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VIRGIL “DOC” BAUDLER, 83, of Fontanelle (Mass of Christian Burial 12/14/23)

Obituaries

December 8th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

VIRGIL “DOC” BAUDLER, 83, of Fontanelle, died Friday, December 8, 2023, at the Greenfield Rehabilitation and Health Care Center.  A Mass of Christian Burial for VIRGIL “DOC” BAUDLER will be held 10:30-a.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Greenfield. Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield has the arrangements.

Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 2-until 7-p.m. Wednesday, December 13th, with the family greeting friends from 5-until 7-p.m.

Burial is in the Greenfield Cemetery. A luncheon will be held at St. John’s Catholic Church following the committal services at the cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the Virgil Baudler memorial fund to be established by the family.

VIRGIL “DOC” BAUDLER is survived by:

His wife – Carol Baudler.

His sons – Michael (Barbara) Baudler, and Brian Baudler.

His daughter – Julie (Allen).

His sisters – Sylvia, and Ruth (Wayne).

6 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren; in-laws; other relatives and many friends.

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.lambfuneralhomes.com.

DeSantis proposes National School Choice program

News

December 8th, 2023 by admin

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says if he’s elected president, he’ll push congress to extend the Trump era tax cuts AND set up new FEDERAL scholarships to help cover the costs of attending a private K-through-12 school. The tax plan President Trump signed into law in 2017 expires at the end of 2025 and DeSantis says that gives the person elected president in 2024 an opportunity.

“If you’re not thinking as the candidate about how you would use that to implement policy, then you’re already behind the curve,” DeSantis says. DeSantis says it would be a disaster to have federal income tax rates go up in what could be a recession.

“You’re going in on January 20, 2025, and it’s probably not going to be all sunshine and roses, so raising taxes in that situation would be a big mistake.” The “National School Choice” program DeSantis envisions at the federal level would be modeled on a tax check-off program in Florida. It lets businesses send corporate income tax payments to a scholarship fund.

“We did a billion-dollar program between administration and scholarships. That served 100,000 kids in Florida,” DeSantis says. “…If you did just $25 or 50 billion dollars, which in this day and age is budget dust basically, you’re going to be able provide scholarships to a low of working class and low-income families.” DeSantis says he would push to include a wide range of policies into a package to avoid the requirement that 60 senators support it — and pass with just 51 yes votes. He’d include repeal of Biden era spending and some of his own spending priorities, like funding to build more Navy ships. DeSantis made his comments during taping of Iowa Press which airs tonight on Iowa P-B-S.

Black Hawk County project looks to end recidivism

News

December 8th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Residents of Waterloo and Cedar Falls are hoping a new housing plan will end a cycle of some citizens continually returning to prison. Recent data from the Iowa Department of Corrections says that the recidivism rate for Black Hawk County is the second highest in the state at nearly 37 percent. Waterloo psychiatrist Tom Eachus (EEK-us) says finding housing is a big part of the problem.

Eachus and others have formed the Cedar Valley Housing Corporation, which has proposed a new 24-unit apartment complex in Waterloo designated for those getting out of prison.

The complex will also provide counseling services.

BERGS LEADS VERSATILE BULLDOGS IN 77-66 WIN OVER NDSU IN CHARACTER COUNTS KIDS GAME

Sports

December 8th, 2023 by admin

DES MOINES, Iowa – Graduate senior Grace Berg led the Drake women’s basketball team with her scoring and passing as the Bulldogs beat North Dakota State 77-66 in the annual Character Counts Kids Game at a sold-out Knapp Center on Friday.

“It was a fantastic Character Counts Kids Game…just a phenomenal environment,” Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman said. “It got so loud we were almost having to use sign language to call plays, but we love our partnership with the Ray Center and being able to walk the walk as a program with character and grace and humility.

Berg matched her season highs of 22 points and six assists to help the Bulldogs (6-3) achieve their 27th double-digit margin in their last 31 victories. All six wins this season have been by double figures.

Berg made 10 of 12 shots, reaching a season best in field goals, and added three rebounds and two of the team’s 13 steals – one short of the Bulldog’s high for the season.

Taylor McAulay turned in a solid line with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a career-high three blocks. Katie Dinnebier added 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting, six assists, five rebounds and three steals.

Freshman Shannon Fornshell reached double figures for the first time in her brief career, scoring 11 points, including two 3-pointers, and pulling down three rebounds.  Anna Miller led the Bulldogs with six rebounds, scored nine points and made three steals.

The Bulldogs overcame their 21 turnovers by shooting 57 percent and logging assists on 19 of their 32 field goals. Drake outrebounded its taller opponent 30-29 and outscored the Bison 54-38 in the paint, getting the team’s usual share of driving layups and open shots underneath on slick passes.

