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Olsen Named to USA Basketball 3×3 Women’s U23 Nations League Team

Sports

July 6th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Iowa guard Lucy Olsen was named to the women’s 2024 USA 3×3 Nations Leagues team USA Basketball announced on Friday. The squad is set to compete at the 2024 FIBA 3×3 Nations League Americas Conference July 22-28 in Mexico City.

The 2024 USA 3×3 Women’s Nations League Team features NCAA Division I athletes, including Christina Dalce (University of Maryland), Morgan Maly (Creighton University), Cotie McMahon (Ohio State University), Lucy Olsen (University of Iowa, Mikaylah Williams (LSU) and Serah Williams (University of Wisconsin).

In April, Dalce, Olsen and Mikaylah Williams participated in the 2024 USA Basketball 3×3 Women’s National Team training camp in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Dalce, Maly and Olsen competed at the 2023 FIBA 3×3 U21 Nations League, qualifying for and eventually winning the 2023 FIBA 3×3 Nations League Final as representatives of the USA U21 squad.

Per FIBA, the seventh edition of the 3×3 Nations League will feature 13 conferences including U23 and U21 teams. The 2024 FIBA 3×3 Nations League includes seven conferences from Europe, including three U21, two from Africa and Asia, and one each from Americas and U21 Asia-Pacific.

The Americas Conference will feature six three-game tournaments in seven days. The six team members can substitute as needed for each day’s four-person entry.

For the first time, the FIBA 3×3 Nations League will be a qualification route to the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup 2024. Conference winners will qualify for the event, set for Sept. 11-15 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The 2024 FIBA 3×3 U23 Nations League will stream live on YouTube.

Different than five-on-five, 3×3 is played on a half-court with a 10-minute game clock and 12-second shot clock. Play is continuous, as teams “clear” the ball behind the 2-point line following a made basketball, defensive rebound or steal. The first team to score 21 points via 1-pointer field goals or 2-pointers behind the arc is victorious; or if time expires then the team leading wins.

Posted in Sports |

Cyclones Announce Addition of Reagan Bartholomew

Sports

July 6th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State softball coach Jamie Pinkerton has announced the addition of a second transfer to the 2025 roster. Miami (OH) infielder Reagan Bartholomew joins recently signed Sydney Malott as the newest Cyclone.
Along with Malott, Reagan will join an eight-player freshmen class as the Cyclones look to replace 11 departures from last year’s squad.
A native of Waukee, Bartholomew returns to her home state after spending a pair of seasons with the RedHawks. In her last season with Miami, Bartholomew helped lead the team to an NCAA postseason berth, where it competed in the Knoxville Regional.
“With the signing of Reagan, we have solidified depth at several positions,” says Coach Pinkerton. “She adds power to the middle of the lineup and postseason experience that will be invaluable to our young roster. We’re looking forward to having Reagan return home to her home state of Iowa and helping our team both athletically and academically.”
A 5-10 infielder with two seasons of eligibility remaining, Bartholomew played in 52 games this past season. In her sophomore campaign, Reagan slashed .348/.386/.738 and clobbered 17 home runs.
Her spectacular sophomore season resulted in her earning First-Team All-MAC honors as well as First-Team All-Region recognition. Bartholomew and the RedHawks won the MAC Tournament to earn a trip to the postseason as she was named to the MAC All-Tournament team.
Reagan tallied 49 hits on the year – 21 going for extra bases – and drove in 49 runs. She tallied 37 runs scored and recorded eight walks. She holds a career .349 batting average, having played in 79 games and totes 61 career hits.
This past year, Bartholomew had the fifth-highest batting average on the team and the fifth-most homers for Miami. She was part of a RedHawk squad that led the nation in home runs, as the team combined to mash 160 long balls.
As a high schooler, Bartholomew attended Waukee Northwest and was coached by Carrie Eby. The team won the state championship in 2022 during Reagan’s senior season and she was first-team all-state as a junior.

Posted in Sports |

Belanger Inks Professional Contract with Wings Leverkusen

Sports

July 6th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

LEVERKUSEN, Germany – Iowa State women’s basketball alum Hannah Belanger has signed WINGS Leverkusen to begin her professional career. Belanger played one season at Iowa State following an impressive four-year career at Truman State.

Belanger played in all 33 games for the Cyclones while making 32 starts. She averaged 9.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting nearly 39 percent from 3-point range. Belanger also finished her career with 2,189 points and 368 made triples.

“We are all excited for Hannah as she signs her professional contract.  In one year, she made a huge impact on and off the court at Iowa State,” said Iowa State women’s basketball head coach Bill Fennelly. “It is exciting to see this dream of hers become a reality.”

She will make the move overseas in August while WINGS begins regular season play on September 30.

