SOUTHEAST IOWA TODAY With John Bain

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain covers the Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting held at the Emergency Management Building in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The agenda included weekly updates from County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss, discussion and potential action on the ICAP contract with McDonald/Hopkins, an update that RUSS is working to fulfill Planning & Zoning needs, and inform...

John Bain heads to Winchester Speedway—the world’s fastest half-mile—in Winchester, Indiana, for the Northeast Ohio Dukes’ full Hazzard County Stunt Show. Granted exclusive all-access once again, he takes listeners deep behind the scenes before the big performance, catching up with the stunt man and pilot of the legendary General Lee, along with other key members of the crew. Expect a down-home, h...

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain talks with Dillon Fillion, the 22-year-old Republican candidate for Iowa House District 81 and the youngest to run for the seat from Scott County. Dillon discusses why he’s stepping up now, his focus on cutting property taxes, supporting law enforcement, putting parents first in education, and his plan to win on November 3rd.

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain takes you inside Nerdtober Con at the River Center in Davenport, Iowa. What unfolded on October 10-11, 2026, was a full-throttle weekend of fun, fantasy, toys, collectibles, celebrities, and movies — plus some truly unforgettable rides. You’ll see one of the most detailed and screen-correct DeLorean replicas from Back to the Future ever built, and...

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, host John Bain brings you complete coverage of the Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting from Thursday, October 15, 2026. County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss delivers his weekly update on roads, ongoing projects, and infrastructure across the county. Supervisors then dig into the proposed 28E Agreement with Regional Utility Service Systems (R.U.S.S.), examin...

Jefferson County supervisors publicly called a civil-rights settlement $3,000. Public records show it was $250,000. In this episode, John Bain walks through the Osborn v. Moulding case, the sparse official record, and the November 15, 2024 body-cam footage he says shows County Attorney Chauncey Moulding and others conducting a warrantless search. He also covers the $1,500 open-records fee quote he...

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, host John Bain sits down with Brendan DeLong, the Republican candidate for Washington County Board of Supervisors, District 5. With the November 3, 2026 midterm election on the horizon, DeLong shares a clear-eyed look at what Washington County is doing well, where it can improve, and how he plans to be a constructive, results-focused addition to the Board o...

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain covers the Meet the Candidates Forum held at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center in Fairfield, Iowa, and presented by the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Voters heard directly from the candidates for Jefferson County Board of Supervisors — Republican incumbent Lee Dimmitt and Independent challenger Jerry Leonard — as well as the candida...

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain talks with Connie Blosser-Emry of Tommy’s Helping Hands in Brighton, Iowa. The organization provides free food to anyone in need on a weekly basis. Connie shares details about their big annual potato giveaway, where 3,000–3,500 pounds of potatoes will be distributed on October 29, 2026, at 501 S. Benton in Brighton to anyone from Southeast Iowa wh...

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, host John Bain brings you complete coverage of the Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting from October 8, 2026. The agenda is full of important local updates, including: • County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss with his weekly updates • Introduction of Southeast Iowa Community Action Executive Director Trevor Kubatzke • Continued discussion on the RUSS 28E agree...

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today with John Bain, John sits down with Lee Dimmitt, the Republican incumbent seeking another term on the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors. Dimmitt has served the county for 16 years and says he wants at least four more. He talks about the ups and downs of the job and why he believes Jefferson County voters should send him back. The conversation is candid....

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain takes you inside the Mount Pleasant Chamber Alliance Government Relations Committee’s General Election Forum, held October 5, 2026. Moderated by Rachel Lindeen, the candidates for two key county offices answer questions on the issues facing Henry County. For Henry County Supervisor, you’ll hear from Democrat Sam Riepe and Republican Heidi Zenk. Fo...

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain takes a private tour of Havencrest Castle in Savanna, Illinois, with artist and owner Alan St. George. Fifty years ago, Alan and his late wife, Adrianne, began turning an old hilltop mansion into a 63-room world of their own — room by room, with no architect, only imagination. As Adrianne put it, “Reality is for those who lack imagination.”

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain covers the Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting held October 1, 2026. It was the first Thursday of the month, so department heads were on hand to report. Other items on the agenda included data centers, approval of a reserve deputy, Sheriff’s Deputy Jesse Bell and approval of a funding agreement with ADDS, and duties and powers related to Hen...

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain takes you inside the Sept. 28 candidate forum at Mount Pleasant High School. Hosted by the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance Government Relations Committee and the Mount Pleasant Community School District, and moderated by Rachel Lindeen, the forum featured District 87 incumbent Republican Jeff Shipley and Democrat Tom O’Donnell, along with Dis...

A routine Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting turns into an October surprise when attorney Steven Ort of Bell Ort & Liechty uses public comment to revisit a campaign address issue. Host John Bain walks through an August screenshot of candidate Abbie Liechty’s site listing Campaign Headquarters at 100 E Washington St, Suite 101, Mount Pleasant—the Henry County Attorney’s Office inside the...

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain sits down with Henry County Attorney Becky Wilson for a straight talk about what her office has accomplished since she took the job. Wilson came in promising to protect the public by prosecuting criminals, stand with local law enforcement, and restore citizens’ trust in the Henry County Attorney’s Office. She says those are not talking points anym...

This is a must-watch episode of Southeast Iowa Today. John Bain sits down with Jefferson County supervisor candidate Jerry Leonard — a former Democrat now running as an Independent — and gets straight to why he left the two-party lane. Leonard says voters are fed up with both parties and that neither one is doing enough for ordinary people. At the county level, he argues, party label doesn’t matte...

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain is at the Henry County Courthouse in Mount Pleasant for the Board of Supervisors’ weekly meeting. Coming up: County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss gives his weekly roads and project update. Stephanie Lathrop of Carosh Compliance Solutions addresses the board. Supervisors also proclaim October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

A full week after the September 17, 2026 Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting, Kadie Johannson of KILJ used this show’s video to write her story—then spent more energy nitpicking the word “lawsuit” than explaining why the board accused Auditor Robin Detrick of withholding information. This episode plays the meeting footage, compares same-week coverage from Tracy Lamm of the Burlington Hawkeye...

John Bain reviews the August 31, 2026 Jefferson County Board of Supervisors meeting in which supervisors authorized ICAP to pay a lawsuit settlement that one supervisor described as $3,000. Public records and reporting indicate the actual payout was $250,000 in Osborn et al. v. Moulding et al., a civil-rights case over an alleged November 2024 warrantless search tied to a child-welfare complaint....

John Bain reports from the Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting, where Planning & Zoning Director Joseph Buffington has left the county in a bind: he still has not provided a retirement date. That delay has already cost taxpayers an extra $25,400—a 29% increase in payments to RUSS. In other business, supervisors learned of a federal lawsuit filed against the county by former auditor’s office...

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain wraps the 2026 cruise-in season at Your Choice Family Restaurant in Wayland. Fun crowd, cool cars, and a very orange 1969 Chevy Suburban. September 8, 2026.

Coming up on Southeast Iowa Today: September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month—a time to speak up, share resources, and break the silence around mental health. Host John Bain highlights warning signs such as hopelessness, withdrawal, and talk of ending one’s life, and reminds viewers that help is free, confidential, and available 24/7 at 988 or 988lifeline.org. Then J.J. Feehan and Jo...

The Southeast Iowa Today America 250 Tour continues with a stop at the Flight 93 National Memorial. John Bain guides viewers through the 2,200-acre national park that honors the 40 passengers and crew who fought back against the terrorists on September 11, 2001, preventing a planned attack on the U.S. Capitol. What was once a working coal mine has been transformed into a serene landscape of healin...