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2 arrested Wednesday afternoon in Red Oak

News

December 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak report two men were arrested on separate charges, Wednesday afternoon. 25-year-old Dawson Allen Squires, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 4:17-p.m.,  on a valid Page County warrant for Willful Contempt of Court. His cash-only bond was set at $1,500, pending transfer to Page County. And, at around 3-p.m., Wednesday, Red Oak Police arrested 25-year-old Logan Thomas Wright, of Red Oak, for Domestic Abuse/Simple Assault. Wright was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail, pending a court appearance.

Iowa State falls short vs No. 4 Iowa, 67-58

Sports

December 6th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State (4-4, 0-0 Big 12) dropped the game to No. 4 Iowa (9-1, 0-0 Big Ten) by a score of 67-58.  Both teams shot evenly from the field through the night, but after a tie midway through the final quarter Iowa used a late surge to retake the lead for good.

Iowa State outshot Iowa in the first half at 40.6-32.4 percent as the score stood even at 34-34 entering the second half. As Iowa State kept within three of Iowa headed into the final quarter, five lead changes followed including an Iowa State lead with 4:30 left to play, but ISU was unable to secure the upset.

Audi Crooks had her first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Crooks has now scored in double figures in seven of the Cyclones’ first eight games. Addy Brown had her second straight double-double, putting up 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.

How it Happened

The Cyclones kept within three of the Hawkeyes with a score of 10-7 at the first media timeout. Right out of the timeout, Brown hit a 3-pointer to ignite the crowd and knot the score. Nyamer Diew was the next to hit a shot from deep to again tie the score at 13-13, while Crooks followed with a layup to give ISU its first lead with 2:32 to go in the first. After Iowa took a run of eight, Jalynn Bristow answered with a 3 at the buzzer to trim UI’s lead to three (21-18).

Lead changes continued as Iowa State took leads of 22-21 and 26-24 while the score stood at 26-26 midway through the second. Crooks then entered double figures after draining a triple to again tie things up at 29. Iowa State remained efficient from beyond the arc as Arianna Jackson became the fifth Cyclone to record a triple, putting ISU up at 32-31. With 1:33 left, Crooks sent in the jumper for another tie at 34-34, with the score holding as the first half came to an end.

Isnelle Natabou fought for her own rebound and followed to send in the layup to put ISU up 39-38, while Iowa then went up four (43-39) with 6:10 left in the third. Neither team scored for nearly two minutes of play before Diew ended the scoring drought with a layup, bringing the Cyclones back within two. As Iowa led by five with 30 seconds remaining in the quarter, Brown put in the layup to make it 48-45 headed into the final frame.

Iowa State called the early timeout after Iowa stretched a seven point lead of 52-45. With 6:26 left, ISU came alive hitting a streak of eight to retake the lead at 55-54 as Iowa called a timeout. The Hawkeyes responded to retake the advantage, going up by six (62-56) with one minute to go. Iowa would hold on to the lead, taking the win by a final of 67-58.

Top Performances

Audi Crooks put up her first double-double and had her sixth 10-plus point game, entering double figures in the second quarter. The freshman’s final line was 15 points, 10 rebounds and an assist in 25 minutes of play. Crooks had 12 points and eight rebounds in the first half.

Addy Brown had 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for her third double-double this season. Brown also had five assists, two steals and a block.

Up Next

Iowa State next hosts North Dakota State this Sunday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. CT.

Atlantic’s SplashPad Fundraising Committee nearer to their goal

News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A Splash Park Project in Atlantic is much closer to having fundraising to make the project possible, thanks to a boost from the Atlantic City Council.  The Council, Wednesday evening agreed to have Snyder and Associates Engineers proceed with the design and bidding process for the project, and, the Council agreed to transfer a $45,000 surplus from the Atlantic Parks Inclusive Playground fund, to the Splash Park project.

Jeremy Butler, Splash Park Fundraising Committee Chairman, said prior to the City’s latest contribution, the project’s fundraising team had raised $352,903.85 toward the estimated $600,000 cost of the SplashPad/Park. The City’s transfer of the $45,000 from the Inclusive Playground Fund, brings the total amount raised $2,100 shy of $400,000.

He said as an example of how individuals, businesses and organizations have come together in support of the SplashPad Project, “The kids as Washington Elementary got one of those spiral funnels you drop your change in (where people drop in their pocket change).” He said “I saw in a Facebook post they were a couple of hundreds of dollars away from their goal of $1,000.” He made some phone calls and received matching funds so they could donate $2,000.

“Well then, a local neighborhood group (that he held off on identifying until they make a check presentation), is also going to match it, so these K-through Third-graders made a $3,000 impact on this project bringing pocket change.” He said it’s been an amazing effort from so many people “from the day we kicked-off the fundraising until now.” Butler commended the community, the fundraising committee, and the City Council for what they have contributed to this project thus far since efforts began in April, 2023. The current proposed project has a surface area of a little more than 4,000 square feet. It will feature somewhere between 25 and 30 features.

