Photo by Joy Mack



The Russian National Ballet Company brought their famous footwork Saturday to Memorial Auditorium in Burlington. The international sensation presented "Sleeping Beauty" to the riverfront venue. Fifty dancers from the ballet company demonstrated a mixture of grace and athleticism that entertained a large crowd.

Russian Ballet Company Performs At Auditorium

Last year, heavy machinery rumbled up Locust Street, digging into city streets as part of a decade's long sewer separation project.



On Monday, crews labored on South Fifth Street as the estimated $50 million construction project, which could increase in cost, made its way toward South Street.



Two of Burlington’s three sewer basins are already separated by storm and wastewater, but the MASL basin is the largest and most complex. Within the MASL Basin are four sub-basins, Market, Angular, South, and Locust streets.



Burlington is under mandate by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency to have the sewers separated in six years. City officials are hoping for an extension on that deadline, and Burlington was one of a handful of communities granted government money for a project study. If an extension can’t be acquired, sewer customers will likely have to foot the bill.



Photo by Jeff Abell

Sewer Separation Work Continues

By William Smith



If life were a movie, Jon Billups would have pulled out a magically prepared proposal from his sleeve to introduce himself as Burlington’s new mayor.



Instead, his first action as mayor last month was to swiftly help kill an unpopular proposal — moving the Burlington Steamboat Senior Center from Jefferson Street to the vacant cafe space inside The Burlington Depot.



It only took a few public minutes for the council to defeat the measure, far less than the time it took Billups to research and plumb the issue after being elected mayor by his fellow council members.



“That’s what city business is. It’s not glamorous,” he said.



Billups said the proposal to move the seniors to the depot was crafted from only the best intentions. Besides facing a $70,000 plus roof repair (which is figured into the city budget), the drafty old building is expensive to heat and cool, and the Des Moines County supervisors have pulled financial support.



“We weren’t trying to force them to move. We were trying to assist,” Billups said.



The assistance wasn’t wanted, which Billups discovered upon visiting the senior center himself. Through the seniors were too polite to make a public fuss about the move, it didn’t sit right with any of the membership.



“I asked them to put together a membership meeting so we could address all the concerns, so they could make a fair vote,” Billups said.



They did, voting down the move to the depot 22-0. Billups publicly relayed the news to the council at the next work session, and the council unanimously voted it down at the next meeting.



Though he’s happy the city avoided doing any harm in that case, he is disappointed it got so far without the city getting proper input from the seniors. 



“Communication is something the city needs to work on,” Billups said. 



Billups has taken improved city communication as his main charge, often answering questions and clarifying city positions in protracted Facebook conversations with citizens. He relishes the chance to have those conversations in person, but that is difficult to do at such sparsely attended council meetings.



Like mayors before him, Billups would like to see those empty audience seats filled with interested residents.



“The population of Burlington is shrinking,” he said. “We have all these skilled positions, and no one to fill them.”



Billups believes that population decline could soon reverse, given the extensive downtown redevelopment and $17 million worth of TIGER grant money being poured into Jefferson Street and the riverfront over the next few years.



“We all pay into those grants, so I think it’s my job to get as much as that money back as possible,” Billups said, regarding the TIGER grant.



Much of the grant is focused on redeveloping the riverfront, which was flooded for more than six months last year. Forecasters with the National Weather Service have said there will be more major flooding this year, thanks to the overly saturated ground.



Sandbag barriers held back the bloated Mississippi River for more than 180 days with the assistance of the incomplete flood wall on the riverfront, then finally gave way to a flooded downtown. The floodwall itself never failed.



“I think the flood wall performed admirably,” Billups said.



Like many residents, Billups’s gaze upon the Mississippi River is tainted with consternation. A boater himself, Billups practically lives on the river due to his job at Bluff Harbor Marina. He has long taken issue with the way the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have allegedly pooled the water around Burlington through the lock and dam system, making the river unnaturally high.



“We’re talking a few years before it (the flood wall) will be done,” Billups said. 



That constant flooding had always been a headache for the Friends of the Depot group as well, which disbanded in the wake of the proposal to the move the senior center to the depot. The group, which Billups said renovated the depot from “a hallway to an actual building,” preferred the depot stick to the original plans — a white boxed cafe space.



Again, Billups said, it was another case of poor communication by the city.



“I didn’t know they (Friends of the Depot) were upset with the idea of moving the senior center to the depot,” Billups said. “I feel bad. That’s something I should have picked up on.” 



Billups was part of the Friends of the Depot group himself for about six months and hopes to see the group come back together. He credited Friends for making the building feasible for possible tenants in the first place.



“We would not have had the depot in the condition it is without Friends of the Depot,” Billups said. “That being said, the goal is to fill that building on the north and south ends.”



Billups said there could still be a cafe, or business offices, or a coffee shop.



“There were a lot of businesses that wanted to follow the senior center (to the depot),” he said. 



