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Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz previews Michigan

Sports

November 28th, 2023 by admin

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says the margin of error will be slim when the Hawkeyes play Michigan in the Big Ten Championship game. Iowa is a better than three touchdown underdog against a Wolverine team that will be in search of a third straight Big Ten title and third straight trip to the College Football Playoff. Seven years ago the Hawkeyes stunned Michigan 14-13 as a 20-point underdog.

Ferentz says the formula for an upset begins with limiting mistakes and taking advantage of some.

Iowa has thrived in close, low scoring games and posting an upset this week will likely require a similar path.

Ferentz says preparation for the championship game includes getting the players for an atmosphere that is unlike any road game.

Ferentz says Drew Stevens will handle the kicking chores after being removed from Friday’s win at Nebraska.

ISU’s Frost and SDSU’s Jordan Share Big 12 Wrestler of the Week Honors

Sports

November 28th, 2023 by admin

Iowa State’s Evan Frost and South Dakota State’s Tanner Jordan earned the first Big 12 wrestling weekly awards of their careers after ranked wins.

Frost took down No. 8 Brody Teske via an 8-1 decision in the 133-pound weight class for the first ranked win of his career at the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series clash. The top-10 matchup between the eighth-ranked Cyclones and No. 4 Iowa was the first regular season college wrestling meet to ever be aired on ESPN. The redshirt freshman took the lead in the third period with a takedown before using a tilt to turn Teske with 30 seconds left and ice the match. It is the second consecutive weekly award for Iowa State this season.

Jordan took down Minnesota’s Patrick McKee (No. 6/8) with a 9-3 decision to remain undefeated on the year. He led 3-2 entering the third period before securing the win with a reversal, three-point near-fall and riding-time point. The wildlife and fisheries science major is now 9-0 to start his senior year. It is the first weekly honor for South Dakota State this season. Jordan was also named the NCAA Wrestler of the Week.

A full list of the season’s Big 12 Wrestlers of the Week can be found here.

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DAVID FLACK, 75, of Avoca (12-9-2023)

Obituaries

November 28th, 2023 by Jim Field

DAVID FLACK, 75, of Avoca died November 21, 2023 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.  Celebration of Life for DAVID FLACK will be held on Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 11:00 am at the First Presbyterian Church in Walnut.  Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Avoca has the arrangements.

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Family will greet friends on December 9 from 9:00 am until 10:30 am at the church.

DAVID FLACK is survived by:

Wife:  Kathryn Flack of Avoca

Daughter:  Monica Fichter of Shelby

Sons:  Ryan (Melissa) Flack of Colorado Springs, CO; Ben Flack of Avoca; Brandon (Carolyn) Flack of Lakewood, CO

7 Grandchildren

Temperatures will warm up

News, Weather

November 28th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Temperatures are going to warm up in Iowa as we hit midweek. National Weather Service meteorologist, Alexis Jimenez, says temperatures will be more normal. “With highs tomorrow in the low to mid 40s. And then kind of dropping off into the 40s, low 40s again on Thursday, with a passing system and with some rain to the far southeast,” she says. Those temperatures would melt the snow, and that helps keep things warmer.

“Certainly with snow on the ground it keeps our temperatures lower a little bit, but once we push above freezing, that snow melts off and that effect kind of goes away,” Jimenez says. Jimenez says there doesn’t appear to be any big cold stretches coming up for now. “We’ll just sort of just trend on those lower temperatures as we get into December and approach the winter months here. But thankfully, generally we’re going to be near average for the foreseeable future,” she says.

Jimenez works out of the Johnston office and says the monthly snow total for Des Moines is running a little ahead of average. “The normal value is right at two inches for the month and we’ve had two-point-six inches so far. So we’re right on par with what we would usually want to see. November is generally a pretty dry month is because it’s getting into that colder season,” Jimenez says.

She says we might get some more snow into late Saturday into Sunday, especially for northern Iowa.

Lawsuit challenges Iowa law on sexually-graphic books, discussions of sexual orientation in K-6 classes

News

November 28th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa has filed a federal lawsuit that seeks to overturn parts of a new state law that forbids instruction about sexual orientation in elementary classrooms. It also requires schools to remove books with graphic sexual content and school administrators are to notify a parent when a student asks to be known by a different name or pronoun at school.

