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Senator Ernst says student loan bailout hurts military recruiting

News

May 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says the student loan bailout is hurting the military’s ability to recruit new soldiers.*

The Republican from Red Oak says the anti-American rhetoric on campuses and online has also influenced those considering military service. Ernst is a retired National Guard soldier, and made her comments while discussing recruiting with the Secretary of the Navy.

Ernst says the Biden Administration’s student loan payoffs haven’t helped.[

Ernst says part of the challenge of recruitment that we don’t reward those who serve enough or we give their benefits to others that don’t deserve them.

Posted in News |

Snider Promoted to Associate Head Coach

Sports

May 17th, 2024 by admin

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head gymnastics coach Ashley Miles Greig has announced the promotion of assistant coach Ryan Snider to associate head coach.

“I’m delighted to share the news that Ryan has been elevated to Associate Head Coach for our program,” says Miles Greig. “His coaching experience and knowledge of the planning and execution required to build a championship-caliber program were invaluable to me as a new head coach and our program’s remarkable results this season.”

She continues, “Ryan’s dedication to building strong relationships with our student-athletes and providing a positive atmosphere that encourages personal growth makes him great for this new role. The future is bright for Cyclone Gymnastics, and I’m excited to continue working alongside Ryan to pursue new and greater accomplishments for this program.”

Snider, who is entering his second season with the Cyclones, works primarily with gymnasts on both bars and vault while also helping run day-to-day practices.

In his first season with the Cyclones, Iowa State returned to the postseason after missing out in 2022. Snider helped play a role in ISU’s rapid ascension up the Road to Nationals rankings, as the team finished last year ranked 44 before jumping all the way up to 29 at the end of the 2024 season. The 15-spot jump was the largest of any team in the country this season.

Along with Coach Miles Greig, Snider assisted in bringing an entertaining form of gymnastics back to Hilton Coliseum, as the team drew the largest gymnastics-only crowd in school history against Iowa this season.

Snider’s vault squad was the highest-ranked rotation on the team, as the event was rated 30th by RTN. In fact, the team earned a season-high 49.350 on vault against BYU, marking the highest vault score by ISU in three years, and is the eighth-highest single-meet team vault score in program history.

Snider arrived in Ames after a six-year stint at the University of Pittsburgh where he also served as an assistant coach. During his time as the Panthers’ assistant, he saw his student-athletes set program bests on both bars (49.275) and vault (49.325). Five of the top ten bests in bars and four of the top ten marks on vault came from athletes under his direction.

ISU will look to build on its 2024 season momentum next winter when it returns to the confines of Hilton Coliseum for another year of Cyclone Gymnastics.

 

Posted in Sports |

Distance Medley Relay opens day two at state track

Sports

May 17th, 2024 by admin

Day two of the state track ad field championships opened with a record. After winning the three thousand meter run on Thursday Noelle (no-ell) Steines ranked the 800 anchor leg as Tipton won the girl’s 2A Distance Medley. The winning time of four minutes, six-point-37 seconds is a 2A record.

Steines shook off pre-race jitters.

Freshman Emee Dani ran the anchor 800 leg as Gilbert claimed the 3A girl’s Distance Medley Relay.

Dani gave up the lead briefly on the final lap before a strong close.

Sophomore Caleb Ten Pas (Ten Pass) ran the anchor leg as Des Moines Christian won the boy’s 2A Distance Medley Relay. The Lions won out of the second heat and had to wait to see if there time held up.

Western Dubuque sophomore Quentin Nauman won his second title in as many days. Nauman anchored the Bobcats to the win in the boy’s 3A Distance Medley relay.
He was the 32-hundred meter run on Thursday.

Nauman got the baton for his anchor 800 leg two seconds off the lead.