Then there’s the shuttered 123-year-old Cascade Bridge, which promises to be an issue beyond Billups mayoral run. However, it’s an issue he believes the city can resolve, and not just through the demolition of the bridge without replacement.



Billups mentioned a federal BUILD grant, similar to the TIGER grant, that could help pay for either a new bridge or a rehabbed bridge. At one time, he said, Cascade Bridge was included in the TIGER grant, but the city had to take it out to make the grant more focused. Burlington was only one of two cities in Iowa to win the grant.



“There’s a windfall around 2023 or 2024 with money coming off the city books,” Billups said, suggesting that would be the time to fund a Cascade Bridge project. 



Those are just the concrete problems facing Burlington. More abstract worries, such as the city's crime rate and inferior housing, are decades-long issues that will take time to improve. 



But Billups always has been a consistent plodder, spending exponential amounts of sweat equity in exchange for incremental improvements. As he said, no one outside a Hollywood film ever claimed city work was glamorous, just monumentally important.



“I’ve never shied away from hard work,” Billups said.

Billups Finds Satisfaction Rather Than Glory As Mayor

B-Town Comics &amp; Games is your ONLY SOURCE for Free Comic Book Day. Join us May 2 for fun events, prize giveaways, and of course. Free Comics! Stay tuned for updates.



B-Town Comics &amp; Games is located at 609 &amp; 611 Jefferson Street in beautiful downtown Burlington, Iowa. Phone: (319) 209-2768.

B-Town Hosts Free Comic Book Day

THIS SATURDAY (Feb. 15)! B-Town is proud to be hosting the launch of OFFWORLDER! An epic tale told by comic legends Mike Baron and Jordi Armengol and published by locally-owned Fanatic Comics.



The comic kickoff party is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC from noon to 3 p.m. in our gaming space.



HUNDREDS OF COMICS WILL BE GIVEN AWAY! Yes! Hundreds of comics! You must be in attendance to win!



There will be free drinks, cake, giveaways, live Q&amp;A with the creative team, special guests and much more. The party will also be broadcast on YouTube and Facebook.



B-Town Comics &amp; Games is located at 609 &amp; 611 Jefferson Street in beautiful downtown Burlington, Iowa. Phone: (319) 209-2768.

Comic Book Launch Party This Saturday

A weekly source for things to do and see in and around Burlington. Only events for the upcoming week will be listed, and submissions for upcoming events will be accepted at burlingtonbeacon@gmail.com.



Saturday, Feb. 15



• Danville Public Library will host a Lego brick building event at 10:30 a.m. • Eagles Club will host All-Day Bingo with refreshments beginning at 11 a.m., with a second session beginning at 2 p.m. Food, coffee and desserts will be available. • Annual Jerky Contest hosted by Riverview Sportsmen of Dallas City, Ill., is 5 to 9 p.m. at the Yellow Rose Saloon in Lomax, Ill. • Country Unlimited will be playing from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Steamboat Senior Center in Burlington. Donations are appreciated. Everyone is welcome and participants are encouraged to wear red. • SCC Softball Hitting Skills Camp is at Burlington Bee’s Hitting Facility. There are two camps for girls ages 9 to 18; Camp I is 9 to 10 a.m.; Camp II is 10 to 11 a.m. The cost is $30 per camp. Registration is 30 minutes before camp. For more information, call (319) 208-5122. • Special Needs Family Roller Skating Party is 11:30 a.m. at Kenny’s Roller Ranch. This skating party is free to all families which include a person with special needs. Wheelchairs will be allowed on the roller rink. • Date Night Done Right at 5:30 p.m. at the Bart Howard Lounge at Des Moines County Heritage Center, including live music, Italian cuisine, dinner, and dessert. Tickets are $40 and available at the Des Moines County Heritage Center. You also can call for tickets at (319) 752-7449. • Civic Music presents The Russian National Ballet at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium in Burlington. Bolshig trained dancers will perform the ballet “The Sleeping Beauty.” Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at the Civic Music website. • Dueling Pianos will be from 8 to 10 p.m. at downtown wine bar Corked 101. Aaron Lotzow of Bloom and Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Mick Staebell will perform. And there will be wine. • The Paul Nelson Band will play at 8 p.m. at The Washington.



Monday, Feb. 17



• Free viewing of the film “Angry Birds 2” at 5:30 p.m. at the Burlington Public Library. Enjoy free popcorn and drinks. No registration is required, and all are welcome.



Wednesday, Feb. 19



• Burlington Lunchtime Chamber Music will be from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, featuring music for violin, clarinet, and piano, including Stravinsky’s Suite from “A Soldier’s Tale.” The concert is free and open to the public.



