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Iowa State Fair’s new CEO starts today

News

March 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Today (Monday) is Jeremy Parsons’ first day as the Iowa State Fair’s C-E-O and general manager. Parsons says most of the plans for the 2023 Iowa State Fair in August have been made well in advance.  “The best thing I can do is go to the Iowa State Fair as their new CEO and really watch and learn from their very talented staff and look to see what I can do to help and support them,” he says.

Parsons worked as a seasonal employee at the Iowa State Fair when he was 17. A former English teacher and coach, Parsons was in charge of fundraising for the Missouri State Fair when he was hired in 2011 to be C-E-O of the Clay County Fair in Spencer. He was in Spencer last week for the announcement of his successor at the Clay County Fair.

“The Clay County Fair is such a special place and it’s hard to leave here,” Parsons says, “but I’m just excited about the opportunity to move on to the Iowa State Fair.” In a news release announcing his new position, Parsons has called the Iowa State Fair one of Iowa’s most beloved institutions. Parsons, who is 45, is replacing Gary Slater, who retired after serving two decades as C-E-O of the Iowa State Fair.

UI study focuses on how nurses can best cope with unpleasant patients

News

March 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Nurses are in short supply and high demand in Iowa, and a new study from the University of Iowa looks at ways nurses can overcome some of the things that cause them stress. Study co-author Amy Colbert, a U-I professor of management and entrepreneurship, says nurses are under mounting pressure from patients and others who treat them poorly, especially since the outbreak of COVID-19.

Colbert says difficult interactions with patients or patients’ families sometimes made them feel as though they weren’t good at their job. Through the study, Colbert surveyed hundreds of nurses and asked how they managed to cope with uncivil behavior from patients — coincidentally, the ones who benefit from the nurses’ work. Those who were able to focus on the ultimate purpose of their work could more positively reframe the interactions.

Colbert says some nurses were able to boost their own confidence after bad experiences, while others encountered greater success at rebounding when they turned to other nurses.

‘Rally to Resist’ at Iowa Capitol

News

March 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A large crowd gathered at the Iowa Capitol Sunday afternoon for what organizers called a “rally to resist” bills in the legislature on L-G-T-B-Q issues. Organizers like Keenan Crow of One Iowa urged rally-goers to call, email and visit with their legislators and tell them to vote no. Several students addressed the crowd. Bekah Schurz, a junior at Carlisle high school, said the bills Republicans are advancing send a message that trans and queer Iowans do not belong here.

Republican lawmakers say they’re responding to parents’ concerns by proposing a ban on elementary classroom discussions about sexual orientation and requiring students use the bathroom that matches the gender on their birth certificate. Bills that would ban puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgery for minors are also eligible for debate in the Iowa House and Senate.

Atlantic High School Archery finishes 4th in Bullseye, 5th in 3D at State Archery Tournament

Sports

March 5th, 2023 by admin

The Atlantic High School and Middle School Archery teams competed at the Iowa State NASP Tournament on Saturday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The High School Team was attempting to defend their title in the Bullseye tourney from last year and ended up in 4th place this time. The Trojans shot a 3,347 total. Cedar Rapids Prairie won the title with a score of 3,393. Hank Roberts finished 4th amongst high school boys in the Bullseye Tournament with a 291. Conner Johnson was 16th with a 286. Halle Copeland finished 18th among high school girls with a 283.

In the 3D tournament Atlantic High School finished 5th with a score of 1,674. Spencer was the champion with a total of 1,687. Carter Smith finished 5th in the high school boys division with a 286. Madeline Blake went 20th amongst high school girls.

The Atlantic Middle School team went 4th in the 3D tournament with a 1,628 total. West Fork won the title with a 1,676 score. Grant Petty was 2nd among middle school boys with a 283 score. Michael Hocamp was 6th with a 280. Aiden Fredrickson went 15th in middle school boys with a 276. Lily Willrich was 17th among middle school girls.

