The Mount Pleasant School Board will be expected to approve the FY22 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report at the February board meeting. Monday night at the January meeting Director of Finance Ed Chabal went over the highlights of the report. The unassigned fund balances all increased except for the activity fund. That balance saw an $8,588 drop. The general fund went up $975,971 due to the infusion of covid funds from the federal government putting the fund at $4,139,328. The food service fund also saw an increase of $263,418 due in large part to federal funds used to make lunch free for all students, again because of covid. Total district revenues were $29,943,876, an increase of $1,665,967. Total expenditures were $29,752,173, increasing by $3,203,791 from FY21.
Not included in the Comprehensive Report but also discussed at the meeting was the taxable valuations to be used for FY24. The valuations increased about $8.2 million to $648,574,431, an increase of 1.32 % from the previous year.
The Mount Pleasant School District Board of Directors continues to assess the district’s facilities and plan for the future. The Mapleleaf Athletic complex field house needs renovations and now the Athletic Booster Club is preparing to kick-off a fundraising campaign to raise funds for a project to improve the building. Activities Director Scot Lamm told the school board site committee the maximum estimate cost for the proposed renovations is $250,000. He said he has been discussing this with the Booster Club and proposes the following improvements….additional toilets, new lighting and flooring, a new entrance/exit door and new lockers. The site committee supports the project. The committee also agreed that costs related to maintenance like lighting and plumbing should be District costs.
Another building that has come under scrutiny is the bus garage. It is no long big enough. At one point the discussion revolved around possibly building a new garage at the High School site on Grand Avenue. However, cost may be prohibitive. Apparently, there is in opportunity to rent a larger space. Supt. John Henriksen will get rental costs for the Board’s site committee to consider. The committee also suggesteed that the lot north of the existing bus garage could be purchased and a new garage built on that site. Henriksen will also be following up with the City regarding that idea.
Fairfield Community School District will dismiss school at 10:00 this morning, January 11. Pence Elementary is without electricity due to a problem with an Alliant transformer. Alliant will work on the system today, and school will resume tomorrow. All schools in the district will be dismissed in the district. After-school activities are as scheduled at the high school. Middle School activities and practices are canceled. There will be no after-school program at Washington, Pence, or Homework club at the middle school. Pence Elementary does not have phone service.
High School Basketball
The Winfield-Mt. Union girls team held Louisa-Muscatine to just four points in the first half as the Wolves sprinted to a 59-14 victory. Keely Malone had a double-double with 15 points coming from four threes and grabbing 14 rebounds, she also added 6 steals to the stat sheet. The Wolves will be traveling to play Pekin this Friday, January 13th, with the girls playing at 6 pm.
The Holy Trinity Catholic girls’ team avenged their loss from last night by defeating Danville 52-35. The Crusaders pulled away in the third quarter by outscoring the Bears 18-4. The Danville boys’ team split the night by defeating the Crusaders 48-39. The Bears got out to a hot start by going on a 16-4 run in the first quarter. Danville will be hosting Mediapolis this Friday with the boys playing at 7:30 pm and the girls playing at 6 pm.
Holy Trinity Catholic will travel to play West Burlington Friday night with the girls scheduled to start at 6 pm and the boys to follow.
The Central Lee girls’ basketball team fell to Mediapolis 62-45 last night. Payton Bush led the Bulldogs in points with 28, including seven three pointers. Haley Steffener hosted a block party tallying seven on the night. The Hawks will host New London on Friday with the girls scheduled to play at 6 pm.
WACO will be traveling to play Hillcrest Academy tomorrow, January 12th, with the girls playing first at 6 pm.
Mt. Pleasant will be facing off against conference rival Fairfield, this Friday with the girls on the road and the boys at home, both teams playing at 7:30 pm.
High School Wrestling
The Mt. Pleasant girls team competed at the Pella Tournament with six wrestlers finishing in the top three of their weight class. Ella McNamee continued her dominant season by going 3-0 on the night and winning by fall to earn first place. Alexis Wagner lost by fall in the second round, but finished 2-1 on the night resulting in a 2nd place finish. Natalie Parrott also captured 2nd place going 1-1 on the night. Jayden Housh claimed second place after going 1-1 on the night. Zenlynn Lee was the last Panther to finish in 2nd place also going 1-1 on the night; lastly, Natalie Albright finished in third place ending the impressive night for the Panthers.
Burlington Notre Dame had Nevah Howard finish in first place after winning both of her matches last night. Ella Spiker claimed 2nd place in her weight class and Macey Johnson finished in 3rd place to end the night.
The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will compete against Washington tomorrow, January 12th, on the road.
High School Bowling
Mt. Pleasant will host Fairfield next Thursday, January 19th.
Iowa Wesleyan Athletics
The men’s and women’s basketball teams will travel to play Baptist Bible College January 13th with the women playing at 5:30 pm and the men at 7 pm.
Both wrestling teams competed at Central Methodist University last night with the men having not wrestled since December 3rd, they came out a little sluggish with the Tigers getting shutout 49-0. The men’s team will have to bounce back quickly as they wrestle Saturday, January 14th, at the Cliff Keen-Mike Duroe Invitational at Cornell College in Mount Vernon.
