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Missouri Valley cruise past Griswold

Sports

December 14th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

The Missouri Valley Lady Reds got a road win over the Griswold Tigers on Thursday night 47-29. The Lady Reds used a 10-2 run to end the first quarter followed immediately by an 14-5 run midway through the second quarter to gain a firm leads and never look back. Missouri Valley led 27-16 at the end of the first and held the lead to 11 by half at 27-16. The Monarchs led by as many as 19 down the stretch.

The Lady Reds were led by Grace Herman with 24 points from Paige Anderson. Griswold got 9 points from Karly Millikan in the loss. Baylee Newell finished with 5 points, all in the first half. Griswold Head Coach Ryan Lockwood gave praise to the way his players played defense and boxed out.

On the other end of the floor, Coach Lockwood noted that Griswold’s offense still has a few adjustments to make.

Griswold falls to 2-5 on the season and travel to East Mills to face the Wolverines Friday night.

Missouri Valley bumps up to 2-5 and play Tri-Center on the road Friday.

Southwest Valley Timberwolves Girls Head Into Break With Positive Momentum With Win

Sports

December 14th, 2023 by admin

Southwest Valley Timberwolves head into the Christmas break with a solid 59-16 win over East Union in a Pride of Iowa matchup in Villisca tonight. Hailey Randall led a balanced Timberwolves team effort with 20 points and six steals. Maddie Bevington had a career high 16 points in helping the Timberwolves winning cause. Ada Lund was the third Timberwolf in double figures with 10.

Leading from start to finish, Southwest Valley ended the first quarter with a 13-4 lead. With a massive 20-3 second quarter, the Timberwolves went into the break with a 33-7 advantage. A 26-9 second half ended the game with the final score.
MacKenzie Fast had a team high 9 rebounds and added 4 points with a solid defensive effort, as well. Sierra Pearson had a career high 8 rebounds and added a point. Other Timberwolves in the scoring column were Natalia Zimmerman with 4, Sadie Groszkrueger with 2 and Ashlynn Reser with 7 rebounds and a bucket. Freshman Lydia Forsythe did not score but had 3 rebounds and 2 steals as well as good defense.
“What a great job of defense tonight with all Timberwolves working hard and contributing to this win. Our intensity on defense was the key to this win. Really proud of every player on our young team and this is a very encouraging way to head into break,” said Head Coach Mike Cormack. Coach Kristin Fast appreciated the team rebounding and overall quality play of the team, as well.
Southwest Valley improves to 2-4 on the season and 1-3 in conference play.
Next up for the Timberwolves Varsity will be a game with rival Lenox in January. The team will work over the break to continue to grow and improve.

Hy-Vee Hawkeye Showcase Hawkeye Hoops Huddle Information

Sports

December 14th, 2023 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Hawkeye fans following the University of Iowa men’s and women’s basketball team to Des Moines on Saturday are encouraged to attend the Hawkeye Hoops Huddle prior to the Hy-Vee Hawkeye Showcase at Wells Fargo Arena.

Hawkeye fans are invited to join the I-Club and Office of Alumni Engagement for a pre-game huddle from 12:30-2:30 p.m. at Buzzard Billy’s in Des Moines (615 3rd Street).

Hawkeye Hoops Huddles are free and open to all fans and will feature our Hawkeye DJ, door prizes, snacks, and cash refreshments.

For more details on the Hawkeye Huddles visit jointheiclub.com/events or find the I-Club (@jointheiclub) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Missouri Valley Defeats Griswold

Sports

December 14th, 2023 by admin

The Missouri Valley Big Reds jumped on Griswold from the start and led the entire 32 minutes to a 58-42 victory. The Big Reds used their height and athletic advantage to their favor and forced 10 Tiger turnovers in the opening quarter and held a 16-2 lead after the first quarter. The Tigers would give the Big Reds eight easy points off turnovers and allowed senior leaders Brody Lager and Dane Janssen to get in a comfortable rhythm early and helped them play loose throughout the entire game. Head Coach of the Griswold Tigers Matthew Spunaugle said that the first quarter was the difference in the game and that he felt his team played a much better three quarters after settling down.

The Tigers would battle all night and at one point cut the Big Reds lead down to just eight after a couple Bode Wyman three balls, but the Big Reds responded with a 12-0 of their own and pushed the lead right back to 20 and basically ended any Tigers hope of a comeback victory. But the duo of Janseen and Lager were just too strong as both seniors scored 15+ as Janseen led the way with 21 points to lead all scorers. The Tigers would struggle shooting the ball from inside the three-point line but shot 8-19 from behind the arc including four by Bode Wyman on his way to lead the Tigers with 15 points. Head Coach Matthew Spunaugle credited Hogan Hook for drawing double teams down low and recognizing the help coming and his ability to kick out to open shooters.

