William John “Hoot” Wilson, 57, of Mount Pleasant, died Thursday, August 4, 2022 at his home. He was born in Burlington, Iowa on July 6, 1965 to William C. and Linda J. McCleeary Wilson. He was a 1984 graduate of Mount Pleasant High School and a member of the Mount Pleasant First United Methodist Church, where he married Jodi Lynn O’Neill on December 22, 1990.
He began his work career as an iron worker in New York, then came home and helped his father with the family farm. When the WalMart Warehouse needed some upgrades in the early 90’s he began working for Rapistan as an iron worker again. He enjoyed farming and bulldozing on the family farm until his health prevented it.
He loved to hunt and fish, motocross race, was known as a “Boogie Boarder” on the Mississippi and Skunk, and enjoyed trips out west with his parents on motorcycles, with Pikes Peak, Jackson Hole and Montana being highlights. He trapped in high school and used the money to buy his guns, and his stuffed badger was his pride and joy.
Hoot is survived by his wife Jodi of Mount Pleasant; son, Clayton John and daughter, Molli Rae, both of Mount Pleasant; his mother, Linda Wilson of Mount Pleasant; sister, Debra Heitmeier (Kelly Baker) of Mount Pleasant; mother-in-law Donna O’Neill Dunn (Doyle Dunn) of Mount Pleasant; sisters-in-law, Lennie Broeg (Kurt Broeg) of Parnell, Iowa, and Melanie O’Neill of Mount Pleasant; and many nieces and nephews who knew him as “Uncle Hoot”, Blake Heitmeier (Kaitlyn), and their children, Lyla and Charlotte, Ross Heitmeier (Sammi), Cormac Broeg (Humaa), Navy Lt. Maeve Broeg and Declan Broeg; many cousins, and friends and one special cousin and friend, Mike Fisher. He was preceded in death by his father Bill, father-in-law Jim O’Neill and brother-in-law Rich O’Neill.
According to his wishes, his body has been cremated and a Celebration of Life will be held September 17 from 5-8 PM at the Moose Lodge, Mt. Pleasant.
Elliott Chapel, New London, is assisting the family with arrangements. A memorial has been established for Future Farmers of America, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.
Sports, September 13th
High School Football
The Mt. Pleasant JV football team won their first game of the season last night against Mediapolis, 35 to 14. The Panthers dominated the ground by committee utilizing six different running backs for a total of 204 yards. Carsen Andreasen led the team with 76 yards and touchdown, while Jaden Bauer tossed 3 touchdown passes and 86 passing yards. The defense forced 5 turnovers on the night, with Landen Seymoure, Kessler Whaley, and Cooper Kleinkopf each securing an interception. The JV’s next game will be at home Monday, September 26th, against Fort Madison at 6 pm.
The Mt. Pleasant Panthers are at home this Friday to face off against West Burlington, who is also 0-3 after losing to Mediapolis last Friday. Jacob Richtman is top 10 in Class 4A for every meaningful passing statistic, while the Falcons are led by Travian Donaldson, who has over 300 yards rushing through three games. Tune into KILJ for the game, kickoff scheduled for 7:30 pm, pregame at 7:15 pm.
WACO will face off with Iowa Valley this Friday, September 16th. The Warriors are led by a pair of seniors in Isaac Oswald and Simeon Reichenbach, while Iowa Valley depends on dual threat quarterback Evan Kearney, who leads 8-man football with 30 total touchdowns on the season. This game is scheduled to start at 7 pm.
Winfield-Mt. Union tries to right the ship against HLV, and New London will celebrate homecoming against English Valleys. Both games scheduled to start at 7 pm.
Fort Madison will defend their home field against Washington, while Fairfield will travel to play Knoxville. The Bloodhounds are led by Aidan Boyer, who has tossed 457 yards and four touchdowns. The Demons will lean on talented senior running back Tayven Stuart.
High School Volleyball
Mt. Pleasant will be at home tonight, September 13th, to play the 4-11, Washington Demons.
Winfield-Mt. Union plays tonight at home against Hillcrest Academy. Game is scheduled to start at 6:30pm.
New London travels to play Van Buren County at 7 pm tonight, September 13th.
Holy Trinity Catholic is on the road to face off against Mediapolis tonight at 7:30 pm.
Iowa Wesleyan Athletics
Two Tigers garnered Conference recognition yesterday as Lilly Garnsey was named Continental Athletic Conference Women’s Cross Country Runner-of-the-Week after finishing 19th with a time of 22:23, her personal best, in the 5,000-meter race at the Fighting Bee Invitational. This is her first Athlete-of-the-Week and the cross-country team’s sixth award since rejoining the NAIA.
Alexis Hafenstine nabbed Volleyball Defender of the Week for the CAC. In the four games the Tigers played last week, Hafenstine tallied 77 digs, including a 35-dig performance against Graceland. This is her first Athlete-of-the-Week in her Iowa Wesleyan career, and the first for the Tiger volleyball team since returning to the NAIA and joining the CAC.
The Tigers came up short against Harris-Stowe State University last night by scores of 25-22, 25-10, and 25-23. Bethany Williams led the Tigers in kills with 7, while Malie DaMate tallied 11 assists. The Tigers will be competing in the UHSP Tournament on Friday, September 16th, in St. Louis, starting at 5 pm against the College of the Ozarks.
Women’s soccer will travel to play Cornell College at 5 pm on Wednesday, September 14th.
The Tigers football team will be at home this Saturday, September 17th, to play Finlandia University at noon. KILJ will be on the call with pregame set to start at 11:45 am.
This Day in Sports History
1949 – The Ladies Professional Golf Association of America was formed.
1970 – The first New York City Marathon took place. The race was run entirely inside Central Park.
2003 – In Oakland, CA, Frank Francisco (Texas Rangers), a relief pitcher, threw a chair into the right field box seats. Two spectators were hit in the head. The game was delayed for 19 minutes. The Athletics won the game 7-6 in the 10th inning.
Terry L. Septer
Terry L. Septer, 73, of Lockridge passed away on Sunday, September 11, 2022, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.
Funeral arrangements are pending at the Murphy Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.murphyfuneralandmonuments.com
Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant, is caring for his arrangements.
Shae Matthew McCabe
Shae Matthew McCabe, 43, of Fairfield passed away on Wednesday, September 7, 2022 from injuries sustained in an accident.
A Celebration of Shae’s Life will be held on Sunday, October 9, 2022, at 3:00 pm at the Cider House in Fairfield, Iowa. A memorial fund for Shae’s children has been established at Community 1st Credit Union in Fairfield Iowa. Checks may be taken directly to Community 1st Credit Union or mailed to 2216 256th Street, Fairfield, Iowa 52556.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.murphyfuneralandmonuments.com
Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant, is caring for his arrangements.
Iowa Wesleyan University a ‘Best Regional College’
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.
MP School District Receives COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Supplemental Funding grant
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 Crop Progress And Condition Report
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.
Weather Summary
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.