An employee who came into contact with the white substance inside the binders reported feeling ill and was taken to the hospital (Valley Regional Fire photo)
— An Algona business was evacuated after two binders containing a white
were delivered to the location on Thursday
The Algona Police service was called to the 1600 block of Industrial Drive around 11:17 a.m
after a worker reported the suspicious binders
An employee who came into contact with the white substance inside the binders reported feeling ill
leading to the involvement of a Hazardous Materials (HazMat) team from the Valley Regional Fire Authority
The team identified the substance as methamphetamine
The affected employee was taken to an Auburn-area hospital for treatment and has since been released and is recovering
Algona police are actively investigating the origins of the methamphetamine
and urge anyone with information about the incident to contact the Algona Police Service at 253-833-2743
CRIME BLOTTER
BY LUKE DUECY
The body of a 50-year-old missing paraplegic woman — who left her care facility in Pacific Tuesday afternoon and didn’t return — has been found
in a marsh at Algona Boulevard North and Boundary Boulevard
Algona Police said they are reviewing surveillance camera footage that shows the woman near the marsh
The official cause of death will come from the King County Medical Examiner
they said they do not believe foul play was involved and
are calling the incident a tragic accident
“She checked herself out of a facility in the City of Pacific … and went to a coffee shop at the Super Mall
a Starbucks,” Algona Police Chief James Schrimpsher said
Police said the last contact she had with anyone was around 3:30 p.m
When she didn’t return to her care facility
police said staff reported her missing around 9 p.m
Her body was discovered early Wednesday morning
“Somehow her wheelchair and she ended up in the marsh and yesterday
we recovered the body as well as the wheelchair,” Schrimpsher said
The woman’s name was not released pending notification of next of kin
Police said several family members of the victim showed up at the scene where her body was discovered
Schrimpsher described the moment as heartbreaking and added
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family… it is terribly unfortunate.”
Follow Luke Duecy on X. Submit news tips here
IA (Northwestiowanow.com) — The Iowa State Police Association (ISPA) presented a “Purple Heart” award to the family of Officer Kevin Cram last Sunday
This award is given to any sworn Iowa peace officer who has been seriously
or fatally injured in the line of duty.adButlerLazyLoad("188227880398384640",100,["731206","731206","731206"],"177045");
was on patrol in Algona when he responded to an arrest warrant for a harassment charge from Palo Alto County
fatally wounding him.adButlerLazyLoad("361677952736499690",100,["731206","731206","731206"],"177045");
adButlerLazyLoad("1175417322759290772",100,["731206","731206","731206"],"177045");
Algona Police Chief Bo Miller added that such honors help keep Officer Cram’s memory alive
Okoboji Chamber Director Blain Andera says one of the tagged fish was caught just two hours after the tournament began at midnight Friday
The city of Spencer will hold another flood meeting Wednesday night at Sacred Heart Parish Hall
The Spirit Lake police department has released information about a collision between a passenger vehicle and a cement truck
Even with diminished winds over the weekend
things are so dry that a planned burn near Wallingford got out of control
IA (Northwestiowanow.com) — Dickinson County Treasurer Kris Rowley says after several delays
Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again
Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Tate Slagle of Algona earned a quarterfinal victory at the state tournament in Des Moines on Thursday
DES MOINES — Algona’s Tate Slagle is closing in on the dream
The Bulldog senior is one victory away from competing for a state championship
Slagle has reached the 157-pound semifinal match
“I knew my quarters match was going to be a tough one,” Slagle said
“I needed to wrestle a full six minutes
“It feels good to be back where I was the past few years in the semis
I’ve worked my butt off for this moment and I’m ready to compete
the fourth-seeded Slagle (32-2) — who is going to Iowa to play baseball — earned an 11-8 victory over fifth-seeded Liam Weber (42-3) of West Delaware
now a three-time semifinalist who has a fifth and third place medal for the Bulldogs
ran his career record to 163-19 with Friday’s victory
He will now square off with eighth-seeded Brent Denhardt (27-2) of Greene County in the semis
1 Lucas Kral (46-3) of Garner-Hayfield in the quarterfinals
“I could watch those two wrestle every day (Slagle and Weber),” said Algona head coach Nick Kuecker
“They both wrestle wide open and score a bunch of points
He’s just got to continue to be who he is
The Bulldogs are currently in 14th place in Class 2A with 41.5 points
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows is 11th with 44.5 points
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont is the 2A leader with 68 points
Junior Gavin Goche (215) dropped an 8-2 decision to Mason Koeher (40-4) of Glenwood
