By Beacon Staff



This year’s annual Juneteenth celebration attracted a large crowd on Sunday (June 21) at DeEdwin and Gladys White Memorial Park in Burlington.



Juneteenth is the oldest celebration of the end of slavery in America. The historical significance of the day has not been lost on Burlington residents who attend the local Juneteenth celebration each year.



However, Sunday's event almost didn't happen after the Burlington branch of the NAACP was forced to cancel their participation due to concerns about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).



Enter Burlington native Matt Cratton who stepped up to help organize Sunday's event, featuring fun, food, and fellowship.



Photo by William Smith



 Free face painting was provided by Juneteenth volunteers, and Marshawn, 7, of Burlington shows off the colorful design he received on Sunday.

Juneteenth Celebration Offers Food And Fellowship

By Beacon Staff



When Lt. Dennis Jolly arrived at the Salvation Army organization’s thrift store on Friday morning (June 19), his heart sank — crude works of graffiti-covered the side of the thrift store.



He discovered more damage a few feet away — red, orange, and aqua blue spray-paint covered the left side of the Salvation Army’s delivery truck.



Jolly took pictures for insurance purposes, then posted his disappointment (and the photographs) on Facebook. His disgust was reciprocated by the community in the comments of the post.



“Why would someone do this to us?” Jolly said.



The spray-painted doodles stretch all the way up to the driver’s side door, ending in a rough circle of orange paint on the window.



Much of it is illegible, save for a couple of phrases such as “Red Gang."



Lt. Jolly said the vandalism occurred sometime overnight Thursday, causing up to $3,000 in damage. Burlington police are investigating the incident, and Jolly has already called the insurance company. Eventually, the crudely painted tags will be removed.



Jolly has no idea what spurred the vandalism.



The Salvation Army serves free noon meals every weekday. The thrift store raises money used to feed and clothe people with nowhere else to turn, and some of the goods inside the store are given away through vouchers to those who need them. New toys are given away as Christmas presents to less fortunate children through the Salvation Army’s annual Angel Tree program.



Anyone with information about the vandalism is encouraged to call the Burlington Police Department at (319) 753-8366.



Photo by William Smith

Vandalism Reported At Salvation Army

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By Beacon Staff



For the first time in 25 years, volunteers will not paint the homes of the elderly and less fortunate in Burlington this September.



The Burlington/West Burlington Paint-A-Thon has been canceled due to concern about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), but event organizer Jim O’Neill plans to bring it back next year. The annual event, which typically enlists more than 600 volunteers to paint over a dozen houses in the course of a week, has aided more than 500 homeowners over the past two-and-a-half decades.



The annual Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mount Pleasant, however, is still a go for Labor Day weekend. The festival board met Wednesday night (June 18) and confirmed as much, though there will be some changes to the event that will be announced at a later date.



Old Threshers is the largest event in southeast Iowa, followed closely by the Tri-State Rodeo in Fort Madison, which takes place the week following the farm implement extravaganza. The rodeo board confirmed Wednesday that the event will take place as scheduled.



The rodeo and Old Threshers are multi-day events and feature nightly country music concerts. Old Threshers typically attracts about 40,000 people, while the Tri-State rodeo parade has more than 600 entrants each year.



The annual Riverfest concert in Fort Madison is still scheduled for early August. Concert organizers confirmed the event during the Fort Madison’s Tuesday night city council meeting.



The Fort Madison Community Hospital 2020 Golf Classic scheduled for late August, however, has been canceled due to coronavirus.



Burlington’s city-wide spring cleanup also was delayed earlier this year due to worldwide pandemic but is scheduled to return this fall. Items must be set out by 7 a.m. on the day of pick-up.



The clean-up, conducted by Burlington city crews, is scheduled for Sept. 14, Sept. 22, Sept. 30, Oct. 8, and Oct. 16. Appliances, batteries, tires, demolition material, and electronics (including TVs and computers) will not be accepted.

Burlington/West Burlington Paint-A-Thon Canceled; City Wide Clean-Up, Tri-State Rodeo and Old Threshers To Return in September

By Beacon Staff



Daily Amtrak trains going through Burlington are about to become a lot less frequent.



Amtrak service to Burlington and all long-distance trains, save for one, will be reduced to three days a week beginning on Oct. 1.



Amtrak Public Relations Manager Kimberly Woods confirmed the cut in service to The Beacon on Wednesday (June 17). The Washington Post originally broke the story earlier this week, citing an employee memo that was distributed on Monday, June 15.



Woods told The Beacon that the reduction in service will not be permanent. Trains to Burlington will continue to run daily until Oct. 1



“Our goal is to restore daily service on these routes as demand warrants, potentially by the summer of 2021,” she said.



Though Woods would not mention Burlington specifically when asked, the cut does include the California Zephyr corridor, which includes Burlington. As many as 461 stations will be affected, according to Jim Mathews, president and chief executive of the Rail Passengers Association.



Mayor Jon Billups said the city has yet to receive official word from Amtrak regarding the cut, but he wasn’t surprised.



“We’ve been hearing rumblings for a while,” he said. “It’s disappointing, but I understand.”



Though long-distance rail traffic demand is down by 70 percent, it is still faring better than overall ridership, which is down 90 percent. Long-distance routes saw the smallest declines in ridership during the pandemic.



“My family rides the train a lot, and it’s an important piece of transportation for our area,” Billups said.



