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CYCLONE FB EARNS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Sports

December 8th, 2023 by admin

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State football team is one of just 13 programs nationally that has earned the 2023 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Academic Achievement Award.

The award is based on the Cyclones having a 100 percent graduation rate from the recently released NCAA graduation success rate report. The rate was for the program’s 2016 freshman football student-athlete class. It marks the first time Iowa State has received the honor.

The Memphis Touchdown Club presents the annual award, which is sponsored by BSN Sports.

More than $1.9 million awarded in CAT and Sports Tourism grants

News

December 8th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Enhance Iowa Board, Thursday (Dec. 7, 2023) awarded $1.4-million dollars in Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grants to an event center in North Liberty and an indoor aquatic center in Ames. In addition, the board awarded $503,572 in Sports Tourism grants, to promote the National Junior High Finals Rodeo event in Des Moines and the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend in Newton.

Details for the projects receiving CAT and Sports Tourism grants follow:

Project Name: Centennial Center – North Liberty
Total Project Cost: $8,357,963
Amount Awarded: $900,000
Project Description: This project includes the construction of a 13,000 square-foot event center with an outdoor stage designed to accommodate crowds from 500 to 5,000. The interior of the facility will accommodate events for up to 500 people.

Project Name: Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center – Ames
Total Project Cost: $31,374,394
Amount Awarded: $500,000
Project Description: This project includes the construction of a 39,000-square-foot recreational and wellness facility with a six-lane lap pool, zero-depth recreational pool with a current channel, children’s play structure, wellness pool, two water slides, locker rooms, party/meeting room, multi-purpose rooms and walking area.

Details for the projects receiving Sports Tourism Marketing grants follow:

Catch Des Moines was awarded $3,572 toward marketing the National Junior High Finals Rodeo in Des Moines on June 23-29, 2024. The funds will go toward social media marketing and digital billboards.

Newton Community Events, Inc. was awarded $500,000 to market the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend on July 12-14, 2024. The funds will go toward a national TV ad buy, radio campaigns throughout the Midwest and digital media ad buys.

The Enhance Iowa Program provides financial incentives to communities for the construction of recreational, cultural, educational or entertainment facilities that enhance the quality of life in Iowa. To date, 132 CAT grants have been awarded by the board, totaling more than $44.6-million dollars. The next Enhance Iowa Board meeting is scheduled for January 4, 2024.

No. 4 Iowa women open B1G race Sunday at Wisconsin

Sports

December 8th, 2023 by admin

The fourth ranked Iowa Hawkeye women open Big Ten play Sunday at Wisconsin. It will be the third straight road sellout for the Hawkeyes.

That’s Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. The Hawkeyes have won the last 25 games in the series, but Bluder is concerned about the Badger’s balance.

Wisconsin is 5-3.

Semi tractor-trailer driver killed in a fiery eastern IA crash Friday morning

News

December 8th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Tiffin, Iowa) – A crash early this (Friday) morning in eastern Iowa claimed the life of a semi tractor-trailer driver. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2022 Freightliner semi was traveling west on Interstate 80 south of Tiffin/west of Coralville, when it left the road at around 4:30-a.m. The semi entered the north ditch and struck a tree before catching fire. The name of the driver was being withheld, pending notification of family.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by Tiffin Fire, Johnson County Communications(JComm) & Sheriff’s Office, Oxford Fire, and the Iowa DOT.

Holiday train begins tour of Iowa

News

December 8th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railroad is bringing its 25th annual Holiday Train program through northeastern Iowa today (Friday). Railroad spokesman Terry Cunha Says the train visits 191 communities across North America over the course of four weeks, spreading holiday cheer and raising donations to help people struggling with food insecurity. “Guests are able to watch a free, live performance by a talented musician, and all it costs is a donation to your local food bank,” Cunha says, “All we ask is anyone who comes and participates in these free, live musical performances is to bring a non-perishable food item that is donated to your local food bank and supports those in need during the holiday season.”

The Holiday Train. (Canadian Pacific photo)

Cunha says the festive six-car train has intricate displays inside and out. “It’s a train that’s lit up full of decorations and lights that help bring some excitement to the holiday season for those in attendance,” he says, “and then one of the train doors slides open and the musical act comes out and they sing some of their hits and also several Christmas carols that those in the audience would definitely know very well.”