9 seed — will have the 14th-seeded Parker Jordan (36-12) of Oskaloosa
Three-time state qualifier Barrett Morgan (144) advanced to the blood round with two victories for Algona
Morgan (35-11) beat Gavin Day (29-18) of Winterset by a final of 7-5
He then topped Kinnick Geers (34-14) of West Marshall to reach the Friday session
Four-time qualifier Ashton Moreno (150) will also move on
The senior picked up a 10-3 decision over Evan Kelsick of North Polk
then won by an identical score over Keaton Mulford of Iowa Falls-Alden
Bulldog seniors Isaac Wilson (126) and CJ McGregor (132) went 1-1 on the second day and were unable to advance
Wilson (39-8) had a 13-2 major decision over Jason Eastman (29-23) of Benton
He was eliminated after a SV-1 fall loss (6:26) to Carver Wieland of Independence
McGregor (132) beat Jared Glendening (40-15) of Burlington Notre Dame by fall (5:14)
then lost to Charlie Showalter (45-5) of Hampton-Dumont/CAL
Junior Carter McGregor (165) won his first match on Friday
McGregor (34-12) pinned Urijah Etzel in 3:11
but lost to Clarion-Goldfield’s Ryland Morgan
Freshman Teague Alesch (24-21) was eliminated from the tournament on Thursday
Alesch fell in his 106-pound consolation match to Ryan Rose (44-10) of Keokuk
Junior Thomas Zabka (113) suffered his second loss of the tourney and was ousted
Zabka (22-14) lost by technical fall to Stratton Luke (43-11) of LaPorte City
Rooke Tayten Rummel (33-19) lost his second match of the week
falling to Eagle Grove’s Jayden Kreitlow at 175 pounds
senior Jack Limbaugh (35-13) lost to Woodward-Granger’s Alexander Kasner (33-22) in 41 seconds
There is one spot left for Linden Phetxoumphone (120) to earn the ultimate medal trifecta
The Cowboy junior clinched a berth in the semifinals with a 19-3 technical fall in 5:34 over Judah Gurwell (31-7) of Winterset on Thursday
Phetxoumphone (34-2) is looking for gold after a bronze as a freshman and silver a year ago at Webster City
he will face three-seed Easton Enyeart (34-3) of ballard
stepped on the mat right after his brother’s victory
Adrian (40-3) suffered a 4-3 setback to three seed Emmitt Newton (57-2) of Davis County
11 seed Colin Sesker (144) reached the quarterfinals
but lost a tight 6-2 decision to three seed Ragen Hasche (32-4) of Central Lyon
15 Chase Krantz (30-17) of Davenport Assumption
Sophomore Charlie Campbell (175) lost a tight quarterfinal match
5 Campbell (41-4) will face eight seed Dain Burkhart (39-5) of Fairfield
Freshman Ryland Morgan (165) stayed alive with two victories
Morgan beat Cooper Hird (33-15) by a 10-2 final
then beat Carter McGregor (34-12) of Algona
Kelso (39-6) pinned Reid Steger (21-18) of Kuemper in 3:50 and Regan Roberts (39-6) of Knoxville in 2:25
9 Maxwell Azzaline (24-10) of Davenport Assumption next
Senior Caleb Seaba (157) went 1-1 on Thursday
Seaba (34-14) beat Elias Bieschke (35-24) of Benton 15-0 in four minutes
Freshman Paxton Redenius (106) finished his state tournament on Thursday with a medical forfeit for the Cowboys
Junior Angel Cortes (16-9) lost by fall (1:59) to Collin Harris (40-13) of Atlantic at 113 pounds
It was a tough tournament for Lynx senior Luke Estlund (165) and junior Cody Eliott (215)
After two losses on the opening day of the Class 2A tourney
the Lynx duo suffered the same fate on Thursday
lost by fall (3:08) to Mitchel Fischer (36-10) of Sheldon/South O’Brien
Elliott (26-10) was ousted by Jesse Brouwer (42-5) of AP-GC
Junior Hayden Schafer (157) kept his medal hopes alive with a 23-8 tech fall over Holten Palmer (23-7) of Waukon
and a 4-1 sudden victory triumph over Caleb Seaba (34-14) of Clarion-Goldfield/Dows
16 Schafer (43-12) will wrestle fifth-seeded Liam Weber (42-3) of West Delaware
Junior Jayden Kreitlow (175) was eliminated after going 1-1
Kreitlow (36-22) pinned Tayten Rummel of Algona in 3:09
He then lost to Brock Voyna (31-7) of Crestwood in 4:21
Senior Jesus Baez (34-24) lost his 285-pound consolation match 7-1 to Aidan Jenaman (24-14) of Dubuque Wahlert
Senior Brent Denhardt (157) and sophomore Degan Miller (165) will compete in the semifinals for the Rams
1 Lucas Kral (46-3) of Garner-Hayfield/Ventura
the Ram senior will face fourth-seed Tate Slagle (32-2) of Algona
toppled third-seeded Ryker Dengler (40-5) of West Liberty
Senior Gavyn Winters (32-8) won two matches at 120 pounds to reach the blood round
Winters earned a 16-3 major decision over Luke Showalter of Hampton-Dumont/CAL
and edged Drake Howard (42-16) of Sergeant Bluff-Luton by a 9-7 count
Sophomores Brennan Jacobs (106) and Jaron Jacobs (113) won their first matches in the consolation round
Brennan (37-9) beat Maddox Strother (35-14) of Hampton-Dumont/CAL (35-14) by fall in 22 seconds
Brennan then lost a 13-10 decision to Kohen Dietzenbach (42-5) of Burlington Notre Dame
Jaron (38-11) topped Eli Ollinger by fall (4:56)
but lost to Ryan Cassady (30-7) of West Liberty in 3:16
Senior Marcus Ball (24-11) lost by fall to Kane Mahler-Moreno (40-5) of Woodward-Granger at 215 pounds
LAKE CITY — It was a fight to the finish in the boys team standings at the Ross Samuelson Co-Ed Relays in Lake ..
LAKE CITY — The South Central Calhoun girls placed second at their home Ross Samuelson Co-Ed Relays here on ..
