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 John Feehan join the conversation to talk about turning loss into action. They and their partners are bringing the 3rd Annual Pete’s Legacy Main Street Mile to downtown Mount Pleasant on Saturday, September 26, 2026—a community run that honors a friend’s memory and raises awareness for suicide prevention.

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 healing and remembrance.

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain reviews Amplify-MP’s August 24, 2026 work-session pitch to the Mount Pleasant Community School District: a partnership to live-stream sports and other events. The plan calls for about $575,000 in district-owned infrastructure in three phases (cameras and streaming gear, a football video board, and gym/auditorium upgrades), paid from SAVE or PPEL funds—not the general fund. Amplify-MP would cover its own production costs through ads and offer $15,000 a year (or equivalent marketing) plus claimed attendance and enrollment benefits. The company is an initiative of Mount Pleasant-based Hedgepost LLC. No vote has been taken; one is expected in October. Listen for the funding details, timeline, contacts, and why local taxpayers should speak up.

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain brings you more fun from the first-ever Bootleggers and Bandits Car, Bike and Big Rig Show in Colfax. Guests include Caye Barnett from Smokey and the Bandit, Bill Byford — Burt Reynolds’ friend and stand-in — Iowa State Patrol Trooper Paul Gardner, and Rob Whiteman as Buford T. Plus a look at the rides from the show… and a certain Bandit in a Trans Am getting chased by a certain Texas Smokey. Buckle up. The chase is on.

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain covers the first-Thursday Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting, when department heads deliver their monthly reports. Several officials appeared in person, including HR Director Paul Greufe. Greufe and Supervisor Steve Detrick will ask Planning & Zoning Administrator Joe Buffington for a written confirmation of his intended last day. The board also voted unanimously to enter a 28E agreement with Russ to handle Planning & Zoning once Buffington’s end date is set. It all happened September 3, 2026.

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain shares that Mount Pleasant just got a brand-new home online — and you’ll want this one bookmarked. Iowa Technology Systems’ Mason Fraker joins John to introduce mtpleasantia.com, one site for everything happening in Mount Pleasant: events, local spots, news, and more. The website debuts September 5, 2026.

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain attends the Henry County Board of Supervisors work session on departmental moves. Big changes could be coming inside the Henry County Courthouse, with possible new homes for several county offices. Strong opinions. Hard questions. And no easy answers about what happens next. It all happened September 1, 2026.

Henry County supervisors just finished a work session on the future of Planning and Zoning — and the biggest question is still unanswered. How do you replace a one-man office that has handled zoning, GIS mapping, and E911 addressing for more than two decades?

Joe Buffington has not given the board a retirement date. The options are on the table, the clock is ticking, and the next decision could shape growth, land use, and county mapping for years.

Now the board has put a choice on the calendar. On Thursday, September 3, 2026, supervisors are set to decide who they will go with in a 28E agreement tied to Planning and Zoning.

On this episode of Southeast Iowa Today, John Bain rolls into Colfax for the first-ever Bootleggers and Bandits Car, Bike and Big Rig Show at the Jasper County Fairgrounds. He catches up with Byron Cherry — Coy Duke himself from the classic Dukes of Hazzard — as the two take a ride in the General Lee. Byron also autographs John’s own General Lee. All the action from August 28, 2026.