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Austin West Off to Strong Start at USATF Outdoor Championships

Sports

July 7th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

EUGENE, Ore. – A mix of former and current University of Iowa track and field student-athletes kicked off day one of the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, on Thursday.

Junior decathlete Austin West picked up where he left off from the NCAA Championships last month, setting personal bests in four of the five events to start his decathlon. West sped out of the blocks in the 100-meter, earning first place with his new best of 10.52. Following a fourth-place long jump of 7.35 meters (24’ 1.50”), West turned in another best during his second attempt in the shot put, throwing 14.31 meters (46’ 11.50”). After failing on his first two attempts at 1.99 meters, West clutched up and cleared the bar to stay alive in the high jump competition. Ultimately, the Hawkeye would finish seventh with a new personal record of 2.02 meters (6’ 7.50”). He capped his night with another career best, this time winning the 400-meter race in 46.31. Through five events, West has totaled 4,430 points and sits in second place, just 35 points off the lead.

Current Hawkeye Austin Kresley began his weekend in the 100-meter dash. Kresley competed against several familiar faces from the NCAA and finished in 10.26, good for 21st overall. He returns to action on Saturday night with the preliminary round of the men’s 200-meter dash.

Former Hawkeyes Brittany Brown and Reno Tuufuli represented the Hawkeyes well on day one. Brown cruised to a second-place finish in the women’s 100-meter race, qualifying for the semifinals on Friday afternoon. She will also compete in the women’s 200-meter dash on Saturday. Brown holds the school record in the event. Tuufuli, another Hawkeye alum and second all-time discus thrower, took sixth place in the men’s discus with a 61.72 meter (202’ 6”) toss.

Competition resumes on Friday with the decathlon 110-meter hurdles at 1:45 p.m (CT). U20 action also begins on Friday with the women’s 100-meter hurdles at 5 p.m.

HAWKEYE RESULTS

Men’s Decathlon

  1. Austin West (4,430 points)

  1. 100-meters – 10.52, PR
  2. Long Jump – 7.35 meters (24’ 1.5”)
  3. Shot Put – 14.31 meters (46’ 11.5”), PR
  4. High Jump – 2.02 meters (6’ 7.5”), PR
  5. 400-meters – 46.31, PR

Men’s 100-meters

  1. Austin Kresley – 10.26

HAWKEYE ALUMNI

Women’s 100-meters

  1. Brittany Brown – 10.96, tied personal best, SF qualifier

Men’s Discus

  1. Reno Tuufuli – 61.72 meters (202’ 6”)

Posted in Sports |

Tyrese Haliburton Named to USA Basketball FIBA World Cup Roster

Sports

July 7th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Former Iowa State Cyclone Tyrese Haliburton has been named to the 2023 USA Men’s National Team roster for the FIBA World Cup. The 12-member team will compete at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup, scheduled for Aug. 25-Sept. 10 in Manila.

This will be the third time Haliburton has appeared on a USA Basketball roster, as he was a member of the U19 World Cup team in 2019 and the U.S. Select Team in 2021. A reigning NBA All-Star Haliburton made the all-tournament team after winning gold in 2019, while the 2021 USA Select Team trained alongside the 2021 USA Men’s National Team prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The 2023 USA Men’s National Team includes Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Josh Hart (Knicks), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks) and Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers).

“On behalf of USA Basketball, I’m thrilled to introduce the 2023 USA Men’s National Team, which features some of basketball’s brightest talent,” said Grant Hill, USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director. “We are excited for the challenges ahead and look forward to the opportunity to compete at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup. I am confident that working together, and under the leadership of our outstanding coaching staff, this team will proudly represent the United States this summer in Manila.”

Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors) will serve as head coach of the 2023 U.S. Men’s National Team. He will be assisted by Mark Few (Gonzaga University), Tyronn Lue (L.A. Clippers) and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat).

“My staff and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to coach such talented, team-oriented players,” Kerr said. “I’m confident this group will represent our country well, with effort, talent and a commitment to winning together. We look forward to competing for a gold medal in the World Cup later this summer.”

As part of Group C, the U.S. opens the 2023 FIBA World Cup against New Zealand on Aug. 26, followed by Greece on Aug. 28 and Jordan on Aug. 30. The New Zealand and Greece contents tip off at 8:40 a.m. ET with Jordan starting at 4:40 a.m. ET. ESPN and FIBA recently announced that all 92 World Cup games will be available on various ESPN platforms. Six games will air exclusively on ESPN2, including three in the first round featuring USA Basketball. All other 86 games will be carried by ESPN+ while also being available on FIBA’s official streaming service, Courtside 1891.

