TAG SEARCH RESULTS FOR: ""

Albia, EBF Players Highlight South Central All-Conference Softball Teams

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

It was a banner year in the South Central Conference for softball, as two teams from the league played in state championship games. Those two teams, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in Class 2A and Albia in Class 3A, were well represented in the All-Conference Teams voted on by the coaches.

There were only four unanimous First Team selections. Albia freshman Jena Lawrence and EBF senior Haegen Boyer and junior Randie Richmond had outstanding seasons, and they were joined by Clarke senior and Indian Hills commit Vanessa Bakely on the unanimous list.

Also on the first team was the pair of Alex Beard and Hannah Isley for Albia. EBF senior catcher Claire Jager also made the squad.

Centerville’s Abby Sweet and Lexi Riggall joined Clarke’s Sydnee Redman to round out the First Team.

The Second Team included Albia sophomore Kennedy Schroeder and EBF’s outfield tandem of Taryn Swartz and Reina Taylor. They were joined by several young players, including Knoxville freshman Maddy Findley. Davis County’s Bailey Yahnke, Chariton’s Saydee Terrell, Centerville’s Alyssa McElvain, and the Clarke trio of Ashlynn Oehlert, Alexis Watson, and Sidney Marker rounded out the Second Team.

All of the conference teams except EBF had players on the Honorable Mention list. That list included Albia’s Erin Heaton, Makenna Ross, and Makenzie Curran. Knoxville added Emery Neer, Lucy Olson, and Ann Sanderson. The Centerville trio of Claire Mathews, Taylor Shinn, and Tayler Jewett was joined by the Davis County trio of Jordan Lough, Shelby Clark, and Katie Hunter. Two duos rounded out the Honorable Mention list: Chariton’s Abbie Peterson and Grace Bengston, and Clarke’s CeJay Blakely and Chynna Beydler.

Albia came on strong with their young team to win the South Central Conference in 2017 with a record of 10-2, winning the tiebreaker with Clarke. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont finished a strong third with a 9-3 record in conference play. Centerville finished fourth, followed by Knoxville, Davis County, and Chariton.

Single Digit Days left for Chain Retail Store in Oskaloosa

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

With the news of the Oskaloosa located JcPenney’s closing in March, the last day open for business is quickly approaching. In just six days, the JcPenney’s located at the Penn Central Mall will lock it’s doors for the final time.

Initially, the store planned to close in the middle of June, but later extended the going-out-of-business sale to July 30th. The Oskaloosa location is one of almost 140 stores closing country-wide. The decision was not taken lightly, but was aimed to improve profitability in the booming era of online shopping.

The Ottumwa location was also on the list of locations to close. Other major retailers in Ottumwa that already closed up shop include Target, Kmart and M.C. Sports; however, a new business has taken over the old Kmart location: Hobby Lobby. Which opened it’s doors two weeks ago.

Time Left to Register Rental Properties is Dwindling

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

Under-maintained and decrepit homes in Oskaloosa are a nuisance. So in an effort to improve the overall look, appeal and living conditions the City of Oskaloosa put in place a Rental Housing Inspection Program. There is roughly 37{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} of properties for rent in Oskaloosa.  Out of the approximate 4,800 properties in Oskaloosa, the rough unit number in the city ranges from about 1,800 to 2,000 units, which includes apartment complexes.

Part-time residents — including college students or those here for temporary work — look to renting as an affordable and more feasible option. Whether an apartment or small rental house, if a structure has a “dwelling unit that is being held out or offered for rent or is currently being let for rent” for cash or other services — properties that are excluded include hotels, dormitories, long-term care and medical facilities.

Poorly maintained rental properties have created unsafe conditions and have led to dangerous fires in the recent years, which have destroyed properties and damaged nearby properties. The purpose of the Rental Housing Inspection Program is to level the playing field of good landlords that maintain properties and those that allow their property to deteriorate; protects property values of the rental, as well as the properties surrounding it; attract better renters and tenants for properties; and it can, in turn, save taxpayer money — by systematically inspecting properties, the possibility of complaints for nuisance properties is reduced, which means less staff time and fewer court costs.

The registration the the Rental Housing Inspection Program is $60 per building, and will cost $15 per unit annually. All rental housing units will need to be registered to operate in the city, need to pass an inspection every 3 years, be evaluated for compliance with existing city code (Chapters 8, 15, and 17), and have the opportunity to be re-inspected if issues arise with initial inspection.

The inspection of the property will ensure there is no: rodent or insect infestations, roof or plumbing leaks, dangerous fire hazards, serious structural issues and accumulation of junk or debris, and unmaintained yards.

