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Police say Sioux City man dies while attempting to take copper wire

News

June 26th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A Sioux City man died during an apparent burglary attempt at a business early Wednesday morning. Police officers arrived at the scene and found 37-year-old Jerrod Schweitzberger had been electrocuted while apparently attempting to steal copper wire. 

A second person at the scene, 39-year-old Denair Byars of Sioux City was charged with third-degree burglary. The initial investigation indicates Schweitzberger was attempting to remove copper wiring from the property when he came into contact with a live electrical source, resulting in his fatal electrocution.

Iowa woman charged after body was found in her car in Minnesota

News

June 26th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

A North Liberty woman is facing charges after police found a body inside her car after a crash in Minnesota, KCRG reports. Margot Lewis, 32, is charged with interference with a dead body. Authorities said they found the body of 35-year-old Liara Tsai, of Minneapolis, inside Lewis’s car following a crash near Rochester, Minnesota on Saturday, June 22. Tsai had reportedly died before the crash happened.

No one has been charged in Tsai’s death yet. KTTC in Minnesota reports authorities are still trying to determine the connection between the victim and the suspect in this case. Tsai had blood coming from a neck wound and had been wrapped in a blanket.

KTTC reports Tsai loved music and had moved to Minneapolis from Iowa City at the beginning of the year because of its strong transgender community.

Authorities officially release the name of Lenox bank robbery suspect who later died

News

June 26th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

LENOX, Iowa – On June 26, 2024, the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office conducted a forensic autopsy on the male suspect involved in the robbery of the Iowa State Savings Bank in Lenox, Iowa, on June 24, 2024.

The suspect has been identified as Steven Trent Sapp, 45, of Hooper, Nebraska. Sapp died as a result of a single gunshot wound and his death has been ruled as a suicide.

Previous Iowa Department of Public Safety statement:

June 24, 2024

LENOX, Iowa – At approximately 1:30 p.m. today, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office responded to a bank robbery call at the Iowa State Savings Bank in Lenox, Iowa.

Reports indicated that a male subject entered the bank demanding money and then left on a motorcycle. The subject was pursued into Adams County, but fled at a high rate of speed. The subject lost control and crashed into a farm field. The subject then fled on foot.

Several law enforcement agencies, including the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Adair County Sheriff’s Office, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Patrol, converged on the area and attempted to locate the subject.

As law enforcement narrowed in on the subject’s location, the male fired one round, causing a fatal self-inflicted wound.

USDA Rural Development Invests $1.8 Million in Clean Energy To Strengthen Rural Iowa Economy

Ag/Outdoor, News

June 26th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa, June 26, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today announced that USDA is investing $1,842,725 in 23 projects across the state to lower energy bills, expand access to clean energy, and create jobs for Iowa agricultural producers and rural small business owners with funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). USDA also unveiled the “Rural Energy Resource Guide” to make it easier for rural communities to identify federal funding for clean energy, including programs made possible by President Biden’s historic Inflation Reduction Act.

“The investments we’re announcing today demonstrate how producers and small business are embracing clean energy systems to address the impacts of climate change and save money,” said Director Greenfield. “These investments are at the heart of President Biden and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack’s commitment to create jobs, lower consumer costs, and strengthen Iowa’s rural communities – building the economy from the middle out and the bottom up.”

The REAP project grants are part of a larger nation-wide announcement today.

REAP grants in Iowa

A full list of today’s REAP awards in Iowa may be found here and include these:

-Remington Seeds LLC, owner of a seed processing operation in Belle Plaine, Benton County, received a $553,351 grant to help install a 412 kilowatt solar array. This project is expected to save $97,782 per year. It will replace 570,666 kilowatt hours (82 percent of the business energy usage) per year, enough energy to power 52 homes.

Dalton Ag Enterprises received a $575,000 grant to help install a 639.5 kilowatt solar array at its farm machinery and equipment manufacturing operation in Lenox in Taylor County. This project will realize $96,972 per year in savings and will replace 764,794 kilowatt hours per year (65 percent of previous use), which is enough electricity to power 70 homes.

