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IA eclipse research balloon pops, sends ‘cool’ data back to Earth

News

April 29th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Iowa News Service) – Environmental scientists in Iowa are starting to analyze data they collected with a research balloon during the recent solar eclipse. The mission was part “cool factor,” part high-tech research project. Matthew Nelson, director of the Make to Innovate program at Iowa State University, and a team of seven eclipse chasers trekked to launch their high-tech balloon in Carbondale, Illinois, the only place in the country in the path of the total solar eclipse both this year and in 2017. At an altitude of 95,000 feet, the craft studied the atmospheric effects of the eclipse, but Nelson said there were also less scientific reasons at play.

“One, there’s the cool factor,” Nelson explained. “It’s really kind of an interesting effect and it looks spectacular. I mean, you can see the whole round shadow as it moves across the ground. It’s very much like seeing the eclipse itself. It’s kind of one of those surreal types of things.” Beyond recording video of the shadows, the balloon collected highly technical atmospheric and solar data, which Nelson is starting to study. Video from the balloon, and its flight path, are online.

Iowa State University students inflate a high-altitude balloon and prepare for launch in the Howe Hall parking lot on March 23. The launch will prepare them for a similar experiment during the upcoming solar eclipse. Photo by Fred Love. (ISU Photo)

Nelson noted the balloon was monitoring atmospheric pressure, humidity levels, temperature and solar radiation during the eclipse, things they do not typically have the chance to study. “We can measure some of the solar flares, and stuff like that, when the bulk of the sun is blocked out like that,” Nelson stressed. “It’s a unique opportunity to see what can we learn from these eclipses.”

Once the balloon had done its job and was beginning to return to Earth, it detached from the high-tech gear, ascended well beyond its “cruising altitude” and popped. Nelson was able to collect the gear, which landed safely, thanks to a parachute.

NE IA man dies in single-vehicle accident, Saturday

News

April 29th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Anamosa, Iowa) – The Iowa State Patrol reports a fiery, single-vehicle accident in eastern Jones County has claimed the life of a man from Delaware County, Iowa. 96-year-old Maurice Vincent Hennessey, of Ryan,  died, when the 2000 Ford Focus wagon he was driving was apparently on the wrong side of the road, prior to leaving the road and entering a ditch.

The vehicle then struck a road sign, re-crossed the road and struck a tree on the opposite side before catching fire. The accident happened at around 3:30-p.m., Saturday, on Newport Road in rural Anamosa. The crash remains under investigation.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Monday, April 29, 2024

Weather

April 29th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 66. West wind 10 around 20 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny & windy, w/a 70% chance of late afternoon showers & thunderstorms. High near 78. S @ 15-30 mph.
Tue. Night: Showers and thunderstorms  through midnight, then partly cloudy. Low 45.
Wednesday: P/sunny w/a 70% chance of afternoon showers & thunderstorms. High near 69.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 72.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 67. Our Low this morning, 46. We received .29″ rain Sunday into early today. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 63 and the Low was 36. The All-time Record High on April 29th was 93, in 1987. The Record Low was 22, in 1958. Sunrise: 6:20; Sunset: 8:15.

Officials continue to assess damage from multiple tornadoes

News

April 29th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A man who was injured when a tornado struck Minden on Friday has died. Officials say about 50 homes in the western Iowa community of Minden were destroyed by Friday’s tornado and dozens more were damaged. First responders found an unconscious man in the aftermath and Pottawattamie County officials confirm he has died of his injuries. The National Weather Service office in metro Des Moines says at least 12 tornadoes touched down in central Iowa Friday. The Weather Service office in Omaha will released its report on Friday’s tornadoes in western Iowa later today (Monday).

Sixteen-year-old Avery Assmann of Minden says her family and four dogs were in the basement when the tornado struck. She says her home is still standing, but others weren’t as fortunate. “There’s a lot of trees down. A lot of people’s houses are down. A lot of people’s siding is gone, but the house isn’t gone. There are two houses that came off their foundation, so, they’re just like in people’s yards,” she said, “but it’s very scary to see the town like that.”

Assman was at the Neola Area Community Center Sunday, where a distribution center has been set up for tornado victims. JoDee Junkman is the center’s director and she says donations are coming from as far away as Des Moines and from Omaha, which took a hit from a tornado, too. “It’s amazing. It just makes you feel good,” she said. “We’ve had some families come in to go through donations, and they’re almost in tears because of everything that’s here that they can use.” Governor Reynolds toured Minden Saturday and said it appears 40 percent of the homes and businesses in the community have been damaged or destroyed.