The middle school team went 10th in the Bullseye tournament with a score of 3,209. West Fork was the winner with a 3,314. Grant Petty went 18th in middle school boys with a score of 280. Lily Willrich went 42nd in the girls division with a 272.

Find full results HERE

(Updated) Iowa rolls to Big Ten Tournament crown

Sports

March 5th, 2023 by admin

The seventh ranked Iowa women won a second straight Big Ten Tournament title. The Hawkeyes outscored 14th ranked Ohio State 35-15 in the second quarter in a 105-72 win in the Target Center. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder.

Bluder on the second quarter.

Caitlin Clark had 30 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds. It was the first triple-double in the championship game.

The game was played in front of a partisan Hawkeye crowd.

Senior center Monika Czinano had 26 points and says the Hawkeyes are playing their best at the right time. They opened the season ranked in the top five but started 5-3.

(Updated) Nebraska earns season sweep over Iowa

Sports

March 5th, 2023 by admin

Iowa laid an egg on Senior Day and fumbled away the two seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Nebraska shot 58 percent and had 14 three pointers to stun the Hawkeyes 81-77. Iowa finished 11-9 in the Big Ten.

That’s Iowa coach Fran McCaffery. Patrick McCaffery led the Hawkeyes with 23 points.

The Hawkeyes wilted at crunch time and went the final six minutes without a field goal.

The loss was a costly one. The Hawkeyes fall to the five seed in this week’s Big Ten Tournament in Chicago and open Thursday afternoon against the winner of the game between Ohio State and Wisconsin.

(Updated) Drake goes dancin’; Bulldogs rout Bradley in MVC title game

Sports

March 5th, 2023 by admin

For the second time in three years Drake is going dancing. The Bulldogs took control with an early 12-0 run and crushed regular season champion Bradley 77-51 in the championship of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis. Drake raced out to a 20 point halftime lead to win its first Valley tournament title since 2008.

That’s Drake coach Darian DeVries. After losing in the title game the past two years DeVries felt his team was on a mission.

The Bulldogs improve to 27-7 and earn their sixth NCAA Tournament bid in program history.

Tucker DeVries led Drake with 22 points. Garrett Sturtz had 12 as the Bulldogs avenged a loss to Bradley a week ago in a game that decided the regular season title.

Senior guard Roman Penn had nine points and six rebounds and says the seniors were motivated to win the tournament.

JoANN STURDY, 85, of Greenfield (Svcs. 3/10/23)

Obituaries

March 5th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

JoANN STURDY, 85, of Greenfield passed away on Sunday, March 5, 2023, at her home.  Funeral services for JoANN STURDY will be held 10:30-a.m. Friday, March 10, 2023, at the Greenfield United Methodist Church. Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield has the arrangements.

Visitation at the funeral home is on Thursday, March 9, 2023, from 3-until 7-p.m., with the family greeting friends from 5-until 7-p.m.

A luncheon will be held at the church following the service.

Burial is in the Greenfield Cemetery.

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.lambfuneralhomes.com.

 Memorials may be directed to the JoAnn Sturdy Memorial Fund to be established by the family at a later date.

JoAnn Sturdy is survived by:

Her son – Mike (Laura) Sturdy, of Orient.

Her daughters – Mary Sturdy-Martin (and husband Mick), of Fontanelle, and Eva Sturdy-Hess (and husband Jay), of Greenfield.

Her brother – Leland (Roberta) Johnson, of Orient.

5 grandchildren; one great-grandson; other relatives and friends.

ALBERT “AL” ROSS, 92, of Atlantic (Mass of Christian Burial 3/7/23)

Obituaries

March 5th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

ALBERT “AL” ROSS, 92, of Atlantic, died Wed., March 1, 2023, at the Heritage House, in Atlantic. A Mass of Christian burial for AL ROSS will be held at 11 AM, Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at SS Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Atlantic. Schmidt Family Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

Public visitation at the funeral home will be held on Monday, March 6, 2023, from 9 am till 6 pm.

