Obituaries

Father Joseph Phung grew up in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Since he moved to the U.S. when he was 36-years-old, he has returned to his village at least six times. Surrounded by lakes and mountains, every house has a lock on it. When he returns to Vietnam, he sees death in the villages.Phung remembers what it is to grow up in conflict and risk his life to flee his home country to escape to freedom. As a ...

The Mt. Pleasant Community High School's Jazz 2 won top honors in the Second Bands Category on Saturday. Jazz 1 competed in Class 3A, placing third.Outstanding Musicianship Awards were given to the following from Jazz 1: Anne Schnicker, piano; Callie DePriest, alto saxophone; Garrett Maddy and Joey Holtkamp, tenor saxophone; Sadie Carassco, trombone and Abby Ryon, bass. From Jazz 2 Outstanding Musicianship ...

Luke Ryon of Jazz 2 was the Outstanding Soloist winner during JazzFest at Indian Hills in Ottumwa Saturday, Feb. 24.

A criminal investigation is underway into the duties carried out by former sanitarian of Henry County, Jodi Sutter, after she was terminated from her position on Feb. 8. Sutter has previously been refered to as the county's environmental specialist.In three closed session meetings, the Board of Health began investigating the receipts and expenditures for all aspects of the environmental health services provided ...

Michael Syperda made his first appearance in the Henry County Courthouse Wednesday morning.Syperda, who was arrested in Colorado and charged with the first degree murder of his estranged wife, Elizabeth Syperda, was extradited to Mt. Pleasant Tuesday night, Feb. 27, and made his initial appearance in front of Judge Timothy Leichty the following morning, at 9 a.m.Syperda is being accused by Henry County and the ...

By Grace King, Mt. Pleasant News WAYLAND ? School wasn't in session on Friday, like every Friday in the WACO Community School District, but students filled the Innovation Lab at WACO High School anyway.By 9:30 a.m., every seat was taken, and students were waiting on the sidelines ready to jump onto a computer to engage in a video game.During the school day, this classroom is used to teach media creation ...

By Grace King, Mt. Pleasant News Melinda Huisinga was born the same year as the first Old Threshers Reunion. Not only has she attended almost every Reunion since, but she has volunteered with Old Threshers most of her life, serving more than 2,000 hours since she and her husband, Al Huisinga, relocated back to Mt. Pleasant after retiring in 2009.Although Melinda has volunteered with countless organizations in ...

By Karyn Spory, Mt. Pleasant News In 1909, the Iowa Wesleyan University school newspaper printed a story about a party held at the Harlan-Lincoln House for incoming students. ?Undoubtly the walls of the Harlan House have never resounded with more jolly good cheer and genuine mirth than at this time,? the story read. Anna Villareal, director of the Harlan-Lincoln House hopes to challenge that.Villareal read the ...

By Karyn Spory, Mt. Pleasant News WAYLAND ? The City of Wayland will be purchasing a new police truck and utility truck.During a city council meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 21, members of the city council authorized the purchase of a police truck from Mincer Ford in Columbus Junction, which bid $9,976 plus $207 for cruise control for the patrol vehicle. The city will trade in its current police truck.The city ...

By Karyn Spory, Mt. Pleasant News *Editor's note: This is the first in a four-part series that takes a look at a person's health from head to toe and discusses how one aspect of an individual's health can have lasting affects in other areas. The tooth fairy may only pay $1 a tooth, but Dr. Matthew Wettach, of Family Dental Health Services, says baby teeth are worth so much more when looking at an individual's ...