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Groundbreaking for $676 million Daisy Brand plant in Boone

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 20th, 2025 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A ceremonial groundbreaking today in Boone for a plant that will produce Daisy Brand sour cream and cottage cheese. The 676 MILLION dollar project will eventually employ over 250 people. Ben Sokolsky is president of the family-owned company.  “It is our most ambitious project yet,” Sokolsky said. Milk for the plant will come exclusively from Marshall Ridge Farms in nearby State Center, one of the largest dairy farms in Iowa. It will add seven-thousand cows to its milking operation by the time the Daisy plant in Boone opens in late 2028 or early 2029.

“Without milk, none of this would be possible,” Sokolsky said, “so that’s pretty important.” Sokolsky spoke at a luncheon in Boone today (Tuesday). Dan Culhane, president and C-E-O of the Ames Regional Alliance, was the host. “While economic development occurs every day in our communities, it doesn’t always come together to this magnitude,” Culhane said. “And so that’s what we’re really celebrating today.” Boone Mayor Elijah Stines says it’s a transformative project.

“One that will not only reshape the economic landscape of Boone, but the entire region,” Stines said. “…The future of Daisy Brands, the City of Boone and the State of Iowa is all brighter because of this investment.” Governor Kim Reynolds says many groups and individuals get credit for making the deal with Daisy possible — including local leaders, state agencies and the private sector. “This nearly $700 million investment isn’t just a number. It represents real opportunity. It means hundreds of new jobs, it means an expanded tax base, it means new momentum for local businesses, schools and family farms,” Reynolds says.

Ceremonial groundbreaking for Daisy Brand plant in Boone with Gov. Reynolds in center and Daisy Brand president Ben Sokolsky to the left of Reynolds. (RI photo)

“It simulates construction with plans for housing and hospitality projects already underway.” Daisy Brand currently has plants in Texas, Arizona and Ohio. State Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says the project in Boone will boost Iowa’s dairy industry and create permanent, good paying jobs. “Today is a heaping dollop of good news and we can all be excited about that,” Naig said, prompting laughter from the crowd as he recited a line from a Daisy sour cream commercial.

Over one of every two cups of sour cream sold in the United States is Daisy Brand sour cream. Data shows overall sales of cottage cheese were up 16 percent last year and the company’s president says Daisy Brand hasn’t seen this kind of growth in cottage cheese sales since the 1970s.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

ISU specialist says rain will help boost crop growth

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 20th, 2025 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University weather and climate specialist says the rain we are getting is welcome for farmers across the state. Madelynn Wustenberg says improved soil moisture will support crops as they enter a critical part of the growing season. Most of the state is planted for corn and soybeans at this point and emergence is really starting to look good. So this is a really good time to have some of that rainfall so that we can, yeah, just get some moisture to those roots and get plants really popping up,” she says.

Wustenburg says the corn and soybeans should both benefit. “I would expect that we see some pretty decent growth in the next few days,” Wustenburg says. She says the rains this week will help the state catch up to get closer to normal for the month. “Climatologically what we would expect in mid-May is anywhere from around an inch to an inch and a quarter, maybe even an inch and half per week. So we’re definitely behind with the past couple of weeks being pretty dry across the state,” she says.

Wustenburg the soil moisture profile has been pretty similar to the same time last year prior to the latest rains.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Riverside Baseball Begins Season with Fresh Start

Sports

May 20th, 2025 by Jack McGonigal

The Riverside baseball team will be under new leadership this season under new Head Coach Kyler Morgan. The Bulldogs are looking for a fresh start after an 8-14 season a year ago. The Bulldogs will look to a lot of guys that have had minimal varsity experience on the mound this season. Riverside lost six seniors in the offseason who pitched at least ten innings a year ago. Morgan says there are several players he expects to play bigger roles on the bump this spring.

The first-year head coach says he has been impressed with the offseason conditioning but that can only go so far.

Riverside loses three of their top four highest batting averages from a year ago. Junior Aaron Smith comes back after a .341 sophomore season and led the team with 16 runs driven in. Smith also had a share in the team lead with four triples in 2024. Morgan emphasizes many athletes on his roster are very versatile.

The Bulldogs believe they play baseball in an exciting way and want to inspire the kids watching from the stands.

Riverside’s 2025 season with be all about new energy and building that chemistry on and off the field.

Posted in Sports |

Iowa State to Face Creighton in Home and Home Exhibition Games

Sports

May 20th, 2025 by Jack McGonigal

AMES, Iowa – For the first time since 2017, Iowa State will play in an exhibition game. The Cyclones will travel to Omaha to face Creighton on Friday, Oct. 17 at the CHI Health Center. A return exhibition game at Hilton Coliseum is scheduled for October 2026.

The last time the Cyclones played an exhibition game was in 2017-18, a 77-68 victory over Emporia State.

While this game will not count in the regular season record, Iowa State holds a 17-15 advantage in the all-time series. The last time the two teams met was in 2021, a 64-58 Cyclone victory in Omaha.

