Sports, December 15th

By Slaten Swords · Friday, December 15th, 2023 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Basketball

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Washington for a conference matchup tonight with the girls’ game scheduled to start at 6 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will have the call with the pregame show at 5:45 pm. 

The Central Lee boys’ team got off to a rocky start last night against Danville but a big third quarter glided the Hawks past the Bears 58-54. The Hawks will travel to Columbus on December 18th at 7:30 pm, while Danville will host Louisa-Muscatine tomorrow, December 16th, at 2:30 pm. The Central Lee girls’ team will take on Danville in a road matchup at 6 pm tonight. 

Mediapolis will face off against Burlington Notre Dame tonight with the girls playing at 6 pm. 

New London will host West Burlington tonight with the girls going at 6 pm followed by the boys game. 

WACO will travel to take on Hillcrest Academy tonight with the girls’ game scheduled for 6 pm. 

Van Buren County will compete against Holy Trinity Catholic in a road matchup tonight with game one at 6 pm. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will take on Columbus tonight with the girls playing at 6 pm. 

Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s Basketball Rankings

Burlington Notre Dame’s 61-57 overtime win against Holy Trinity Catholic casted the Crusaders out of the top 15 in Class 1A and gave the Nikes the #15 spot. Lauren Krieger leads the squad, averaging 18.2 points and 3.8 steals per game. 

High School Wrestling

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team will compete tomorrow, December 16th, at Cedar Rapids-Prairie. 

The WACO girls will compete tomorrow at Chariton. 

Fort Madison got the better of Mt. Pleasant last night in their dual by a score of 66-18. For the Panthers, Landon Beckler in the 106-pound weight class, Lane Beckler in the 126-pound weight class, and Ramzy Davis in the 150-pound weight class all won by fall. The Panthers will compete in a tournament tomorrow at Regina Catholic. The girls’ team will wait until after Christmas break to compete at a tournament at Highland on January 5th. 

The New London boys’ team will travel to Fort Madison tonight for an Invitational.

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team swept Van Buren County and Wapello last night by scores of 75-6 and 72-9, respectively. Against the Warriors, Tyler Stoltz was the lone win for Van Buren County as he defeated Cael Phillips by fall. Trevor Phillips, Sheaden Adams, Ian Estudillo, Ty Scorpil, and Kohlby Newsom all won by fall, while Bowen Thomson defeated Korbin Camp by a 7-6 decision. Wapello saw wins from Codder Malcom, by fall, and Cohen Wolford, by a 10-6 decision. Scorpil, Adams, Cole Storm, Riley Kaalberg, Cooper Buffington, and Russel Coil all defeated their opponents by fall. The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will compete next Saturday, December 23rd, at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont. 

The boys’ teams of Burlington Notre Dame, Mediapolis, and WACO competed in a triangular yesterday with the Nikes defeating Mediapolis 66-15 and WACO 76-6. Mediapolis picked up a win over the Warriors 60-23. Picking up wins for WACO were John Mcluaghlin, Louden Huisenga, and John Stauffer by fall against the Bulldogs with Gage Samo winning by technical fall. Huisenga tallied the lone win by fall against Burlington Notre Dame. Mediapolis had Taylan Miller win by a 10-9 decision against the Nikes with Kyler Crow and Parker Lange also picking up wins by fall. Colt Boyles, Carter West, C.J. Davis, Tate Sherwood, Cole Mincer, Kael Cook, Blake Wilson, Dirk Boyles, and Isaac Davis all picked up wins in their matches against WACO and Mediapolis. The WACO boys’ team will compete at Regina Catholic tomorrow. 

High School Bowling

Mt. Pleasant will take on Burlington today.

College Football

Iowa State University will take on Memphis in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis on December 29th at 2:30 pm. The Cyclones defeated Memphis in the 2017 AutoZone Liberty Bowl 21-20. 

#20 Iowa will face off against #25 Tennessee in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on January 1st at noon. 

College Basketball

The #4 Iowa women’s team will compete against Cleveland State tomorrow, December 16th, at 6 pm. 

The Iowa State women’s team will host Troy on Sunday, December 17th, at 12 pm. 

The Iowa State men’s team will take on Florida A&M on Sunday at 5 pm. 

The Iowa men’s team will look to get back in the win column tomorrow at 3:30 pm against Florida A&M. 

This Day in Sports History

1973 – Sandy Hawley becomes the first jockey to win 500 races in one year. 

1973 – Tennessee beats Temple 11-6 in the lowest scoring NCAA basketball game. 

2019 – The Raiders play their final NFL game in Oakland conceding 17 unanswered 2nd half points to go down 20-16 to the Jacksonville Jaguars; the team moves to Las Vegas in 2020.

