Falling tree limbs in Birmingham kills one person by RYAN MINNAUGH | The National News Desk (TNND) — A school board meeting in the Lucia Mar Unified School District became a focal point for the ongoing debate over transgender athletes in high school sports emotionally recounted her discomfort with changing in front of transgender athletes "I went into the women's locker room to change for track practice where I saw a biological male watching not only myself This experience was beyond traumatizing," Diest said "Trans athlete's XY chromosomes define the person as a male Diest's testimony was cut short by school board president Colleen Martin who instructed her to "wrap it up." The meeting also saw several parents voicing their opposition to transgender athletes competing in girls' sports allowing transgender athletes to compete with girls for over a decade in defiance of former President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order A school board meeting has ignited fury after a high school student was shut down as she revealed a 'beyond traumatizing' experience in a locker room High school junior and track athlete Celeste Diest took the podium at a school board meeting in the Lucia Mar Unified School District in Arroyo Grande, California about an hour-and-a-half North of Santa Barbara Diest advocated against the participation of transgender athletes in sports and claimed that a 'biological male' watched her change while she got ready for track practice Diest said that the experience was 'beyond traumatizing' and claimed that the person was already changed and there was 'no reason' for them to be in the locker room 'Adults like yourself make me and my peers feel like our own comfort was invalid even though our privacy was and still is completely violated,' Diest continued The high schooler went on to say that the individual in the locker room has 'XY chromosomes' and claimed that 'basic biology' dictated that they were male school board president Colleen Martin instructed her to 'please wrap it up.'  'I just want to ask "What about us?" We cannot sit around and allow our rights to be given up to cater to an individual that is a man who watches women undress and is stripping away female opportunity that once was fought for us,' she continued I hope you put effort into the restoration of our school safety.' Diest then concluded her remarks and left the podium to applause from those in attendance Some rose from their seats to give Diest a standing ovation Diest continued to cry as she walked back to her seat while Martin attempted to silence the crowd The cheers grew louder as Martin slammed her gavel to restore order in the meeting room Tuesday's school board meeting lasted almost three hours The recording on YouTube has already received over 21,000 views generating fierce reactions and tense debate online One account that shared the clip on X already has over 40 comments 'Students deserve to feel safe and protected at school especially in private spaces like locker rooms,' another added Allowing transgender athletes to compete in sports has resulted in significant debate across the country in recent years California is among the states that allow transgender athletes to compete The State Assembly passed a bill in 2013 that prevented educators from discriminating based on sex 'A pupil shall be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.' The issue has seemed to stray from traditional partisanship with prominent Democrat Gavin Newsom recently declaring that allowing transgender athletes to participate in sports is 'deeply unfair.' President Trump has taken a strong stance on the issue signing a slew of executive orders implementing a rigid definition of sex and gender Attorney General Pam Bondi has suggested that states that don't comply with the Trump administration could be sued the Trump administration sued Maine for not banning transgender athletes in girls and women's sports Governor Janet Mills has remained defiant against the Trump administration recently releasing a statement claiming that the president doesn't have the authority to create or interpret law Twenty-six states have laws or policies explicitly banning transgender athletes from competing in sports At the collegiate level, the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced in February that they would be complying with the Trump administration and banning athletes 'assigned male at birth' from competing on women's teams.  DailyMail.com reached out to the Lucia Mar Unified School District for comment but didn't immediately hear back.  Major terror attack 'was just HOURS away' before it was foiled by the special forces and police:... 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The Webster Community Blood drive is Thursday at the Van Diest Medical Center Clinic Board Room The Webster City Hotel/Motel Tax Grant applications mandatory training meeting is Wednesday LLC | https://www.freemanjournal.net | P.O The approval of the transfer of land will be one of this Tuesday evening’s agenda items for the Van Diest Medical Center Board of Trustees Other items for discussion include the approval of an amendment to the 2024-25 County Budget There will be the approval of the internal budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 and the strategic plan for the hospital for the 2026 fiscal year Updates will be presented by Van Diest Medical Center CEO Lisa Ridge human resources director Amy Porter,chief nursing officer Amy McDonough and chief financial officer Ashley Allers There will also be a closed session of the Van Diest Medical Center board Wright County Supervisors to meet on Monday morning Kendall Young Library Board to meet this Monday evening,April 21st at 6:00 p.m WEBSTER CITY — There used to be a white corn crib where the iconic “Van Diest green” campus sprawls across the even greener farmland just west of Webster City along old Highway 20 Bob Van Diest first stored his farm chemicals in the alley of that corn crib A kitchen table in his nearby home was his office Adam Gregg to the 55-building campus that has grown into a vast facility guided by three generations of Van Diests: Bob is one of Hamilton County’s biggest employers After a mobile tour of the Van Diest Supply campus which encompasses roughly 1.3 million square feet of interior space Gregg sat down in a conference room with Bob and Jake Van Diest and a handful of other visitors It didn’t take long for the conversation to turn to jobs but it faces the same challenge so many other companies in Hamilton County and Iowa experience: Few workers who had just seen examples of cutting edge automation in one of Van Diest’s newest buildings “We had a great conversation around the balance of investing in automation in light of the fact that it can be hard to attract folks in rural Iowa but also just more so it’s a generational impact “Our baby boomers are approaching retirement,” he said we saw some of the investments in automation.” “It’s interesting how the narrative on those types of investments has really changed over the years It used to be that automation is going to take everyone’s job but there’s nobody walking through the door in a lot of these situations.” “So we just had an annual report from the Extension Service and one of the great things they provide is population So the last 70 years we’ve only had an increase in population in two decades; one was post World War II because in the 80’s everybody left the state So anybody who came back was an increase in population rural counties are losing 1% a year.” “We’ve been short people for the last two or three years.” at the beginning of the post-tour sit-down had directly asked Bob Van Diest how the state could help is just the generational impact that I mentioned earlier of baby boomers retiring and subsequent generations aren’t large enough to fully replace them in the workforce That’s something that was embedded into our culture now for decades that I think has been a looming challenge that we’re now really starting to feel “I would say that one of the things that actually we’re kind of fortunate in Iowa is we have tended to be a top 10 state in terms of workforce participation rate There aren’t a lot of people that are totally sitting on the sidelines and we’ve also made some recent reforms to our unemployment system that have gotten folks back into the workforce more quickly “The Governor has kind of phrased it as training our unemployment system into a re-employment system.” “We do pride ourselves on balancing the budget every year and trying to ease the tax burden And make the regulatory environment a little more healthy and easier to operate And I think the people of Iowa have benefited from that.” HUMBOLDT — A former Humboldt Community School District teacher has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of sexual .. LLC | https://www.messengernews.net | 713 Central Ave. EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid had three assists including setting up Connor Brown's game-winning goal with 21 seconds remaining in the third period in the Edmonton Oilers' 4-3 win against the St McDavid had missed eight games since sustaining a lower-body injury in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on March 20 The forward is tied for sixth in the NHL with 93 points (26 goals Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said he expects Draisaitl to return as well before the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs "We expect to get everybody (in) before the end of the season," Knoblauch said whether that's in a couple of games or the last two games of the season Those guys are day to day to maybe a week away and that's where the timeline is for them." Forward Evander Kane (sports hernia knee) is on injured reserve and will not return before the playoffs Draisaitl is sitting out his third straight after sustaining his injury in a 3-2 win at the San Jose Sharks on April 3 He also missed four games from March 20-27 with an undisclosed injury before returning for three games Draisaitl leads the NHL with 52 goals and is third with 106 points (54 assists) in 71 games Ekholm has not played since a 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on March 26 and is missing his seventh consecutive game He also missed six from March 6-16 before returning to play four games Klingberg is missing his sixth straight game since a 6-1 loss at the Seattle Kraken on March 27 Skinner, who is missing his seventh straight game, was injured March 26 when Stars forward Mikko Rantanen made contact with his head rounding the crease in pursuit of a puck behind the net "Everybody's got to step up for sure," Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard said "The last game losing in Anaheim (3-2 on Monday) but we just couldn't put the puck in the net we have a lot of guys out and can't replace them and everybody is going to have to step up and do our thing." Nugent-Hopkins is out for just the second game this season He is expected to return when Edmonton hosts San Jose on Friday Frederic is still recovering from a high-ankle sprain sustained when he was with Boston Bruins He was acquired in a trade on March 6 and made his debut with Edmonton in a 3-0 loss at the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday "I think we're managing as best we can, obviously we don't have the same offensive flair," Oilers forward Zach Hyman said "But you can only control what you can control Our goalies have been good and we're doing our best but a number of players that are key parts of our game." The Oilers (45-28-5) are third in the Pacific and are likely to face Los Angeles (44-24-9) in the first round for the fourth consecutive season; they are two points behind the Kings for second in the division and eight behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights Securing a playoff spot could factor into how quickly some of their injured players return to the lineup then finding out what our lines are going to be like who is going to be playing together and finding our system or structure how we're going to play heading into the playoffs," Knoblauch said "There's a good likelihood that we're playing LA in the first round and for our team we want to get an idea of that our team is going to look like "We have so many guys that have not been playing the last few weeks; Draisaitl so we have a lot of things to consider before we get to that really important time in the playoffs." Anderson Stevenson Wilke & Retz Funeral Home Assisting the Montana communities of Helena passed away peacefully in the early morning of Sept 1935 in Helena to Martin and Alice (Knowles) Van Diest Stan attended Helena schools and was on the track team earning several awards and he also played trumpet in the band That same year he joined the Montana Army National Guard and the Montana Air National Guard and participated in many weekend drills He wanted to become a pilot but was not able to due so due to an eye condition so he became a mechanic working on helicopters and airplanes instead which he loved doing for the next 35 years The Guard sent him to many schools across the United States some of which he was able to take us with him and we lived in our camp trailer Terry wanted to take him home to Conrad to meet his cousin on a blind date but Momma and Daddy were married the following year on Oct They lived in Ulm for a year and then moved to Helena where they lived in the same house for the next 60 years But once you told a joke and got him going Daddy went to work for the Friendship Center for the next 10 years Stan loved spending time with his wife and children He was involved in Jobs Daughters and Cub Scouts He had his hand into everything and created many items and if he needed a tool he didn’t have He taught us girls how to take care of ourselves and was always here for us when we called Stan was in a fish club and won many trophies for his exotic fish we had loved to pan for gold and hunt for rocks of all sizes and cut them to make beautiful jewelry for Shirley He was involved in a class for many years and had several lifelong friends He made a lot of unique items and gave them as gifts and won awards for them at showings Daddy loved history of any kind and was a book worm and I have the books to prove it He had a book on every subject you could ever want He was a bird watcher and a critter watcher Daddy and Momma loved spending time at their cabin in Lincoln with family and friends He spent the last two years living in Great Falls with his daughter Cheryl and son-in-law especially watching great grandchildren’s sporting events Stan is preceded in death by his loving wife He is survived by his daughter Cheryl (Henry) Tadej; grandchildren Jake (Staci) Mansch and Stormie Klimpel; great grandchildren Damon (Janell) Van Diest and Niccole (Ryan) Gibson; great grandchildren Margaret Sperry and Kay Phipps; and numerous cousins A Memorial Service is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. 