Burlington police are investigating the death of a missing person they discovered in the Midtown Gardens apartment complex Saturday.



The person, whom police have yet to identify by name or gender, was discovered shortly before 8 p.m. by Burlington police. The officers discovered the body while responding to a missing person complaint.



According to Lt. Wayne Thompson, the death currently is under investigation by the Burlington Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Iowa DCI Criminalistics Laboratory Team.



Thompson promised more information would be released by the department as it becomes available

Missing Person Found Dead in Midtown Gardens

If not for the three Burlington Police officers patrolling Fleming Court on Jan. 9, the man trapped by a house fire on that same block would surely be dead.



“Sometimes they (police officers) are in the right place at the right time,” Burlington Police Chief Dennis Kramer said Monday evening during a presentation to the Burlington City Council.



To recognize their bravery and ingenuity, Kramer and the council honored the officers — Tyler Henning, Jacob Jenkins, and Kegan Jacobson — with the Medal of Merit Monday night. It’s the second-highest honor in the department.



The fortunate timing provided the officers a window of opportunity to save the man from his burning home at 113 Fleming Court, but as Kramer pointed it, that is just the beginning of the story.



The man, whose name Kramer didn’t reveal, was already frail and dependent on oxygen, and initially thought someone was trying to break into his house when the heard the pounding at the front door. There were no working smoke detectors in the house.



The officers burst in through the entrance after alerting the resident to the fire, only to be pushed back by the heavy smoke. By then, the man was calling for help.



Two of the three officers had to be treated for smoke inhalation after the fire, and both were released in good condition.



Hearing the man’s cries as they attempted to enter, the officer improvised, borrowing a step ladder from a neighbor so they could access the third-floor bedroom window that sat seven feet above the ground.



The officers pulled the semi-conscious man through the window, all of them tumbling to the ground outside.



By then medical personal had arrived and immediately administered CPR. The man was rushed to Great River Medical Center in West Burlington, then transferred to Iowa City. A few days later, he got to hear the story for himself.



“They did a fantastic job that night, and I expect nothing less from them in the future,” Kramer said.



Kramer had one more award to give out — Officer of the Year — which is voted on by fellow Burlington police officers. The peer award was instituted in 2000.



Henning, who had just accepted the Medal of Merit moments earlier, took home that distinction, as well, and it wasn’t just for his Fleming Court rescue.



“The information he has collected on gang activity in the city of Burlington has elevated the department's ability to address violent acts wreaking havoc in the community,” said Burlington Councilman Bill Maupin, reading from the official declaration.



Maupin continued to read the proclamation, going into more detail.



“This officer has provided valuable intel which has assisted in the apprehending and imprisonment of many career criminals while also working diligently to take guns off our streets. He has shown his willingness to work countless hours gathering information to slow the narcotic and gun violence hindering our city,” Maupin read.



Henning himself was notably less verbose in accepting his award, giving credit to the other officers nominated for the award.



“I am very humbled. I am not much for words, but I just want to say thank you,” he said.



Photo courtesy of Burlington 411 Facebook group



 Burlington police officers Jacob Jenkins, Kegan Jacobson and Tyler Henning (left to right) accept the Medal of Merit Award Monday evening from the Burlington City Council. Council members pictured (left to right) are Bill Maupin, mayor Jon Billups, Matt Rinker, and Robert Critser.

Saving A Life, And The Honors That Follow

Burlington police are investigating an incident Friday evening that resulted in a 21-year-old being shot in the leg.



At 9:22 p.m. Friday, police officers responded to a report of multiple shots fired in the area of 235 S. Ninth St. in Burlington, according to a press release received at 3:37 a.m. Saturday. Upon arrival, officers discovered an individual involved in the incident left the scene in a vehicle.



Police said the vehicle was located a short time later and inside was a 21-year-old male who had been shot in the leg. The individual was transported by ambulance to Great River Medical Center in West Burlington for treatment.



At South Ninth and Aetna streets officers located multiple shell casings and bullet holes in a residence. Burlington police detectives were called in to process the scene. Detectives collected shell casings and spoke to several people concerning the shooting.



The investigation is ongoing, and police urge anyone with information to contact the Burlington Police Department at 319-753-8366 or crime stoppers at 319-753-6835.

Police Investigating Friday Evening Shooting

For the second time in three days, Burlington firefighters responded to a blaze inside a home that lacked smoke detectors.



Despite the lack of fire alarm warning, the residents of the two-story, wood-frame house at 2304 Gordon St. in Burlington were able to escape the fire without injury early Wednesday morning (Jan. 22).



The structure itself also was spared major damage, and firefighters were able to limit damage to about $10,000 to the house and $5,000 to the contents. The house, owned and occupied by Allen Lock and occupied by three other people, is insured. The American Red Cross has offered aid to the occupants.



Firefighters were called to the scene at 2:09 a.m. Wednesday, and quickly discovered the fire near a light fixture above the ceiling of the kitchen before extinguishing it.



The fire remains under investigation by the Burlington Fire Department but is not considered suspicious. Eleven Burlington firefighters responded to the call, assisted by five West Burlington firefighters responding on automatic aid.

