Photos by William SmithWorkers with Clive Restoration of Coon Valley, Wis., hang off the St. John Temple on Division Street in Burlington on Tuesday morning (Oct. 6). The contracted workers have been repairing the steeple for the past few weeks.The Rev. Marty Goetz is asking parishioners to use the northwest door when entering the building. Though Roman Catholic mass has been reopened to the public on a limited basis, the church mass is also available to watch online every Sunday.

On High

The Burlington/West Burlington United Way campaign is underway through Nov. 30, and the money raised will be donated to 12 area agencies.

A 20-member campaign cabinet and more than 350 area volunteers will work together to achieve the campaign goal of $430,021. The funds raised will be distributed in the 2021 calendar year, with the campaign theme “Supporting. Together. United.”

Contributions to the local campaign stay in the community, with 99 percent of each donation benefiting area residents. The remaining 1 percent is budgeted for staff training, license fees, and for the universal logo and materials that cannot be purchased locally. 

That money is given to 12 local human service and health care agencies caring for clients and needy families in a 40-mile radius service area.

The 12 charities the Burlington/West Burlington United Way serves are Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services, Boy Scouts Mississippi Valley Council, Burlington Area YMCA, Burlington Homeless Shelter, Crime Stoppers of Greater Burlington, Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Hope Haven Development Center, Iowa Legal Aid, Partners, The Nest of Des Moines County, The Salvation Army, and Young House Family Services.

More than 50,000 citizens in the 40-mile radius service area used the programs and services.

To donate, contact Burlington/West Burlington Area United Way, Inc., 218 North 3rd Street, Suite 217, Burlington, Iowa 52601; call (319) 752-7831, or email bwbauwia@burlingtoniaunitedway.org or check out the website at <a href="http://www.unitedwayburlingtonia.org">http://www.unitedwayburlingtonia.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2020/10/1602701748737.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By Beacon StaffThe Burlington/West Burlington United Way campaign is underway through Nov. 30, and the money raised will be donated to 12 area agencies.A 20-member campaign cabinet and more than 350 area volunteers will work together to achieve the campaign goal of $430,021. The funds raised will be distributed in the 2021 calendar year, with the campaign theme “Supporting. Together. United.”Contributions to the local campaign stay in the community, with 99 percent of each donation benefiting area residents. The remaining 1 percent is budgeted for staff training, license fees, and for the universal logo and materials that cannot be purchased locally. That money is given to 12 local human service and health care agencies caring for clients and needy families in a 40-mile radius service area.The 12 charities the Burlington/West Burlington United Way serves are Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services, Boy Scouts Mississippi Valley Council, Burlington Area YMCA, Burlington Homeless Shelter, Crime Stoppers of Greater Burlington, Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Hope Haven Development Center, Iowa Legal Aid, Partners, The Nest of Des Moines County, The Salvation Army, and Young House Family Services.More than 50,000 citizens in the 40-mile radius service area used the programs and services.To donate, contact Burlington/West Burlington Area United Way, Inc., 218 North 3rd Street, Suite 217, Burlington, Iowa 52601; call (319) 752-7831, or email bwbauwia@burlingtoniaunitedway.org or check out the website at <a href="http://www.unitedwayburlingtonia.org">http://www.unitedwayburlingtonia.org</a>.

Local United Way Campaign Will Assist 12 Area Charities

By Beacon Staff



A child under the age of 17 has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Henry County, and two new diagnoses of the virus were confirmed in Des Moines County.



The child in Henry County was one of four new cases confirmed by the Iowa Department of Public Health Tuesday. Another was an adult between the ages of 18 and 40, as well as two middle-aged residents between the ages of 41 and 60. That brings the Henry County total up to 13.



The two new cases in Des Moines County are between the ages of 61 and 80, bringing the county total up to three. Louisa County reported 13 new cases Tuesday, bringing the total up to 20. There is only one confirmed case in Lee County at this time.