Friday, Feb. 21



• Pawn Pushers are hosting a chess event is from 9 a.m. to noon. Play, watch, learn, teach and enjoy a game of chess, and bring your own board and pieces if you wish. Chess mentors will be on hand. The event is free and open to the public. • Hamilton-Walters Marine Corps League Ham and Bean Supper will be at 5 p.m. at the Iowa National Guard and Reserve Center in Middletown. All you can eat for $6. • Jerad and Nathan of Stumptown will play at 6:30 p.m. at the Wake N’ Bake Breakfast Company. • Players Workshop Theater production of “The Radiant” premieres at 7:30 p.m. Friday, with an encore performance Saturday, as well as 2 p.m. Sunday. This historical docudrama focuses on the life of Marie Curie and her discovery of radium. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and are available at the Players Workshop box office 90 minutes before each performance. • Contingency will play at 8 p.m. at The Washington in Burlington. The Keokuk based trio will perform classic and current rock, as well as dance and country tunes.

Faces and Places

Donald Chipman, the owner of Modern Barbershop, has been working for months to restore the interior of his downtown Burlington business.



"It has a long road revamping this old shop. My friend Ian Beard put in lots of free hours helping to get this done. Logan Hand, the owner of Fine Line Painting, did a fantastic job. I'm happy to see it come back to life," Chipman said.



Chipman took over the family trade of hair cutting from his father about three decades ago. His father owned a barbershop in the same building for more than 30 years.



Photos submitted by Donald Chipman

Chipman Works to Restore Barbershop

Last week, Burlington Steamboat Days organizers announced the 57th iteration of the music festival will focus on country music when it returns in June.



Today, organizers announced two of their three headlining acts. Country music star Gretchen Wilson, best known for her hit song “Redneck Woman,” will take the stage on Saturday.



Riley Green, most famous for his song “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” will take the stage on Friday. Recently, Green has been on tour with country music star Jason Aldean. Before he was a recording artist, Green was a contestant on the CMT reality show “Redneck Island.” He released a self-titled EP in 2013.



Ticket prices and more information will be revealed on the Burlington Steamboat Days Facebook page.

Gretchen Wilson, Riley Green Coming To Steamboat Days

An assistant manager for the Hy-Vee on Agency Street has been arrested for allegedly stealing $10,000 worth of items and cash from the grocery store.



Burlington police arrested Christopher Allen Hartley, 45, of Burlington Wednesday and charged him with first-degree theft. Hy-Vee reported the theft to police Saturday, Feb. 8, initiating a police investigation.



Police executed a search warrant at Hartley’s home and located several stolen items, including a large sum of money, according to authorities. The items were seized by police as evidence.



Hartley started working at the Agency Street Hy-Vee in March of 2019. Before that, he was a district sales manager at the Qdoba restaurant in Springfield, Ill.



He is currently being held at the Des Moines County Correctional Center in Burlington on a $10,000 bond, pending a court appearance.

Assistant Hy-Vee Store Manager Allegedly Robs Employer of $10,000

By Beacon Staff



Burlington Police discovered a “significant” amount of suspected methamphetamine during a Monday (March 30) drug bust.



Terry Lee Douglas III, 33, of Burlington, was arrested Monday on a warrant for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine. Before the arrest, police executed a search warrant of Douglas’s vehicle, locating the significant amount of suspected meth.



“Over the past several months, the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force and the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE) have been conducting an investigation into an individual who was dealing large quantities of narcotics in the Southeast Iowa area,” Burlington Police Lt. Wayne Thomson said in a press release.



Douglas was hit with an additional intent to deliver charge outside of the warrant and was also charged with drug tax stamp violation. He is being held at the Des Moines County Correctional Center in Burlington.



Thomson said the arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into drug trafficking in the Burlington area.

Drug Investigation Results In “Significant” Burlington Meth Bust

A Burlington man was arrested Thursday morning for allegedly dealing large amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana in the area.



Andre Emmanuel Sanders, 51, was charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession of a firearm by a felon and unlawful possession of an offensive weapon. Sanders also was charged with six Des Moines County warrants, including possession of a firearm by a felon.



The Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task and the Iowa Department of Narcotics had been working the case for the past several months, after being tipped off about a man dealing large amounts of narcotics in the Burlington area.



Police executed a search warrant on Sanders’ home at 646 Higbee Ave., Thursday morning before the arrest, with the assistance of Henry County Sheriff’s office and the Iowa State Patrol Tactical Unit. Police did not say what was found during the search.



Sanders is being held without bond at the Des Moines County Correctional Center in Burlington, pending a court appearance.

Police Bust Alleged Meth and Pot Dealer

Burlington Steamboat Days are coming back to Burlington's riverfront this June, and it’s going (almost) all country.



The main stage of the three-day music festival will be dedicated entirely to national touring country acts, while the south stage will host smaller rock and throwback bands.



“Our planning team spent the past year and a half gathering community input and researching what makes our event special,” Burlington Steamboat Days President Doug Ervine said in a press release Friday, “We’re using that to re-imagine and reboot Burlington Steamboat Days.”



The three-day-long music festival will run from June 11 through 13.