Posted in Sports |

2024 State Track and Field Meet – Day 2 – Class 1A and 4A Session

Sports

May 17th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Girls 1A 1600M Sprint Medley Relay 

-6th ACGC (Nora Langgaard, Meranda Gruber, Savannah Akers. Ava Campbell) 4:20.89

-15th Logan Magnolia (Zoe Heim, Kylee Fogelman, Haedyn Hall, Madison Sporrer) 4:28.20

-21st Riverside (Kayden Schnack, Olivia Lund, Veronica Schechinger, Bentley Rone) 4:30.50

Boys 1600M Sprint Medley Relay

-2nd Woodbine (Adam Barry, Landon Blum, Brody Pryor, Landon Bendgen) 3:33.43

-12th Riverside (Cole Jeppesen, Grady Jeppesen, Mason McCready, Dawson Henderson) 3:40.11

-19th ACGC (Joe Crawford, Anthony Solorzano, Luke Brincks, Jarrett McClain) 3:44.23

-22nd Boyer Valley (Owen Garside, Levi Reineke, Justin Heiman, Dane Gorham) 3:45.61

Girls 1A 100M Hurdles Prelims

4th- Hannah Olson, Stanton, 15.95 Qualified 

6th- Lauren Johnson, Stanton, 16.18 Qualified 

8th- Carsyn Adams, Griswold, 16.40 Qualified 

12th- Annika Nelson, Nodaway Valley, 16.79

14th- Izzy Weldon, Fremont-Mills, 17.01

Boys 1A 110M Hurdles Prelims 

1st- Jack Follmann, CAM, 14.99 Qualified 

2nd- Gabe Funk, Lenox, 15.21 Qualified 

8th- Jaxon Gordon, Riverside, 15.53 Qualified 

9th- Donald Bashor, Lenox, 15.63

11th- Nolan Grebin, Stanton, 15.70

14th- Brexton Schneider, ACGC, 16.02

15th-Treyton Schneider, ACGC, 16.04

19th- Peyton Cook, Griswold, 16.43

Girls 1A 4x200M Relay

-3rd Riverside (Elly Henderson, Emma Gordon, Carly Henderson, Lydia Erickson) 1:47.94

-7th Fremont Mills (Bella Gute, Carlie Chambers, Lana Alley, Emily Madison) 1:48.63

-9th Nodaway Valley (Annika Nelson, Grace Britten, Maddie Weston, Emma Lundy) 1:48.82

Boys 1A 4x200M Relay

-3rd ACGC (Joe Crawford, Lance Bunde, Anthony Solorzano, Eli Madsen) 1:31.14

-8th Logan-Magnolia (Cael Wallis, Evan Roden, Wes Vana, William Anderson) 1:32.77

-21st Exira-EHK (Alex Hansen, Bryce Brabham, Jonas LaCanne, Cash Emgarten) 1:34.47

Girls 1A 400 Meter Hurdles

-1st Carly Henderson, Riverside, 1:04.58

-2nd Bella Gute, Fremont-Mills, 1:06.68

-3rd Ada Hansen, CAM, 1:06.91

-9th Carsyn Adams, Griswold, 1:08.35

-10th Lauren Johnson, Stanton, 1:08.57

-11th Addison Adams, Griswold, 1:08.60

-12th Lauren Malone, Boyer Valley, 1:08.76

-23rd Quincey Schneckloth, Tri-Center, 1:12.56

1A Boys 400M Hurdles

-2nd Gabe Funk, Lenox, 53.65

-7th Nolan Grebin, Stanton, 56.20

-12th Jack Follman, CAM, 56.81

-15th Peyton Cook, Griswold, 57.61

-17th Jaxon Gordon, Riverside 57.77

-23rd Jonas LaCanne, Exira-EHK, 58.55

Girls 1A 4×100 Meter Relay Prelims

-3rd Nodaway Valley (Grace Britten, Maddie Weston, Emma Lundy, Annika Nelson) 50.56 Qualified 

-8th Riverside (Elly Henderson, Adaline Martens, Emma Gordon, Lydia Erickson) 51.43 Qualified 

-12th Fremont-Mills (Izzy Weldon, Bella Gute, Carlie Chambers, Emily Madison) 51.88

-17th Lenox (Bentley Petersen, Gabby Robles, Zoey Reed, Sadie Cox) 52.48

Boys 1A 4x100M Relay Prelims

-8th Riverside (Cole Jeppesen, Aaron Smith, Jaxon Gordon, Grady Jeppesen) 44.09 Qualified

