United Group Insurance

Senate sends governor a plan for state broadband grants; money decision later

News

April 7th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Senate has sent Governor Kim Reynolds a bill that’s on her priority list. The legislation sets up the rules for state grants to private companies that extend broadband in areas of Iowa where the service is too slow or non-existent. Republican Senator Carrie Koelker of Dyersville says the companies will have to make matching investments in the technology to qualify for the grants. “We know every Iowan deserves to be connected for life and, in many ways, work and learning,” Koelker says.

The bill does NOT provide the money, but does specify the upload and download speeds that companies will be required to provide if they win a grant.  “This bill prioritizes the areas that need it most first,” Koelker says. “…This is the type of policy that we need to be a pro-business state. This is going to help both large and small businesses grow, increase accessible ability to education and ultimately further Iowa’s position as a place for quality of life.”

Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, unsuccessfully sought to require that companies getting grants collect fees and set up programs that offer broadband to low-income Iowans at reduced rates. “Let’s establish a program that works from the very beginning, not just to benefit out of state companies that are going to come in and build out our infrastructure,” Petersen says, “but also for Iowans who desperately need it.”

After Petersen’s proposal failed to win G-O-P support, the bill passed unanimously. Governor Reynolds has called on legislators to provide 150 million dollars for these broadband grants in each of the next three years. Legislators say they’ll decide later how much to spend.

Posted in News |

Iowa Senate GOP approves another tax cutting package

News

April 7th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa Senate have approved another big tax change. This one would use state taxes, rather than local property taxes, to finance the state’s mental health system. In addition, the bill approved last (Tuesday) night would create a new elderly property tax CREDIT for low income Iowans age 70 and older and get rid of a property tax LEVY in 27 school districts that’s used to maintain playgrounds and pay for other community education programs. It also would end state payments to schools, cities and county to compensate for lowered commercial property tax rates.

Senator Dan Dawson, a Republican from Council Bluffs, says due to rising home prices, Iowans are facing higher property taxes and this legislation will help reduce those bills. “We did not come here to do halfsies,” Dawson says. “We came here to do bold reforms and this bill, in its entirety, is bold reform.”

Democrats voted against the package. Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, says county property taxes used for mental health services are a more reliable funding source than appropriations approved by the state legislature. “If this legislation, for some reason, becomes law, it will result in defunding of our mental health system,” Bolkcom said.

House Republicans have expressed caution about making major tax changes this year, due to the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic. Governor Reynolds has joined a lawsuit over a provision in the latest FEDERAL pandemic relief package that some have interpreted as impeding state efforts to cut taxes. Senate Republicans estimate the bill they passed last (Tuesday) night would eventually reduce property taxes statewide by 100 million dollars.

Posted in News |

Southeast Valley Richard Ryan Relays 4/6/2021

Sports

April 7th, 2021 by admin

Class A Team Scores

1
Southeast Valley
152.00
2
Carroll
136.00
3
Webster City
103.00
4
Pocahontas Area
87.00
5
Kuemper Girls
72.00
6
EG Girls
23.00

Full results HERE.

Class B Team Scores

1
Manson NW Webster
144.00
2
Newell-Fonda
116.00
3
St. Edmond
89.00
4
South Central Calhoun
76.00
5
WB-Mallard/Gc-B
66.00
6
Graettinger-Terril/R
65.00
7
Paton-Churdan
14.00

Full results HERE.

Posted in Sports |

Clarinda Lady Cardinal Relays 04/06/2021

Sports

April 7th, 2021 by admin

Class 1A Team Scores

1
Shenandoah
142.00
2
St. Albert
103.00
2
Lenox
103.00
4
Southwest Valley
99.00
5
Bedford
71.00
6
Essex
54.00

Brenna Godfread won the 800M Run for the Fillies. They also got wins from Christine Johnson in the 1500M, Sara Morales in the Discus and Shot Put, 4x100M Relay, 4x200M Relay, 4x800M Relay, and Shuttle Hurdle Relay.

Full results HERE.

Class 2A Team Scores

1
Glenwood
202.00
2
Atlantic
139.00
3
Clarinda
97.00
4
Creston
63.00
5
Red Oak
48.00
6
CB Thomas Jefferson
32.00

Glenwood won 11 events on their way to the team title. Emma Hughes led the way with wins in the 800M, 1500M, and 3000M. Atlantic got wins from Haley Rasmussen in the 200M and 400M. The Trojans also won the Distance Medley.

Full results HERE.

Posted in Sports |

Treynor Jerome Howe Relays 04/06/2021

Sports

April 7th, 2021 by admin

1
Treynor
180.00
2
Underwood
108.00
3
IKM-Manning
89.00
4
Audubon
63.00
5
Riverside
52.00
6
Shenandoah
46.00
7
St Albert
38.00
8
Tri-Center
35.00
9
Lo-Ma
34.00
10
East Mills
32.00
11
Missouri Valley
25.00
12
AHSTW
21.00
13
Fremont-Mills
15.00

Treynor got wins in the following events: Evan Smith-100M, Todd Pedersen-200M, Sid Schaaf-400M, Noah James-110M Hurdles and High Jump, 4x100M Relay, 4x400M Relay, 4x800M Relay, and Sprint Medley. Audubon’s Gavin Smith won the 400M Hurdles and the Wheelers took the Shuttle Hurdle Relay.