The long-distance service, which includes 15 routes, is Amtrak’s least profitable and is dependent on government subsidies. Mathews railed against the decision in a statement after the news broke.



“The long-distance services declined the least among Amtrak’s three business lines during the coronavirus-induced slowdown, and its services remain essential to the hundreds of small communities across the United States with fewer options than Philadelphia or Boston or New York City,” he said.



The reduction also includes a 20 percent cut in staffing. The Burlington Depot does not have Amtrak staff, and the Friends of the Depot, a volunteer group that worked with Amtrak to improve the depot, disbanded earlier this year.



“As a first step, we are offering employees a voluntary incentive package,” Woods said.



At the height of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Amtrak ridership was down by 95 percent. The company said last month that it needs nearly $1.5 billion in supplemental funding from the federal government to maintain “minimum service levels,” anticipating ridership will not recover to pre-pandemic levels in fiscal 2021. Even with the supplemental funding, the company said, it would need to cut service and personnel to stay afloat.



Amtrak estimates that ridership in the next fiscal year may drop to 16 million, or roughly 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels.



“Congress is not going to support us indefinitely to run mostly empty trains,” Roger Harris, Amtrak’s executive vice president and chief marketing and revenue officer, said in the memo to employees. “We need to demonstrate that we are using our resources efficiently and responsibly.”



The Auto Train, which travels from the Washington suburbs of Lorton, Va., to the Orlando area, is the only long-distance route that will continue to operate daily, Amtrak said.



The following routes will go from daily operations to three times a week: California Zephyr (Chicago to San Francisco), Capitol Limited (Washington to Chicago), City of New Orleans (Chicago to New Orleans), Coast Starlight (Seattle to Los Angeles), Crescent (New York City to New Orleans), Empire Builder (Chicago to Seattle), Lake Shore Limited (New York to Chicago), Palmetto (New York to Savannah, Ga.), Silver Star (New York to Miami), Southwest Chief (Chicago to Los Angeles) and Texas Eagle (Chicago to San Antonio).



Photo: The Burlington Train Depot is shown.

Amtrak Cutting Daily Train Service Nationwide, Burlington Included

By Beacon Staff



The local community is rallying around a teen who was struck by a vehicle on June 9 while riding his bicycle on Summer Street in Burlington.



That support will become visible this Sunday during a fundraiser at Kenny’s Roller Ranch in Burlington designed to raise money for his medical expenses.



Spencer Weir, 14, of Burlington is at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City. He suffered severe head trauma, broken bones, spinal fractures, and lacerations, and has been on a ventilator.



His family has raised over $10,000 for Spencer’s medical expenses online, but the cost of rehabilitation will be much greater.



That’s why Kenny’s Roller Ranch is getting involved. Spencer is a regular at the skating rink, and local businesses are donating items that will be raffled off at the fundraiser.



The event will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sunday (June 21) at Kenny’s Roller Ranch, 8989 Koestner Ave. Admission by donation, all of which will be given to Spencer's family.



To follow Spencer’s progress, visit “Spencer’s Story”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Spencers-story-111243270624090/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARDyLEw2oXgOf9WFrbCajcomvgUdzBvTcYFoqFg313GCZHeVz09kJFhoaNHUKbv7eKk0IJ3_JKPMHHnD&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCyL9tqwv-Xc_wkhwkGR4Blvif7P5MJ9NRS5Jofaeh35gGv0bqY4Po1qIONrgJg_VgUFJJFKNfRGBVp7g4yCTh2RB7NVJL8Us3-ED8x4a1m0roAItZf7GXRPnBwUafyxXUs_AbU9Cp4U-r280kTEtm3z5j7RBbXDxj4uo0GHl1V_Fkxd2OmgS1GVM7BLakHut4WkxPJf63CrOlFTmsozdVLNU5JVGe_xD8NcGqZK-2O3G7JhbuP16HSQo4aHhDPf7p6EEsPhx-FC9JhUAIvifINRWh_OPcpO6glUkpzsRPRFkGMubzuxs1gb6EUyPSxfzqGKozP0jI0dmCLBJQ-7IM">https://www.facebook.com/Spencers-story-111243270624090/</a>&nbsp;on Facebook, which is updated regularly by his family.

Roller Rink Fundraiser Will Benefit Burlington Teen Struck By Car

By Beacon Staff



In the wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, many businesses, government buildings, and organizations were temporarily closed this spring.



Now that Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has lifted most COVID-19-related restrictions, government buildings are set to reopen while some businesses and institutions will remain closed for the near future.



Burlington City Hall, Burlington Public Works, and the Burlington Wastewater Treatment Facility will reopen to the public this Monday (June 15) after nearly three months of lockdown. As with all city and county reopenings, it comes with a few caveats.



Staff at those buildings must self-screen for illness, and the city will provide protective equipment or safety shields. The city also has established hygiene expectations, including hand-sanitizing stations and increasing the frequency of cleaning.



The Burlington Public Library building remains closed to the public, but the library itself never closed. In addition to allowing online check-out and regular programming on YouTube, the library has curbside checkout. Patrons can also make an appointment to come inside the library and use a computer for one hour, or check out a laptop to use in the parking lot for one hour.



Museum Closures



The Garrett-Phelps House Museum on Columbia Street and the Hawkeye Native’s Log Cabin in Crapo Park, both in Burlington, will remain closed to the public for the rest of the year. The locations are usually opened to the public from the first weekend in May through the last weekend in October.



