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Runaway boat & trailer strike a pickup truck in Afton

News

August 19th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Afton, Iowa) – A boat loaded onto a trailer that was parked in a ditch, somehow managed to roll down the ditch and into a pickup truck Saturday night, in Afton. According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the owner of the boat/trailer had chocked the tires of the trailer, which struck the driver’s side of his parked, 2016 Chevy pickup truck located in the man’s driveway.

The boat’s propeller went into the side of the pickup. The mishap resulted in a police-estimated $3,000 damage to the pickup, and $300 damage to the lower portion of the boat, owned by Derrick Ellsworth, of Afton. No one was injured in the accident, that happened at around 11:30-p.m., Saturday.

KRISTOFER “KRIS” BRAMMAN, 45, of Oakland (Celebration Of Life Svc 8/22/2024)

Obituaries

August 19th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

KRISTOFER “KRIS” BRAMMAN, 45, of Oakland, died at home on Saturday, August 17, 2024.  A Celebration of Life Memorial Service for KRIS BRAMMAN will be held 10:30-a.m Thursday, August 22nd, at the Oakland Community Building, in Oakland. Rieken Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland is assisting the family.

Visitation with the family will be held on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, from 4:30 PM until 7:30 PM, at the Oakland Community Building in Oakland.

Casual dress is requested at both the visitation and celebration of life service.  If you have a “Bramman Strong” shirt, please wear it to the visitation.  Please wear you favorite sports team gear (preferably Michigan) to the celebration of life service.

Interment will be in the Graceland Cemetery in Avoca,  at a later date.

KRISTOFER “KRIS” BRAMMAN is survived by:

His wife – Jamie Bramman.

His children – Davis and Danielle Bramman.

His parents – Peter (Shona) Bramman.

His sister – Brooklyn (Travis) Christian

His grandmother – Marcy (Robert) Jones.

Other relatives, in-laws and friends.

Reynolds stresses nutrition component, bulk purchases in her summer meals for kids idea

News

August 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says she’s undeterred by criticism of her proposed alternative to providing food next summer to low income households with children who qualify for a free or reduced price lunch during the school year. The U-S-D-A will provide 120 dollars in electronic benefits for each child in the summer. Reynolds rejected the 29 million dollars in benefits for Iowa families for THIS summer AND next — and is proposing the state provide food boxes to families next summer.

Last week, a U-S-D-A spokesperson said the governor is asserting the State knows better than its own families do about what their needs are. Reynolds says the state’s Summer Food Service Program — which she would expand — has been providing meals and snacks to children in low-income areas of the state. And Reynolds stresses that having the state rather than families buy the food is key.

Iowa was one of 13 states which did not accept the additional food benefits this summer.

Deadly weekend on Iowa roads: 5 die in separate accidents

News

August 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Statewide News) – Authorities in Iowa say (as of late Sunday afternoon), five people died in separate crashes over the past three days. Sunday morning, a man from Minnesota died in a single-vehicle rollover accident in northern Iowa’s Winnebago County. The Iowa State Patrol says 63-year-old Mark Claassen, from Albert Lea, MN, died, when his pickup left the road and rolled several times, after he failed to negotiate a curve on 200th Avenue near 485th Street near Lake Mills. Claassen, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected and died at the scene.

(also reported in a separate posting on the kjan.com News page) – A collision on a curve early this (Sunday) morning in Webster County, claimed the life of a woman from Rockwell City. The Iowa State Patrol reports the accident happened at around 3:15-a.m. near Moorland, on D-20, on the curve near Hayes Avenue. A 2010 GMC Acadia SUV driven by 30-year-old Sasha Brown, of Rockwell City, was traveling west on D-20, when the vehicle crossed the center-line of the road and collided with an eastbound semi driven by 47-year-old Wyatt Lundberg, of Fort Dodge. Brown died at the scene. She was not wearing a seat belt. Lundberg was checked-out by medics and released. The Patrol was assisted by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office and Moorland Fire Department.