With the loss the Tigers fall to 3-4 on the season and ends the team two game winning streak. As for the Big Reds they improve to 3-4 on the season.

University of Iowa sees large drop in enrollment of international students

News

December 14th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The number of international students attending the University of Iowa has fallen for eight straight years, only in part due to the pandemic. Russell Ganim, the U-I’s dean of international programs, tells KCRG-TV the trend really comes from changes other countries are making in higher education. ”If you look at China, the country has invested a lot in higher education. They built many colleges and universities,” Ganim says, “so they no longer needed to outsource higher ed to countries like the U.S. or the U.K. or Australia or western Europe.”

One of the largest international student groups at the U-I is China, which had roughly 25-hundred international students in Iowa City in 2015. Now, that number has dwindled to just 432, a drop of 83-percent. The New York Times reports American students looking to study in China may be hesitant because of the relationship between the two countries, something Ganim says students from China consider, too.

“Students still want to come here,” Ganim says. “They are concerned about world events but in many instances, it doesn’t necessarily affect their plans to study at Iowa or elsewhere in the United States or anywhere in Western Europe.” Instead of seeing a major drop in all international students, the U-I is seeing a shift in which countries are sending students. “It’s true that the Chinese contingent has decreased,” Ganim says, “but now we’re seeing more countries than ever represented among our international student body.” China, along with India, still sends more international students to the university than any other country.

“India is trying to build education infrastructure the way China did say 15-20 years ago, but it’s having trouble keeping up,” Ganim says. “As a result, it is outsourcing at least some of its higher education needs to the West.” Ganim says the U-I has increased recruiting efforts in India and the Middle East to lure more international students.

The overall number of international students has dropped 56% since 2015, but Ganim says the numbers are now moving in the right direction.

Clayton County leading in deer harvest numbers as second gun season winds down

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 14th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A spokesman for the Iowa DNR says hunters are on pace for a good season harvest as the end of the second deer gun season approaches Sunday. Pete Hildreth talked about the numbers at the Natural Resources Commission meeting today.

“Just under 80,000 deer have been reported through our harvest reporting system,” Hildreth says. The DNR report shows hunters in Clayton County have taken the most deer thus far at 3,390, followed by Allamakee County at 2,589. No other counties have topped 2,000 deer taken, but a few are very close, including Winnesheik 1,943, Jackson, 1,941, Warren 1,814, Madison 1,888, and Dubuque 1,881.

(Iowa DNR photo)

“So based on this year’s harvest, we’re right on track for our typical annual harvest of 100 to 110-thousand deer statewide,” Hildreth says. He says the only downside is three hunting accidents last weekend. “That does serve as a reminder for hunters to review safety measures before heading out. Overall, there have been 12 hunting incidences and again sadly two fatalities across all hunting seasons this fall,” he says.

There were two separate deer hunting incidents that involved shooting at deer that were running between two hunters and one hunter was struck by a wayward shot from another in their party. The other incident involved a self-inflicted injury due to what the DNR calls “carelessly handling a firearm and lack of muzzle control.”

Senate Democrats call for investigation of Iowa nursing home abuse, neglect cases

News

December 14th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Democrats in the Iowa Senate say there’s a nursing home crisis in Iowa and the Senate Oversight Committee should launch a bipartisan investigation.

Senator Claire Celsi, a Democrat from West Des Moines, said some facilities are not being properly managed and it’s “a life and death issue” for some nursing home residents. “Our state’s current nursing home system is fundamentally broken and failing to protect Iowans,” Celsi says.

There are over 400 nursing homes in Iowa and Celsi said the state should be employing far more than 49 nursing home inspectors. She points to Michigan, which has a similar number of nursing homes and 47% more inspectors. “We need accountability in our nursing homes,” Celsi said. “…We need the help of our Republican colleagues to make these changes and to make any new laws.”

Republicans hold the majority of seats in the Iowa Senate and control the debate agenda, including what gets committee review. A spokesperson for Senate Republicans was not immediately available for comment.

Senate Democrats hosted a statehouse news conference this morning that included retired state employees who worked as nursing home inspectors. Mary Weaver of Rippey is a retired registered nurse who worked in the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. She’s concerned about a friend in an eastern Iowa nursing home who isn’t being bathed regularly and recently waited 90 minutes for assistance in getting to the rest room. “This is not the kind of treatment we want for our older Iowans,” she said. “This is inhumane. This is neglect.”

Dean Lerner was director of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals for a decade. “I don’t know whether to cry or scream about these horrific events that are going on in our nursing homes,” Lerner said.

