Obituaries

By BROOKS TAYLOR Mt. Pleasant NewsMt. Pleasant Community School District?s financial picture continues to brighten, school directors were told Monday night during the board?s regular monthly meeting.Ed Chabal, district director of finance, took board members on a financial tour, highlighting portions of the district?s annual comprehensive report, which will receive approval during the February meeting.The ...

By MEGAN COOPER Mt. Pleasant NewsBullying is becoming a problem in schools today and now is the time to do something about it.According to Brittany Nichols, youth services librarian at the Mt. Pleasant Public Library, some middle-school students in Mt. Pleasant believe that bullying has become more apparent in schools and they want to do something about it.?I was talking with some middle-school girls and we ...

The Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance Government Affairs Committee invites Henry County residents to the a public forum with area lawmakers Saturday, Jan. 25, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at Iowa Wesleyan College.The forum topic, ?Governing cities, counties and schools: What can we learn from one another?? promises to stir plenty of opinions. Rep. Dave Heaton, R-Mt. Pleasant, and Sen. Rich Taylor, D-Mt. Pleasant, are ...

Update on projects, a look at the hydroelectric feasibility study budget and a quarterly report on hydroelectric project await Henry County Conservation Board members during their regular meeting Monday, Jan. 13, at 6 p.m. in the conservation board meeting room in the Oakland Mills office.Other tentative agenda items include a fiscal 2014-15 budget request and the naturalist?s report.

Due to the dangerously cold temperatures on Monday, January 6 the Mt Pleasant News that are delivered by carrier may be delayed. The News utilizes sub-contractors as carriers for our newspapers. When the conditions prove dangerous they have the option of whether or not to deliver.If you do not receive the News on Monday, it will be delivered with your Tuesday paper.Monday's News will be available at normal ...

In Thursday?s News, local columnist Curt Swarm wrote about the progress of the new house being built by the Eric and Kirsten Heerdt family of Mt. Pleasant. The Heerdts are rebuilding on the same lot where their former house was severely damaged in a Dec. 30, 2012, fire. The Heerdts have done a considerable amount of work themselves and hope to be moved into their new home by Feb. 2.

By MEGAN McNEILSpecial to the Mt. Pleasant NewsKEOKUK ? A sexual abuse lawsuit filed in February against a former Keokuk School District teacher, her ex-employer and a past Keokuk High School administrator will be brought to trial in September 2014.A one-time Keokuk student, identified in court records as ?Jane Doe II,? has accused her former track coach Gina Sisk of abuse that allegedly occurred from 2009 to ...

While investigating a report of a possible kidnapping of a female subject, the Henry County Sheriff?s office arrested Denair Byars, 28, Cicero, Ill., on Jan. 2, according to a press release from the Sheriff?s Office.At approximately 4:30 p.m. yesterday, the sheriff?s office received a report that a female subject was inside a white Volvo semi-truck and allegedly being abused by a male subject and headed into ...

By MEGAN COOPERMt. Pleasant NewsIt seems Henry County and the state of Iowa have a shortage of mental health services for commitments.?I have been experiencing difficulty finding commitment beds,? said CPC Sarah Berndt. ?Some hospitals won?t even consider it unless they (patients) have had a prescreen at a hospital.?The issue came about recently when Berndt experienced a problem trying to place a patient, ...

By MEGAN COOPERMt. Pleasant NewsA new program in Henry County provides a much-needed service.Several new people had expressed interest in becoming medical examiner investigators (MEI) a few months ago, and now, since the Henry County Board of Supervisors approved their training, will begin the next step in the process.Arlo Walljasper, Bill Riley, Danny Eversmeyer, Heather Kleemeyer, Jim Steffen, Mark Long and ...