Edmond boys track team came away with five runner-up finishes at the Jim Basye Coed Relays here ..
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Kyle Ricke said he was sorry for killing Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram
I pray for forgiveness for the family,” Ricke said
"I'm very regretful for the pain and hurt that I caused them
and I pray that one day that they can forgive me for my horrible actions.”
A jury in Dickinson County took about an hour in July to convict the 44-year-old Algona man of first-degree murder for the shooting death of 33-year-old Cram last Sept
The mandatory sentence in Iowa is life behind bars without parole
Judge Nancy Whittenburg said the crime was like "an earthquake” that broke the foundations of many lives
"The aftershocks of your acts will reverberate for the current family and friends for their lifetime and actually for generations to come — because this is an indelible mark on all of them
including members of your family,” Whittenburg said
It was beyond selfish — and it was immoral.”
the courtroom heard victim impact statements from family members
"You not only destroyed a family and children's lives
but your own family and an entire community with your selfishness,” Lara Cram
but you're so pathetic you couldn't even do that.”
Lara Cram expressed deep sorrow and even anger over the loss of her husband due to Ricke’s actions
She talked about the emotional toll on the family
"Your youngest son is the same age as ours
so every time he gets to talk to you — he tells you he loves you
tells you 'Happy Father’s Day,' tells you 'Merry Christmas,'" Cram said
who never gets to talk to his dad ever again.”
Cram said her husband would have done what he could to help Ricke — if he hadn’t been shot instead
"You didn't even know the man that you killed
"He would have given you any spare change and offered advice to mend your poor excuse for a relationship
we never get for the rest of our lives.”
husband and father who would never miss reading his children a book before bedtime — even on duty
"He would park his police car and call home to read a story to them before bed,” Cram said
Cram also stated that Kevin always showed compassion
He shared the story of a young meth addict who Kevin convinced to go to rehab and get clean
And that caring spirit continued the night of his death when he arrived to arrest Rick for a misdemeanor harassment warrant from nearby Emmet County
"He showed you a small act of kindness by letting you put away your skid loader before he took you in
The difference is everybody else appreciated him doing them a favor
you used his small act of kindness as an opportunity to ambush and execute him,” Cram said
The manner in which you killed him speaks volumes about you.”
Autopsy photos presented during the trial showed that Kevin was shot eight times
That is the very definition of a yellow-back shooting coward
you got in your pickup and ran away," Cram said
but you weren't able to even look at the damage you caused
Those pictures are forever in our memories
Your name is attached to 46 court records in one capacity or another
you didn't learn from your mistakes like a normal person does.”
Mark Cram also expressed disgust in seeing the body cam video of Ricke "ambushing and executing” his son — and the aftermath — before fleeing to his sister's home in Minnesota
"The second most disgusting thing I've ever seen is watching you and your mother hug each other while our son lay on the ground dying
nasty people hug each other while a young man lay dying 10 feet away
Mark Cram then left Ricke with one final statement
A packed courtroom also heard Kossuth County Victim Witness Coordinator Cinnamon Mawdsley read a letter from Kevin Cram’s 7-year-old son
and was going to show me how to hunt when I got older
The prosecution then played a gut-wrenching recording that brought tears to the eyes of some
They heard one of Kevin Cram’s three boys crying for 96 seconds — the same amount of time that led up to the shooting
"I know you'll never see the outside world again
but I hope that every night you close your eyes
you hear the screams of my son when he misses his dad at night
because this is what you've done to his sons and to me,” Lara Cram said
Judge Whittenburg also ordered Ricke to pay $150,000 in restitution to Lara Cram and up to $18,000 for attorneys’ fees
the judge ruled against a motion by Ricke’s legal team for a new trial
They claimed the level of premeditation in the case did not warrant a first-degree murder conviction
humboldt weather forecast
HUMBOLDT – The Humboldt boys' basketball team opened post-season play at home Monday night (Feb
90-48 blowout victory over the Algona Bulldogs in a Class 3A opening round substate tournament game
taking a 31-10 lead early in the second quarter and never let up as they held a 47-29 halftime advantage
Both teams emptied their bench with 3:00 left in the final quarter
was led by senior guard/forward Elliot Carlson with 29 points
Chase Flaherty had 13 and Jackson Dodd made 11 as Humboldt sank 13 3-point baskets
Matson accounted for four from long range while Dodd and Flaherty each had three
Carlson also had a 3-pointer but scored most of his points in drives inside the lane or slashing
The Bulldogs were led by Ben Helmers with 26 points
Levi Walker seven and Jacob Burns with four
Humboldt moves into a substate semifinal round game at Gilbert on Thursday
The other half of 3A Substate 2 had Storm Lake rolling to a 78-36 victory over Denison-Schleswig
Thursday night Storm Lake will host Carroll
an 84-51 winner over Saydel Monday night in Carroll
See full story in the Humboldt Independent
Subscribe today for print/digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started
Jump back to navigation