John Hale, a long term care advocate, spoke during a news conference in the Iowa Capitol on Dec. 14, 2023. (RI photo)

John Hale, a consultant who focuses on long term care issues, said there aretoo many “head-shaking instances” of abuse and neglect in Iowa nursing homes. “Where’s the outrage from legislators?” Hale asked. “Where’s the outrage from the governor, from leaders of state agencies, from prosecutors or from the good apples in the nursing home industry that are tarred by the bad apples?”

Hale estimates $800 million in state tax money will go to Iowa nursing homes this year and he said there must be more accountability.

Atlantic Police wrap-up their 11th annual food drive competition

News

December 14th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Police Chief Devin Hogue reports that between November 27th and December 13th, the Atlantic Police Department (APD) held its 11th annual canned food drive to benefit the local food pantry. The event is a grade level competition for students attending the Atlantic Early Learning Center through 5th grade.

This year the groups collected a grand total of 3,949 items that were donated to the Atlantic food pantry. In the 11 years of this program a total of 45,228 items have been collected and donated.

1st grade Hogue

2nd grade Johnson

3rd grade Benning

3rd grade Smith

4th grade Johnson

5th grade Mattson

Kindergarten Rasmussen

Chief Hogue said “We would like to congratulate the following classes on winning the competition this year:

Kindergarten – Mrs. Rasmussen’s class – 258 items

1st grade – Mrs. Hogue’s class – 240 items

2nd grade- Mrs. Johnson’s class – 222 items

3rd grade – Mrs. Benning’s class – 96 items

3rd grade – Mrs. Smith’s class – 96 items

4th grade – Mrs. Johnson’s class – 217 items

5th grade – Mrs. Mattson’s class – 158 items

(Not Pictured** the 3 year old pre-school winners.)

“The Preschool students will receive snacks and drinks for a class room party and the elementary students will receive a pizza party. These parties will be sponsored by The Atlantic Police Community Charitable Organization. Thank you to all of the parents and grandparents who help support the children in this effort. It is a great benefit each year to our local food pantry and a great representation of how wonderful our community is!!”

Cass Health Receives Performance Leadership Awards for both Quality and Patient Outcomes

News

December 14th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

ATLANTIC, IOWA – Officials with Cass Health have announced CCHS has been recognized with two 2023 Performance Leadership Awards for excellence in both Quality and Patient Outcomes. Compiled by the Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards honor top quartile performance (i.e., 75th percentile or above) among rural hospitals.

“For seven consecutive years, Cass Health has achieved these two awards. It’s particularly meaningful to us to be recognized for excellence in the areas of quality and positive patient outcomes. What better to be known for than quality and outcomes in healthcare? As a rural hospital, we are deeply connected to this community and our patients—many of whom are neighbors, family, or friends. We strive to do our very best for every patient, every time, and awards like this reflect how we truly care for each individual and their improved health,” noted Brett Altman, CEO.

The Performance Leadership Awards are based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®, the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. INDEX data is relied upon by rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints, hospital associations and state offices of rural health around the country to measure and monitor performance across several areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

“Wherever we go in rural America, we witness first-hand the commitment, determination, and compassion with which rural hospitals serve their communities. Rural healthcare truly is mission-driven,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “Let us recognize the efforts of this year’s Performance Leadership Award winners and all those driven to deliver high quality care throughout rural communities.”

Exira-EHK Basketball is looking to work after two game skid

Sports

December 14th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

The (4-2) Exira-EHK Spartans started the year off strong winning their first four games and have recently found themselves on a two-game losing skid. Their two losses were to IKM-Manning 87-64 and Coon Rapids-Bayard 59-52. Exira-EHK Head Coach Tony Santistaben notes that a part of those two losses was his team not being fully locked in throughout the game.

Two bright spots so far in the early season for the Spartans have been the offensive play from seniors Cash Emgarten and Aiden Flathers. Emgarten has understood his role of being able to score to keep Exira-EHK in the game. Emgarten is the leading scorer for the Spartans with 88 and continues to earn credit from Coach Santistaben.

Another player that stands out and contributes in big ways to the Spartan offense is senior Aiden Flathers. Flathers averages over 50 percent from behind the arc, leads the team in assists with 23, and is second in scoring. Coach Santistaben shared how Flathers is one of those players that does not shy away from putting in the work.

Exira-EHK has a good chance to end their modest losing streak Friday night when they go on the road to face the (2-5) West Harrison Hawkeyes. Coach Santistaben knows that if the Spartans continue to persevere and work hard. They will have no problem getting back to their winning ways.

KJAN will have the coverage Friday night beginning with the girl’s game on the double header. The pregame show begins at 5:50 p.m.

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