COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — In late August, the Council Bluffs Fire Department will be recognized in Washington at the Pentagon for their support of National Guard and Army Reserve members. KETV in Omaha reports the award is the highest U.S. government honor for employers supporting current and former service members. The Council Bluffs Fire Department is one of 15 recipients of the 2024 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, being selected from over 17,000 nominations from employers across all 50 states.
Firefighter Anthony Wojtalewicz, who also serves as a First Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve, led the effort by nominating the Council Bluffs Fire Department for the 2024 Freedom Award. Fire Chief Justin James says over 20 employees in his department are current or former service members.
Photo from the CBFD Facebook page
Chief James says that there is really no downside to hiring service members. Whether that be active military members or veterans, saying they bring a unique set of skills to the team, and it only benefits the Council Bluffs Fire Department.
CBFD has a rich history of excellence and hard work dating back to the 1800s. Wojtalewicz and two others will head to Washington, D.C., in late August to accept the award.
Iowa State junior Caleb Bacon says new linebackers coach Colby Kratch has brought a new mentality to the group. The former Cyclone graduate assistant spent last season at North Texas before rejoining the ISU staff.
Bacon is a former walk-on who earned a scholarship after appearing in all 13 games last season and finishing second in tackles. He feels more confident this fall camp.
As one of the older linebackers Bacon is expected to take on more of a leadership role this season.
The Cyclones open August 31st at home against North Dakota.
(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is planning to reintroduce paddlefish into the Iowa Great Lakes. D-N-R Fisheries Biologist Mike Hawkins says paddlefish are native to the area. “We have good historical record of these fish being caught within the lakes region,” Hawkins says. “Unfortunately…around 1919 the last paddlefish was seen here and we think that their numbers dwindled shortly after the dams were put on the Little Sioux River, which prevented some of the fish migration upstream.”
Paddlefish eat microscopic plants and animals called plankton. They thrive in slow-moving, deep freshwater and Hawkins says paddlefish could grow quite large in the Iowa Great Lakes. “Around 1916 there was a report in the Spirit Lake Beacon of a 180 pound paddlefish being caught and then two weeks later in the Beacon it was reported a 210 pound fish was caught,” Hawkins says. “If those records are true, those would have been the largest paddlefish ever caught in the world.”
Paddlefish look a bit like a shark with a gray body and a blade-like snout. “Paddlefish just have a really cool structure on their head, which is what they get their name from — this long paddle…and they don’t have any scales,” Hawkins says. “They have a smooth skin to them.” The head of a paddlefish is covered with pores that can detect electrical signals in the water and Hawkins says that’s how they find the plankton they feed on.
Paddlefish catch(DNR-photo)
The D-N-R has acquired paddlefish from Missouri and they’re being raised at the state fish hatchery at Lake Rathbun. About 19-hundred will be stocked in the Iowa Great Lakes in the next month or so. “We know that not all of them are going to make it to adulthood. They are about 10 to 12 inches in size, so we hope a bunch of them do,” Hawkins says. “Then we’ll do the biology thing and start figure out what kind of a maintenance stocking would be necessary to sustain a small population in the lakes.”
While Paddlefish have been absent from Iowa’s largest natural lakes for over a century, the D-N-R says Paddlefish can be caught in the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers that form the west and east borders of Iowa AND near the points where the Des Moines, Iowa and Skunk Rivers drain into the Mississippi.
Today: Mostly cloudy this morning. A slight chance of showers & thunderstorms late this afternoon, otherwise mostly sunny. High near 85. Southwest winds at 5 to 10 mph becoming west northwest. Tonight: A slight chance of showers & thunderstorms this evening, otherwise partly cloudy with a low around 62. Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 83. Northwest winds 10-to 20-mph. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 83. Sat. Night: A slight chance of showers & thunderstorms after midnight, otherwise mostly clear, with a low around 61. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Monday: Sunny, with a high near 84.
Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 83. The Low was 68. We received .08″ rain from 7-a.m. Tue. through 4-a.m. today, at KJAN. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 78 and the Low was 54. The Record High here on Aug. 15th, was 103 in 1937. The Record Low was 40 in 1929. Sunrise today: 6:28-a.m.; Sunset: 8:20-p.m.
(Iowa News Service) – Results of a poll by the Save the Children Action Network show that voters of all backgrounds are struggling with the cost of living and want the government to do more to address these needs. Iowa mirrors the national numbers. The poll shows a large, bipartisan majority of voters want help affording food and grocery prices, and child-care costs. Tiffany Welch, with the Save the Children Action Network’s Iowa chapter says these issues are especially crucial in rural parts of the state, and that overall in Iowa, food banks and assistance programs are seeing record-breaking numbers of people in need.
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Save the Children executive director Christy Gleason says the group is calling on lawmakers to expand SNAP benefits and other policies that affect kids in the Farm Bill, and says the survey shows that voters are making their decisions based on those issues, even during a time of intense polarization.
The latest Farm Bill, which has already been extended for a year, remains stalled in Congress.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board held their regular monthly meeting Wednesday evening (Aug. 14). During the meeting, the Board discussed and then approved an Attendance Policy that will be included in the 2024-25 Student Handbook. And, a Girls Wrestling Program. It’s estimated there could be as many as 12-17 participants in the program.
With regard to the Attendance Policy, the Iowa Legislature on May 9th, signed into law Senate File 2435 with an effective date of July 1, 2024. SF2435 details public school attendance requirements. SF2435 requires specific school actions based on a student’s rate of non-exempt absences. Districts must adopt an attendance policy and, as necessary, collaborate with county attorneys, conduct school engagement meetings, and work with county truancy officers. Select exemptions are allowed at the student level.
Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen said Chronic Absenteeism is defined as 10-percent of the assigned school days.
Johnsen said District Administrators have established check-points for letting parents/guardians of students know when the days absent are starting to build-up.
Dr. Johnsen discussed also, the status of kindergarten enrollment.
Washington Elementary Principal Stacey Hornung mentioned the Kindergarten class continues to grow, even as the beginning of the school year is a little more than a week away. Following discussion, the Atlantic school board approved a recommendation by Dr. Johnson to hire an additional Kindergarten teacher, if one can be found this late in the Summer. Dr. Johnsen said the goal is to reduce the class sizes to 18- or-19 students.
The District she said, still has some other positions to fill.
The Atlantic School Board, Wednesday, voted to end the District’s sharing agreement with the S.W.A.T. girls wrestling team, and instead proceed with organizing the District’s own team. Dr. Johnsen says Activities Director Andy Mitchell has met with the Atlantic Girls Squad members and their parents several times.They also agreed to advertise for a Girls Wrestling Coach, the position for which is budgeted for during negotiations, according to Board Secretary Lisa Jones. Superintendent Beth Johnsen said the Lincoln School Gym will likely be used for practices.
The S.W.A.T. team in the past has included C.A.M. (The host district), along with Atlantic, Griswold, Nodaway Valley, and Southwest Valley. Southwest Valley opted out last season to form its own program, while Griswold left the team to share girl’s wrestling with Red Oak.
In other business, the Atlantic School Board approved the following resignations:
Mallory Kirchhoff, ISS Para
Sierra Parker, Preschool Para
Arla Clay, Nutrition Cook
Carmem Ligia Ferreira-Cohrs, Driver
And they approved these Contract Recommendations to Hire:
Laura Millar, 4th – 8th Grade Therapeutic Classroom Para
Lucas Mosier, High School Football Coach, Volunteer
Nathan Block, High School Assistant Football Coach
Naela Thornton, Middle School Assistant Volleyball Coach
Brooke Lamp, Middle School Assistant Volleyball Coach
Dillon Cox, High School Boys Assistant Wrestling Coach
Cody McCreedy, High School Boys Swimming Coach
Anna Pauley, National Honor Society Advisor
24-25 Winter Sports Coaching Recommendation
The Board’s next meeting is a WORK SESSION on Aug. 28th at 5:30-p.m., in the Achievement Center. The next REGULAR meeting is Sept. 11th at 5:30-p.m., in the High School Media Center.