Gov. Reynolds reported 102 new cases Tuesday, and one more Iowan has died from the virus.



As of Tuesday morning, that brings the total number of positive cases in Iowa to 1,048. Gov. Reynolds also said there have been 1,017 negative tests reported.



A total of 26 Iowans have now died because of complications of COVID-19. The most recent death was an elderly person from Benton County.



There are 104 currently hospitalized coronavirus patients and 341 patients have recovered.



Eleven percent of the total infections have been identified as long-term care residents or staff and 46 percent of the deaths have been long-term care residents.

Henry County Child Diagnosed With Coronavirus; Two More Cases In Des Moines County

By Beacon Staff



A Henry County resident has died of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).



According to the Iowa Department of Public Health press release published Saturday, the resident was between 41-and 60 years old.



Two additional COVID-19 deaths were reported Saturday as well — a 61-to-80-year from Linn County and 61-to-80-year-old from Polk County. There are now 786 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Iowa and 14 deaths from the virus.



There have been a total of 9,454 tests in Iowa so far.



The Lee County Health Department confirmed the county’s first COVID-19 diagnosis on Friday.



Health Department officials said the diagnosed individual is self-isolating at home. Officials said no further information about the person will be released.



Lee County is the last county in southeast Iowa to confirm a case of the virus. Des Moines County also has one confirmed case, as does Louisa County. Henry County has six confirmed cases, and Van Buren County rose to five cases on Friday.

Henry County Resident Dies From COVID-19

By Beacon Staff



The Tyson Foods’ pork processing plant in Columbus Junction has suspended operations for at least the next week due to more than two dozen cases of COVID-19 confirmed at the facility.



“In an effort to minimize the impact on our overall production, we’re diverting the livestock supply originally scheduled for delivery to Columbus Junction to some of our other pork plants in the region,” Tyson CEO Noel White said in a statement Monday.



Meat and poultry plants are experiencing varying levels of production impact throughout the country, due to the planned implementation of additional worker safety precautions and worker absenteeism, White said.



Local producers are concerned about the impact this closure will have on their ability to sell hogs.



In addition to taking the temperature of workers at all of Tyson’s locations before they enter company facilities, White said they’ve stepped up deep cleaning and sanitizing of their facilities, especially in employee breakrooms, locker rooms, and other areas to protect team members.&nbsp;



“We’re working to secure an adequate supply of protective face coverings for production workers and have implemented interim protocols for temporary protective coverings while observing food safety,” White said.



Tyson continues to explore and implement additional ways to promote more social distancing in the plants. According to Tyson’s statement, this includes erecting dividers between workstations or increasing the space between workers on the production floor, which can involve slowing production lines.



The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Tyson Foods In Columbus Junction Hit With Over Two Dozen COVID-19 Cases; Plant Shutting Down Until Next Week

By Beacon Staff



The Burlington Fire Department responded to a garage fire Sunday afternoon that quickly spread to a neighboring garage, and department officials are considering the blaze suspicious.



The initial garage fire at 1105 S. 10th St. was called in at 3:50 p.m. Sunday. As fire trucks made their way to the blaze, a second caller reported the fire had spread to a second garage at 1001 S. 10th St.



A dozen Burlington firefighters responded alongside West Burlington firefighters on auto-aid, bringing the fire under control in minutes and completely extinguishing it by 4:30 p.m. Firefighters remained on scene until 6 p.m. Sunday.



The fire started on the exterior of the two-car detached garage located behind 1005 S. 10th Street, owned by DKE Properties. The garage was insured, and a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix owned by Chelci Adams, who lives at the address, was damaged by the fire.



Tyler Underwood, who owns the neighboring property at 1001 S. 10th St., was not insured. Aside from the damage to his garage, heat radiating from the fire also melted the siding on the back of his home.



Burlington Fire Marshall Mark Crooks did not elaborate as to why the fire is considered suspicious, simply saying the incident is under investigation by the Burlington Police Department and the Burlington Fire Department.



No injuries were reported.