Several volunteers and employees at the Des Moines County Historical Society are older and thus more vulnerable to the worst effects of COVID-19.



“Their reluctance to act as tour guides and docents right now is certainly understood,” museum director LaVon Worley said.



The Des Moines County Heritage Center Museum, housed in the former public library building, has been shuttered since mid-March. While Reynolds has lifted the restriction allowing museums to reopen, the DMCHS board has not determined when the historic building will resume operation.



“Catfish Corners, our children’s play area, is a big consideration in this decision,” said Robin Schneiderman, executive director of the Des Moines County Heritage Center Museum. “We are disappointed that many tourists will miss out on all three of the museums this season.”



The historical society’s annual fundraiser, Desserts by Design, has also been canceled. The event committee and the Players Workshop volunteers put time and effort into organizing a 100th-anniversary celebration of the Women’s Suffrage Movement and hope the program will be presented at another time.



Swimming Pools



For the most part, the status of the swimming pools in Des Moines County is undetermined. Reynolds has lifted shutdown restrictions on pools, but it is up to each organization to make the final decision.



The Mediapolis Aquatic Center has begun offering season passes. The date for reopening will be announced after this Monday’s city council meeting and announced on the aquatic center’s Facebook page.



The fate of the West Burlington Aquatic Center will be determined by June 19, pool officials said. Burlington city officials have not set a date for the reopening of Dankwardt Park Pool.



“We are currently waiting for repair work to be completed on the liner that was installed in 2016. When the repair is completed, (the) city council will discuss options for the swimming season,” according to a statement on the pool’s Facebook page.



The Huck’s Harbor water park at FunCity in Burlington remains closed. No announcement has been made as to when it will reopen. Catfish Bend Casino and FunCity are back open, as well as the Catfish Bend Casino, Cold Stone Creamery, CocoLoco’s Gift Shop, and Restore RX at The Spa.



The Boogaloo Sports Bar and Grill, arcade, KingPins Bowling, and ZOOM! Go-Karts opened on Thursday, June 11. The Catfish Bend Inn and Spa are reopening on June 18.



PZAZZ! Resort Hotel, Indoor and Outdoor Huck’s Water Park, Tiki Bar, LazerTown, Ballocity, SkyTrail, Gasoline Allie’s Candy Alley are currently closed at this time.

Re-openings, Cancellations, and Uncertainties

By Beacon Staff



A man was taken to Great River Medical Center in West Burlington Saturday morning (June 13) after being shot in the lower leg in the area of Summer and Angular streets in Burlington.



According to Burlington Police Sgt. John Stirn, officers responded to the call around 4:35 a.m. Saturday. Police discovered shell casings in the area, and witnesses reported hearing three or four gunshots. Police have yet to identify the man due to the ongoing investigation.



No suspect description or further details about the man were available Saturday morning, though police may release more information as the investigation continues.



Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact the Burlington Police Department at (319) 753-8366 or Burlington Area Crime Stoppers at (319) 753-6835.

Early Morning Shooting In Burlington Leaves One Injured

By Beacon Staff



There is always a wide variety of fresh produce at the Jefferson Street Farmers Market in Burlington. The market features several vendors each Thursday who sell fruits and vegetables, among other items. On Thursday, patrons walked up and down downtown Burlington browsing the many vendors in search of the freshest produce and fruit.



Photo by Joy Mack

Farmers Market A Feast For The Eyes And Stomach

By William Smith



Mr. Bojangles doesn’t know why his family locked him in an outdoor cage and abandoned him outside the Burlington Animal Shelter this past Memorial Day weekend.



He didn’t even know his name. Like most of the animals who end up at the shelter, he didn’t come with any kind of history or identification from a previous life.



So the Des Moines County Humane Society gave him a new name, based on his penchant for cutting a rug with his toenails. Figuratively, that is.



Mr. Bojangles was likely an outdoor dog and isn’t crazy about the feeling of a man-made floor beneath his feet. But he’s getting used to it.



“Bojangles has happy feet. He loves people so much and his feet don't stop moving when he sees you!” shelter director Kandi Hillyer said.



When Hillyer first met Mr. Bojangles a few weeks ago, the 8-to-10-month-old Labrador retriever (and possible German Shepherd mix) was hot, tired, and terrified. Southeast Iowa had endured its first warm streak of the summer, and the shelter is not open Mondays.



Mr. Bojangles had been left in one of the shelter’s outdoor cages without water to drink on Sunday night. There was no one around to help him until Tuesday afternoon.



When Hillyer came back into work the following Tuesday and found Mr. Bojangles in the cage, she was mortified and angry. The dog was frothing at the mouth due to dehydration and had spent the previous day or so barking for help.



The only thing his previous owner left in the cage to keep Bojangles company was a sealed bag of dog food.



Hillyer posted about the dog’s situation on social media, her outrage reciprocated by the community.



“To the person that dumped this poor dog with a cheap bag of food in the outside runs at the animal shelter last night or early this morning ... Shame on you! He has no water and is extremely hot and tired from barking for help. He is terrified! We need you to contact the shelter and surrender your dog properly if that is what you were attempting to accomplish,” Hillyer said in a post-Facebook post when she found Bojangles.