Before arriving in Manila, the USA Men’s National Team will hold training camp Aug. 3-6 in Las Vegas before playing a series of exhibition games as part of the USA Basketball Showcase, which tips off Aug. 7 vs. Puerto Rico at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. The USA will also face Slovenia on Aug. 12 and Spain on Aug. 13 in Malaga, Spain, and Greece and Germany on Aug. 18 and 20, respectively, in Abu Dhabi. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit usab.com/tickets.

The United States has won the World Cup five times, including in two of the last three editions.

 

Cyclones with USA Basketball
1959 – Gary Thompson (Pan American Games)
1979 – Joe Ashley (U.S. Olympic Festival)
1985 – Jeff Grayer (U.S. Olympic Festival)
1988 – Jeff Grayer (Seoul Olympics)
1989 – Victor Alexander (World University Games)
2000 – Jamaal Tinsley (U.S. Select Team)
2001 – Marcus Fizer (Goodwill Games)
2009 – Craig Brackins (World University Games)
2019 – Tyrese Haliburton (U19 World Cup)
2021 – Tyrese Haliburton (U.S. Select Team)
2023 – Omaha Biliew (U19 World Cup)

Posted in Sports |

Cass County (IA) Assessor’s Office to be closed for training classes on July 14th

News

July 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Cass County (IA) Assessor’s Office have announced the office will be closed next Friday, July 14, 2023, so that staff may attend continued education classes designed for County Assessors.

Posted in News |

Regional Softball Scores

Sports

July 7th, 2023 by admin

Class 3A

Region 3:
Saydel 12  Harlan Community, 2
Humboldt 17  Algona, 8
Greene County  12 Cherokee Washington, 0
Southeast Valley 14 OABCIG, 4

Region 4: 
Davis County 10 Clarke, 6
Centerville 10 Des Moines, Christian, 5
Shenandoah 7 Clarinda, 3
Atlantic 10 Red Oak. 0

Class 4A 

Region 3: 
Glenwood 10 Des Moines Hoover, 2
Creston 10 Lewis Central, 0

Region 2:
Carroll 7 Denison-Schleswig, 4
Storm Lake 5 Perry, 2

Class 5A

Region 2: 
Urbandale 13  Council Bluffs Lincoln, 0

Posted in Sports |

Iowa Finance Authority Awards more than $15 Million in Federal Housing Tax Credits and HOME Program Funds for the Construction of more than 400 Rental Units in 9 Communities

News

July 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(DES MOINES) – The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors recently awarded a total of more than $15 million in federal housing tax credits and HOME program loans to support the construction and rehabilitation of a total of 410 affordable rental homes for Iowans. The awards were made to 11 rental housing projects located in Ames, Burlington, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Keokuk, Mount Vernon, Sioux City and West Burlington. (View the award listing HERE)

Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Debi Durham says “Housing is foundational to the economic mobility of Iowans and the strength of our communities. The financing announced today will provide hundreds of Iowa families and seniors with homes in which they can thrive in communities all throughout the state.” Keokuk Mayor Kathie Mahoney says “Not only will the new Keokuk Family Flats provide an additional 47 rental homes in our community, but it will also be a tremendous catalyst for economic ripple effects as more of our workforce will be able to live near where they work.”

Housing Tax Credits
The Internal Revenue Service makes an annual per capita allocation of federal tax credits to each state for the Federal Housing Tax Credit program. The Iowa Finance Authority is charged with allocating those credits to affordable housing developers. The developers who receive tax credits sell them to investors to generate equity for the housing developments.

The Iowa Finance Authority received 24 applications requesting more than $22 million in housing tax credits in the 2023 tax credit round. IFA had a total of approximately $10 million available to allocate. The actual awards total nearly $100 million because the credits are committed annually for a 10-year period.

HOME Program
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocates HOME program funding among states and hundreds of localities nationwide. IFA allocates Iowa’s allocation of HOME funds to eligible entities to build and preserve affordable housing. The IFA Board of Directors today approved $5.1 million in HOME funds to support eight rental housing tax credit projects.

Posted in News |

Opening day recap from the John Deere Classic

Sports

July 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

Day one is in the books at the John Deere Classic near the Quad Cities. Jonas Blixt leads after a nine-under par 62. Grayson Murray is second, two shots back.

Murray says he has been playing well as he tries to regain a spot on the PGA Tour.

Cameron Young is one of six players sitting at six under.

Posted in Sports |

Going for a dip? Beach monitoring reports are being released every Friday

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Summer’s here and Iowans are hitting the beaches. Dan Kendall, senior environmental specialist with the Iowa D-N-R, says there’s a whole crew of people who are spending the season testing the water quality in our many lakes, some 246 of them. “No swimming” advisories have already been issued for a few locations in the state, but Kendall says that’s not unusual for this time of year. He says it’s a snap to find the latest beach and lake condition reports on the agency’s website, Iowa-D-N-R-dot-gov (Iowadnr.gov).

