Iowa

How will Iowa State women’s basketball replace Kenzie Hare with tough slate on the horizon

Published

1 year ago

December 14, 2024

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How will Iowa State women’s basketball replace Kenzie Hare with tough slate on the horizon

AMES – The Iowa State women’s basketball team entered the season with one starting spot up for grabs.

The Cyclones brought back starters Audi Crooks, Emily Ryan, Addy Brown and Arianna Jackson. The team thought it filled the fifth starting spot when Kenzie Hare emerged as a constant contributor.

But with Hare now out for the season with an injury, that starting spot is once again up for grabs. Finding her replacement is one of the top priorities for No. 17 Iowa State, which takes on Eastern Illinois on Sunday at 5 p.m., at Hilton Coliseum.

“We’ve got to figure that out,” said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly. “And obviously we didn’t do a very good job of it the other night (against Iowa). So, we’ll continue to probably keep doing what we’ve been doing in the sense of giving everyone a lot of opportunities, mix and match and hopefully something good will come of it.”

Hare, a 5-foot-9 junior guard, transferred to Iowa State from Marquette and quickly produced for the Cyclones. The Illinois native averaged 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 10 games, including eight starts this season.

Hare had been dealing with a hip injury that occurred before she arrived in Ames. The Iowa State coaching staff tried treatment options but never could get her to 100%. So, the Cyclones decided to shut her down and medically redshirt her this season.

Hare’s absence created a giant void on the floor. The newcomer, an established star 3-point shooter, gave Iowa State experience, defense on the perimeter and grit throughout games, diving for loose balls and making small but important plays.

“It’s a huge loss for our team,” Fennelly said.

Replacing her will be difficult. But Iowa State does have options. Freshman Aili Tanke has started at times this season. So has sophomore Kelsey Joens, who filled in during the Iowa game. Then there’s juniors Sydney Harris and Lily Hansford. The problem, Fennelly said, is that no one has stepped up and taken the job.

Tanke provided some valuable minutes in the Iowa game. Joens has shined at times off the bench. Harris has as well. Hansford, another strong shooter who transferred from Oregon State, has struggled to find her rhythm but is still in the mix after knocking down a big 3 against the Hawkeyes.

But no one has continually given Fennelly what he’s looking for: some points, some defense on the perimeter and some hard work. The bar isn’t high with Crooks, Brown and Ryan expected to handle the bulk of the scoring. Still, Tanke, Joens, Harris or Hansford has yet to win the job.

“They’re all in the mix and we just, up to this point, the only consistency has been inconsistency,” Fennelly said.

The coach said Friday and Saturday’s practices would decide who starts Sunday’s game. But that person may not be the permanent answer.

“I’m going to actually meet with all of them and just say, ‘Hey, here’s where we are and it’s going to be, whoever practices best the next two days will go out there first and whoever plays the best in the game on Sunday, stays in the game,’” Fennelly said.

There are other routes for the Cyclones to go as well. Fennelly said he’s thought about playing two post players at once, putting Crooks and Alisa Williams on the floor at the same time. He’s even thought about moving the versatile Brown to the three spot or into the post. Everything is on the table right now.

“I’m not afraid to try other things,” Fennelly said.

Time is ticking for Iowa State to figure it out. Things get very difficult for the Cyclones after Sunday’s game. Iowa State plays No. 2 UConn in the Invesco QQQ Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase next week. After that, the Cyclones embark on Big 12 Conference play. Iowa State was picked to finish second in the league this season.

If the Cyclones are going to have any success this season, replacing Hare is something they have to find an answer for. Fast.

“This is the situation we are in and it’s pretty evident, especially in the two road games that we lost,” Fennelly said. “So, we’ve got to figure that out.”

Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468

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Iowa

Iowa DOT to rebuild I-35 between Huxley and Ames. When will it start?

Published

4 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Iowa DOT to rebuild I-35 between Huxley and Ames. When will it start?

Ames commuters: Now is the time to send in your feedback for proposed changes to Interstate 35.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is proposing new construction to widen I-35 between Huxley and Ames and rebuild sections of U.S. Highway 30 as part of a multi-year plan.

What’s in the Iowa DOT’s construction plan for I-35 between Huxley and Ames?