New London’s Wrestling Meet Tonight to be Rescheduled

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, December 14th, 2023 at 1:43 pm CDT

New London, IA- The boys’ varsity wrestling dual against Pekin tonight has been canceled. The meet will be rescheduled for a later date that has yet to be determined.

The Tigers will travel to Fort Madison tomorrow for an Invitational scheduled to start at 5 pm.

Prep Girls’ Basketball: Burlington Notre Dame Kicks Holy Trinity Catholic Out of the Top 15

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, December 14th, 2023 at 1:38 pm CDT

Prep Girls’ Basketball- The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released this week’s rankings for the basketball season and all of the top teams kept their crown position, but a southeast conference matchup saw a shakeup in the rankings.

In Class 1A, the top three remained the same with North Linn sitting atop of the rankings. Calamus-Wheatland and Bishop Garrigan switched spots with Calamus-Wheatland now being ranked 7th. Two teams were dropped from the rankings as East Buchanan was replaced by Edgewood-Colesburg at the #14 spot and Burlington Notre Dame took down Holy Trinity Catholic 61-57 in overtime earlier this week to take the #15 spot from the Crusaders to round out the list.

Dike-New Hartford, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, and Panorama make up the top three spots for Class 2A, respectively. Sioux Central jumped up to the #7 spot as North Mahaska took their spot at the #9 slot. Additionally, Central Lyon and Aplington-Parkersburg switched spots with Central Lyon moving up from #10 to #8 in the rankings. No teams were knocked out of the top 15.

Class 3A followed suit to Class 2A with no teams getting knocked out of the top 15 and Solon keeping the top spot. The biggest move was Benton Community losing to Class 4A’s #11 Marion, 71-69 after three overtimes, resulting in the Bobcats falling for the second week in a row to #8 in the rankings.

Class 4A saw a shakeup in the top three with #3 Norwalk falling to the #7 slot after falling to previously unranked Lewis Central 65-58 earlier this week. The Titans vaulted all the way to #10 in the rankings after the win. Xavier fell out of the top 15 after three straight losses to #6 Waverly-Shell Rock, #15 Western Dubuque, and Linn-Mar.

Lastly, other than minimal movement throughout the list, Class 5A remained calm with Johnston still on top of the rankings. Waterloo West’s three-game losing streak to #14 Prairie, #9 Cedar Falls, and most recently to unranked Cedar Rapids Jefferson saw the Wahawks dropped from the top 15. Iowa City High filled in the gap left behind at the #14 slot.

More Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Coming to Iowa

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, December 14th, 2023 at 1:00 pm CDT

If you own an electric vehicle in Iowa, finding a charging station for your vehicle should be a lot easier. The Iowa Department of Transportation has recently released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for electric vehicle charging infrastructure along interstate alternative fuel corridors.

The process will be used to disburse Iowa’s share of federal funding through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, supporting the roll-out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure within Iowa.

This funding round is intended to fund reliable fast-charging infrastructure to enable long-distance travel. The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program formula funds provide money to support the strategic deployment of electric charging infrastructure nationwide.

As of June, there are nearly 13,000 electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles registered within Iowa, and every county is home to at least one.

More information about the notice of funding opportunity and charging of electric vehicles in Iowa can be found on Iowa DOT’s electric vehicle plan website: iowadot.gov/iowaevplan.

Sports, December 14th

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, December 14th, 2023 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Basketball

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Washington for a conference matchup tomorrow, December 15th, with the girls’ game scheduled to start at 6 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will have the call with the pregame show at 5:45 pm. Head Coach Eric Rawson knows it will be a tough challenge taking on the Demons in front of their home crowd. 

Mediapolis will face off against Burlington Notre Dame tomorrow with the girls playing at 6 pm. 

New London will host West Burlington tomorrow with the girls going at 6 pm followed by the boys game. 

WACO will travel to take on Hillcrest Academy tomorrow with the girls’ game scheduled for 6 pm. 

Van Buren County will compete against Holy Trinity Catholic in a road matchup tomorrow with game one at 6 pm. 

The Central Lee girls’ team will take on Danville in a road matchup at 6 pm tomorrow, while the boys’ team will play Danville tonight at 7:30 pm. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will take on Columbus tomorrow with the girls playing at 6 pm. 

High School Wrestling

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team will compete on Saturday, December 16th, at Cedar Rapids-Prairie. 

The WACO girls will compete on Saturday at Chariton. 

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Fort Madison today to compete in a dual. 

The New London boys’ team’s meet against Pekin tonight has been canceled. It will be rescheduled for a later date. The Tigers will travel to Fort Madison tomorrow for an Invitational. 

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will travel to Van Buren County tonight for a triangular. 

