MOUNT PLEASANT— In honor of their retirement and their support of the Mount Pleasant community, Jim and Marlene DePriest have been named the Grand Marshals for the annual Holiday Parade. The parade will take place on Thursday, December 1 at 5:15 pm through downtown Mount Pleasant.

“We can’t think of anyone more deserving than Mr. and Mrs. D to serve as the Grand Marshals. But of course, they only agreed if we let the students march with them. So, the DePriests and their students will be leading the parade this year” said Kristi Perry of the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance.

The theme for this year’s parade will be “Christmas Movies.” Last year, the Christmas Vacation float was a huge hit so we hope that everyone will pick out their favorite Christmas movie and put together a fun entry. If you plan to be in the parade, please contact the Chamber for the details and to get registered.

The Chamber has added a new twist to this year’s parade. There will be a stage set up on Monroe Street near Central Park where Mark Hempen will serve as our emcee and will be announcing the entries this year. Come downtown early, get your spot and enjoy some beautiful Christmas music while you wait for the parade to begin.

The parade will begin on Jefferson behind the Methodist Church and will head south on Jefferson to Monroe Street. They will turn and go one block east to Main Street. The parade proceeds back north to the church and will end at Saunders Street. The beautiful Central Park in downtown Mount Pleasant will be the perfect place to watch for Santa to arrive!

IowaWINs (Iowa Welcomes Immigrant Neighbors) will hold its annual meeting on Saturday, October 29, at 11:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall of First Presbyterian Church (902 S Walnut St, Mount Pleasant).  The meeting is open to the public and all supporters are welcome to attend.

The guest speakers for the meeting will be the UNIFY 4-H Club members.  UNIFY stands for Uplifting the Needs of Immigrant Families through Youth leadership.  UNIFY formed earlier in 2022 and has held two public events on the square to bring together community members from all cultures to celebrate together.

Jeff Fager will report on this year’s accomplishments and describe plans for the coming year.

One important business item for the annual meeting is the installation of new officers.  Officers for the coming years are Jeff Fager, President; Sam Riepe, Vice President; Bob Mueller, Secretary; Nancy Tometich, IowaWINs Treasurer; and Tammy Shull, Nutrimos Treasurer.  Nutrimos is a branch of IowaWINs that is a sustaining ministry for immigrants and for the continuing work of IowaWINs.

Following the annual meeting, there will be a potluck luncheon and afterwards, Erica Johnson and Alejandro Murgia-Ortez of Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice will facilitate a bilingual listening session to hear from immigrant families about their hopes and dreams for the future and what types of programs would best support the families.

The Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra (SEISO) presents the first of their Masterworks Series concerts this season, Towering Footprints, on October 22nd at 7:30 PM at Burlington’s Capitol Theater and October 23rd at 2:00 PM at Ottumwa’s Bridge View Center and 6:30 PM at Iowa
Wesleyan’s Chapel Auditorium in Mt. Pleasant. This concert combines a masterpiece with the undiscovered and includes several works by female composers. Prokofiev’s 5th Symphony is the centerpiece of this concert and requires a large orchestra with extra instruments. American composer Joan Tower’s Sixth Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman is an invigorating opening to the concert. Finishing the first half are Eric Whitacre’s ballad to fall entitled October and a rediscovered work by the French female composer Mel Bonis as the
Suite in the form of Waltzes. Eric Whitacre’s October will be conducted by newly appointed SESIO fellowship recipient Jilly
Clark. “I’m thrilled with the variety of this program and I think anyone that comes is really going toenjoy it. We combine some well-known composers with some that will be unfamiliar,” said Robert McConnell, Music Director of the SEISO. “I think many people are surprised at how easy it is to enjoy our concerts and how different they are from what they expected.” Tickets to the Masterworks Series concerts in Burlington, Ottumwa and Mt. Pleasant may be purchased at the door or on our website www.seiso.us. Adult tickets are $20. Children/student
tickets (aged 0-22) are free. There is no reserved seating. Make the most of your concert experience by attending the ‘Prelude.’ Music Director Robert McConnell will be on hand 45 minutes before each performance to talk about the programmed
music in depth. ‘Prelude’ is supported through a grant from the Charles W. Rand Memorial Lecture Fund in Burlington and is offered free of charge to all audience members. If you have questions, please contact the SEISO Office at seiso@iw.edu. More information is
available on the SEISO web site at www.seiso.us

