712 Digital Group - top

Warren Opera House Board member reflects on Norman Lear’s movie in Greenfield

News

December 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Greenfield, Iowa) – A man who was just a teenager in high school back in 1969, is reflecting back on his experiences with Director Norman Lear and the production of “Cold Turkey,” in Greenfield. Lear died Tuesday at the age of 101. E.E. Warren Cultural Center Board Member Dan Dickinson says he was a member of the Greenfield High School Band, and performed in one of the last scene’s of the movie.

He says the experience was “pretty neat.”

Being an Extra in the film gave Dickinson some spending money and a chance to talk with the film’s stars.

Dickinson said Norman Lear was very attentive to detail, but he never saw him upset, even if things weren’t going according to plan. Lear wrote, directed and produced the movie.

He said Lear was always “Down-to-earth guy,” and always held Greenfield and Iowa close to his heart.

Dan Dickinson says the last time Lear was in Greenfield was in the late 90’s, when they had a “Cold Turkey” Reunion. He said Lear “Was a great man, and it was nice to be a small part of his career.” In 2014, the Warren Cultural Center named its theater in honor of the famed producer.

 

Iowa Girls High School Basketball Rankings

Sports

December 7th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

Class 1A
No.
School
Record
LW
1
North Linn
4-1
1
2
Newell-Fonda
3-0
2
3
Martensdale-St. Marys
3-2
3
4
Remsen St. Mary’s
4-0
4
5
Riceville
4-0
6
6
Council Bluffs St. Albert
4-1
7
7
Algona Bishop Garrigan
4-0
10
8
Calamus-Wheatland
4-0
11
9
Coon Rapids-Bayard
3-0
13
10
Earlham
2-1
9
11
CAM
3-1
14
12
Woodbine
2-2
5
13
East Buchanan
4-1
8
14
Lynnville-Sully
5-1
NR
15
Holy Trinity Catholic
4-0
NR
 
Dropped Out: Marquette Catholic (12), Boyden-Hull (15)
 
Class 2A
No.
School
Record
LW
1
Dike-New Hartford
4-1
1
2
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
5-0
2
3
Panorama
4-0
3
4
Iowa City Regina
3-1
4
5
Nodaway Valley
2-0
5
6
Westwood
4-0
6
7
North Mahaska
4-0
7
8
Aplington-Parkersburg
5-0
9
9
Sioux Central
4-1
8
10
Central Lyon
5-0
10
11
Hinton
4-1
11
12
MVAOCOU
3-0
12
13
Cascade
2-1
13
14
Treynor
1-2
14
15
Jesup
4-0
15
 
Dropped Out: None
 
Class 3A
No.
School
Record
LW
1
Solon
5-0
1
2
Mount Vernon
4-0
5
3
Des Moines Christian
5-1
3
4
Estherville-Lincoln Central
4-1
6
5
Benton
3-1
2
6
Dubuque Wahlert Catholic
3-1
4
7
Harlan
4-0
7
8
Forest City
5-0
9
9
Monticello
4-1
8
10
Clear Lake
2-1
10
11
Algona
2-2
11
12
Roland-Story
4-0
12
13
Cherokee
5-0
14
14
Williamsburg
2-2
13
15
Chariton
4-0
NR
 
Dropped Out: Center Point-Urbana (15)
 
Class 4A
No.
School
Record
LW
1
Dallas Center-Grimes
5-0
1
2
Clear Creek-Amana
4-0
2
3
Norwalk
6-0
3
4
North Polk
3-1
5
5
Waverly-Shell Rock
3-0
6
6
Mason City
3-1
4
7
Bishop Heelan
3-0
7
8
Ballard
3-2
8
9
Le Mars
4-0
9
10
Central DeWitt
4-0
10
11
Marion
5-0
14
12
Carlisle
0-2
12
13
Maquoketa
3-2
15
14
Western Dubuque
4-2
NR
15
Cedar Rapids Xavier
2-2
11
 
Dropped Out: Sioux Center (13)
 