SD (northwestiowanow.com) — A former South Dakota Department of Social Services (DSS) employee was convicted Thursday for stealing approximately $1.8 million in state and federal funds allocated to the department’s Child Protection Services.adButlerLazyLoad("28304679251070793",100,["731206","731206","731206"],"177045");
who was living in Algona at the time of her arrest last summer
South Dakota jury of two felony charges of Aggravated Grand Theft
She faces a maximum of 40 years in prison and up to $80,000 in fines.adButlerLazyLoad("225342627945525750",100,["731206","731206","731206"],"177045");
The evidence revealed that Carroll misused funds designated for children under Child Protection Services
the jury convicted Carroll on both charges
A sentencing date has not yet been set.adButlerLazyLoad("638189736216479744",100,["731206","731206","731206"],"177045");
Submitted photo by KLGA Radio: The Algona wrestling team poses with its Class 2A state dual wrestling championship on Saturday night in Coralville after defeating West Delaware in the finals
CORALVILLE — At this time a year ago
Jack Limbaugh was working on his rebounding skills and free throws as a member of the Algona boys basketball team
the Iowa State University football signee went a perfect 3-0 in helping top-seeded Algona capture the Class 2A state duals championship inside the Xtream Arena
After getting past Williamsburg in the semifinals
Southeast Polk (Class 3A) and Don Bosco (1A) joined Algona as team gold medalists
It was almost an all-North Central Conference final in 2A
but Clarion-Goldfield/Dows fell to West Delaware in the semis
The Cowboys would go on to defeat Williamsburg for third
Trenton Davies of Williamsburg in the semifinals in 4:51 before capping things off with a 10-3 decision vs
Owen Pettlon of West Delaware in the opening match of the finals
“I really didn’t know if I was gonna go out for wrestling until the end of the football season
but I’m so incredibly glad I did and was able to contribute to the championship team,” said Limbaugh
“Being a part of this team is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life
CJ McGregor and University of Iowa baseball signee Tate Slagle all went 3-0
Carter McGregor and Tayten Rummel put together 2-1 days
Barrett Morgan and Gavin Goche each won once
“Surface level is undefeated state champs,” said Algona head coach and former Bulldog standout wrestler Nick Kuecker
“But I have a different seat at the table
and these guys battled through a lot of adversity
effort and attitude for the guy that stepped off the mat before you and the one stepping on next.”
While the Bulldogs have had plenty of success over the years at the traditional state tournament
they made their state duals debut last season
falling to Mount Vernon in the opening round before placing eighth overall
Charlie Campbell and JT Kelso all went 3-0 on Saturday for Clarion-Goldfield/Dows
Ryan Hartwig and Caleb Seaba both won twice while Paxton Redenius and Colin Sesker each picked up a win
Don Bosco won state duals for the fifth straight year while Southeast Polk captured its second straight
The Rams have reached the finals each season since 2018 when they lost to Fort Dodge in the semifinals as the Dodgers claimed the title that season
Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Tate Slagle of Algona controls his match on Wednesday at the state tournament in Des Moines
DES MOINES — Moments after reaching the quarterfinal round
Tate Slagle was already thinking ahead — and being critical of himself
The Algona senior is a four-time state qualifier and a two-time medalist
Slagle is hoping his opening-round victory at 157 pounds on Wednesday is the beginning of the medal chase
“It feels good to get the first match out of the way,” Slagle said
“I didn’t really get to my attacks that well
Slagle (31-2) picked up a 13-2 major decision over Brady Grier (34-13) of Williamsburg
Up next for Slagle — who improved his career record to 162-19 — is fifth-seeded Liam Weber (42-2) of West Delaware
but that’s what makes it fun,” Slagle said
“Last time we wrestled I came out on top
“The goal for my next match is to obviously win
but I need to wrestle a full six minutes and wrestle at a high level.”
Junior Gavin Goche (215) reached the quarterfinals with two victories
Goche (28-6) pinned Brody Robertson of Hampton-Dumont/CAL in 40 seconds
He then defeated Clarinda’s Mason Nally (44-9) by a final of 11-7
“Tate and Gavin both wrestled really well,” said Algona head coach Nick Kuecker
Up next for Goche is top-seed Mason Koehler (39-4) of Glenwood
“It was a tough day overall,” Kuecker said
“We have got to reset and go to work on the backside of a bunch of these brackets
“That’s what guys with grit do
Junior Barrett Morgan (144) lost a 4-0 decision to Colin Sesker (34-8) of the Cowboys
Senior Iowa State University recruit Jordan Limbaugh (285) lost 2-1 to Davenport Assumption’s Maxwell Azzaline (24-9) by a score of 2-1
Limbaugh (35-12) will wrestle against Alexander Kasner (32-22) of Woodward-Granger
Four-time state qualifier Asthon Moreno (150) lost a tight 6-5 decision to Briggs Collins (43-11) of West Liberty
Carter McGregor (165) pinned Chase Humpal of NH/TV in 3:03 of his opener
McGregor (33-11) then lost to Christopher Meyer (38-15) of Independence
McGregor now has Urijah Etzel of Monticello
Tayten Rummel (175) won a 4-0 decision over Jacob Aust of Glenwood
then lost to Christian Dunning (51-0) of Clear Lake
Rummel (33-18) will square off with Jayden Kreitlow (35-21) of Eagle Grove
Freshman Teague Alesch (106) lost his opening match to Rhyis Polenske (32-10) of Davenport Assumption
Alesch (24-19) will now taken on Ryan Rose (43-10) of Keokuk
Junior Thomas Zabka (22-14 at 113) lost by fall to Hunter Campion of Anamosa in 3:27
Senior Isaac Wilson (126) and freshman CJ McGregor (132) both won their first matches and lost in the second round
Wilson (38-7) earned an 18-3 tech fall in 4:50 over Andrew Reed (23-21) of North Polk