2021 at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home with a reception to follow the service in the social hall of the funeral home Burial with Military Honors will follow the reception at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery donations may be made to the Friendship Center in Helena View map Social Hall of Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home View map Please visit the floral shop page for assistance in choosing a local florist No photos have been submitted yet. Click here to share yours. Read the thoughts and memories, then feel free to add your own. He was the first person i worked with when I went to work at the AASF I worked many years with Stan at the Army Aviation Facility here in Helena Stan was one of the kindest people I have known Great husband and father and friend to many he was a good man expecially when he ran the credit union keep me on my feet weekends he was fair and a good soldier When Stan arrived at the Friendship Center to offer his helping hands They shared many stories of their work together and Stan was always there to lend his knowledge his strong back and good friendship to everyone After they both left the Friendship Center they established a solid bond that was very much appreciated by Matt I only have the fondest memories of this remarkable Another of the generation ahead of us is gone Unfortunately the office I work in had a case of COVID exposure this week Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" © 2025 · Anderson Stevenson Wilke & Retz Funeral Home · Website by Luci's Office Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here This unassuming building at 1447 220th Street (old U.S and opposite the Van Diest Supply Company factory complex houses a booster pump station installed in 2000 to provide improved city water service to the company The City Council of Webster City on Monday approved construction of a new 250,000-gallon water tower on the site that will provide even more and improved water service to the growing company Van Diest will pay for design and construction of the tower then turn it over to the City of Webster City for operation and maintenance The City Council of Webster City unanimously approved construction of a new 250,000-gallon water tower near Van Diest Supply Co.’s factory complex west of Webster City at its regular meeting Monday with the City of Webster City assuming normal maintenance and operating costs estimated at from $5,000 to $15,000 a year the City Council agreed to build an extension to the city’s water main and a new booster (ie pump) station at 1447 220th Street (also known as Old U.S Highway 20) to provide additional water to the plant Although Van Diest Supply is located outside city limits it’s within the city’s two-mile jurisdiction The Iowa Code allows cities to review and approve land development and use within two miles of city limits the council learned Van Diest’s insurance company notified it that additional water capacity was required at the plant to put out a fire should one ever occur it was planned for Van Diest Supply to build but the action passed by the City Council Monday will see the company stand the cost of construction with the City of Webster City assuming ownership operation and maintenance of it as part of the municipal water supply system The construction agreement between the city and Van Diest requires 180,000 gallons be kept in the tower at all times for exclusive use by Van Diest Interim City Manager John Harrenstein said “the new tower will hold 250,000 gallons with 180,000 of that reserved for Van Diest The balance will be available for other uses.” Clearly pleased with development of the new water tower “This is an example of a beneficial public-private partnership Van Diest is showing good faith in financing the entire cost of the new water tower and turning it over to the city to operate Improvements to municipal utilities benefit everyone we’re able to improve water service to our fifth or sixth largest water user I see this project as a framework for our thinking on projects like this in the future.” lighting and AMR water metering compatible with the city’s new system the new water tower must be completed by May Van Diest Medical Center (VDMC) is pleased to welcome Dr a Medical Oncologist with Mission Cancer + Blood She is the newest addition to the hospital’s team of visiting specialists Brehany earned her Biochemistry degree from Wartburg College and completed medical school at Creighton University She completed extensive training which included an Internal Medicine residency and a Hematology/Medical Oncology fellowship at the University of Colorado Brehany was excited to return to Iowa to practice She specializes in breast and gynecological cancers Brehany loves spending time with her family Brehany joined Mission Cancer + Blood in January and will be providing oncology services at VDMC She will see patients in the specialty clinic at the hospital the first and third Tuesdays of each month Enhance Hamilton County Foundation seeks feedback from local nonprofits and organizations to improve grant program ET on Friday and the list of players who could be moved prior to it is extensive The race for a berth into the Stanley Cup Playoffs is tight particularly in the Eastern Conference where there are a number of teams still in the running The separation in the Western Conference is more defined with several teams falling back of the pack and expected to be sellers defensemen and forwards who could be moved prior to the deadline Gibson is in his 12th season in Anaheim and in the sixth of an eight-year contract with a $6.4 million average annual value The 31-year-old would be a good option for a team looking to upgrade its goaltending heading into the playoffs Gibson is on a rebuilding team that hasn't clinched a playoff berth since 2017-18 He is sharing the workload this season with Lukas Dostal who is 24 years old and the future of the franchise The Ducks might be convinced to retain a portion of his salary if they can get assets back to help them in the future Gibson would have to approve the trade with a modified no-trade clause in his contract ANA@VGK: Gibson uses the stick for an incredible save in 1st Dustin Wolf is having a strong rookie season for the Flames and has taken over the No making Vladar expendable in the final season of his two-year contract with a $2.2 million AAV can be a reliable backup if a contending team feels it needs to upgrade in that position but he could be used to upgrade another position for the stretch drive Forsberg is in the last of a three-year contract with an AAV of $2.75 million and will likely not be back in Ottawa with Linus Ullmark as the undisputed starter and both Leevi Merilainen and Mads Sogaard waiting in the wings Forsberg has been a reliable backup for the Senators who are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17 If a playoff-contending team is looking to add goaltending depth Ottawa could also use him to try and upgrade its blue line or bottom six forwards for the stretch drive and into the playoffs Other possibilities: David Rittich, Los Angeles Kings, Ivan Fedotov In the final season of his six-year contract with a 6.75 million AAV Provorov would be a good option for a team looking add offense on its back end The 28-year-old has had at least 25 points in each of his nine NHL seasons Columbus is in the thick of the playoff chase so it would take a good offer to pry Provorov away considering he can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season UTA@CBJ: Provorov wires a shot in on the rush for a SHG Savard is in the final season of a four-year contract with a $3.5 million AAV the 34-year-old would be a good addition for a playoff contender to add depth and won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021 With the Canadiens falling back in the Eastern Conference playoff race they might be open to moving Savard for an asset Right-shot defensemen are always a high commodity as the Deadline approaches Gudas would be a good addition to any team looking to go on a long playoff run and needing defenseman depth The Anaheim captain has one season remaining on his contract ($4 million AAV) after this one The 34-year-old went to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final with the Florida Panthers and would add physicality to any team; he's had more 250 hits seven times and is well on his way to the mark again this season Ferraro is in the third of a four-year contract with a $3.25 million AAV The 26-year-old would be an attractive defenseman for a playoff-contending team or one hoping to go on a long postseason run Ferraro will be an unrestricted free agent following next season and San Jose may be open to moving him if the price is right He has played close to 400 NHL games but has yet to play in a game in the playoffs Buffalo is last in the Eastern Conference and Byram it would take a lot to get him and he would command the salary of a top-pair defenseman next season Other possibilities: Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia Flyers; K'Andre Miller, New York Rangers; Jamie Oleksiak, Seattle Kraken; Connor Murphy The Penguins are falling out of the race and may be willing to trade high-end talent for future assets as they are expected to go into a full rebuild mode has three years at $5 million AAV after this season so may be too expensive for some contenders at the upper end of the salary cap but could be a good fit for a team battling for a playoff spot Rakell would be an excellent top six addition for a team with room for him on the roster Bjugstad has been a trade-deadline pickup in the past acquired by the Edmonton Oilers from the Arizona Coyotes on March 2 The 32-year-old forward can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season Bjugstad could again provide depth for a contending team and at $2.1 million AAV Donato would be an attractive option for a team looking to upgrade their top six forwards The 28-year-old is in the last of a two-year contract with a $2 million AAV and can become an unrestricted free agent after the season He has had double-digit goals each of the past four seasons NSH@CHI: Donato increases Blackhawks' lead in 2nd period Strome could be an option for a team looking to upgrade its top two lines but would come at a price The 31-year-old has two years left on his contract after this season at an AAV of $5 million The veteran of more than 800 NHL games and 37 playoff games would be a fit in a top-six role ANA@DET: Strome trims Ducks' deficit in opening period The Predators were hoping O'Reilly would be a big piece of a winning team when they signed him to a four-year contract with a $4.5 million AAV as an unrestricted free agent July 1 He still has two years remaining on his contract after this season and could be expendable with Nashville not within striking distance of the playoffs A Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy winner with the St the 34-year-old would bring a winning pedigree for a team looking for an experienced center Seattle will have to make a decision on Tanev whether he will be a part of their future moving forward The Kraken are a long shot to make the playoffs this season and the gritty forward is in the final season of a six-year contract with a $3.5 million AAV can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and if Seattle does not see him as part of its future plans In the fourth of a five-year contract with a $3 million AAV Laughton is an attractive option as a top-six forward for a playoff contending team The Flyers may be willing to move the 30-year-old considering they are in a tough spot to qualify for the playoffs this season and may be looking to get younger EDMONTON -- Beau Akey is healthy and anxious to get back on the ice after the Edmonton Oilers defenseman prospect had last season derailed by a shoulder injury selected by the Oilers in the second round (No was injured 14 games into last season while playing for Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League where he was sent following a strong training camp with Edmonton “I was going into the season on a high coming back from camp and I was feeling great,” Akey said at development camp last month I felt I was playing great and unfortunately I had been battling injuries with that same shoulder for a while and it was actually kind of nice to have the surgery and be able to recover fully from that injury.” five assists) in those 14 games for Barrie prior to the injury He was forced to watch the rest of the season after having surgery but tried to make the best of the situation it’s a lot different than being on the ice,” he said “It allows you to get that coach’s perspective and you can visualize those plays coaches are talking about when you’re sitting up there in the stands.” Akey said he hopes to utilize what he learned during his time out of the lineup entering his fourth season with Barrie The smooth skating right-shot was drafted following a strong 2022-23 season 36 assists) in 66 regular-season games and five points (two goals “I’m just looking at getting back to being myself,” he said but my head (mentally) is good and I’m really looking forward to getting back to hockey.” but the Oilers are willing to be patient with Akey with the hopes he’ll evolve into a top-four defenseman “Beau missed a significant amount of time with his shoulder so the big thing with him is getting him playing,” Edmonton director of amateur