As of yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, all roads into Minden were still closed to the public and volunteers while crews worked to restore power to the town.

In Union County, the tornado that caused damage in Creston reached speeds of 125 miles an hour. Two other twisters were reported in Union County, west of Afton. A tornado in Ringgold County stayed on the ground for 27 miles, with damage reported in Tingley and Redding. The tornado in Clarke County that caused damage in and around Osceola reached speeds of 135 miles an hour.

The Shelby County Board of Supervisors has declared a state of emergency in their county, where about 60 homes in rural areas were damaged or destroyed. There was significant damage between Harlan and the small community of Portsmouth. The Shelby County Golf Course north of Harlan was significantly damaged. Late Friday night a tornado hit Pleasant Hill, a suburb on the eastern side of the Des Moines metro.

Hawkeyes Split Sunday with Nebraska

Sports

April 29th, 2024 by admin

LINCOLN, Nebraska – The University of Iowa baseball team split a pair of games with Nebraska on Sunday afternoon at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. Iowa lost the first game, 12-2, in seven innings before winning the nightcap, 4-1.
The Hawkeyes and Huskers finished the suspended game that was stopped yesterday due to lightning in the area before playing the third game of the series.
“I just can’t say enough about our kids’ resilience,” said head coach Rick Heller. “Hanging in there and sitting around here for six hours before the other game started and didn’t die. It’s not easy to do that.”
In game two of the series yesterday, Iowa took the lead with a home run in the third, but Nebraska responded tying the game in the bottom half. The Huskers would take the lead scoring three runs in the fourth and four runs in the fifth before the game was halted.
After resuming the game today, the teams traded runs in the sixth before Nebraska scored three runs in the seventh to end the game.
Aaron Savary made the start for Iowa in game two throwing three innings. He allowed four runs on five hits while striking out three.
Five different Hawkeye pitchers threw out of the bullpen to finish the final 6 2/3 innings allowing eight runs on nine hits.
Michael Seegers was 2-for-3 with an RBI and five Iowa batters recorded a hit in the contest. Blake Guerin had a double and Ben Wilmes had a solo home run.
In the third and final game of the series the Hawkeyes got out to a 2-0 lead through two innings before Nebraska plated their lone run in the fourth. Iowa added a run in both the fifth and the sixth to put the game away.
Brody Brecht started on the mound for Iowa in game three and recorded his second straight quality start. Brecht threw 7 innings allowing two hits and one run. He struck out 11 Huskers while walking three.
“That was much needed after the weekend to that point,” said Heller.  “He did a great job for the most part to pound the strike zone. He was in control pretty much the entire game. It was good to see him locate his fastball today.”
Jack Young closed out the game throwing a perfect final two innings and striking out four. Raider Tello was 3-for-4 with a home run and Gable Mitchell also added a home run for the Hawkeyes. Davis Cop tallied an RBI for Iowa.
“We left some out there,” said Heller. “We didn’t execute very well offensively tonight. We had some bad at bats with runners in scoring position and chased out of the zone, but we survived. We scored enough and hey, I’m happy.”
The Hawkeyes return to action at home on Tuesday against Illinois State at 6:05 p.m. (CT) at Duane Banks Field.

Agency won’t disclose payment status of $5.7 million in Iowa nursing home fines

News

April 28th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(By: Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Last year, the federal government imposed 244 fines totaling $5.7 million against Iowa nursing homes, but it won’t say which of those fines remains unpaid.

Federal data show that just five of Iowa’s 422 care facilities accounted for more than $1 million in regulatory fines imposed in fiscal year 2023. Three of those homes – Lantern Park Specialty Care of Coralville, Arbor Court of Mount Pleasant, and Genesis Senior Living of Des Moines – each were fined more than $200,000.

The fines represent penalties imposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and typically stem from quality-of-care violations reported by state inspectors. Although CMS publicly reports the fines imposed against all Medicare-certified nursing facilities, the agency does not disclose whether such fines have actually been paid.