He then lost an 11-2 major decision to Jayce Curry (11-1) of Sergeant Bluff-Luton
Wilson now has Jason Eastman (29-22) of Benton
McGregor (24-10) won a tight 9-7 match over Josh Hoffmann (33-11) of Sheldon
then dropped a match to Mason Vaila (12-2) of Decorah
McGregor’s next foe is Jared Glendening (40-14) of Burlington
Algona and Don Bosco walked away from the Xtream Arena in Coralville with titles
with Southeast Polk and Algona entering as the No
knocked off rival and top-seed Alburnett in the finals
Southeast Polk downed North Scott and Waukee Northwest to reach the championship where they handled Indianola
Oaklee Keomala and Holden Hansen were all winners for the Rams in the finals
Algona rolled through Mount Vernon and clipped Williamsburg before securing a 28-25 decision over West Delaware for gold
an Iowa State University football signee out for wrestling for the first time
went 3-0 on the day including a decision in the finals
Joining Limbaugh with wins in the championship dual were Thomas Zabka
The collision course for Don Bosco and Alburnett was set early
Hendrix Schwab and Hayden Schwab gave Don Bosco an early 21-0 lead before Owen Henriksen and Rowdy Neighbor got wins for the Pirates
Ethan Christoffer and Kyler Knaack sealed the title
Complete results can be found on TrackWrestling
DANA BECKERDana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000
Dana resides in northcentral Iowa and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in 2022 focused on the state of Iowa
Along with providing coverage of football and wrestling
He began writing for High School on SI in 2023
Jack Limbaugh is an Edge from Algona, IA.
CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc
The content on this site is for entertainment purposes only and 247Sports makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event
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Officials announced this week that Simple Mining
is operating a Bitcoin farm on land rented from Algona Municipal Utilities
The facility is on North Ridgley Street and consists of six repurposed shipping containers
Home / Sports / Iowa High School Sports / Iowa High School Football
The Mustangs overcome a 22-0 deficit to drop Algona
in a thrilling Class 3A state playoff quarterfinal Friday night
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread
CEDAR RAPIDS — Sleep is not an option right now for Brad Meester
The first-year Mount Vernon head football coach got home at roughly 2:30 Saturday morning following his team’s 31-28 Class 3A state playoff quarterfinal win Friday night at Algona
There was a volleyball match Saturday afternoon at Kirkwood Community College in which his daughter Emma played
The Eagles won a marathon over DMACC in five games
Another younger daughter has a tournament Sunday that he’ll be attending. He spent three different days in Coralville watching daughters Chloe and Sophia win a state high school championship with Mount Vernon
Saturday night he was planning to watch a lot of film on upcoming opponent Humboldt and begin to put a game plan together
“But it’s a good tired,” he said
“I knew this was going to be the busiest week of the year
Meester’s Mustangs fell down 22-0 to Algona in the first half of Friday’s football game
But they got a touchdown right before halftime
yet rallied with a clutch drive that finished off with a winning 7-yard TD pass from Kellen Haverback to Michael Ryan with 1:38 left
A successful 2-point conversion provided the final score
“We just kept playing,” Meester said
one of the big things we talked about was playing four quarters
We are a team that whether it’s play one or play 40 or play 120
That was something he remembered from his prep playing days at Aplington-Parkersburg from legendary head coach Ed Thomas
Mount Vernon actually stopped on its way to Algona at the field affectionately known as the Sacred Acre and put in a little work before reclimbing the bus
Perhaps the late Thomas had some sort of divine intervention for the Mustangs
“I felt like we needed to do something,” Meester said.
Tom Scherr had two touchdown runs for the Golden Eagles (11-0)
Dallas Miller’s pick-6 with under two minutes to go cemented Iowa City Liberty’s place in the Class 5A state semifinals
His 43-yard return with 1:58 left gave the Lightning a 21-7 lead. They went on to down Ankeny, 21-13
“I knew they were going to run that play
“I know that receiver is just going to stop like that
This is Liberty’s seventh year of existence
and it plays three-time defending champ Southeast Polk (7-4) in a 5A semifinal Friday night at 7 at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls
“I couldn’t be more proud of our team,” said Liberty Coach Scott Chandler
“Our defense was kind of maligned early in the season and those guys just kept their nose to the grindstone
The Lightning’s other touchdowns came on a 4-yard Sutton Koller run and a 27-yard pass from Reece Rettig to Collin Decker
Iowa City’s other 5A quarterfinalist didn’t fare as well. Southeast Polk scored on its first four offensive possessions in a 42-15 victory over Iowa City West
West’s touchdowns came on a Butali Butali run and a pass from Jack Wallace to Mason Woods
* In Class 4A, Chase Smith threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Kye Smith (no relation) with 29 seconds left to lift No. 8 North Scott past second-ranked Decorah, 28-24
Smith had 351 yards passing in the game and three TDs
catching a touchdown pass from receiver Cash Bowe on a reverse pass
Decorah (10-1) scored on its first offensive possession and never trailed until the dying seconds
ran for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Vikings
“Obviously these games go down to a couple of plays here and there,” Decorah Coach Mike Tangen said
all of us are going to be questioning this and questioning that
their quarterback was throwing well.”