scouting Rick Pracey said so we think it’s just going to be a matter of time before he gets back up to speed within his environment and pushing along.” Edmonton’s hope in the meantime is Akey can stay healthy and have a strong season with Barrie where he is expected to play on the top pair “His skating is a difference-maker,” Pracey said “when you combine that with his hockey sense and ability to move the puck [zone] exits and entries and a two-way style game that’s transitional to the NHL level We think there is offensive potential and offensive upside even at the highest level.” NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news Nikita Kucherov was not in the lineup for the Tampa Bay Lightning in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Amalie Arena In Friday's 3-2 overtime win against the Nashville Predators Kucherov did not play in the second period but returned for the third The 31-year-old forward is tied for fifth in the NHL with 34 points (12 goals 22 assists) and has four assists in the past three games This was the first game Kucherov has missed this season Kucherov led the NHL with career highs of 144 points and 100 assists Philip Broberg returned for the Blues in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday after missing the past 12 games with a right knee injury and had three shots on goal in 24:08 of ice time The defenseman was injured against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov 2 when forward Mitch Marner fell on his leg in the second period of a 4-2 Blues win Broberg was activated off injured reserve Friday "He impacts the game with the puck and without the puck," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said "The transitional game that I think he impacts the most just because of his ability to see plays "When you get a player that can eat up north of 20 minutes it allows you to take minutes away from other guys that have been over-taxed add a little bit more to [Broberg] and it strengthens the depth of our third pairing." The Blues were 5-6-1 without Broberg in the lineup Forward Pavel Buchnevich did not play against the Flyers after leaving in the second period of a 3-0 win against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday with a lower-body injury Buchnevich skated briefly during an optional morning skate Saturday but will be replaced in the lineup by Alexandre Texier "You don't want to take any risks of exacerbating what's happened to the lower body injury," Montgomery said Zach Hyman returned to Oilers practice on Thursday and could return to the lineup at some point during their three-game road trip The forward has missed the past three games with an undisclosed injury he sustained in a 5-2 win at the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 19. Hyman left the game late in the second period after colliding with Senators defenseman Nick Jensen at Ottawa's blue line Edmonton began its road trip with a 4-3 overtime win at the Utah Hockey Club on Friday It will also play at the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday and Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday and we're hopeful that he's playing in Vegas," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Friday "I'm feeling all right," Hyman said following practice Thursday so I'm getting better every day and just trying to get back out there I'm going on the trip and taking it day by day I love playing hockey so I love being out there with the guys It helps when we win and it's more frustrating when we lose It's out of my control and hoping to get better day-by-day." -- Derek Van Diest Chris Kreider and Filip Chytil each returned for the New York Rangers in a 4-3 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday who had missed the past three games with back spasms had two shots on goal in 18:22 of ice time who had missed seven in a row with an upper-body injury Reilly Smith and Jonny Brodzinski were scratched The Rangers had lost five games in a row prior to Saturday Maveric Lamoureux will be out 4-6 weeks for Utah because of an upper-body injury The 20-year-old rookie defenseman has three points (one goal He was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the first round (No visits the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday (10 p.m Laurent Brossoit had a follow-up arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will be re-evaluated in six weeks The goaltender had surgery on the meniscus in his right knee on Aug 27 and was expected to need 5-7 weeks to recover Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said the recent procedure "I'm sure he's really frustrated but the key is to look after it now and that was the right decision," Richardson said of Brossoit prior to the Blackhawks' 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Friday $6.6 million contract with the Blackhawks on July 1 was expected to split time with Petr Mrazek The 31-year-old has skated on his own a few times but hasn't been part of a full practice this season He was 15-5-2 with a 2.00 goals-against average 927 save percentage and three shutouts in 23 games (22 starts) for the Winnipeg Jets last season Barclay Goodrow was placed on injured reserve Thursday with an upper-body injury The forward played 2:08 before leaving in the first period of a 4-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. He was hit up high by Senators forward Ridly Greig with 1:50 remaining Goodrow has two goals in 25 games this season Forward Ethan Cardwell was recalled from San Jose of the American Hockey League and scored his first NHL goal in an 8-5 win against the Seattle Kraken on Friday "Just [his] play without the puck," Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said not getting away from it and try to force things I think he gave us some good legs and energy last time he was here Forward Mikael Granlund returned and had a goal and an assist against the Kraken He had missed the past two games due to an upper-body injury Miles Wood was placed on injured reserve on Thursday with an upper-body injury The forward played 10:43 in a 2-1 shootout win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday who previously missed seven games with an upper-body injury earlier this month Forward Chris Wagner was recalled from Colorado of the American Hockey League on Thursday He has one goal in 12 games with the Avalanche this season and one goal in five AHL games EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl won’t be returning for the Edmonton Oilers this week Neither forward played in Edmonton’s 5-4 win against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday McDavid sustained a lower-body injury during the second period of a 4-3 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on March 20 and Draisaitl sustained an undisclosed injury during a 7-1 win against the Utah Hockey Club on March 18 “They’re going to be still a while,” Knoblauch said after practice “We’ll be playing a couple of games without them It’s good for those other guys that they know they’re going to get some more playing time.” The Oilers host the Dallas Stars on Wednesday (10 p.m MAX) before visiting the Kraken on Thursday Edmonton will then host the Calgary Flames on March 29 Draisaitl and McDavid are the second- and fourth-leading scorers in the NHL this season 52 assists) in 68 games; McDavid has 90 points (26 goals Draisaitl had an 18-game point streak (27 points; 14 goals where he led all forwards with 22:23 of ice time Saturday was the first time Draisaitl and McDavid were each unavailable in the same game due to injury since McDavid arrived in Edmonton for the 2015-16 season “I think everybody feels it,” said forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins “I think it’s a chance for everybody to step up and play their game and maybe play a little bit of a different role for certain guys you lose two of the best players in the game we need to step up and we need to make sure that we’re sharp “I think the way we’ve been playing lately is starting to get to the way we want to be playing come playoff time -- making it tough to play against not giving anything easy to the other team and building our offense from playing solid defensively.” McDavid has missed seven games this season He previously missed three because of an ankle injury sustained during a 6-1 loss at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct then served a three-game suspension for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland on Jan “We hope in the long run this is good for us,” Knoblauch said Probably in the short term it’s harder for us to win games and move up in the standings and we want to win as many games as possible we want to be at our best for the playoffs and this little break without having those two maybe that helps us with other guys finding their game and are able to step it up.” McDavid is averaging 22:08 of ice time this season He extended his point streak to 13 games (19 points; four goals 15 assists) with an assist on a goal by forward Jeff Skinner against the Jets It is uncertain when exactly McDavid was injured; he had six shifts in the second period against Winnipeg with his final shift lasting 18 seconds before returning to the bench at 19:03 McDavid spoke with Oilers head athletic therapist T.D Forss on the bench before the end of the period and did not return for the third Draisaitl missed his first game of the season against Winnipeg He is averaging 21:39 of ice time per game The two have combined for 24 power-play goals (Draisaitl 15; McDavid nine). Skinner has not scored with the man-advantage in 60 games this season; defenseman Evan Bouchard has scored twice on the power play in 70 games “Guys are on the power play and on in the last minute hopefully they can build a little confidence and feel good about it,” Knoblauch said The Oilers (41-24-5) are tied for second in the Pacific Division with the Los Angeles Kings five points behind the Vegas Golden Knights The 2024-25 regular season resumes with 14 games Saturday following the conclusion of the 4 Nations Face-Off Each team has fewer than 30 games remaining this season and there is still a lot to be decided before the Stanley Cup Playoffs there are several developing storylines to watch entering the final stretch of the regular season THE GR8 CHASE: Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky's recordVisit NHL.com/GR8Chase to watch classic milestone goals & highlights The Detroit Red Wings (28-22-5) are in position to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2015-16 currently the second wild card from the Eastern Conference with 61 points The Ottawa Senators (62 points) hold the first wild card from the Eastern Conference and are looking to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17 Detroit and Ottawa will try to fend off the Columbus Blue Jackets (60 points) New York Rangers (58) and New York Islanders (57) Pittsburgh Penguins (55) and Philadelphia Flyers (55) the Vancouver Canucks (63 points) and Calgary Flames (60) are set up for an epic race for the second wild card Anaheim Ducks (54) and Seattle Kraken (52) having work to do to get back in the running 2023) can never be overlooked; the Oilers center has 71 points (22 goals MIN@COL: MacKinnon puts on a show and evens the game at 1 The quest for the Presidents’ Trophy has become a two-team race between the Winnipeg Jets and the Capitals Winnipeg has never won the trophy for finishing first in the NHL regular-season standings since the award’s inception in 1985-86; Washington has won it three times (2010 Finishing first would provide home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs Oilers (34-17-4) and Vegas Golden Knights (33-17-6) each have 72 points The NHL Trade Deadline is March 7 at 3 p.m and general managers are expected to be busy over the next two weeks so sellers have not completely distinguished themselves outside of perhaps the Buffalo Sabres (22-27-5) currently at the bottom of the conference and a longshot to end a playoff drought dating back to the 2010-11 season that process will likely begin sooner with the San Jose Sharks The teams at the bottom of the division all have talented players with expiring contracts who can help a contender Utah (24-23-9) is still in the running for a playoff spot in its first season; it has 57 points and trails the Canucks (26-18-11) for the second wild card It won’t be easy considering last season the Golden Knights needed 98 points (45-29-8) to clinch the last berth Utah would need 41 points from its final 26 games to match that but if it can put together a couple of extended winning streaks it could make things interesting down the stretch UTA@WSH: Guenther increases Utah Hockey Club's lead with PPG in 2nd period The Florida Panthers (34-20-3) are first in the Atlantic Division three points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs (33-20-2) and five ahead of the Lightning (31-20-4) it will open defense of its Stanley Cup championship in the playoffs against a wild-card team from the East The Panthers have been consistent so far this season outside of a rough stretch from Nov Florida has 25 games remaining in the regular season including a six-game road trip in March and a four-game trip in April The final outdoor game of the season will take place March 1 when the Red Wings face the Blue Jackets at Ohio Stadium as part of the NHL Stadium Series It is the first time Columbus will play an outdoor game and the fifth time for Detroit It will be the 43rd outdoor game in League history and second this season The Blues won 6-2 against the Blackhawks in the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Dec Watch Day 12 of the 2025 Stadium Series rink being built at Ohio Stadium Connor Hellebuyck of the Jets is well on his way to winning the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie for a third time (2020 and it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his level of play through Winnipeg’s final 26 games of the regular season Hellebuyck is 34-7-2 in 43 starts this season with a 2.06 goals-against average and .925 save percentage He leads the League in wins and is a major reason Winnipeg is atop of the NHL standings Hellebuyck will be looking to make