United Group Insurance

Severe weather weekend

News

May 22nd, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Severe weather this weekend brought large hail, strong winds and even a few tornados to the Midwest. Western Iowa was hit by the storms Saturday evening into late Saturday night, while the eastern half of the state was hit Sunday afternoon.

In southwest Iowa’s Fremont County, quarter-sized hail was reported near Randolph Saturday, at around 6:55-p.m. About an hour an a-half later, golfball-sized hail was reported near Logan, in Harrison County, and penny- to quarter-sized hail fell near Harlan, and Defiance, in Shelby County.

After the first round of storms passed through the area, another round of hail, ranging in size from quarters to half-dollars pummeled Pottawattamie and Guthrie Counties at around 8:40-p.m. Thunderstorm wind damage was reported about three-miles west of Schleswig, in Crawford County, just after nine-p.m. Saturday, and a severe thunderstorm watch that was to have expired at around that time, was extended to midnight.

Large hail was also reported Saturday evening in eastern Nebraska and in northwest Iowa.

There were no reports of injuries.

Two injured in Pottawattamie County accident today (Sunday)

News

May 22nd, 2011 by Ric Hanson

A central Iowa couple was injured this (Sunday) afternoon during an accident on Interstate 80 near Underwood. According to the Iowa State Patrol, 68-year old Wayne Maschmeier and his 64-year old passenger Patricia Maschmeier, both of Pleasant Hill, were injured, when the 2005 Buick LeSabre they were in left the road, drove into a ditch and off an embankment, before ending up in a creek.

The accident happened at around 12:40-p.m., on eastbound I-80, at about mile marker 20.

Officials say Patricia Maschmeier was flown by helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, while Wayne Maschmeier was transported by Underwood Rescue to Mercy Hospital. A report on their conditions was not immediately available.

The accident remains under investigation.

Drake Wins Kilimanjaro Bowl

Sports

May 21st, 2011 by Jim Field

The Drake Bulldogs and a Mexican All-Star team made history early Saturday morning by playing the first college football game in Africa.  The Bulldogs beat CONADEIP All-Stars, a collection of top college players from Mexico, 17-7 in the Global Kilimanjaro Bowl in front of an estimated crowd of about 12,000 in Arusha, Tanzania.  The exhibition is part of a two-week trip organized by Drake that includes youth clinics, a safari, an orphanage project and a five-day climb to the summit of the 19,340-foot Mount Kilimanjaro.  The trip grew out of a vision by Drake Coach Chris Creighton and took more than a year of planning by Global Football.  The company has been taking US college football teams around the world for 14 years.  Creighton told the Associated Press that the event made for a magical day.  Former Griswold prep Tyler Mosier is a defensive back for Drake.

IGHSAU Adds More Classes

Sports

May 21st, 2011 by Jim Field

The Board of Directors of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union voted unanimously today to expand to five classes in the sports of basketball, golf, softball, and volleyball beginning with the 2012 softball season.  The largest class, 5A, will be composed of the 40 largest schools in the state in terms of enrollment.  Class 4A will be comprised of the next 48 schools, 3A the next 64, 2A the next 96, and the remaining schools will be classified 1A.

The move comes after a year of study by IGHSAU staff and after recommendations to move to five classes by the IGHSAU Representative Council and the basketball, softball, and volleyball advisory committees, which are comprised of school administrators, coaches, and officials from around the state.

“We asked each group to approach the topic with the goals of ensuring that our classification system was fair and that it balanced the number of schools per class and the enrollment range per class, IGHSAU assistant director Joel Oswald said.  We also wanted to be sure we were not placing unreasonable demands on schools and students regarding travel, loss of school time, or putting any schools at a distinct competitive disadvantage.

The new classification structure allows for an approximate 2:1 enrollment ratio in each class, except for the smallest of 1A schools.  It also ensures that no team would have to play more than four regional games to qualify for the state tournament.