Hillyer hoped to find the original owner so they could be turned over to the Burlington Police Department for animal abandonment. She didn’t have any luck.



But there were more important matters, such as making Mr. Bojangles feel loved. Mr. Bojangles returned that love almost immediately — he danced.



“He's quite the dancer,” Hillyer said.



Mr. Bojangles was cleared for adoption late last week, and so far, there haven’t been any takers. Hillyer said a meet and greet would be required with other dogs in a household, should that family choose to adopt him.



“We are sure that he will bring a whole lot of love to his new family,” Hillyer said.



To learn more about Mr. Bojangles, call the Burlington Animal Shelter at 319-753-8389 during business hours. The shelter is open from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. on weekends.



Appointments are no longer required at the shelter, so Mr. Bojangles can be visited anytime during those hours.



Photo: Mr. Bojangles as he was found abandoned at the animal shelter.

Abandoned Shelter Dog Regains Faith in Humanity

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(This is a paid ad)

Burlington Has A New Tupperware Lady!

By Beacon Staff



The second novel coronavirus (COVID-19) death in Des Moines County was confirmed Saturday by the Iowa Department of Public Health.



No further details, including who the person was, their location, or when they died, was provided. The first coronavirus death in Des Moines County was reported by the state health department on April 26.



The news comes on the heels of a reported outbreak at Prairie Ridge Care and Rehabilitation in Mediapolis, where three residents and one staff member tested positive. One of those four already had recovered by the time the outbreak was reported.



As of 1 p.m. Saturday, 69 cases of COVID-19 had been reported in Des Moines County, and 50 of those have recovered. Nine additional COVID-19 deaths in Iowa have been reported since 10 a.m. Friday, raising the death toll to 598.



Another 386 cases have been reported since 10 a.m. Friday, bringing Iowa's total to 21,479 confirmed cases. Of that number, 12,697 have recovered.



Across Iowa, 23 COVID-19 patients were admitted to the hospital in the last 24 hours, bringing the state total to 299 hospitalized. Of those in the hospital, 102 are in intensive care while 62 are on ventilators.



One in every 17 Iowans has been tested at a positive rate of 11.6 percent.



Three counties in Iowa have been designated as possible hotspots by the Centers for Disease Control — Buena Vista County, Woodbury County, and Wright County.



The designation, which comes from an internal CDC document dated May 27 that was distributed to federal agencies, has not been made public. The CDC’s areas of concern are described as those counties “with the greatest burden who are still demonstrating growth.”



The CDC has declined to discuss the document.

Another COVID-19 Death Confirmed in Des Moines County

By Beacon Staff



The visible trail of smoke wafting Saturday evening from Mosquito Park in Burlington wasn’t as serious as it may have looked.



The Burlington Fire Department made sure of that.



Firefighters responded to the tiny park at 7:43 p.m. Saturday (June 13), where they discovered a small blaze consuming dead leaves and vegetation.



The initial call to the fire department cited fireworks as a possible cause, and fireworks residue was discovered on the scene. There wasn’t enough evidence to name an official cause, however, fireworks are considered the likely cause.



Firefighters deployed a booster line to extinguish the fire, clearing the scene 10 minutes after they arrived. A booster line is a rubber-covered, thick-walled, flexible hose used to fight small fires. It retains its round cross-section when it is not under pressure and is usually carried on a reel on the fire truck, rather than being stored flat.



Mosquito Park, located on the corner of Third and Franklin streets, sits on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River.



Burlington Police fielded nine fireworks calls between 7:43 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. Saturday, but no other fires were reported.



Burlington city ordinance prohibits exploding those fireworks within city limits, though they are legal to purchase.

More Smoke Than Fire in Mosquito Park

By Beacon Staff



Four cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed at Prairie Ridge Care and Rehabilitation in Mediapolis, but one of those infected already has recovered.



The Iowa Department of Public Health did not clarify if the four cases were patients, employees, or both.



Des Moines County has 66 cases of novel coronavirus as of Wednesday morning (June 3). Of that number, 50 have recovered, and one person has died.



Henry County has reported 72 cases, with 58 recovered and two deaths. Louisa County has reported 346 cases, with 255 recovered and 11 deaths. Lee County has reported 27 cases, with 19 recovered and zero deaths.



About 314 Iowan were in the hospital for coronavirus as of Wednesday morning, compared to 327 the day before. Of those, 116 are in the ICU, an increase of two from the day before. Fifteen Iowans have been admitted to the hospital for coronavirus in the last 24 hours, compared to 12 from the previous 24-hour period.



A total of 20,012 Iowans have tested positive for coronavirus, and 11,892 have recovered. The death toll stood at 564 as of Wednesday morning.

Coronavirus Reported at Mediapolis Nursing Home

Game review by William Smith



I don’t know much about basketball. I had to look up the word “rebound” after angry fourth-grade parents screamed it at me during my first and only basketball try-out.



Determined to shield myself from further public humiliation, I worked out the rules of the sport through video games. Classics like “Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs” and “NBA Jam” proved to be much more competent teachers.



Much like Spike Lee’s “Hoop Dreams,” the two-on-two formula of “NBA Jam” held a universal appeal that reached beyond the sports. If you’re a 1990s kid, you likely played it.



But I never heard my friends mention “Slam City with Scottie Pippen.” Probably because they had never heard of it.



