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Iowa football adds Betts and Barnett to staff

Sports

March 15th, 2021 by admin

Ladell Betts

George Barnett

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Former University of Iowa running back Ladell Betts, and George Barnett, who has more than 20 years of offensive line coaching experience at the collegiate level, have been named to the football coaching staff at the University of Iowa. Head coach Kirk Ferentz made the announcement Monday.

“I am excited to welcome Ladell and George to our program,” said Ferentz. “Both are interested in helping our student-athletes reach their potential on and off the field.”

The selection of Betts and Barnett cap a six-week search process that Ferentz described as methodical and comprehensive.

“It is important to hire on culture and philosophy first, and then football acumen,” said Ferentz. “I know Ladell and George will make meaningful contributions to our program and players.”

Betts will serve as running backs coach. He joins the Hawkeye coaching staff after serving as head coach at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He has been the head coach at Pine Crest for two seasons and was previously the offensive coordinator (2016-18). He was also the offensive coordinator at Boca Raton High School for two years (2014-15) after coaching running backs at Coral Spring Christian Academy in 2013. Pine Crest posted an undefeated season in 2020 and Boca Raton posted a 10-3 mark in 2015. Betts was offensive coordinator with the NFL Prep 100 Series from 2011-14.

Barnett will serve as Iowa’s offensive line coach. He joins the Hawkeye football program after being named offensive line coach at Tulane University in December, 2020. Barnett previously was on the coaching staff at Miami, Ohio for seven seasons. Barnett joined the Miami program as co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach (2014-15). He was later elevated to assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach in 2016.

“I am excited to be back at my alma mater, where I had the opportunity to develop as a player under coach Hayden Fry and coach Kirk Ferentz,” said Betts. “Now I have the opportunity to do the same for another generation of young players as part of coach Ferentz’s staff. It is incredible to feel like things have truly come full circle for me. I’m ready to get to work.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with coach Kirk Ferentz and his staff and to help maintain the standard of excellence in the Iowa offensive line room,” said Barnett. “I am familiar with the success of the Iowa program and the Big Ten Conference overall. My family and I are excited to get to Iowa City and be part of an outstanding institution and athletics program.”

Following his Iowa career, Betts was selected by Washington in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Betts played in the NFL for nine seasons, including eight with Washington and his final season with the New Orleans Saints. Betts played in 111 career NFL games, rushing for 3,326 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also had 1,646 career receiving yards and three touchdown receptions, along with 2,085 career kickoff return yards. His best single season included 1,154 rushing yards and 445 receiving yards in 2006. His career totals include 7,057 all-purpose yards.

Betts concluded his Iowa career in 2001 as a four-year letterman and is the only running back in program history to lead the team in rushing four straight years. Betts ranks second in career rushing yards (3,686), fourth in all-purpose yards (4,397) and 19th in career scoring (162).

Betts earned his bachelor’s degree from Iowa in 2001 and completed the Business Management and Entrepreneurship Program through the Aresty Institute of Executive Education & The Wharton Sports Business Initiative.

Betts is a native of Blue Springs, Missouri. He and his wife, Shatarah, are the parents of five daughters, Tamryn, Saire, Soleil, Saavi, and Suraj, and one son, Torino.

Barnett earned a bachelor of science degree in physical education in 1998 from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. He was a four-year football letterman and earned all-conference recognition.

Barnett is a native of Tuscola, Illinois. George and his wife, Lori, have two children, Elle, and James.

Iowa will begin spring practice during the last week in March.

Iowa will open the 2021 season Sept. 4 in Kinnick Stadium, hosting Big Ten foe Indiana in the first of seven home contests. Season ticket renewals and new season ticket orders are now being accepted at hawkeyesports.com/FootballTickets.

Posted in Sports |

95% of Iowans over the age of 65 have been vaccinated

News

March 15th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowa has “turned the corner” when it comes to vaccinating Iowans. “We just hit our one-millionth vaccination here in Iowa. That’s great news,” Reynolds says. “Ninety-five percent of 65 years old and (above) have had at least one dose and we just continue to see those numbers increase.”

The state website tracking vaccinations shows the state has distributed 72-thousand-500 doses of vaccine over the past seven days. The federal government is shipping additional doses directly to participating pharmacies like Walgreens and C-V-S. “We’ve actually turned the corner,” Reynolds says. “We’ve worked with a lot of our local pharmacies. We’ve worked with a lot of our local hospitals and clinics. HyVee has been a tremendous partner in helping us get those out as well as our local public health teams have also been from and center in helping us really distribute the vaccine, set up mass vaccination clinics.”