“People vote with their feet and country music has always been a solid pick for us,” Ervine said. “Year-in and year-out, country music artists overwhelmingly outperform every other music genre.”



Those country artists will be announced in the coming weeks, Ervine said.



The festival will begin with an admission-free Thursday featuring local and regional acts. Tickets will only be required Saturday and Sunday nights, and Ervine is promising affordable ticket prices for the entire weekend.



“Our community is very sensitive to ticket pricing,” Ervine said. “By resizing our event to two paid nights and one free night, we think we’ve found a balance of providing quality musical acts for a fair price.”



More Than Music



Ervine also announced a new twist for the festival side of Steamboat Days.



Before each main stage show, Typhoon Tommy’s USA Freestyle Tour will perform watersports Friday and Saturday on the Mississippi River. The show also will feature professional USA Freestyle and athletes using water-powered jetpacks.



Family Fest, formerly known as Kids’ Day, will return, as will the Steamboat Days Parade.



Pricing and ticket information will be released in the following weeks.

Burlington Steamboat Days Will Have A Country Twang

In honor of the release of the movie "Birds of Prey" this week, we're making THIS SATURDAY (Feb. 8) Harley Quinn Day at B-Town! The event is FREE AND OPEN TO EVERYONE!



From noon to 2 pm, get FREE selfies with B-Town's own Harley Quinn! The first 25 kids will receive Harley Quinn paper masks!



We will be having sales, prize drawings, a kids craft (if there is enough interest), and much more. The fun is from noon to 4 pm at B-Town, your local source for all things cool!



B-Town Comics &amp; Games is located at 609 &amp; 611 Jefferson Street in beautiful downtown Burlington, Iowa. Phone: (319) 209-2768



(This is a paid advertisement)

B-Town Hosts Harley Quinn Day This Saturday

After a 48-hour wait, the official Democratic caucus results for Des Moines County have been announced.



Former Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg took the top spot with 27 out of 75 county delegates for Des Moines County, followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders at 18 delegates.



Sen. Elizabeth Warren came in third with 10 delegates, followed by Sen. Amy Klobuchar with three. Andrew Yang managed to wrangle two delegates.



The rest of the Democratic field was unable to gain any delegates.



Though the winner of Des Moines County is clear, the state results remain murky with a clear winner yet to be determined.



After a fresh round of results came in before 8 p.m. Wednesday, former mayor Pete Buttigieg held on to a narrow lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in state delegate equivalents.



The partial results show Buttigieg with 26.5 percent of state delegate equivalents. Sanders had 25.6 percent followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren with 18.3 percent, former Vice President Joe Biden with 15.9 percent, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar with 12.1 percent.



But the updated results also showed Sanders holding on to a lead in the popular vote for the second alignment, a lead he has held since Tuesday evening.



The Associated Press reported that results had been published from 92 percent of all precincts, but the number of state delegate equivalents still available to be won means they will not yet call a winner in the race.



The partial update late Wednesday was the latest round of results since the Iowa Democratic Party on Tuesday announced only some results would be announced that day.



The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Buttigieg Wins Des Moines County; State Caucus Winner Yet To Be Determined

A week after environmental firm Impact 7G presented preliminary findings from their survey of the defunct Cascade Bridge, another group is holding a public meeting to present their survey.



According to Friends of the Cascade Bridge president Terry Arellano, the bridge can be rehabilitated at a fraction of the $6 to $9 million estimates provided by Impact 7G last week.



The nonprofit group Working Bridges will present those findings during a public meeting at 6 p.m. tonight at F&amp;M Bank, 221 Jefferson St. All are encouraged to attend.



The Friends group is dedicated only to solutions that would rehab the bridge. The group says demolition or a new bridge are options they will not consider.



The cost of tearing down Cascade Bridge without a replacement would be about $250,000 — not counting the $47,000 already paid to Impact 7G for the study.



The city will have to spend some money regardless, as the bridge is a safety concern. Cascade Bridge, constructed in 1896, was closed to vehicle traffic in 2008 due to structural concerns and closed to foot traffic last year as the condition of the bridge worsened.



Impact 7G is hosting meetings with stakeholders and the community, gathering input to present to the council. The agency also works with the State Historical Preservation Society, which must approve any major changes to the bridge.



If the city decides to keep the bridge or build a new one, city residents will likely have to pay for it through higher taxes. Impact 7G indicated Burlington would likely only be able to secure about $1 million in federal funding for the bridge, considering the $17 million downtown redevelopment project funded by a federal TIGER grant.



Photo by Jeff Abell



Crumbling steel can be seen throughout much of Cascade Bridge in Burlington. The bridge is closed to the public due to safety concerns.

Friends of Cascade Bridge To Present Cheaper Rehab Alternatives

For Democrats, caucus night in Des Moines County was about choosing the right candidate to take on a Republican president.



For Republicans, it was more an affirmation of President Donald Trump — obligatory voting proof that the incumbent will indeed be the Republican nominee in the 2020 presidential election.