The Iowa DOT has been planning these changes for more than ten years. Around 2005, about 35,000 vehicles using I-35 south of U.S. 30. In 2024, that number’s now at approximately 47,000 vehicles — and expected to continue growing.

Some of the improvements include:

Replacing and widening I-35 bridges over U.S. 30 in Ames
Lowering U.S. 30 to improve clearance for I-35 bridges
Reconstructing ramps at the U.S. 30 interchange
Widening I-35 to 6 lanes between Huxley and the U.S. 30 interchange in Ames

How much will I-35 improvements between Ames and Huxley cost?

The cost of the project is expected to total $100 million.

When will construction start on I-35 in Story County?

Construction is expected to begin in spring 2027 and be completed by the end of 2030. The project also requires permanently closing 564th Avenue south of Ames between 280th and 290th Streets.

The public input period concludes at the end of December. You can submit questions and comments on the DOT’s website.

Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.

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Local business highlights Iowa agriculture impact during Iowa Secretary Mike Naig visit

Published

17 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Local business highlights Iowa agriculture impact during Iowa Secretary Mike Naig visit

CENTERVILLE, Iowa (KYOU) – A state innovation grant is helping a local meat processing facility serve area farmers and strengthen Iowa’s food supply chain.

Country Roads Meat Processing received funding through Iowa’s “Choose Iowa” butchery innovation grant program to update equipment at their facility.

Owner Melanie Seals said the business processes beef from multiple local farmers.

“Probably at least purchase beef from at least 20 to 25 different farmers,” Seals said.

Seals, who grew up on her family farm butchering meat, now runs Country Roads Meat Processing with her husband.

On Monday she gave Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig a tour of the facility.

“I mean we both grew up on farms we always butchered our own meat, and we just want to the local movement ally just excel and to grow,” Seals said.

The Choose Iowa butchery innovation grant helps small meat processors update and expand their operations. Seals used the money to update the facility’s equipment, which she said helps supply an important link in the food chain.

Seals said the grant is also helping the business increase visibility for more farmers in the community.

“We like to get as many as we can on the board up there so that way more people can know,” Seals said.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said he wants to see this kind of success statewide.

“What we’re seeing is a reasonable investment on the part of the state results in a significant investment locally which again drives more businesses,” Naig said.

The success matters as farmers continue to face challenges ahead.

“Were optimistic for another good growing season but that the marketplace will respond,” Naig said.

For Seals, the grant represents a solution that pays off by investing in the future for local farmers.

“We like to help those people that are local have their own businesses and we just kind of want to be a hub for all of that,” Seals said.

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Iowa National Guard identifies 2 soldiers killed in ‘ambush’ in Syria

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Iowa National Guard identifies 2 soldiers killed in ‘ambush’ in Syria

The Iowa National Guard on Dec. 15 identified the two soldiers killed by a gunman with suspected ties to the Islamic state in Syria.

They are Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25.

The two sergeants killed were members of an Iowa Army National Guard unit deployed to the Middle East as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S. military’s counter-ISIS mission, the Iowa National Guard said in its announcement.

The soldiers were killed alongside their interpreter in an “ambush by a lone ISIS gunman,” U.S. Central Command said in a Dec. 13 statement. “The gunman was engaged and killed.”

Three servicemembers were also injured in the attack, according to the statement.

Howard’s father, the chief of the Meskwaki Nation Police Department in central Iowa, shared on Facebook that his son was one of the soldiers killed.

“My wife Misty and I had that visit from Army Commanders you never want to have. Our son Nate was one of the Soldiers that paid the ultimate sacrifice for all of us,” Chief Jeffrey Bunn wrote in a post on Dec. 13.

Bunn identified the interpreter killed as Ayad Sakat.

The troops were killed while they were on a “key leader engagement” in Palmyra, a city in central Syria, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on X. “Partner forces” killed the attacker, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.

The shooter was a member of the country’s security forces who had been investigated and assessed to harbor possible extremist views just days before the attack, according to Syria’s government.

President Donald Trump vowed to retaliate after the attack. “There will be very serious retaliation,” he wrote in a social media post.

Trump has tightened ties with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaida fighter who toppled his predecessor, Bashar al-Assad, in a stunning overthrow late last year.

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