up from a disappointing playoffs last season when he went 1-4 with a 5.23 GAA and .870 save percentage in a first-round loss to the Avalanche MTL@SJS: Celebrini caps off sweet passing play to break the ice on the power play In six games with the Hurricanes before the 4 Nations Face-Off Carolina has 26 games remaining in the regular season and hopes Rantanen is the final piece of a championship puzzle J.T. Miller got off to a fast start in his return to the Rangers, with two goals and two assists in his first two games. He was acquired from the Canucks for forward Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft Miller played his first six seasons with New York before moving on to play with Tampa Bay and then Vancouver 66 assists) in 81 games with the Canucks last season and 35 points (nine goals 26 assists) in 40 games this season before the trade The Rangers are hoping Miller can help them get back into a playoff spot; they are three points behind the Red Wings for the second wild card in the East Martin Necas and Nathan MacKinnon have exhibited chemistry for the Colorado Avalanche usually reserved for teammates who've been together for years Necas, 26, has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in his first 11 games with the Avalanche since being acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan who leads the NHL with 90 points (23 goals "It's definitely working for my game," Necas said of the trade they're great and it's been a real pleasure to play with these guys." Necas was enjoying another productive season with the Hurricanes before the trade 39 assists) in 49 games and was well on the way to approaching his NHL career high of 71 points (28 goals He had a feeling he could be headed elsewhere when he saw Carolina had reportedly traded for Rantanen There weren't a lot of trades really happening then," Necas said "When I saw it on social media that Carolina was acquiring Mikko Rantanen Necas was sent to the Avalanche with forward Jack Drury a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in a three-team trade also involving the Chicago Blackhawks He played his first game for Colorado one day later COL@EDM: MacKinnon and Necas connect to put Avalanche on top in the 3rd has two goals in 11 games for the Avalanche He scored three in 39 games with the Hurricanes "I think both guys have really come in and have been as advertised," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "Marty and Nate have found real good chemistry, especially with [Artturi Lehkonen] on that line They've been dangerous both 5-on-5 and on the power play and doing a great job defensively as well "It doesn't always fit; sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't But I do think that it's guys that have similar views on the game They spend a significant amount of time talking so I think with two guys with those types of attitudes and wanting to find solutions to things and wanting to be the best they can be with the talent that they have MacKinnon and Rantanen were considered a dynamic duo in Colorado The latter is in the final season of a six-year $55.5 million contract ($9.25 million average annual value) and can become an unrestricted free agent after this season Instead of potentially losing Rantanen on the open market, the Avalanche made the trade, which also involved prospect forward Nils Juntorp and Blackhawks forward Taylor Hall "I heard nothing but great things when he got traded here and we've seen it here with how talented he is and how good of a player he is so we can imagine where each other would be on the ice Welcome to the 2024-25 NHL training camp buzz Training camp is underway and NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news Brett Pesce will be unable to join the Devils in Prague to begin the NHL regular season who signed a six-year contract with New Jersey on July 1 after nine seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes remains week to week as he continues to recover from surgery to repair a fractured fibula He sustained the injury during the second period of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the New York Islanders last season a series won by the Hurricanes in five games but obviously he's progressing well to the point where he was able to get some skates in with us before we left," Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said Monday with our limited practice time and just the numbers we have he'd be able to get better reps and more reps practicing with the players that are still back in Jersey." New Jersey faces the Buffalo Sabres on Friday (1 p.m MSG-B) in the 2024 NHL Global Series Czechia presented by Fastenal "He's just going to continue to work and build himself up to be ready to go as soon as he feels comfortable and strong enough to do," Keefe said Pesce was three weeks post-surgery when he signed with the Devils John Tavares and Calle Jarnkrok did not practice with the main group Monday but the Maple Leafs forwards have each made significant progress in their recoveries from lower-body injuries “Tavares and Jarnkrok were good today,” Berube said “I expect them in full practice next practice.” Toronto will practice next on Wednesday in Muskoka a as part of their annual team bonding trip 24 when he took a hit during a 2-1 preseason win against the Montreal Canadiens "My leg was getting pretty stiff from the hit I took in the first (period)," Tavares said after the game but throughout the second and especially the third I told Craig I would just keep them [shifts] short but he gave me the rest of the night off.” skating 12:28 in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Ottawwa Senators He has not practiced in full for an entire session since then Blake Lizotte was scheduled to meet with a doctor Monday to determine the severity of an upper-body injury The forward took a puck to the face Sunday leaving a 5-2 preseason win against the Ottawa Senators in the 2024 Kraft Hockeyville game at Sudbury Community Arena in Sudbury Lizotte did not participate in a morning skate Monday “He’s being evaluated today,” coach Mike Sullivan said “So I don’t have any more information on that one But we’ll see what comes back from that today.” Lizotte was second-line left wing with center Evgeni Malkin and right wing Rickard Rakell on Sunday he was fourth-line center in Pittsburgh’s most recent full-team practice After playing his first six NHL seasons with the Los Angeles Kings $3.7 million contract ($1.85 million average annual value) with the Penguins on July 1 Defenseman Erik Karlsson He has been day to day since training camp opened Sept He’s going through the process,” Sullivan said We’ll let you know when his status changes.” Pittsburgh will play four preseason games in the next five days with one scheduled full practice (Wednesday) before Sunday Quentin Musty was returned to Sudbury of the Ontario Hockey League on Monday The 19-year-old forward did not have a point in two preseason games "Just inconsistency in his camp," coach Ryan Warsofsky said and the habits you need to have to play this level 59 assists) in 53 games for Sudbury last season but he's going to have to work on details in his game so those bad habits don't creep up again next training camp," Warsofsky said Sam Dickinson was also returned to London of the OHL on Monday did not have a point in two preseason games 52 assists) in 68 games with London last season He's been inconsistent at times," Warsofsky said [We've got a] really good future in that defenseman." -- Max Miller Elias Lindholm returned to practice for the Bruins on Sunday wearing a noncontact jersey The 29-year-old forward missed nine days because of an undisclosed injury which he announced via Instagram on Thursday "It was good to see him," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said Sunday He's killing plays in the [defensive] zone The bad thing is he’s not up to speed yet.” Lindholm participated in the first on-ice practice of training camp Sept he retook his place on the first line between Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak "It was definitely fun to be back and to be playing with those two," Lindholm said "I thought we had some good looks there [the] first practice and definitely excited to get going and get to learn more about them." Lindholm said he hopes to play one or two preseason games before the Bruins open the regular season against the Florida Panthers on Oct Boston has three preseason games remaining: against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday and the Washington Capitals on Oct Rasmus Sandin played his first preseason game when the Capitals won 3-2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday The defenseman missed the start of training camp while awaiting his new visa in Sweden He had three shots on goal in 21:28 of ice time Sandin arrived in Washington on Tuesday night and skated Thursday and Friday He took his training camp skate test Saturday Sandin said he skated in Sweden with a group of unsigned players while waiting for his visa issue to be resolved so he at least was able to keep up his conditioning He'll likely also play in Washington's preseason finale against Boston on Saturday to get ready for the regular-season opener against the New Jersey Devils on Oct but at least I'm here now and I'm getting back with the team," Sandin said but it was nice to have some contact with some of the guys on the team too and it calmed me down a little bit But finally here and happy to be back." -- Tom Gulitti Calvin Pickard is expected to be available for the Oilers season opener against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct 9 after the goalie sustained an upper-body injury during a 5-4 preseason win against the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Place on Saturday "We expect him to be back on the ice in a few days," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Sunday "His neck is pretty sore and we're obviously being cautious Pickard left at 11:58 of the first period Saturday following a collision in his crease with teammate Noah Philp. Philp was trying to break up a pass in front intended for Kraken forward Yanni Gourde when he skated into Pickard The collision knocked Pickard backwards and stayed down on the ice for a few moments was assessed by the Oilers' training staff and went to the dressing room Pickard is expected to back up Stuart Skinner this season He was 12-7-1 with a 2.45 goals-against average and .909 save percentage in 23 games (20 starts) last season and 1-1 with a 2.21 GAA and .915 save percentage in three games (two starts) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Lucille Van Diest died after a brief stay at St Peters Hospital on Tuesday She passed away quickly and peacefully after maintaining her strength and enthusiasm while living at Touchmark in Helena for over the past 15 years Montana to Helen and Anton Polich who settled in Roundup after immigrating from Croatia in 1909 Lucille was the 5th of 6 children who was raised in the house built by her father She graduated from Roundup High School in 1937 1957 she married Leonard Don Van Diest at St Benedictine’s Catholic Church in Roundup They were married for 39 years until his death in 1996 Lucille spent most of her career working for the Federal Government at the Selective Service office in Helena; retiring in 1974 She was a member of Saint Mary’s Catholic Church the National Association of Retired Federal Employees spending time with her family and travelling Lucille was preceded in death by her husband Leonard Survivors include her son Scott and his wife Kihana Van Diest nephew Ron Polich and fiancée Adele Bissonette his wife Heidi and their son’s Shane and Clay 2018 with A Vigil Service to follow at 6:00 p.m Mary’s Catholic Community with a burial to follow the Mass at Resurrection Cemetery A Reception will immediately follow the burial in the social hall of St Please visit below to give condolences or share a memory of Lucille View map View map View map Social Hall of Saint Mary Catholic Community No photos have been submitted yet. Click here to share yours. My thoughts and prayers go out to Lucille’s family caring and wonderful lady and I was truly blessed to have the pleasure of getting to know her Lucille was a beautiful lady who I will miss very much I’m very glad for our fun times and all the good memories I have of her God bless her and her family and may she rest in eternal peace People in the fair city of Diest (Flemish Brabant) will soon be able to be buried together with their pet an urn containing the ashes of your dog or cat may be included in your grave More and more people experience a particularly close bond with their pet As a result requests to be buried together with a pet are becoming ever more common across Flanders In Diest the city authorities plan to change existing cemetery regulations to allow this to happen Last February the Flemish government OKed plans to allow a pet’s urn to accompany a deceased person in their grave Several towns and municipalities across Flanders have already made this possible including Mechelen Now Diest is also set to join this select group Diest is insisting the animal must have died before its owner and must be cremated She served as alderman for animal welfare and is now an opposition councillor but the new city cabinet was keen to take her proposal on board ‘We want to make full use of the opportunities offered by the Flemish government,’ alderman Miet Dirix told VRT but especially happy for Diest,’ councillor Pascale Vanaudenhove says ‘I launched the idea after reading the story of Irma This was a woman who had terminal cancer and opted for euthanasia It was a dachshund and she was very attached to it He would not have lived long without her.’ ‘Human and animal remains should not come into contact with each other An animal may never be cremated in a crematorium for humans The burial of the ashes of animals that die after their owners will also not be allowed in existing graves.’       