United Group Insurance

Congressmen stumping for Trump and DeSantis bring up budget beefs

News

December 18th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Two Republican congressmen have just made trips to Iowa in support of two different G-O-P presidential candidates, bringing along their complaints about the U-S House and federal spending. Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie joined Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at events in Fort Dodge and Johnston this weekend. Massie talked about forcing members of the U-S House to vote in person, in March of 2020, on the two TRILLION dollar pandemic relief package.

“Everybody hated me for it, for making them come to Washington, D.C.,” Massie said, “and there were $1200 checks, even among some Republicans.” President Trump, who supported and quickly signed the package, called Massie a third rate grandstander for his parliamentary move, which delayed passage of the bill. Massie says Trump threatened him by phone.

“And he said: ‘I’m coming at you like you’ve never seen…I’m backing your primary opponent and you’re going to lose. I’m more popular than you,'” Massie said, imitating Trump’s voice, then Massie added in his own voice: “Well, I went back in there and I objected anyway.” Massie says that bill has caused inflation for years down the road. Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz made a solo stop for Trump in Cedar Rapids on Friday. Gaetz, who helped oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker, complained about the budget process the new speaker is pursuing.

“I am trying to bring some sanity to Washington, D.C.,” Gaetz said, “and they all think I’m crazy, but I kind of think they are.” Gaetz says it’s crazy for congress to vote on the entire budget of the United States of America all at once. “We would all want to be there for our troops and our veterans and the elderly and the disabled,” Gaetz said, “but when you are required to vote for those programs alongside all of the waste and wokeness, then you don’t get the type of itemized review that can put downward pressure on spending.”

Gaetz says the process lets members of congress from both parties avoid making tough decisions. Trump is scheduled to speak in Waterloo tomorrow (Tuesday). DeSantis is campaigning in Adel this (Monday) morning with Governor Reynolds.

Quaker Oats recalls Chewy bars, granola-based cereals

News

December 18th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Quaker Oats has recalled 40 different granola bar and granola cereal products due to salmonella concerns. The affected products include various flavors of Quaker Chewy Bars and seven types of Quaker Puffed Granola or Simply Granola Cereals. Go to the Quaker Oats website for a  list of all the products and the use-by dates on the boxes.

The products were sold in all 50 states. The company says there have been no confirmed cases of salmonella linked to their products, but it recommends throwing away the products that have been recalled

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Monday, Dec. 18, 2023

Weather

December 18th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

Today: Sunny, with a high near 34. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 7 to 12 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 18. Wind chill values as low as 10. Light and variable wind becoming south 6 to 11 mph after midnight.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 43. Wind chill values as low as 10. Breezy, with a south wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 49.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 43. Our Low this morning was 22. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 27 and the Low was 4. The Record High on December 18th in Atlantic, was 66 in 1976. The Record Low was -28 in 1983. Sunrise is at 7:41. Sunset is at 4:51.

Iowa State Tackles Florida A&M, 96-58

Sports

December 17th, 2023 by admin

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State (9-2, 0-0 Big 12) won its seventh-straight game in the confines of Hilton Coliseum, taking down Florida A&M (2-7, 0-0 SWAC), 96-58 on Sunday evening.

The Cyclones continued their solid scoring efforts, scoring 90-plus points for the fourth consecutive game. It’s the first time an ISU squad has done that since 2013-14 when the team did so from Nov. 20-Dec. 7, 2013.

ISU was led by a balanced effort as five different Cyclones finished with double-digit points for the second straight game, spearheaded by sophomore guard Tamin Lipsey’s 19. Lipsey was joined by Tre King (18), Milan Momcilovic (14), Jackson Paveletzke (13) and Keshon Gilbert (10) in double figures.

King recorded his first double-double in a Cyclone uniform, going for 18 and 10 rebounds on an efficient 8-of-11 from the floor. Lipsey set a new personal best for threes in a game, shattering his old high of two with five triples, also chipping in five dimes. Paveletzke notched an ISU-best 13 points, canning a trio of triples.

Florida A&M was led on offense by Keith Lamar, who was red hot from deep, cashing 7-of-13 3-pointers to end the game with 27 points and eight boards. Morrell Schramm also finished in double-figures with 10 points as the team’s leading scorer – Love Bettis – had to exit the game early with an injury.

Iowa State finished with just five turnovers on the day, the second-fewest in the T.J. Otzelberger era. ISU tallied 15 steals, forcing 23 Rattler turnovers and scoring 31 points off of them. The Cyclones ended the game, shooting 59 percent from the floor and 50 percent from deep.

How It Happened
The Cyclones jumped on the Rattlers early, forcing eight turnovers in the first eight minutes to race out to a 21-8 lead. King had it going early for ISU, as he scored the first seven points for Iowa State.

ISU would continue its run, stretching the lead to as much as 25, 36-11, in the first half. FAMU’s Lamar kept the Rattlers offense on the tracks despite earning his third foul in the first stanza. At the break, Lamar had 11 points and was 3-of-3 from deep.

