Iowa
Clean-up uncovers uncertainty for northwest Iowa flood victims
Mud and memories line the streets of a neighborhood in Rock Valley, a place that Cheri and Steve Gacke have called home for 30 years. They sit in chairs near the front door, exhausted and stunned.
“Yeah — so, it’s all gone — no insurance,” Steve said.
Sheila Brummer
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Iowa Public Radio
In their yard, and in their neighbor’s, are piles of debris: mattresses, soaked sofas, clothing, appliances, photos and more.
This is a rural area of the state, so farmers joined the clean-up with their tractors, payloaders and other equipment to help with the heavy lifting.
They were a welcome sight to Rob Jansen. His mother lives across the street.
Sheila Brummer
/
Iowa Public Radio
“Getting rid of everything that came out of the main floor so far, then we got the whole basement,” Jansen said. “I don’t wish this on anyone, but it’s nice to see all the volunteers and all the hard work — lots is getting done.”
Escape from rising waters
Almost everything inside the Gacke home was destroyed after a surge from the Rock River shot over a protective berm and rushed through their lives in the middle of the night.
“I heard a beep — beep — beep — there was a big truck trying to back because he couldn’t get down the street because it was flooded, and that woke me up,” Cheri said.
“Within five minutes, it was coming in,” Steve said. “It was coming into the walls of the basement, and we decided we had better get out.”
“It was coming into the walls of the basement, and we decided we had better get out.”
Steve Gacke, Rock Valley resident
“We looked out and knew we had to walk through the water,” Cheri added. “And, so we walked a good block-and-a-half, and then we could get up on the grass. And then we walked over to the swimming pool, and people picked us up and brought us to Faith Church.”
They escaped with just the clothes on their backs and another dry set in their hands. Others needed to be rescued by boat and National Guard helicopter.
As they discussed the aftermath of the flood, the sound of generators, pumps and heavy equipment sometimes overpowered their conversation. The Gackes talked about being married for almost 40 years and how, after another flood, they decided to stay.
Sheila Brummer
/
Iowa Public Radio
“But they built these dikes and everything,” Steve said. “So, we felt that we were safe enough to redo our basement and added onto our garage — and it’s now worse than it was ten years ago.”
Steve’s voice broke, and he became emotional when he talked about what was in the garage.
“This is the first car I ever bought — a ‘74 Satellite,” he said.
He regretted leaving it behind when the water started to rise. They focused on moving a few items out of the basement instead. He looked at a photo of what the car used to be — white and pristine.
“Now, it’s just black,” he added.
Exploring the damage
Gov. Kim Reynolds privately toured the town of 4,000 by ATV and said 500 homes experienced some level of damage — from backed-up sewers to the unsalvageable.
“This is unprecedented, historic flooding. Where we’re breaking all records, sadly, with what we’ve experienced over the last couple of days,” Reynolds said.
She also visited Hawarden, Cherokee, Rock Rapids and Spencer — locations where rain-swollen rivers couldn’t handle 15 or more inches of water in just a few days.
The governor requested and received a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for some of the most impacted areas. This allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assess the damage and aid homeowners, renters and businesses.
The Gackes could use that assistance.
“We worked full-time for years and years, and saved our money,” Cheri said. “And when we have money, we would fix up the house. We thought we could finally retire.”
Flood forced a detour
Now the Gackes are talking about starting over, at almost the age of 70, far from here. Rock Valley experienced another flood four years ago, in addition to one a decade earlier. And now, this new crisis. Three episodes in a decade.
“… we’re leaving town — we’re going to go to Oklahoma.”
Steve Gacke, Rock Valley resident
“We’re leaving, we’re leaving town,” Steve Gacke said. “We’re going to go to Oklahoma.”
They plan on staying with their daughter and her family there.
Another daughter, Jen Arendt, appreciated the volunteers as they packed up dishes, cups and platters inside cabinets in the kitchen. Because of closed roads, she had to wait two days to come help.
“I saw pictures online when I couldn’t get here, and it was devastating,” Arendt said. “But being here is heartbreaking. Everyone lost everything, everything they worked for is in a pile in the front yard, and it’s pretty hard.”