WEBSTER CITY — The man whose $10 million donation kick-started the new medical center in Webster City told its board of trustees that a decision last summer to close its obstetrics and birthing center “let our community down.” Bob Van Diest addressed trustees and hospital staff during a public forum Tuesday evening contributed $10 million to the construction of the new hospital He said his family was shocked to learn of the closure in August 2018 and patients were directed to other facilities for prenatal care and deliveries “Our new hospital was built not with one or two birthing rooms but with four birthing rooms,” Van Diest said “This hospital was built to deliver babies.” Van Diest also gave an additional $3 million towards the construction of the family health clinic adjacent to the hospital he said that if families were taking their baby business elsewhere “We need to ask ourselves why and correct any shortfall we have in our community hospital You’ve been in this hospital for 10 years and I think you have had adequate time to hire and train a staff.” Chief Executive Officer Lisa Ridge said the decision to close the Family Birth Place was a business decision based on an ongoing study “This evaluation of the OB service line has been ongoing for quite some time — over two years,” Ridge said then there were six access points where babies could be delivered — Webster City Boone and Mary Greeley in Ames,” Ridge said at the time Ridge said the number of births at VDMC had declined Van Diest said the hospital should not let other communities take business from the local hospital “If delivering babies is not profitable business for this hospital Babies are the glue that holds a rural community hospital together We’ve got to hold our hospital together,” he said Van Diest said that Hamilton County taxpayers provide more than $2 million for the hospital through property tax dollars “The hospital reduced the services they provide when they decided not to deliver anymore babies This hospital administration asked for the same amount of Hamilton County taxpayer money,” he said but they did not cut the tax asking.” When the community loses providers of goods or services “Your real estate taxes will stay high people will move to other locations that provide the goods and services they need and those left in the community will find the value of their home dropping 20 to 30 percent or more in value,” according to Van Diest Trustee Kirk McCollough asked Van Diest for a copy of his remarks so the board members could “parse through the comments.” the board didn’t take this matter lightly It was a tough decision for us,” McCollough said “We’re all in this together and we want exactly the same thing you’re talking about The Webster County Board of Supervisors is expected to discuss two detour agreements with the Iowa Department of .. The Stallings family of rural Webster County suffered a devastating loss on April 26 when a fire ignited in their .. The element requested is either not valid or does not exist Shane Van Diest finds himself waiting for a phone call It doesn’t always come at the exact same time but it eventually comes each Saturday of every month during the fall we talk quite a bit,” Van Diest said of his father the longtime football coach at Carroll College who announced his retirement on Monday but we sort of have a tradition that on Saturday nights we talk shop Usually Saturday nights we’ll call and talk about the game what things we’re looking at going forward and I think it’s an unbiased ear who knows football and knows him.” but this conversation took a more serious direction – Mike told his oldest son he would retire from coaching football after 43 years in the profession knowing that retirement was on the horizon We’ve batted it around and always sort of talked about Would there be other coaching jobs in the future?’” said Shane even to (Shane’s younger brother) Clay and I but it’s always strange to just imagine Carroll football sans Mike Van Diest moving forward.” winning NAIA national championships in 2005 and 2007 Shane had to step away from coaching this season after moving to St and his hiatus from the sidelines will likely be short-lived he and his father have always dreamed of coaching together — Shane the head coach Shane looks forward to continuing a relationship that’s blossomed over nearly three decades As sons and fathers go through phases of their relationship your relationship to your father as a son certainly transforms as you age It’s very different at age 5 than it is at age 10 It’s very different when you’re in high school versus when you’re in college versus post-college,” said Shane “My dad and I have had a chance to go through all those phases of our relationship “I just welcomed my first daughter into the world the most important lessons he’s given to me are how to be a good father Of all the things he taught me about football and being a good man the most important are that he showed me how to be a good husband in the way he treated my mother Those things will be there long after the football accolades have faded away.” not even physics or theology homework could keep Clay Van Diest from watching Monday morning’s live stream of his father’s press conference Norbert College hockey program in the Green Bay metropolitan area thanked his supporters and swelled with pride when mentioning his family I cried watching the live feed (of the press conference) so it was definitely emotional for Shane and I “One of the things I love about my dad and some of the things I love about Carroll and the reason he loved that job is the fact that we got to be a part of it my dad still jokes that there’s no way he could have done it without her ‘She’s the best recruit he’s ever signed.’ Growing up on the sidelines it was pretty cool because I got to be a part of it every day I was in (former Carroll linebacker) Joe Horne’s wedding I got to dance with (former Saints all-American tight end Casey Fitzsimmons’) wife at his wedding more than he did It’s an emotional day for all of us because Carroll is so important to all of us Last year Clay brought the ninth national championship to the Van Diest family — Mike won six NAIA football titles with Carroll Norbert won the NCAA Division III hockey championship Clay’s Green Knights have appeared in the Frozen Four in each of his three seasons The Van Diests could certainly put their athletic prowess up against any family but sports have never completely defined their lives the Van Diests are about championships and awards but Clay says the most powerful moment of his father’s retirement speech was a message meant for his sons both Clay and Shane and the hundreds of players ‘The only two titles he needed in life were coach and dad,’ and those were the two most important to him I know he joked about me leaving home at 16 I have talked to him on the phone or FaceTime’d him every single day since I moved away from home,” said Clay “Carroll is definitely a big part of our family it’s going to be weird thinking of it without that but I know how thankful Shane and I have been that a lot of times people talk about coaches losing their family a little bit but that’s not at all the case with the Van Diests We have been completely a part of his career and I love that he’s let us be a part of that.” For nearly a decade Mike Van Diest coached his program deep into November or December while Clay was chasing his hockey dreams everywhere from Canada to junior hockey to the Frozen Four admitting he “can’t turn the clock back on what I’ve missed but I can certainly go forward and help and support (Clay and Shane) in their (lives).” Clay says flights and scheduling have already begun for the final games in his senior season “That was pretty emotional to talk to him about that He called me (Sunday) night and he already has some dates set up on when he’s coming That’s just a little extra motivation to make sure I make him proud and work as hard as I do every day,” Clay said the one week that I was named player of the week was the weekend he was in town and it was because I wanted to play so well for him I wanted to show him what I could do and it was fun having my biggest fan in the crowd I can remember my proudest moment ever as a player was when I scored a goal in high school and I came around the net and saw him fired up and that’s not the side most people see of Coach Van Diest He is 100 percent my biggest fan and he’s my favorite fan to play for.” There will certainly be a transition period for the Van Diest family Mike has consistently joked he doesn’t have hobbies outside of football along with Clay — will get a glimpse of their lives sans football next week in Green Bay It’s never fun when he’s here for Thanksgiving because it means they’re not playing (in the NAIA playoffs) but it’s a pretty good consolation prize,” said Clay “Last year when I had that breakout game was when he was in the crowd here for Thanksgiving and that was a special moment I haven’t been home for Thanksgiving because of hockey for 10 so them coming to me means the world to me and I’m so excited to have the whole crew here.” so he got to watch all of my college playing career from a unique point of view so his career has taken him out of the country across this country and I know that’s been hard on my dad,” said Shane It will be really cool for him to get to follow Clay’s senior season really closely watching him interact with her when he was able to come out here on his bye week was one of the coolest experiences in my life I know that there’s a lot more of that to come but hopefully a few more from my wife and me It’s going to be great to continue to see him and my mom be the couple they’ve always been but the people that they are in the Helena community the people they are for us as parents and now grandparents No national championship in the world is worth trading in those Saturday night phone calls for an in-person visit from the man who was Mike Van Diest announced he'd be returning to the Frontier Conference Though this time instead of purple and gold it will be the maroon and gold as he joins the Montana State-Northern Lights as their defensive coordinator where I needed a new defensive coordinator I just start jotting down names," said Lights head coach Andrew Rolin and the name that just really couldn't leave my head was Mike Van Diest." which I have no idea who that was but I knew it wasn't a car warranty [spam call] because that's usually a Glendive or Sidney phone call but picked it up and it was Andrew and we got talking," said Van Diest and have given it some thought about coming up to be the defensive coordinator.” Rolin noted Van Diest's accolades speak for themselves and they did factor into why he reached out but a few other reasons were the driving forces behind trying to get Van Diest on his staff that's a byproduct of what his real value is which is he's a great leader of young men," said Rolin Which is nice for me to be able to lean on Van Diest was slated to join the University of Mary coaching staff in North Dakota but the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the Marauders' season and Van Diest returned home where he was presented with the opportunity to join the Helena High School staff as an assistant Van Diest worked with the Bengals last season and through the spring and summer but when the opportunity presented itself to return to the college ranks but I really -- I think I'm suited for the college game The opportunity to be a defensive coordinator I want to just try to be a guy that can help [Rolin] "I know a lot of hard work and effort has gone into there." Van Diest's Lights debut will be against the College of Idaho Yotes on August 28 at Tilleman Field When the Lights travel to Helena to take on Carroll College on October 9 it will be the first time that Van Diest will be on the visitor's side of Nelson Stadium but then I saw the schedule that Northern is the homecoming opponent for Carroll College It's also Hall of Fame induction for Nick Howlett and Jim Hogan but it's also induction to the Hall of Fame the 2010 National Championship team," said Van Diest "I talked to [Rolin] and to kind of ease the situation so if anybody wants to throw anything at me or yell they're going to have to do it in close quarters." VANCOUVER – The Edmonton Oilers could be without Leon Draisaitl and Adam Henrique for Game 2 of the Western Conference Second Round against the Vancouver Canucks Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed Thursday that each top-six forward is day to day with an undisclosed injury and may not be able to play when the best-of-7 series resumes at Rogers Arena on Friday (10 p.m and I will let you know tomorrow if they’re playing or not,” Knoblauch said following practice Draisaitl went to the Oilers dressing room at 11:58 of the second period with an apparent injury Wednesday following a 10-second shift but returned to play in the third Knoblauch said that cramps and equipment issues were the reason Draisaitl left The forward had two assists in the 5-4 loss to the Canucks Edmonton led 4-1 in the second period and had a two-goal lead going into the third before the Canucks scored three straight goals in a span of 4:48 to take Game 1 Draisaitl has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in six playoff games, one fewer than Connor McDavid who leads Edmonton with 13 points (one goal Henrique took the ice for the start of practice Thursday skating with the team for the first time since the Oilers eliminated the Los Angeles Kings with a 4-3 win in Game 5 of the first round May 1 he did not participate in line rushes and eventually went to sit on the bench to watch the tail end of the half-hour session one assist) in five games against Los Angeles Connor Brown replaced Henrique in Game 1 after sitting out the first round as a healthy scratch. Sam Carrick is expected to play if Draisaitl is unavailable “In the playoffs, absolutely you need depth, that’s why at the [NHL Trade] Deadline we were adding those pieces and those players,” Knoblauch said of acquiring Henrique, Carrick and defenseman Troy Stecher “We pushed some pretty good players out of the lineup but when you’re playing every second day in the high intensity of the playoffs guys get banged up and you need that depth Sam Carrick didn’t play the other night and we didn’t have Connor Brown previously so we feel comfortable inserting those guys who can play a role and play well for