IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Malcom Hill scored 21 points and hauled down eight rebounds and Illinois held on for a 70-66 win over Iowa on Saturday. Michael Finke, Jalen Coleman-Lands and Te’Jon Lucas each scored 12 points for the Illini (15-12, 5-9 Big Ten).
Lucas blocked Jordan Bohannon’s go-ahead layup attempt in the final two minutes and then Coleman-Lands hit a corner 3-pointer with 1:32 left to help Illinois win its second true road game of the season. Peter Jok had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead Iowa (14-13, 6-8). The Hawkeyes have lost three straight.
Iowa had plenty of chances late. The Hawkeyes missed five of their six shots in the final 1:45 and had a nearly seven-minute stretch without a field goal earlier in the second half. Tyler Cook had 14 points and Bohannon added 11 for Iowa.
Iowa Republican Senator Tom Shipley, from Nodaway and Republican Representative Tom Moore, of Griswold, spent about 90-minutes taking questions and defending their position on the issues, Saturday, before a large crowd at the Walnut Street Farmer’s Diner, in Atlantic. The men spoke during a legislative coffee sponsored by Farm Bureau. Among the hot topics of interest among those in attendance, was the role of Managed Care Organizations (MCO’s) in the area of mental health, the recently signed bill by Governor Branstad pertaining to Collective Bargaining, and the defunding of Planned Parenthood.
Pastor Nancy Jensen said she buried two people last year who had mental health issues but had nowhere to go for treatment. One of the individuals ended up committing suicide. The other died from an accidental overdose.
Rep. Tom Moore (R) – Griswold
One of the persons was in their 20’s, the other in their 40’s. Jensen said the wait time for mental health care is days, and even months, because the system has been “completely overwhelmed,” over the past couple of years. She asked if Shipley and Moore would be willing to “take a stand” and help oversee Managed Care companies.
Moore said the Iowa Department of Human Services is taking an extensive look into the system that finds beds for mental health patients.
Senator Tom Shipley (R) – Nodaway
One person said providers for mental health care are not getting paid by Managed Care companies. Shipley suggested anyone with concerns e-mail him with the pertinent information, so that he can resolve provider pay errors and delays. Both men agreed the “system” is a long way away from being fixed.
Shipley came under fire when it came to the topic of Collective Bargaining. He said he voted for the bill signed by Governor Branstad, but then admitted he didn’t read the bill that closely. Shipley later backtracked, and said his interpretation of what was in the bill was different that what it actually said.
The question of “What’s next” was brought up, with regard to concessions over Collective Bargaining, and the topic of IPERS was mentioned. Specifically, Senate File 45, a bill which was introduced by Republican Senator Brad Zaun, and is entitled “An Act providing for the development of a mandatory defined contribution pension plan for certain public employees.” It states peace officers (State Troopers/DCI/DPS/Fire Marshal and Narcotics Division) hired after July 1st, 2019, ARE NOT eligible to participate in the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS). (https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/87/SF45.pdf)
Representative Tom Moore said he knows what his vote would be on the bill.
(He says he would be a “No” vote if there are any detrimental changes to IPERS benefits are brought before him.)
Senator Shipley said he contacted the Governor’s Office about the bill, but hasn’t heard back on any proposed amendments.
TERRY HOBSON, 68, of Ames (& formerly of Oakland), died Saturday, Feb 18th, at Mary Greeley Medical Center, in Ames. Funeral services for TERRY HOBSON will be held 11-a.m. Wed., Feb. 22nd, at the Oakland United Methodist Church. Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland has the arrangements.
A masonic service will be held at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, at the Oakland United Methodist Church, followed by visitation with the family until the time of the service.
Interment will be at the Macedonia Cemetery at a later date.
TERRY HOBSON is survived by:
His wife – Jerrine.
His daughter – Heather Hobson of Denver, CO.
His son – John (Mary) Hobson of Newport Beach, CA
His brothers – Richard (Pam) of Albert Lea, MN; Dwight (Denise) Hobson of Oakland
His sisters – Sally Komrofske of Omaha, NE,; Deborah (Dave) McDaniels of Indianola; Rosa (Charles) Dent of Audubon, and Patty Hibler of Louisville, NE,
A man who was allegedly acting in a disorderly manner at a Red Oak pawn shop, was arrested Saturday morning for Breach of Peace. Red Oak Police say 43-year old James Reed Mitroff II, of Red Oak, was found to be intoxicated and acting in a disorderly manner. He was taken into custody at around 10:30-a.m. and held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 cash bond.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – Landry Shamet and Darral Willis Jr. scored 14 points apiece and Wichita State throttled Northern Iowa 77-43 on Saturday to run its winning streak to 10. Markis McDuffie added 12 points for the Shockers (25-5, 15-1 Missouri Valley), who reached 25 wins for the eighth year in a row. Shamet hit four 3-pointers and Wills grabbed 11 rebounds to help Wichita State dominate the boards 48-23.
Spencer Haldeman had 13 points for the Panthers (14-13, 9-7), who had won four straight and nine of 10. Northern Iowa had to make two of its last three shots to finish at 27.5 percent (14 of 51) and avoid its worst shooting game of the season and lowest point total (42).
Wichita State, which has had 10-game winning streaks 10 times dating back to the 1920-21 season, took control early with a 9-0 run. The Shockers led 38-26 at the half and, after the Panthers scored the first six points of the second half, a 14-2 run broke it open. Only twice all game did Northern Iowa make baskets on consecutive possessions.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A group associated with the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce has hired a director to focus on boosting activities near the Missouri River. The Omaha World-Herald reports that former Lincoln Railyard employee Rachel Halbmaier began Monday at the Missouri River Commons initiative.
The push to bring more events to the riverfront comes after a 2014 Urban Land Institute study. The group suggested the Omaha-Council Bluffs area come together to bring more people to the riverfront, and even potentially hold a national festival.
Chamber President David Brown says that before anything big can develop, Halbmaier will work to ensure people are using the current riverfront amenities. Brown says residents can expect to start seeing results from Halbmaier’s work by next year.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – U.S. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska says he will re-introduce a measure aimed at helping secure citizenship for the widower of an Omaha police officer killed in the line of duty nearly two years ago. The measure, first introduced by former Nebraska Congressman Brad Ashford and dubbed the Kerrie Orozco Act, would expedite the citizenship process for spouses of first responders who are killed on the job.
Bacon, a Republican, defeated Ashford, a Democrat, in November in the race to represent the state’s 2nd congressional district, which encompasses the Omaha area.
Kerrie Orozco was fatally shot in May 2015 while trying to make an arrest. Her husband, Hector Orozco, is now a single father to three children, including the one Kerrie Orozco delivered only three months before her death.