The Cyclones are coming off a 25-10 campaign in 2024-25 with a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bluejays went 25-11 and also advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In ESPN’s Way Too Early Top 25, the Cyclones are ranked No. 13, while the Bluejays are among the first five teams outside the Top 25.

Tipoff and TV designation will be announced at a later time.

Posted in Sports |

Glenwood Police report, 5/20/25

News

May 20th, 2025 by Ric Hanson

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood report the arrest on Monday, of 27-year-old Cristyan Gonzalez Cardon, of Glenwood. Cardon was arrested on two different Mills County Warrants for failure to appear. Bond was set at $4,000 altogether.

Posted in News |

Iowa baseball prepares for B1G Tournament in Omaha

Sports

May 20th, 2025 by Ric Hanson

After squandering a chance to win the Big Ten regular championship the Iowa Hawkeye baseball team is getting ready for Wednesday night’s start of the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha. Iowa’s regular season title hopes vanished with a sweep at the hands of fifth ranked Oregon.

That’s Iowa coach Rick Heller who says the attitude has been good in practice this week.

Heller believes the Hawkeyes can rebound with a good week.

Heller says the starting pitching needs to get deeper into games this week.

Iowa catcher Daniel Rogers says the Hawkeyes view the tournament as a fresh start.

After winning their first eight Big Ten series the Hawkeyes have lost momentum over the last few weeks.

Iowa opens on Wednesday night against Rutgers and the tournament has a new format this year. The Hawkeyes are in a pod with Indiana and Rutgers. Those teams are playing this afternoon in Omaha and Iowa needs to beat the winner of that game to clinch a spot in Saturday’s semifinals.

The Hawkeyes play Indiana Friday afternoon.

Posted in Sports |

Crypto bill advances, Grassley says he wouldn’t invest in digital currency

News

May 20th, 2025 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley voted with his colleagues last (Monday) night in advancing the first major bill that would more closely regulate cryptocurrency. In a conference call with Iowa reporters this morning, Grassley was asked if he’d personally invest in crypto.

“I would not invest, but that doesn’t mean that that’s got any sort of indication of what I think of this bill,” Grassley says. “I think that the bill is needed.” Grassley says he has no quarrel with elected officials, including the president, investing in digital currency, as long as they abide by the STOCK Act of 2012. It bans the use of non-public information for private profit, like insider trading, by members of Congress and other government workers.

“I would see it as an investment, just like we can invest in the stock market now. We have to report all of our transactions,” Grassley says. “That’s no problem for me because I have my investments in mutual funds, so I don’t trade, so I don’t have to make these reports.” All Senate Democrats and two Republicans initially blocked the new crypto bill from passing, saying the regulations weren’t strong enough. An amendment that also passed last night would allow President Trump and his family members to continue with their various crypto ventures.

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (official photo)

Grassley, a Republican, says he has no objection to politicians investing in cryptocurrency. “Several members of Congress are quite regularly doing this,” Grassley says, “and as long as they abide by the STOCK Act, it seems to me it’s legitimate.” That bill, signed into law by President Obama in 2012, stands for Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge.

The new crypto bill, called the GENIUS Act, would regulate what are known as stablecoins, a sort of cryptocurrency that’s tied to assets like U-S dollars. Monday’s vote was procedural and the bill has not yet won final passage in the Senate.

Posted in News |

Iowa State Adds Ryan to Women’s Basketball Staff

Sports

May 20th, 2025 by Jack McGonigal

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly announced the addition of Emily Ryan to his 2025-26 staff as a graduate assistant Tuesday morning.

“I want to first of all thank our administration for making it possible for Emily Ryan to remain a member of the Cyclone Women’s Basketball family,” said Fennelly. “Emily’s loyalty to Iowa State and her passion for this program are truly special. Her work ethic is as good as I have ever seen. I am confident that she will impact our program as a coach, just as she did as one of the best players to ever play at Iowa State.”

Ryan ended her career as one of the best point guards in Iowa State history, recording top five all-time marks in assists, steals and blocks. She set the program record for assists by over 200 dimes and ranks seventh all-time in NCAA women’s basketball history with 993 assists. Her 1,632 points rank 11th all-time at ISU and she was just the third NCAA women’s basketball player to record 1,500 assists, 900 assists and 600 rebounds in a career.
The Claflin, Kansas native helped Iowa State to five NCAA Tournaments, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2022 where she was named to the Greensboro Regional All-Tournament Team. In Iowa State’s run to the 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship crown, Ryan passed out a team-high 15 assists through three games while averaging 9.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Throughout her five seasons running point for the Cyclones, Ryan was a three-time All-Big 12 honoree, a 2024 Big 12 All-Tournament team member, a three-time Naismith Trophy watch list member, 2025 Wooden Award watch list member and a two-time Nancy Lieberman Award watch list member. For her excellence both on the court and in the classroom, she was voted a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Third Team Academic All-America in 2024-25.
Ryan received her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Iowa State University.

