Obituaries

By Grace King, Mt. Pleasant News The Iris Motel at 905 W. Washington St. in Mt. Pleasant is reopening their doors today, Aug. 29, after spending several months under construction.The motel was forced to close its doors on Feb. 15 when the Lee County Health Department found ?imminent dangers? to individual?s health and safety, city building and zoning director Jack Swarm said in March. At the time, Solid ...

By Karyn Spory, Mt. Pleasant News SALEM ? Joyce Welcher spread a blanket out near the edge of the curb for herself and her seven-year-old granddaughter, Logan Welcher. She pulled out a deck of cards and quickly shuffled them, Logan?s eyes narrowing as she surveyed the hand she?d been dealt. That was until the sirens signaled the beginning of the 134th annual Old Settlers Day parade in Salem and as quickly as ...

Joyce Welcher and her seven-year-old granddaughter, Logan, pass the time before the Old Settlers parade on Saturday, Aug. 26, by playing a hand of cards.

By Grace King, Mt. Pleasant News To Tom and Karen Boston-Kemple, Cassity Cabin on the Old Threshers grounds in Log Village is like a second home.Tom rebuilt the cabin with his own two hands, trying to preserve the structure for future generations to enjoy. He took apart every log and put it back together again, he said. He knows the cabin inside and out. It?s the place where all of their children had their ...

Children enjoyed their last weekend of summer during the Back to School Yard Party outside the Orthodontic Associates of Iowa on Aug. 19. Gracie Forquer, 7, enjoyed the arts and crafts station.

By Brooks Taylor, Mt. Pleasant News County sanitation contractor Prottsman Sanitation and the Henry County supervisors want rural residents to increase their recycling efforts.There is a problem, however. If county residents heed the call, where will the additional recycled material be housed?Currently, the county has four rural satellite sanitation collection sites (Deerwood-New London, Trenton, Salem and ...

By Brooks Taylor, Mt. Pleasant News Iowa Wesleyan biology, and science students, for that matter, have some new ?tools? at their disposal.Thanks to a $60,000 three-year grant ($20,000 per year) from the Harry and Virgina Murray Foundation, three research lab microscopes and other lab equipment and supplies were purchased to enhance lab opportunities for IW students.The three new microscopes join three similar ...

Wednesday was back to school for students in the county?s school districts. In these photos, students are shown heading back to Harlan Elementary School in Mt. Pleasant. Some students opted for breakfast, and yes, there were plenty of those customary parents and students photos for the scrapbooks.

By Karyn Spory, Mt. Pleasant News Voters in the Mt. Pleasant Community School District will have more than just school board candidates on their ballot Sept. 12. The district is asking voters to approve a revenue purpose statement for money received from the states?s one-cent sales tax for school infrastructure, more commonly referred to as SAVE funds or the penny sales tax.Mt. Pleasant Superintendent John ...

By James Q. Lynch, The Gazette ?Not in Iowa,? Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Ross Wilburn said Tuesday about the images of hatred and anger from clashes earlier this month between white nationalists and counter-demonstrators in Charlottesville, Va.?Imagine having to apply for a job from one of those people,? Wilburn said in formally launching his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor in Des Moines. ...