Atlantic officially has a new Police Officer

News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett, tonight (Wednesday night), issued the Oath of Office to the City’s newest Police Office. Nicholas Whipple, a Bedford High School graduate and a certified police officer in the State of Iowa was sworn-in during the City Council’s regular meeting. He’s served with the A-PD since this past November.

Mayor Grace Garrett administers the Oath of Office to Officer Whipple.

Officer Whipple graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and joined the Iowa National Guard in 2022. He completed his Basic & AIT (Advanced Individual) Guard Training in Oct. 2023.

With the addition of Nicholas Whipple, Atlantic Police Chief Devin Hogue updated the Council on the P-D’s staffing situation.

The Chief, and Assistant Police Chief Paul Wood had to delay taking their paid time-off while working numerous overtime hours filling-in for other officers, sometimes on day-night swing shifts, due to what had been ongoing staffing issues with the Police Department.

Cass County (IA) Iowa United 1st Aid program goes live

News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A pilot program announced by Governor Kim Reynolds for three Iowa counties has now gone “Live,” in one of those counties. During a Wednesday evening meeting (Dec. 6, 2023) of the Atlantic City Council, Erik Johnson, an AmeriCorps volunteer and local paramedic who leads the county initiative, announced the Iowa United First Aid program is up and running as of today (Dec. 6th).

Erik Johnson shows a “Go bag” volunteer emergency responders will have.

Cass County is the first County to put the program into action. Calhoun and Van Buren Counties are not too far behind, according to Johnson. “Including myself,” he said, “We have 13 volunteers. I have 25 AED’s to equip, I’m hoping, 20 volunteers that will be a bridge between the initial 9-1-1 call and when the EMS arrives.”

Those volunteers will cover some sections of Cass County’s 565-square miles. Johnson said volunteers currently reside in the Atlantic, Anita, Wiota, Massena, Griswold, Lewis and Marne areas. There are still some areas of the county that could use additional volunteers, especially in south central Cass County. The goal is to get as many as 20, preferably 30 people to train under the program and serve their areas as initial first responders to emergencies, prior to the arrival of an ambulance.

Cass County received a $50,000 grant in May, 2023, to test the innovative program aimed at decreasing emergency response times in rural Iowa. Total grant funding of $150,000 was made available through the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative for the Calhoun County Public Health Department, Cass County Board of Health, and Van Buren County Hospital. The volunteer emergency responders receive their own “Go Bag” kits, complete with an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator), Narcan (a drug overdose reversal medication), a “stop the bleed” kit, First Aid kit, a pocket mask for ventilation of patients, and a box of gloves. Johnson says each volunteer will also receive a vest that identifies them as a trained responder.

Areas of Cass County with volunteer emergency personnel.

The volunteers are notified, Johnson said by a “Now Force” app on their cell phones. It utilizes GPS, so no matter where the individual is in Cass County, if they are within 15-minutes of a cardiac arrest, they will be notified. The company’s app says “NowForce is a Sophisticated incident management and response technology, fusing critical data and providing real-time comprehensive situational awareness that ignites action. Dispatchers, responders and reporters can share insights in real-time and coordinate efficient, appropriate and rapid response with enhanced field communications.”

For instance, in the case of someone having a heart attack, time is life, and having someone be able to cut-down the response time can potentially save a life. Johnson said “This is a very humbling opportunity. I’m grateful I was approached about it.” Now Force, he said, wants to use Cass County as a Public Relations tool for the project.

Rare Native American art on display in Sioux City

News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Native American art from the late 19th and early 20th century is now on display again at the Sioux City Public Museum. Museum Curator Matt Anderson says the works were last shown locally in 2004. “They’re lithographic prints that were put together back in the 1930s,” Anderson says. “And the first 25 of them are kind of a mix of various Native American artists representing the Lakota, the Yankton Dakota, the Kiowa, and the Shoshone.” Anderson says the 50 prints by nine Native American artists were publish in two parts as a limited edition in 1938. One group gives a unique look into the life of the people.

Native American prints are on display in Sioux City. (KSCJ photo)

“So the first 25 represent all aspects of native society, particularly dwell on ceremonies like the Sun Dance different horse related ceremonies things like that. There’s kind of a depiction of traditional native culture in those,” he says. The second set of prints were done from the 1890’s through 1910 and feature an infamous battle.

“The second 25 are by an artist named Amos Bad Heart Bull, and sometimes called Bad Heart Buffalo as well. And he did a series of drawings covering the Battle of Little Bighorn in which his father, Bad Heart Bull participated,” he says. “And it’s a very detailed accounting of king of the native perspective on how the Battle of Little Bighorn went.” The battle is also referred to as “Custer’s Last Stand,” as General George Armstrong Custer and all his men were killed.