Hardly any of the 43 registered Republicans from Middletown and the Flint River voting district had even heard of former Mass. Gov. Bill Weld or former Ill. Rep. Joe Walsh, the other two candidates bucking for the Republican nomination.



“I first read about them in the paper today,” a voter whispered after precinct chair A. J. Fesler read the nominees to the packed music room inside West Burlington Elementary School.



To the surprise of no one in the room, the caucus tally for the district revealed 42 votes for President Trump, one vote for Weld and zero votes for Walsh. It was over in less than 30 minutes.



Bill Kreamalmyer of West Burlington spoke on behalf of Trump and was the only person at the caucus location to promote a candidate. A military veteran, Kreamalmyer stressed how President Trump has bolstered the military since assuming office.



“He (Trump) is a patriot, and I’m a patriot,” he said.



The serene, friendly crowd nodded in agreement, a choir that no longer needed preaching to but was still happy to express support. A few wore Donald Trump baseball caps with variations of the President’s motto “Make America Great Again.”



The rest came dressed as they normally would, reveling in the fellowship of like-minded political thinkers. Several joked about how they’ve become practiced at holding their tongue among their mostly liberal friends.



Carter Fesler, 12, wore his support for Trump on his sleeve, or rather his head. Topped by one of Trump’s trademark red caps, Carter was the epitome of professionalism as he helped his father check-in voters at the door of the music room.



He only voiced his political opinion when solicited by The Beacon, and felt no need to look at his father as he answered.



“I support President Trump because he supports gun control,” Carter said.



Carter’s father, precinct chair A.J. Fesler, said having an incumbent as the nominee is a double-edged sword. While the caucus is less heated since there is only one practical candidate to support, the lack of crossfire results in sparser attendance.



“When Trump ran the first time, we were in the (West Burlington Elementary) gym. All the seats were full. And there were probably some people standing, too,” Fesler said. “But it was really contentious.”



Like his son, A.J. Fesler is a Trump supporter, and he didn’t cite liberals or conservatives in his reasoning.



“He (President Trump) does what he promises to do,” Fesler said.



Photo by William Smith



Republican precinct chairman AJ Fesler and his 12-year-old son Carter Fesler check in voters at West Burlington Elementary School minutes before Monday's Iowa caucuses started. The precinct was for Middletown and Flint Creek voters.

A Quiet Caucus Night Of Rural Affirmation For Trump

Messiah Luthern Church in Burlington was packed Monday evening, but not for a Bible study or church service. Inside were gathered Precinct 9 Republicans caucusing for President Donald Trump.



The mood amongst those in attendance was upbeat as the caucus switched back and forth from laughter to a more business-like footing. The consensus of those in attendance was that Trump was doing a good job but four more years are needed to see his policies come to fruition.



A lively discussion ensued ranging from gun rights and ending funding for Planned Parenthood to criminal justice reform, with those in attendance in agreement on the main issues.



Trump, who is an incumbent, has no challengers in his party the Iowa caucuses. As for any potential Democratic challengers, the caucus-goers' viewpoint can be summed up by Precinct 9 Chairman Richard Goughnour.



"Trump will win easily if Republicans come to the polls," he said.



Photo by Jeff Abell



Republicans turned out in force to show their support for President Donald Trump.

Republicans Turn Out For Trump

There won’t Democratic caucus result tonight — not from Des Moines County and not from the rest of Iowa.



Tom Courtney, Des Moines County Democratic co-chairman, said he tried for about an hour to phone in the results of his voting precinct at Burlington High School.



He couldn’t get through to anyone at the state’s central committee. Other Iowa county chairs who were able to get their results to the committee reported being on hold for nearly an hour.



Rather than sit inside an empty cafeteria by himself Monday night, Courtney went home. During a live interview with National Public Radio shortly before 10 p.m., after just arriving home, Courtney said he would call the results into the committee in the morning.



“Iowans aren’t going to stay up too late to see the results,” he said.



Caucus results would have normally been reported well before 10 p.m., but a conflagration of complications, including a glitchy new phone app and a new voting rules system, threw the normally fluid selection process into chaos.



“They told us this (app) would make things work better than ever. Being older, I had my doubts,” Courtney said.



Courtney said he was more astonished by the low voter turnout. The state Democratic party told him to expect about 250 voters at BHS Monday night but only 118 voters showed up.



“I was very disappointed in the turnout,” he said.



Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign called the Iowa Democratic Party’s caucus voting process flawed in an official letter to the organization Monday night.



By 11 p.m., most of the candidates have publicly addressed their anxious supporters, though none had results to report.

No Democratic Caucus Results In Monday Night Due To Voting App Errors

By Jeff Abell



The school cafeteria at Grimes Elementary School was filled with hopeful smiles Monday evening as Burlington Precinct 6 voters sought to have their voices heard on who the next Democratic presidential nominee should be.