-9th ACGC (Joe Crawford, Lance Bunde, Anthony Solorzano, Eli Madsen) 44.15

Girls 1A 4x400M Relay Prelims

-3rd Riverside (Veronica Schechinger, Elly Henderson, Lydia Erickson, Carly Henderson) 4:06.20 Qualified

-5th Tri-Center (Isah VanArsdol, Jozie Payne, Sophia Hazen, Tess Casey) 4:12.35 Qualified

Boys 1A 4x400M Relay Prelims

-5th ACGC (Luke Brincks, Lance Bunde, Jarrett McClain, Eli Madsen) 3:27.38 Qualified 

-11th Riverside (Mason McCready, Cole Jeppesen, Owen Fenner, Grady Jeppesen) 3:31.51

-12th Audubon (Aaron Olsen, Ezekiel Konkler, Adam Obrecht, Brody Schultes) 3:31.97

Girls 1A Discus Throw

-11th, Amanda Newton, Woodbine, 114-09

-15th, Jorja Holliday, Nodaway Valley, 109-05

-19th, Arilyan Steenblock, Panorama, 105-02

-22nd, Courtney Follmann, CAM, 100-05

Boys 1A High Jump

-1st Lance Bunde, ACGC, 6-06.00

-5th, Landon Blum, Woodbine, 6-03.00

-9th, Cash Emgarten, Exira-EHK, 6-01.00

Boys 1A Discus Throw

-8th, Cooper Marvel, Fremont-Mills, 147-10

-10th, Trenton Warner, Nodaway Valley, 145-02

-11th, Jax Pryor, Woodbine, 144-10

-16th, RJ Dishing, Griswold, 135-06

-17th, Gavin Kelley, Woodbine, 133-10.

Girls 1A High Jump

-11th Morgan Hast, Boyer Valley, 5-00.00

-12th Emily Madison, Fremont-Mills, 5-00.00

-16th Carlie Chambers, Fremont-Mills, 4-10.00

Posted in Sports |

ROSALIND “Rosie” JOY DALE, 87, of Audubon (Svcs. 5/22/24)

Obituaries

May 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

ROSALIND “Rosie” JOY DALE, 87, of Audubon, died Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Friendship Home in Audubon. Funeral services for ROSIE DALE will be held 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. Schmidt-Kessler Funeral Home of Audubon has the arrangements.

Visitation with the family will take place one hour prior to the funeral at the Church also on Wednesday.

Interment will take place at Maple Grove Cemetery following the funeral. A luncheon will be held following the committal in the fellowship hall of the Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church.

Memorials may be directed to the Dale Family in memory of Rosie. They will be designated to many of her favorite local organizations and charities and may be mailed to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home, P.O. Box 201, Audubon, IA 50025.

ROSIE DALE is survived by:

Her son – Todd (Linda) Dale, of San Diego, California.

Her daughters – Jennifer (James) Mossyge, of LeRoy, Minnesota, and Polly Weitl of Audubon.

Her brother – Dan Jorgensen, of Audubon.

5 grandchildren; her step-grandson 6 great-grandchildren, in-laws, other relatives and friends.

Posted in Obituaries |

Near-record Iowa travel numbers forecast for upcoming holiday weekend

News

May 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – With the Memorial Day weekend just ahead, it’s predicted travelers from Iowa will be on the roads in record or near-record numbers. Brian Ortner, with Triple-A Iowa, says the motor club is forecasting more than three-point-six million people across the Midwest will be traveling 50 miles or more during the long weekend, which is up 136-thousand travelers from last year.

The vast majority of vacationers will be traveling by car, and Ortner says gasoline prices in Iowa are more than a dime a gallon cheaper than a year ago.

For families on a budget, vacations can be expensive ventures, with gasoline being one of the biggest costs, so Ortner says this is welcome news.

For Iowans traveling by air, Triple-A says the average price for a round-trip domestic flight will cost 778-dollars, which is up two-percent from Memorial Day weekend last year.