Suspicious Fire Damages Two Burlington Garages Sunday

By Beacon Staff



Despite an updated emergency proclamation from the city of Burlington Monday and another proclamation by Des Moines County Tuesday, Burlington Mayor Jon Billups is stressing that nothing has changed.



The proclamations are simply a show of local solidarity with Gov. Kim Reynold’s existing measures regarding coronavirus. It also is a strong recommendation for locals to keep following state guidelines in place to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).



With early spring feeling a lot more like early summer, Billups and local leaders felt it necessary to issue an official decree outlining what is allowed. Going outside is not off-limits, as long as social distancing guidelines are followed.



Fresh air is encouraged.



“It was decided by the mayors of Des Moines County and the Des Moines County Supervisors to issue a proclamation supporting her (Gov. Kim Reynolds’) request to act as if there was a shelter order in place,” Billups said in a statement Tuesday morning, which can be viewed in its entirety on his Facebook page.



That means restaurants and businesses that currently offer delivery or curbside service will continue as usual.



Fully aware of the economic impact the virus is having locally, Billups encouraged those who feel comfortable to continue shopping locally, as long as they do so responsibly and by state guidelines.



The updated emergency proclamation for Burlington consisted of several other salient points and updates, including:



• The skate park in Dankwardt Park is closed to public use. • Gatherings of 10 or more people are strongly discouraged until further notice. • Individuals are recommended to not leave their home or place of residence, except to conduct essential activities. The definition of essential has been outlined by the state. Retail stores that sell food still offer the non-food items that have always been available. • Solid waste crews will continue picking up an additional 33-gallon container (up to 40 lbs.) of household waste through May 1 without the use of an additional tag.

Mayor Billups: New Local Coronavirus Proclamations Do Not Add New Restrictions or Closures

By Beacon Staff



School in Iowa is out until May, but students have to continue learning at home or make up the lost instruction later.



Gov. Kim Reynolds mandated a public school closure until April 30 during a Thursday (April 2) press conference, saying at-home learning through school districts can continue in a variety of ways. That includes enrichment courses and paperwork packets delivered to students.



"Making a sudden shift to virtual learning isn't always easy, especially during the crisis that we face now, but we can't let perfect be the enemy of good," Reynolds said.



During a Thursday afternoon press conference, the governor outlined new steps that school districts must take to ensure they are reaching Iowa students during the shutdown.



The Burlington School District is working with Winegard Co. to turn school buses into wifi hotspots, and Chromebook laptops already have been distributed to students.



The school district responded to the governor’s mandate on its Facebook page Thursday afternoon.



“We will continue to provide continuous learning opportunities and meals for our students,” the district said in the post.



Reynolds already has waived four weeks of instruction time lost during the initial school closure, and districts have until April 10 to inform the Iowa Department of Education of continuous learning measures they are putting in place.



According to Reynolds, this can include voluntary enrichment programs or required classes that count toward credit. Programs can include online lessons as well as paper packets delivered to students, and districts can choose a mixture of voluntary and required programs for students at different grade levels.



"School districts that chose not to provide continuous learning (whether voluntary or required) will be required to make up the instructional time lost beyond what has been waived by the Legislature," Reynolds said.



Ann Lebo, director of the Iowa Department of Education, said the state has developed an expedited application process for any school that wants to implement a required continuous learning program.



The application will be available to districts in a few days and will allow the state to approve applications within 24 hours, she said.



Statewide, 614 people have tested positive for COVID-19. Eleven people have died from the illness, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.



The first case in Louisa County was confirmed Thursday morning (April 2), and Des Moines County still has only one confirmed case.



With Jefferson County also reporting a confirmed coronavirus case, Lee County is the only southeast Iowa county without a confirmed case.



Des Moines County still has only one confirmed case, according to state officials.



Two more deaths related to the novel coronavirus in Iowa were confirmed Thursday by state public health officials as well.



The new deaths were both in Linn County and were older patients, between the ages of 61 and 80.