The lawsuit is filed on behalf of Iowa Safe Schools, a group that advocates for LGBTQ youth, and seven families with students in Iowa schools. Berry Stevens, a student in West Des Moines, spoke during an online news conference late this morning. “I am participating in this lawsuit because this law hurts all kinds of kids and it hurts many of my personal friends,” Stevens said. “We deserve to be able to express ourselves safely at school and we deserve to see ourselves in media, especially in books.”

Joe, Berry and Brigit Stevens, plaintiffs in the lawsuit (Lambda Legal photo; used with permission)

Percy Batista-Pedro of Waterloo, the leader of his high school’s gay-straight alliance, called the law blatant discrimination. “I’m scared of being harassed if I wear pride apparel or if I talk about my identity in class,” the 16 year old said. “This fear, which is shared by many of my transgender friends, is why I have chosen to be a plaintiff in this case.”

Belinda Scarott, Percy’s mom, said the law is unnecessarily cruel. “This law only serves to make life more perilous for him and more terrifying for me,” Scarott said. “…I spend my days worrying about what potential damage the school day might do to my child’s physical or mental well-being.”

Thomas Story, staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, contends the state law violates free speech and equal protection provisions in the U.S. Constitution. “This law is deeply confusing and schools have been at a loss on how to comply, even after consulting with their attorneys,” Story said. “This law has thrown the school year into chaos.”

Lambda Legal, which represented same-sex couples who successfully sued for the right to marry in Iowa, is also representing the students and parents who’ve filed this lawsuit.

“Protecting children from pornography and sexually explicit content shouldn’t be controversial,” Governor Kim Reynolds said in a written statement released early this afternoon. “…Books with graphic depictions of sex acts have absolutely no place in our schools.”

DAISY Award Presented to Michelle Gelner, RN, BSN

News

November 28th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

Atlantic, IA – Cass Health officials said Tuesday (Today), the newest DAISY Award winning nurse is Michelle Gelner, RN, BSN. Her nominator wrote, “I came to the emergency room at about 12:30 am and was seen immediately by the nurse. Her professional manner, knowledge, and care were exemplary. She stayed with me in every respect – her calm manner and kindness relieved my anxiety, which came as a result of convulsive coughing and inability to catch my breath. She accompanied me and helped me through a number of exams, including blood work and x-rays. I felt so cared for an I really appreciated it. She was focused, professional, patient and caring.”

Gelner commented, “It is an honor to be selected for the DAISY Award. I didn’t go into this career looking for gratitude and recognition. When I decided to leave the Army, I wanted a career that would positively impact people’s lives. I also wanted a career that was challenging, flexible, and had diverse opportunities. Nursing also allows you to build a family with your patients, coworkers, and community. I loved hearing that my patient felt at ease, cared for, and valued while in the Emergency Department. This award is not just for me, it is for the team effort to provide that best patient care possible.”

Michelle Gelner, RN, BSN

Since joining Cass Health in 2019, Gelner has lead the way in delivering high-quality clinical care and exceptional patient experiences in many departments – among them, OB, inpatient, emergency and as a house supervisor. Gelner recently took on a leadership role and is now the Director of Cardiac Rehab.

Chief Operating Officer Amanda Bireline presented the award to Gelner and said, “As expected, she is already shining as a leader – gaining the trust of her teams and the patients they serve. Michelle is level-headed, collaborative, steadfast and, more than many, understands the value of the human relationship,”

Nurses at Cass Health are honored twice annually with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.® The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate care nurses provide to patients and families every day. The DAISY Award committee at Cass Health thanks all nominators for their submissions. Each nurse who was nominated will be presented with a special pin and a copy of the nomination.

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

This is one initiative of The DAISY Foundation to express gratitude to the nursing profession. Additionally, DAISY offers J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, The DAISY Faculty Award to honor inspiring faculty members in schools and colleges of nursing, and The DAISY in Training Award for nursing students.

More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org. An online nomination form is available at https://www.casshealth.org/daisy.

Cardiologist Dr. John Henry to Speak at Next Healthy U

News

November 28th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

Atlantic, IA – The December session of Cass Health’s Healthy U lunch-and-learn series will feature cardiologist Dr. John Henry. The session will be held on Tuesday, December 5 at noon in Conference Room 2 at Cass Health.

Space is limited! A free boxed lunch is provided for all attendees, so reservations are required. Call 712-243-7479 to reserve your seat. For more information about Healthy U, visit casshealth.org/healthyu.