-Schumacher Company LC, a farm machinery and equipment manufacturing business, received a $255,600 grant to install a 255.6 kilowatt solar array in Durant in Cedar County. This project will generate 347,249 kilowatt hours per year, saving $54,581 per year. This is enough electricity to power 32 homes.

DiIanni to Enter GVSU Hall of Fame

Sports

June 26th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

ALLENDALE, Mich. — University of Iowa Head Coach Dave DiIanni was named to the 2024 Athletics Hall of Fame class at Grand Valley State University, the institution announced on Tuesday.

“I would like to sincerely thank everyone on the committee for thinking of me for this wonderful recognition,” said DiIanni. “It is certainly one of the most meaningful and personal honors I’ve ever received, and I am really proud and flattered to even be considered. Make no mistake that the only reason I have been nominated is because of the countless talented, smart, dedicated women I’ve had the privilege to coach over the years.”

DiIanni was head coach of the GVSU women’s soccer program for 11 seasons, where he guided the Lakers to three NCAA Division II National Championships. DiIanni also won nine consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference titles, making seven Final Four appearances across eight seasons.

The Lakers made the NCAA Tournament all 11 years under DiIanni’s leadership, producing 21 All-Americans. When he accepted the head coaching position at Iowa in 2014, DiIanni exited Division II with the all-time leading winning percentage (.895).

Entering his 11th season in Iowa City, DiIanni’s .752 career winning percentage leads active Big Ten coaches with at least 10 years experience at the Division I level, which is the timeframe recognized by the NCAA. DiIanni ranks fourth among active Division I coaches by the same standard.

DiIanni has led Iowa to three NCAA Tournament appearances and two Big Ten Tournament Championships. Last season, the Hawkeyes made their first appearance in the United Soccer Coaches final poll, checking in at 24th following a conference tournament title and NCAA Tournament First Round win. Iowa has won 10 postseason games since the 2021 spring season.

DiIanni enters the GVSU Athletics Hall of Fame alongside his former player Chelsea Parise. DiIanni was previously inducted to the athletics hall of fame at Spring Arbor, his alma mater, on Jan. 27, 2024.

The Hawkeyes return to action on Aug. 7 with an exhibition against South Dakota at the Iowa Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for Noon (CT).

Iowa State to Meet South Carolina, Middle Tennessee State at Fort Meyers Tip-Off

Sports

June 26th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Iowa State women’s basketball will participate in the 2024 Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off as announced by Intersport on Wednesday morning. The Cyclones are set to face defending National Champion South Carolina and Middle Tennessee State November 28-30 at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida Southwestern State College.

Iowa State will take on the Gamecocks on Thanksgiving Day before meeting Middle Tennessee State for the first time in program history on Saturday, November 30. Game times and broadcast information will be announced at a later date.

The collective power of the programs will make the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off one of the strongest early season events this year. The four teams of the Island Division (Iowa State, South Carolina, Middle Tennessee State, Purdue) have combined for 90 NCAA Tournament appearances. ISU, South Carolina and MTSU were selected to participate in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones enter 2024-25 returning plenty of production following a 2024 NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance, including the top-3 scorers from last season’s roster in Audi Crooks (19.2 PPG), Addy Brown (13.0 PPG, 8.2 RPG) and Emily Ryan (11.6 PPG, 6.9 APG).

Travel packages for fans looking to join the Cyclones at the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off will be available on July 16 at www.womensfortmyerstipoff.com/travel. The Westin Cape Coral and Marina Village and the Marriott Sanibel Harbour are the event’s host hotels.

ISU previously announced its participation in the 2024 Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase, taking on UConn on Tuesday, December 17th. The complete non-conference and Big 12 Conference schedules will be released at a later date.

To receive the latest updates, news, ticket information and more, visit Cyclones.com and follow Iowa State Women’s Basketball on X (Twitter) and Instagram at @CycloneWBB.

Fort Myers Women’s Tip-Off Matchup History

Island Division – Nov. 28

South Carolina vs. Iowa State

Series Record: South Carolina leads, 1-0

Last Meeting: Dec. 26, 2020 (South Carolina, 83-65)

Island Division – Nov. 30

Iowa State vs. MTSU

Series Record: This will be the first all-time meeting between the programs.

