United Group Insurance

Mitchell County Supervisors’ letter objects to seizing land for carbon pipeline

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 29th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Mitchell County Board of Supervisors has sent a letter to the Iowa Utilities Board, objecting to the use of eminent domain for the proposed Summit Carbon Pipeline that would pass through their county. The letter says the board believes each landowner should have “the right to decide if they want to have carbon pipelines on their property.”

Lisa Ritzert of San Antonio, Texas, owns land in Mitchell County and she urged the county’s board of supervisors to “fill the gap” after efforts to regulate the pipeline failed in the state legislature. “If carbon dioxide pipelines are to pass through Mitchell County soil; across streams and farms; right up next to Mitchell County homes, families and children and siphon public water supplies, residents deserve the very best community and natural resource protections,” she said during the supervisors’ May 21 meeting.

Deb Freeman is among Mitchell County residents who object to the pipeline. “Today my home is threatened, positioned nearly 600 feet from the proposed pipeline route,” Freeman told supervisors during their meeting last week. “The preservation of our land, groundwater and homes is of paramount importance to me…It is not just about the environment, but also about the safety and the wellbeing of our families, neighbors and children living along the proposed pipeline route.”

Supervisor Jim Wherry of Osage said the corn industry in Mitchell County supports the pipeline.

“I hear the negative side to this as far as not wanting it the most and that’s OK if people don’t want something, but there are other people that do want this,” Wherry said. “…If somebody wants this on their property…they should be able to do that. Property rights for ‘I want it’ and property rights for ‘I don’t want it.’”

Wherry said state law prohibits county officials from having any say about the pipeline project and all authority rests with the Iowa Utilities Board. State regulators have not indicated when they’ll make a decision on Summit’s construction permit and whether they’ll grant pipeline developers authority to seize land from unwilling property owners.

Pipeline opponents say 45 counties have registered some level of objection to Summit’s project.

SW Iowa school district faces closure amidst declining enrollment and funding shortfalls

News

May 29th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Leaders of the Orient-Macksburg School District in southwest Iowa are considering dissolving the district, something that hasn’t happened in Iowa since the Corwith-Wesley Schools shut down in 2015.

Orient-Macksburg Superintendent Jeff Kruse says it’s not an easy decision, and there are several factors the board is considering for closing the nearly 65-year-old school district. Kruse says the primary concerns are dropping student numbers and finding qualified teachers.

“Staffing is an issue that the district’s faced, like a number of other schools,” Kruse says, “and secondly, enrollment. The district has a certified count of about 170 students, but we serve approximately 100 students because we have a large number of enrolled out compared to open enrolled in.” Kruse says financial projections show the district will be overspending its authority within the next year or so.

He says Orient-Macksburg had to spend almost all of its carryover balance to ensure requirements are met, leaving little funding flexibility. The superintendent says accreditation has been another issue due to class sizes.

“In order to be accredited, you have to offer certain curriculum and it has to be taught,” he says. “Because of our small class sizes, it’s sometimes difficult to get students in all the courses that need to be taught to meet certification.”

Last fall, Kruse says Green Hills AEA conducted a feasibility study for the district that provided several options for the district. One option included whole grade sharing with the Nodaway Valley School District at the 7-12 grade level, while continuing to operate a pre-K-6 district. Kruse says the financial side of keeping the district open doesn’t add up for the school board.

“While re-organization is an option that some districts go through,” Kruse says, “because of all the consolidation and the distance our district has, they just felt it would be better off if we explored dissolving. Then we could allow neighboring districts, if they want to be a part of that dissolution process, to acquire some of the district.”

While the voters have the final say via a ballot question requiring a simple majority, according to Iowa Code, if the school board goes in the direction of dissolution, it will have 15 days to form a seven-person dissolution committee made up of people who live in the district and are eligible to vote.

“That commission is held responsible for contacting neighboring school districts to see if they would like to acquire part of the property of Orient-Macksburg,” Kruse says. “Then, secondly, they would develop boundary lines to separate the district with those other neighboring districts.”

School board members are expected to formally consider dissolving and have a decision by the end of next month, which would not take effect until after the 2024-25 school year. Orient merged with Macksburg in 1960 to form the current district, which covers parts of Adair, Madison, Adams, and Union counties.