In the center table, supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders mingled across the aisle with backers of businessman Andrew Yang. Farther away, representatives for former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg saw their numbers increase as it grew closer to the 7 p.m. cut-off time.



Democrats were hopeful but cautious as they eye a November win against incumbent Republican Donald Trump, with many saying they will back the eventual nominee no matter who it is.



Jerica Vahle of Burlington felt it was important to bring her children, Lilith and Liam, both 8, to the caucus to experience democracy first hand, adding her children attended a mock caucus at their school but it's not the same.



Jerica, who supports Yang, said she likes the candidate's stance on the economy, women's rights, and military veteran's rights.



"Under Trump, we have taken 10 steps back," she said.



Her son added: "I think people should vote for Yang."



At the Buttigieg table, Ike Blythe said he supports his candidate for a variety of reasons but one stands out above the rest — the ex-mayor is a veteran. Buttigieg served a seven-month deployment as an intelligence officer in Afghanistan.



Blythe's wife, Lois, said she is looking for a candidate who can bring people together. She said Buttigieg was that candidate, noting his status as a Washinton outsider.



"Maybe his inexperience in Washington is a good thing," she said.



Gary Wagler, a Sanders supporter, said he believed the self-described socialist democrat is the best person to prevent cuts to Medicare and Social Security.



"The Republicans are trying to cut those programs," he said. "Bernie can stop it from happening."



After all the heads were counted, there were 66 caucus-goers in Burlington Precinct 6 with Sanders (22), Buttigieg (20) and Yang (14) getting one delegate each.



Photos by Anthony Dewitt



First-time caucus-goer Jerica Vahle of Burlington brought her children, Lilith and Liam, both 8, to Grimes Elementary School in Burlington to show her support for Democratic presidential candidate and business Andrew Yang in Monday's Iowa caucuses.

Democrats Hopeful But Cautious As They Caucus

B-Town Comics &amp; Games in Burlington celebrated the release of the film "Birds of Prey" by making Saturday Harley Quinn Day. The event featured sales, activities, a prize drawing, and Shaela Graves of Burlington as Harley Quinn.



Graves is shown with Audrey Howe, 10, and Natalie Howe, 7, of Burlington at Saturday's event.

Harley Quinn Day A Hit At B-Town

After months of campaigning, it all comes to Monday night and the caucuses taking place throughout Iowa. 



Doors open at 6 p.m. and the caucuses begin at 7 p.m. Citizens supporting Democrats seeking to unseat President Donald Trump and supporters of the GOP incumbent and the undecided will caucus at the following Des Moines County locations:



Des Moines County Democrats • Precinct 1T, Sunnyside Elementary School gymnasium, 2040 Sunnyside Ave., Burlington. • Precinct 2, Aldo Leopold Middle School cafeteria, 3075 Sunnyside Ave., Burlington. • Precinct 3, Sunnyside Elementary School cafeteria, 2040 Sunnyside Ave., Burlington. • Precinct 4, Corse Elementary School cafeteria, 709 S. Starr Ave., Burlington. • Precinct 5, Burlington High School cafeteria, 421 Terrace Drive, Burlington. • Precinct 6, Grimes Elementary School cafeteria, 800 South St., Burlington. • Precinct 7, Black Hawk Elementary School cafeteria, 2804 S. 14th St., Burlington. • Precinct 8C, Edward Stone Middle School cafeteria 3000 Mason Road, Burlington. • Precinct 9: James Madison School auditorium 2132 Madison Ave., Burlington. • Danville Community School Jr. High gymnasium, 419 S. Main St., Danville. • Flint River/Middletown: Machinist Union Hall, 16282 U.S. 34, West Burlington. • Benton, Huron, Jackson: Mediapolis High School library, 725 N. Northfield St., Mediapolis. • Mediapolis/Yellow Spring, Franklin: Mediapolis High School cafeteria 725 N. Northfield St., Mediapolis. • Pleasant Grove, Washington: Yarmouth Fire Station, 20454 Eastern Ave., Yarmouth. •Union: Edward Stone Middle School Library, 3000 Mason Road, Burlington. • West Burlington: West Burlington High School auditorium, 408 W. Van Weiss Blvd., West Burlington.