The semifinal opponent for North Scott (9-2) is top-ranked North Polk (11-0), which literally ran to a 35-0 lead en route to a 35-14 quarterfinal win over No. 9 Cedar Rapids Xavier
including 146 and a touchdown by Henry Feldman
“Give credit to North Polk,” said Xavier Coach Duane Schulte
“That’s a really good football team: well coached and tough.”
* The three area teams in 2A quarterfinals were decided underdogs and lost accordingly
2 Monroe PCM pulled away from a 14-0 game after three quarters to beat Mid-Prairie
Ninth-ranked Anamosa turned it over four times in a 31-0 loss at No
Caden Landt threw four touchdown passes in No
* In 1A, Owen Hassell scored on a 10-yard TD run with 29 seconds left to cap No. 7 Wilton’s 21-14 comeback win over No. 8 Iowa City Regina
Hassell’s 14-yard touchdown run with 2:18 left brought the Beavers (10-1) within 14-13
but Regina (9-2) stopped the ensuing 2-point attempt
Wilton then recovered an onside kick near midfield and drove for the winning score
* Saint Ansgar is known as a run-dominant football team but got 182 yards passing and a touchdown from quarterback Jayce Schiesow in its 44-13 Class A quarterfinal win over Maquoketa Valley
The third-ranked Saints (10-1) still were able to rush for 259 yards en route to taking a 30-7 halftime lead
Rogan Heidt had a 14-yard TD run for MV (10-2)
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The murder of Algona police Officer Kevin Cram
his friends and the entire community in northwest Iowa
Whittenburg on Wednesday sentenced Kyle Ricke, convicted in the 2023 shooting death of Cram
In doing so she stressed the enormous impact of what she called Ricke's "cowardly
"You shook and in many cases broke the foundation of all of these people’s lives when you took Mr
and the aftershocks of your acts will reverberate for the current family and friends in their lifetime
and actually for generations to come," she told him
was charged with first-degree murder after killing Cram on Sept
13 when the officer came to Ricke's mother's home to arrest him on an outstanding warrant
jurors heard that Cram agreed to let him go park a skid loader before being taken into custody
but that Ricke instead returned with a gun and shot Cram eight times
firing several shots after Cram already was on the ground
Ricke was arrested hours later at his sister's home in Minnesota
Ricke's attorneys conceded at trial in July that he shot Cram but argued that Ricke had "panicked" and lacked the requisite mental state for a conviction on a charge of first-degree murder
who had a lengthy court record and contentious relationships with an ex-wife and ex-girlfriend
Prosecutor Scott Brown told Whittenberg on Wednesday that all Ricke and his supporters had offered were "empty excuses."
"People every day have far larger difficulties than Kyle Ricke
and they deal with those in a non-violent manner," Brown said
Given an opportunity to speak at the hearing
"Every night I pray for forgiveness from the family," he said
"I’m very regretful for the pain and hurt that I caused them
and I pray that one day they can forgive me for my horrible actions."
mourns loss of CramWhittenburg also heard statements from several of Cram's family members
she told Ricke that her three sons had been forever scarred by the loss of their father
"Right now I should be celebrating my wedding anniversary
but instead I’m here at his murder trial," she said
"My children should have been able to give their father Father’s Day gifts
But instead we pretended that day didn’t exist
and their teachers let my kids make gifts for me for Father’s Day."
pointed out that Ricke only had the opportunity to get his gun because Cram agreed to let him finish what he was doing before taking him into custody
"Everybody else appreciated him doing them a favor," he said
used his small act of kindness as an opportunity to ambush him and execute him."
More: Algona police officer Kevin Cram, killed in shooting, remembered for service during funeral
calling him "the kind of son that anybody would be proud of
and the kind of father that most men wish they could be."
the mandatory sentence for first-degree murder is life without parole
Whittenburg ordered Ricke to pay $150,000 in restitution to Cram's heirs
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166
Photo by David Borer: Algona's Jack Limbaugh (top) takes on Adam Walker of St
Edmond wrestling team competed in a North Central Conference triangular on Thursday against Algona and Webster City
Algona picked up a 65-6 win over Webster City
Sam Myer (136) was the lone victor for the Gaels versu Algona
Myer pinned Algona’s Cody Harms in 5:48
“Sam came out looking sharp and was very offensive-minded,” said SEHS head coach Kaden McClintock
“He was dominant right away and scored a lot of points.”