2024 SECOND Iowa Girls High School Softball Rankings

Sports

May 29th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Class 5A
School
 Record
LW
1
Pleasant Valley
2-0
2
2
West Des Moines Valley
2-0
3
3
Waukee Northwest
5-0
6
4
Muscatine
3-1
4
5
Johnston
2-2
7
6
Ankeny Centennial
1-2
1
7
Dubuque Senior
3-0
9
8
Ankeny
4-4
5
9
Southeast Polk
3-1
10
10
Cedar Rapids Kennedy
3-1
NR
11
Waukee
2-3
NR
12
CR Jefferson
4-3
NR
13
Iowa City Liberty
2-4
8
14
Sioux City East
2-2
14
15
Bettendorf
0-3
13
 
Dropped Out: Dubuque Hempstead (11), Ames (12), Urbandale (15)
 
Class 4A
School
Record
LW
1
Norwalk
4-0
2
2
North Polk
4-2
1
3
Fort Dodge
2-1
3
4
Western Dubuque
6-1
6
5
Carlisle
5-1
7
6
Winterset
3-3
5
7
Dallas Center-Grimes
2-1
4
8
North Scott
2-0
8
9
Cedar Rapids Xavier
6-2
9
10
ADM
4-2
10
11
Burlington
2-0
11
12
Sergeant Bluff-Luton
8-0
12
13
Bondurant-Farrar
6-0
NR
14
Indianola
3-1
14
15
Clear Creek-Amana
2-2
13
 
Dropped Out: Maquoketa (15)
 
 
Class 3A
School
Record
LW
1
Dubuque Wahlert
2-0
2
2
Williamsburg
5-2
1
3
Estherville Lincoln Central
5-0
4
4
Benton Community
5-0
5
5
Mount Vernon
5-1
5
6
Davenport Assumption
1-2
3
7
Solon
3-1
11
8
Sumner-Fredericksburg
4-1
8
9
Washington
4-1
7
10
Atlantic
4-2
10
11
Clarinda
5-2
9
12
West Lyon
4-1
12
13
Albia
3-0
15
14
PCM
3-1
NR
15
West Burlington/Notre Dame
2-0
NR

Dropped Out: Chariton (13), West Liberty (14)
 
Class 2A
School
Record
LW
1
Van Meter
5-1
1
2
Northeast
5-0
2
3
Alburnett
7-1
6
4
West Monona
5-2
5
5
Missouri Valley
6-2
4
6
Iowa City Regina
1-2
3
7
Interstate 35
3-3
7
8
South Hardin
4-2
9
9
Central Springs
4-0
15
10
Jesup
6-1
12
11
Hinton
4-2
10
12
Lisbon
4-2
NR
13
Louisa-Muscatine
3-1
11
14
Cascade
1-2
13
15
Durant
6-2
NR

Dropped Out: East Marshall (8), Osage (14)
 
 
Class 1A
School
2024
LW
1
Martensdale-St Marys
3-0
1
2
Sigourney
2-1
2
3
Wayne
3-1
3
4
North Linn
6-1
4
5
Remsen St. Mary’s
3-0
5
6
Fort Dodge St. Edmond
2-0
6
7
Newell-Fonda
4-0
8
8
Earlham
6-2
7
9
Mason City Newman Catholic
7-0
12
10
Clarksville
3-1
9
11
Collins-Maxwell
3-1
10
12
Griswold
4-0
13
13
Twin Cedars
2-2
14
14
Akron-Westfield
4-1
NR
15
Calamus-Wheatland
6-1
NR
 
Dropped Out: St. Ansgar (11), Central City (15)

Tractor accident in Cass County

News

May 29th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Anita, Iowa) -UPDATE: The driver was out as of 12:48-p.m., the tractor DID NOT flip. Rescue crews that were enroute were told to “disregard.” Additional details are currently not available.

Rescue crews from Anita, and Cass EMS were called to the scene of an Iowa DOT tractor rollover accident, early this (Wednesday) afternoon. The accident at 750th and Keystone (Between Anita and Massena) was reported at around 12:32-p.m. The tractor was said to have rolled into a ditch. The operator was unable to get out of the vehicle. Unknown if there any injuries.

Anita Fire was requested for additional personnel at 12:41-p.m.

Nine & Wine to be held June 21st at Atlantic Golf & Country Club

News

May 29th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The annual Nine & Wine Fundraiser for the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce will be held June 21st at the Atlantic Golf & Country Club. Nine & Wine is not your typical golf tournament! The tournament features nine holes of golf in a best ball style game. Each hole has an appetizer, wine, and beer tasting. After nine holes of wine and beer tasting, participants will be served a meal.

Participants can register at atlanticiowa.com. The registration fee is $300 for teams of four. This includes appetizers and wine or beer tasting at all nine holes. Dinner will be served after the tournament as you listen to music and mingle with friends.

NE teen missing for over 3 weeks may be in western IA

News

May 29th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing teen, Hayley Pelley.  The 17-year-old teen from Bellevue, NE, went missing from her home on May 4, 2024. Authorities believe that Hayley may be in Omaha, Nebraska or travel to Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Hayley Pelley is described as being Five-feet tall, and weighing approximately 90-lbs. She has blue eyes and brown hair but may currently have dyed blonde hair.