Des Moines County Republicans • Precinct 1: Aldo Leopold Middle School auditorium, 3075 Sunnyside Ave., Burlington. • Precinct 2: Aldo Leopold Middle School, Room 1217, 3075 Sunnyside Ave., Burlington. • Precinct 3: Aldo Leopold Middle School, Room 1213, 3075 Sunnyside Ave., Burlington. • Precinct 4: Aldo Leopold Middle School, Room 1214, 3075 Sunnyside Ave., Burlington. • Precinct 5: Edward Stone Middle School auditorium, 3000 Mason Road, Burlington. • Precinct 6: Heritage Church, 1126 Locust St., Burlington. • Precinct 7: Edward Stone Middle School, Room 1212, 3000 Mason Road, Burlington. • Precinct 8: Heritage Church, 1126 Locust St., Burlington. • Precinct 9: Messiah Hall, 2411 West Ave., Burlington. • Danville: Community Building, 104 W. Shepherd St., Danville. • Flint River/Middletown: West Burlington Elementary School music room, 545 Ramsey St., West Burlington. • Benton, Huron, Jackson: Two Rivers office building, 5601 205th St., Kingston. • Mediapolis/Yellow Spring, Franklin: Mediapolis High School, 725 N. Northfield St., Mediapolis. • Pleasant Grove, Washington: Yarmouth Fire Station, 20454 Eastern Ave., Yarmouth. • Union: Edward Stone Middle School, Room 1218, 3000 Mason Road, Burlington. • West Burlington: West Burlington Elementary School cafeteria, 408 W. Van Weiss Blvd., West Burlington.



Photos by Joy Mack



Southeastern Community College hosted a mock Iowa caucus last week at the West Burlington campus.

Caucus Sites For Des Moines County

As former Vice President Joe Biden campaigned at The Loft On Jefferson Street Friday morning, he envisioned an America far different than President Donald Trump’s America.



The Democratic presidential candidate, who is slightly trailing front runner Bernie Sanders days before the Iowa caucus, spoke of what America would be like with him at the helm.



“In Joe Biden’s America, we choose science over fiction. We choose truth over lies,” he said, referring to President Trump.



That phrase – “In Joe Biden’s America” – became a common refrain throughout his speech.



“In Joe Biden’s America, no one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law,” Biden said in an elevated tone, just short of a shout.



The crowd inside The Loft erupted into cheers and applause.



Biden painted the president as frightened of him. So frightened, Biden said, that Trump has already paid for Iowa attack ads in advance of the caucus.



“He’s so concerned,” he said.



Biden couldn’t help unfurl some sharper barbs for President Trump, mocking his cozy relationships with Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin.



“He (President Trump) sends what he says are love letters,” Biden said.



In Joe Biden’s America, he said, foreign dictators won’t claim an intimate friendship with the president of the United States.



“I don’t believe that we’re a nation that will bow down to Vladimir Putin,” he said, to more cheers from the crowd.



Biden is crisscrossing Iowa in advance of the Feb. 3 caucuses, as are all the candidates – save for senators stuck in Washington D.C. for President Trump’s impeachment trial. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders were forced to cancel campaign appearances Friday to attend the trial.



Biden, who no longer serves in the Senate, is free of such restrictions.



Earlier Friday morning, Biden sought to distinguish comments he made assailing partisanship during the 1999 impeachment of former President Bill Clinton earlier.



“It’s not a partisan impeachment,” Biden said on ABC’s Good Morning America program Friday. “He violated the Constitution, period.”



Biden said his comments in 1999 against party-line votes to remove a president were different because the Clinton case didn’t involve a constitutional violation.



“A party-line vote on something that doesn’t relate to a constitutional violation is a different thing,” Biden said.



Biden said a vote against impeaching Trump reflects poorly on “those who know, in fact, in their heart and head that, in fact, it’s a violation of the Constitution to do what he did.”



Though much of his stump speech in Burlington was about Trump, Biden also brought up climate change as pressing issues facing not just the country, but the world.



“In Joe Biden’s America, we believe in science, not fiction,” he said.

Biden Brings His America To Burlington

The sixth annual Chocoholic Frolic is set for 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday in downtown Burlington. Chocolate lovers can sample a wide variety of chocolate treats at 13 shops.



Advance tickets are $10 at Weird Harold’s at 411 Jefferson St. through Friday, or they may be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.greaterburlington.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1z0mwK1G2_-7f2VBVHY7z9bLPQItR0qAyvp_am9OG2eTgNlom3AW7hlEI&amp;h=AT3zLH822nwSGy8vKsgvLj66MFBbU311PIZ-LoOrBH9sf38zSZv8HDj9XgXfeQYEWWHIP1rLrQC5tB1mZjewHk_ezu6VN19UX_Wn4U9yKa9U5cz1wLvjzZPELBk95_boDtZ5MdPK1UZhplPah_IsmNSCe4rl34Q4qkQOlfbmvtMr6_r0bo2E__LgWH1gBaSubwAmDjyPmz6g77n4RBUgJDAduy6qvoCNlwGeLnq60zWjMQQWOGUxIA39NsE7adGiZHylGNCoPRN0B4EaCSUrhYYJdAzM3bT3MkxNYSaX6usOzQGXmFxI0Bg7ahmjtw4NPK0MUKMG9VU4b8if-0LdzHEchbvxz46v_MsoWKjIA60JPCAuj8VMo_QwEhOcxmfG-UtAwn-N0f-Yj8-AX3qBxZIarw8X2PLq5EPyv5DWfrSXp2lT0Q2fslUNm0YTkuvhQFq7w_Q4hqlZiT8nQJEfKhVS-x76DXpKp7jpXf34eNNkvfcQUAVPQ4NNIEUXvv5i9B4Uvgbdr-j56KSt7jQk1d7RHTVUc7Nt6HHovoPoOVUl7BsyhiITavZaervs-BAH-KdbRAiJ0nwmBwmzo23mhS2UGPBJ5WQefvanxg6xFoIg0t1j0Xyzv5RaJU_y1gNTB5kY42E" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.greaterburlington.com.</a>&nbsp;Tickets are $12 the day of and during the event.