Saturday night, a collision in northwest Iowa’s Plymouth County resulted in two deaths and two people injured. The State Patrol says a pickup truck driven by 43-year-old Julio Cesar Pena, of LeMars, was traveling east on Plymouth County Road C-12 at around 10:30-p.m., when Pena failed to stop at the intersection with Highway K-22. His vehicle was struck by an ambulance  driven by 21-year-old Courtney Nicole Johnson, of Sioux City (IA). The private ambulance was southbound on K-22 and transporting a patient in a non-emergency status (no lights/siren), when the collision occurred.

Pena and the ambulance patient, 94-year-old Ernest John Petty, of Elk Point, SD, died at the scene. Courtney Johnson suffered minor injuries. A passenger/medic in the ambulance – 54-year-old Lisa Marie Wise, of Sioux City (IA) – suffered serious injuries. The injured were transported to the hospital in Hawarden. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, Ireton, Lemars and Hawarden Ambulance services assisted at the scene.

And, a 23-year-old man from Altoona died he was critically injured in a Friday night motorcycle crash in Des Moines. According to the Des Moines Police Department, 23-year-old Trever Ray Vinzant was riding a 2008 Kawasaki motorcycle eastbound on East Euclid Avenue around 11:40 p.m. Friday. A 2019 Lexus SUV driven by a 44-year-old Des Moines man was heading westbound on East Euclid when it turned left onto Wright Street, directly in the path of Vinzant’s motorcycle. Both vehicles crashed in the intersection.

Medics began lifesaving efforts on Vinzant and transported him to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries on Saturday. According to DMPD, this is the 12th crash fatality of 2024 in the city, the sixth involving a motorcycle. The investigation into the crash remains active.

Iowa’s offensive line eyes progress

Sports

August 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Iowa’s veteran offensive line hopes to be a factor in turning a struggling offense around this season. Considered a weakness the past few years that unit expect to show improvement. Senior Mason Richman has 39 career starts at left tackle.

Richman and the offensive line have battled injuries and position changes the past few years.

A healthy season would help with consistency.

Despite the injuries and struggling offense Richman says there has never been any finger pointing.

Iowa offensive line coach George Barnett says many of the current linemen were thrown in early in their career.

Barnett says the experienced starters have allowed them to build depth.

The Hawkeyes open August 31st at home against Illinois State.

Iowa State’s Deylin Hasert previews the season

Sports

August 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Iowa State offensive lineman Deylin Hasert has been anxious for the new season to begin. After redshirting in 2022 Hasert missed all of last season after getting injured in fall camp and he hopes to be a factor for an experienced Cyclone offense.

Hasert will try to contribute for an offensive line that returns all five starters.

Hasert says a more consistent ISU ground game this season begins up from.

Iowa State opens the season at home on August 31st against North Dakota.

Rockwell City woman dies in a Webster County crash Sunday morning

News

August 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Moorland, Iowa) – A collision on a curve early this (Sunday) morning in northern Iowa, claimed the life of a woman from Rockwell City. The Iowa State Patrol reports the accident happened at around 3:15-a.m. near Moorland, on D-20 in Webster County, on the curve near Hayes Avenue.

The Patrol says a 2010 GMC Acadia SUV driven by 30-year-old Sasha Brown, of Rockwell City, was traveling west on D-20, when the vehicle crossed the centerline of the road and collided with an eastbound semi driven by 47-year-old Wyatt Lundberg, of Fort Dodge.

Brown died at the scene. She was not wearing a seat belt. Lundberg was checked-out by medics and released. The Patrol was assisted by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office and Moorland Fire Department.

BACON TO WEAR NO. 26 TO HONOR WHITVER

Sports

August 18th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

(UPDATED) – An Iowa State football player will wear a different number on his jersey this season in a show of support for a former player who’s undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. State Senator Jack Whitver, a former starting wide receiver for the Cyclones, announced his diagnosis this spring. I-S-U football coach Matt Campbell invited Whitver and his family to join the team on the field this weekend.