Jen also had a plan, and it involved her dad’s car. That car is the one he took her mom on dates in, and their honeymoon. It’s the one he drove Jen and her sister home from the hospital in after their births.
“Everyone’s rallying around, and we’re going to keep it for him,” she said. “We’re going to restore it.”
Nebraska men’s basketball faces a critical week that will determine its Big Ten Conference and NCAA Tournament seeding.
The Huskers play at UCLA on Tuesday night and finish the regular season next Sunday at home vs. Iowa.
The Huskers are currently tied for second place in the Big Ten with Michigan State. Both teams have four conference losses. They are one game in the loss column ahead of Illinois and Purdue, with five losses. Wisconsin has six losses.
The top four teams earn the coveted triple bye for the Big Ten Tournament. Regular-season champion Michigan has one spot locked up.
Here are the remaining schedules of the contenders for the triple bye, with conference record in parentheses:
Nebraska (14-4)
* Tuesday: at UCLA
* Sunday: vs. Iowa
Michigan State (13-4)
* Sunday: at Indiana
* Thursday: vs. Rutgers
* Sunday, March 8: at Michigan
Illinois (13-5)
* Tuesday: vs. Oregon
* Sunday, March 8: at Maryland
Purdue (12-5)
* Sunday: at Ohio State
* Wednesday: at Northwestern
* Saturday: vs. Wisconsin
Wisconsin (12-6)
* Wednesday: vs. Maryland
* Saturday: at Purdue
Maintaining an NCAA seed no worse than 3 should benefit the Huskers, who wouldn’t have to play, theoretically, the No. 1 seed until the Elite Eight game.
It’s a ton to play for in the final week of a historic regular season for Nebraska. But that’s what March is all about.
Nebraska at UCLA
When: Tuesday, 10 p.m. CT
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles
Records: Nebraska, 25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten; UCLA, 19-10, 11-7 in Big Ten
TV: FS1
Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.
UCLA rankings
* Associated Press Top 25: Not ranked
* NCAA Net Ratings: 40
* USA Today Coaches Poll: Not ranked
* Kenpom.com: 41
* ESPN Power Index: 34
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 41
In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, UCLA is a 9-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament. The next Bracketology will be released Tuesday.
Nebraska rankings
* Associated Press Top 25: 12
* NCAA Net Ratings: 12
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 10
* Kenpom.com: 11
* ESPN Power Index: 15
* Top 25 and 1: 8
* Team Rankings.com: 11
In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Nebraska is a 3-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.
Nebraska-UCLA analysis
The Bruins are coming off a strange week. They crushed visiting rival USC, 81-62, on Tuesday, then lost at Minnesota, 78-73, on Saturday.
UCLA is 16-1 at home, its only loss to Indiana, 98-97, in double overtime on Jan. 31.
The game will be a homecoming for Huskers forward Berke Buyuktuncel, who played at UCLA in 2023-24, his freshman season. Buyuktuncel has started 27 games and averages 6.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season for the Huskers and frequently earns praise from coach Fred Hoiberg.
Nebraska thoroughly dispatched USC on Saturday, 82-67, an impressive performance on the road against a Trojans team desperate for a statement win to help — or save — their NCAA hopes.
Pryce Sandfort scored 32 points — one short of his career high — as the Huskers won their 14th conference game, a school record. Nebraska is 7-2 on the road in conference games.
This should be a great matchup — UCLA a strong team playing at home vs. a Nebraska team playing well and full of confidence. This feels like a one-possession game.
Iowa at Nebraska
When: Sunday, March 8, 4 p.m. CT
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena
Records: Nebraska, 25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten; Iowa, 20-9, 10-8 in Big Ten
TV: Fox
Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.
Iowa rankings
* Associated Press Top 25: 33
* NCAA Net Ratings: 28
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 30
* Kenpom.com: 24
* ESPN Power Index: 35
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 31
In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Iowa is an 8-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.