Matthew Crimmins (142) and Adam Walker (285) scored bonus-point victories
while Walker pinned Cael Alexander in 2:55
“It was nice to see Matthew and Adam bounce back after losing in the first dual,” McClintock said
Webster City’s Ty Bingham (106) and Dawson Bertran (138) picked up falls over the Gaels
Algona’s Teauge Alesch (106) and Jack Limbaugh (285) recorded pins versus St
Brody Shipler (190) and Limbaugh picked up falls
Alesch and Tate Slagle (157) finished with technical falls
while Ashton Moreno (150) earned a major decision
Tayten Rummel (175) and Foster Myhre prevailed by decision
The Gaels are back in action on Saturday when they host the St
In a battle of top five ranked dual teams in Class 2A
the Algona Bulldogs picked up bonus points in key matches and went on to defeat the Humboldt Wildcats
39-24 in a North Central Conference boys’ dual in the Humboldt gym on Thursday night
Landon Halverson at 175 and Broedy Hendricks at 190 pounds
They'll compete in the Don Miller Invitational in Fort Dodge on Saturday
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seeds held true during the regional dual wrestling tournament around the state on Tuesday night
1 Alburnett (1A) all punched tickets to Saturday’s state meet in Coralville and the Xtream Arena
The Rams downed Cedar Rapids Prairie in the finals
North Scott stunned fourth-ranked Linn-Mar
9 Ankeny and Bettendorf knocked off seventh-ranked Pleasant Valley
Qualifying alongside Algona in 2A were second-ranked West Delaware
9 Clarion-Goldfield/Dows and 11th-ranked Mount Vernon
Nashua-Plainfield and Woodbury Central will compete alongside Alburnett in 1A
Here are all the regional dual results from Tuesday night:
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The Webster City Lynx girls track team returned to action on Tuesday
as they made the trip to Kossuth County to compete in the Hannover Relays at Algona High School
Webster City would place 9th with 23 points on the night
as their top placer was senior Cloe Savitski
who placed 2nd in the 100m dash in a time of 13.67 seconds
Adysen Poppen would place 3rd in the shot put with a throw of 36′ 6″
while the Lynx 4×800 also placed 3rd in a time of 12:54.81 with the team of Santiago-Andrade Murillo-Buakham-Reed
The Lynx’s 4×200 would place 5th in a time of 1:57.36 with the team of Hartnett-Weinschenk-Brim-Savitski
while the 4×100 placed 6th in a time of 54.79 with the team of Weinschenk-Wright-Brim-Savitski
Webster City girls track returns to action on Monday
when they compete in the Ram Relays at Greene County Middle School in Jefferson
Roland-Story competes in Southeast Valley Boys Track Invite
South Hamilton boys and girls track competes at Earlham Co-Ed Meet
The Iowa State Dual Team Championships take place in Coralville on February 8
Interactive brackets with links to archived matches are available on Trackwrestling here.
285 lbs - Kyler Sallis (Don Bosco) over Sevy Redel (Alburnett) Fall 4:17
106 lbs - Kaiden Belinsky (Don Bosco) over Jaxson Port (Alburnett) TF 16-0
113 lbs - Hendrix Schwab (Don Bosco) over Atlee Dewitt (Alburnett) Maj 10-1
120 lbs - Hayden Schwab (Don Bosco) over Clayton Strang (Alburnett) Fall 0:12
126 lbs - Owen Henriksen (Alburnett) over Zander Youngblut (Don Bosco) Maj 15-6
132 lbs - Rowdy Neighbor (Alburnett) over Kanaan Delagardelle (Don Bosco) Maj 12-2
138 lbs - Dawson Youngblut (Don Bosco) over Jj Callahan (Alburnett) Fall 3:11
144 lbs - Preston Klostermann (Alburnett) over Cinnik Yoder (Don Bosco) Fall 1:23
150 lbs - Cooper Franklin (Alburnett) over Aiden Hellman (Don Bosco) TF 18-3
157 lbs - Reece Klostermann (Alburnett) over Jake Lindquist (Don Bosco) Fall 0:16
165 lbs - Ethan Christoffer (Don Bosco) over Dawson Becker (Alburnett) TF 19-1
175 lbs - Kyler Knaack (Don Bosco) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
190 lbs - Shayden Washburn (Alburnett) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
215 lbs - Eaghan Fleshman (Alburnett) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 lbs - Jack Limbaugh (Algona) over Owen Pettlon (West Delaware
Manchester) over Teague Alesch (Algona) Maj 10-0
113 lbs - Thomas Zabka (Algona) over Jarret Lynch (West Delaware
120 lbs - Brooks Morgan (Algona) over Colten Roling (West Delaware
126 lbs - Isaac Wilson (Algona) over Jarrett Engel (West Delaware
132 lbs - Cj Mcgregor (Algona) over Kooper Waugh (West Delaware
Manchester) over Elijah Wilhite (Algona) Fall 0:29
Manchester) over Barrett Morgan (Algona) Maj 14-3
150 lbs - Ashton Moreno (Algona) over Lane Gudenkauf (West Delaware
157 lbs - Tate Slagle (Algona) over Liam Weber (West Delaware
165 lbs - Carter Mcgregor (Algona) over Ryan Hilby (West Delaware
Manchester) over Tayten Rummel (Algona) Dec 5-2
Manchester) over Brody Shipler (Algona) Maj 17-4
Manchester) over Gavin Goche (Algona) Maj 12-3
285 lbs - Cooper Martinson (Southeast Polk) over Xander Overton (Indianola) Fall 0:40
106 lbs - Eddie Woody (Southeast Polk) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
113 lbs - Nico Desalvo (Southeast Polk) over Ayden Swedberg (Indianola) Fall 2:35
120 lbs - Mat Prine (Southeast Polk) over Sawyer Nelson (Indianola) Fall 3:15
126 lbs - Max Riggins (Southeast Polk) over Stoney Wood (Indianola) Fall 0:44
132 lbs - Carter Pearson (Southeast Polk) over Isaiah Thomsen (Indianola) TF 20-3
138 lbs - Mac Crosson (Indianola) over Wil Oberbroeckling (Southeast Polk) Dec 4-0
144 lbs - Justis Jesuroga (Southeast Polk) over Ryan Young (Indianola) Dec 7-2
150 lbs - Elijah Blewitt (Indianola) over Samer Arafa (Southeast Polk) TF 21-2
157 lbs - Jake Pontier (Indianola) over Dokken Biladeau (Southeast Polk) Fall 3:39
165 lbs - Abraham Bushong (Southeast Polk) over Aj Pontier (Indianola) TF 15-0
175 lbs - Wyatt Gibson (Southeast Polk) over Will Whalen (Indianola) Maj 13-4
190 lbs - Oaklee Keomala (Southeast Polk) over Zach O`meara (Indianola) Maj 14-3
215 lbs - Holden Hansen (Southeast Polk) over Carson Slorah (Indianola) Dec 5-3
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Iowa State University commit Alex Manske will miss the remainder of the season after suffering an injury this past Friday night in a loss to Humboldt
a senior and one of the top quarterback recruits in the country
“I’m disappointed to announce due to an UCL injury in my arm that requires surgery I will miss the remainder of my senior football season,” Manske wrote
“I’m excited to support and help my teammates in every way possible the rest of the season
“I look forward to making a full recovery and continuing my football career at Iowa State
Thanks to everyone for all the support and prayers.”