Burlington Home Catches Fire, No Injuries Reported

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.



Today (Jan. 25)



• Midwinter Eagle Count begins at 10 a.m. at the Port of Burlington Welcome Center for an educational program, then will move to Lock and Dam 18 in Illinois to count eagles. All are welcome, but transportation will not be provided.



Sunday (Jan. 26)



• Donation Yoga will be at 9:30 a.m. Homestead 1839, 701 E. Agency Road. 
 • Bridal Fair and Event Expo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pzazz! Convention and Event Center. Brides, wedding and event planners will be on hand, offering their services. 
 • Winter Celebration, the first event in the Toolesboro Touchstone series, is 1 to 3 p.m. at Toolesboro Mounds and Museum, National Historic Landmark, 6568 Toolesboro Ave., Wapello. The gathering will feature seasonal prehistoric activities, such as making stick or antler snow snakes, tasting of maple syrup snow candy and winter games. The cost is $2 per family. Registration is requested but not required. To sign up, email Lana at lmccomb@lccb.org or call (319) 523-8381.



Monday (Jan. 27)



• Homemade Hummus will be from 11 a.m. to noon at the Burlington Public Library. Spend your lunch hour learning to make this nutrition-packed snack that dates to ancient Egypt. This class is free and open to the public; please call the library or register online to ensure sufficient materials for all participants. 
 • Glow Pound Fitness will be from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. at the Burlington YMCA. Enjoy a jam session that turns a drum session into a fitness session. Free for Y members; open to the public with the purchase of a day pass.



Wednesday (Jan. 29)



• Liquid Flow Yoga from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Bent River Brewing Company. The alcohol friendly yoga class is $10, which pays for the class and a beer, or other beverage, and you’re welcome to bring your own water. Please bring a mat and anything you need for yoga. www.burlingtonbentriver.com



Friday (Jan. 31)



• Chicago’s premier event band, The 9s, will play at 10 p.m. at Boogaloo Sports Bar and Grill. The event is for those 21-years-old and over, and there is no cover charge.

Faces and Places

Though he has only been on the job for a few weeks, new Burlington Councilman Bill Maupin has been losing sleep over whether to approve a pay raise for the city council.



He said as much before voting on the matter Tuesday night.



“I’ve been back and forth on this, and after talking to people in the community, I don’t know how I’m going to vote,” Maupin said before voting.



The second reading of the much-discussed resolution passed by a vote of 3-2 Tuesday night, with Maupin and Lynda-Graham Murray voting against it. Mayor Jon Billups said a third and final reading will be voted on in the near future, so the decision is not yet final.



Burlington resident Chris Roepke, who lost to Maupin and Critser in last year’s city election, was the only member of the public to voice disapproval over the pay raise.



“It is a service position,” Roepke argued, though he said he would be fine with a smaller raise.



The pay raise would bring compensation more in line with other cities the size of Burlington. That means increasing the mayor’s salary from $6,600 a year to $10,000 a year. The salary of the council members would increase from $6,000 to $9,000 annually.



If the final reading is approved, the raise wouldn’t take effect until 2022, so not all the current council members may benefit.

Burlington Council OKs Salary Hike in 2022; One More Vote Needed For Approval

Column by Stacey Abell



Many of my favorite recipes are inspired by the foods and flavors of other cultures. As of late, I have been pondering the responsibility I have when I present recipes inspired by a culture that is not my own.



This line of thinking was sparked by an NPR article entitled, “When Chefs Become Famous Cooking Other Culture’s Food.” I am not a chef, nor am I famous, but I felt like the topic addressed in this article is one that I had not previously considered.



This particular article centered on Rick Bayless, a chef and restaurateur. The following question was asked: is it okay for a guy from Oklahoma to become the nation’s ambassador for Mexican cuisine?



Bayless has spent years traveling through Mexico and studying the food, culture, and language, and has managed to establish one of the top fine dining establishments in Chicago, focusing on Mexican haute cuisine. Detractors believe that his advantages of race and class have allowed him to succeed, while the ventures of chefs born into the culture but without those privileges have not been as profitable.



Overall, the consensus in the comment section seemed to be that if the food was well-made with a passion for quality and a knowledge of and respect for the culture that inspired it, there shouldn’t be a problem. After all, California-born Julia Child made a name for herself by introducing French cuisine to home cooks across the United States. Still, this remains a complex issue with strong opinions on all sides.



I like to experiment and play with different ideas and ingredients. My recipes may not be as authentic family recipes that have been passed down through the generations (and I don’t present them as such), but I love the influences that the cultures of the world have added to my palette of flavors.



With all of that being said, I’ve been craving goi cuon, or fresh spring rolls recently. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to go to a Thai or Vietnamese restaurant, and I don’t have any rice paper wrappers in my pantry. So, I decided to try my hand at a deconstructed spring roll or spring roll salad. I transformed my usual hoisin dipping sauce into a vinaigrette and included all of my favorite spring roll ingredients.