State tournament dates will remain unchanged in the four sports.  More games will be played on the current dates.

The most important thing is that eight more teams and communities have the opportunity to reap the positive life experiences and prestige of qualifying for the state tournament, said IGHSAU executive director Mike Dick.

(Press Release from IGHSAU)

Glenwood Boys Win 3-A State Track Title

Sports

May 21st, 2011 by Jim Field

Class 1-A Final Team Standings

    1) Madrid                      74        2) Manson NW Web              53
    3) W Harrison, M               34        4) BCLUW                      30
    4) Laurens-Mara                30        6) Treynor                    27.50
    7) Lisbon                      26        8) AGWSR                      25
    9) Wapello                     20       10) Colo-Nesco                 19
   11) Emmetsburg                  17       12) Bedford                    16
   12) Wapsie Val, F               16       12) Belle Plaine               16
   12) Central, Elkader            16       16) Tri County, T              15
   16) Underwood                   15       18) Tripoli                    14
   18) Van Meter                   14       18) Sigourney                  14
   21) Pekin                       11       21) Winfield-Mt. U             11
   21) North Iowa, BC              11       24) Olin                       10
   24) North Butler                10       26) W Lyon, Inwood              9
   27) Bellevue                     8       27) Earlham                     8
   27) Fremont-Mills                8       27) HM-Sanborn                  8
   27) Graet-T/Ruth-Ayr             8       27) Nwood-Kensett               8
   33) Saint Ansgar                 7       33) East Mills                  7
   35) West Hancock                 6       35) Bishop Garrigan             6
   35) Pleasantville                6       35) EHK-Exira                   6
   35) CWL, Corwith                 6       35) Cent Lyon, RR               6
   35) NUH, CF                      6       42) Clarksville                 5
   42) N Sentral K/AR               5       44) New London                  4
   44) Martndsl-StMarys             4       44) St. Albert, CB              4
   47) South O'Brien, P             3.50    48) Valley Commu                3
   49) Ia Chst/Ank Chst             2       49) Clay Central                2
   49) Hinton                       2       49) East Greene, GJ             2
   53) DSM Christian                1       53) A-H-S-T, A                  1
   53) Springville                  1       53) Lawton-Bronson              1
   53) NE Hamilton, B               1       53) Adair-Casey                 1
   53) English Valleys              1       53) Gehlen Cath, L              1

Class 2-A Final Team Standings

    1) St. Edmond, FD              66        2) Monticello                 51
    3) W Marshall, SC              45        4) Mediapolis                 26
    4) South Cent Cal              26        4) Durant                     26
    7) Ia Falls-Alden              25        8) Regina, IC                 24
    8) Mount Ayr                   24       10) Bond-Farrar                21
   11) Clarion-Goldfied            20       12) Hudson                     19
   13) Beckman, D                  18       14) Mid-Prairie, W             17
   14) CMB, Baxter                 17       14) PCM, Monroe                17
   17) Albia                       15       17) North Polk, A              15
   19) KP-WC                       14       19) Okoboji, Milford           14
   21) Ridge View                  12       22) Sioux Ctrl, SR             11
   22) Dike-NH                     11       22) Sioux Center               11
   25) Clarke, Osceola             10       25) Gilbert                    10
   25) West Liberty                10       25) Unity Chrst, OC            10
   29) Roland-Story                 9       29) N Fayette, WU               9
   31) Logan-Magnolia               8       31) Maple Valley-A-O            8
   33) Audubon                      7       34) Estherville-LC              6
   34) Cascade, WD                  6       36) Garner-Hayfield             5.50
   36) IKM-Manning                  5.50    38) S Hamilton, J               5
   38) West Branch                  5       38) Wilton                      5
   41) Maquoketa Valley             4       41) Eddyvl-Blakesbg             4
   41) Jefferson-Scran              4       44) West Fork, S                3.50
   44) Columbus, CJ                 3.50    46) Woodward Acad               3
   47) Nodaway Vall                 2       47) Cherokee, Wash              2
   47) S Winn, Calmar               2       47) Tipton                      2
   47) Cardinal, Eldon              2       52) Colfax-Mingo                1
   52) Davis County, B              1

