Mount Pleasant, IA – September 12, 2022 —Iowa Wesleyan University is proud to be listed as a top institution in the Midwest according to the 2022 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges Rankings, released today.

In addition to its overall ranking, Iowa Wesleyan ranked #4 among Regional Midwest Colleges and #1 in Iowa for Ethnic Diversity.  Students with diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds make up more than 50% of IW’s enrollment.

Iowa Wesleyan was also ranked #1 for all Regional Midwest Colleges for the number of International students, boasting a student body representing over 40 countries. This is the fourth consecutive year IW has led Iowa in this recognition.  The global diversity at the university significantly enhances the campus experience for students.

The University is also being recognized for its commitment to access for all through its ranking of economic diversity.

“Although rankings are only one of the many measures of performance, we are proud to be recognized for our continued commitment to our student’s overall success and the campus experience we have created,” said IW President Christine Plunkett. “We continue to be a place of opportunity and growth for students from diverse backgrounds. Ranking from U.S. News is a recognition of the hard work of the faculty and staff, who believe deeply in our mission, even in the most difficult periods.”

The rankings are based on key measures of quality such as academic reputation, graduation and retention rates; faculty resources (including class size, the percentage of faculty with the highest academic degree, student-faculty ratio); student selectivity; financial resources; and alumni giving. For more information about the rankings, visit https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges.

Iowa Wesleyan University: As Southeast Iowa’s regional comprehensive University, Iowa Wesleyan University is a transformational learning community whose passion is to educate, empower and inspire students to lead meaningful lives and careers.

Iowa Departments of Education, Health and Human Services award nearly $600,000 in K-12 school mental health
training grants.

The Iowa Departments of Education and Health and Human Services today awarded 10 competitive grants, up to $100,000 each, to public school districts for training and coaching school health care workers on COVID response-and-recovery initiatives focused on social-emotional-behavioral health.

The COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Supplement Funding grants will help school districts enhance mental health literacy, implement evidence-based practices and expand capacity for addressing the social-emotional-behavioral health needs of students resulting from or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The grants can be used to cover costs associated with planning, training and coaching, including travel expenses for up to 12 professional development opportunities.

“The COVID-19 crisis shined a bright light on an already growing children’s mental health crisis nationwide. These grants will help support the complex needs that Iowa’s families are facing. Expanding opportunities to skill build in coping and resiliency, learning a common language to talk about mental health, I see these as foundational for the health of our kids,” shared Kelly Garcia, director of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

“The emotional health and academic growth of students are closely connected,” said Ann Lebo, director of the Iowa Department of Education. “These additional resources will help schools expand their capacity for addressing the social-emotional-behavioral health needs of students, break down barriers to learning and improve outcomes as we move forward.”

The following 10 districts were awarded a one-time COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Supplemental Funding grant.

• Chariton Community School District $9,524.60
• Dubuque Community School District $64,354.20
• East Buchanan Community School District $54,974
• Harlan Community School District $42,550
• Iowa City Community School District $94,837
• Logan Magnolia Community School District $30,300
• Mount Pleasant Community School District $50,000
• North Mahaska Community School District $51,000
• Muscatine Community School District $100,000
• Storm Lake Community School District $95,525

The Iowa Departments of Education and Health and Human Services received $4.5 million from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for the grants, which were awarded to school districts through a competitive process. Award amounts were based on the funding requested by each district to support their professional development plan, not to exceed $100,000. Priority consideration was given to applicants that have not received additional federal funding to cover the costs of professional learning and coaching beyond what they have available through three rounds of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER) and Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) school improvement funds.

This is the third and final round of funding. All professional development and associated expenses funded through the grant must be completed by June 30, 2023. A total of 17 districts were awarded over $1.3 million through the first two rounds of funding.

More information is available on the Iowa Department of Education’s website.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented today on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November.

“After a warm and dry week, a shift in the weather pattern brought cooler temperatures and widespread rainfall across Iowa over the weekend,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.  “Harvest preparations are in full swing with early harvest activities beginning across portions of the state where drier conditions have been more prevalent. While there’s been a chilly start over the last few days, outlooks show unseasonably warm temperatures will return through the middle of September.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report

Average rainfall statewide still left Iowa farmers with 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 11, 2022, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork included chopping corn, harvesting corn for seed, cutting hay, and seeding cover crops. Producers were also preparing equipment for harvest.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 16 percent very short, 29 percent short, 54 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 19 percent very short, 32 percent short, 48 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.

Corn in the dough stage or beyond was 98 percent, 2 days ahead of the 5-year average. Eighty-four percent of Iowa’s corn crop has reached the dent stage or beyond, 1 day behind last year. Twenty-three percent of the State’s corn crop was mature, 2 days behind last year and 1 day behind the 5-year average. Corn condition fell 3 percentage points to 63 percent good to excellent. With virtually all soybeans setting pods, 48 percent have reached coloring or beyond, 4 days behind last year and 2 days behind the 5-year average. Soybeans dropping leaves were at 9 percent, 1 week behind last year and 5 days behind the average. Soybean condition dropped 3 percentage points to 63 percent good to excellent.