Jensen Announces Hawkeye Assistants

Sports

June 26th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa P. Sue Beckwith, MD, head women’s basketball coach, Jan Jensen has announced the addition of two new staff members, Randi Henderson and Sean Sullivan, both UI graduates. Henderson will serve as an assistant coach while Sullivan will be an assistant coach/general manager.

Henderson spent the last seven seasons at WashU in St. Louis as the head women’s basketball coach. Henderson’s teams went 103-54 (.656) with four NCAA Tournament appearances. She guided the Bears to four top three finishes in the University Athletic Association in seven seasons.

Henderson led the Bears to the UAA Title in 2018-19 as the team went 13-1 during conference play. WashU proceeded have a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the sectional finals with a trio of victories and concluded the year with a 22-7 mark.

The success of the Bears led to Henderson being named the Central Region Coach of the Year by D3hoops.com. She and her assistant coaches were named the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year, as well.

In her first season on the Danforth Campus, Henderson led the Bears to a 19-8 record. The Bears earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round.

During 2017-18, WashU’s offense finished in the top-10 nationally in six categories including second in 3-point field goal percentage (40.8), fourth in assists per game (19.0), fifth in field-goal percentage (46.0), ninth in scoring offense (78.2), ninth in assists (514) and 10th in free-throw percentage (76.7). The Bears also ranked in the top-10 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.22) and assists (517) in 2018-19.

Henderson arrived at WashU after spending two years as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Charlotte. She also spent nine years as head coach at Coe College (2006-15) and one season at University of Minnesota-Morris (2005-06).

In her first season with the 49ers, Henderson made an immediate impact and helped guide Charlotte to a 19-11 record, top-four Conference USA Championship ranking and one of the best offensive campaigns in program history. The 49ers topped the league in scoring (74.7 ppg) and field goal percentage (45.5), finishing among the top-25 nationally in both categories. In her final season, Charlotte posted a 21-10 record and advanced to the Conference USA Quarterfinals.

Henderson joined the Niners after a nine-year stint as the head women’s basketball coach at Coe College. She also served as the department’s assistant athletic director and senior women’s administrator.

She led the Kohawks to a school-best three 20-plus win seasons, including a school-record 26 on their way to the NCAA Sectional Semifinals in 2010-11. Coe finished with a 14-2 mark in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) that season, sharing the league’s regular-season crown before picking up the tournament title.

She received two IIAC Coach of the Year honors (2010, 2011) and a nod as the WBCA West Region Coach of the Year during her Coe tenure. Her overall record with the program was 155-91 (.630), the most wins by any head coach in school history. She also guided the Kohawks to a 90-48 (.652) ledger in conference action during her nine-year stint.

Prior to arriving at Coe, Henderson spent one season at Minnesota Morris (UMM) where she earned Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year accolades. She directed the Cougars to a 16-10 record, including 10 wins in league play to tie for second. She was an assistant at UMM for two seasons, 2003-04 and 2004-05, prior to her elevation to head coach.

A native of Cedar Falls, Iowa, she began her coaching career as a volunteer at Athens High School in Athens, Ohio, as a graduate teaching assistant.

Henderson played collegiately at the University of Iowa, where she was a three-year starter and team captain for the Hawkeyes. She helped guide the Hawkeyes to a pair of NCAA Tournaments (1998, 2001) and the 2001 Big Ten Tournament Championship. Jensen coached Henderson her final season with the Hawkeyes in 2000-01.

She graduated from UI in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in health, leisure and sport studies. Henderson received a master’s degree in recreation and sport sciences at Ohio University in 2003. She was named Iowa Miss Basketball in 1997.

Sullivan served as the director of player personnel, development, and recruiting operations at North Carolina for two seasons. In June of 2023, his title was updated to reflect his added role as an assistant coach for the Tar Heels in his third year with the program.

Prior to North Carolina, Sullivan was the director of video for the women’s basketball program at Pitt for two seasons. For two years prior to that, he was part of the Penn State women’s basketball staff, serving as director of scouting & digital technology.

