United Group Insurance

Community Discussion on recreation & quality of life postponed due to COVID

News

November 11th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Dan Haynes, Director of the Nishna Valley YMCA in Atlantic, said Wednesday, “Due to the latest governor’s proclamation and the rising cases of covid 19 in our county the Nishna Valley Family YMCA Staff and Board of Directors has decided to postpone the “Community Discussion” on the future of “recreation and quality of life” in Atlantic and the surrounding area.”

The community meeting, which was announced November 2nd, was originally scheduled to take place Tuesday, November 17th at 6:30pm at the Cass County Community Building. The YMCA will try to reschedule this meeting for some time in January contingent on the current conditions.

If you have any questions or concerns you can contact Dan at 712-243-3934 or email to dhaynes@nishnavalleyymca.com.

Iowa Volleyball signs three for 2021

Sports

November 11th, 2020 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Three volleyball standouts — Toyosi Onabanjo, Jenna Splitt, and Sydney Dennis – have committed to play volleyball at the University of Iowa, head coach Vicki Brown announced Thursday.

Toyosi Onabanjo
Middle Blocker / Houston, Texas (St. Agnes Academy)

“Toyosi is a dynamic jumper and knows how to score. She brings in versatility as an attacker, which will be a great addition to our offensive options. She is a hard worker, and I am looking forward to having her uniqueness in the gym,” – Head coach Vicki Brown.

Onabanjo is a 2019 Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) 6A state champion and First-Team All-State and All Academic honoree. In addition, Onabanjo is a member of the 2019 All-Tournament team and a 2019 and 2020 Houston Open champion.

Jenna Splitt
Setter / Cary, Illinois (Cary-Grove High School)

“Some things I look for in a setter is athleticism, leadership, and grit. Jenna Splitt checks all those boxes. Her established dedication to being the best teammate and athlete will be a great addition to moving this program forward.” – Head coach Vicki Brown.

Splitt is a member of PrepVolleyball.com’s Class of 2021 Top 50 Junior Recruits, SOPH 79 High Honorable Mention, and FROSH 59. She was listed on AVCA’s 2018 and 2019 Phenom List and was a 2019 Illinois All-State honorable mention. In 2020, she was listed on UltraAnkle’s JVA Watch list for 2021.

Sydney Dennis
Libero / Clarence, Iowa (Mount Vernon High School)

“Sydney was our first commit for the 2021 class. Throughout the years, she has proven drive and grit is part of her DNA. Her simplistic approach to the game and long reach will be a nice addition to our ball control group.” – Head coach Vicki Brown.

Dennis is a 2019 USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Champion (El Extreme) and 2018 runner up (Adrenaline Volleyball Academy). She was named to PrepVolleyball’s 2018 SOPH 79 Watch List and its 2021 Watch List. The Clarence, Iowa, native is a 2020 Iowa State Tournament runner-up and three-time USA Beach National Qualifier. Dennis is also a member of the Women’s Junior A1 National Training Team.

The Hawkeyes are preparing to play their spring 2021 season following the postponement of the fall 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest news about Iowa volleyball’s upcoming season, head to hawkeyesports.com.

Iowa completes 2025 football schedule

Sports

November 11th, 2020 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa –The University of Iowa has added home dates with Florida Atlantic and Massachusetts to its 2025 football schedule. The announcement was made Wednesday by the Iowa Athletics Department, as Iowa’s 2025 slate is now complete. 

Iowa will host Florida Atlantic to open the season on Saturday, Aug. 30. UMass will visit Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15. The Hawkeyes play at Iowa State on Sept. 6 in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series to complete the nonconference schedule. 

Iowa has not played football against either Florida Atlantic or UMass. 

During Big Ten Conference play, Iowa will host Ohio State (Sept. 27), Illinois (Oct. 4), Minnesota (Oct. 11), Purdue (Nov. 8) and Rutgers (Nov. 22). Big Ten road games include at Wisconsin (Sept. 20), Northwestern (Oct. 18), Michigan (Oct. 25) and Nebraska (Nov. 28). The Big Ten championship game is scheduled for Dec. 6. 

Iowa’s complete 2025 schedule: 

2025 Schedule 

Aug. 30                Florida Altantic
Sept. 6                 at Iowa State (Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series)
Sept. 13               Open
Sept. 20               at Wisconsin
Sept. 27               Ohio State
Oct. 4                   Illinois
Oct. 11                 Minnesota
Oct. 18                 at Northwestern
Oct. 25                 at Michigan
Nov. 1                  Open
Nov. 8                  Purdue
Nov. 15                UMass
Nov. 22                Rutgers
Nov. 28                at Nebraska
Dec. 6                   Big Ten Championship

Verdict this week for man accused of killing grandmother

News

November 11th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) — A judge in western Iowa says he will announce a verdict Friday in the case of a man accused of killing his grandmother in 2018. Eliot Stowe is charged with first-degree murder for the beating death of 66-year-old Cheryl Stowe at her rural home in Castana in June 2018. The Sioux City Journal reports that Stowe waived his right to a jury trial, so a judge heard evidence during a four-day trial in August.

Cheryl Stowe’s body was found wrapped in a rug and duct tape at the edge of a cornfield near her home. Prosecutors say Eliot Stowe had beaten her with a baseball bat. Eliot Stowe’s defense team has argued he’s not guilty by reason of insanity.

 

Garza, Butler headline AP preseason All-America team

Sports

November 11th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

By JOHN MARSHALL and AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writers
Seniors Luka Garza of Iowa and Baylor’s Jared Butler headline The Associated Press preseason All-America team. Garza was the lone unanimous choice, receiving all 64 votes from a nationwide media panel.

FILE – These are 2020 file photos showing, from left, Jared Butler, Cade Cunningham, Luka Garza, Ayo Dosunmu, Corey Kispert and Remy Martin. Seniors Luke Garza of Iowa and Baylor’s Jared Butler headline The Associated Press 2020-21 preseason All-America team. Garza was the lone unanimous choice, receiving all 64 votes from a media panel on the team released Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020. They were joined by Oklahoma State freshman Cade Cunningham, Illinois junior Ayo Dosunmu, Gonzaga senior Corey Kispert and Arizona State senior Remy Martin. Kispert and Martin tied for the final spot with 26 votes each. (AP Photo/FIle

They were joined by Oklahoma State freshman Cade Cunningham, Illinois junior Ayo Dosunmu, Gonzaga senior Corey Kispert and Arizona State senior Remy Martin. Kispert and Martin tied for the final spot with 26 votes each.

 

18 Iowa public school districts, non-public schools get state go-ahead for virtual classes

News

November 11th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – All classes in Cedar Rapids schools will shift online, starting Thursday, while the district asks the Iowa Department of Education for a two-week virtual learning waiver. So far this month, 18 Iowa school districts and parochial schools have gotten state permission to conduct all classes online. Iowa Department of Education director Ann Lebo says a handful of others — including Cedar Rapids — have received permission for online-only instruction for students in specific buildings.

Three elementary buildings in Ames closed today and students are taking classes online. The district is asking state officials to allow all Ames students through the eighth grade to shift online. Ames superintendent Jenny Risner says they’re running out of substitute teachers.

Other school administrators say they cannot find enough bus drivers to run the routes that get students to school. Lebo says there are a variety of reasons schools are seeking waivers to end in-person instruction.

Lebo says the state has pandemic benchmarks for when school districts may shirt to virtual classes, but administrators do not have to wait until those are met. Schools may hold all classes online for 48 hours while waiting for state officials to waive the requirement for in-person classes.  Among the waivers granted yesterday (Tuesday) was one for the Glenwood Community School District.

Ernst says 2020 was year of the GOP women

News

November 11th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Senator Joni Ernst says a pandemic relief package is an immediate priority for the Republican-led senate yet this year. “Hopefully we can get a Covid-19 recovery package. I think that’s important. It’s something that I continued to hear even while I was on the campaign trail, how Iowans really hoped we could step up get a targeted relief bill done,” Ernst says.

Ernst said also, “There are still so many people that are hurting across the nation and we would love to get them relief.” It’s still unclear how large a relief package might be. Senate Republicans opposed the one-point-eight TRILLION dollar spending level the White House and House Democratic leaders were discussing before the election. On Tuesday, Ernst’s fellow Republicans re-elected her vice chair of the Republican Conference in the U.S. Senate. “Coming through this last election cycle, which was very difficult for so many, we actually saw some pretty incredible gains by conservative women and what we could say was this was the year for the GOP women,” Ernst says. “We gained seats in the House and we are also gaining another woman in our Republican Conference, Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming.”

So far, a record 14 Republican women have been confirmed the winners of races for seats in the U.S. House. Four others — including Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa — are waiting for their House races to be called. “We hope that young conservative women will take a look a the make-up of congress,” Ernst says, “and determine that there is opportunity out there for them as well.”

Ernst won re-election to a second term in the U.S. Senate by a nearly seven point margin. She’s been on the Senate G-O-P leadership team since mid-November of 2018.

Warmer November weather may be coming soon and a colder winter beyond

News, Weather

November 11th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – While an active La Nina pattern continues to form over the Pacific Ocean, questions remain about what impact it will have in Iowa. Past La Ninas have led to colder winters here with some increase in snowfall. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says it appears November will be more mild than cold. “It looks like, after this cold stretch, we may be getting into a bit warmer period again for a decent part of November,” Todey says. “Are we done with La Nina and what it’s going to do for the overall winter? No, I don’t think so. I think we’re still going to see some cold coming in and more of that may be occurring later in the winter.”

Some longer-range climate maps indicate warmer-than-normal temperatures early next year, but Todey says nothing’s certain. “We’re not locked into what we are at this point and if you look at the outlooks, they are still shifting as the winter goes on,” Todey says. “The cold may be coming in and it may be the warmth of the central plains, so let’s keep an eye on this.” While we can study what’s happened during past La Ninas, there’s no guarantee this latest one will follow the playbook. “While there are some averages we can look at in the way of La Ninas, and those have been reflected in the outlooks, there are some of these big events that have not looked quite the same and have taken on a different view,” Todey says.

“That may be what we’re seeing here, at least for the first part. There’s plenty of winter to come. I don’t think the story is written about this La Nina yet this winter.”  A La Nina occurs when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean cool below long-term normal trends.

Cass County Supervisors re-visit the topic of Mask Mandates

News

November 11th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, revisited the question of whether or not masks should be mandated in the County. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Tuesday, implored Iowans to use a mask, due to the daily increases in positive COVID-19 test results and hospitalizations. The Board has received at least two of e-mails on the matter. Board Chair Steve Baier said there’s more each person needs to do to quell the spread of the virus, aside from wearing a mask or face shield.

In fact, Governor Reynolds, as we’ve mentioned, issued a new proclamation Tuesday, asking Iowans to do more to decrease the spread, including wearing masks, but she did NOT issue a mandate. Nor have the Cass County Board of Supervisors.

Supervisor Steve Green…

Green said the County’s coffers are small enough, and he didn’t want to spend the amount of money it would take to fight people who might sue over their Constitutional rights being violated. Supervisor John Hartkopf said it’s been brought to the Board’s attention that two counties in Iowa have taken some measures to implement some form of a mandate which Supervisor Green said was “cherry-picked” from Iowa Code to form a Resolution.

The interpretation comes from a gray area in the Code. Auditor Dale Sunderman…

The Board did not take action on approving a mask mandate for the County, but strongly encourage residents do whatever they can to reduce the spread of the virus. In other business, the Board also voted 5-to 2 to set a rate of $40 per month per employee, for the use of certain County employee’s personal cell phones, when conducting County business. Auditor Dale Sunderman says the policy states…

Iowa State women’s hoops inks three on signing day

Sports

November 11th, 2020 by admin

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State women’s basketball program and Head Coach Bill Fennelly announced Wednesday prep standouts who have signed on to play for the Cyclones in 2021-22. Two of Iowa State’s signees hail from the state of Tennessee, while the Cyclones’ third signee becomes Iowa State’s second-ever recruit from Canada.

“Recruiting has certainly been impacted like so many other things in our lives,” Fennelly said. “With the dead period being extended and a limit on visits, we have had to be creative. We were fortunate that we had early commitments from Maggie and Izzi in positions of great need.  Also we were able to sign Denae during these unique times. This class fits the culture of our program and will add to the Iowa State Way.  They are fantastic young people from families that will have an impact on our basketball and team and entire University community.”

Denae Fritz, a 5-11 guard who hails from Maryville, Tennessee, is a three-year starter at Maryville High School. Fritz averaged 21.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per contest in her junior campaign. Fritz earned Region MVP the last two seasons, while being named to the All-District team three times. Fritz was a runner-up for Miss Basketball last season in Tennessee, while earning All-State honors. Fritz is on pace to break Maryville High School’s career rebound record this season. Despite being from Tennessee, Fritz was originally born in Ames, Iowa and both of her parents attended Iowa State University.

“Denae is the kind of guard we love at Iowa State,” Fennelly said. “She has a variety of skill sets that can impact winning in many different ways. Denae is ultra-competitive and will help our team at both ends of the floor with her versatility.”

Maggie Vick, a 6-4 forward from Morristown, Tenn., is a three-year starter for Lakeway Christian Academy. Vick is a two-time First-Team All-Conference performer and averaged 13.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game in her junior season. Vick is a top-100 prospect on prospects Nation, who helped lead her team to a 22-4 record and a NACA National Championship last season. She was named the MVP in the championship game last season and the best offensive player in the Tournament. Vick is currently the Lakeway Christian Academy’s career rebounds and blocks record holder. Also an accomplished volleyball player, she was named First-Team All-Conference, and also holds the school’s kills record.

“Maggie is a talented athlete who has excelled at multiple sports,” Fennelly said. “That along with her size will be a great fit for our system. Maggie loves to compete and that makes her someone we are excited to get into our system.”

Izzi Zingaro, a 6-4 forward, out of Bolton, Ontario, Canada, is a three-year starter at Caledon Academy. Zingaro averaged 23.6 points, 15.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game for the Caledon last season. Zingaro has also competed with Canada Basketball on numerous occasions. In 2017 she was a member of the U15 Team Ontario squad that finished first in the National Championship. In 2018, they finished second, while she earned a spot on the First All-Star team, averaging 10.2 points per game and 5.8 rebounds. At the U17 National Championship she and Team Ontario finished fifth.

“Izzi is a post player that fills an important need for our team,” Fennelly said. “It is exciting to add another Canadian to the Cyclone family. Izzi is also left handed which makes her harder to guard around the basket.”