The second half was much of the same, as Iowa State kept control of the game with strong defense and shooting. After cashing three triples in the first half, Lipsey added two more to his total, while Lamar added four threes in the second period.

The Cyclone lead grew to as large as 39 points with a minute and a half remaining before they went on to win by 38.

Top Performer
Tre King continued his hot run, earning his first double-double as an Iowa State Cyclone. The senior out of Lexington, Ky., surpassed his season high of eight boards with 10 to achieve the feat. Overall, it is King’s ninth career double-double, with the previous eight coming at Eastern Kentucky.

Saturday’s Area High School Boy’s and Girl’s Basketball Scores

Sports

December 17th, 2023 by admin

Girls Basketball

#5 Nodaway Valley 51, Underwood 46
#1 Dallas Center-Grimes 42, #15 Xavier 41
Omaha Central 59, Council Bluffs Lincoln 37
#14 Kuemper Catholic 63, Greene County 2

Boys Basketball

Underwood 75, Red Oak 58
Kuemper Catholic 87, Greene County 49
Omaha Central 74, Council Bluffs Lincoln 65

Iowa Men’s Basketball Gets Back on Rails After Win Over Florida A&M

Sports

December 17th, 2023 by admin

(Des Moines, IA) – After a three-game losing streak, the Hawkeyes jumped back on the rails as they were able to beat Florida 88-52 in Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday. The Hawkeyes have now won seven of their last eight games in Wells Fargo Arena since 2013.

Four players knocked in double-digits on the night as the leader in the game for the Hawkeyes was Owen Freeman. The freshman knocked in 14 points while grabbing 11 boards for a double-double. Payton Sandford was right behind him with 13 points and three rebounds while Tony Perkins and Brock Harding combined for 22 points with 12 and 10 points respectively. Iowa shot 54% from the field while going 10-26 on the night from the perimeter.

On the opposite end, Florida A&M was led by K’Jei Parker with 11 points and three rebounds. Both Hantz Louis-Jeune and Love Bettis knocked down seven points each. The Hawkeyes outrebounded the Rattlers 52-34 and had a 22-9 advantage in the assist game.

Iowa is one of the top defensive teams in the country as they knocked down 88 points tonight and average 84.8 points per game as they rank second in offense in the Big Ten. Coach McCaffery is now just five wins from becoming the winningest coach in Iowa basketball history. He needs just one more win to have the most Big Ten victories in program history.

The Hawkeyes are going to take on UMBC this Wednesday, December 20th at 7:00 p.m.

#4 Hawkeyes Rule the Hardwood in 104-75 Win Over Cleveland State

Sports

December 17th, 2023 by admin

(Des Moines, IA) – The Iowa women’s basketball team defeated Cleveland State onSaturday 104-75. The Hawkeyes are now 11-1 on the season for the ninth time that the Hawkeyes are 11-1 to start their season in program history.

Leading in the game was none other than Caitlin Clark as she put down 38 points, dished out five assists, and five boards. Clark shot 61% from the field while also knocking down nine threes in the game. This was Clark’s 13th game with 35+ points 5+ assists, and 5+ rebounds which is the most in women’s college basketball since 2009-10. She is now the all-time leader in 30+ points performances with 42 for the most in both men’s and women’s college basketball. Right behind Clark was Hannah Stuelke as she put down 17 points and 13 rebounds for another double-double which marks the second in her career. Kate Martin also put down 15 points and grabbed six boards while Sharon Goodman ended up second on the team in rebounds with ten.

On the opposite end, Cleveland State featured four double-digit scorers including Mickayla Perdue who knocked down 24 points against Iowa. Colbi Maples was able to put down 18 points while dishing out six assists. Carmen Villalobos and Sara Guerreiro finished the game with 13 and 10 points respectively.

Head Coach Lisa Bluder has brought the Hawkeyes to five 11-1 starts. In the postgame, Bluder thanked fans for the sold-out Wells Fargo Arena in which, “I (Bluder) thought we did a nice job putting on a good show.” Iowa is currently on an eight-game winning streak with their only loss this season to the Wildcats of Kansas State. Iowa also has won eight games this season by 20+ points or more.

The Hawkeyes will be taking on Loyola-Chicago in their last non-conference matchup this Thursday at 5:00 p.m.

Jordan and Smith Win Individual Titles for Atlantic at Jim Kinyon Wrestling Invite

Sports

December 17th, 2023 by admin

Two Atlantic wrestlers won individual titles at the Jim Kinyon Norseman Invitational Wrestling Tournament on Saturday at Roland-Story High School.

Taye Jordan (17-4) defeated Drake Howard (16-7) of Sergeant-Bluffs-Luton in the (106) weight class finals by fall in 2:41.  Aiden Smith, at (126), now 19-1, pinned Kolton Munson, now 14-1,  of Ogden in 1:10. Braxton Hass (113) finished in third place.