Nearly 409-thousand Iowans have had both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. About 30-thousand Iowans have gotten the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Information updated Monday morning on the state website shows on impact the vaccines are having in Iowa. There are just two Iowa nursing homes listed as having Covid outbreaks. There are 18 active infections among staff or residents at facilities in Davenport and Wapello. At the end of November, more than 150 nursing homes had Covid outbreaks. State officials have confirmed more than 22-hundred nursing home residents died of Covid.

Posted in News |

Page County Deputies foil rural burglary

News

March 15th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports his deputies foiled a rural residential burglary, early Saturday morning. Deputies had been checking the property due to suspicious activity. At around 2:40-a.m., they arrested 37-year old Bradley Roy Lewis, of Broken Bow, NE, on an active warrant for Failure to appear on original Felony Drug charges out of Atchison County Missouri, and for Burglary 3rd Degree, in Page County.

Bradley Roy Lewis

Warrants for two other suspects involved will be issued. Lewis is currently being held in the Page County Jail on a $5,000 cash only bond for the Burglary, and $7,500 bond for the Atchison County Missouri warrant.

Posted in News |

Heavy snow from late winter storm snarls travel in Iowa

News, Weather

March 15th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Heavy snow has blanketed much of northern Iowa, snarling traffic and closing schools and services, as a late winter storm moves through the region. Online reports issued by the Iowa Department of Transportation show snow and ice covering roads in north-central Iowa and partially covering roads for much of the rest of the northern half of the state. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for three dozen counties in Iowa’s northern half and a winter weather advisory for several more counties in the region. The weather service expects some areas to see up to 8 inches of snow by Monday afternoon.

 

Posted in News, Weather |

Iowa’s January unemployment rate drops to 3.5%

News

March 15th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.5% in January as more residents joined the workforce. The state’s Workforce Development department reported Monday the rate was down from a revised 3.7% rate for December and compared to a 2.8% rate a year ago, before the coronavirus pandemic resulted in a severe economic slowdown. Workforce Development says the state added 8,200 workers in January.

There were 57,400 unemployed residents. Iowa was tied with Kansas for the nation’s sixth-lowest unemployment rate. South Dakota and Utah had the lowest rate, at 3.1%. The national unemployment rate for January was 6.3%.

 

Posted in News |

Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office Partners with State Drug Control Office To Expand Medication Drop Off Locations

News

March 15th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Jesse Swensen, Monday (Today), announced the placement of a permanent Medication Dropbox located in the lobby of the Sheriff’s Office, at 200 North 5th Street, in Guthrie Center. Deputy Swensen said the drop box is made possible through a small grant from the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy to address the increasing problem of prescription drug abuse. The drop box will be accessible to the public during normal business hours. Citizens wishing to utilize the medication drop box are asked to place all medications in sealed non-breakable containers and are requested to not include any “sharps” (syringes or lancets) or any other item that could cause injury to the Sheriff’s Office staff servicing the drop box. 

Dale Woolery, Director of the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy said “his office is pleased to partner with the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office in providing citizens a secure and environmentally responsible option to dispose of unused prescription drugs, thus preventing their potential diversion and abuse. Woolery added “Most prescription drugs that are abused come from friends or family, so cleaning out medicine cabinets can save lives.”

Prescription drug abuse is Iowa’s fastest-growing form of substance abuse, and addiction to powerful pain relievers is also fueling more heroin use. Prescription pain pills and heroin are both opioid drugs. The combination is contributing to an increase in opioid-related overdose deaths in Iowa and the U.S. According to Deputy Swensen, “many people become addicted to prescription drugs because they started using a family member’s leftover prescriptions. Once addicted some of these individuals may then eventually move to heroin to fulfill that addiction.”

Additional information on prescription drug abuse/opioid abuse and properly disposing of unused medication can be found at:

https://odcp.iowa.gov/rxotc

https://odcp.iowa.gov/rxtakebacks

https://odcp.iowa.gov/rxbrochure

Posted in News |

Iowa COVID-19 update for 3/15/21: Eight additional deaths; 203 additional cases; hospitalizations up slightly

News

March 15th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Public Health’s Coronavirus dashboard, today (10-a.m., Monday), shows 203 additional positive test results for COVID returned from the labs, for a total of 370,725. There were eight additional deaths statewide over the past 24-hours, for a pandemic total of 5,641. Long-Term Care facility deaths account for 2,217 of the total number of deaths across the state.