The WACO boys’ team will head to Mediapolis tonight to compete in a triangular. 

High School Bowling

Mt. Pleasant will take on Burlington tomorrow, December 15th. 

College Football

Iowa State University will take on Memphis in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis on December 29th at 2:30 pm. The Cyclones defeated Memphis in the 2017 AutoZone Liberty Bowl 21-20. 

#20 Iowa will face off against #25 Tennessee in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on January 1st at noon. 

College Basketball

The #4 Iowa women’s team will compete against Cleveland State on Saturday, December 16th, at 6 pm. 

The Iowa State women’s team will host Troy on Sunday, December 17th, at 12 pm. 

The Iowa State men’s team will take on Florida A&M on Sunday at 5 pm. 

The Iowa men’s team will look to get back in the win column on Saturday at 3:30 pm against Florida A&M. 

This Day in Sports History

1901 – The first table tennis tournament is held at the London Royal Aquarium. 

1930 – The New York Giants defeat Notre Dame 22-0 in a charity game.

1947 – The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is founded in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Iowa Farm Bureau Scholarship for Seniors

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, December 14th, 2023 at 6:21 am CDT

High school students who plan to pursue an agricultural major or minor after their 2024 graduation are encouraged to apply for Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s $2,500 scholarship. Awarded to 27 students, this scholarship is renewable for four years, up to $10,000.

Applicants must be tied to an Iowa Farm Bureau membership in good standing, have a minimum 2.5 GPA and accepted into an accredited higher education institution, including community colleges and technical schools.

Students must apply online by Jan. 31, 2024, at iowafarmbureau.com/scholarships.

This application qualifies students for both county-level scholarships, where available, and the state scholarship. Each of the 100 county Farm Bureaus across the state will select one student from their local area to be considered for the $2,500 state award. From this pool, three students from each of Iowa Farm Bureau’s nine districts will be selected as scholarship recipients.

Additionally, the program includes the Daniel Johnson Memorial Scholarship and the Edward W. & Isabelle M. Klodt Memorial Scholarship, each offering $500 to eligible students.

For more information on the scholarship program, eligibility criteria, and application process, visit iowafarmbureau.com/scholarships. Questions can be directed to the Iowa Farm Bureau Community Resources Office at 515-225-5461.

Mt. Pleasant Garbage Pickup: Old System Made Obsolete in Favor of New System

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, December 14th, 2023 at 6:06 am CDT

The Mt. Pleasant City Council approved the contract for refuse hauling services between WEMIGA Waste and Lance Refuse. Beginning in February, the former system of trash stickers will become obsolete, and the new system will take over.

So, why the change? The City Council believes that the current system is a waste of taxpayer dollars, and that the private sector can better serve the people. It was found that only 1/3rd of Mt. Pleasant residents use trash stickers, with the majority seeking the service of private companies.

With this change from the old to the new, WEMIGA will service the north side of town and Lance Refuse will tackle the south side. The two containers offered will cost a household $16.75 and $19.75 for a 65-gallon or a 95-gallon container. This will be included in the monthly utility bill, as well as a flat $8.50 charge, which is $1 for landfill closure, $3.25 for solid waste collection, and $4.25 for recycling.

Every resident will now be on this new system, whether you participated in private pickup or through the city in the past.

It was revealed that a letter will be sent to residents in January detailing the changes.

Any and all questions should be directed to the Mt. Pleasant City Council.

Diesel Prices in Iowa Plunge – Weekly Fuel Report

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, December 13th, 2023 at 3:22 pm CDT

The price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 5 cents, averaging $2.82 across Iowa according to AAA.

Crude Oil Summary

  • The price of global crude oil fell this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by $.52 per barrel and is currently priced at $69.65.
  • Brent crude oil fell $.91 and is currently priced at $74.30.
  • One year ago, WTI crude sold for $75.39 and Brent crude was at $80.14.

Motor Fuels

  • As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.82 across Iowa according to AAA.
    • Prices fell 5 cents from last week’s price and are down 9 cents from a year ago.
    • The national average on Wednesday was $3.12, down 10 cents from last week’s price.
  • Retail diesel prices in Iowa fell 12 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.85.
    • One year ago, diesel prices averaged $4.51 in Iowa.
    • The current Iowa diesel price is 23 cents lower than the national average of $4.08.
  • Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16.
  • The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $1.78 for U87-E10, $2.00 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.35 for ULSD#2, $2.68 for ULSD#1, and $1.82 per gallon for E-70 prices.

Heating Fuels

  • Propane prices fell 1 cent with a statewide average of $1.55 per gallon.
  • Home heating oil prices fell 19 cents, with a statewide average of $3.13 per gallon.
  • Natural gas prices fell 33 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $2.34/MMbtu

Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.