Lofgren Assignment

By Theresa Rose · Monday, November 28th, 2022 at 3:57 pm CDT

DES MOINES – Senator Mark Lofgren, R-Muscatine, who now represents Senate District 48, has been named the chair of Senate Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee for the 90th General Assembly. Senate District 48 includes parts of Muscatine, Henry and Des Moines Counties and all of Louisa County. Lofgren served two terms in the Iowa House and is beginning his seventh year in the Iowa Senate.

“I am honored to be selected to serve another term as the chair of the Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee,” said Senator Lofgren. “We have worked hard to pass conservative budgets and I will continue to implement those sound budgeting principles as chair of this subcommittee.

The Economic Development budget subcommittee oversees the budget process for several state departments such as the Department of Cultural Affairs, Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Workforce Development.

James A. “Jim” LeDuc

By Theresa Rose · Monday, November 28th, 2022 at 8:40 am CDT

James A. “Jim” LeDuc, 80, of Lockridge passed away on Friday, November 25, 2022, at his home in Lockridge.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, December 2, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at the Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant.  Burial will follow in the New Sweden Methodist Cemetery rural Lockridge.  Friends may call after 2 p.m. on Thursday at the Murphy Funeral Home where the family will be present from 5 to 8 that evening.  Memorials may be directed to the Lockridge Fire and Rescue Association or to the New Sweden United Methodist Church in his memory.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.murphyfuneralandmonuments.com

Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant, is caring for his arrangements.

Sports, November 28th

By Slaten Swords · Monday, November 28th, 2022 at 6:02 am CDT

High School Basketball

The Mt. Pleasant girls basketball team will be back in action November 28th at home against Ottumwa at 7:30 pm. The Panthers have won the last four games of the series with the last one being a dominating 32 point victory, 44-12, last year as Andrea Lopreato is 26 points away from 1,000 on her career.

The Winfield-Mt. Union girls and boys basketball team will face off against Louisa-Muscatine November 29th at home. The girls will play at 6 pm as they are 3-0 to start the season. Bradie Buffington will be looking for her double-double of the season. The boys will start at 7:30 pm as they look to improve upon their 21-3 record from last year.

The WACO girls and boys basketball teams will be on the road to face off against Holy Trinity Catholic at 6 pm for the girls and 7:30 pm for the boys tonight.

The New London girls basketball team will look for their first win against Columbus tonight on the road at 6 pm. Natalie Burden leads the Tigers as she is averaging 9.7 points per game.

The Central Lee girls basketball team will host Mediapolis tomorrow, November 29th, as they look for their first win of the year.

The Mt. Pleasant boys basketball team will be in a road contest against Cedar Rapids Washington at 7:30 pm tonight. KILJ will be on the call with pregame at 7:15. Coach Rawson knows the game will be a tough one to start the season but expressed confidence in his team.

The New London boys basketball team will start their season tomorrow, November 29th, against Van Buren County at 7:30 pm. They will be led by seniors Blaise Porter and Kade Benjamin, both of which were their top three scorers last year as they look to improve on their 20-3 record last season.

The Central Lee boys basketball team will face off against Davis County to open their season at home tonight at 7:30 pm. The Hawks return their top scorer Brayden Wyrick as he averaged 10.5 points per game last year.

High School Wrestling

The Mt. Pleasant girls and boys wrestling team will host Columbus tomorrow, November 29th, at 6 pm.

WACO girls wrestling team will travel to BGM to compete on Friday, December 2nd.

.Elementary Basketball Tournament

The Mount Pleasant Christmas Holidays 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament for 3rd – 8th grade boys and girls will be held on Dec 17th, 2022. For more registration details contact Coach Ronnie Ashton at 319-931-2896.

Iowa Wesleyan Athletics

The women’s basketball team will  look to get back in the win column November 30th against Simpson College at 7 pm on the road. The Tigers are currently 6-3 on the season.