Posted in Sports |

8 Hawkeyes Earn Big Ten Honors

Sports

May 20th, 2025 by Jack McGonigal

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa baseball team had eight student-athletes earn Big Ten recognition, it was announced Tuesday by the league office.

Juniors Cade Obermueller and Aaron Savary and redshirt sophomore Reese Moore earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. Redshirt senior Reece Beuter and graduate student Daniel Rogers were second-team selections. Senior Ben Wilmes earned third-team honors. Jaixen Frost was named to the All-Freshman team, and redshirt freshman Max Burt was Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship recipient.

Iowa’s seven All-Big Ten selections give head coach Rick Heller 47 selections in his 12 seasons in Iowa City. Heller has coached at least one first-team All-Big Ten selection in 10 of his 11 seasons when awards were handed out (there were no honors in 2020). Iowa is the only school with all three of its weekend starters earning honors.

Obermueller earned first-team All-Big Ten honors after going 4-3 with a 3.30 ERA in 14 regular season starts. The lefty posted four quality starts and fanned 107 batters over 76.1 innings. His 107 punchouts leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in program history in single-season strikeouts. The Iowa City, Iowa, native is tied for 14th in the nation and leads the conference in strikeouts per nine innings (12.62).

Savary earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition after going 7-1, including 5-0 in conference play, with a 3.74 ERA in 14 regular season starts. The right-hander recorded a team-high six quality starts and struck out 81 batters in 77 innings of work. He tied his career-high with 10 strikeouts against Washington on May 3.

Obermueller and Savary are the seventh and eighth starting pitchers to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors under Heller.

Moore earned first-team honors after hitting .319 with a team-high 45 RBIs and .577 slugging percentage. He had 27 extra base hits (16 doubles, nine home runs and two triples) during the regular season. The Van Meter, Iowa, native hit .305 in conference play with nine doubles, six home runs and 26 RBIs.

Beuter earned second-team honors after posting a 6-0 record and ranking fourth in the conference with a 3.14 ERA in 13 regular season starts. He held opponents to a .196 batting average and fanned 66 over 63 innings on the hill. Beuter recorded five quality starts, including seven innings of shutout baseball against Washington on May 4.

Rogers also earned second-team recognition in his first year of Big Ten play. The Loras College transfer hit .262 with 11 doubles, seven home runs and 41 RBIs in 47 regular season starts. He posted a standout performance in Iowa’s three-game sweep over Indiana on April 25-27, hitting .600 (6-for-10) with two doubles and a home run.

Beuter and Rogers are the 15th and 16th players to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors under Heller.

Wilmes was the lone Hawkeye to recieve third-team honors. The outfielder out of Johnston, Iowa, hit .313 with 41 RBIs and a career-high seven home runs during the regular season. He is the second Hawkeye outfielder to earn third-team recognition during Heller’s tenure.

Frost batted .316 with 23 RBIs and 12 extra base hits in 37 regular-season appearances. He hit .309 in Big Ten play with 15 RBIs, six doubles and two home runs. He is the fourth Hawkeye to make the All-Freshman team under Heller.

Burt was selected as Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient. The distinction is presented to student-athletes who display sportsmanship and ethical behavior, are in good academic standing and demonstrate good citizenship outside of athletics.

The Hawkeyes open Big Ten Tournament play tomorrow, facing 10th-seeded Rutgers at 6 p.m. (CDT) at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The game will be televised on Big Ten Network and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

Posted in Sports |

Lawmaker critical of previous searches for state university presidents

News

May 20th, 2025 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The board that governs the state universities has launched the search for the next Iowa State University president — under a 2024 state law that says only board members are to vote and choose the finalists. Republican Representative Taylor Collins of Mediapolis says the law was passed because extreme factions from the campus communities were involved in searches for previous state university presidents. Regents president Sherry Bates says no committee has made or will make unilateral decisions on behalf of the board.

“At every board meeting, any recommendation by a committee requires the full board to approve before the recommendation happens,” Bates said. The search committees for the three current presidents of the state universities included faculty, students and community members. In 2016, the search committee for a new University of Iowa president was disbanded and the Board of Regents was criticized for selecting Bruce Harreld over the objections of faculty on the Iowa City campus. Bates, who has been on the Board of Regents for a decade, says she and the other Regents are volunteers who seek input from many sources.

“The universities are a 24/7, 365 day operation,” Bates said. “There is something going on every day and some of those issues require consultation, advice and counsel between our board members.”

Bates says the nine Regents then vote and make decisions. A 21-member search committee was formed in 2017 when Wendy Wintersteen was chosen as I-S-U’s president. The Board of Regents has given its executive director authority to hire a national consulting firm and form a search committee that Bates says will be as small as possible. Wintersteen plans to retire in January.

Posted in News |