In a top 15 matchup, the women’s team came up just short, falling to #11 Central Methodist University 21-19. Faith Cole won by fall. JoAnna Vanderwood and Aduago Nwachukwu helped out the Tigers by winning by tech fall. Lastly, Isabelle Hawley and Faith Cole both won their matches by decision to give the Tigers a 19-8 lead. However, the Eagles soared back to take the match. The women will have another ranked match ahead of them as they travel to face off against Augsburg University on Sunday, January 15th.
The Tiger’s next indoor meet will be the Dutch Athletics Classic on January 14th.
This Day in Sports History
1953 – J. Edgar Hoover declined a 6 figure offer to become president of the International Boxing Club.
1960 – LaMar Clark sets a pro boxing record of 44 consecutive knockouts.
2001 – New York Knicks hold an opponent under 100 points for an NBA-record 29th straight game in a 76-75 loss to the Houston Rockets; streak snaps 46-year-old NBA record of 28 straight games set by the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1954-55.
MOUNT PLEASANT, IA – January 10, 2023 – The Mount Pleasant Chamber Alliance is pleased to
announce the selection of its new Executive Vice President. After undergoing a national search, Rachel
Lindeen, a Mount Pleasant native, will assume the leadership position beginning in February.
“Rachel has a wide range of experience in chamber and economic development work. She has an
infectious passion for government relations, workforce development, and employee retention that she
will bring to our community,” said Meg Richtman, Chamber Board President. “Workforce issues
continue to be at the forefront of employer needs. We could not be more thrilled to have Rachel lead
our Chamber Alliance. I am confident her impressive background and commitment to Henry County will
build upon the work of those before her.”
Lindeen has over nine years of experience in the chamber of commerce industry. Most recently, Lindeen
served as the Talent Development & Government Relations Director at the Greater Burlington
Partnership, where she managed workforce and talent recruitment, led government relations activities,
worked on regional workforce initiatives and led numerous events and volunteers.
“The Mt. Pleasant Area Development Commission (ADC) Board of Directors is extremely excited to work
with Rachel Lindeen as the new Executive Vice President. Rachel brings a wealth of knowledge to the
region and the state regarding workforce development, housing, and business recruitment,” stated
Carla McNamee, Vice Chair of the Mt. Pleasant Area Development Commission. “She will be an asset to
the Henry County Community. The ADC Board is excited for the opportunity to work and collaborate
with her to promote economic development.”
Lindeen is an economics graduate of the University of Iowa and has also completed the US Chamber of
Commerce Institute for Organizational Management. She is very active on numerous boards and
volunteer organizations throughout Southeast Iowa.
“I am excited and honored to be given the opportunity to lead the Mount Pleasant Chamber Alliance,
and I am thrilled to be entrusted with this critical work,” Lindeen added. “I look forward to working with
businesses and the community that makes Mount Pleasant and Henry County a success.”
The Chamber Alliance looks forward to working with Rachel Lindeen to continue to enhance the lives of
residents in Henry County through continued economic growth and quality of life. Lindeen will begin
employment on February 13.
Mount Pleasant School District Superintendent John Henriksen told the school board Monday night that the district will likely have to do the budget without knowing what the State Supplemental Aid percentage will be. SSA are funds allocated by the State legislature for school districts based on enrollment. The Iowa School Board Association believes the aid won’t be decided on until school choice is resolved. Basically, school choice and education reform at priorities for Governor Reynolds. This would include a school voucher system considered by some to be state aide for private schools. Opponents to the system believe state funds should be used for the State’s public school systems.
Supt. Henriksen also told the board that Kate Walton with the Iowa Area Education Agencies is of the opinion that the Governor’s other priorities will be maternal health, tort reform, property taxes and consolidation of services. Walton is also of the option that Republican priorities are property taxes, education issues, the budge and lessening licensing requirements while the Democrats are focused on raising wages and lowering costs, protecting reproductive freedom, funding public education and legalizing adult use of marijuana.
Monday night the Mount Pleasant School Board met in regular session. The board approved an agreement for design of the Harvest Drive and Grand Avenue traffic signal and related intersection improvements. The fee for the design work is $93,500. The plan is to make the intersection at the entrance to the High School drive safer. The entire project, including construction costs, is estimated at $600,000. Board member Josh Maher was the lone “no” vote. Board President Jennifer Crull noted that if the intersection is not improved, there can not be any additional future construction on the High School site.
Superintendent John Henriksen informed the board that he has discussed grade alike elementary buildings with the principals and has sent a survey out to teachers. He said when he gets back the survey data he will meet with each elementary building leadership team.
Mr. Henriksen also said he is working with a consultant on the various configurations the board could choose from if it wants to make changes to the composition of the board. For example would it be better if the board had one less district director and one more at large seat? The population changes reflected in the 2020 Census will require the district to adjust the director district boundaries and five of the seven directors will be up for re-election in the fall.