I prefer butter lettuce in my spring rolls, but any leaf lettuce will do. Red lettuce would make an especially pretty presentation with the burgundy tinge to its leaves. Poached, sliced chicken breast could also be substituted for the shrimp. This salad makes the perfect light meal and can even make the trip to work if packed in a Mason jar.



Spring Roll Salad Makes 4 servings



1 8-ounce package rice vermicelli 1 head butter lettuce 1 cucumber, peeled and julienned 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ribbons ½ cup cilantro, loosely packed ¼ cup mint leaves, loosely packed ¼ cup green onions or chives, minced ½ pound cooked shrimp ½ cup cashews or peanuts, chopped



Dressing: ¼ cup hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon lime juice ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 teaspoons sugar



Place rice vermicelli in a large heat-proof bowl. Bring some water to a boil (enough to cover the noodles). Pour boiling water over the noodles and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened. Drain, rinse in cool water, and set aside.



Tear the butter lettuce into bite-size pieces and place in a serving bowl. Add the carrot ribbons, cucumber, cilantro, mint, and green onions to the bowl and toss to combine. With kitchen shears, cut the rice vermicelli a few times into shorter pieces. Mound the rice noodles in the center of the bowl and arrange the shrimp around it. Sprinkle chopped nuts over the top and garnish with additional cilantro and/or mint leaves if desired.



Combine dressing ingredients, stirring until sugar is dissolved.



Drizzle dressing over top just before serving and toss to combine.



This salad can also be layered into Mason jars, starting with the carrots and cucumbers on the bottom, noodles, and shrimp in the middle, and lettuce and garnishes on top.



Photo by Stacey Abell

Of Food and Culture

The results of Iowa’s tumultuous, glitch-laden Democratic caucus are finally in, the majority, anyway.



As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, only 62 percent of the caucus locations had been tallied, leaving plenty of questions in a tight race. The Iowa Democratic Party does not have a timeline as to when the rest of the results will be reported, though more are expected to trickle in.



Former Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg currently has a narrow lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders, sitting at 26.9 percent of delegates as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. Sanders has wrangled 25.1 percent, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren came in third with 18.3 percent.



Former Vice President Joe Biden is in fourth place at 15.6 percent, followed by Amy Klobuchar at 12.6 percent and Andrew Yang at 1 percent.



With the caucus results in disarray and no clear winner 24 hours after the vote, many political pundits are declaring President Donald Trump as the spiritual winner of the Iowa Democratic Caucus.



Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential contest had been revamped this year to try to avoid problems that arose in the 2016 caucuses, which were also plagued by late reporting and questions of whether the popular vote winner ended up winning the state delegate equivalents.



In 2012, Iowa’s Republican party reported Mitt Romney as the winner in a close race with Rick Santorum, only to declare Santorum the winner a few weeks later.



Iowa Democratic Party officials said this year’s problems were not caused by outside interference. Rather, they were the result of a new reporting process involving a smart-phone app that caucus chairs were supposed to use to upload results. A coding glitch prevented many of the precinct captains from reporting, which caused a backup telephone reporting system to be overloaded, leaving some on hold for more than two hours.



Democratic County Co-Chairman Tom Courtney was one of them. After waiting for nearly an hour to get through to the state party Monday night, Courtney went home with the results unreported. So did many precinct captains.



“We used to be in and out of there in a heartbeat,” said Courtney, who captained the precinct that voted at Burlington High School. “I think it worked better when we called the results in.”



Courtney said the app didn’t work properly before caucus night, and he had his doubts going into Monday. He was even more disappointed by the low voter turnout at his precinct, which was less than half of what the Iowa Democratic Party said he should be expecting.



“I was really surprised,” he said.



The app blamed for Iowa’s stalled Democratic caucus results was put together by an alum of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.



Gerard Niemira, CEO of Shadow Inc. — the company tapped by the Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) to build an app for reporting the results of the crucial, first-in-the-nation caucus — served as director of the product on Clinton’s 2016 campaign.



Shadow’s role in building the app was not publicly known before the failed rollout.



Precinct chairs across the state experienced problems downloading or logging into the app, one of the ways they were supposed to be able to send the results from their smaller, individual caucuses to the IDP, Bloomberg News reported.



“The changes that were made to the caucus this year were in response to criticism from [Sen. Bernie] Sanders’ campaign in 2016,” Karen Kedrowski, director of the Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University and an expert on caucus history, told The New York Post of the app’s commissioning and rollout.



The app, Kedrowski said, was supposed to be one of the multiple fixes made to the caucus process after the Sanders campaign challenged certain procedures from 2016 as unfair.



“You could log in, the app would be secure, and you could report your results without having to wait on the phone to submit,” she said of what the app would’ve promised to do.



Kedrowski added that along with the app’s failed rollout, “sheer incompetence [from the state] added to the mess.”



The New York Post contributed to this article.



Photo by Anthony Dewitt



Supporters of former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg chat Monday evening before the start of the Burlington Precinct 6 caucus at Grimes Elementary School in Burlington. Buttigieg currently has a narrow lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders, sitting at 26.9 percent as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Buttigieg Narrowly Leading Sanders In Iowa Caucus, But Full Results Have Yet To Be Reported

Following an impassioned plea from former Burlington Mayor Shane McCampbell, the Burlington City Council voted 3-1 to institute a council pay raise.