Cunha says the Holiday Train’s focus has always been to work with local food banks in the communities they operate in. “Over the course of our 25-year history, we’ve been able to raise over $25-and-a-half million to local food banks and also raise over five million pounds of food, which is extremely important just to help address food insecurity,” he says, “but more importantly during the holiday seasons just a positive way to give back to the communities in which we operate.”

The Holiday Train will make stops today (Friday) in Ossian, Marquette, Lansing and New Albin.

Drake men play Nevada in Las Vegas Saturday night

Sports

December 8th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

The Drake Bulldogs take a five-game winning streak on the road tomorrow night to play Nevada in the Jack Jones Classic in Las Vegas. The Bulldogs are 8-1 despite only shooting 32 percent from three-point range.

That’s Drake coach Darian DeVries. The Bulldogs have made up for the lack of shooting by playing well on defense.

Former Iowa coach Steve Alford has Nevada off to a 7-0 start.

Former Iowa star T.J. Hockenson talks Minnesota Viking as Las Vegas

Sports

December 8th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

Minnesotsa Vikings tight end and former Iowa star T.J. Hockenson says they are ready for the stretch run as they get ready for Sunday’s game at Las Vegas. The Vikings are 6-6 and Hockenson says the bye week came at the right time.

The Vikings are coming off a 12-10 home loss to the Chicago Bears.
Hockenson says the return of receiver Justin Jefferson will be a boost for the Vikings.
Hockenson on his relationship with quarterback Josh Dobbs.

Four Iowa cities set records for December warmth

News, Weather

December 8th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – It’s pretty rare Iowans get to run around in sweatshirts or light jackets in December, but unseasonably warm weather settled on the state late this week. Meteorologist Rod Donavon, at the National Weather Service, says Lamoni had the state’s hot spot with a record high temperature of 62-degrees on Thursday, one of many. “We did have several record highs, including Waterloo at 57, Mason City at 55, Ottumwa at 61,” Donavon says. “In addition, we had basically this entire area was in the upper 50s to low 60s, so a very mild day and well above normal.”

Today’s (Friday) forecast calls for cooler weather than yesterday, but still very comfortable for this time of year. “We are having a few more clouds passing across the state today,” Donavon says, “so it’s still going to be pretty mild high temperatures in the 50s, which is still within that 10- to 15-degree above-normal range.”

Much colder weather will move in tonight and overnight, bringing the chance of scattered rain or light snow across various parts of the state on Saturday. Highs for the weekend will be back around normal, in the 30s and 40s.

Hinson touts bill to address trucker shortage

News

December 8th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is calling for a change that would let 18, 19 and 20 year olds with a commercial driver’s license be cross-country truckers — to address a national shortage of interstate truck drivers. Federal regulations currently require truckers who travel from state-to-state to be at least 21 years old. “Having more truckers on the road will improve supply chain efficiency, translated to lower prices for good and services,” Hinson says. “It will also provide critical career opportunities for 18 to 20 year olds not interested in a four year degree.”

Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia issue commercial driver’s licenses to people under the age of 21, but they are not allowed to cross state borders. “An 18 year old truck driver is permitted to drive 300 miles from let’s say a project in Sioux City all the way back to Dubuque County, but according to current regulations that same driver is not allowed to drive the truck the three miles across the Julien Dubuque Bridge for a project cross the state line in Illinois,” Hinson says. “That doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Hinson has introduced a bill called the “Reciprocity, Efficiency and Age Limitation” or REAL Act in the U-S House to let 18, 19 and 20 years drive cross-country if they have a commercial driver’s license. Hinson. a Republican from Marion, is visiting the Semi-Driving program at North Iowa Community College today (Friday) to discuss her idea with trucking industry leaders.

Heartbeat Today 12-8-2023

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

December 8th, 2023 by Jim Field

Jim Field visits with Belinda DeBolt, who is directing “White Christmas – The Musical” at the Wilson Performing Arts Center in Red Oak.  The show opens this weekend with shows on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm and a Sunday Matinee at 2:30 pm.  The performances will also be presented on Friday, 12/15 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, 12/16 at 1:00 pm and Sunday, 12/17 at 2:30 pm.  Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children and can be purchased at www.wilsonartscenter.org.

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