Just type in “beach” in the window and it will take you to an alphabetized list of all beaches statewide and a wealth of data about the water quality of each one. Those reports are issued every Friday throughout the summer.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Fairfield teen sentenced to life with chance for parole after killing teacher

News

July 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa via KCRG-TV) – Willard Miller, of Fairfield, was sentenced to life with a chance for parole after 35 years Thursday for the killing of his Spanish teacher Nohema Graber in November of 2021. Miller had pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and the sentence came after a hearing on the events leading up to the murder that showed he wanted to kill Graber because he was failing her Spanish class. Miller made a statement before his sentencing. “I would like to apologize for my actions first and foremost, to the family. I’m truly sorry for the distress that I caused you and the devastation I caused your family,” he says. He also apologized to the community, police and his church.

“Coming here today, now at the end of this stretched out journey, I’m realizing just the magnitude of my actions. And I know it was wrong and I knew it was wrong, I’m yet I still carried through, I still did what I did,” Millers says. Nohema Graber’s borther-in-law Tom was one of several people to give victim impact statements.

This case has had an enormous impact on Nohema’s family, Fairfield High School and the Fairfield community at large,” he says. “Not only was no amo robbed of 30 some of the best years of her life. Her murder deprived Paul Graber of the love of his life, and certainly hasten Paul’s own premature death.” He says Paul had just endured more than five years of dialysis and received a kidney transplant and was looking forward to resuming in travel with his wife.

Willard Miller sentencing (KCRG-TV photo)

“Paul was deeply and understandably depressed by the murder of Nohema — and his life ended last week in the ravages of a metastatic cancer that would have been caught and treated far sooner had Nohema been there,” he says. Miller is now almost 18, but was 16 years old at the time of the killing, and state law requires that juveniles be given a chance for parole.

Jeremey Goodale also pleaded guilty and his sentencing hearing will be in August.

Posted in News |

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Friday, July 7, 2023

Weather

July 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

Today: Showers and thunderstorms before noon, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between noon and 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. High near 71. East southeast wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 3am, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. East wind 7 to 9 mph becoming north northeast after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tomorrow: Partly sunny, with a high near 76. North northeast wind 7 to 9 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 80.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 85.

Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 77. Our Low this morning, 53. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 84, and the Low was 72. The Record High was 107 in 1937. The Record Low was 41 in 1934. Sunrise is at 5:53. Sunset is at 8:56.

Posted in Weather |

Governor Reynolds and Casey DeSantis cheer Education Savings Accounts for private schooling

News

July 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds and the wife of Florida’s governor shared the stage last (Thursday) night at a “Mamas for DeSantis” event for Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign. Casey DeSantis called Iowa’s new state-funded Education Savings Accounts a game changer.

“Yay!” Reynolds yelled and, as the crowd cheered, DeSantis called it “a big deal.” In March, Governor Ron DeSantis expanded Florida’s law, eventually making about 85-hundred dollars in state money available for every student to cover the costs of private school or home schooling.

Governor Reynolds announced yesterday that Iowa parents had applied for state-funded accounts to cover private school costs for 29-thousand children.  “We were processing one application every 12 seconds in the first several days of opening up. We did it in a month,” Reynolds said. “We had projected about 14,500 and we’re over 17,500 right now.” Sixty percent of the 17-thousand-500 approved applications Reynolds mentioned are for students already enrolled in a private school.

Parents who filed the other applications need to submit more paperwork to show they meet the income guidelines to qualify. Reynolds also asked DeSantis about a welfare reform initiative called “Hope Florida” that has state agencies connect welfare recipients with resources available from religious groups, non-profits and the private sector.  “It’s just something that I want to bring to Iowa that I’m really impressed with,” Reynolds said. “…The partnership between the faith community, the private sector and government and what you’ve been able to do with that I think is really phenomenal and this has kind of been your deal.”

DeSantis says there are plenty of private citizens who’re willing to help meet the needs of people who qualify for government assistance. “This is a conversation that we need to be having about the proper role of government. What is government doing?” DeSantis asked and Reynolds said: “Amen.” DeSantis continued: “Since the ‘Great Society,’ how much money have we spent? Trillions of dollars. And where’s the return on our investment and how are we helping good people who are in need? Let’s look at a philosophical, different approach to government. Let’s change the structure of it.”

Neither DeSantis nor Reynolds mentioned next week’s special legislative session that Reynolds has called to pass new abortion restrictions. DeSantis ended the event by invited the crowd to join “Mamas for DeSantis.” She launched a similar group in Florida about five months before her husband won reelection as Florida’s governor by a nearly 20 point margin.

Posted in News |