Full results HERE.

Posted in Sports |

2021 Riverside Girls Invite 4/6/2021

Sports

April 7th, 2021 by admin

1
Underwood
168.00
2
Riverside
90.00
3
AHSTW
86.00
4
Tri-Center
54.00
5
IKM-Manning
50.00
6
Fremont Mills
31.00
7
CAM
25.00
8
Boyer Valley
24.00
9
Griswold
19.00
10
Missouri Valley
14.00
11
East Mills
9.00
12
West Harrison
7.00
13
Sidney
5.00

Underwood won 8 events en route to the team title. Aliyah Humphrey had a phenomenal night with wins in the 200M, 400M, and Long Jump. Riverside got wins in the 4x100M Relay, 4x800M Relay, and Shuttle Hurdle Relay. AHSTW’s Holly Hoepner won the 100M Hurdles and 400M Hurdles. The Lady Vikes also had Chloe Falkena grab the 3000M. Peyton Pogge of Tri-Center won the 1500M. Molly Venteicher was 2nd in the Shot Put for CAM.

Full results HERE.

Posted in Sports |

Spring Sports Scoreboard 04/06/2021

Sports

April 7th, 2021 by admin

GIRLS TENNIS

Kuemper 6, Atlantic 3
Atlantic Singles Winners: Nellie Grooms, Addie Schmitt. Atlantic Doubles Winners: McFadden/Schmitt. ATL_BG21_Kuemper_results

Clarke 6, Southwest Valley 3
Red Oak 6, Creston 3
Shenandoah 5, Clarinda 4
St. Albert 5, CB Abraham Lincoln 4
Denison-Schleswig 6, Audubon 3.

BOYS TENNIS

Kuemper 5, Atlantic 4
Atlantic singles winners: Ethan Sturm, Hunter Weppler. Atlantic Doubles Winners: Grant and Ethan Sturm, Bodie Johnson/Dayton Templeton. ATL_BG21_Kuemper_results

CB Abraham Lincoln 7, St. Albert 2
Creston 8, Red Oak 1
Denison-Schleswig 6, Audubon 0
Shenandoah 5, Clarinda 4

GIRLS GOLF

East Union 245, Southwest Valley 260. Medalist: Abby Harper, East Union (54)
Glenwood 225, Treynor 227. Medalist: Haley Woods, Glenwood (47)
Missouri Valley 246, AHSTW 258. Medalist: Ally Meyers, AHSTW (50)

BOYS GOLF

Kuemper 163, Atlantic 164. Medalist: Braden Smith, Atlantic (37) AtlanticKuemperBoys04062021
Clarinda 164, Shenandoah 199. Medalist: Cooper Neal, Clarinda (39)
Missouri Valley 184, AHSTW 197. Medalist: Jackson Travis, Missouri Valley (38)
Southwest Valley 202, East Union 211. Medalist: Storm Hoadley, East Union (49)

GIRLS SOCCER

Atlantic 4, Missouri Valley 0. (Jada Jensen with 2 goals and 2 assists. Complete game shutout for Edria Brummer in net.)
CB Abraham Lincoln 2, Bishop Heelan 1
East Sac County 9, Logan-Magnolia 0
West Central Valley/Nodaway Valley 6, AHSTW 0
Panorama 6, Des Moines Hoover 0

BOYS SOCCER

Atlantic 7, Missouri Valley 2
CB Abraham Lincoln 8, Bishop Heelan 0
Des Moines Hoover 12, Panorama 2
West Central Valley/Nodaway Valley 9, AHSTW 0

Posted in Sports |

Garza Wins Wooden Award, Sweeps National Awards

Sports

April 6th, 2021 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Senior Luka Garza became the University of Iowa’s first winner of the John R. Wooden Player of the Year Award. The announcement was made Tuesday evening by the Los Angeles Athletic Club during ESPN SportsCenter.

Garza, the most dominant player in men’s college basketball, swept all the major postseason awards (Wooden, Naismith, Associated Press, Oscar Robertson, NABC, Lute Olson, Sporting News) to become the consensus unanimous national player of the year for 2021. Garza

“Winning the Wooden Award means so much to myself and my family,” said Garza. “John Wooden was someone my grandfather was friends with, and someone who I was taught a lot about growing up. I studied the Pyramid, and many of his books to try and become the teammate and player that could win a championship. I can’t thank Coach McCaffery and his staff enough for their role in helping me develop on and off the floor. I have had amazing teammates along the way, and I would not be here without them. I want to thank my family for their undying support of me throughout my career. Lastly, thank you to the University of Iowa for changing my life. I am so proud to bring this award to the University of Iowa for the first time.”

Voting took place from March 15-22, 2021. As insisted upon by Coach Wooden at the Award’s creation 45 years ago, all players were certified by their universities as meeting or exceeding the criteria of the John R. Wooden Award.