In response to a recent Iowa Capital Dispatch inquiry about the payment status of 28 fines CMS imposed this year against two Iowa nursing homes, an agency spokesperson declined to provide the information and explained that “CMS does not publish the status of any nursing home payments for imposed fines.” No reason was given for the refusal.

“There is so much secrecy surrounding this whole regulatory process,” said Toby Edelman, senior policy attorney for the Center for Medicare Advocacy. “This is public information. Who are they hiding this information from? Who are they protecting by not saying which fines aren’t paid? The public has a right to know what is going on.”

According to the CMS data, the Iowa nursing homes that in fiscal year 2023 compiled the highest level of federal fines were:

  • Lantern Park Specialty Care, Coralville
  • Arbor Court, Mount Pleasant
  • Genesis Senior Living, Des Moines
  • Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center, West Moines
  • Cedar Falls Health Care Center, Cedar Falls
  • Aspire of Gowrie, Gowrie

Other Iowa facilities that were fined more than $100,000 in 2023 were Garden View Care Center in  Shenandoah, which was fined $163,034; Crown Pointe Estates in Sioux Center, which was fined $161,905; Ivy at Davenport in Scott County, which was fined $111,039; Maple Crest Manor in Fayette, which was fined $107,7468; and Heritage Specialty Care in Cedar Rapids, which was fined $105,645.

Two of the Iowa care facilities that racked up the highest number of federal penalties in the current fiscal year, without regard to the total dollar amounts, are Valley View Community and Lakeside Lutheran Home. So far this year, each of the homes has been fined $97,073 for 14 violations — all of which are tied to a failure to submit weekly COVID-19 data reports to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data reported by CMS makes it difficult to identify the Iowa nursing home chains that have the worst record of compliance with regulations. Facilities that are clearly part of a multifacility chain, operating under common ownership, are incorrectly reported as having no affiliation with any chains.

For example, two of the most heavily fined care facilities in Iowa, Lantern Park Specialty Care and Heritage Specialty Care, are part of a 44-facility chain run by Care Initiatives of West Des Moines. CMS. However, reports state that neither facility has any affiliation with a nursing home chain.

In June 2021, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported that CMS was only informing the public of the fines it had imposed against care facilities if and when the owners chose to pay those fines. Unpaid fines were not being reported at all by CMS.

That policy led to situations such as the Dubuque Specialty Care nursing home being fined $84,825, with CMS reporting to the public several months later that no fines had been imposed. At the time, an agency spokesman said that because the facility had not paid anything toward the fine, CMS policy was to report to the public that no fine had been imposed.

By the end of the year, CMS had reversed that policy and was reporting fines within 90 days of when they were incurred, rather than when they were paid. However, the agency also stopped disclosing whether the fines were paid, stating only that “this information is not generally publicly available.”

Drake Relays Saturday Results

Sports

April 28th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Boys 4×400 Meter Relay

15. Thomas Jefferson: Victor Atupra, Nathan Anderson, Jordan Dewaele, Brandon Bowen (3:25.87)

Boys 1600 Meter Run 

7. Natnael Kifle, Sioux City North (4:14.03)

9. Landon Bendgen, Woodbine (4:15.08)

13. Ethan Eichhorn, Lewis Central (4:17.85)

Girls 1500 Meter Run

7. Lili Denton, St. Albert (4:40.19)

Boys 400 Meter Hurdles 

2. Ryce Reynolds, Mount Ayr (52.09)

4. Gabe Funk, Lenox (52.76)

13. Karson Elwood, Treynor (54.82)

14. Brandon Bowen, Thomas Jefferson (55.33)

15. Jack Follmann, CAM (56.37)

Boys 4×100 Meter Relay Preliminaries

6q. Harlan: Hagen Sorensen, Matthew Sorfonden, Brehden Eggerss, Cade Sears (42.19)