Councilwoman Lynda Graham-Murray was not present during the vote of the third and final reading of the pay raise resolution Monday night. She had voted in favor of the pay raise during the first reading several weeks ago, then voted against it in the second reading.



Councilman Bill Maupin was the only council member to vote against the pay raise every time. The pay raise will not be instituted for another two years, meaning not every current council member may benefit, depending on future elections.



The pay raise would bring compensation more in line with other cities the size of Burlington. That means increasing the mayor’s salary from $6,600 a year to $10,000 a year. The salary of the council members would increase from $6,000 to $9,000 annually.



Instituting a pay raise was one of McCampbell’s final actions in the office late last year, though his term ended before the resolution could be brought to fruition. That finally happened Monday night.



“It (council pay) hasn’t been raised in two decades,” McCampbell said.



The last time was in 1997. Before then, council pay hadn’t been increased since 1981.



The new pay raise also institutes an automatic, annual salary increase beyond the initial income bump.



At the beginning of each fiscal year, the compensation will be adjusted by a percentage equal to the increase, if any, in the consumer price index for all urban consumers for the Midwest as determined by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.



If the consumer price index doesn’t go up, neither does the council pay. If it increases by a lot, the raises are still capped at 3 percent annually.



Though only Burlington resident Chris Roepke (who ran for council last year) spoke publicly against the measure Monday, council members have fielded mounting criticism about the pay raise on social media over the past two weeks.



McCampbell urged them not to give in to the online criticism.



“Now is not the time to run. Let’s handle this,” he said. “We don’t need people who fold under pressure.”



Even Roepke’s criticism wasn’t a blanket condemnation. He likes the idea of the initial raise, just not the rate at which it is adjusted in future years. He suggested the council pay go up a certain percentage based on the annual median household income in Burlington. Perhaps 15 percent.



“It the city does better, so does the city council,” Roepke said.

Burlington City Council Votes In Favor Of Pay Raises

The automatic parking prohibition announced by the city of Burlington Friday morning has been canceled, but the snow that enacted it remains.



The National Weather Service recorded 3.7 inches of snow in Burlington after the latest winter tryst. The parking ban cleared narrow roads and made way for snowplows that pushed the road-salted snow into slushy, manageable heaps.



Though forecasters were calling for 3 to 5 inches of snow Thursday night, a winter weather advisory wasn’t issued after 9 p.m. Thursday. Though the fresh snowfall stayed under the 4-inch mark for southeast Iowa, it accumulated on top of about an inch-and-a-half that fell previously.



That means there are more than 5 inches of snow on the ground, and area schools adjusted accordingly. Burlington and Notre Dame canceled classes after a two-hour delay. Nearly every school in the area, from Fort Madison to Mount Pleasant, canceled classes due to the weather. It includes Southeastern Community College, which rarely closes for severe weather.



No severe accidents have been reported.



Photo by Jeff Abell A snowy Southeastern Community College in West Burlington is shown Thursday evening. A total of 3.7 inches of snow fell overnight in Burlington and West Burlington.

Five Inches of Snow Results in Canceled Classes

Former Burlington Mayor Shane McCampbell rarely speaks without employing jokes as conjunctions.



But there were only tears and humility in his eyes Tuesday night (Jan. 21).



At a meeting of the Burlington City Council, a proclamation was issued honoring McCampbell as Burlington’s first African-American mayor, in conjunction with recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day from the day before.



That meant McCampbell’s name was on the same official proclamation as King’s, forever immortalized in the city archive.



It was a “heavy” moment for the full-time pastor, and McCampbell’s usual exuberance had been traded for gravitas at Tuesday's council meeting.



“I didn’t realize my name was going to be on the proclamation,” McCampbell said, his voice uncharacteristically soft and choked.



The former mayor’s gregarious nature foisted him into the local spotlight six years ago and kept him there. McCampbell’s term as mayor lasted from 2014 until the end of 2019, when he chose not to seek reelection.



In previous meetings shortly before his departure, McCampbell called for the younger generation to ascend to leadership roles.



“Whenever there’s been a first, that means there’s going to be a second (black mayor),” McCampbell said Tuesday night.

McCampbell Honored As City's First African-American Mayor

Jury selection for the trial of Emmanuel Spann who is accused of first-degree murder in the 2017 death of Burlington resident Demarcus Chew began Wednesday and is still ongoing.



Though the selection process has ceased for the weekend, it will resume next week, leading to what is expected to be a roughly two-week trial.



Chew was shot to death in the backseat of a car outside his mother’s house in Burlington during the early morning hours of Sept. 10, 2017. He had returned from a night on the town in Gulfport, Ill., and was shot shortly before 6 a.m.



The Des Moines County Attorney's office, which is prosecuting the case, accuses Spann of conspiring with four other men in the murder — Andre Harris, Caesar Davison, Derrick Parker, and Antoine Spann. Prosecutors say the murder was $20,000 hit job issued by a Chicago gang.