Visitation with the family present will be from 9 am until the time of service at the church on Tuesday. A luncheon will follow services at the church Parish Hall.

Burial is in the SS Peter & Paul Cemetery in Atlantic.

Memorials may be directed to SS Peter & Paul Catholic Church in memory of Al. They may be mailed to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home P.O. Box 523, Atlantic, IA 50022.

ALBERT “AL” ROSS is survived by:

His daughters – Beverley (Michael) Starkey, of Omaha, NE., & Debbie (Roger) Crawford, of Atlantic.

His son – Dave (Rhonda) Ross, of Atlantic.

His sister – Carolyn Colfack, of Spencer, Nebraska.

7 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren.

Condolences can be sent at: Schmidtfamilyfh.com

Girls State Basketball Finals Scoreboard 03/04/2023

Sports

March 5th, 2023 by admin

Class 4A Championship
2:30 p.m. –  Dallas Center-Grimes 57,  North Polk 50 (OT)
Box Score Game Summary

One trip to the finals was all it took for Dallas Center-Grimes to claim a state championship.

The Mustangs combined some timely 3-point shooting with key defensive stops to beat nearby rival North Polk 57-50 in overtime to win the Class 4A title.

Emma Miner scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Dallas Center-Grimes, which dominated the overtime after North Polk missed a shot that could have won it regulation.

The Mustangs had great balance behind Miner, who’ll continue her basketball career at St. Thomas University. Vanessa Bickford, Aubrey Johansen and Finley Fitzgerald each scored eight points and Josie Lampe added seven.

Perimeter shooting made the difference in the closely contested game. Dallas Center-Grimes went 9-for-20 from 3-point range, Miner leading that effort by going 4-for-8. North Polk outrebounded the Mustangs 34-29 and came up with eight steals but shot just 3-for-12 from distance and found itself needing to make tough shots around the basket.

Izzy McCool led the Comets with 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting, Liza Schaffer scored 11, MaKayla Boatman 10 and Abby Tuttle eight. Becca Aagard, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, gave the Comets a solid presence in the post with six points, 11 rebounds, five blocks and  three steals. But it wasn’t quite enough and North Polk finished as the state runner-up for the third time.

Dallas Center-Grimes, which had lost in the semifinals each of the past two seasons, finished with 12 straight wins and a 23-3 record. North Polk, which lost to the Mustangs in its season opener, also wound up 23-3.

Class 4A All-Tournament Team
Emma Miner, Dallas Center-Grimes
Liza Schaffer, North Polk
Alliyah Thompson, Ballard
Brooklyn Stanley, Bishop Heelan
MaKayla Boatman, North Polk
Vanessa Bickford, Dallas Center-Grimes (Captain)

Iowa Pork Producers Top Producer of the Game
Emma Miner, Dallas Center-Grimes

 

Class 2A State Championship
4:45 p.m. – Dike-New Hartford 64 Central Lyon 49
Box Score | Game Summary

Dike-New Hartford and Central Lyon met in the Class 2A state championship game for the second year in a row and Dike-New Hartford prevailed again, winning 64-49 to claim its third consecutive title.

The Wolverines did it behind yet another big game from the Petersen twins, Payton and Jadyn, solid all-around play from their teammates and high-level defense.

The Petersens scored 19 points each, with Payton adding 11 rebounds and Jaydn pulling down nine. Payton, the all-tournament captain for the third straight year, made 9-of-12 shots on a variety of post-ups and putbacks. Jadyn, who also made the all-tournament team, got inside for layups by driving the ball into the lane or cutting to the basket and getting passes from her teammates. She went 7-for-9 from the field.

Maryn Bixby added 13 points, two assists and four steals for the Wolverines, Ellary Knock had eight points, five rebounds and four assists and Camille Landphair contributed five points – all on free throws. While the Wolverines don’t rely extensively on perimeter shooting, Bixby and Knock were sharp from distance, combining to go 5-for-10.

