked as a car salesman for Davidson Auto of Keosauqua, Iowa, was a crop hail adjustor and owned Donald Insurance. He was a member of the Iowa Army National Guard, 224th Engineer Bn, Fairfield, IA, where he served 8 years, from 1958 to 1966.  Ed was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan and spent many years organizing bus trips for kids to games in St. Louis.  He was involved in city politics, holding the office of mayor for many years in the town of Stockport.  He was a member of the Workman Masonic Lodge #634 of Stockport, IA and a longtime Lions’ Club member.  He attended the old country school near the family farm, which was later moved to Morris Park, rural Stockport, where, during festivals, he led tours and shared his country school experiences. He spent many of his early years in Stockport actively involved with youth, as a boy scout leader and coached local youth leagues of baseball and basketball.   He continued his love of children by taking grandkids on annual jaunts to Adventureland and to Cardinal ball games, where they enjoyed hearing his singing and telling jokes.  He enjoyed golf and was an expert Morel mushroom hunter and enjoyed talking about his adventures of mountain climbing and white-water rafting in Colorado.  Most important to Ed, was spending time with his family.  He was known for his regular birthday cards and his signature gift-wrapping paper, using comic strips.  He was an active member of the group of morning “Coffee Club” friends who met religiously at the Coffee Depot and McDonalds in Mt. Pleasant, IA.  Friends often would hear of his pride in his family and his adventures in life. He treasured his time with this group of friends and would always run in to old friends while there.

He will be missed by his family, including his children, John (Birdie) Donald of Marcellus, MI, Marsha (Dennis) Laux of Fairfield, IA, Steven Donald of Mt. Pleasant, IA and Stewart (friend Wendy) Donald of Coralville, IA ; grandchildren, Brooke Laux Lilley (Clayton), Miranda Laux Millhouse (Justin), D. Seth Laux (Katie), Ashley Donald, Erin Donald (Robb), Andrew Donald (Janelle), Aaron Donald, Alex Donald, Taylor Donald; and step-grandchildren, Julia Birch, Savannah Birch, Olivia Birch, Ariele Cornellas; great-grandchildren, Shae Donald, Grant Lilley, Alyson Lilley, Evan Millhouse, Madelyn Millhouse, Emma Laux, Kinsley Laux, Chase Laux, Ashton Tlustly, Bailey Hill, Maddox Hill, Payton Stevenson, Ailinn Kaufman, Unity Kaufman; step-great grandchildren Justin Kirkbride, Jaxon Kirkbride, Gabe Harward, Ryan Harward, Connor Bruegge & Luke Birch; his siblings, Doug Donald of Washington, IA, Alice Donald Fitzpatrick of Mt. Pleasant, IA, Cindy Donald Rada, of Muscatine, IA; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Daniel & Nola Donald; granddaughter, Lynnsey Donald; and brother-in-law, Dennis Fitzpatrick.

Memorials can be made to the Fellowship Cup, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.  Cards and memorials can be sent to the family in care of Marsha Laux @2603 Stockport Rd., Fairfield, IA, 52556.

Sports, February 16th

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, February 16th, 2023 at 6:25 am CDT

High School Basketball

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team had their season ended by Fort Madison last night despite a late game flurry coming up just short as the Bloodhounds held on 44-38. The Panthers were down 40-29 with less than three minutes to go in the game, then Andrea Lopreato came up with a couple steals and transition points to make the game 40-38 with less than 1 minute and 30 seconds to go; however, Lopreato landed awkwardly and injured her ankle when she was fouled going up for the game-tying layup. Unfortunately, the Bloodhounds took advantage and did just enough to move on through the Class 4A Region 7 bracket. Coach Watson talked about his team’s effort for the season as they finished with an 11-12 record.

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will start their postseason action February 20th at home against Fort Madison at 7 pm.

The WACO boys’ team game against New London tonight has been postponed until tomorrow at 7 pm.

The Danville girls’ team will travel to battle with Mediapolis tomorrow, February 17th, at 7 pm.

The Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team had their game postponed against Burlington Notre Dame until tomorrow. The girls’ team will take on Burlington Notre Dame tomorrow at 6 pm. KILJ will be covering the game with pregame at 5:45 pm. The boys’ will follow after the game.

High School Wrestling

The state tournament will be starting day two of action today with Dom Lopez of New London, Gage Samo of WACO, and Carter West and CJ Walrath of Burlington Notre Dame, along with Russel Coil of Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union all still fighting in the championship bracket.

High School Bowling

The state championship will start February 20th and run through the 22nd.

Iowa Wesleyan Athletics

The women’s basketball team’s next game will be February 18th when they square off with Trinity Christian College at 1 pm on the road.

The 23rd-ranked men’s team will enter the Continental Athletic Conference tournament as 2nd overall seed on February 24th with a 24-2 record.

The men’s wrestling team’s next competition for the Tigers will be the 2023 Heart of America Conference Championship on February 18th.

The women’s wrestling team dominated Iowa Central Community College last night 35-10. Alaina Sunlin won via forfeit, Mia Palumbo won by tech fall. Zoi Smith, JoAnna Vanderwood, and Aduago Nwachukwu all won by tech fall. Isabell Hawley and Sydney Manos won by forfeit and America Lopez took the match on a 7-4 decision. The Tigers will start the 2023 Heart of America Conference Championship on February 25th.

The Tigers Indoor Track and Field teams will be competing in the North Star Athletic Association conference meet on February 19th. Head Coach, Hunter Davis, will be joining us on Tiger Nation this morning at 9 am.

The Tiger baseball team will have a doubleheader tomorrow, February 17th, against Mid America Christian with game one at 1 pm.

The Tiger’s softball season will begin on February 18th against Park University at 11 am for the Avila Tournament.

This Day in Sports History

1972 – Wilt Chamberlain of the Los Angeles Lakers becomes first player in NBA history to reach the career 30,000 point mark during a 110-109 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

1992 – LA Lakers retire Magic Johnson’s #32 uniform.

2005 – 2004-05 NHL season is canceled by Commissioner Gary Bettman; first time a North American professional sports league has called off a season due to labor dispute.