Mt. Pleasant News

Trustees of Mt. Pleasant Municipal Utilities will meet in regular session tomorrow (Tues.) at 1 p.m. in the utilities office.Tentative agenda items include updates on the Central Park upgrade project, Grand Avenue LED street lighting project and the well #4 water treatment plant project.

This scarecrow either had too much fun on Halloween night or succumbed to the elements. The display, one of many that still can be seen in the area, is located on North Iowa Avenue just north of Mt. Pleasant.

Henry County Health Center and the Mt. Pleasant Rec Center are teaming up to offer a free program Thursday, Nov. 21, on adaptive devices.Valerie Felland, HCHC occupational therapist, will present information on different types of adaptive devices and how they can assist individuals in gaining more independence and function in daily life.The program will be from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Rec Center. You do not have ...

FAIRFIELD ? Jefferson County authorities are searching for a 15-year-old Batavia girl, according to a press release Wednesday from the Jefferson County Sheriff?s Office.The sheriff?s office was notified on Nov. 9 by Bill Kahl of Batavia that his 15-year-old daughter, Jessica Kahl, had run away. The sheriff?s office, however, said that the circumstances of her disappearance are not of a suspicious nature, but she ...

By BROOKS TAYLORMt. Pleasant NewsRoutine matters ? rezoning, approving an engineering services agreement and a couple of initial ordinance readings ? were handled by the Mt. Pleasant City Council in a brief regular meeting Wednesday evening.The council was also told by engineer Jim Warner of Warner Engineering Associates Inc. of Mt Pleasant that work in Central Park ? with the exception of finishing the ...

(AP) ? A former Iowa jail guard was the only person with reason to kill his pregnant wife, a prosecutor said Wednesday in closing arguments before the man?s murder trial went to a jury for deliberations.A judge handed the case Wednesday to a Henry County jury of six men and six women, The Des Moines Register reported. They met briefly before being dismissed for the day, and they will resume deliberations ...

Mt. Pleasant City Council members will have the first reading tonight (Wed.) of a proposed ordinance prohibiting parking on portions of North Pine, North Hamlin and West Exchange streets.Other tentative agenda items include the third reading and adoption of a proposed ordinance to rezone city-owned property north of Winfield Avenue and west of North Grave Avenue to general retail and service commercial; and a ...

(AP) ? A psychiatrist who testified Tuesday in the murder trial of a former Iowa jail guard accused of killing his wife responded to questions in Henry County District Court about the mental health of the couple?s former neighbor.Dr. James Trahan of the Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames said Brian Tate was mentally ill around the time of his death in September 2012, the Ottumwa Courier reported.Tate lived ...

Gary See, right, chairman of the Henry County Board of Supervisors, reaches into a hat held by County Auditor Shelly Barber to draw the winner of the Salem mayoral election. See drew the name of Dan Patterson, who will return to the mayor?s chair on Jan. 1, 2014.

By BROOKS TAYLORMt. Pleasant NewsPrincipals at Harlan and Van Allen Elementary schools presented their action plans to school directors Monday night concerning steps being taken to meet No Child Left Behind (NCLB) benchmarks.Harlan Elementary School is classified as a NCLB School in Need of Assistance for failure to meet reading proficiency. Van Allen did not meet the standards in either math or reading.Three ...

CEDAR RAPIDS (AP) ? Former First Lady Christie Vilsack is returning to Iowa as part of her new federal job promoting international education.After failing in her bid to unseat Iowa Congressman Steve King last year, Vilsack has worked since March as a senior adviser at the U.S. Agency for International Development in Washington.Kirkwood Community College says Vilsack will visit its main campus in Cedar Rapids on ...

Mt. Pleasant City Council?s Sanitation Committee will meet tomorrow (Wed.) at 6 p.m. in the city administrator?s office in City Hall.Tentative agenda items include discussion of sewer credit for properties on East Webster and West Madison streets and discussion of facility plan proposals for SBR/lagoon facilities.