Campbell says the player who’ll wear number 26 this season had the same journey Whitver did at I-S-U.

ISU linebacker Caleb Bacon and the Whitver family. (ISU Athletics photo)

Bacon, who’s from Lake Miller, is a linebacker who played in all 13 I-S-U games last season and made 60 tackles, the second most on the team. Whitver was on the Cyclone football team from 1999 to 2003 and finished his college career with five touchdowns and 96 career receptions.

Kent Advances to U.S. Amateur Finals, Qualifies for the Masters

Sports

August 18th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

CHASKA, Minn – Sophomore Noah Kent, a member of the University of Iowa men’s golf team qualified for the U.S. Amateur Finals and punched his ticket to the 2025 Masters Tournament on Saturday.

The U.S. Amateur Finals take place on Sunday with Kent teeing off at 7:15 a.m. (CT) facing Jose Luis Ballester in a 36-hole match play for the Havemeyer Trophy . TV coverage starts at 1:00 p.m. (CT) on Fubo, Peacock, and the Golf Channel.

The field started with 312 players on Monday, with the first two rounds being stroke play. Kent shot five-over par during the opening round Monday and followed it up with a bogey-free six-under par on Tuesday to move into the top 64 and make the cut.

After the first two days, it transitioned into match play starting with the round of 64.

Kent advanced in each round to make the semifinals where he defeated the No. 53 seed Jackson Buchannan of Illinois on the 18th hole to punch his ticket to the finals and the Masters Tournament.

Kent hasn’t trailed in a match since the Round of 32 (12th hole).

Fans can purchase tickets for Sunday’s final two rounds here: https://championships.usga.org/usamateur/2024/tickets.html

WHATS AT STAKE:
The winner of the U.S. Amateur golf tournament receives a gold medal, the Havemeyer Trophy, and exemptions into the following year’s U.S. Open and Open Championship. The winner and runner-up may also receive invitations to the Masters Tournament. The winner must maintain their amateur status at the time the events are held, unless they qualify for the tournaments through other means.

Enneking Named to Hermann Trophy Watch List

Sports

August 18th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa graduate student Macy Enneking was named to the 2024 Mac Hermann Trophy Watch List, the Missouri Athletic Club announced this week. The trophy is the nation’s highest honor for collegiate soccer player of the year.

Enneking is the first Hawkeye to earn the preseason honor. The Hilliard, Ohio, native is one of five goalkeepers named to the watch list, recognizing her as one of the top players in the country at her position this season.

The watch list was compiled by members of the Division I Women’s All-America Council from a list of returning 2023 All-Americans and First Team All-Region players.

Enneking was previously named a 2024 United Soccer Coaches Player to Watch, becoming the first Hawkeye to receive that national preseason honor. Enneking was also named a Big Ten Player to Watch this season.

Enneking set a program individual record for goalkeeper shutouts last year (12.5) and helped lead the Hawkeyes to one of the top statistical defenses in program history. Iowa combined for 13 shutouts and a 0.76 goals-against average, which were both school records.

Last season, Enneking was named a Big Ten Player to Watch in the preseason before ending the season with all-region honors and an All-Big Ten Tournament Team nod. As a freshman in 2020, Enneking was Big Ten Tournament Defensive MVP and a unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman selection. Enneking has started in goal for each of Iowa’s two Big Ten Tournament Championships in program history, as well as both of the program’s NCAA Tournament victories.

A total of 15 players will be named 2024 Hermann Trophy semifinalists on December 4 at the conclusion of NCAA Division I All-American voting. From that list, head coaches will cast votes, and three players will be named finalists. The 2024 recipient will be announced January 3, 2025, in a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.

Iowa will officially re-open the season against Colorado College on Aug. 18 at the Rumble in the Rockies in Missoula, Montana. Kickoff is set for noon (CT).