pic.twitter.com/eJ7QANp9Jy
UCL injuries are most common among baseball pitchers and surgery is often required for a full recovery
The procedure is commonly known as Tommy John surgery
named in honor of a former major league pitcher
John was the first player to have the surgery to repair the once career-ending injury and return to pitch
Manske was replaced by his younger brother
helped Algona reach the Class 3A state semifinals his sophomore season
Alex Manske committed to the Cyclones over offers from Iowa
He finishes his senior season with 1,456 yards passing and 18 touchdowns against no interceptions
Manske completed almost 69 percent of his passes and also ran for 319 yards with eight more touchdowns
He has also been a key member of the defense
Week 7 of the Iowa prep season brings with it the same
the two are part of the North Central Conference
meaning these kids know each other quite well
Led by Iowa State University commits Alex Manske and Jack Limbaugh
the Bulldogs rolled past Clear Lake last week
Manske has 16 passing touchdowns and almost 1,300 yards without an interception while the Wildcats are led by Coen Matson
Matson has hit on 71 of 98 for 1,183 yards with 13 scores
including 16 passes for 459 yards and four touchdowns to top target Keegan Groat
This marks the 108th meeting between the Highway 169 rivals
with Algona having picked up a 34-17 victory last year
Two games in the eight-player world will have spotlights on them
Mary’s takes on Woodbine and defending state champion Bishop Garrigan meets GTRA
The senior has scored 22 touchdowns while classmate Keaton Harpenau has 10 TDs and over 500 yards of total offense
Brody Pryor has over 1,100 yards of total offense with 20 passing TDs
as the sophomore has 18 receptions for 422
Bishop Garrigan has reeled off 18 consecutive victories
scoring over 70 multiple times this season
the Golden Bears are balanced with QB Tate Foertsch and RB Trayton Cink
has scored at least 54 points in all six games
has 888 yards passing and 549 yards rushing with 26 touchdowns
Twice this season Indianola has been right there in terms of knocking off a tough opponent
coming up two points short in losses to Ballard and Pella
The Indians get their chance to score that momentum-building win when they take on unbeaten North Polk this week
The Comets had rolled past most of their foes this year behind senior Nathan Feldmann
who has rushed for 1,001 yards and 13 TDs while throwing for another 440 with four scores
Indianola counters with Asher Brueck and Jake Pontier
Brueck is 71-for-111 passing with 849 yards and eight scores while Pontier has 153 carries for 764 and 10 touchdowns
The difference in this one could be the North Polk defense
which has nine interceptions and four fumble recoveries
Algona will host a slate of Iowa’s top young adult music theater performers as they compete for significant scholarships totaling $6,500
Sixteen candidates from universities such as Drake
Grinnell and others will display their impressive talents on the Ed & Betty Wilcox Performing Arts Center stage from 12-4 p.m
Photo by David Borer: Algona’s Laura Stohr gets ready to pin her opponent at the North Central Conference girls wrestling meet in Iowa Falls on Saturday
IOWA FALLS — The Algona girls wrestling team captured the North Central Conference title here on Saturday with 208 points
The Bulldogs had championship performances from Mara Davis (100 pounds)
Rylie Nicholson (140) and Sienna Fehr (135) were all finalists and runner-ups
Gracey May (110) and Olyvia Satern (105) took second for the Wildcats
Webster City’s Kali Hartnett finished first at 110 pounds with three falls
Kaitlynn Vandemark and Liberty Gamble each placed fourth
by Radio Iowa Contributor | Jul 18
An Algona woman is accused of stealing $1.8 million in state and federal funds from a state agency in South Dakota
Sixty-eight-year-old Lonna Carroll is charged with two felony counts of aggravated grand theft
Carroll was an employee of South Dakota’s Department of Social Services who retired in 2013
She’s accused of embezzling money intended for child care services between 2010 and 2023
Carroll was arrested Wednesday in Algona and is awaiting extradition to South Dakota
According to South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley
Carroll’s position within South Dakota’s Department of Social Services let her request payments and then intercept the checks
Jackley says staff in the agency discovered the scheme this past February
(This story was updated to show Carroll worked at the agency until 2023.)
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