Desta Hoogendoorn led Central Lyon with 16 points and seven rebounds and Dionne Jansma added 12. The Wolverines were able to contain the Lions’ long-range shooting specialist, Addison Klosterbuer, holding her to nine points on 3-for-11 shooting.

Klosterbuer did made two 3-pointers to give her 14 for the tournament, breaking the 2A record of 13 she set last year and just one short of the all-tournament record held by Elle Ruffridge of Pocahontas.

Dike-New Hartford lost only to Class 1A finalist Algona Bishop Garrigan this season and finished 26-1. The Wolverines have won nine straight tournament games, which matches the fourth-longest streak of all time, and own an impressive 10-3 state tourney record in six appearances. Central Lyon, the Class 1A champion in 2013, lost for the first time in 25 games.

Class 2A All-Tournament
Jadyn Petersen, Dike-New Hartford
Desta Hoogendoorn, Central Lyon
Akaysa Duitscher, Pocahontas Area
Madison Brouwer, Sibley-Ocheyedan
Addison Klosterbuer, Central Lyon
Payton Petersen, Dike-New Hartford (Captain)

Iowa Pork Producers Top Producer of the Game
Jadyn Petersen, Dike-New Hartford

 

Class 1A Championship
7:00 p.m. –  Algona Bishop Garrigan 68, Newell-Fonda 57
Box Score | Game Summary

Audi Crooks put the finishing touches on a spectacular high school career with a two records and another championship.

Crooks scored a state tournament record 49 points and led Algona Bishop Garrigan to its second straight Class 1A title with a 68-57 victory over Newell-Fonda, which had denied the Golden Bears championships by beating them in the 2020 and 2021 state finals.

Crooks, a 6-foot-3 senior who’ll play at Iowa State next season, made 21 of 27 shots – most after the ball was lobbed to her in the low post – grabbed 16 rebounds, blocked three shots and altered several others. The old record was 48 points by Elle Ruffridge of Pocahontas against Center Point-Urbana in 2017.

The Bishop Garrigan star also shattered the full tournament record, racking up 117 points in her three games. The old mark was 95 by Cedar Rapids Jefferson’s Karen Schulte in 1993.

Crooks finished her career with 2,734 points and 1,339 rebounds, both figures ranking third on the state’s all-time list. To no one’s surprise, she was voted captain of the all-tournament team. She made all-tournament team in each of the four years she played at state.

Molly Joyce added 11 points and 10 assists for the Golden Bears, who won their final 26 games to finish 26-1. Abbie Capesius did not score but pulled down 12 rebounds and handed out eight assists and Emmi Bartolo scored five points in 20 minutes off the bench.

Mia Walker’s 15 points led Newell-Fonda, which played in the championship game for the 11th time and has won four titles. Mary Walker added 11 points and Kierra Jungers had seven points and six rebounds. The Mustangs finish another successful season with a 24-3 record.

Newell-Fonda went into the game hoping its frenetic pressing defense could force enough turnovers to keep Bishop Garrigan from getting the ball down the floor and into Crooks’ hands. The Mustangs succeeded for a while and led 13-8 after the first quarter.

But once the Bishop Garrigan ball handlers broke the press, all they had to do was lob the ball into Crooks and there was little the Mustangs could do to stop it. Still, they managed to keep hanging around and eventually forced 21 turnovers.

Newell-Fonda trailed just 62-54 with 4 minutes left, plenty of time cut further into the lead. But Crooks quickly ended those hopes. She made a free throw, scored inside and converted a three-point play for her final points, stretching the lead to 68-54 and finishing off the Mustangs.

Class 1A All-Tournament
Kierra Jungers, Newell-Fonda
Molly Joyce, Bishop Garrigan
Whitney Jensen – Remsen St. Mary’s
Kamryn Kurt, North Linn
Mary Walker, Newell-Fonda
Audi Crooks, Bishop Garrigan (captain)

Iowa Pork Producers Top Producer of the Game
Audi Crooks, Bishop Garrigan