The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Gov. Reynolds Closes Public Schools Until April 30; Coronavirus Confirmed in Louisa County

By Beacon Staff



Burlington firefighters responded to a fire at the Autumn Heights apartment complex early Monday morning, only to find a stovetop fire that had already been extinguished.



Local police helped evacuate the seven-story apartment around 2:30 a.m. when the fire alarm sounded. One resident was evaluated for several breathing issues but refused treatment. No one else was injured.



A Burlington police officer who was in the area responded to the first, automated alarm. A resident assistant informed police of a stovetop fire in a sixth-floor apartment by an onsite resident who had mostly extinguished it. Firefighters finished the job and helped remove smoke from the six-floor, staying on site until 4:22 a.m. Monday.



The fire damage was contained to the stove at Apartment 603, as well as surrounding cabinets and counters. The resident was alerted to the fire by smoke alarms.



The fire is considered accidental.

Autumn Heights Apartment Complex Evacuated in the Middle of the Night Due To Stovetop Fire Scare

By William Smith



A multi-tasker with an eternal head (and heart) for business, Ken Schwenker often worked with a phone cradled beneath each ear.



Sometimes, when business at Standard of Beaverdale was really booming, he would attempt a third simultaneous conversation with the customer in front of him. As a prank, Ken’s younger brother Greg once handed him a third phone, even though there was no one on the other end.



“He just busted out laughing,” Greg said, sharing a favorite memory of his older brother.



Ken Schwenker was smart enough to get the joke, genial enough to chuckle, and ambitious enough to get right back to work.



" 'No’ was not in his vocabulary, whatever you asked of him,” Greg said. “And I’ve asked a lot.”



Ken Schwenker died unexpectedly of heart failure Wednesday at Great River Medical Center in West Burlington. His family business continues to chug on, manned by relatives working through their grief, just like Ken would have.



“Ken just reveled in being here,” said his sister, Brenda Carson, who works at the store. “This is where he was his best.”



By that measure, Ken Schwenker was at his best most hours of the day. Just like his four siblings, Ken was born into the hardware business his father started.



Ken was the oldest sibling and showed the greatest aptitude for the business. Family members that didn’t move elsewhere usually ended up working alongside him.



“He was the leader. He had to be the role model,” his sister, Sharon Schwenker, said.



Ken has two children; when they were old enough, they too went to work for him.



“We all had an official job until we were 16,” Ken’s daughter, Kathy Schwenker, said.



Schwenker was one of the first in the industry to implement a computerized inventory management system and helped young business owners find their feet in the industry. He took joy in donating to area organizations and projects, often underwriting promotional advertising for community events.



“If people want to see their area improve, then they need to do something because it won’t just happen by itself,” Schwenker said in 2015 when he was honored as a Southeastern Community College Distinguished Alumnus.



Humble to his Iowa core, Schwenker didn’t put on airs. He smoked a pipe and always carried a red handkerchief in his pocket, even when the pocket was on the breast of a suit jacket.



“Not a conceited bone in his body,” Sharon Schwenker said.



When he wasn’t talking business, Schwenker spoke about his travels and his family. Vacations were usually a combination of all three.



“We had a lot of family vacations centered around Ace Hardware conventions, but then we would take another week off,” Kathy Schwenker said.



Unbeknownst to most people, Ken was also a skilled baker. In fact, Ken baked more delectable sweets than his trim figure suggested and consumed far more of his creations than seems possible. Sherry still can’t believe how much he could eat without gaining weight.



“I was jealous. He always stayed skinny,” Sherry said, her voice choked with mirth.



About a month before Ken died, Kathy came back to work for her father. She didn’t take the job to keep an eye on him, though. At age 66, Ken seemed to be in fine health.



“We didn’t see it coming at all. It was a shock to everyone. I thought I was going to have another couple of decades with him,” Kathy said.



She got a handful of weeks instead, blessedly unaware of how it would end. Kathy got to know her father a little better in those weeks.