Class 5A
No.
School
Record
LW
1
Johnston
4-0
1
2
West Des Moines Valley
5-0
5
3
Davenport North
3-2
4
4
Dowling Catholic
2-3
6
5
Ankeny Centennial
3-1
2
6
Waukee
5-0
7
7
Pleasant Valley
2-2
3
8
Ankeny
3-2
8
9
Cedar Falls
4-1
10
10
Sioux City East
1-2
9
11
Southeast Polk
3-2
11
12
Waukee Northwest
2-3
12
13
Cedar Rapids Prairie
2-1
14
14
Waterloo West
3-1
13
15
Sioux City West
2-1
NR
 
Dropped Out:  Muscatine (15)

Iowa Northern Railway sold

News

December 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa rail line has been sold. The Canadian National Railroad announced it has reached an agreement to acquire the Waterloo-based Iowa Northern Railway. Iowa Northern has some 275 miles of track that runs from Manly to Cedar Rapids, with branch lines from Waterloo to Oelwein, and Forest City to Belmond.

Iowa Northern Railway map of its line.

The Iowa Northern website says it has 110 employees and serves 20 grain elevators, two ethanol plants, and two mineral processing facilities. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, and it must be approved by federal regulators, which is expected in 2024

Ernst pressing for border policy changes in aid package for Ukraine & Israel

News

December 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst have joined their G-O-P colleagues in a procedural vote that has blocked a bill to provide U-S aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. The bill also would provide funding for U-S border security measures, but Ernst says that’s not sufficient.  “We actually need to change the border policy,” Ernst says. “The policies that are in place right now are actually not addressing the migrant flow that is coming in.”

Ernst says the bill is an acknowledgement by the Biden Administration that there’s a border crisis. “They are the ones that wrote the package and it addresses funding for the border, it addresses funding for Ukraine, for Israel and the Indo-Pacific,” Ernst says. “They tied all four of those things together.”

Biden says he’s willing to make significant compromises on border security if that’s what it takes to get the 110 billion dollar package through congress. U-S military aid for Ukraine will run out by the end of the year and Biden warns that if Russia takes Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t stop there.

Brianna Gonzalez Named Regional Women’s Wrestler of The Month

Sports

December 7th, 2023 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa women’s wrestling sophomore Brianna Gonzalez has been named the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) regional women’s wrestler of the month for region five, announced today by the organization.

Gonzalez is currently undefeated accumulating four pins and five technical falls. She is 3-0 against ranked opponents, including her victory over third-ranked Payton Stroud at the Missouri Valley Open, via an 8-2 decision.

The El Monte, California native shined in her Carver-Hawkeye Arena debut last month as well, putting 13 team points on the board with two tech. falls and one pin. With adding these three wins to her record, Gonzalez has wrestled her way to a fourth-ranked spot in the recent NWCA rankings.

The Hawkeyes will travel to Naperville, Illinois, this weekend to compete at the North Central College Invitational on Sunday. The tournament will be streamed live on the North Central Athletics website, and matches will be updated live on trackwrestling.com.

2 vehicle-vs-deer accidents Wednesday in Guthrie County

News

December 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Guthrie County say no injuries were reported following two separate collisions involving vehicles and deer. At around 5:15-p.m., a 2023 Chevy pickup driven by 36-year-old Jacob Matthews, of Audubon, struck a deer on Highway 44, west of 215th Street. The impact caused front-end and passenger fender damage to the vehicle. The damage was estimated at $7,500.

And, at around 7:36-p.m. Wednesday, a 2017 KIA passenger van driven by 28-year-old Aubre Sloan, of Philmath, OR, struck a deer on Highway 25 in Guthrie County, between 190th and Nice Avenue. The vehicle sustained about $6,000 damage.

2 women injured in a Guthrie County collision

News

December 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports two women were injured during an accident early Wednesday afternoon. Authorities say a passenger in a 2011 Ford Focus, 90-year-old Marilyn Stephenson, of Adair, was injured when the vehicle, driven by 81-year-old Helen Ernst, of Adair, sideswiped a 2014 Chevy pickup, driven by 57-year-old James Klemish, of Adair. Stephenson was transported by Adair EMS to Des Moines Methodist Hospital in downtown Des Moines. Ernst was transported to the Guthrie County Hospital by Stuart EMS.  Klemish wasn’t hurt.