The Henry County Historic Preservation Commission met Wednesday October 19 at the old Pilot Grove No. 6 schoolhouse at East Grove Farms. Pat White announced that the Lincoln Harlan House Museum has a new director, Spencer Barton.  Larry Roth provided an update on the Wayland historic residential district national register nomination project.  There was discussion of a joint project between the Historic Preservation Commission and the Pioneer Cemetery Commission to develope a comprehensive book on the county’s cemeteries.  Commissioner Joel Garretson shared photos taken of Danny Graber’s 1886 Beckwith bank barn to see if the barn would qualify for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.  Mary Savage reported on the recent visit to the Lewelling Quaker Museum by John and Genie Gerdes and friends.  John is the great great great grandson of Ruel Daggs who owned slaves in Missouri that had escaped to Salem through the underground railroad.  Judy Rawson announced  several upcoming history related events in the Winfield Museum; Vintage Toys on November 6 and open house on December 17, and Caroline Lehman announced that a new display on Iowa history will be at the Dover Museum on October 30.  The next meeting will be November 16 at the courthouse. These meetings are open to the public.

On Tuesday just before 7 am the Iowa State Patrol investigated a single vehicle accident on Highway 218 near the intersection with Kentucky Avenue. According to the report Kenneth Ostofi of Durant was driving south on 218.  His car went off the road into a ravine.  He told officers that a semi was merging into his lane and when he swerved to avoid a collision he lost control.  Ostofi was taken by ambulance to Henry County Health Center.  His passenger, Sheila Ostofi, was taken to University Hospitals in Iowa City.

Tuesday afternoon at 3 pm, the State Patrol responded to a two vehicle crash on East Washington Street.  A vehicle driven by Julie Cravens of Middletown struck a pickup driven by Samuel Blint of New London from behind.  Blint had slowed down and was stopping to make a turn into a drive.  Cravens said she did not see the pickup’s brake lights but a collision sensor went off on her dashboard. She looked down and when she looked up again it was too late avoid hitting the Blint pickup.

On October 19, 2022, at approximately 4 p.m., Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a high-speed vehicle pursuit with speeds exceeding 120 MPH entering the east side of Jefferson County on Highway 34.  Iowa State Patrol and US Marshals pursuing the vehicle requested assistance in the pursuit.  Jefferson County deputies spotted the suspect vehicle near Lockridge and pursued the vehicle to east side of Fairfield.  Near the exit 214, the suspect vehicle lost control, crossed the median and entered the opposite side of highway, driving against traffic.  The suspect vehicle ultimately came to rest on the shoulder and driver fled the vehicle on foot.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Fairfield Police Department immediately set up a perimeter consisting of several acres of farm land and timber southeast of Fairfield.  Information received by local agencies was that the suspect was an out-of-state fugitive who was wanted on charges in Missouri and Kansas.

An immediate search for the suspect was conducted within the perimeter.  At approximately 7:12 p.m., Sean Diontae Frost, age 22, of Kansas City, Missouri, was located and arrested.  Frost is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on charges of Interference with Official Acts While Armed with a Firearm, a D Felony; Eluding, an aggravated misdemeanor; Excessive Speed, and Reckless Driving.  A firearm was located within the perimeter and seized during the search for Frost.  He is being held on a $10,000 cash only bond.

Frost has pending for charges of Unlawful Use/Possession of Weapon in Clay County, Missouri and Resisting Arrest Creating Substantial Risk of Injury/Death in Cooper County, Missouri.  Frost is also wanted on charges of Aggravated Assault Criminal Discharge of Firearm in Johnson County, Kansas.

Assisting the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in the apprehension of Frost were Iowa State Patrol, Fairfield Police Department, US Marshals, Iowa State Patrol Air Wing, Jefferson County Conservation, Burlington Police Department, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Drone Unit, and the Henry County Sheriff K9 Unit.

Special thanks to the communication Specialist working dispatch at the Jefferson County Law Center for her excellent work.  Additional thanks to the Fairfield Municipal Airport who offered any assistance need by the Iowa State Patrol Air Wing.

Jefferson County residents are encouraged to return to normal activities.  They are further encouraged to visit Alert.Iowa.gov and sign up to receive emergency notifications.  A number of residents were able to receive updates on their phone as the events unfolded yesterday evening.

You are reminded that a criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

On Wednesday, October 12, 2022, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a report for a vehicle roll over on 200^th Street near Jewel Avenue, Mount Pleasant. The reporting party was also the driver, a juvenile female from Mount Pleasant, IA. Deputies responded and observed a 2002 GMC Sierra pickup truck laying on its side almost completely on its top in the north side ditch of 200^th Street. Upon investigation, it appeared the vehicle was traveling west bound on 200^th Street and drifted down into the south ditch for approximately 150-200’ before entering the roadway again and then over into the north ditch where it rolled and came to rest. No injuries were reported at the scene.