Eighty-seven percent of the State’s third cutting of alfalfa hay was complete. Pasture condition remained 32 percent good to excellent. Some producers were feeding cattle high moisture corn and hay.

Provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

Warmer weather was present for much of the reporting period with temperatures from one to three degrees above normal across much of Iowa; the statewide average temperature was 67.8 degrees, 1.2 degrees above normal. A cold frontal passage over the weekend brought widespread and seasonal rains to Iowa’s reporting stations with above-average totals in southeastern Iowa.

Overcast conditions gradually diminished into Sunday (4th) afternoon with temperatures holding in the 70s as winds blew from an easterly direction. Clouds built back in overnight into Monday (5th) with foggy conditions reported in central and western Iowa. Morning lows ranged from the mid 50s west to mid 60s east with winds becoming variable into early afternoon. High temperatures again settled in the mid 70s with some low 80s observed in northwestern Iowa. Dense fog was again pervasive on Tuesday (6th) morning before burning off as the sun rose with winds shifting to a southeasterly direction. Western Iowa was around 10 degrees warmer than eastern Iowa, where temperatures held in the upper 70s. A high pressure center continued to dominate the weather pattern, lending to pockets of cloud cover and fog into the early hours of Wednesday (7th). Winds were generally calm with upper 50s and low 60s statewide. Mostly sunny skies developed through the afternoon as temperatures pushed into the mid to upper 80s. Southerly winds picked up through the late night hours into Thursday (8th) with morning lows ranging from the mid 50s southeast to mid 60s northwest. Daytime highs were the warmest of the week with several 90-degree readings in western Iowa; the statewide average high was 84 degrees, seven degrees warmer than normal.

Clouds increased across northwestern Iowa through Friday (9th) as a low pressure system approached from the west. High temperatures behind the low’s attendant cold front remained in the mid 60s as light rain showers developed; the rest of Iowa experienced sunny skies and highs in the mid to upper 80s. Thick stratus clouds obscured the sky for the northwestern two thirds of the state, though southeastern Iowa was able to peer at the full Harvest Moon. Moderate rainfall filled in west to east through Saturday (10th) as the cold front swept across Iowa, leaving behind widespread and beneficial totals. A few embedded thundershowers also produced locally heavy downpours. Conditions were dreary and cool through the afternoon with mid 50s in central Iowa sandwiched between more seasonal temperatures west and east. Clouds cleared over western Iowa as colder air filtered in behind the front. Morning lows dipped into the low 40s in western Iowa while holding in the upper 50s in the east where the front was still moving through. Rainfall totals at 7:00 am on Sunday (11th) showed that nearly 40 stations measuring at least an inch with most stations reporting at least 0.20 inch; pockets of heavier totals were found in the northwest and southeast corner with Augusta (Lee County) dumping out 1.50 inches while Little Sioux (Harrison County) observed 2.05 inches.

Weekly precipitation totals ranged from 0.18 inch at Spirit Lake (Dickinson County) to 1.72 inches at Davenport Municipal Airport (Scott County). The statewide weekly average rainfall was 0.85 inch while the normal is 0.83 inch. Sioux City Air National Guard Base (Woodbury County) reported the week’s high temperature of 92 degrees on the 8th, 13 degrees above normal. Sioux City Airport (Woodbury County) reported the week’s low temperature of 40 degrees on the 11th, 13 degrees below normal.

On September 09, 2022, at approximately 10:01 P.M., the Henry County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on US Highway 34 near Clayton Avenue in Mount Pleasant on a vehicle for a traffic violation.

Upon speaking with the driver, later identified as Nicky L. Garrett, 40, of Eldon, Iowa, it was discovered he held a “Not Valid” driving status through the state of Iowa.

Upon further investigation by deputies, a search was conducted of the vehicle where amounts of Methamphetamine, Marijuana, and drug paraphernalia were located.

Resulting from the investigation, Nicky was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance – 3^rd or Subsequent Offense (D Felony), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – (Serious Misdemeanor), and No Valid Driver’s License – (Simple Misdemeanor).

The annual Mt. Pleasant Marching Band Invitational will be held Saturday, September 17 at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex. Admission is $5.00 and concessions will be available.  This is probably the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Mount Pleasant Music Boosters.
The Mount Pleasant Middle School will get the evening started at 6 pm with an exhibition performance.  The rest of the schedule follows:
6:00 pm EX Mt. Pleasant Middle School
6:15 pm 1A/2A Van Buren County High School
6:30 pm 1A/2A Cardinal High School
6:45 pm 1A/2A Wapello High School
7:00 pm 1A/2A Central Lee High School
7:15 pm Judges’ Break
7:30 pm 3A Mount Vernon High School
7:45 pm 3A West Liberty High School
8:00 pm 3A Keokuk High School
8:15 pm 3A Center Point – Urbana High School
8:30 pm 3A Washington High School
8:45 pm Judges’ Break
9:00 pm 4A Western Dubuque High School
9:15 pm 4A Ottumwa High School
9:30 pm 4A Muscatine High School
9:45 pm 4A Bettendorf High School
10:00 pm EX Mt. Pleasant High School
10:15 pm Award