A large contingent of area elementary and middle school students helped fill the Knapp Center and brought energy and plenty of noise to the game, which started on a rough note for the Bulldogs. Their first four possessions went missed layup-turnover-missed layup-charging foul as North Dakota State (4-5) jumped to a 6-0 lead.

Berg got the Bulldogs started with a driving layup and they ran off seven straight points to pull ahead. The Bison led twice after that before McAulay fed Berg for a layup, then buried a 3-pointer on a pass from Berg for a 14-10 lead. Drake led the rest of the way but had to work to keep that lead.

Consecutive layups by Berg and Ava Hawthorne stretched the lead to 24-16 early in the second quarter. The Bison ran off six straights points to pull to within a basket, but the Bulldogs answered with six straight of their own to go up 30-22. Yet another driving layup by Berg gave Drake a 34-27 halftime lead.

Courtney Becker and Fornshell hit three-pointers as Drake started the second half with a 9-2 burst to take its biggest lead to that point, 43-29. The Bison came back again with a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 43-38 and drew to 45-42 with 3:14 left in the third quarter. They got no closer.

Drake closed the quarter with a 13-2 run to go up 57-44 and stayed ahead by double figures the rest of the way. Berg scored six in that surge and fed McAulay for a three-pointer. Fornshell capped it up when Dinnebier found her in the left corner, and she swished a trey.

Berg made the shot of the day when she tossed the ball back over her head, off the glass and into the basket. Consecutive layups by McAulay, the second after she blocked a three-point shot, picked up the ball and took it to the hoop, gave the Bulldogs their biggest lead, 71-53 with 5:19 left. It was 77-60 when the Bulldogs took their foot off the gas and coasted home.

Drake got help from 20 NDSU turnovers and held the Bison to 4-for-16 three-point shooting. They came in leading the Summit League in three-point percentage (.365) and three-pointers per game (8.1). Heaven Hamling led North Dakota State with 15 points.

“We’ve evolved from our first game to today,” Pohlman added. “We’d like a couple more [possessions] back, but I think offensively we’re doing a nice job and have been able to make some adjustments defensively.”

The Bulldogs will take a break for final exams before returning to action against Creighton at the Knapp Center on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m.

ACGC Chargers Looking For Bounce Back Win

Sports

December 8th, 2023 by admin

The ACGC Chargers came out with an incredibly hot start offensively Tuesday night at Van Meter where they scored 27 points and had a fourteen-point lead going into the second quarter.  That is when the long slow comeback for Van Meter began, where they cut into the lead a little bit in the second and third quarter as the Chargers still held a seven-point advantage going into the final eight minutes. And in the final quarter the Bulldogs were able to take advantage of some fatigue setting in on the Chargers and would claw their way back and take the win by a score of 65-63 giving the Chargers their first loss of the season. Head Coach of the Chargers Lance Kading said that fatigue was a small factor, but the head coach was quick to point the finger at himself saying he should’ve made a defensive change in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers have an opportunity to get back into the win collum this evening as they welcome in the 3-1 Ogden Bulldogs who’s playing really good basketball to start the young season. The Bulldogs will play two types of defenses to keep opponents a little hesitant offensively and their main defense will be a 1-3-1 halfcourt trapping defense trying to force turnovers and contested three-point attempts. Coach Kading said his team has focused the last several days on working the ball into the middle of the floor and not settling for so many contested threes.

This is a big West Central Conference as both teams comes in 1-1 in Conference play and both with hopes of being conference champs at the end of the season. Coach Kading said ultimately the key comes down to the defensive end of the floor.

Tip-off for the Chargers and the Bulldogs is at 7:15pm at ACGC High School.

 

 

 

Iowa Ranked 23rd in WCGA Preseason Poll

Sports

December 8th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa women’s gymnastics team is ranked 23rd in the preseason Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association poll, it was announced Friday.  The Hawkeyes received 638 points.

The Gymhawks are one of nine Big Ten Conference teams in the rankings along with Michigan (6), Michigan State (11), Ohio State (14), Minnesota (18), Maryland (25), Illinois (26), Nebraska (27) and Penn State (28).  The Wolverines received one first-place vote.

Iowa, who climbed as high as No. 15 in the 2023 rankings before finishing the year ranked 26th, returns 16 letterwinners, including two All-Big Ten selections in JerQuavia Henderson and Adeline Kenlin. Henderson is a three-time All-American and reigning co-Big Ten Champion on the floor, while Kenlin was the NCAA beam runner-up in 2022.

The Hawkeyes also added five newcomers to the roster, including four freshmen and one transfer.