Class 3-A Final Team Standings

    1) Glenwood                    78        2) Central Clinton            67
    3) Waverly-SR                  64        4) Bishop Heelan              48
    5) Wahlert, Dub                45        5) Spirit Lake Park           45
    7) Knoxville                   36        8) Clear Crk-Amana            35
    9) Algona                      33       10) Solon                      30
   11) Mt Pleasant                 28       12) Oelwein                    18
   13) Hampton-Dumont              14       13) Storm Lake                 14
   13) Boone                       14       16) Union, LaPorte C           13
   17) Decorah                     12       17) Centerville                12
   19) Fairfield                   11       19) DC-Grimes                  11
   21) Pella                       10       22) Webster City                8
   22) Keokuk                       8       24) S Tama Cty, Tama            6
   24) Washington                   6       26) Norwalk                     5
   26) A-D-M, Adel                  5       28) Oskaloosa                   4
   28) Marion                       4       30) Williamsburg                3
   30) Fort Madison                 3       32) Center Point                2
   32) Carlisle                     2       32) Forest City                 2
   35) Atlantic                     1

Griswold, Lo-Ma Girls Win State Track Titles

Sports

May 21st, 2011 by Jim Field

Class 1-A Girls Final Team Standings

    1) Griswold                    57        2) Belle Plaine               46   
    3) Treynor                     39        4) Ventura                    34   
    5) Corning                     29        5) Manson NW Web              29   
    7) Woodward-Grangr             25.50     8) Central, Elkader           23   
    9) Villisca                    22       10) CAL, Latimer               20   
   10) Grundy Center               20       10) Danville                   20   
   13) Earlham                     19       14) Turkey Val, JJ             17   
   15) Gehlen Cath, L              16       15) DSM Christian              16   
   17) Saint Ansgar                15       17) Woodbine                   15   
   19) Central City                14       19) W Monona, O                14   
   19) WB-Mallard/TRV              14       19) North Butler               14   
   23) Cent Lyon, RR               12       23) West Hancock               12   
   25) HM-Sanborn                  11       26) Hinton                     10   
   26) Prince of Peace             10       26) Keota                      10   
   26) Highland, R                 10       26) Charter Oak-Ute            10   
   26) A-H-S-T, A                  10       26) Newman Catholic            10   
   33) Wapsie Val, F                9       34) Postville                   7   
   34) Valley Commu                 7       34) Bishop Garrigan             7   
   34) Madrid                       7       34) West Central, M             7   
   39) Lone Tree                    6.50    40) N Mahaska, NS               5   
   40) A-W-V, W                     5       40) Tripoli                     5   
   43) N Tama, Traer                4.50    44) Whiting                     4   
   44) Bedford                      4       44) Pocahon Area/PP             4   
   44) Guthrie Center               4       48) North Iowa, BC              3   
   48) Moravia                      3       48) Clarksville                 3   
   48) St. Mary's, R                3       48) Springville                 3   
   53) Emmetsburg                   2       53) Pekin                       2   
   53) St. Albert, CB               2       53) Martndsl-StMarys            2   
   53) Lake Mills                   2       53) Alburnett                   2   
   59) Wapello                      1       59) Riceville                   1   
   59) East Union, A                1       62) East Greene, GJ             0.50