Nebraska rankings
* Associated Press Top 25: 12
* NCAA Net Ratings: 12
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 10
* Kenpom.com: 11
* ESPN Power Index: 15
* Top 25 and 1: 8
* Team Rankings.com: 11
In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Nebraska is a 3-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.
Nebraska-Iowa analysis
The Hawkeyes are coming off a puzzling, 71-69 loss at Penn State on Saturday. Iowa led 67-62 with 3:49 to play, and then scored only one more basket. Iowa plays host to Michigan on Thursday.
Nebraska will get a final curtain call at Pinnacle Bank Arena, where the Huskers are 15-2.
Nebraska should have revenge on its mind after losing at Iowa, 57-52, on Feb. 17, in Sandfort’s return to Iowa City, where he played for two seasons.
Whatever Nebraska nerves were a factor at Iowa shouldn’t be in play at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska shot only 21 percent from distance in Iowa City. Sandfort scored 13 points, his lowest total since Jan. 10, when he scored 12 at Indiana.
Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz scored 25 points. That won’t happen in this game. Neither will Nebraska’s ice-cold shooting from distance, especially if the game could determine the triple bye for the Huskers.
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The Class 1A and Class 2A Iowa high school boys basketball state tournament brackets are now official following substate action.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Tournament begins Monday, March 9 from the Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
St. Edmond, the top-seed in 1A, gets Woodbine in a rematch of a quarterfinal from a year ago. Woodbine ended the run of defending state champion Madrid in a substate final on the same court that St. Edmond qualified on when they defeated Riverside.
Burlington Notre Dame plays Bellevue, MMCRU meets Boyden-Hull and Bishop Garrigan battles Bellevue Marquette Catholic in the other elite eight games.
The other substate finals saw Burlington Notre Dame defeat Calamus-Wheatland, MMCRU eliminated North Union, Bishop Garrigan downed South Winneshiek, Bellevue bested East Marshall and Bellevue Marquette Catholic topped Montezuma.
In 2A, Kuemper Catholic is the No. 1 seed and will face Union Community in the opening game on Wednesday, March 11. The other quarterfinals see Treynor vs. Grundy Center, Unity Christian vs. defending state champion Western Christian and Iowa City Regina vs. Aplington-Parkersburg.
Kuemper Catholic survived vs. Roland-Story, Union knocked off Pella Christian in a nail-biter, Treynor bested Underwood, Grundy Center downed Beckman Catholic, Unity Christian handled Southeast Valley, Western Christian ran past Tri-Center, Iowa City Regina downed Northeast and Aplington-Parkersburg defeated Cascade.
Here are the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament pairings for Class 1A and Class 2A.
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, March 10
Semifinals
Thursday, March 12
Championship
Friday, March 13
Wednesday, March 11
Semifinals
Thursday, March 12
Championship
Friday, March 13
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has recalled forward Tyler Pitlick from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Pitlick, 34 (11/1/91), has tallied two goals, 24 penalty minutes (PIM) and 26 shots in 31 games with Minnesota this season and ranks fourth on the team with 76 hits. He has also collected 11 points (8-3=11) and 31 shots in 12 games with Iowa. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound native of Minneapolis, Minn., owns 111 points (58-53=111) and 565 shots on goal in 451 career NHL games over 11 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers (2013-17), Dallas Stars (2017-19), Philadelphia Flyers (2019-20), Arizona Coyotes (2020-21), Calgary Flames (2021-22), Montreal Canadiens (2021-22), St. Louis Blues (2022-23), New York Rangers (2023-24) and Minnesota (2025-26). He has tallied three points (2-1=3) in 22 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. Pitlick has also recorded 140 points (60-89=149) in 289 career AHL games in parts of eight seasons with the Oklahoma City Barons (2011-15), Bakersfield Condors (2015-16), Hartford Wolf Pack (2023-24), Providence Bruins (2024-25) and Iowa (2025). He was originally selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round (31st overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. Pitlick was signed by Minnesota as a free agent on July 2, 2025, and wears sweater No. 19 with the Wild.
Minnesota hosts the St. Louis Blues tomorrow at 4 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network and KFAN FM 100.3.
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