DeJean, Taylor Earn Top Honors; 12 Hawkeyes Recognized

Sports

November 28th, 2023 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Two University of Iowa football student-athletes – junior Cooper DeJean and senior Tory Taylor – were recognized with Big Ten Conference positional player of the year awards on Tuesday.

DeJean was named the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and the Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year, while Taylor was recognized as the Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year.

The Hawkeyes had a total of 12 players earn all-conference recognition on defense and special teams.  The conference office will announce the offensive honors Wednesday.

DeJean was tabbed first-team All-Big Ten as a defensive back and return specialist by both league head coaches and voting media. Joining DeJean with first-team accolades are LB Jay Higgins (coaches; media) and Taylor (coaches; media). DB Sebastian Castro was second team (media) and honorable mention by the coaches. Three Hawkeyes earned third-team all-conference recognition: DE Joe Evans (media), LB Nick Jackson (media) and PK Drew Stevens (coaches) with each player being recognized as honorable mention by the other voting group.

Iowa had four additional players garner honorable mention recognition, including DL Yahya Black (coaches; media); DL Deontae Craig (media); DL Logan Lee (coaches; media); DB Quinn Schulte (coaches; media).

DeJean is the sixth Hawkeye to be voted the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year since the award was introduced in 2011. Other honorees include: Micah Hyde (2012), Desmond King (2015), Josh Jackson (2016), Amani Hooker (2017) and Riley Moss (2021).  DeJean joins former Hawkeyes Ihmir Smith-Marsette (2018) and Charlie Jones (2021) as winners of the Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year.

Taylor was named the Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year for a second time, having previously won the award as a freshman in 2020.  He is the first punter in league history to earn the distinction more than once.

DeJean was one of top defensive players in the nation before going down with a season-ending injury in Week 12.  The Odebolt, Iowa, native had 41 tackles, two TFL, two interceptions and five pass breakups in 10 games. He didn’t allow a touchdown pass in nearly 400 snaps in coverage in 2023.

As a punt returner, DeJean was one of the nation’s best.  He had a 70-yard punt return for a game-winning touchdown against Michigan State and he had a second touchdown return for the game-winning score negated because of an “illegal fair catch” penalty against Minnesota.  DeJean leads the Big Ten and ranks 14th nationally, averaging 11.5 yards per return.

Taylor leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally with a 47.7-yard punting average on 79 punts – the most in FBS – in 2023.  The Australian has boomed 31 punts 50 or more yards (five punts of 60+), 26 have been fair caught and 29 have been downed inside the 20, 11 inside the 10 and six inside the 5.  Taylor, who set the Iowa single-season punt yardage mark for a third straight season and both the career punts and career yardage records, only has five touchbacks in 2023.

Higgins has been a tackling machine for Iowa’s defense, racking up 141 tackles – the most in the Big Ten, the third-most nationally (most by a Power 5 player) and the sixth-most in a single season in school history.  The Indianapolis native has led the team in tackles in 10 of 12 games with two 15+ tackle games and eight games with 10 or more stops.

Castro has 52 tackles, nine tackles for loss, one sack and a team-best three interceptions out of the CASH position.  The Illinois native had a 30-yard pick six in Iowa’s road win at Iowa State and he had the game-sealing interception in the road win at Wisconsin.

Evans earns All-Big Ten honors for a second straight year after accumulating 41 tackles and team-bests in sacks (5.5) and TFL (9.5) during the regular season.  The Ames, Iowa, native has 24 career sacks, which are tied for the sixth-most in a single season in school history.

Jackson garners his second straight all-conference nod (first in the Big Ten) after earning second-team All-ACC honors in 2022.  The Georgia native has 91 tackles in 2023 to rank second on the team and eighth in the Big Ten.   He also has accumulated eight TFL, four sacks, two forced fumbles and seven hurries in his first season as a Hawkeye.

Stevens has made 18-of-26 field goal attempts during his sophomore season, including a four-field goal game in the win over Michigan State and a three-field goal contest in the victory over Rutgers.  The South Carolina native also drilled a 53-yard game-winner with 14 seconds remaining in the road win at Northwestern.

Black, Craig and Lee have each started every game on the defensive line in 2023, while Schulte has been the leader of Iowa’s defensive secondary throughout the season.

Black has 46 tackles, four TFL and a forced fumble that resulted in a safety at Wisconsin, Craig has 48 tackles, four TFL and two sacks, and Lee has 49 tackles, 4.5 TFL and two sacks.  Lee also blocked a field goal in the road win at Iowa State.