Like Emmanuel Spann, Davison has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. The other three alleged conspirators, who have already pled guilty to various charges, will testify against Emmanuel Spann in his trial. If convicted of first-degree murder, he would face a mandatory life sentence.

Trial begins For One of Five Men Charged In Shooting Death

Steven Mauck was sentenced to 25 years in prison Tuesday, following a second-degree sexual assault conviction in November.



The 38-year-old Burlington resident was convicted in the rape of Justina Rucinski, who runs an in-home baking business in Burlington.



During the trial, it was revealed Mauck used a fake name to place a large cookie order from Rucinski. He used this excuse to gain entry into her apartment and rape her at gunpoint, prosecutors said.



Mauck still denies the crime, and won’t be eligible for parole until he admits guilt and participates in a sex offender program. Mauck said he will appeal the sentence.

Convicted Rapist Sentenced to 25 Years In Prison

This weekend's winter weather provided the perfect backdrop Saturday for the annual Arctic Challenge.



The area was slammed Friday with snow, freezing rain, and sleet. The weather may have made driving difficult but made the event hosted by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BurlingtonBentRiver/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARCaae-aN3_wPH4tyIQyHfrmnxkxTZXBsr9FSVlm-nrQKDdVwrlz6tc_bTv-SdvqA3I5gtJ5YNYaAYPg&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARA0y9KHBAKjaw4E9cr3EVYyyEnbBKj55zDrL7zlbqerz6UTJEDQHXQ2Z3362UilfP1LKXi-Di7JoEMO5kHG_ZqXlYl-e5_pU1l9ecGog5j6tpPMGIlYgfajW-z9CtGdu2erluIDdf4jOAgl-okx1g4-xf_2uAYQnPSNwQsa6GX5Add08toqVYZygUo0nqfdrJjyZEp7ORllHVbfcYjv677KWpxCasnkvT_C9ZJTS1gFB5Sf15LwH0_8eW6F6FN1UlCf2FKMRVx8i6j_ffJ4jJES2udfKMzdM23nHF2nNClCal7IHeHrErSLfQxDrGYAjWC6MYxUaGnXnA0dVz9E8cWCz1xFCawMHRg">Burlington Bent River Brewing Company</a>&nbsp;a hit with participants.



Saturday's event, which began at 1 p.m., raises funds for local charities. Five-person teams compete against each other in a variety of events, including the beer mug relay, keg roll race, among other winter-themed challenges. For every pint or mug sold to team members or fans, $1 is donated to each team's designated charity, according to organizers.



Photo by Jeff Abell

Storm Provides Perfect Backdrop For Winter Event

Local People, Local News

The West Burlington Police Department has confirmed the identity of the man who engaged police in a 14-hour standoff at his home Monday before setting fire to the house and succumbing to the blaze.



Firefighters discovered the body of Michael Kartel, 62, Monday night in the basement of his home at 414 E. Pennington St. in West Burlington. Kartel had barricaded himself inside the house while threatening police with a firearm believed to be a shotgun, brandishing the weapon when officers arrived. Kartel suffered no gunshot wounds, self-inflicted or otherwise, according to authorities.



In a press release issued Tuesday evening, West Burlington Police Chief Jesse Logan said an autopsy will be performed in Ankeny, and the results won’t be available for several weeks.



West Burlington Fire Chief Shaun Ryan provided additional details about the standoff on Tuesday, saying police advised the fire department to be on standby at 7:30 a.m. on Monday. Firefighters were finally called to the scene after Kartel set fire to his house about 2 p.m. on Monday.



Concerned nearby students would be at risk as they walked home from school, negotiators with the Des Moines County Tactical team gave Kartel a time limit to come out of the house, beginning at about 2 p.m.



Kartel stopped talking to police after that, responding by lighting and then extinguishing several fires inside his home over the next couple of hours. He fired his weapon out the window at least eight times between each small fire. Police did not return fire, and no one was hit by gunfire.



The periodic gunfire made fighting the fire impossible without putting firefighters at risk, and police kept the fire department a block away to ensure their safety as smoke streamed from inside the house.



Kartel set the last fire at 4:30 p.m., and the constant smoke turned to visible flames.



At that point, fire crews moved in to fight the blaze, extinguishing it at about 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday. The West Burlington Fire Department remained on the scene until 11 p.m., according to officials. By then, the house was a smoking pile of rubble. Kartel was the only person inside the home, police said.



The Des Moines County Tactical Team fired tear gas rounds into the residence to coax Kartel out. The non-pyrotechnic rounds are made for indoor use and did not cause the fires. An investigation of the scene revealed that Kartel used fire accelerants to foster the blaze.



Court records show Kartel had previous run-ins with authorities. He was awaiting prosecution on charges of harassment and driving while intoxicated. Police were initially called to Kartel’s house at 2:40 a.m. Monday for a welfare check regarding a woman who had been assaulted.



Kartel also had a nearly decade-long dispute with the city of West Burlington over the condition of his yard, which he claimed was full of sinkholes due to a leaky storm sewer pipe under his property. The city claimed the leakage was caused by the drainage tile installed by the previous owner.