Long-Term Care (LTC) facility outbreaks are down to just two. Hospitalization numbers are fluctuating: 161 Iowans are hospitalized with COVID; 42 are in an ICU; 26 people were admitted to a hospital across the state, and 21 patients are on a ventilator.

RMCC Region 4 hospitals (those in western/southwest Iowa) show those hospitalized with COVID are up slightly, to 11, eight people are in an ICU, there was one new admissions, and four people are on a ventilator.

The 14-day positivity rate is up just a bit, to 3.9%. The seven-day rate is steady at 3.8%.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} – if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

  • Cass, 1,380 cases; {+0}; 52 deaths
  • Adair, 939; {+0}; 31
  • Adams, 327 {+0}; 4
  • Audubon, 495 {+0}; 9
  • Guthrie, 1,183 {+0}; 28
  • Harrison County, 1,811; {+1}; 70
  • Madison County, 1,604; {+0}; 18
  • Mills County, 1,657; {+1}; 20
  • Montgomery, 1,045; {+1}; 36
  • Pottawattamie County, 10,976; {+0}; 149
  • Shelby County, 1,252 {+0}; 34
  • Union County,  1,278; {+1}; 31

Posted in News |

NANCY JUNE BROWN, 76, of Hastings, NE. (Graveside Svc. 3/17/21)

Obituaries

March 15th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

NANCY JUNE BROWN, 76, of Hastings, NE., died Friday, March 12th, at home. Graveside services for NANCY BROWN will be held from 11-a.m. Wed., March 17th, at the Graceland Cemetery in Avoca. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Avoca has the arrangements.

A public visitation will be held from 10-until 11-a.m. Wed., March 17th, at the funeral home.

NANCY JUNE BROWN is survived by:

Her husband – Gary Brown, of Hastings, NE.

Her sons – Kevin Brown, Keith (Anne) Brown, Donald (Debby) Brown, and Albert Brown, all of Hastings, NE.

Her daughter – Christina McDunn, of Hastings, NE.

7 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.

Posted in Obituaries |

Atlantic’s Handlos commits to Simpson

Sports

March 15th, 2021 by admin

Atlantic senior basketball standout Skyler Handlos announced on social media this weekend that he will continue his basketball career at Simpson College in Indianola.

Handlos averaged 16.7 points per game during his final year with the Trojans. He shot 44% from the field and also averaged about 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals per contest.

Posted in Sports |

Cass County Pork Queen & Ambassador announced

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 15th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Left to right) Emily Plagman, 2021 Cass County Pork Ambassador; Paige Jensen, 2021 Cass County Pork Queen.

Cass County Pork Producers, Sunday, crowned Paige Jensen as Cass County Pork Queen and Emily Plagman as County Pork Ambassador. Paige is a Junior at CAM High School who is involved in 4H and FFA. Her parents are Ryan and Eva Jensen. Emily is a Senior at CAM. She’s the daughter of Mike and Kristi Plagman, and is also actively involved in 4H and FFA. Paige Jensen will act as a role model for the youth of Cass County, attend parades if it’s safe to do so (with regard to COVID), and help the pork producer board with promoting pork in Cass County. She will receive a scholarship as an additional reward for her involvement in the pork industry.

She explained why she wanted to be involved in the pork industry this year.

She started showing pigs in her 5th Grade year, and have developed a bond with the swine she’s had, and with the various leadership opportunities that have been presented to her. Agriculture, she said, runs in her blood.

Emily Plagman will promote pork, attend parades if they are safe, assist in promoting pork within the county, and she’ll also receive a scholarship for future schooling or advancing in the pork industry. She said she’s had a love for pigs since she was young, and this was a natural progression in that passion.

She too has always been involved in 4H and FFA ever since she was young, and growing up on a farm, and she wants to spread a message about pork.

Paige Jensen says her message is simple.

The Junior says after high school she plans to study Ag Communications, Marketing or Business in college, and afterward start raising beef and swine on a family farm. Emily says she wants to get an Associates of Agriculture Degree at a community college, then transfer and get a double major in Ag Media and Ag Education, with a Minor in Communications. She says she wants to stay in a rural area and promote ag the best she can.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |