United Group Insurance

Drake seniors set for final run

Sports

March 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

Drake seniors Roman Penn and D.J. Wilkins are healthy are ready to make one more post season run. The duo grew up in northwest Indiana and both got off to slow starts after offseason surgery. Wilkins suffered an ACL injury late last season and Penn underwent two surgeries to repair a broken foot. Both played their best basketball during a stretch run that saw the Bulldogs win 10 of their last 11 games.

After playing the end of last season on a broken foot Penn is happy to be pain free.

Like Penn, Wilkins was focused on rehab during the summer and it took a while to round into game shape.

After a string of frustrating injuries Wilkins is happy they are both available for the Missouri Valley Tournament.

After falling at Bradley in the winner take all regular season finale Penn says the Bulldogs are focused on the tournament title.

The Bulldogs are the second seed and open Friday night in St. Louis against the winner of Thursday’s game between Murray State and Valparaiso.

No 23 Iowa State women fall at Kansas

Sports

March 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

The 23rd ranked Iowa State women cut a 17 point fourth quarter deficit to three but could get no closer in a 98-93 loss at Kansas.

That’s Cyclone coach Bill Fennelly. Kansas was 11 of 20 from three point range.

Drake’s Tucker DeVries named MVC Player of the Year

Sports

March 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

Drake sophomore Tucker DeVries has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. De Vries averaged 19 points and more than five and a half rebounds for a Bulldog team that- finished the regular season 24-7 and 15-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Drake opens the Valley Tournament in St. Louis Friday night.

A year ago DeVries was named the Valley Freshman of the Year.

DeVries became a much more consistent shooter this season as a sophomore.

DeVries becomes the fifth different Bulldog to win the Larry Bird Trophy and the first since Adam Emmenecker in 2008.

UNI plays Illinois State in Missouri Valley Tournament Thursday

Sports

March 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

The UNI Panthers open Arch Madness in St. Louis Thursday afternoon by taking on Illinois State in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Tournament. The eighth seeded Panthers are 13-17 and beat the Redbirds twice, including a 65-63 win in Cedar Falls in mid-January.

That’s UNI coach Ben Jacobson. The Illinois State combination of Darius Burford and Seneca Knight is averaging 25 points and 10 rebounds.

Panther guard Bowen Born has struggled with a calf injury but did manage to play 30 minutes in the regular season finale against Belmont.

Illinois State is 11-20. Redbird coach Ryan Pedon says his team must match UNI’s toughness.

Pedon says another key will be forcing Bowen Born to take tough shots.

The winner will advance to play top seed and regular season champion Bradley on Friday.

Shenandoah man arrested in Red Oak

News

March 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Red Oak Police Wednesday evening, arrested a man from Shenandoah. Police say 22-year-old Zachary Lee Miller was arrested on a Montgomery County warrant for Failure to Appear on an original charge of Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Miller was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 cash-only bond.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Thu., March 2nd 2023

Weather

March 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. East wind 7 to 10 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. East northeast wind 8 to 10 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 47. North wind 7 to 10 mph.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 47. West northwest wind 6 to 10 mph.

Sunday: A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. Breezy.

IRS: Federal tax refunds are averaging about 11% smaller this year

News

March 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who are getting a refund on their federal taxes this year should expect it to be a smaller check than it was last year, according to I-R-S spokesman Michael Devine. “About 11% less per tax return,” Devine says, “and that’s because many of the credits that were pumped up during COVID have returned to their 2019 levels.” If you haven’t already filed your returns, Devine urges Iowans to file electronically, though you do still have more than six weeks.

“E-file is the fastest and safest and absolutely the most accurate way to do your return, because the software doesn’t make an arithmetic mistake,” he says. “It doesn’t put the wrong number on the wrong line.” If you’re due a refund this year, Devine says e-filing is the fastest way to get what you’re owed.

“When you e-file your return and use direct deposit, so the money goes right into your bank account, you get your tax return processed faster,” he says. In most cases, Devine says you can expect a refund within 21 days and often, even faster. The deadline to file your 2022 federal return is April 18th, while state returns are due May 1st.

EPA moves to allow E15 sales year round in Midwest — next year

News

March 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a rule to let E-15 be sold year round in the Midwest — starting in 2024. Governor Reynolds says she is thrilled the E-P-A has approved the waiver she and the governors of seven other Midwest states requested, but Reynolds says year round sales of E-15 should begin THIS summer. She calls the delay unacceptable and plans seek another waiver.

Reynolds is scheduled to speak this (Thursday) morning to the National Ethanol Conference in Florida. Farm groups and the renewable fuels industry say waiting another 14 months for higher blends of ethanol to be sold year round injects uncertainty into the corn and ethanol markets.

Iowa hires New York company to manage new state-funded ESAs

News

March 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has selected a New York company to administer the new state-funded Education Savings Accounts created by a law she signed in January. Earlier on Wednesday, Odyssey was one of four companies that applied for the Iowa contract. The governor’s office announced state officials will now start negotiating contract details with the company.

Starting this fall, low-income parents who enroll a child in a private school will apply for about 76-hundred dollars from the state to cover tuition and other expenses. In the third year, all private school parents will qualify for the state funding. Odyssey is managing Education Savings Account programs in Arizona and Idaho.

According to the governor’s office, the company will be in charge of customer service and fraud detection. Critics say the law Reynolds signed does not provide enough direct oversight to prevent fraud.

Study: White-tailed deer can carry COVID and may give new variant to people

News

March 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa)- White-tailed deer are susceptible to coronavirus infections and researchers at the U-S-D-A’s National Animal Disease Center in Ames are looking into how different variants of the virus impact deer over time. U-S-D-A Veterinary Medical Officer Mitchell Palmer says once a disease is established in wildlife, it’s difficult to get out of wildlife, plus, there are about 30-million white-tailed deer in the U-S.

The research team has been infecting captive white-tailed deer with different coronavirus variants, though the deer don’t develop a fever or clinical signs of COVID-19. Palmer says it’s possible a new variant could pop out that might be infectious to people.