2021 LUKA GARZA HONORS

  • •  John R. Wooden Player of the Year Award & All-American
  • •  Naismith Trophy
  • •  Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award
  • •  Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year
  • •  Oscar Robertson Trophy
  • •  NABC Division I Player of the Year
  • •  Senior CLASS Award
  • •  Sporting News, Basketball Times, The Athletic National Player of the Year
  • •  Big Ten Men’s Basketball Player of the Year
  • •  USBWA District VI Player of the Year
  • •  NABC Pete Newell Big Man of the Year
  • •  First Team All-America (NABC, Associated Press, Sporting News, USBWA)
  • •  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Finalist
  • •  Big Ten All-Tournament Team honoree
  • •  Three-time Big Ten Player of the Week

Posted in Sports |

Community discussion held on ideas for recreation & quality of life in Atlantic

News

April 6th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Nishna Valley Family YMCA Staff and Board of Directors hosted a “Community Discussion” on the future of “recreation and quality of life” in Atlantic and the surrounding area. Approximately 76 people attended the event, which was held at the Cass County Community Building, and broadcast live on KJAN TV. (The program is archived and available to view by using the “On Demand” tab on the KJAN TV link)
Among the speakers was Cass County Health System CEO Brett Altman, who mentioned what CCHS does to “sell prospective employees on Atlantic,” which includes physical and comprehensive mental health services. He said “Cass County is the best kept secret in Iowa,” keeping in mind the two 18-hole golf courses, disc golf, proximity to the Interstate, trails, pickle ball, and “one of the nicest airports in Iowa. Especially for a community our size.” Some physicians either fly or want to learn to fly, and “having a top notch airport,” helps in drawing them to the area. He also mentioned places like The Hitchcock House, “an awesome county fair,” safe neighborhoods and more.
Atlantic Parks and Recreation  Department Director Bryant Rasmussen spoke about all the park amenities, activities/equipment available and media promotion efforts. He said there is equipment available free from the Parks & Rec for 33 different activities. The Parks Board, he said, continues to focus on amenities, both improving the current attractions and planning for the future.
Cass County Conservation Department Naturalist Lora Kanning they are reviewing and updating the current county-wide trails plan. She and Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh talked about a trail survey. Hoegh said the survey results they’ve already examined show some people lack knowledge of the trails, so a trails map was created and is available at the Chamber, at area libraries and casscountyia.gov.
A suggestion was made to put more effort on marketing the amenities Atlantic and Cass County have, to draw more professionals and families. Others said the number of empty buildings in Atlantic, the lack of housing and lack of a variety of restaurants should be improved upon to draw others to the community. Nishna Valley YMCA Director Dan Haynes spoke during the meeting, about making Atlantic a “regional hub” for family activities. Others suggested tying outlying communities into that hub, and incorporating them as “spoke” for additional activities. Locally, that could included incorporating a Children’s Museum into the YMCA that would have all sorts of family activities, including those that incorporating STEM, a Senior Space, and more.

Haynes also floated the idea of a $1.2-million retractable dome over amenities that could include a “lazy river,” splash park, young children’s/young adults area, and more.

An example of a retractable dome shown during the meeting.

The dome would make the facilities available nearly year around, in all types of weather. There were concerns about taking over a good chunk of parking space for such a facility, though. Some audience members also expressed concern a large facility would take away from the outdoor pool at Sunnyside Park.

Atlantic City Councilperson Grace Garrett described Atlantic as a “Gold nugget,” that has so much to offer, and that our next steps forward will serve to enhance the future for us.
Toward the end of the meeting, a list of the top suggestions to improve recreational activities AND quality of life in Atlantic, was compiled. Participants listed what they would like to see, by order of popularity (most to least favorite).  The results will be released after they are tabulated.

Posted in News |

Multiple fire departments fight flames in Glenwood Tuesday morning

News

April 6th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Glenwood Fire and Rescue Department report, shortly after 12:30-a.m., Tuesday (April 6th), Mills County 911 dispatched Glenwood Fire & Rescue along with Pacific Junction Fire and Oak Township Fire to a building fire in the 400 block of Sharp St on the Glenwood Square. Fire and EMS personnel from Glenwood were quickly on scene and declared a working fire with heavy fire showing from the roof and rear of the building. Law enforcement was actively alerting surrounding occupants to evacuate.

Photos via the Glenwood IA Fire & Rescue Facebook page

The call was immediately put out to dispatch the remaining departments in Mills County and well as a second ladder truck from Red Oak. Glenwood Fire personnel made an aggressive search of the fire area, not locating any victims. That was quickly followed by an aggressive interior fire attack by Glenwood personnel who encountered very high heat and no visibility.

Heavy fire conditions were met by the interior crews and were extinguished shortly thereafter. In a statement on their Facebook page, officials said “Through extraordinary teamwork, highly trained personnel and proper equipment, the south side of the historic square was saved from further fire damage. We thank all the departments and agencies who assisted in this incident.”

Posted in News |