Team Standings: 

  1. Sergeant Bluff 163.0
  2. Hampton-Dumont-CAL 155.5
  3. Anamosa 151.0
  4. Roland-Story 147.0
  5. Woodward-Granger 143.5
  6. Southeast Polk 132.5
  7. Winterset 113.0
  8. Earlham, 98.0
  9. Grinnell 91.5
  10. Atlantic 80.0
  11. ACGC 79.0
  12. Estherville Lincoln Central 75.0
  13. Ogden 71.0
  14. Saint Ansgar 65.0
  15. Gilbert 57.0
  16. East Marshall/GMG 46.0
  17. Eagle Grove 39.0
  18. South Hamilton 37.5
  19. Southeast Valley 6.0

Shenandoah Girl’s Wrestling Tournament Final Results

Sports

December 17th, 2023 by admin

In the Shenandoah Girl’s Wrestling Tournament, Missouri Valley ended out on top as they won with 207.5 points. The Lady Reds featured five first-place finishers in the tournament. Those first-place finishers include Jordan Buffum (120), Brooklyn Lange (135), Nicole Olson (155), Maya Zappia (190), and Jocelyn Buffum (235). Clarinda finished in fourth with 95 points while they featured Jalon Olson (170) Randi Welchans (115), Kylar Downey (130) in first, Kambry Gordon (110) in second, and Alayna Shepherd (145) in third. Harlan came in 11th with 33 points but did place both Ivy Stevens (130) and Kyrsten Madden (140) in fourth while Secilia Kurtz (125) came in fifth. The team results are below followed by all the individual match results by weight class.

Team Results

1 Missouri Valley MIVA 207.5
2 Western Iowa WI 141.0
3 Hinton HINT 120.0
4 Clarinda CLAR 95.0
5 CBCSD Co-Op Wrestling CBCS 51.5
6 Treynor TREY 51.0
7 Logan-Magnolia LOMA 41.0
8 East Mills EAMI 40.0
9 Shenandoah SHEN 35.0
10 Lewis Central LECE 33.5
11 Harlan Community HARL 33.0
12 Essex ESSX 0.0

Hawkeyes Go 3-0 at Desert Duals

Sports

December 17th, 2023 by admin

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The University of Iowa women’s wrestling team went three-for-three today at the Las Vegas Desert Duals in the Flamingo Hotel and Casino. The top-ranked Hawkeyes faced Adams State, fourth-ranked Colorado Mesa, and eighth-ranked Simon Fraser.

The Hawkeyes defeated Adams State, 34-11, in their first dual of the day, earning three pins, one technical fall, and three forfeits. At 109, Sterling Dias started the dual off with a pin, 1:37 into the first period over Julianna Candelaria. Emily Frost defeated Trinity Perez at 130 with a 12-2 tech. fall. Reese Larramendy notched the second fall for Iowa in just 42 seconds at 143 over Liana Fernandez. At 155, Ella Schmit made quick work with her 58 second pin over Miranda Sanchez. Ava Rose, Haley Ward, and Alivia White all won via forfeits.

Iowa continued with a win over Colorado Mesa in the second dual of the afternoon, 25-20. Dias kicked it off at 101 with a 6-0 decision over eighth-ranked Isabella Morales. With the Hawkeyes giving up two forfeits at 109 and 116, Rose came in at 123 and secured a tech. fall over Hania Halverson, 16-6. Frost continued the dual at 130, notching a decision over Kaydence Boyd, 6-1. With Iowa behind 17-10, Schmit closed in the gap securing a pin in 1:06 over Erica Schroeder at 143. Larramendy gave Iowa the lead at 155 with her 10-0 tech. fall over Celina Cooke. At 170, Haley Ward brought another five team points in downing Samantha Vasquez via a pin in 1:01.

The Hawkeyes finished their dual sweep clinching the win against Simon Frasier, 24-23. Dias opened at 101 with a 1:00 pin against Gina Bolognese. After three forfeits and two losses favoring the Red Leafs the Hawkeyes trailed 5-23. Schmit put Iowa back on the board with a 26-second pin against Clara Scaglioni at 143 pounds. Larramendy continued with a 10-0 tech. fall over 10th-ranked Paige Maher at 155, cutting the Iowa deficit to nine. Ward and Alivia White persisted, putting Iowa ahead with two pins. Ward notched a pin in 1:49 over Mikaela Trolland at 170, while White took just 2:25 to finish her pin against fourth-ranked Julia Richey to secure the win for the Hawkeyes.

HEAR FROM FIRST-RANKED REESE LARRAMENDY

“This was an important challenge for us to face at this point in our season. Every team member stepped up and gave a 100% effort, which is what we do in practice every single day, overcome challenges.”

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes will head to Coralville, Iowa, to compete in the second annual Soldier Salute tournament on December 29-30th. The first session will start at 10 a.m. (CT) and will be streamed on B1G+, and tickets can be purchased on xtreamarena.evenue.net.