The accident happened at around 12:15-p.m., as Klemish was traveling eastbound on White Pole Road near Stuart, and attempted to turn north, into a driveway.

Klemish told Deputies he was distracted by a railroad crew working on the tracks, and saw a road work sign, but failed to see the Ford until it was too late. Authorities noted the railroad crew was far enough away from the scene of the collision to not be a distraction. Furthermore, they said, a Guthrie County Roads crew was clearing ditch debris and DID have road work signs posted, but none of the signs were at or near the scene of the collision.

Damage from the collision amounted to $19,000. Klemish was cited for Failure to Yield upon left turn.

Iowa Women’s Foundation hosts child care summit

News

December 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A Republican in the Iowa legislature says she’ll continue to push for an idea to boost state payments to Iowa child care centers. Representative Megan Jones of Sioux Rapids says the state could continue to make child care assistance payments for days when kids are out sick. She got the idea from the director of her own kids’ daycare who was filling out the required paperwork. “Here was this director sitting before me telling me that paperwork and red tape is what was the most stressful part of her day, when she really just wanted to go work with kids,” Jones says. Jones introduced a bill in the 2023 legislative session that’s still eligible for debate in 2024. It would have the state pay for each day a child is enrolled in a daycare, even if they’re out for part of a day or a full day. Jones made her comments during a child care summit hosted by the Iowa Women’s Foundation.

Lawmakers recently expanded eligibility for child care assistance for low-income families and boosted payments to providers. Representative Heather Matson, a Democrat from Ankeny, say those are positive changes, but Iowa still has a child care crisis to solve. “The vast majority of families in this state — and in this country for that matter, right? — their families are not necessarily on child care assistance, but it is fundamentally unaffordable for almost all families,” Matson says. Matson says the state needs to focus on stabilizing the child care workforce with higher wages and benefits.

Republican Senator Jeff Edler of State Center says gradual approach G-O-P lawmakers are taking on child care issues gives Iowa taxpayers the best bang for their buck.

IRENE LOUISE KNUDSEN, 96, of Carroll (formerly of Audubon) – Svcs. 12/8/23

Obituaries

December 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

IRENE LOUISE KNUDSEN, 96, of Carroll (formerly of Audubon), died Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, at the Addington Place of Carroll. Funeral services for IRENE KNUDSEN will be held 11-a.m. Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon has the arrangements.

The family will meet with friends Friday (12/8), from 9:30-a.m. until the time of service, at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon.

Burial is in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Audubon.

IRENE KNUDSEN is survived by:

Her sons – Roger (Jane) Knudsen, of Williamsburg, IA, and Rex Knudsen of Carroll, IA.

4 grandchildren 7 great grandchildren; other relatives and many friends.

DOROTHY EVELYN GREENLEE, 96, of Atlantic (formerly of Anita) – Memorial Svc. 12/11/23

Obituaries

December 7th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

DOROTHY EVELYN GREENLEE, 96, of Atlantic (formerly of Anita), died Thursday, December 7, 2023, at Heritage House, in Atlantic. A Memorial service for DOROTHY GREENLEE will be held 2-p.m. Monday, December 11, 2023, at the Anita United Methodist Church. Schmidt Family Funeral Home of Anita is handling the arrangements.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the Anita United Methodist Church on Monday.

Interment will take place following the service at Evergreen Cemetery in Anita. A reception with refreshments will be held following the interment in the fellowship hall of the Methodist Church.

Memorials may be directed to the Anita United Methodist Church in memory of Dorothy, and may be mailed to the Schmidt Family Funeral Home, P.O. Box 523, Atlantic, IA 50022.

DOROTHY GREENLEE is survived by:

3 grandchildren, 8 Great-grandchildren and 17 great-great grandchildren.