For a list of building components that will be inspected, visit www.oskaloosaiowa.org.

ALL rental properties must be registered by August 1, though the City Manager, Michael Schrock, did note a short grace period through the month of August for landlords that have not yet registered. There will be a fine for failing to register. The scheduling of inspections has begun, as of July 15 and the inspection itself will begin in the month of September.

All rental properties in Oskaloosa must be inspected at least once by July 1, 2020.

For the Rental Inspection Checklist, visit www.oskaloosaiowa.org/DocumentCenter/View/1109.

Comments or questions? Contact any member of the City Council or the City of Oskaloosa.

Armed Family Member Enters Residence

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

An incident out of Jasper County involving three individuals occurred just south of Newton on Highway 74 headed to Reasnor on July 18. Henry Vanrees, 49, arrived at his father and sister’s residence, upset about a living situation.  Vanrees had entered the home and kicked in the door to Rose Vanrees room. At the time, Vanrees possessed a weapon which he used to intimidate both Rose Vanrees and Timothy Brown by firing a handgun into the wall. Vanrees then stated that both Vanrees and her boyfriend needed to leave or he would kill them.

Because of the early morning incident, Henry Vanrees faces the following charges:

  • Intimidation with a dangerous weapon with the intent to injure
  • Going armed with intent
  • Burglary in the First Degree
  • Harassment in the First Degree

Vanrees is currently being held in the Jasper County Jail. No court date is set.

Information from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office – Complaint Issued.

 

Albia Looking for a State Championship Title

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

John Hirl, Announcer

 

The Albia Lady Dees had been upsetting teams left and right in their postseason run so far. From Solon to Boyden Hull/Rock Valley, the Lady Dees have been doing the impossible. Their miracle run continued Thursday night, as they defeated the Mount Vernon Mustangs to clinch their spot in the State Championship game Friday night against the 1-Seed Davenport Assumption.

The Dees started off well like they have all postseason. Hannah Isley got on base and later scored after a Mustang error in the outfield. The Mustangs battled back in their half of the 1st when Bailey Sullivan scored Libby Ryan to make it 1-1 after 1. Rylee Leshen left off the 2nd and immediately went yard and it was 2-1 Dees going into the bottom of the 2nd. After a scoreless Mustang 2nd, Hannah Isley dug in and hit a no doubter for Albia’s second home run of the game to make to 3-1 Dees. Just one batter later the Albia pitcher Jena Lawrence hit a homer of her own to push the Albia lead to 4-1 after 2 and a half. Mount Vernon would swing back in the bottom of the 3rd when Libby Ryan was once again hit in, this time by Sammy Moss to cut the Albia lead to 4-2. That would be the end of the scoring for a while as Jena Lawrence and Mount Vernon’s Amanda Roe would settle in in the circle. Both pitchers pitched well through the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings, neither one allowing a run with help from their defense. Albia added some insurance in the top of the 7th when Makenna Ross would score Isley for the 3rd time in the game to make it 5-2 going into the bottom of the 7th. The Mustangs would get the speedy Libby Ryan on, but would fail to score her as Albia would shut the door on the Mustangs in the bottom of the 7th. Another great game from Jena Lawrence in the circle and Hannah Isley at the plate mean the Lady Dees are on their way to the Class 3A State Championship to play Davenport Assumption.

The Knights from Davenport Assumption will be the toughest test for the Dees this year. Some believe the Knight may be the best team in the entire State Tournament, regardless of class. Davenport comes into this game with the best record in the entire state, 43-1. Their only loss coming in the first game vs a team from Moline, Illinois. They feature two great pitchers, Nicole Timmons and Hannah Kelley, who both sport sub .50 ERAs. The Knights can swing the bats too, with 8 of their 9 starters hitting .350 or above. The No Coast Network will have coverage of the Class 3A State Championship game on Friday, July 21st with pregame starting at 6:50 PM and gametime at 7:09 PM on 104.9 KBOE, kboeradio.com, and the KBOE Mobile App.

 

Oskaloosa and Sigourney To Play In Third Place Game

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

Connor Swim, Announcer

After each dropping their semifinal games to tough opponents, the Indians and the Savages look to end their seasons on high notes by winning their respective 3rd place consolation games.