The men’s basketball team is now on an 8-game win streak they’ll look to extend it against Waldorf at home November 30th at 7 pm. KILJ will be on the call with pregame at 6:45. They defeated Waldorf 77-47 earlier in the season with Allante Pickens leading the Tigers in points with 18 as the Tigers made 9 threes on the night, shooting 43%.

The women’s wrestling team will be back in action December 7th for a top ten matchup as they will host the #3 Grand View University Vikings. The men’s wrestling team’s next match will be Saturday, December 3rd, at the Buena Vista Open starting at 9 am.

This Day in Sports History

1895 – America’s first auto race was organised by the “Chicago Times-Herald” – Chicago to Evanston and back; 6 cars, 55 miles, Frank Duryea won averaging 7 MPH.

1929 – Chicago fullback Ernie Nevers set an NFL record for most points scored in a single game with all 40 in the Cardinals’ 40–6 rout of Chicago Bears; Nevers tallied an NFL record 6 touchdowns and 4 extra points.

1981 – Alabama’s Paul “Bear” Bryant became the winningest coach in college football history when the Tide beat Auburn 28-17 in the Iron Bowl. It was Bryant’s 315th career victory, surpassing Amos Alonzo Stagg’s total.

Jean Turner (final arrangements)

By Theresa Rose · Monday, November 28th, 2022 at 5:50 am CDT

Jean Turner, 85, of Mount Pleasant died Saturday, November 26, 2022, at Addington Place in Mount Pleasant.

Jean was born December 2, 1936, in Columbus Junction, the daughter of Glenn and Erma (Warner) Ayers. She graduated from Columbus Junction High School in 1955, and continued her education at Iowa Wesleyan College. On September 1, 1956, Jean was united in marriage to Thomas C. Turner in Columbus Junction. The couple moved to Massachusetts for three years while Thomas served in the military. They returned to Mount Pleasant in 1960, making a home for their family. Jean enjoyed playing the saxophone, clarinet, and piano. She loved spending time cooking, baking and quilting. Jean’s grandchildren were the center of her universe. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi, Alpha Xi Delta, and the First Presbyterian Church.

Jean is survived by her daughter Sandy (Bob) Breazeale, of Mount Pleasant; two sons, Larry Turner of Rockford, Illinois, Bill (Aleksandra) Turner of Crawfordsville, Florida; four grandchildren Becca Breazeale of Iowa City, Michael Turner of Tallahassee, Florida, Rachel (Roy) Manfredi of Mount Pleasant, Thomas W. (Megan) Turner of Waukegan, Illinois; three great grandchildren Scarlett, Stella and Griffin Manfredi.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; two brothers Edward Ayers, Robert Ayers; and three sisters Louise Walcott, Catherine Hinz, and Ruth Ann Bebb.

Funeral service will be held 3:00 p.m. Saturday, December 3, 2022, at the First Presbyterian Church. Rev. Trey Hegar will officiate. Burial will follow in the Oakland Mills Cemetery. Visitation will be held Friday beginning at 1:00 p.m., with the family present to greet friends from 5:00-7:00 p.m. A memorial fund has been established for the Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society and the First Presbyterian Church. Olson-Powell Memorial Chapel is caring for Jean and her family.

November 28th, 2022 – December 4th, 2022

By Allison Jacobs · Sunday, November 27th, 2022 at 9:28 am CDT
11/28/22
Joan Wolfe
11/28/22
Josie Gilmore
11/28/22
Pam Vantiger
11/29/22
Kurt Helphrey
11/29/22
Kyndall Syfert
11/29/22
Jean Halferty - 91
11/29/22
Bob & Lori Paisley Anniversary
11/30/22
Betty Huston
11/30/22
Bill Griest
11/30/22
Ryan Hanna
11/30/22
Lorna Hood
11/30/22
Cleo McKim
11/30/22
Bret West
12/01/22
Whitney Barton
12/01/22
Olivia Dale
12/02/22
Gregg Crew
12/02/22
Abbie Liechty
12/02/22
Ed Hudson
12/03/22
Chris Stewart
12/03/22
Lori Paisley
12/04/22
Tom Lowe
12/04/22
Austin Van Amerongen
12/04/22
Angela Kloberdanz
12/04/22
Emily Rozario
12/04/22
Gabriel Sanchez
12/04/22
Shirley & Edward Hudson (71 years)