Posted in Sports |

Red Oak man arrested on an Escape warrant

News

July 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak, Friday night, arrested a man wanted on a valid warrant out of Pottawattamie County. 56-year-old Richard James Linfor, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 8:30-p.m. in the 500m block of E. Market Street, on the warrant for Escape from Custody (A Serious Misdemeanor). Richard Linfor was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held, pending transfer to the Pott. County Jail in Council Bluffs.

Posted in News |

Gov. Reynolds announces three additional counties approved for Individual Assistance under the June Presidential Major Disaster Declaration

News

July 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced the approval of Buena Vista, Cherokee and O’Brien Counties for Individual Assistance under the previously approved Major Disaster Declaration, FEMA DR-4796-IA, for Iowa counties where significant damage was sustained from severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds, and tornadoes that started on June 16, 2024, and continuing.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance Program is already activated for the following counties: Clay, Emmet, Lyon, Plymouth, and Sioux Counties.

Posted in News |

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Saturday, July 6, 2024

Weather

July 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly sunny w/a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms late this afternoon. High near 82. SW winds around 5-10 mph.
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms through midnight. Low around 62.New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Sunday: A 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 81. W/SW winds 5-10 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday Night: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low around 60. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday: Mostly sunny w/a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 80.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 83.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 83.

Friday’s High in Atlantic was 81. Our Low this morning, 56. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 77 and the Low was 53. The All-Time Record High in Atlantic on July 6th, was 106 in 1937, and the Record Low was 47 in 1937 & 2006. Sunrise: 5:52; Sunset: 8:56.

Posted in Weather |

Friday’s area High School Softball Scores (From 7/5/24)

Sports

July 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Hawkeye 10 Conference action:

Creston 10 Denison-Schleswig 5

Creston 11 Denison-Schleswig 3

Bluegrass Conference:

Melcher-Dallas 12 Orient-Macksburg 11

Melcher-Dallas 12 Orient-Macksburg 7

Non-Conference play:

Clarinda 10 Abraham Lincoln 0

Kuemper Catholic 8 Ogden 7

ACGC 8 Treynor 2

Sergeant Bluff-Luton 5 West Lyon 0

Posted in Sports |

Friday’s High School Baseball Scores (from 7/5/24)

Sports

July 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Non-Conference

Thomas Jefferson 5 Atlantic 3

Underwood 9 MOC-Floyd Valley 3

Algona 4 Bishop Heelan Catholic 2

Sioux City North 6 Unity Christian 1

Hawkeye 1o Conference

Lewis Central 10 Clarinda 0

Creston 5 Denison-Schleswig 3

Denison-Schleswig 9 Creston 3

Posted in Sports |

Iowa firefighter hurt in vacant factory fire while trying to find people inside

News

July 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A firefighter was hurt fighting a fire at what was supposed to be an empty factory building Friday morning. KCRG reports the Cedar Rapids Fire Department says it responded to the former Diamond V plant in the 500 block of G Ave NW in Cedar Rapids before 7 a.m. Friday. The plant has been vacant for several years but the department says firefighters saw people evacuating as they arrived and were told people were inside. That prompted firefighters to enter the building to search for people who may have been trapped.

During the course of that search, a firefighter fell about 30 feet. The firefighter was taken to the hospital with serious injuries but is expected to survive. Ultimately, no one was found inside the former factory. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Diamond V vacated the plant in 2020 shortly after Cargill bought out the Cedar Rapids company that makes additives for animal feed. Property records show the Cedar Rapids Development Group bought the property last year. That’s the group leading efforts to build a casino in Cedar Rapids, slated to be located just a few blocks away.

CRFD says homeless people have been known to stay inside the former factory. The city of Cedar Rapids formerly “placarded” the building on June 26th, declaring it uninhabitable and making it illegal for anyone to be inside the building.

Posted in News |

Drinking Water Advisory issued for several in Union and Madison Counties

News

July 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Creston, Iowa) -Officials with SIRWA (The Southern Iowa Rural Water Association) based in Creston, are advising certain customers of their service in parts of Union and Madison County, to use bottled water for drinking, or boil your water if you intend to drink it from the tap, until at least Wednesday, due to issues SIRWA experienced Thursday evening with their distribution system north of the Afton, Lorimor, Thayer and surrounding areas. A water main broke, draining all the water out of a tower just north of Afton in Union County.

Officials say “If your account number starts with numbers 55, 03, 63 or 64 you are included in this notice.”

As a precaution, SIRWA has issued a Drinking Water Advisory at this time. The Southern Iowa Rural Water Association (SIRWA) Water Supply is recommending users boil the water before using for drinking. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water.
Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. The water may be used for bathing and other similar purposes.
SIRWA says they “…Are hopeful to have the Drinking Water Advisory lifted by the beginning of the week. Repairs were completed early [Friday] morning,” and bacterial samples were being taken to make sure the water is safe, but those results aren’t expected to be returned for at least a few days.

Posted in News |