us.” Carrick had an assist in the first three games against the Kings and then was replaced in the lineup by center Derek Ryan “You see it all the time with any team that goes on a run and wins,” Oilers forward Zach Hyman said Everybody wants to win and is doing whatever it takes to win we have guys that can come into the lineup and do a job Henrique played left wing on Edmonton’s top line in the opening round with McDavid at center and Hyman on the right. Mattias Janmark was moved up to play with McDavid and Hyman in Game 1 against Vancouver Draisaitl centered the Oilers' second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the left and Evander Kane on the right we’ll see where they’re at,” Nugent-Hopkins said we have the guys in this room to be able to get the job done Whoever has to step up into a different role Draisaitl’s absence in the second period Wednesday forced the Oilers to juggle their lines “I think everybody’s played with each other enough that you can slot guys into different positions and find that chemistry pretty quick,” Nugent-Hopkins said if you lose a guy or two guys throughout a game it’s a little trickier to juggle the lines but I thought we did a pretty good through that stretch when he was out.” Edmonton was fortunate to remain healthy throughout the series against Los Angeles and had six days following the conclusion of the first round to rest and recover “This time of year, there is adversity everywhere,” Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said adversity in games and adversity in series you manage it and you control what you can control.” The Oilers are trying to avoid going down 2-0 in a series for the first time since they were swept out of the 2022 Western Conference Final by the Colorado Avalanche that’s the way it goes with getting scored against,” Nugent-Hopkins said “You've got to adapt as fast as you can in playoffs and roll with the punches and keep pushing forward we’re going to be at our best tomorrow night and we expect that from everybody.” Carroll College football coach Mike Van Diest a hometown hero who built a powerhouse that won six NAIA national championships an East Helena native who grew up a few miles from the Carroll campus and for 20 years had staggering success with the Saints’ football program who like Van Diest is an NAIA Hall-of-Famer Van Diest quickly molded the Saints into a program that not only dominated the Frontier Conference but the world of NAIA football as well Four of his national championship teams finished undefeated “We are witnessing the retirement of one of our nation’s football coaching legends,” Carroll president John Cech said on Monday Van Diest’s teams won 14 Frontier titles It proved impossible to sustain that success whose first Carroll team in 1999 finished 5-6 retires after the Saints posted four consecutive losing seasons including a club that finished 5-6 this fall including a 38-8 mark in the NAIA  national playoffs Van Diest’s record in Frontier Conference games was 97-32 "What coach Van Diest has meant to the Carroll Athletic Department is immeasurable," Saints' athletic director Charlie Gross said in a statement "Not only did he bring national prominence to the football program but he created a culture of excellence for all of us in the athletic department to model his love for the students is contagious and his persistent energy is invigorating," Gross said Van Diest graduated from Helena High in 1970 and played tight end at Wyoming His first coaching job was an assistant with the Cowboys and he was an assistant with the Montana Grizzlies from 1980-85 He also was an assistant coach at Massachusetts and Northwestern before heading back to Laramie and the Wyoming Cowboys from 1991-98 When Petrino stepped down and the Saints came calling which played for years under Petrino and others at Vigilante Stadium in downtown Helena opened Nelson Stadium on campus soon after Van Diest was hired The victories – and the championships – soon followed as the Carroll College game-day experience became known as one of the finest in NAIA football “I know it’s time to step down,” Van Diest said Monday morning at a press conference I need to step out and let someone else enjoy Carroll College like I did.” Van Diest was asked about his amazing success and deflected credit “I didn’t have a crystal ball and I didn’t set any goals in terms of wins and stuff,” he said “We had a goal when I came on the interview process You have to have the players and assistant coaches in order to put that into practice with Nick (longtime offensive coordinator Howlett) and Jim (longtime offensive line coach Hogan … And we’ve had some tremendous players here.” a former Helena Capital star who led Van Diest’s Saints to four straight NAIA national championships while earning national player-of-the-year honors who served as a Carroll assistant coach after his playing career ended said Van Diest’s coaching extended far beyond the football field “He does a great job of being a coach when he needs to be a coach and then off the field he’s one of the nicest guys there is,” Emmert said Van Diest was a consistent advocate for Montana-born athletes and the small-college experience that is NAIA football “I think high school football in Montana is big-time,” he said “You don’t have pro teams here and everybody takes pride in Montana players and the kids from outlying areas who come here to play football It’s a great experience and it’s something that nobody should ever look past.” Eric Dawson of Great Falls was a standout senior tight end on this year’s Carroll team When it was announced a few months ago that Van Diest was named to the NAIA Hall of Fame that’s what are important to him,” Dawson said “I feel like for a lot of people it’s just a game and to him it’s more important than that Many former Carroll players took to Twitter to honor their coach a former All-American linebacker from Helena High who is now an assistant football coach at Kalispell Flathead "Coach Van Diest is the best coach I've ever been around," Blomquist tweeted "He's done more for Carroll Football than anyone could Love ya endlessly coach and would have suited up for you any day More: Mansch: Van Diest's football family revels in Hall of Fame honor Thanks for visiting one of the industry’s leading importers of premium malt beverage products is announcing that its relationship with Van Diest Beer Company owners of Fruli Strawberry Beer from Belgium is ending “We have been proud to represent this unique product from one of the world’s most respected brewing nations Our efforts here in the US have resulted in a full nationwide distributor network multiple retail chain authorizations and strong consumer awareness that will help propel the brand as it continues its US development.” The effective date of the transition is February 1 with an announcement of a new importer relationship to be made by Chris Williams President of Van Diest shortly “We wish to thank Paulaner USA for all of their fine efforts with the brand over the years and are excited to move forward and build on the foundation they established,” Mr Williams said in commenting on the upcoming transition Paulaner USA is headquartered in White Plains The Paulaner Brewery is one of the largest breweries in Munich Bavaria in Germany and is part of the Paulaner Brewery Group The Paulaner Brewery Group unites the brands Paulaner Paulaner has represented the finest brewing tradition for top quality crafted beer specialties in Germany and world-wide Founded (and still being brewed) in Munich Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr are two of the six brands allowed to be served at the world-famous Oktoberfest Early Registration Open You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. The element requested is either not valid or does not exist. More military artifacts unearthed at Vancouver's PNEVideo1:46 Condolence books set up in Vancouver and Victoria for Lapu-Lapu Day victimsVideo1:25 Surrey immigration consultant raises concerns over fraudulent documentsVideo6:18 SubscribeCurrent TimeIgnore this field. If any data is entered for this field, you will not be subscribed to this newsletter....The next issue of CBC Vancouver Inbox will soon be in your inbox.Discover all CBC newsletters in the Subscription Centre. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Google Terms of Service apply nowFeatured Video - 10 videosVideo4:45 Trump repeats 51st state taunt as Carney prepares for White House visitThe National |21 minutes agoVideo5:43 Canadians retrace their fathers’ footsteps in the NetherlandsThe National |10 hours agoVideo3:10 Air Canada flight credit stolen, used for stranger’s luxury trip | Go PublicThe National |2 hours agoVideo1:59 How GM job cuts could impact OshawaCBC News |May 4Video2:31 Crowds line streets to thank Canadian veterans in NetherlandsCBC News |May 3Video2:05 Gaza faces starvation crisis as Israel blockade enters third monthThe National |11 hours agoVideo2:01 It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem Note: Mike Van Diest is one of the most successful college football coaches in the land an East Helena native who next month will begin his 20th season with the Carroll College Saints His Carroll teams have won six NAIA national championships and amassed a record of 198-48 continues to lead the Saints’ program with the same vim and vigor that he displayed when taking over the program in 1999 One morning early this week he was watching film in Helena while preparing for the approaching football season That’s when we caught up with him for our Sunday Conversation Q: Things are a little different in your program this year after the recent retirement of longtime offensive line coach Jim Hogan He was with you from Day One down there and I know he’s a great friend of yours Jim was kind of at the end of his coaching time and felt it was time to move on His contributions to this program were invaluable He was a great mentor to some of the younger coaches we have and now we’ve got some young guys coming in Q: Tyler Emmert left your coaching staff as well I know he’s got a young family he will be spending more time with his wife and kids because he’s been such an integral part of your program both as a player and coach He and Nick (offensive coordinator Howlett) From a player-coach relationship that grew into a coach-coach relationship … It was a great combination on offense With Tony Arntson (new offensive line coach) coming on board I think that will help an awful lot I think he and Nick will have some great ideas together Q: I’ve known Tony a long time and he’s a very classy individual I’m sure he’ll do nothing but help your program Q: It sure seems like you had a banner recruiting class with several dozen players from all over the country Plus you’ve got some very good returning players You have to be excited about the future of Carroll athletics We have a few holes we have to fill and probably haven’t gotten every position solidified over the spring and summer Heading into fall camp there’s a couple of spots on the offensive line we’re still debating I think on defense I really like our inside backers but we’ve got to develop some backups Q: Major Ali has been a very productive running back and you’ve got one of Tony Arntson’s boys there They’re so good and complement each other so well We didn’t redshirt Ryan last year (when he was a true freshman) and heck he had over 400 yards of offense for us in a limited role He’ll be more of an integral part of our offense this year We also have a couple of freshman running backs coming in and we’re going to take a hard look at them to see if one of them can help us this fall I know you’ve got a returning starter in Reese Hiibel and an intriguing recruit who transferred from Idaho State (Robert Kvinsland) He came in the last six games last year and played well plus (sophomore) Kolby Killoy has been very impressive this summer so it will be interesting to see how it plays out There are some things we’re going to take a hard look at Somebody has to step up at that position as well to be competitive with Reese Q: When looking at your recruiting class it strikes me you’re working harder than ever before Traveling all over the country to sign these players A: These last couple of years we’ve had the chance to get out into the outlying areas We brought a young coach named Reese Hack in and he’s doing a great job of coaching our running backs He recruited two outstanding players out of Texas I was able to go back last fall and make contact with a young man out of Missouri and we’ve got a few kids out of Colorado when (assistant coach) Alex Kastens did a great job we’ve expanded our recruiting area a little Q: You have several fine players from Montana A: Eric was a first-team all-conference (tight end) last year and Payton has just gotten better and better He stayed healthy last year and did a great job on the defensive line He’s put on about 10 pounds since last fall and that’s going to really bode well for him that we can rotate through on a regular basis and that’s going to make a difference this year Q: You also have Great Falls products Alex Thomas and Xavier Pace A: Alex has added 10 pounds in body weight and his strength has really improved over the spring and summer Xavier has put himself on the two-deep as a corner your Carroll career has spanned nearly 20 years and you’re two victories away from 200 Have you had more success than even you dreamed of when you moved back home from Laramie (where he was assistant coach at his alma mater Wyoming) nearly two decades ago A: I didn’t have a crystal ball and I didn’t set any goals in terms of wins and stuff We had a goal when I came on the interview process with Nick (Howlett) and Jim (Hogan) and some of the coaches who we’ve had Jarrod Wirt and Mike McMahon and Mason Siddick and now with Alex Kastens and Alex Pfannenstiel And we’ve had some tremendous players here This is a heckuva conference (the Frontier) and you’re challenged every week You look at (Montana) Tech and Rocky (Mountain) and certainly Southern Oregon and Eastern Oregon – and (Montana) Western is good every year – it’s just a great conference I think that makes people play better and you have to coach better