“I had a desk right behind his, and usually I would stay a couple of minutes after everyone left,” she said.



But it’s her childhood memories of Ken that have crystallized in her heart.



“He loved us. He was a great dad. He would take us out to Bees games and picnics in the park. He tried to teach us to fish, and we couldn’t find bait so he used hot dogs. I remember finding that pretty funny,” she said.



Obituary for Kenneth “Kenny” Lee Schwenker (As posted by Lunning Chapel)



Kenneth “Kenny” Lee Schwenker, 66, of West Burlington died suddenly of heart failure Wednesday, April 1, 2020, at the Great River Medical Center Emergency Department in West Burlington.



Ken was a graduate of Burlington High School 1971 and attended SCC and was later honored as a distinguished alumnus. He then backpacked through Europe before returning to the family business.



Ken was the current president and owner of Standard of Beaverdale, his family business and worked there for his entire lifetime.



He was a member of St. Luke United Church of Christ.



Kenny enjoyed spending time with family, baking and eating sweets and woodworking. He had a very positive attitude for his community and was very involved in and supported many community events.



He loved SCC basketball and fireworks.



Survivors include his wife Diane of Burlington; two children, Katherine A. Schwenker of Burlington and David R. (Barbara Becker) Schwenker of Clive, Iowa; step-children Ben (Diana) Dobson of West Burlington, Sarah Krabill of Ozark, MO, Kyle (Nicole) Dobson of Burlington, Rachel (Matt) Vandervoort of Ozark, MO and Mallory (Justin) Jennings of Burlington; eight grandchildren; two brothers, Dan (Debra) Schwenker of Burlington, Greg (Brenda Smith) Schwenker; two sisters, Brenda Carson and Sharon (Tony) Ashby of West Burlington and by a large extended family.



He was preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth, his parents and one grandson.



The private graveside committal service for Ken will be Tuesday, April 7, 2020.



Due to state and federal guidance on gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family will not be having a public memorial at this time. A celebration of life will be at a later date.



A memorial has been established for the Hospice House and Greater Burlington Sports Foundation for the Future Gymnasium Project. Online condolences may be sent by visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lunningfuneralchapel.com/?fbclid=IwAR3Suv0gc6cLJAMKM4tyML25cSr5dZ3V2-T3bYStc3CgcJEVhrM-Uhqy2Ew" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.lunningfuneralchapel.com/</a>

Always Working, Always Smiling: Schwenker Left A Lasting Legacy

By Beacon Staff



Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced more business closures to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), stopping short of implementing a shelter in place order for the state.&nbsp;



On Monday, Reynolds added to the list of business closures through April 30. However, most of the businesses on Monday's list have already been closed due to fears about the spread of COVID-19.



“I know that I've asked a lot of Iowans over the course of the last month,” she said during the 11 a.m. Monday press conference. “And today, I'm asking more.”



New closures include:&nbsp;



• Malls • Social and fraternal clubs • Bingo halls •.Bowling alleys • Pool halls • Zoos • Arcades • Amusement parks • Libraries • Skating rinks and skate parks • Outdoor/indoor playgrounds and children's play centers • Race tracks • Tobacco and vaping stores • Toy, music, gaming, instrument and movie stores • Campgrounds



Anyone not following the guidelines, specifically those not limiting social gatherings to fewer than 10 people, will be cited with a simple misdemeanor.



At Monday's press conference, Reynolds announced 78 additional cases of COVID-19 in Iowa, totaling 946 positive cases to date.



Another three people with COVID-19 have died, bringing the total in the state to 25 people as of Monday. Two of the people who died were from Tama County. The third person lived in Linn County.&nbsp;



Last week, the Iowa Board of Medicine unanimously voted to request that Reynolds issue a statewide shelter in place order, sending a letter to the governor.



Reynolds has said that implementing a shelter in place order is not required right now based on the data the state is using to evaluate the next steps for mitigation efforts.

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