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State redshirt sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht has been named to the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Preseason Watch List as announced by The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, along with presenting sponsor A.O. Smith Corporation.
The award annually recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class.
Becht is coming off a stellar redshirt freshman campaign in which he was named the 2023 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and a Second-Team Freshman All-American by The Athletic a year ago.
The Wesley Chapel, Florida, native completed 231 passes for 3,120 yards and 23 touchdowns, breaking the ISU freshman record in each category. He led the Cyclones to a 7-6 record, including 6-3 in Big 12 Conference play.
Tickets for the 2024 football season are on sale now with a slate that features Kansas State and a Homecoming showdown with Texas Tech as well as others. Fans can purchase season tickets for as low as $299, while mini-packs, single-game tickets and parking are also on sale.
The Cyclones open the season August 31 against 2023 FCS Playoff qualifier North Dakota.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior quarterback Cade McNamara has been named to the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award preseason watch list. The award is presented annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback.
McNamara’s 2023 season as Iowa’s signal caller was cut short when he suffered a season-ending injury in the fifth game. Prior to his injury, he completed 46-of-90 passes for 505 yards and four touchdowns.
The award is named after quarterback Johnny Unitas, who was nicknamed “The Golden Arm” for his record-setting play for the Baltimore Colts in the NFL. Former Hawkeye Nate Stanley was a finalist for the award in 2019.
The 2024 award winner will be presented the Golden Arm Award trophy by The Johnny Unitas Educational Foundation President, John Unitas, Jr., as well as other notable attendees at the Golden Arm Award banquet and celebration in Baltimore, Maryland, on Dec. 6.
McNamara and the Hawkeyes open their season Aug. 31 against Illinois State. The sold-out game is set for an 11 a.m. (CT) kickoff at Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium.
HAWKEYES ON 2024 WATCH LISTS
* Sebastian Castro – Bronko Nagurski Trophy (D-POY) // Chuck Bednarik Award (D-POY) // Jim Thorpe Award (DB)
* Jay Higgins — Butkus Award (LB) // Bronko Nagurski Trophy (D-POY) // Chuck Bednarik Award (D-POY) // Wuerffel Award (community service)
* Nick Jackson — Butkus Award (LB) // Bronko Nagurski Trophy (D-POY) // Chuck Bednarik Award (D-POY)
* Leshon Williams — Doak Walker Award (RB)
* Logan Jones – Outland Trophy (OL) // Rimington Award (C)
* Drew Stevens – Lou Groza Award (PK)
* Luke Elkin — Mannelly Award (LS)
* Cade McNamara – Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (QB) // Comeback POY
* Luke Lachey – Mackey Award (TE) // Comeback POY
Iowa center Logan Jones is poised for a big senior season. The former Lewis Central star was moved from defensive line to center in the spring of 2022 as the Hawkeyes needed a replacement for All-American Tyler Linderbaum. Success was not immediate, but Jones says the patience offensive line coach George Barnett displayed paid off. Jones was named a third team All-Big Ten selection in 2023.
Jones credits him teammates for helping the transition to offensive line.
Jones is part of an experienced offensive line that hopes to help the offense make progress this season. Jones says it is a unit with outstanding chemistry.
Barnett says Jones has become an outstanding communicator at center.
The Hawkeyes open August 31st by hosting Illinois State.
Iowa high schools are adjusting to what will be a new sports schedule next school year. It was announced on Monday that the sports of girl’s tennis and boys golf will move from the spring season to the fall. Dike-New Hartford Activities Director Cody Eichmeier says the announcement came after months of speculation.
Eichmeir says the change will likely impact participation numbers in not only the affected sports but others as well.
Eichmeier says the biggest impact will be on the athletes currently competing at the high school level.
The changes take effect in the 2025-2026 school year.
approved the following resignations:
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