A Sega CD game released toward the end of the ill-fated console’s lifespan, “Slam City” consists entirely of movie footage — a common gimmick for CD-Rom games of the era. The “Choose-Your-Own-Adventure”-type genre suffered a pitiful death at the hands of disinterested gamers and critics, but I’ll always be a fan.



“Slam City” is one of the few games of the genre I missed entirely, until last week.



The action takes place from a first-person-perspective, via a camera that roves across a basketball half-court as though the player is dribbling. A digitized representation of the player fills the bottom of the screen, which you must position correctly to shoot the ball, steal the ball, etc.



Your opponents (i.e., actors who didn’t make it to TV) are constantly in your face, talking trash through offense and defense.



Every game consists of hundreds of strung-together video clips that change according to the player’s actions. Stealing the ball counts as an automatic slam dunk, treating you to a ludicrously overblown video clip of your character flipping through the air as he deposits the ball.



It’s so fun, so 90s, that I was able to overlook the overbearing difficulty with a generous amount of modern cheating.



There’s often no way to tell when you can steal the ball, when you can’t, or when you shouldn’t. The free-flowing action devolves into an overly restrictive process of trial-and-error and memorization. Typically, the game ends in a video clip of the opposing player slamming the ball back into your face.



Despite the lost opportunity at the time of its release, “Slam City with Scottie Pippen” has become a cult classic. It's a cultural oddity that should have spawned more manageable sequels.



Given Pippen’s renewed relevance in “The Last Dance” ESPN documentary series, maybe he would be up for a sequel.



Every good game needs an even better bad guy, even basketball games.

"Slam City With Scottie Pippen" (Sega CD, 1994)

By Beacon Staff



Local voters went to the polls in force on Tuesday to cast their ballot in Iowa's primary election. The winners will represent their party in November’s general election.



In the race to replace Mike Johnstone as Des Moines County Sheriff, Democrat Kevin Glendening will face Republican George Rinker in November. Glendening, who was running uncontested in the Democratic primary, received 3,383 votes. Rinker received 1,446 votes, followed by Al Waterman with 628 votes, and Drake Fenton with 307 votes.



Five Republicans and one Democrat were on Tuesday's ballot to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, who represents Iowa's 2nd District.



Rita Hart, the sole Democrat in the race, garnered 3,418 votes in Des Moines County and had a district-wide total of 61,855 votes in the unofficial tally.



Marrianette Miller-Meeks received the most votes in the Republican race. She garnered 1,357 votes in Des Moines County and a district-wide total of 21,212 votes. Runner up Bobby Schilling received 879 votes in Des Moines County with a district-wide total of 15,906. Steve Everly, Rick Phillips, and Tim Borchardt received 2,594, 2,250, and 2,171 votes district-wide, respectively.



Incumbent U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican, ran uncontested for her senate seat. She received 2,564 votes in Des Moines County and a total of 200,611 votes statewide.



In the Democratic primary to unseat Ernst, Theresa Greenfield received the most votes at 124,327 statewide and 2,205 votes in Des Moines County. Michael Franken received 66,051 votes statewide, followed by Kimberly Graham with 39,457, Eddie Mauro with 29,110 votes, and Cal Woods with. 3,245 votes.



Tim Goodwin was the top vote-getter in the GOP primary to replace retiring Republican state Sen. Tom Greene. Goodwin received 1,872 votes in Des Moines County, according to the unofficial tally. Goodwin received a combined total of 2,812 from Des Moines, Louisa, and Muscatine counties. Matt Rinker received 830 votes in Des Moines County, with a total of 1,136 for the three counties.



Meanwhile, Tom Courtney led the Democratic field with 2,755 votes in the unofficial tally. Courtney received a combined total of 3,527 votes case in Des Moines, Louisa, Muscatine counties. Rex Troute received 482 votes in Des Moines County and a total of 572 for the three counties. Kevin Warth received 474 in Des Moines County but had a higher total than Troute at 767 votes when the other two counties factored in.



State representative for the 87th District Dennis Cohoon, a Democrat, who ran unchallenged in the primary received 2,793 votes. There is no Republican challenger.



State representative for the 88th District, Republican David Kerr, ran uncontested in the primary to retain his seat. He received 2,615 district-wide votes according to Tuesday's unofficial tally. Democratic challenger, Sandy Dockendorff, also running uncontested in the primary, received 1,789 district-wide votes.



Incumbent Des Moines County Supervisors Jim Cary and Bob Beck, both Democrats, ran unopposed for their seats. Cary received 2,961 votes, with Beck receiving 2,905 votes. Nina Covert, the sole Republican running for the board of supervisors, received 1,956 votes.



Photo by Joy Mack



Burlington voters cast ballots Tuesday at Southeastern Community College’s Hall of Sciences building in West Burlington.

Voters Make Their Voices Heard At Ballot Box

By William Smith



The protest was peaceful — no violence or rioting followed.



But the anger over the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer simmered throughout Tuesday’s vigil/protest in downtown Burlington.



For a few minutes, it seemingly boiled over.



“They got a badge and they killing us. So how’s that justified,” Burlington resident James Taylor yelled, standing in front of Memorial Auditorium on the city's riverfront.



Taylor had interrupted a megaphone-assisted speech by fellow Burlington resident Kip Williams, but Williams seemingly took no offense. Having just decried the rioting in Davenport that co-opted the Black Lives Matter movement, he turned toward Taylor to engage in a very public dialogue.