At the time (April 2017), Kartel said he was looking for a way to pay for a lawyer, believing he could prove the city had damaged his property through negligence.



In a Facebook post dated Jan. 5, Kartel said he was having a nervous breakdown, saying he was a danger to himself.



The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is handling the investigation of the incident.



Photo by Joy Mack

Police ID Deceased Gunman

Her arms spread wide to display the impressive wingspan of an American Bald Eagle, eagle expert Lori Carnes spent Wednesday morning citing fascinating tidbits about the nation’s mascot.



The Mediapolis Elementary School teacher is a favorite during the annual bald eagle programs hosted by Des Moines County Conservation and had planned on leading an impromptu class to Lock and Dam 1 for some eagle viewing after her presentation.



Weather conditions prevented the eagle viewing, but Carnes is far from done with her eagle education. Beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday (Jan. 18), she will demonstrate how to build a bald eagle nest at Starr’s Cave Nature Center. A week later (Jan. 25), she will lead an official eagle count at Lock and Dam 18. It begins with a 10 a.m. presentation at The Port of Burlington Welcome Center, and all are welcome.



Carnes has been teaching second-grade students about bald eagles since stumbling upon the Decorah eagle webcam, which documents the life of a bald eagle from birth to adulthood.



For humans, that process takes years. For bald eagles, it takes about six to eight weeks.



“Every year, I’ve learned how better to integrate it into my curriculum,” Carnes said during a previous eagle presentation. “Now I tie it into language arts, I tie it into math, geography. We learn adjectives, nouns, verbs. We do a lot of writing. One of the hardest things to do is to get kids to write.”



She’s been teaching for 40 years and has found a renewed passion for her job by teaching her students about bald eagles.



That is how she learned a bald eagle’s feet are much like that of an octopus. Each toe has the power to squeeze at 400 pounds per square inch, while the average human hand can only squeeze something at 20 pounds per square inch. The father of a baby bald eagle looks over the nest about 30 percent of the time, while the mother is responsible for it the remaining 70 percent.



And the noble species of the bird nearly went extinct in the 1970s due to the pesticide DDT, which weakened eagle eggs to the point where they would break before hatching.



Carnes will lead another program from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday (Jan. 20) at Starr’s Cave Nature Center titled, “Eagle Cycle Life.” This program will explore the life of an eagle from every angle, and another eagle watching opportunity with Carnes at Lock and Dam 18 will follow.



The series of eagle events will end with an annual bald eagle count at 10 a.m. next Saturday (Jan 25), beginning with one last presentation by Carnes at The Welcome Center.



Participants will caravan to Lock and Dam 18 in Illinois and are expected to arrange their own transportation. Birdwatchers will be given instruction in eagle identification and counting methods used for the survey, and binoculars will be available for loan.



There is no fee or registration required for any of the programs, and participants can come and go as they please. For more information, contact Starr’s Cave Nature Center at (319) 753-5808.



Photo by Joy Mack

All About Eagles

A complex winter storm is headed for Burlington bringing with it the possibility of sleet, snow, and ice.



The National Weather Service’s worst-case scenario calls for 3 to 6 inches of snow and three-tenths of an inch of ice from freezing rain, beginning as early as 11 a.m. Friday (Jan. 17.) Under this scenario, snow would accumulate fast, pushed around by high winds that could lead to drifting, white-out conditions and subzero wind chills. The combination of ice and wind could lead to downed power lines and sporadic power outages.



For now, the National Weather Service has only issued a Winter Weather Advisory for southeast Iowa, which is less severe than a Winter Storm Warning, or even a Winter Storm Watch.



But those warnings could elevate as quickly as the weather conditions deteriorate. For now, the Winter Weather Advisory for southeast Iowa begins at 9 a.m. Friday (Jan. 17), and continues through 6 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 18).



Winds of 30 to 45 mph winds could lead to severely reduced visibility and more drifting snow on Saturday. The temperatures will drop Saturday as the winds increase, resulting in wind chills of 15-degrees below zero.



A More Detailed Winter Weather Breakdown



The National Weather Service also has a more moderate, narrow forecast focused on Des Moines, Van Buren and Lee counties (as well as surrounding counties in Illinois and Missouri), and that one is calling for 2 to 4 inches.



A more detailed, hourly forecast provided by the National Weather Service reads as follows:



Friday



Snow, mainly after 11am. The snow could be heavy at times. Patchy blowing snow after 3 p.m. High near 29. Breezy, with a southeast wind 10 to 20 mph. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.



Friday Night Into Early Saturday Morning



Snow, freezing rain, and sleet before 1 a.m., with patchy blowing snow Friday evening, then freezing rain between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Saturday. More freezing rain, possibly mixed with snow and sleet, will start after 5 a.m. Ice accumulation of 0.1 to 0.3 of an inch possible. New sleet and snow accumulations of less than an inch possible.



Saturday



A chance of rain before 7 a.m., then a chance of snow between 7 a.m. and noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. Wind chill values as low as zero. Breezy, with a southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming west 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. The chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Snow Way: Another Winter Storm Threat Looms Large

The first public political forum of the 2020 legislative session is set for Saturday morning (Jan. 18), giving area residents a chance to talk to their representatives face-to-face.