Class 2-A Girls Final Team Standings

    1) Logan-Magnolia              71        2) Hudson                     69
    3) W Christ, Hull              53        4) West Fork, S               48
    5) Cascade, WD                 47        6) N Fayette, WU              38
    7) Jesup                       33        8) Sibley-Ocheyedan           28
    9) Sumner-Fredrksbg            27       10) Gilbert                    23
   11) New Hampton                 21       12) South Cent Cal             16
   12) Ridge View                  16       14) Bellevue                   15
   15) Beckman, D                  14       16) I-35, Truro                13
   16) Mid-Prairie, W              13       18) Clarion-Goldfied           12
   19) Columbus, CJ                11       20) Applntn-Parksbg            10
   21) Monticello                   9       21) Pella Christian             9
   21) Northeast/E Cent             9       21) Jefferson-Scran             9
   25) Tri-Center, N                8       25) Mediapolis                  8
   25) Clarke, Osceola              8       28) KP-WC                       7
   29) Starmont                     6       29) W Marshall, SC              6
   29) Sioux Center                 6       29) Davis County, B             6
   29) Sheldon                      6       29) Estherville-LC              6
   35) Camanche                     5       35) Denver                      5
   35) IKM-Manning                  5       35) CMB, Baxter                 5
   39) St. Edmond, FD               4       39) Audubon                     4
   39) North Cedar, S               4       39) Dike-NH                     4
   39) OA-BCIG                      4       39) Gladbrk-Reinbk              4
   45) Prairie Val, G               3       45) Eddyvl-Blakesbg             3
   47) Cherokee, Wash               2       48) Clarinda                    1
   48) West Liberty                 1       48) N Linn, TM                  1
   48) Humboldt                     1       48) Clayton Ridge               1

Class 3-A Girls Final Team Standings

    1) Wahlert, Dub                96        2) Assumption                 64
    3) Solon                       59        3) Waverly-SR                 59
    5) Mt Vernon/Lisbon            56        6) Pella                      37
    7) DC-Grimes                   34        7) Harlan                     34
    9) Benton, VH                  32       10) Clear Lake                 30
   11) Decorah                     24       12) Fort Madison               22
   13) Fairfield                   19       14) MOC-FV                     15
   15) Atlantic                    14       16) Anamosa                    13
   16) Mt Pleasant                 13       16) Williamsburg               13
   19) Marion                      10       20) Chariton                    8
   20) Centerville                  8       20) Glenwood                    8
   23) Union, LaPorte C             7       23) Keokuk                      7
   25) Bishop Heelan                6       25) Denison-Schlswg             6
   25) LeMars                       6       28) Norwalk                     5
   29) Spencer                      4       29) Washington                  4
   29) Vinton-Shellbrg              4       32) Independence                3
   32) Algona                       3       32) Carroll                     3
   32) Boy-Hul/Rock Val             3       36) S Tama Cty, Tama            2
   36) Clear Crk-Amana              2       36) Forest City                 2
   36) Hampton-Dumont               2       36) Creston                     2
   41) A-D-M, Adel                  1       41) Knoxville                   1

 

Saturday Girls Track Results

Sports

May 21st, 2011 by Jim Field

Sprint Medley Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 7th — St. Albert 1:55.23
  • 9th — Villisca 1:55.76
  • 15th — Treynor 1:57.95
  • 24th — Woodbine 2:00.19
  • Class 2-A
  • 9th — IKM/Manning 1:52.83
  • 23rd — Clarinda 2:01.44
  • Class 3-A
  • 5th — Atlantic (Mackenzie Holmes, Kari Sandage, Melanie Nielsen, Alex Hartwig) 1:51.94
  • 6th — Harlan 1:52.22
  • 11th — Creston 1:54.71

800 Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 4th — Shelby Hall (Woodbine) 2:21.44
  • 5th — Tracy Purdy (Treynor) 2:21.94
  • 7th — Larissa Backhaus (Griswold) 2:23.93
  • 15th — Jordyn Sindt (Griswold) 2:28.27
  • 19th — Tiffany Shepherd (Corning) 2:29.6
  • 21st — Leah Courtney (Guthrie Center) 2:30.4
  • Class 2-A
  • 15th — Jenny Bair (Clarinda) 2:26.71
  • 17th — Ashley Corrin (Tri-Center) 2:27.7
  • Class 3-A
  • 19th — Bailey Kuhl (Harlan) 2:29.11
  • 23rd — Bailey Starner (Glenwood) 2:33.61

Shuttle Hurdle Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 3rd — Treynor 1:08.6
  • 5th — Guthrie Center 1:09.57
  • Class 2-A
  • 5th — Audubon (Lacey Vokt, Emma Konkler, Kyra Obermeier, Olivia Nelson) 1:10.56
  • Class 3-A
  • 5th — Harlan 1:07.92

100 Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 1st — Caitlin Stroud (Corning) :12.81
  • 4th — Johnni Schueman (AHST) :13.04
  • 6th — Courtney Auxier (Villisca) :13.17
  • Class 2-A
  • 1st — Alex Gochenour (Lo-Ma) :12.68
  • 4th — Karen Hutson (Lo-Ma) :12.86
  • Class 3-A
  • 6th — Tricia Nowatzke (Harlan) :13.23

100 Hurdles Finals

  • Class 2-A
  • 1st — Alex Gochenour (Lo-Ma) :14.74
  • 2nd — Karen Hutson (Lo-Ma) :15.16

200 Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 2nd — Caitlin Stroud (Corning) :26.35
  • 6th — Johnni Schueman (AHST) :27.37
  • Class 2-A
  • 1st — Alex Gochenour (Lo-Ma):24.88

1500 Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 6th — Kristen Carmichael (Corning) 5:04.04
  • 13th — Mariah Myers (Underwood) 5:15.21
  • 15th — Tiffany Shepherd (Corning) 5:16.28
  • 19th — Therese Frels (Guthrie Center) 5:22.2
  • Class 2-A
  • 11th — Ashtyn Alfers (Tri-Center) 5:07.94
  • 19th — Alex Larsen (Tri-Center) 5:22.21
  • 23rd — Megan Deist (Audubon) 5:39.84
  • Class 3-A
  • 8th — Jesie Byrnes (Harlan) 5:00.76
  • 12th — Carlie Cooper (Glenwood) 5:08.15
  • 13th — Ali Krogman (Atlantic) 5:08.41

4 x 100 Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 3rd — Villisca (Courtney Auxier, Sheri Schaaf, Morganne Haer, Lilly Berggren) :51.41
  • Class 3-A
  • 7th — Harlan :51.29

4 x 400 Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 1st — Griswold (Larissa Backhaus, Jordyn Sindt, Rachel Northrup, Lauren Moore) 4:01.26
  • 6th — Treynor 4:13.73
  • Class 3-A
  • 4th – Harlan 4:03.74
  • 5th — Atlantic (Melanie Nielsen, Sam Peterson, Taylor Young, Alex Hartwig) 4:04.24

Saturday Boys Track Results

Sports

May 21st, 2011 by Jim Field

800 Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 10th — Michael Kaufman (Orient-Macksburg) 2:02.43
  • 12th — Brice Sheeder (Adair-Casey) 2:03.24
  • 18th — Casey Cruickshank (Sidney) 2:04.85
  • 19th — Conrad Sain (Treynor) 2:05.1
  • Class 2-A
  • 13th — Corbin Martz (IKM/Manning) 2:01.55
  • 15th — Josh Calmer (Panorama) 2:03.58
  • Class 3-A
  • 2nd — Kyle Wheeler (Glenwood) 1:55.71
  • 3rd — Johnny Fuller (Glenwood) 1:56.1
  • 12th — Blake Esbeck (Atlantic) 1:59.81

Shuttle Hurdle Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 5th — Underwood 1:00.85
  • 6th — Fremont-Mills 1:01.06
  • 7th — Treynor 1:01.33
  • 8th — AHST (Josh Bryant, Julian Riesgaard, Kyle Bauerkemper, Hunter Nelson) 1:01.34
  • Class 3-A
  • 2nd — Glenwood :59.09

100 Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 5th — Nick Pittmon (East Mills) :11.6