Posted in News |

(Updated) Boil advisory issued for City of Audubon

News

May 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

AUDUBON, Iowa — A boil advisory has been issued for the City of Audubon in Audubon County, following a water main break. The incident happened late this (Friday) morning, when a contractor hit a main near the city water tower, resulting in pressure loss.  Nearly 1200 connections are affected by the break. City officials have isolated the leak, and have shut down the water treatment plant until repairs are complete.

Once repairs are completed the affected area will be disinfected and flushed. City officials are notifying residents via radio, the city website, Facebook, and the Audubon city marquis.

Officials say there is no reason to believe water quality has been compromised, but as a precaution, customers are encouraged to boil water that will be consumed or used for food preparation. Water should be boiled for two minutes and allowed to cool before use. Water is safe to use for showering, laundry, general washing and outdoor use without boiling.

Two sets of bacteria samples will be collected for testing. The boil advisory will be lifted once two consecutive sets of bacterial samples have tested negative for bacteria.

Posted in News |

Audubon Wheelers Softball Preview With Coach Andrea Schwery

Sports

May 17th, 2024 by admin

The Audubon Wheelers softball team is coming off a 4-2 loss to Exira-EHK in the second round of the Class 1A-Region 3 playoff bracket. This year things will be a little different as the Wheelers will be adding Exira-EHK girls to the roster to join as a co-op starting this season and will be coached by Andrea Schwery.

Coach Schwery talked about the success of the Wheelers softball team from last season.

Schwery talked about the transition of the co-op between Exira-EHK and Audubon for this season.

Coach Schwery talked about her goals for this team this year.

The Wheelers first softball game of the season will be Monday May 20th when they will host Earlham in Audubon. That game will get underway at 7:15 p.m.

 

 

Posted in Sports |

Senate GOP Leader undergoing treatment for brain tumor

News

May 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver announced this (Friday) afternoon that he’s undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. Whitver, in a written statement, said he is remaining in the Iowa Senate and continuing in his role as majority leader. Whitver said he is responding well to radiation therapy and intends to lead Republicans through this election cycle in the same way he has since become leader in March of 2018.

In his statement, Whitver said he appreciates the kind words and prayers he and his family have received. Whitver and his wife, Rachel, are the parents of three children. Whitver, who is 43, was first elected to the Senate in a special election in January of 2011. He grew up in Grinnell and was a starting wide receiver for the Iowa State football team for three years.  Whitver was first elected to the Iowa Senate in a special election in January of 2011 and he earned a law degree from Drake the next year. After the 2016 election, Whitver’s Republican colleagues voted to have him serve as president of the Iowa Senate.

Jack Whitver

Governor Reynolds today (Friday) released the following statement of support for Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver and his family:

“Jack Whitver is a strong and capable leader, and a good friend. I admire and support his decision to remain in his role while undergoing treatment, and I am confident in his ability to do so. Kevin and I know this path well, and also the incredible advancements that have been made with treatment. We pray for his full recovery, for his wife Rachel and their children, and for his medical team. I look forward to continuing our work together on behalf of Iowans.” 

Posted in News |

Gov. Reynolds signs SF 2368 into law, announces charter school grant program

News

May 17th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, today (Friday), signed into law, a bill [SF2368] relating to education, which modifies provisions related to the sale of real property by school districts, charter school and open enrollment funding, and the participation in school activities by students enrolled in charter schools, into law. Her signature on the bill came during a ceremony at Horizon Science Academy in Des Moines.

Additionally, the governor announced a new $7 million charter school grant program that will support infrastructure costs, awarding up to $500,000 for new charter schools and up to $200,000 for existing schools. The grant program will be available through the Iowa Department of Education and the application period will open on June 3, 2024.

“Public charter schools provide yet another school choice for parents and guardians looking for the education that’s best suited for their children’s abilities and needs. Charter schools are tuition-free, independently operated public schools that have the freedom to design their curriculum and classrooms to meet specific educational objectives. Some specialize in STEM, foreign languages, and providing at-risk youth with resources and opportunities to succeed in the classroom,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds. “Today, by signing this bill and launching a new infrastructure grant program for start-up and expansion costs, we take a bold step in expanding the charter school opportunities to parents and students across the state.”

Posted in News |