The Chocoholic Frolic is sponsored by Kodiak Cakes. For more information, call Downtown Partners at 319-208-0056 or visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.greaterburlington.com/?fbclid=IwAR2-Q2ZKmr21qHALnattIoCzjxvaKlh9ExhZfgi7Fbavsd0d0j5UiWSKBcA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.greaterburlington.com.</a>

Chocoholic Frolic Set For Saturday

By William Smith



Every rehab job is replete with “what ifs.”



For Burlington residents interested in a cheaper way to reopen the shuttered Cascade Bridge, the biggest (but far from only) “what if” could be a $2 million paint job.



Julie Bowers, executive director of the nonprofit organization Workin' Bridges, presented a $4.7 million rehabilitation option for Cascade Bridge Thursday night that would allow the city to reopen the 124-year-old historic structure to vehicle traffic.



By Bowers’ estimate, the bridge could be encapsulated in vinyl for as little as $900,000, which would protect it against the elements. A paint job would be optional, she said, which is why she didn’t figure its cost into the estimate.



The paint job could add at least an additional million to that initial $4.7 million cost estimate. Bowers said painting the bridge right away is not necessary, however, and could be delayed 20 years if necessary, depending on funding. The vinyl coating would act as protection.



“I wanted to leave that (whether or not to paint the bridge) up to you,” Bowers said Thursday to a crowd filling one of the rooms at F&amp;M Bank in downtown Burlington.



Workin’ Bridges specializes in buying and leasing historic bridges so communities can work together to rehab the structures at a lower cost.



Bowers noted her estimate is a fraction of the $6 to $9 million rehab cost discussed last week by environmental and planning firm Impact 7G. Adjusted for inflation, the Impact 7G rehab plan comes to $9.89 million — a figure estimated by Impact 7G itself.



A Choice Between Vinyl and Paint



Bowers did get an overall paint quote from Ziegler Industries in Keokuk, which estimated it would cost between $1.9 million to $2.4 million to scaffold, contain, blast and paint the entire bridge.



Bowers said she was able to whittle that price tag down to $900,000 by taking out the paint job and lowering containment costs. The Ziegler estimate put containment costs at between $500,000 and $600,000.



Impact 7G estimated the cost of painting the bridge at $1.94 million.



The firm also estimated $9.89 million would be needed in upfront costs to rehab the bridge overall (including paint), adjusted for inflation. That breaks down to $7.28 million for construction, $1.94 million for painting, and $750,000 for design and inspection.



Bowers said a lot of those construction costs can be lowered, especially by organizing local steelworker unions and volunteers who can work alongside engineers and experts. She encouraged the crowd to leave no avenue of help unsolicited. She noted that Workin’ Bridges already has had an engineer examine the bridge twice.



The city of Burlington hired Impact 7G for $47,000, partly so the company can verify the city’s plan with the State Historic Preservation Office, whatever the plan may end up being. One of the options is to demolish the bridge, which would cost $250,000. Impact 7G estimated the cost of a new bridge at between $3 and $5 million.



Bowers said working with State Historic Preservation Office isn’t necessary, noting the only consequence would be a cutoff in grant funding.



Nick MacGregor, Assistant Burlington City Manager for Public Works, cited those complications in grant funding as one of the reasons the city hired Impact 7G.



The Long Term Plan



Bowers said if the city doesn’t plan to do anything with the bridge in the next five years, Workin’ Bridges would like to lease the bridge so the community can work on it. But with concerns over the bridge being a falling hazard to the street below, a long wait is unlikely.



Bowers believes she can get the bridge rehabbed within the next five years. If immediate funding were available, it would only take a year, she said.



Workin’ Bridges was hired by the Friends of the Cascade Bridge group, which is dedicated to options that would preserve Cascade Bridge. The group is planning future meetings and discussions, and Bowers encouraged everyone in attendance to voice their opinions at upcoming city council meetings.

Paint, Or Not To Paint: Cascade Bridge Rehab Costs Vary

Burlington police have identified the missing man who was discovered dead Saturday, Jan. 25.



German Quinnonas Madrigal, 58, of Burlington was found dead inside his vehicle in the parking lot of the Midtown Gardens apartment complex. He was not a resident there.



Police do not suspect foul play and did not say how long Madrigal had been missing before he was discovered.



An autopsy on Madrigal was performed Tuesday by the Iowa Office of State Medical Examiner in Ankeny. Police will release an official cause of death after receiving the toxicology report from the autopsy.

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