every week Q: I was looking back at your career when preparing to speak with you and I remember that first playoff game you lost back in the 2000 national semifinals to Georgetown They were a little bit of a nemesis for a while (Carroll also lost to Georgetown in 2001 NAIA semis) When you finally beat them for the national championship in 2002 that had to be one of your sweetest victories A: We really felt that in 2000 (Van Diest’s second season at Carroll) we kind of came out of nowhere But you look at Joe Horne and Mike Morris and Justin Thomas and JD Emmert and Jason Gilham and the guys that we had – Travis Ahner on defense – it was just amazing And we came within a yard maybe of taking Georgetown to the wire at the end in that semifinal game (28-21 loss) That really showed our players that through their hard work and dedication and focus that they could win Q: Pretty much all Montana boys that you mentioned there Between Capital and Billings and the Great Falls kids and you have Luke Lagomasino of Lincoln and Heath Wall out of Belt and Jeff Shirley from Centerville And then you had Rhett Crites coming in from Kremlin-Gildford who was one of the all-time leading kickers here It was pretty special to have those guys onboard Q: How about that first national championship in 2002 A: We got a little bit better year after year We’d lost to Georgetown in a couple heartbreakers in the semis in both 2000 and 2001 and they were the two-time defending champions It was pretty special to be on the field with them and defensively we had Cory Perzinski and Nick Garreffa and those kind of guys Marcus Atkinson and Nick Porrini and Tyler Maxwell – pretty special We ran the ball well and Nick called a great game (quarterback) Tyler Emmert was hurt in the quarterfinals and Robb Latrielle and Zack Zawacki stepped up what a great career he had and what a great game he had It’s really kind of surreal when you look back on it I remember we played Georgetown a few years ago in the playoffs I went back and watched that (2002) game I don’t know how many times In the second half we played flawless football Q: Tyler started from Day One as a true freshman who was a senior when Tyler was a freshman He really set the table for Tyler and did a great job was a great player at Eastern Montana and was the player of the year at (Kalispell) Flathead when he was a senior up there in ’68 Tyler had a great career at (Helena) Capital High winning two undefeated championships back to back (for coach Mark Samson) Q: This is an unfair question: I can’t ask for your favorite Carroll team of all-time Most of that first class we recruited in ’99 played as freshmen and played as sophomores You take a Nate Chiovaro from Frenchtown and Matt Peterson from Flathead High and Spencer Schmitz from here at Helena High - Matt Ventresca too - Those guys stepped in as freshmen and did a great job which struggled (4-6 record) but finished up the year on a pretty good note But each one has its own identity and is special in its own way Q: I remember some of those first coaching staffs you had There were a lot of guys who really helped this program get off the ground Q: Of course the Carroll football legacy goes back so many years with coach (John) Gagliardi and coach (Bob) Petrino I’ll bet that as the years go on you’re even more proud to be associated with Carroll College You look at the job Bishop (Raymond) Hunthausen did when he was here (1953-56) and certainly coach Gagliardi and his legacy in college football and coach Petrino – just tremendous people And you look at when Paul and Bobby Petrino played here an All-American running back out of Libby who I played against in high school and Timmy Racicot and Bert Glueckert and other guys from this area that I grew up with the great linebacker … We could go down the line with a who’s who The Robinson family and the Romaskos … We could spend five or six hours talking about the great players here I wish I could name them all because they all did a great job and they’re all part of the legacy here Q: Did I see on Twitter that Tony Spencer (former star Carroll player and coach) was back in Helena this week He was back in town and stopped up in the weight room and visited with us those guys who were here when we first got here they didn’t know who I was or what I was doing and I’m sure a lot of them looked cross-eyed at me that first spring and first winter but the ones that stuck with it did a great job I look at the coaches in this conference now and they’re lifers Q: Is it fair to say the league is better now than it was when you came Of course there are more teams in the league now Players have always been good in this conference They don’t all have to go to the Big Sky They can go walk on in the Big Sky if that’s their dream But there’s a lot of great players here who are playing football who went on to play in the NFL … Or you look at (Austin) Dodge at Southern Oregon or (Nolan) Saraceni and (Jay) LeProwse down at Tech There have been some great players in this league they didn’t want to go sit on the bench and be a preferred walk-on somewhere else that means they preferred to give the scholarship to somebody else These guys came here because they wanted to play football And they do that in the Frontier Conference If we ever get a team in Great Falls at the University of Providence that would add to the luster of the league I just think high school football in Montana is big-time It’s a great experience and it’s something that nobody should ever look past Q: I guess the only thing that could have made your career better is if your son Clay (currently college hockey player at St Norbert (Wis.) University) had decided to play football and hockey in college But he got to play some great high school football in Canada up there at Notre Dame Prep and he had a couple of college offers up there He was a lot of fun and a little bit of throw (laughs) But he’s having a great career in hockey and I’m proud of him I was able coach (Clay’s older brother) Shane here at Carroll and that might have been the highlight of my career And seeing how successful he’s doing Q: Are you going to keep coaching a long time I could say 10 years ago what I wanted to do but now I’m just looking to August 3 That’s our first day of practice and that’s as far as I’m looking ahead I know I’m in the twilight of my coaching career I’m not going to coach as long as some of these guys like Bill Snyder (at Kansas State) or coach Gagliardi I’m more like a Bob Stoops or Gene Chizik (both retired coaches) who are spending more time with their families There’s a lot of things that pass you up when you’re coaching But I wouldn’t trade it for anything Q: I know the last few seasons have been challenging (three straight 4-6 records) and I’m sure you’re hoping to get back to where your team is winning nine We just have to play better and coach better We’ve talked about it with some new enthusiasm … You know There’s nothing you can take for granted We’ve got to coach better and put our players in position to make plays And they’ve got to make good decisions on and off the field But coaching’s been good to me and I cherish every minute Q: I’ll bet it seems like yesterday when you were a young tight end playing for the Wyoming Cowboys I had no idea what I was doing in 1970 (laughs) A: Clay and I went down to their bowl game last year and watched (quarterback) Josh Allen and that defense I think they caused eight turnovers against Central Michigan (in a 37-14 Wyoming victory) Wyoming’s defense is going to be right up there this year I think people are going to stand up and take notice of that defense Josh Allen got a lot of press last year and certainly in the offseason when he was drafted in the first round but that defense Craig Bohl has put together is going to be pretty special this year Like Fritz Shurmur and Lloyd Eaton and Bob Devaney Q: You’re right in the conversation with those men as a college football coach Scott Mansch’s Sunday Conversations appear frequently in this space He can be reached at 791-1481 or smansch@greatfallstribune.com Grace Van Diest passed away peacefully in her sleep on Saturday November 22 at the Rocky Mountain Care Center following years-long declining health and Alzheimer’s disease Grace Sternberg was born in Poplar Township Adolph “Ed” Sternberg and Gertrude Emilie-Alfreda (nee Andre) were of German descent and raised their seven children in Minnesota before moving west During the Great Depression Adolph Sternberg was hired as a building supervisor for the Fort Peck Dam Project so the Sternberg family came to Montana with their six youngest children the family lived in New Deal enduring eastern Montana’s frigid winters and searing hot summers before continuing their westward trek to Helena The Sternberg Family arrived in Helena on July 4 Grace remembered the exact day she arrived because the family had to wait for Helena’s exceptional Independence Day parade before reaching their new home Because the quakes destroyed the high school Grace was among the students who attended school in railroad cars a soldier destined for a WWII post in the Pacific Theater Grace and Clarence were married on July 19 1942 and raised their four children in Helena until his death in 1994 the Van Diest and Sternberg families were profoundly touched by WWII  All of Grace’s eligible brothers and brothers-in-law enlisted in the military and fought in the Pacific or European Theaters Grace and Clarence built their first house on Davis Street They continually updated the construction on their home In the early 1970s they sold their home on Davis Street and built a home in Lump Gulch that became the primary gathering place for their extended family Grace worked in various retail sales and tailoring capacities She worked most recently at the New York Store Village Brownstone and the Mary Moore Shop on Last Chance Gulch She officially retired in 1992 and devoted her available time to charity work at the First Lutheran Church and the Senior Center Grace made quilts for the needy through the Dorcas Circle and Mary Martha Guild working until her arthritis would no longer allow it Grace Sternberg Van Diest is predeceased by her parents; husband; infant son Wayne Victor Van Diest; and the following siblings:  Ellen Burlingame She is survived by siblings Maynard “Bud” Sternberg of Helena and Lorna Van Dongen of New Mexico Surviving children and their spouses include Ronald and Linda Van Diest of East Helena; Roger and Carol Van Diest of Splendora TX; Penny and Raymond Killham of East Helena; and Pamela and John Worster of Helena She also leaves behind eight grandchildren and many dozens of Sternberg and Van Diest relatives throughout the Helena area A memorial service is planned for spring 2015 Please visit below offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Grace Services are pending at this time or no services will be held No photos have been submitted yet. Click here to share yours. To the Van Diest family ~ I am so sorry for your loss I am fortunate to live in the home that Clarence and Grace built on Lump Gulch in Clancy I had always hoped that Clarence and Grace and it was as though this home was built for me My very best wishes to the Van Diest family From all the Maiers in Milwaukee we offer our deepest sympathy for your loss We always had wonderfull memeories of Aunt Grace Estherville have announced a definitive agreement under which Van Diest Investment Company will acquire NorthStar Bank and Agency This transaction is expected to close by Nov “We are excited about the pending acquisition of NorthStar Bank We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with this group as they have shown strong commitment to the communities and customers they serve,” said Bob Van Diest “NorthStar is highly regarded in their trade area and the entire NorthStar team will continue the outstanding customer service and local decision making that customers have enjoyed since 1997.” “Our customer relationships are our top priority in what we do and who we are at NorthStar Bank The NorthStar Team of employees is the backbone of our commitment to our customers and the communities we serve From the day that we established NorthStar Bank First State Bank have been there as a strong partner Bob and his family have a strong knowledge of agriculture as demonstrated through their farm businesses and holdings The tremendous relationship we have with them has allowed us to work together to better serve our customers and bring together some of the important projects we have participated in within Emmet County and the surrounding area I can think of no better partners for the future than to continue our service to our customers and communities with the support of the Van Diest Family.” Kali Dawson and James Van Diest of Webster City have announced their engagement Kali is the daughter of Eric and Regan Dawson of Webster City She is graduating from Iowa State University on May 8 with a double major in management information systems and supply chain management and an apparel merchandising certificate James is the son of John and Beth Van Diest of Webster City He is also graduating from Iowa State University in May with double degrees in finance and business economics and a minor in accounting He will be working with Renewable Energy Group Inc in Ames this summer and will be attending ISU for his Masters of Business Administration degree this fall The wedding and reception will be held at the Conrad Mansion Wedding and Reception Venue in Conrad Trevor Klaver of Irving Texas and Mallory Till of Bettendorf are engaged and plan to marry on August 8 Personalized news alerts with our mobile app Please subscribe to continue reading… Clay Van Diest holds his NCAA Division III hockey championship trophy in this photo with his parents When Clay Van Diest recently became the first Helena native to play for a national championship college hockey team he increased his family’s collection to nine national titles to their fifth NCAA Division III hockey title The Green Knights’ 3-2 double overtime victory over Salve Regina University (Newport Rhode Island) took place during the national finals at Lake Placid Clay Van Diest skates up ice with the puck during a game this