Schulte has 59 tackles as Iowa’s free safety, which are third-most on the team.  The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native also has 2.5 TFL, three pass breakups and one interception, which came in the shutout victory over Rutgers.

Iowa’s defense has been one of the nation’s best in 2023, ranking fourth nationally with a 12.2 scoring defense.  The Hawkeyes have allowed one touchdown or less in 10 of their 12 games this season.  The 12.2 scoring average would be the best for the program since 1981.

Iowa, the Big Ten West Division champion for the second time in three years, will face No. 2 Michigan in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. (CT) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.  The game will be televised on FOX.

2023 ALL-BIG TEN (DEFENSE & SPECIAL TEAMS) 

FIRST TEAM 

LB Jay Higgins (coaches; media)

DB Cooper DeJean (coaches; media)

P Tory Taylor (coaches; media)

RS Cooper DeJean (coaches; media)

SECOND TEAM 

DB Sebastian Castro (media)

THIRD TEAM 

DL Joe Evans (media)

LB Nick Jackson (media)

PK Drew Stevens (coaches)

HONORABLE MENTION 

DL Yahya Black (coaches media); DB Sebastian Castro (coaches); DL Deontae Craig (media); DL Joe Evans (coaches); LB Nick Jackson (coaches); DL Logan Lee (coaches; media); DB Quinn Schulte (coaches; media); PK Drew Stevens (media)

Atlantic School Board to hold their Annual/Organization Meeting Nov. 29th

News

November 28th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board will hold a regular, Annual meeting beginning at 5:30-p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29th, in the High School Media Center (On YouTube, HERE). On their agenda is the Final Meeting of the Retiring board, and Organizational Meeting of the New Board. Those respective agenda’s are as follows: (Updated agenda as of 3:34-p.m. 11/28)

Final Meeting of the Retiring Board
1. Call to Order, Board President
2. Roll Call, Board Secretary
3. Approve agenda
4. Welcome Visitors/Communication from the Public
5. Unfinished Business
a. Approval of November 8, 2023 Board Minutes
b. Highlights from Iowa School Board Convention
c. Presentation of IASB Award(s)
d. Resignations and/or Recommendations to Hire
i. Resignation: Kelli Evans, High School Nurse
ii. Resignation: Tori Brummer, Freshman Volleyball Coach
iii. Resignation: Megan Andersen, Kitchen Staff
iv. Recommendation to Hire: Kelli Evans, Director of Health Services
v. Recommendation to Hire: Megan Andersen, Media Center Para
e. Modification consideration for Early Retirement Plan for Certified Staff
f. Consideration of Early Retirement for Non-Certified Staff
g. Review 2022-2023 fiscal year
h. Review of Election Results, Abstract of Votes
i. Recognition to Jenny Williams and Nick Hunt
6. Adjournment of Retiring Board

Organizational Meeting of the New Board
Board Secretary as President pro tem will preside over meeting until new board president is elected
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Oath of Office to new Board Directors (Gini Jordan & Jodi Stowater-Goodrich)
4. Election of a President for the Board, Ask for nominations. Nominations do not need seconded
a. Administer Oath of Office to new Board President
5. Election of Vice President, President asks for nominations. Nominations do not need to be seconded
a. Oath of office to new Board Vice-President
6. Appoint Board Secretary and Treasurer
a. Oath of office to Board Secretary/Treasurer
7. Appoint Cass County Conference Board Representative
8. Determining dates, time and location for regular board meetings
9. Establish Official Publication
10. Designate Legal Counsel
11. Appoint signers for District checks
12. Resolution for District’s Depository Institution and maximum deposit amount
13. Adjournment of Organizational Meeting

Iowa’s Joe Evans previews B1G Championship Game against No. 2 Michigan

Sports

November 28th, 2023 by admin

Iowa defensive end Joe Evans says the 18th ranked Hawkeyes have embraced the role of underdog as the prepare for the Big Ten Championship game against second ranked Michigan. The Wolverines are a better than three touchdown favorite as they bid for a third straight league title and third straight trip to the college football playoff.

The Hawkeyes have overcome a string of injuries and a struggling offense to reach the title game for the second time in three years.

Evans admits to being star struck two years ago when Iowa lost to Michigan 42-3 in Indianapolis.