Season tickets for the 2024 gymnastics season are on sale through the UI Athletics ticket office. Season tickets for adults are $30 and youth are free (ticket required). Tickets are available over the phone at 800-IA-HAWKS and online at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.

Iowa opens the 2024 season on Jan. 12, hosting Washington at 6:30 p.m. (CT) inside Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.

Iowa food bank shatters all-time record as specter of food insecurity looms larger

News

December 8th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s largest food bank set another record during November, distributing two-point-15 million pounds of food, the most ever during a single month. It tops the previous record set during the height of the pandemic in October of 2020. Annette Hacker, spokeswoman for the Food Bank of Iowa, says the number of Iowans facing food insecurity continues to climb at an alarming rate. “More than 191,000 individuals were served, and the sobering part of that is that 42% are children,” Hacker says. “In addition to those served at our partner pantries, thousands more sought help through meal sites the Food Bank of Iowa supports to the tune of about 175,000 meals served.”

Studies find up to 36 percent of Iowa families and individuals don’t make enough money to cover the cost of basic needs. Hacker says it’s a social injustice we can’t ignore. “Most of the people we serve are working people,” Hacker says. “There’s a misnomer that people who need food assistance are sitting at home on the couch and watching television and that’s simply not the case. Many of the people we serve are working two or three jobs, sometimes with no benefits, trying to string together a living but they’re really struggling.”

Hacker says there are three things the food bank always needs: food, funds and friends. “If you can come and volunteer, if you can donate to help us buy more food, if you can have a food drive yourself and bring in that food,” Hacker says, “and most of all to advocate for our neighbors who need help with food, and help others to realize this is a real problem in our state and in our country, and this should not be a place where anybody goes to bed hungry.”

The Food Bank of Iowa and its partners serve people in 55 counties.

Home explosion reported in Creston, Thursday

News

December 8th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Fire Department say firefighters were dispatched Thursday evening to a reported home explosion in the 600 block of N. Cedar St.    Union County Sheriff’s deputies and Creston police officers arrived on the scene first and determined the location. The spoke with residents to ensure no one else was in the house. Greater Regional Medics were on hand to care for the residents and firefighters as needed. (Photos via the Creston F.D. Facebook page)

Flames were visible through the front window as the fire department arrived on scene. Crews were able to begin a transitional attack through the living room window and front door before attacking the fire offensively inside the home. Exterior crews were able to extinguish fire that had extended to the basement. Interior crews successfully extinguished the fire on the 1st floor but had to overhaul and remove almost the entire ceiling from the residence. Mutual Aid from the Afton Fire Department was also received. Union County Emergency Management was also on scene to aide the homeowners.

The Creston Fire Department thanks all of their partners who come together during this and other emergency situations.

Supreme Court overturns Texas trucker’s drug conviction

News

December 8th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court says a search that led to a 2020 drug charge conviction against a Texas trucker was not legal. Stephen Arrieta stopped at the Northwood weigh station on I-35 after his automatic pass device failed to work. A D-O-T officer then inspected his truck and called for a drug dog. The drug dog alerted outside the truck and Arrieta admitted to having marijuana in the cab. He appealed his conviction for possession of a controlled substance, saying the stop was illegally delayed to allow the dog to show up.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruling says the officer had no reasonable suspicion to delay the stop and improperly detained Arrieta to allow the drug dog to arrive.

Adams County Sheriff’s report, 12/8/23: 9 arrests from 11/22-12/5; 4 arrested on drug charges

News

December 8th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Corning, Iowa) – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports a total of nine people were arrested between Nov. 22nd and Dec. 5th, including four people who were arrested on drug charges.

On Nov. 22nd, Adams County Deputies arrested 20-year-old Jasime Caplinger, 20-year-old Kally Burchett, and 18-year-old Jeffrea Van Scoy, all of Creston. They were taken into custody following a traffic stop on 150th Street at Willow Avenue, and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCS), as well as Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Additional charges on Van Scoy were pending lab results.

On the 23rd of November, 33-year-old Makinze Reed, of Lenox, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. Additional charges on Reed were also pending lab results.

November 27th, Adams County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 25-year-old Desiree Ladd, of Council Bluffs, on a warrant for Failure to Appear on original charges of Poss. of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Poss. of Prescription Medication.

54-year-old Patrick Jones, of Lenox, was arrested November 30th in Adams County, for OWI/1st Offense, and Interference with Official Acts.

December 1st, 35-year-old Jacob Franson, of Villisca, was charged in Adams County with PCS and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia.

This past Tuesday (Dec. 5), 21-year-old Christian Sexton, of Bellevue, NE, was charged in Adams County with Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in the investigation by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. And, 60-year-old Dennis Nekuda, of Corning, was arrested Dec. 5th for OWI/1st Offense. He was also cited for additional traffic violations.