Iowa-based turkey processor West Liberty Foods will close its Mount Pleasant facility in 2023, affecting 350 employees.

The location has produced millions of pounds of pre-sliced deli meats since its opening in 2003. The facility is not meeting the needs of the company, due to a reduction in demand for the product, according to a news release sent Friday.

“Respect and care for people is a core value of our company, and shutting down a plant is a tough thing todo,” Brandon Achen, president and CEO of West Liberty Foods, said in the release.

“We are sincerely grateful to the City of Mount Pleasant for its cooperation and support over the past 20years,” he said. “Our core business remains strong and we will continue to adapt to meet the needs of ourcustomers.”

Layoffs will start Dec. 31, and the facility will close by May 7, 2023.

West Liberty Foods will offer Mount Pleasant workers the option to work at other locations, and said it will help with relocation and transportation services. It also will offer severance pay, reemployment services and assistance with filing for unemployment.

The company will distribute the equipment from Mount Pleasant to its facilities in Iowa, Illinois and Utah.

Henry County is hosting a Pasture Rent and Fence Law Meeting on Thursday, November 17 from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm at the Henry County Extension Office in Mt. Pleasant (127 North Main Street). Kitt Tovar Jensen, ISU Center for Agricultural Law & Taxation Legal Consultant, will discuss who is required to have a fence, what is a tight fence, settling boundary disputes, who is responsible for maintaining which portions of the fence, trees in the fence line, and various other topics. Charles Brown, ISU Extension and Outreach Farm Management Specialist, will cover Iowa State Extension’s pasture rental rate survey, things to consider when establishing a pasture rental rate, and various ways to calculate a pasture rental rate other than a straight cash rental rate. This workshop is free for all participants, but pre-registration is appreciated to assure adequate space. Please contact the Henry County Extension Office at (319) 385-8126 to register by November 16.

 Henry County is hosting a Farm Transition/Estate Planning Meeting on Thursday, November 17 from 6:00 pm – 8:30pm at the Henry County Extension Office in Mt. Pleasant (127 North Main Street). A light meal will be served. Transitioning the farm to the next generation is usually not conceived at the dinner table on the back of a napkin. It is a lengthy process that, done properly, can take several years to complete. This meeting is an introduction to farm estate planning, an exercise to get things started. Charles Brown, ISU Extension and Outreach Farm Management Specialist, and Kitt Tovar Jensen, ISU Center for Agricultural Law & Taxation Legal Consultant, will discuss the top estate planning mistakes and the information your attorney or team will need to start preparing your estate plan. Charles states, “Too many people procrastinate, thinking there is always tomorrow. Sometimes tomorrow comes sooner than expected.” We want everyone to be informed and able to make educated decisions. Registration for this class is $10/person and pre-registration is required. Please contact the Henry County Extension Office at (319) 385-8126 to register by November 14.

AGENDA

 November 1, 2022

Approve Agenda

Approve Minutes

9:00 Jake Hotchkiss, Engineer Weekly Update

9:30 Approve 2022 DL County 28 E Agreement

Other County Business as time allows

Supervisors Sub-Committee Updates

Libertyville Savings Bank Renews Support of Agribusiness at Iowa Wesleyan University

Mount Pleasant, IA – October 28, 2022 — Libertyville Savings Bank, with offices in Libertyville, Fairfield, Eldon, Keosauqua, Keota, and Douds, recently met with Steven Hulsizer, Assistant Professor of Agribusiness at Iowa Wesleyan University to discuss the Bank’s scholarship in Agribusiness.  Scholarships in the amount of $1,250 are available annually for graduates of Cardinal CSD (Eldon), Fairfield CSD, Keota CSD, Pekin CSD (Packwood), and Van Buren County CSD (Keosauqua), including students transferring to IW from other colleges.

“The Agribusiness program at Iowa Wesleyan is a great opportunity for students to pursue an education in the agriculture field while staying in Southeast Iowa. Ag is a vital part of all our communities, and we are thrilled to provide a scholarship that assists local students in continuing their education in this field,” said Libertyville Savings Bank CEO, Jill D. Burnett.

The Agribusiness program, established at IW in the Fall of 2020, provides students with an agriculture background and sound business principles so they can return home after graduation and work in agriculture-related businesses that support the local farms or run their family farm business.  The curriculum combines business and new agriculture courses, such as Precision Farming Systems and Entrepreneurship in Agriculture. Students will also gain real-world experience through a six-credit internship in various agribusinesses including ag lending.

Professor Hulsizer comes to IW from the agri-business sector, most recently serving as Business Development Support Manager at Seaboard Foods. His undergraduate degree was in Ag-Business Management and his Master’s degree was in Homeland Security-Ag Biosecurity and Food Defense, both from Penn State University.

Information on the Iowa Wesleyan Agribusiness program is available at iw.edu including links to apply for admission and other scholarships.

Emergency responders were called to a rollover accident Friday morning. Just after 8:30 am there was a report of a semi in the ditch off of Highway 218 south of Mount Pleasant.  Traffic was held up for a time but early reports indicate the semi driver was able to get out of the cab uninjured.

DAVENPORT, IA – Eight people from Burlington have now been sentenced to federal
prison for their role in conspiring to distribute drugs in the Burlington area. The conspiracy started
by at least December 1, 2019, and continued until November 2, 2021. Those sentenced as part of
this drug conspiracy include:
• Kendric Centrall Childs, age 35, was sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment and
10 years of supervised release;
• Rudolph Sinclair Allen, age 37, was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment and
five years of supervised release;
• Clyde Macks Stewart, Jr., age 51, was sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment and
five years of supervised release;
• Demetrius Antre Goudy, age 42, was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment and
five years of supervised release;
• Marcus Allen Johnson, age 46, was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment and
five years of supervised release;
• Gregory Jermain Johnson, age 36, was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment and
five years of supervised release;
• Brian Keith Davis, age 42, was sentenced to 10 1/2 years of imprisonment and five years
of supervised release; and
• Julie Jeanne Mason, age 54, was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment and three years
of supervised release.

According to court documents, Gregory Johnson, Marcus Johnson, and Rudolph Sinclair
were the “middlemen” for the group and received large quantities of ice methamphetamine from
Kendric Childs, the main drug source, along with another individual (who has not yet been
apprehended). Gregory Johnson, Allen, and Marcus Johnson either sold quantities of ice
methamphetamine themselves or provided it to lower-level dealers such as Goudy, Stewart, and
Davis for distribution. Mason was identified as a drug courier for the group.
On January 24, 2020, Mason was stopped in Arizona while transporting approximately
362 pounds of ice methamphetamine. Mason admitted the ice methamphetamine was bound for
Burlington, Iowa. At the time, this traffic stop was the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s
largest single seizure of ice methamphetamine.1
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the
announcement. The case was investigated by Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce, Burlington
Police Department, West Burlington Police Department, Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office,
Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics
Enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson
County Drug Taskforce, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Drug Taskforce,
Muscatine County Drug Taskforce, Iowa State Patrol, and Arizona Department of Public Safety