The prints will be on display at the Sioux City Public Museum through March 3rd.

Work release escape of Kirk Matlock

News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Corrections reports 64-year-old Kirk Priest Matlock, who was convicted of Robbery in the 2nd Degree in Story County, failed to report back to the Marshalltown Residential Center as required yesterday (Tuesday).

Kirk Matlock (IA DOC photo)

Matlock is a white male, six-feet tall, weighing 213 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on November 13, 2023.

Persons with information on Matlock’s whereabouts should contact local police.

ISU Leads Big 12 Conference in Graduation Success Rate

Sports

December 6th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

Ames, Iowa – For the second-consecutive year, Iowa State has registered the Big 12 Conference’s top Graduation Success Rate (GSR) score, according to the 2023 Division I academic performance metrics released today by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). ISU’s league-best 95 percent GSR matched the school-record set a year ago and marked the eighth-straight year it either tied or established a new academic excellence standard.

“Iowa State’s school-record tying and Big 12-leading GSR scores reflect the hard work, effort and dedication of our student-athletes in the classroom and their resolve to earn a degree from Iowa State University,” said Iowa State Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard. “Our coaches and academic services team have established a culture that allows our student-athletes to reach their full potential both academically and athletically over the course of their Cyclone journey.

“We appreciate the important role that Iowa State’s faculty and staff play in creating an academic environment that allows our student-athletes to grow and succeed,” he added. “Graduation remains the expectation for all Cyclone student-athletes, and this report demonstrates our ongoing commitment to helping them achieve that goal.”

ISU’s institutional GSR score has improved in each of the last nine years, from a 77 percent score in 2014 to its most-recent 95 percent mark the past two years, while equaling or establishing a school-record in each of the last eight years. Iowa State’s 2023 mark also came in four points higher than both the NCAA FBS and Big 12 averages.

The Cyclones’ institutional 2023 GSR score of 95 percent led the Big 12, followed closely by Baylor (94), West Virginia (94), Kansas State (93), Oklahoma State (92), Kansas (90), Oklahoma (89), Texas (89), TCU (87) and Texas Tech (85). For the purposes of the 2023 GSR report, the NCAA based conference affiliation upon the league that institutions were members of during the 2022-23 academic year. Of the four institutions that joined the Big 12 on July 1, Cincinnati had a GSR score of 97 percent, followed by UCF (92), BYU (80) and Houston (80).

ISU football produced a program-record GSR of 93 percent to rank second in the Big 12, while men’s basketball (89 percent) ranked fourth, followed by wrestling (89 percent, fifth), women’s soccer (96 percent, fifth), men’s track & field/cross country (85 percent, seventh) and volleyball (86 percent, ninth).

The GSR was developed by the NCAA with the entering freshmen class of 1995 to more accurately assess student-athlete’s academic performance. The rate holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the fed survey. The GSR also accounts for mid-year enrollees and is calculated for every sport.

Under the calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing students who leave in good academic standing. The outgoing transfers are included in the receiving institution’s GSR cohort. The most-recent Division I Graduation Success Rates are based on the four entering classes from 2013-16.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Case Confirmed in Mills County

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (Dec. 6, 2023) – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Mills County, Iowa.

The affected site is a backyard mixed species flock.

Commercial and backyard flock owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds. Sick birds or unusual deaths among birds should be immediately reported to state or federal officials. Biosecurity resources and best practices are available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship website. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately. Possible cases must also be reported to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections in birds do not present a public health concern. It remains safe to eat poultry products. As a reminder, consumers should always utilize the proper handling and cooking of eggs and poultry products, including cooking to an internal temperature of 165˚F.

Swalley Earns 2nd B1G Honor

Sports

December 6th, 2023 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa swimmer Olivia Swalley was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon.

During the Hawkeye Invitational (Nov. 30-Dec.2), Swalley competed in nine events tallying eight top-10 marks in the Iowa record books, winning three individual events and three relays, and posting three NCAA “B” cut times.

The Johnston, Iowa, native won the 200 breast (2:12.92), 200 IM (1:59.15), and 400 IM (4:14.72), registering NCAA “B” cut times in each. Her 200-breast mark ranks fourth all-time at Iowa, while her 200 IM ranks third and 400 IM ranks second.

In the relays, Swalley helped the Hawkeyes win the 400 free relay (3:20.47), 200 medley relay (1:39.59), and 400 medley relay (3:38.28). The 200 medley ranks fifth in the Iowa record books, the 400 free ranks ninth, and the 400 medley ranks seventh.

Swalley also etched her name in the Hawkeye record books in the 100 breast (1:01.76) and in the 200 free relay (1:31.46), ranking sixth all-time in both.

Swalley and the Hawkeyes head to Ames, Iowa, on Friday to compete in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawkeye Series hosted by Iowa State. The meet begins at 6 p.m. (CT) inside Beyer Hall Pool.