Kristal Lee Ryun

By Theresa Rose · Sunday, November 27th, 2022 at 9:11 am CDT

Kristal Lee Ryun, 51 of Keokuk passed away at 4:45AM Saturday November 20, 2022 at Prestige Health Care Center in Fairfield.  In accordance with her wishes her body has been cremated, Cranston Family Funeral home of Fairfield assisted the family.  A visitation with family present from 1 to 4 pm will be on Saturday December 3, 2022 at Greaves-Printy Funeral Home in Keokuk.

Kristal was born on January 7, 1971 in Keokuk Iowa to Jeremy Carl and Andrea Lee Collier Saar.  Kristal Spent her entire life in Keokuk, graduated high school and earned an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science in 2009.

Left to cherish her memory are a son, Kody Saar, a daughter, Violet Faith Ryun, a sister, Cassandra Ann Baum, nieces, Heather Baum, Amber Baum-Thomure, Kayla Ann Saar Baum, and her son Joshua Baum, Jessica Baum and her two children Dylan Whitaker and Cambria Mueller and many other family members and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Jerry and Andrea Saar.

John Stephen Franklin

By Theresa Rose · Sunday, November 27th, 2022 at 9:09 am CDT

John Stephen Franklin, 69, of Montrose, Iowa, passed away at 3:50 p.m. Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at St. Luke’s Hospital In Cedar Rapids.

Born on July 25, 1953, in Keosauqua, Iowa the son of Robert Earl and Guida Mae (Brewer) Franklin. In 1976 he married Ila M. Rockhold in Kahoka, Missouri, she preceded him in death on September 29, 2014.

Survivors include two brothers: General Grant Franklin of Montrose and Gary Franklin of Keosauqua; Special friend Barb Jacobs and her children and grandchildren; four sisters-in law: Martha (Lafe), Ruthie, Lillie, and Carol; Granddaughter Mandie McKay, whom he considered his daughter; three step-sons: Gary Biggs, Bryan Biggs, and Bruce Biggs. Also surviving are several grandchildren,  great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by parents; wife: Ila; one grandson; three brothers: Dick, Leo, and Bobby Franklin; one nephew Pearson Franklin; and three sisters-in law.

John was a 1971 graduate of Van Buren Community High School, he retired from Silgan Container after over thirty years. John was a very gifted woodworker and locksmith. He enjoyed racing, WWF wrestling, traveling, and reminiscing about the past, he always put his loved ones first and told them “ I love you”.

Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at Schmitz Funeral Home in Donnellson.

A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at Schmitz Funeral Home in Donnellson, with Reverend John Franklin Heath officiating.

Burial will be at Granger Cemetery in Arbela, Missouri.

A memorial has been established in his memory for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Schmitz Funeral Home of Donnellson is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at schmitzfuneralhomes.com

Single vehicle crash near New London Update

By Theresa Rose · Saturday, November 26th, 2022 at 5:15 pm CDT

At about 4 pm Saturday the Iowa State Patrol investigated a fatal crash on Highway 34 South and East of New London.  Sherry L. Reid, of Stockport,and 73-year-old Judith M. Ellis, of Ollie, died. Sean Reid also of Stockport, Carol Johnson of Fairfield and Tammi Ellis of Ollie were injured.

They all were traveling in a mini van westbound on 34 driven by Sean Reid of Stockport. It’s not known why the van went off the rode near Racine Avenue. The van went across the east lanes of traffic, entered the ditch and struck a parked truck before rolling onto its’ side.

Sean Reid and Carol Johnson were transported by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Tammi Ellis went by Henry County Ambulance to the SE Iowa Regional Medical Center, in West Burlington.