season It was the third top-three national placing in a row for St Norbert’s since Van Diest has been on the team while capping off a sparkling 27-4-1 season that ended on a 13-game winning streak The victory brings to nine the combined total of national collegiate championships for the Van Diest family longtime football coach at Carroll College His brother Shane played for two of those Carroll College teams and now Clay has been part of a couple national titles the first coming with the Team Montana High School hockey club when he was 16 years old And the icing on the cake with the latest championship was capturing the crown with his parents in attendance in the stands in Herb Brooks Arena it was an emotional moment for sure,” related Clay “Him and my brother have both teased me because of Shane’s two and Dad’s six I’m just so happy to have a college one now to join the ‘Van Diest National Championship Club.’” Clay started out playing youth hockey in Helena with the high school Bighorns his freshman and sophomore years he practiced “up” and played some games with the Junior A Bighorns at 15 years of age he transferred to Notre Dame Prep School in Wilcox Next came a stint of Junior A hockey for the Portage (Manitoba) Terriers and half a season for the Virden (Manitoba) Oil Capitals Norberts of the Northern College Hockey Association conference the school had appeared in 15 NCAA DIII tournaments in 18 years while garnering nine Frozen Four trips and four national titles The Green Knights placed as national runners-up Van Diest’s freshman season Norberts beat northern titlists and conference rival Adrian College in OT to reach the Elite Eight Next came wins over Augsberg (5-2) to qualify for the Frozen Four and Colby College (4-3) in OT in the semifinals to advance to the chipper “I think the fact that we survived with an overtime win in the semis just speaks volumes to our resilience,” the 6-foot-1 “We won by sticking to our goals of playing defense first and being the best conditioned team on the ice “It sure tasted a lot sweeter (afterwards) than the second and third we got before who is pursuing a double major in English and education recounted that an individual highlight occurred during the all-American banquet in the Herb Brooks Arena when he was among the “Elite 90” Award recipients He earned the honor by sporting a 3.95 GPA in the classroom which was the highest scholastic average of players on the Frozen Four teams at Lake Placid “so if we can make it past the quarters next year we’ll be the first team from the school to make four straight Frozen Fours.” Curt Synness is on Twitter @curtsynness_IR and can be reached at curt.synness@lee.net or curt52synness@gmail.com Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. HELENA — The Helena High tennis teams swept their season-opening matches on Tuesday, in a double dual versus the Great Falls schools. HELENA — Capital High senior Abigail Harmon has signed to compete for the University of Montana track and field team. HELENA — The Helena High boys tennis team dominated against Butte on Saturday with an 8-0 shutout. HELENA — After four seasons without a nonconference regular season game, the Carroll College football team scheduled a big one. Clay Van Diest holds his NCAA Division III hockey championship trophy in this photo with his parents, Heidi and Mike Van Diest.  Clay Van Diest skates up ice with the puck during a game this season. Van Diest Medical Center hosted a special Volunteer Appreciation celebration Tuesday, April 23, as part of National Volunteer Week. A light brunch was served and volunteers were welcomed by Lisa Ridge, chief executive officer of VDMC. Diane Doering, president of the VDMC Auxiliary, gave an update of the group’s activities. A program entitled “Untamed Patagonia, Argentina and Chile” was presented by Mark Dohms, who also serves as a VDMC volunteer. Those attending included, kneeling in front, Kristi Nelson and Mark Dohms; standing are, Kevin Bahrenfuss, Joan Haberman, Linda Bowers, Diane Doering, Debbie Jaycox, An’Nyce Hoff, Shirley Bowman, Charlotte Sherman, Jerita Nelson, Sue Anderson, Marilyn Middleton, Don Bruner, Lorraine Habben, Janet Moody, Rusty Gaul, Dennie Webb and Dan Corrow. VDMC volunteers operate the gift shop, serve as greeters and bedside ambassadors, assist with blood drives and offer assistance through the Senior Health Insurance Information Program. Those interested in volunteering at VDMC can contact Anne Blankenship, volunteer coordinator, at ablankenship@vandiestmc.org, or call 515-832-7767. FORT DODGE — The Stallings family of rural Webster County suffered a devastating loss on April 26 when a fire ... The Webster Community Blood drive is Thursday, May 8, at the Van Diest Medical Center Clinic Board Room, 2350 ... The Webster City Hotel/Motel Tax Grant applications mandatory training meeting is Wednesday, May 14, at City Hall, ... Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of Iowa, LLC | https://www.freemanjournal.net | P.O. Box 490, Webster City, IA 50595 | WEBSTER CITY — Van Diest Medical Center announced Wednesday that it will close its birth center this fall and the news has the man whose name the hospital bears deeply concerned. “I was shocked to see our local tax supported hospital has adopted a policy to no longer deliver babies after Oct. 12, 2018,” Bob Van Diest said in a letter Wednesday. “I hope they reconsider their decision.” Van Diest and his wife, Mary Van Diest, in early 2008 gave $10 million to the hospital that was then Hamilton Hospital, located in Webster City and serving Hamilton County. The donation was seed money to build the new hospital that bears the Van Diest name. “Our local hospital is over a $30 million community investment,” Bob Van Diest wrote, “and for our hospital to say, don’t have your baby in our hospital is an insult to the taxpayers of Hamilton County.” VDMC cited a declining number of births in announcing its decision. “Due to lower birth volumes, with input from our specialists and providers, and in evaluating the availability and proximity of other obstetrical providers in our community and surrounding areas, we have made the decision to close The Family Birth Place effective Oct. 12, 2018,” Lisa Ridge, VDMC’s chief executive officer, said in a press release. Obstetric delivery services won’t be offered after that date, VDMC stated. “It is unfortunate that the Van Diest Medical Center has decided to discontinue the OB service in Webster City,” Daniel Ortiz-Hernandez, Webster City’s city manager, said Wednesday. “The hospital is an anchor in the community not only for the city of Webster City, but for all of Hamilton County. The OB service is a significant service that families consider when considering whether or not to relocate to the community. “Knowing that there is a modern local hospital capable of serving all the needs of women’s health in our community provides an important level of reassurance for couples seeking to raise a family in Hamilton County. The families who move into the new homes and apartments being constructed just to the east of the hospital and to the west in the Brewer Creek subdivision will unfortunately need to consider other options for their children’s births,” he said. “The hospital may say they are committed to the future and health care service for generations to come, but they have just announced the next generation of Webster City and Hamilton County residents will not be born here.” Bob Van Diest, in his letter, which was entitled “Don’t have your baby in our hospital,” pointed out that although the medical center entered into a management agreement with Mercy Medical Center, based in Des Moines, in 2013, the local facility is still supported through public funds. “Our local hospital is owned by the citizens of Hamilton County. Every tax payer in Hamilton County is taxed to support our local hospital. Delivering babies is a basic medical service. Most young couples have babies. Parents have the right to select the doctor of their choice and the hospital of their choice. Our community needs a local hospital that provides the basic services that Hamilton County taxpayers need and expect.” The hospital in Hamilton County gets a portion of its funding from a separate levy on property taxes, according to the Hamilton County Treasurer. The figure for the 2017-2018 fiscal year is 2.1. That figure has nearly tripled from the 0.71 rate in the 2008-2009 fiscal year, which is prior to Van Diest’s donation and the subsequent commencement of the construction of the new hospital. A 2.1 levy means that for every $1,000 of taxable property in Hamilton County, the taxpayer must pay $2.10 to support the hospital. In 2017, VDMC showed $75,854 in delivery and labor room expenses, according to an audit conducted by independent auditor Seim Johnson LLP, of Omaha. That audit showed delivery and labor room revenue at $93,055 for the same period. In 2016, the audit shows a delivery and labor room revenue of $185,083, with expenses of $109, 417. “An ongoing and extensive review of the OB service line over the past four years has shown a steady decrease in the volume of births at Van Diest Medical Center (VDMC),” the medical center said in its announcement. VDMC is referring those services to The Gabrielson Clinic for Women, which has eight sites in central Iowa, including one in downtown Webster City. Gabrielson also operates out of Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinic, in Clarion, a Wright County medical facility that promotes itself as specializing in treating women of all ages. Clarion is a 30-minute drive from Webster City. “We have an opportunity to collaborate with the specialists at The Gabrielson Clinic for Women, who have medical staff privileges at several hospitals in the area, to assume obstetrical care of our expectant mothers through labor and delivery, should they choose to transition to one of their providers,” Ridge said. She said VDMC and the Van Diest Family Health Clinic located in Webster City, Jewell and Stratford, would continue to offer post-partum care. In early 2015, the Van Diests donated an additional $3 million to the VDMC, this time in support of the project that would become the Van Diest Family Health Clinic. In May 2016, VDMC opened the Van Diest Family Health Clinic. A month later, it announced its merger with the Webster City Medical Clinic. In the 2016-2017 fiscal year, VDMC failed to meet the required debt service coverage ratio on a $1 million United States Department of Agriculture loan that had been secured with a debt letter of credit from the city of Webster City, according to correspondence sent to Ortiz-Hernandez, Webster City’s city manager, on Nov. 10, 2017. “The hospital did not meet the Debt Service Coverage Ratio for the fiscal year ending June, 30, 2017, under the hospital’s loan documents and agreements with the city,” a letter signed by Ridge and Roberta Knutson, VDMS board chair. “… the Debt Service Coverage Ratio requirement … is 125 percent. The hospital’s audit report shows 0.80.” To avoid default, VDMC was required to “engage a management consultant,” the letter said. The letter also projected that the noncompliance with the debt service coverage ratio would be temporary. It blamed VDMC’s acquisition of “a major independent clinic,” and the “addition of several services and providers, all of which are anticipated to have a positive impact on the operations of the hospital over time.” The Webster County Board of Supervisors is expected to discuss two detour agreements with the Iowa Department of ... The Stallings family of rural Webster County suffered a devastating loss on April 26 when a fire ignited in their ... Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of Iowa, LLC | https://www.messengernews.net | 713 Central Ave., Fort Dodge, IA 50501 | 515-573-2141 VERNON — A British Columbia man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of an 18-year-old girl on Halloween night in 2011 Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience Matthew Foerster was previously convicted of first-degree murder in 2014 for the death of Taylor Van Diest The young woman was found near death along some train tracks in Armstrong and later died of her injuries in hospital Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Foerster pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder in B.C. Supreme Court Monday in Vernon and will be back in court for sentencing on April 9. During his first trial in Kelowna, court heard that Van Diest was hit on the head with a metal flashlight. At about 6 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2011, Van Diest left her home in Armstrong to meet up with friends to go trick-or-treating. On the way she exchanged several text messages with a friend, the last one of which read that she was being “creeped.” When she didn’t arrive, Van Diest’s friends drove around searching for her for 90 minutes before calling Van Diest’s twin sister and mom and contacting police. Van Diest was found barely alive at about 8:30 p.m. Jurors at the first trial heard evidence that she was found lying face down near railway tracks that ran through town, her head resting on a steel pipe. She had suffered six blows to the head, a pathologist testified. One of them fractured her skull and caused a severe brain injury. Foerster did not testify at the initial trial and his lawyer did not call any witnesses. She told the jury that her client’s actions amounted to manslaughter, not first-degree murder. She said Foerster wanted to have sex with Van Diest, but when the teen fought back he pushed her down, causing her to hit her head on a steel pipe. But the Crown lawyer said the fact that Foerster hit Van Diest on the head six times with a heavy flashlight, tightened a shoelace around her neck and drove to Vernon, where he threw evidence in a garbage bin, left little doubt that he intended to kill her. He said Foerster’s DNA was found under one of Van Diest’s fingernails and that she’d scratched his neck trying to fend him off. The court also heard about defensive wounds that were found on Van Diest’s hands and forearms. transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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