Hayley Pelley (Credit: NCMEC)

If you have any information about Hayley or her disappearance, please contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or the Bellevue Police Department (Nebraska) at 1-402-593-4111.

Iowa State announces non-conference schedule for men’s basketball

Sports

May 29th, 2024 by admin

Iowa State has announced next season’s non-conference schedule for the Cyclone men’s basketball team. Todd Kimm reports.

IOWA STATE TO PARTICIPATE IN BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME WOMEN’S SHOWCASE

Sports

May 29th, 2024 by admin

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 11th annual Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase. Iowa State is set to participate in the event on Tuesday, December 17th with a matchup against 2023 Final Four participant UConn. It is the first time the Cyclones have been invited to participate in the event.

“We are humbled and honored to be a part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tournament Event,” said Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly. “It is without question a unique opportunity to play UConn, the most iconic program in our sport, at Mohegan Sun which is such a great venue for our players and fans who attend. This will be an experience everyone in our program will always remember.”

Tickets for the 2024 Invesco QQQ Women’s Showcase will go on sale Friday, September 6, via Ticketmaster and on sale at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office starting Saturday, September 7. Game time and television broadcast details, as well as the complete 2024-25 women’s basketball non-conference schedule, will be released at a later date on Cyclones.com.

Commission is interviewing 18 who applied for Iowa Court of Appeals vacancy: Carroll County Asst. Atty. on the list

News

May 29th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Eighteen Iowans were interviewed May 29th for a vacancy on the Iowa Court of Appeals. Thomas Bower of Cedar Falls, the chief judge on the Iowa Court of Appeals since 2019, will retire in June. The 17-member State Judicial Nominating Commission began in-person interviews with 10 judges and eight attorneys who applied to join the Court of Appeals.

Among those interviewed, was:

  • Aaron Ahrendsen, Attorney, Eich Werden Steger & Ahrendsen PC, Assistant Carroll County Attorney, from Manning.
  • John Gish, Chief, Victim Assistance Section, Iowa Attorney General’s Office, in Adel
  • Maura Sailer, Attorney, Lohman, Reitz, Sailer, Ullrich & Blazek, in Denison

The commission will submit five nominees to Governor Reynolds and she’ll have 30 days to decide which one of the nominees to appoint — or she has the authority to ask the commission to reconvene and come up with a new slate of nominees.

The chief attorney for the Victims Assistance section of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office and the legal counsel for the Iowa Department of Education are among the applicants for the slot on the Iowa Court of Appeals.

ISU Announces Non-Conference Men’s Hoops Schedule

Sports

May 29th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State has announced its men’s basketball non-conference schedule for the 2024-25 season.

The schedule features seven home games at Hilton Coliseum. The season opener is slated for Nov. 4 against Mississippi Valley State. The Cyclones will also face Kansas City (Nov. 11) and IU Indianapolis (Formerly IUPUI) on Nov. 18.

Iowa State will travel to the Maui Invitational Nov. 25-27. The bracket for the Maui Invitational will be released later this summer for a field that includes Auburn, Colorado, Dayton, Memphis, Michigan State, North Carolina and UConn. Seven of the eight teams in the field made the NCAA Tournament, with three advancing to the Sweet 16. UConn is the two-time defending NCAA Champion.

The Cyclones return to Hilton Coliseum Dec. 4 against Marquette for the Big 12/BIG East Battle. The Golden Eagles advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last year. Iowa State will conclude the week with a game against Jackson State on Dec. 8.

The annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series game against Iowa will be played Dec. 12 in Iowa City. Iowa State will face Omaha Dec. 15 before taking a break for finals. The Cyclones close out the non-conference schedule with a home game against Morgan State on Dec. 22.

Times and television selections will be announced at a later date.

 

2024-25 Iowa State Men’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
Nov. 4 – Mississippi Valley State – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 11 – Kansas City – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 18 – IU Indianapolis – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 25-27 – Maui Invitational – Maui, Hawaii
Dec. 4 – Marquette (Big 12/BIG EAST Battle) – Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 8 – Jackson State – Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 12 – Iowa (Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series) – Iowa City, Iowa
Dec. 15 – Omaha – Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 22 – Morgan State – Hilton Coliseum

2024-25 Season Ticket Information:
Season Ticket Renewals – Cyclone fans who purchased season tickets last year will be contacted (by email) by early July with additional details to renew their seats for the 2024-25 season.
New Season Tickets – Demand for season tickets continues to be strong. We expect a variety of seating options will be available for Cyclone Club members and public ticket buyers. To join the waitlist please click here.
Single-Game Tickets – The athletics department will offer a variety of single-game ticket promotions. Detailed information will be shared prior to the start of the season.