As an undergraduate at UI, he spent four years as a women’s basketball manager, then became the team’s video coordinator. He also spent a summer as video coordinator for USA Basketball, where he was part of the women’s squad that won silver at the 2015 Pan Am Games.

Carr Named Big 12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Sports

June 26th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

AMES, Iowa – David Carr has been named the 2024 Big 12 Wrestling Scholar Athlete of the Year, the league office announced Wednesday. He is the third Cyclone to receive the honor, joining Max Mayfield (2013) and Kyven Gadson (2015).

Carr, Iowa State’s Male Athlete of the Year and nominee for Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year, put together a remarkable year on and off the mat.

In May, Carr completed his master’s degree in education with a 3.74 GPA. He was named a 2024 National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American, First Team Academic All-Big 12 selection and was a member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in the fall and spring semesters.

On the mat, Carr posted a 27-2 record in 2023-24 and won his second national title to become the 17th Cyclone wrestler to win multiple national titles and the first since 2010 (Jake Varner). David and his father, Nate, are one of four father-son duos in NCAA Division I history to each win at least two national titles.

The Canton, Ohio native won Amateur Wrestling News’ Hammer Award for winning the most competitive weight class at the NCAA Championships. The path to his national title included wins over the No. 1, 2 and 5 seeds, and four of his five opponents in the tournament either finished on the podium or had earned All-American honors at some point in their career.

As the No. 4 seed, Carr defeated eventual All-American Hunter Garvin (Stanford) in the second round, returning two-time All-American No. 5 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) in the quarterfinals, two-time defending national champion No. 1 Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) in the semifinals and undefeated freshman No. 2 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) in the national finals.

At the Big 12 Championship, Carr fell to his rival, top-ranked O’Toole of Missouri, in the finals, 8-2. Carr would avenge the loss just two weeks later in the national semifinals on a takedown with 10 seconds remaining to win, 8-6. It capped a historic rivalry where the pair met five times in a two-year span with Carr holding a 3-2 advantage in the series.

Carr owned a 40:3 takedown ratio during the 2023-24 season (80 for, 6 against) and registered 19 bonus-point wins (six falls, nine tech falls, four major decisions). He defeated 10 top-10 opponents, wrested in 14-of-15 duals and led Iowa State with 67 dual points.

Carr helped Iowa State to its first Big 12 team title since 2009 and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the Cyclones’ best finish since 2010.

Ryan Named Big 12 Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Sports

June 26th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

IRVING, Texas – Iowa State women’s basketball senior Emily Ryan has been named the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, announced by the league office on Wednesday. She becomes the first Cyclone to earn the award since it was established in 2013.

Ryan helped Iowa State to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament and its second consecutive appearance in the Big 12 title game. Averaging 11.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, she was one of the nation’s most effective point guards. Ryan was named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team after averaging 10.3 points and 9.3 assists over three games. She is a kinesiology and health sciences major with a 3.53 grade point average.

Iowa State Adds Illinois Transfer Sydney Malott

Sports

June 26th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State softball coach Jamie Pinkerton has announced the addition of Illinois transfer Sydney Malott to ­the 2025 roster. She will join the Cyclones with two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Malott becomes Iowa State’s first addition via the transfer portal since Sophie Maras joined the team in May 2022.

Malott, along with an eight-player freshmen class, will look to help replace 11 Cyclones from last year’s roster.

“We’re excited to have Sydney join our program. She’s an experienced player who will help out our roster. She’s played multiple positions in her college career and will help our team at all infield positions including catcher. Sydney will also play a big role in providing leadership to our young roster.”

A 5-7 infielder from Liberty, Mo., Malott played in 49 games for the Illini this last season, making 46 starts. Malott played all over for Illinois, making starts at first, second and third base as well as catcher.

An Academic All-Big Ten member, Malott slashed .283/.386/.390 as a sophomore and posted seven multi-hit games. She finished this past season with 24 RBI on 36 hits while drawing 23 walks.

As a freshman, Malott posted similar numbers, racking up 35 hits with 23 RBI. In her first season, she appeared in 48 games, making 45 starts with five long balls.

Malott tallied a career-best six RBI last season against South Dakota. She also owns a pair of three-hit games. To date, Malott totes 71 hits with 47 RBI and seven home runs.