For a few seconds, the boisterous crowd was stunned into silence.



“That’s why we need to strengthen ourselves,” Williams said.



Taylor was angry, and not entirely convinced.



“As a community, we are supposed to look to these people to help us,” Taylor said, looking around at Burlington police officers at the rally. “And guess what they’re doing. They’re not helping us. They going against us.”



Ryland McLaughlin, a fellow protestor from Mediapolis carrying a homemade sign that read “No Justice, No Peace,” took issue with Taylor’s assessment.



A couple of hundred of feet away, Burlington Police Chief Dennis Kramer was directing traffic along Front Street to allow the protesters safe passage. A block up, on Main Street, BPD Major Jeff Klein did the same.



“Look at them. Look at our police. They trust us,” McLaughlin said, approaching Taylor and amplifying her voice.



The day before, protest/vigil organizer Tenyshia Chalupa met with Kramer and Klein to discuss the peaceful intent of the rally. She reiterated that message in front of a crowd of more than 500 Tuesday night.



“This is not a white versus black thing. This is not a people versus police thing. This an everybody versus racism and police injustice thing,” she said.



The Burlington Police Department reciprocated with support and a show of unity, casually interacting with the crowd.



Taylor was still unconvinced, and more than a little frustrated.



“They laughin’ at us. They laughin’ at us because it took us this to stand up. So why didn’t we do this a long time ago?” Taylor asked.



“We’re doing it now,” McLaughlin countered.



Williams, megaphone still in hand, didn’t argue the validity of the movement based on its timing. He was just happy to see the community motivated.



“No matter who’s smirking, and thinks it’s funny, wait till it comes to your doorstep,” Williams said. “We can’t fix yesterday. But we can do something about today.”



Having said his peace, Taylor backed down and let Williams finish his speech.



By his own admission, Taylor is far from an angel. He has a criminal history. But he doesn’t believe that disqualifies him from having an opinion about police injustice.



“I’ve been running from the judicial system, and my life has been in shambles since. But today, I’m going to stand up for what’s right,” he said.



Unity among all races and those with opposing viewpoints was a key theme of the protest. Several protesters held small signs disparaging President Donald Trump. A few blocks down, on Jefferson Street, Trump supporters parked in front of the downtown shops to keep an eye out for possible rioting. They did not agitate, nor did they venture to the police station or the riverfront to counter-protest.



A small group called for violence against the Burlington police from a megaphone as they drove by, shortly before the vigil started. They were met with indifference by the protesters, protected by locals who stepped forward in groups of two to diffuse any violence.



Burlington resident Jay Wetterling, who stood on a green park bench in front of the auditorium, spoke about the reality of white privilege, noting that he was speaking up for minority family members who don’t have the same chance to air their grievances.



“I stand here for my sister-in-law, who deals with racial discrimination every day in the U.S. Army, and she can’t say a damn thing, because, obviously, she has to keep her mouth shut. She’s in the army,” he said. “She can’t protest. She can’t post. All she can do is message people and cry.”



McLaughlin said she is done being silent. Like many, Tuesday night’s protest was her first.



“It’s not just unarmed black people. Unarmed Americans should not die in police custody,” she said.



Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee into George Floyd's neck which killed him according to the results of an autopsy report, had the charge against him upgraded on Wednesday. He now faces a count of second-degree murder.



The three other officers on the scene during his killing were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.



Photo by William Smith



More than 500 area residents filled downtown Burlington on Tuesday in a peaceful protest of the death of George Floyd.

United Anger at Injustice

By Beacon Staff



For the last few weeks, the Mississippi River has slowly crept its way into flood stage.



But if the weather stays somewhat dry, it’s just as likely to creep back down.



The Mississippi River was sitting at the minor flood stage of 15.3 feet Thursday evening (June 4) and is expected to rise to a crest of 15.5 feet by Friday (June 5).



That’s not high enough to significantly impact Burlington and the surrounding area, and city crews erected temporary flood barriers last week as a precaution. Those barriers likely will stay up through the summer to protect against the fluctuating waterway.



The river is projected to stay around that 15.5-foot mark through the weekend, then slowly descend below flood stage Tuesday (June 9). If projections prove correct, the river will be at 14.9 feet by then and will drop to 14.2 feet by Thursday (June 11).



If it doesn’t rain.



The next few days will be vital, and though the chance for rain is minimal, it is far from non-existent. There’s a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms tonight (June 4), but those unlikely storms could be severe. The National Weather Service is forecasting a slight risk for severe storms over Iowa, with a marginal risk over much of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois and Missouri tonight.



The main risk from storms will be torrential rainfall, but damaging winds and large hail will be possible after midnight.



There’s also a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday (June 5), then a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms before 1 a.m. that night.



The weekend promises to be clear and sunny, with a 50 percent chance of rain returning Tuesday (June 9), and a 30 percent chance Wednesday (June 10).



Heavy rain could cause the river to level off instead of dropping or possibly cause a further rise. The National Weather Service updates the flood projection hourly, taking into account recent rain and predicted rain over 24 hours.

Mississippi River Enters Minor Flood Stage

By Beacon Staff



Any other year, graduating Burlington High School seniors would have taken their final walk flanked by family and friends. Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, it didn’t happen on Sunday.



It likely will happen in late June or in July, according to Burlington High School Principal David Keane. By then, however, several students will have shipped out for basic training.



To make up for the loss, the school district posted a live video on Sunday honoring departing seniors on its YouTube channel.



The diplomas were handed out weeks ago, drive-thru style. However, Sunday was about paying tribute to student accomplishments.



Despite the lack of a live crowd, the ceremony played out like a typical commencement. About 300 people tuned in for the live stream, and by 9 p.m. Sunday, nearly 1,000 people watched the video.



“This generation has learned a hard lesson — that there are factors they cannot control,” said Dean Vickstrom, school board president, ending his speech with a “Go Grayhounds!”



Salutatorian Peighton Davis and valedictorian Katie Kannan spoke next.



Davis paid tribute to the late Jackson Gipe, who would have graduated with the class of 2020. Gipe died of cancer at the age of 12, and the senior class has continued to honor his memory.



“He was my best friend,” she said.



Kannan said it may seem like the end of the word to not have a normal commencement ceremony but life will go on. It will be up to each graduating senior to carve their own path, she added.



Each student was allowed to submit up to two photo slides and information about themselves. They were shown in alphabetical order as if the seniors were walking across the graduation stage.



The slides consumed the majority of the one hour and 14-minute video. Before it began, school district superintendent Pat Coen shared some words of inspiration. He did so from several locations across the school, seemingly teleporting across campus.



“You can allow these difficulties and misfortunes to negatively affect you, or you can show resilience,” he said. “I would encourage you to never forget where you came from. Always remember, once a grayhound, always a grayhound.”

Virtual Commencement Honors Graduates

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 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

Column by Jeff Abell



Over the years, Burlington has produced more than its fair share of the famous and infamous. When scanning the list of notable people, several prominent names stand out, while others more obscure but equally important remain only a footnote.



In the annals of rock ‘n’ roll history, few people outside of Iowa know the name of O.W. Appleton. The music pioneer was inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for inventing the earliest known solid-body electric guitar. Appleton had a love of music from an early age. In his teens, he traveled the country as a musician before settling down in Burlington in 1936.



Soon after, he opened a music store and began tinkering with musical instruments to improve their sound, including his favorite instrument, the guitar.



With the hands of an artist and the mind of an engineer, Appleton spent his free hours working on a new design, a closely guarded secret he believed would take the guitar to a new level.



In 1941, he carved the body of the now-conventional guitar, attaching a stock neck. The new design soon became the guitar of choice for rock musicians.



Appleton was never fully credited for his creation due to a chain of events that resulted in guitar maker Leo Fender building on his design, and later marketing it, according to an Iowa music historian.



Then there’s the rise and fall of chemist Wallace Hume Carothers.



On an April evening in 1937, Philadelphia police were called to the hotel room of a man who was unresponsive to staff. Breaking down the door, officers observed a man lying lifeless on a bed.



Police observed no signs of a struggle but did discover an empty bottle and a squeezed lemon near the body. The man was 41-year-old Carothers, who is credited with inventing nylon.



Despite early reservations, the Burlington native began work on creating synthetic rubber or neoprene after being hired by DuPont Chemical.



In the summer of 1934, Carothers became severely depressed and suddenly disappeared. He was later found at a psychiatric clinic. Upon his release, Carothers began the work that led to his greatest discovery — the creation of the synthetic polymer known as nylon.



Then, tragedy struck.



In January 1937, his sister died of pneumonia. The loss led Carothers to Philadelphia to see his psychiatrist.



Two months later, he checked into a hotel room, and using the cyanide capsule he carried attached to a watch chain, Carothers dissolved the poison in lemon juice to speed up its effect.



Thus concluded his final chemical experiment.



During the dark days of the Vietnam War, Jimmie Howard was a shining example of bravery. Howard, a Marine gunnery sergeant, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for valor for his leadership of a platoon before and after he was wounded severely by a Viet Cong grenade on June 1966.



Then there is space shuttle astronaut Jim Kelly with missions under his belt that include NASA’s return to space flight after being grounded due to the 2003 Columbia accident that claimed the life of its crew.



Others include:



• Mary "May" Naudain, an actress and singer who gained fame on the stage during the vaudeville era, was born in 1881 in Burlington. She was raised in Omaha, Neb., before traveling to New York City to appear on stage, including Broadway where she was a sensation.



During World War I, Naudain gave benefit concerts and raised money for war bonds. She died suddenly at the age of 41 from a heart condition.



• William Frawley, famous for playing Fred Mertz in "I Love Lucy," was born Feb. 26, 1887 in Burlington. In a 1955 interview with the Des Moines Register, Frawley fondly recalled growing up in the North Hill neighborhood, which he saw for the last time in the 1920s. Frawley grew up at the house at 1203 N. Sixth St.



In 1960, Frawley landed the role of "Bub O’Casey" on "My Three Sons," which he starred in for six seasons before becoming too ill to work. His final on-camera performance was in 1965 on "The Lucy Show."



• German-born paleontologist Charles Wachsmuth’s study of fossilized crinoids in Burlington Limestone offered a significant contribution to the field in the 19th Century.



• Inventor and entrepreneur John Winegard’s antenna company had a hand in the growth of broadcast television and a role in the nation’s space program. He died in 2002.



• Helen Elswyth Thane, a writer of romance novels and historical fiction, was born in Burlington in 1900. She began her career in the 1920s as a freelance writer for newspapers. During her lifetime, she had seven novels published.



• Former director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Edward Stone worked on the Voyager I and II deep space exploration missions. He was the recipient of the 1999 Carl Sagan Memorial Award and a middle school in Burlington bears his name.



And the list goes on.



Burlington residents, native or transplant, have contributed to the success of the country in science, entertainment, and innovation. Their lives tell the story of Burlington. But, more importantly, their story is the story of America.

Tales of the Famous and Not-So Famous

Photo by Jeff Abell



The view of Jefferson Street in downtown Burlington marked a stark contrast from a typical busy Saturday afternoon. Rather than cars filling parking stalls and shoppers darting in and out of retail shops, Jefferson Street was mostly silent save a few retail stores offering curbside delivery.



On Thursday, non-essential retail shops were ordered by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to close their storefronts to foot traffic in an attempt to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Downtown retailers are offering delivery and shipping for their customers and those who do shop are urged to support small businesses.

Silent Street

By William Smith



Frank Hawkins’ eyes filled with dog-eared memories, his recollections of the first Community Thanksgiving Day Dinner ripened by the past quarter-century.



Hundreds of volunteers swarmed the Burlington High School cafeteria Thursday, preparing a Thanksgiving meal that would feed nearly 2,000 people.



Hawkins was nearly at a loss for words as he looked on, his heart swelling with what he called the eternal Thanksgiving paradox. Every act of giving is automatically packaged with the personal satisfaction of having given — no refunds accepted.



“I am an instrument of giving thanks, yet I am thankful,” he said.



Hawkins was one of the founders of the dinner 25 years ago, and still makes the trip from his home in Overland Park, Kan., every five years to offer words of encouragement to the volunteers. Following the opening prayer Thursday, Hawkins watched the controlled cafeteria chaos unfold around, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.



“It is ... ” he said, pausing as he searched for the appropriate superlative, “Wonderful.”



Not all the founders were able to see the 25th anniversary of the dinner. Sharon Ford, the late director of Community Action of Southeast Iowa, died a few years ago. Her adopted children showed in her stead, sharing memories of their late mother.



Lois Blythe, another Thanksgiving dinner founder, still works the event every year, rounding up volunteers months ahead of time. Her entire family works at the event.



“It’s just what we do,” she said.



The Genesis of a Thanksgiving Tradition



Hawkins came up with the idea of a free Thanksgiving dinner after attending a similar free feast in Illinois. As the manager of JC Penney at the time, he wanted a way to enjoy Thanksgiving while still being nearby to get the store ready for Black Friday.



But the convenience soon becomes a secondary motive, irrelevant compared to the joy of feeding the community. The dinner was and still is for everyone. Those who couldn’t afford a Thanksgiving meal. Those stuck at home while the family is elsewhere. Families that don’t have the time to cook. Passerbys who hear about free turkey.



There was no specific “type” at Thursday’s dinner. Just people who wanted to share an experience that is often taken for granted every other day of the year.



“We’re receiving as we’re giving,” Hawkins said.







&nbsp;


<img width="1024" height="768" src="https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/78845147_447721612599702_6926690648149983232_o-1024x768.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/78845147_447721612599702_6926690648149983232_o-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/78845147_447721612599702_6926690648149983232_o-300x225.jpg 300w, https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/78845147_447721612599702_6926690648149983232_o-768x576.jpg 768w, https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/78845147_447721612599702_6926690648149983232_o-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/78845147_447721612599702_6926690648149983232_o-600x450.jpg 600w, https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/78845147_447721612599702_6926690648149983232_o.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"> 
										<img width="1024" height="768" src="https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/79483750_447721745933022_8339900038616449024_o-1024x768.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/79483750_447721745933022_8339900038616449024_o-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/79483750_447721745933022_8339900038616449024_o-300x225.jpg 300w, https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/79483750_447721745933022_8339900038616449024_o-768x576.jpg 768w, https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/79483750_447721745933022_8339900038616449024_o-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/79483750_447721745933022_8339900038616449024_o-600x450.jpg 600w, https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2019/11/79483750_447721745933022_8339900038616449024_o.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px">											
Photos by William Smith
Two founders of the Community Thanksgiving Dinner, Lois Blythe (in photo 1 shown working at the volunteer stand) and Frank Hawkins (in photo 2 shown taking a moment to pray), attended the event on Thursday at the Burlington High School cafeteria.

The Wonderful Thanksgiving Paradox

The Des Moines County Public Health Department has opened a “virtual” emergency operations center (EOC) to serve as the centralized command and control for the area’s response to COVID-19.



The EOC will receive and distribute COVID-19 related information. They will also assist area emergency responders and health care agencies with supply acquisitions related to the virus.



The EOC is open in conjunction with the Des Moines County Emergency Management Agency and Great River Health Systems.



Iowa is experiencing a surge in new positive cases of the coronavirus with 56 new cases and two additional deaths, public health officials reported Friday.



Iowa now has 235 positive cases, including cases in Des Moines and Henry Counties, and three deaths.



The Department of Public Health identified the latest deaths as an adult over the age of 81 in Poweshiek County and an Allamakee County resident between 61 and 80 years old. Both died Thursday night.



Public health officials said 32 Iowa residents are hospitalized. The virus now has been found in 46 of Iowa's 99 counties.



The most recent cases mark the largest single-day increase. On Thursday the state reported 34 new cases.