State Sen. Tom Greene, R-Burlington, state Rep. Dennis Cohoon, D-Burlington, and state Rep. David Kerr, R-Morning Sun will answer questions from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Burlington Public Library. Most of the discussion will revolve around the 2020 legislative session, which began this week.

A Chance To Talk to Three Local Lawmakers

Though the forecast snow has begun to fall, there won’t be as much on the ground tonight (Jan. 11) as forecasters initially predicted.



Though the National Weather Service still has Burlington under a winter storm warning until midnight tonight, the most extreme snowfall prediction tops out at 2 inches.



The local forecast for Burlington, also provided by the National Weather Service, is calling for a little less — another inch today, and possibly another half-inch later tonight. That would bring the storm’s total snowfall to 2 inches.



The freezing rain early this morning proved to be more burdensome, leaving behind at least a tenth-of-an-inch of ice. It resulted in predictably slipperier conditions, but most treated roads were improving by Saturday afternoon. A rollover accident was reported on US 34 near Danville Road Saturday morning, but no injuries have been reported.



Burlington Mayor Jon Billups took a drive through town at about 2 p.m. and reported the roads were decent. He said the main roads were in good condition, and Roosevelt Avenue was reported to be in good condition around the same time.



No more ice accumulation is expected tonight or Sunday.

Winter Storm Loses Its Bite

Sure, you could stay inside the entire month and avoid the cold.



But you’ll be missing the bald eagles.



It’s the best time of year to watch the majestic national mascot, even if the Mississippi River isn’t as frozen as it often is in January. Eagles tend to congregate near dams when the air temperature drops low enough to freeze portions of the Mississippi River, forcing them to grab fish from the unfrozen pools of river water.



Des Moines County Conservation will lead several bald eagle educational programs for the next couple of weeks, culminating with the annual volunteer bald eagle count Jan. 25 at Lock and Dam 18. The eagle count will be preceded by a short eagle informational session at 10 a.m. at the Port of Burlington Welcome Center, and all are welcome.



Eagle enthusiast and retired teacher Lori Carnes will lead the programs for the rest of the month, and those too are also free and open to the public. Carnes works with the Raptor Research Project, educating children about the animal’s importance, lifestyle, and history.



From 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Jan. 15, Carnes will be on hand at the Port of Burlington Welcome Center to answer eagle questions and will present an hour-long program at 10:30 a.m. Participants are then welcome to join Carnes at Lock and Dam 18 in Gladstone, Ill., for some eagle watching at about noon. Binoculars will be available for loan.



Carnes will return to for an interactive program from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday (Jan. 18), helping participants build a life-sized eagle nest at Starr’s Cave Nature Center. Participants will measure out the size of the nests, explore the different nest shapes, and take a short hike to build our own. All ages are welcome, but everyone should dress for the weather.



Carnes will lead another program from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday (Jan. 20) at Starr’s Cave Nature Center titled “Eagle Cycle Life.” This program will explore the life of an eagle from every angle, and another eagle watching opportunity with Carnes at Lock and Dam 18 will follow.



The series of eagle events will end with an annual bald eagle count at 10 a.m. next Saturday (Jan 25), staring with one last presentation by Carnes at The Welcome Center. Participants will caravan to Lock and Dam 18 in Illinois and are expected to arrange their own transportation. Birdwatchers will be given instruction in eagle identification and counting methods used for the survey, and binoculars will be available for loan.



There is no fee or registration required for any of the programs, and participants can come and go as they please. For more information, contact Starr’s Cave Nature Center at (319) 753-5808.

A Chance to Watch Bald Eagles Soar

Column by Stacey Abell



The mint julep and the mojito are classic cocktails that rely on mint for both garnish and flavor. However, I would like to turn your attention to a lesser-known but equally deserving libation — the South Side.



The history of the South Side is as murky as the pond water this drink is said to resemble. One story has this cocktail originating on the south side of Chicago during Prohibition, where the mint and citrus flavors were relied upon to disguise the inferior quality of bathtub gin.



An article in the Wall Street Journal claims the beverage first was served at the South Side Sportsman’s Club on Long Island in the 1880s. Regardless of its provenance, the cocktail became forever linked to the city of Baltimore. Mount Gay rum, preferred by sailors and yachtsmen, replaced the gin and it soon became a staple drink of the country club set.



I was first introduced to this cocktail a few years ago during a weekend trip to Chicago. I spent the majority of a mid-July day sweating through the city streets and had sought respite in the nearest Starbucks for some air conditioning and a cool drink.



As I leafed through the Chicago Tribune at my table, I happened upon a recipe for a vintage cocktail that sounded like the perfect antidote to the oppressive heat. After some research and experimentation, I would like to present my “south side of Burlington” version of this East Coast classic.



The South Side



(The following recipe was adapted from Leah Eskin’s article in the Chicago Tribune, as well as a recipe provided to the Baltimore Sun by bartender Andy Ervin, who started mixing the South Side at Baltimore’s Elkridge Club in 1961.)