In the first game of the day on Thursday morning, Oskaloosa ran up against a defensively stout Winterset team. Winterset, the number one seed in 4A, was a defensive machine, only giving up one run early in the game. This run gave Oskaloosa an early 1-0 lead, but it would not be enough. Winterset made defensive play after defensive play, and finally broke through with their hitting in the 6th inning, with some help from untimely errors from the Indians. Before Osky knew it, they were down 3-1 and down to their last out. Winterset would go on to win the game and advance to the 4A championship. Oskaloosa advances to the 3rd place game, where they will take on #7 Charles City at 9:30 am with pre-game starting at 9:15 on 99.5 FM 740AM, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app. If Oskaloosa defeats Charles City, they will set the school record for wins in a season.

Sigourney played in most likely the craziest shootout Fort Dodge has ever seen. After Sigourney and Clarkesville put up two runs in the first inning, a lightning delay side lined the action for an hour and a half. When played resumed, an absolute barn burner broke out, and both teams fought tooth and nail for a chance to advance to the Class 1A Final. The game ended up in a 9th inning, with a tournament record 40 hits between the two teams, and Clarksville setting an individual team record with 26 hits. After a three run shot in the top of the 9th, Clarksville found themselves with a 15-12 lead, and they finally finished the game to advance to the finals. You can catch Sigourney in their 3rd place game at 1:30 with coverage starting at 1:15 on 104.9 KBOE, radiokboe.com, and the KBOE mobile app.

Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Into the Class 2A State Softball Championship

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

The Rockets of EBF have been on a long journey this season. They have been ranked in the top ten in Class 2A all season long, and as high as #2. But as the season wore on, they slipped and were passed by teams that the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union deemed hotter or more deserving.

Well, when postseason play got started, the Rockets made no bones about it: they were one of the best teams in the state. The have the chance to prove that they are the BEST team in the state in Class 2A, as they will play for a championship on Friday.
It was relentless pressure put on by the EBF offense against a great pitcher for #2 Interstate 35. Carlyn Stanley entered as a prized recruit for Indian Hills Community College and has been dominant all year. But EBF would only be retired in order in the fourth inning, and would at least put two on base in four innings.
Unfortunately, it was nearly impossible to score a run, as Stanley and her defense would continuously get out of jams. Stanley would strike out 12 Rocket batters in the game, but would also walk six.
The big hit finally came when Randie Richmond launched a two-run bomb over the left field wall to give the Rockets a 2-0 lead. Richmond was also dominant in the circle, allowing just one hit in the first six innings and two hits in the 7th.
It was precarious, but the Rockets were able to ride their junior right-hander to the win. Richmond would finish with a complete game three-hitter with no walks and four strikeouts, throwing only 71 pitches in the game. That’s compared to the 147 that Stanley had to throw for I-35.
EBF advances to their second state championship game in school history in softball, with the other coming in 2014. They will face #5 Iowa City Regina, who is making their third straight trip to the state title game in Class 2A, winning the championship in 2015.
The first pitch is scheduled for 4:53 PM on Buena Vista University Diamond at Rogers Sports Complex. You can hear the action starting around 4:35 on 104.9 FM KBOE, kboeradio.com, and the KBOE mobile app.

Montezuma Drops Final Consolation Game In Extra Innings

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

Connor Swim, Announcer

The Montezuma Bravettes unfortunately had a rough run in the State Tournament. As their time in Fort Dodge comes to a close, they leave 0-3 after being run ruled in their first two games. Monte also had the misfortune of running up against a seemingly unstoppable Kee High team that is the overwhelming favorite to win the 1A title in convincing fashion. After suffering such tough losses in their first two rounds of play, Monte looked to end their trip to Rogers Sport Complex with a positive result. They faced a conference foe in Belle Plaine for the 7th place trophy.

Both Monte and Belle Plaine are similar teams with similar goals heading into their final game. A bright spot for both teams is their youth, with only one senior between the two teams. Both teams are also new to State Tournament play, with 2017 being Montezuma’s first ever trip and Belle Plaine’s second appearance. So while at first glance the 7th Place Game does not mean much, in the big picture both teams looked to gain valuable experience at the State tournament and find a least a taste of success to help set them up to make a real run in next year’s tournament.

The game began in a way that made Monte fans think, ” Not again.” Early fielding errors by the Bravettes allowed Belle Plaine to take a quick 2-0 lead. It looked like the Bravettes would find themselves in trouble again, but immediately in the Monte half of the first inning freshman Maddy McKeag cut the lead in half after reaching third on defensive errors and scoring on a SAC ground-out by teammate Shelby Helms.

After the first inning, both pitchers and their defenses settled in. Both sides allowed base runners but held stout and allowed no more runs until Shelby Helms hit another RBI, this time on a single.  Then, in the 6th inning, Monte’s Olivia Moretz laced a triple down the right field line, and scored one batter later on an error. The stage was set for Monte to find their first win, but it was not meant to be.