110 Hurdles Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 5th — Reid Zimmerman (Exira/EHK) :15.66
  • Class 3-A
  • 4th — Ian Eflin (Glenwood) :15.24

200 Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 2nd — Jake Allen (Treynor) :22.78
  • 6th — Nick Pittmon (East Mills) :23.3
  • 8th — Joey Foss (Exira/EHK) :23.54

1600 Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 9th — Cade Cleaveland (Riverside) 4:36.75
  • 12th — Conrad Sain (Treynor) 4:38.35
  • 22nd — Andrew Thompson (Nishnabotna) 4:48.15
  • Class 2-A
  • 6th — Aaron Roberts (Audubon) 4:35.57
  • 17th — Sean Skillern (Shenandoah) 4:46.21
  • Class 3-A
  • 3rd — Johnny Fuller (Glenwood) 4:23.14
  • 8th — Mark Abrams (Glenwood) 4:26.85
  • 11th — Luke Karamitros (Atlantic) 4:32.04

4 x 100 Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 8th — Adair-Casey (Dallas Wheatley, Traeton Jensen, Jordan Wheatley, Clayton Plowman) :45.49

4 x 400 Finals

  • Class 1-A
  • 1st — West Harrison 3:27.66
  • 8th — Treynor 3:34.75
  • Class 3-A
  • 6th — Glenwood 3:25.29

News

May 21st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Several Denison High School seniors will graduate on Sunday as planned, despite being ticketed Tuesday night for allegedly consuming alcohol at a farm in rural Crawford County. The Sheriff’s Department said Friday deputies cited 33 people on suspicion of being Minors in Possession of Alcohol. In all, about 40 people, including some adults attended the party, following the last day of classes for the graduating Seniors. Sheriff James Steinkuehler says his office received an anonymous call late Tuesday night, about an underage party at a farm northwest of Denison.

Denison Community Schools Superintendent Mike Pardun said a number of those ticketed were graduating seniors, but would not say how many. Not all those who were ticketed were seniors. Pardun said since the party “Has nothing to do with their diplomas,” the seniors will be allowed to graduate, but those students who are still in school and participating in extracurricular activities could face sanctions, the punishment for which would vary, depending on what activities a student is involved in and if they have been cited before.

For those not involved in extracurricular activities, Pardun said, it was mostly an issue between the student and the legal system. Sheriff Steinkuehler said authorities are still looking at, among other things, which adults may have facilitated the party.

Graduation in Denison is scheduled for Sunday, at the high school gymnasium.

Property owners and residents in 7 Counties asked to search for Missing Carroll woman

News

May 20th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Dawn Allen - Missing since May 4th, 2011

Carroll Police Chief Jeff Caylor said today (Friday), while there are no new leads in the disappearance of Carroll resident Dawn Allen, individuals from seven counties, representing law enforcement, county conservation, fire departments, as well as representatives of the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation continue to work together to try and find the woman.

Caylor says a briefing was held this (Friday) morning to discuss various search strategies in locating Allen, who has been missing since May 4th. The last person known to have had any communication with her, 54-year old James Snovelle, committed suicide May 9th in Kansas, as authorities closed in on him. Snovelle was not a suspect in her disappearance, but he was wanted for questioning. His death left authorities with more questions than answers.

In addition to the efforts of some specific agencies, Caylor says assistance will also be sought from fire departments, first responders and other volunteers within their jurisdictions.  The Carroll Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is also requesting the continued cooperation and assistance from the general public throughout the western half of the state, but especially within the following jurisdictions:

Carroll County
Sac County
Greene County
Guthrie County
Calhoun County
Pocahontas County
Palo Alto County

Law enforcement is requesting that individuals check out buildings, ditches, waterways, wooded areas and any other areas on their property and/or any other public access areas where someone may have hidden or disposed of evidence involving this missing person case.

Anyone finding such evidence or who may have other information about this case should contact their local law enforcement agency, or may also contact the Carroll Police Department 712-792-3536.