Makes 4 12-ounce cocktails 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup sugar



Zest of 1 lemon 3 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice 4 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice 2 cups (not packed) mint, including stems Ice



Club soda Combine water, sugar and lemon zest in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil. Cover and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool and strain out zest. Once the simple syrup is cool, add lemon and lime juices and chill until cold.



Add the mint to the chilled mixture. Pour into a blender or food processor and run on high until mint is chopped about 30-60 seconds. At this point, it’s going to look a little like a green smoothie, but don’t be alarmed! Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large glass.



For each drink, fill a 12-ounce highball glass with ice. Add 3 ounces of the mint mixture and 2 ounces of your liquor of choice. Mount Gay Eclipse Gold rum can be purchased locally at Hy-Vee, but I prefer a clear liquor in this drink. Gin, white rum, or vodka are all acceptable substitutes.



Top with chilled club soda, garnish with mint and a lime wedge and serve. This mixture can also be combined with club soda for an alcohol-free beverage.

Welcome To The South Side

City councilman Jon Billups is now the mayor of Burlington.



Billups was elected by a unanimous vote of his council peers during Monday night's (Jan. 6) council meeting.



Councilman Bill Maupin, who was sworn in last week, nominated Billups. No other candidates were nominated, though a formal ballot was still held.



“I’m humbled,” Billups said immediately after the motion became official. “I’m going to do my best. Unified, the five of us (city council members), even we have different opinions on different things, will work for the city.”



In Burlington, which has a manager-council system of governing, council members choose among their ranks who is the mayor and the mayor pro-tem rather than having those positions elected by a vote of the public. Under this system, the mayor is a voting member of the council but does not have the more extensive authority or responsibilities of a traditionally elected mayor.



Lynda Graham-Murray was elected as mayor pro-tem, winning a 3-2 vote over Matt Rinker. No other candidates were nominated for the position.



Billups, in his first action as mayor, nominated Graham-Murray for the position. He remarked on Graham-Murray’s meticulous eye for detail, saying that he often relies on her complete meeting notes.



“She writes everything down,” Billups said.



Critser nominated Rinker for pro-tem, but the two were outvoted by Maupin, Billups, and Graham-Murray, who voted for herself. Rinker also voted for himself, as did Billups.



Murray exchanged handshakes and hugs with her fellow council members after the vote, then spoke of her desire to do the best she can for the city.



Graham-Murray indicated she is contemplating a run at becoming the city's mayor and figured pro-tem would be a way to try out the role.



“I’m tickled pink. No, I’m just really excited,” Murray said.



Billups noted that all the council members have equal standing and voting power. Aside from a small pay bump for the mayor, the title is largely ceremonial.



“I just run the meetings,” Billups said.

Billups Is Burlington's New Mayor

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img src="https://d2eftiauov6o73.cloudfront.net/public/2020/01/Yangwash-1024x812.jpg" alt="Presidential candidate Andrew Yang speaks at The Washington" class="wp-image-684"/><figcaption>Andrew Yang addresses supporters at The Washington in Burlington, Iowa. Photo by Joy Mack</figcaption></figure>



Ten minutes after appearing on stage Saturday evening at The Washington in downtown Burlington, an upbeat Andrew Yang promptly left the stage to serve some beer.



After the task was completed, the Democratic presidential candidate retreated with his wife, Evelyn, for a night of rest. The kids weren’t on this campaign trip, he explained, and it was date night -- a welcome reprieve on a long campaign trail.



Though Yang’s speech at The Washington was short, he spoke at length earlier in the evening at the opening of his new campaign office in Burlington. It was the last stop on a whirlwind campaign trip across Iowa for Yang and his wife.



Yang was welcomed by a packed house at The Washington, about 160 people, by Yang’s estimate. He did note that some people had just wandered in for a beer, via an informal poll.



“I’m going to make the Trumpian (President Donald Trump) estimate and say about 800,” he said, garnering some chuckles from the crowd.



Yang couldn’t help crack a few more jokes on the stage designed for musicians and comedians rather than politicians, but his voice grew serious when he asked the crowd how much Amazon paid in taxes last year.



“Zero,” a few chimed in.



Though Yang has a variety of platforms, including a plan to revitalize the journalism industry and provide health care for all, his main selling point of a universal income was the focus of his Burlington speech.



The "Freedom Dividend" would give every American adult $1,000 month no questions asked, no strings attached. He believes the policy is the correct response to the loss of jobs associated with increased automation.



The idea of a basic universal income isn’t unheard of, which Yang pointed out.



“It’s not my idea,” he said. “Thomas Paine called it a ‘Citizen Dividend.’ ”



Yang said Alaska already has adopted a form of universal income. Alaska’s permanent fund dividend, which holds investments initially seeded by the state's revenue from mineral resources, works much the same way. In 2005, every eligible Alaskan resident (including children) received a check for $845.76.



“My friends in California say they are 98 percent of the way to self-driving trucks. What is that going to mean for the 3.5 million truck drivers here in Iowa and other parts of the country?” he said.



“This is the coolest campaign office in Iowa,” he added.