In the 7th, Belle Plaine’s Shaylee Dodd was able to draw a one out walk. From there the Plainesmen were able to small ball their way to a tie ball game, with a SAC from Ashton Bohlen and RBI double from Grace Perrott. Then Belle Plaine’s pitcher Katie Cubbage struck out two in a one-two-three bottom of the seventh. Both teams entered extra innings playing international tiebreaker rules, which meant both teams start their half of the inning with a runner on second. In the top of the eighth, Belle Plaine capitalized on their free base runner scoring immediately with a deep hit from Katy Ward that was dropped in right field. The Plainemen then took care of business in the bottom of the eighth in four batters to secure their 7th place trophy and the win.

Even with an 0-3 result in the State Tournament, the fight Monte put up in the final game is something they can be proud of. The girls finally had some success and a chance to win the game late, and even though they did not win, they can hold their heads high for making state for the first time in Montezuma history. You can expect the Bravettes to come out even stronger next season, a year older and with loftier goals now that they have had a taste of Fort Dodge.

Arrests in Theft Ring Lead to Charges

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

As part of an ongoing investigation into multiples thefts and burglaries within Mahaska County, the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 1212 High Avenue West on July 6th. As a result of this investigation and search warrant the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office has filed multiple charges against several individuals.

Steve Melvin Sams, 26, and Cody Lee Sams, 27, were both charged with one count of Ongoing Criminal Conduct, a class B felony; one count Theft in the First Degree, class C felony; and 1 count of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, simple misdemeanor. Steve Sams has made his initial appearance in Mahaska County District Court and remains in the Mahaska County Jail on a $35,000 bond. Cody Sams was also charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance (aggravated misdeamenor). He made his initial appearance in district court and remains jailed with a bond of $51,000.

Derek Lane Graham, 34, was charged with 1 count of Controlled Substance. Graham had his initial appearance in district court yesterday.
This theft investigation is ongoing and further charges are possible.

 

Press release from the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office.

Indians Beat Vikings to Advance to State

Posted on by KBOE Administrator

John Hirl, Announcer

The Oskaloosa Baseball team has been knocking on the door of the State Tournament for 3 straight years. The Indians have lost in the Substate Final the previous two seasons to Pella, but last night Oskaloosa finally knocked that door down against a Vinton-Shellsburg team ranked 3rd in the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Poll. It took a dominant pitching performance and clutch batting for the Indians to pull of the upset against the Vikings, and now they’re off to Principal Park in Des Moines for a chance to call themselves State Champions.

It was all pitching in this game, with runs hard to come by. Vinton Shellsburg (35-6-1) was the first team to put a run on the board when a passed ball allowed the Vikings to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 3rd against Oskaloosa (28-13). From then on, no runs would come across until the 7th inning. Ethan Arnold led off the 7th, singling to put the tying runner on. Casey Hill was subbed in for Arnold and a couple pitches later, Hill advanced to 2nd on a Viking mistake. After an Alex DeJong flyout, Peyton Crouse stepped in and hit a ball into right to put Hill on 3rd and himself on 2nd. With the tying and winning runs on base, Blake VanVeldhuizen stepped in and hit an RBI groundout to short to tie it all up, 1-1. Seth Sarver then stepped in with a runner on 3rd and 2 away, and the senior came through in the clutch with a single to score Crouse and make it 2-1 Indians. Vinton-Shellsburg would come to bat in the bottom of the 7th facing a seemingly untouchable Peyton Crouse. The Vikings would get a runner on with 2 outs, but Crouse would end the game with huge strikeout to push the Indians to Principal Park.

Oskaloosa is now on to their second State Baseball Tournament in school history, and their first since 1998. The Indians have never won a game up at state however, as the last Osky team to advance to the tourney lost to Vinton-Shellsburg, who would go on to win it all that year.  As mentioned previously, the Indians have believed this was possible for a couple of seasons now, and many thought the 2017 group had the best chance to make it to Des Moines.

Oskaloosa was assigned the #7 seed for the State Baseball Tournament and will play the #2 seed Harlan Cyclones (34-2). That game will take place at 7:30 PM on Tuesday, July 25th, at Principal Park. The No Coast Network will have coverage of the quarterfinals of the Class 3A State Tournament starting with the pregame at 7:15 on 99.5 FM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app.

 

Photo courtesy of: Blake VanVeldhuizen

NEWSLETTER

Stay updated, sign up for our newsletter.