18. Shenandoah: Hunter Dukes, Alex Razee, Cole Graham, Brody Cullin (43.17)

23. Glenwood: Jackson Mullins, Trey Darden, Keaton German, Payton Longmeyer (43.26)

32. Treynor: Jett Sornson, Karson Elwood, Drew Meyers, Brady Wallace (43.59)

52. Atlantic: Jaice Larson, Tye Houser, Jarrett Hansen, Ethan McNeal (44.04)

78. Underwood: Riley Sealock, Charlie Myers, Josh Ravlin, Will Buckholdt (44.81)

89. Mount Ayr: Garrett Walter, Jackson Ruggles, Trevin Victor, Preston Fleharty (45.40)

Girls 4×100 Meter Relay Prelims

19. Glenwood: Zoie Carda, Elaina Dougherty, Danika Arnold, Allison Koontz (49.96)

42. Atlantic: Hailey Huffman, Jayci Reed, Allison Middents, Lila Wiederstein (50.89)

43. Wayne: Hagan Arnold, Brystal Peck, Cortney Knutson, Ella Whitney (50.95)

50. Central Decatur: Soiyer Smith, Abigail Leahy, Addy Schreck, Breegan Lindsey (51.06)

55. Riverside: Elly Henderson, Carly Henderson, Emma Gordon, Lydia Erickson (51.23)

67. Nodaway Valley: Grace Britten, Maddie Weston, Emma Lundy, Annika Nelson (51.61)

81. Clarinda: Bailey Nordyke, Alexa Barnes, Kylie Meier, Jerzee Knight (51.92)

83. Underwood: Tieler Hull, Kinsley Ferguson, Ainsley Roberts, Haley Stangl (51.98)

89. Fremont-Mills: Izzy Weldon, Bella Gute, Carlie Chambers, Emily Madison (52.33)

91. Treynor: Ellie Kinsella, Rylee Hemmingsen, Allie Houser, Alyssa Kulesa (52.50)

94. Lewis Central: Irelynn James, Brooke Nelson, Payton Mathews, Madeline Fidone (53.06)

Boys Shuttle Hurdle Relay Preliminaries 

10. Treynor: Brady Wallace, Brock Casey, Cauy Konz, Karson Elwood (1:00.70)

14. Underwood: Sam Hulsing, Lucas Bose, Jack Vanfossan, Mason Boothby (1:01.53)

15. Bishop Heelan: Quinn Olson, James Arlt, Drew Uhl, Hunter Wauhob (1:01.69)

FS. Lenox: Donald Bashor, JJ Martin-England, Dawson Evans, Gabe Funk

Girls Shuttle Hurdle Relay Preliminaries 

11. Fremont-Mills: Bella Gute, Izzy Weldon, Carlie Nuckolls, Emily Madison (1:07.59)

DQ. Stanton: Kyla Hart, Lauren Johnson, Elly McDonald, Hannah Olson

High School Soccer Scores from Saturday

Sports

April 28th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Boys Scores 

St. Albert 3, Beckman Catholic 0
St. Albert 1, Wahlert Catholic 0
St. Albert 1, Regina Catholic 0
Southeast Polk 2, Council Bluffs Lincoln 0
West Central Valley 4, Kuemper Catholic 0
Treynor 5, Van Meter 1
ADM 1, Fort Madison 0
Gilbert 1, North Polk 0
West Central Valley 10, Panorama 0
ADM 1, Pella 0

Girls Scores 

Treynor 1, Glenwood 0
Boone 4, Central Iowa United 2
Kuemper Catholic 2, Boone 1

Minden tornado victim dies from their injuries

News

April 28th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

A man who was hurt during Friday’s tornado in Minden, Iowa, has died of his injuries. Family members confirmed the news to Omaha area media.  According to a deputy with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, the man was unconscious when first responders found him.

He was transported to the hospital and was in stable condition, authorities said. He was then moved to the ICU on Saturday, the deputy said. The storm victim’s name was not immediately released.

County officials confirmed that three people were also injured from the tornado. They were treated and released.

Council Bluffs Police investigate 2 deaths

News

April 28th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Police in Council Bluffs are investigating the deaths of two men whose bodies were found Sunday morning, less than one-mile apart. According to a press release, 36-year-old Deonte Ivory,of Omaha, was found dead on the roadway in the 2100 block of S. 29th Street. An autopsy will be done early this week to determine how he died.

Then at about 7:02 -a.m. a person walking their dog near the entrance of the Western Trails Historic Center (3200 block of S. 24th Street) found a man on the ground. Officers identified that body as that of 25-year-old Michael Anderson, also of Omaha. An autopsy will also be done early this week to determine how he died.

Council Bluffs PD Shield

Detectives are investigating the circumstances and are trying to figure out whether or not they are related. Police ask anyone with information on the deaths to call the Council Bluffs Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at (712)328‐4728 or CB Crime Stoppers at (712)328‐7867.

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.