Indianola, Iowa — Santa Claus isn’t driving a sleigh this year in Indianola, Iowa — and instead of presents, he’s bringing joy and light, decorating every house on his block for the upcoming holiday season. 

John Reichart, 74, loves Christmas but there’s something else he loves more: His wife of 53 years, Joan. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s four years ago, and since then, the Marine veteran has made it his mission to keep making her memories. 

“If it wasn’t for my wife, I don’t know if I would’ve done it,” Reichart said. “But she wanted Christmas, so I’d give it to her. I’d do anything to make her happy.” 

Now there are tons of extra hands on his project, helping set up lights, decorations and more. A steady stream of admirers are also coming to check out the holiday cheer. 

“I think the whole neighborhood feels very blessed to have him in this neighborhood,” one neighbor said. 

“It’s moving,” added one spectator. “That’s what Christmas is all about.” 

Reichart said he can’t see himself stopping the tradition now. 

“As long as she’s OK,” he said. “And even if she would pass, I’m gonna do it in her memory as long as I can do it.” 

Joan said that she’s loved the holiday spirit her husband has brought to the neighborhood. 

“I didn’t know what to think,” Joan said. “But I’m glad he did it. I love him.” 

To thank Reichart and celebrate Joan, his neighbors have set up a P.O. box to receive Christmas cards. They’ll give the cards to Reichart to read them to his wife. 

CBS News is inviting viewers to send cards. To mail a card to the Reicharts, address it to this P.O. box: 

John Reichart
C/O Frank Ewurs
P.O. Box 133
Indianola, Iowa, 50125  

Nebraska heads to Iowa City on Friday for the annual Black Friday matchup against the Hawkeyes. At 6-5, the Huskers are bowl eligible for the first time since 2016. Iowa comes into the game at 7-4, having won three out of their last four. Of the two teams’ mutual opponents, Iowa lost to Ohio State 35-7, beat Wisconsin 42-10, and lost to UCLA 20-17. 

On behalf of the Common Fan podcast, here are three keys to victory for the Huskers, and two keys to victory for all the fellow Common Fans. 

NEBRASKA’S KEYS TO VICTORY

Stop (or Slow Down) Kaleb Johnson. After having an atrocious offense last season, Iowa is back to being respectable on the offensive side of the ball, especially when it comes to the run game. The Hawkeyes boast the #13 rushing offense in the nation. Starter Kaleb Johnson has rushed for 1,492 yards and 21 touchdowns this season, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. He is legitimately one of the best backs in the country. What’s more, Iowa is on their fourth starting quarterback of the season. While there have been some rumblings this week that Cade McNamara and/or Brendan Sullivan–both of whom have started games under center this year–would play on Friday, it sounds like Jackson Stratton will be the guy. Stratton attempted a total of 14 passes last weekend against Maryland, completing 10 for 76 yards. Considering the strength of Nebraska’s defense has been stopping the run all season long, this matchup should favor the Huskers. But it’s Iowa, so who knows. If the Big Red can contain Iowa’s run game, I like their chances to win the game. 

More of That Offense, Please. Iowa teams of recent years have been known for great defense. Not just great defense – they have had some elite defensive units. This year’s Hawkeye defense is perhaps not quite as dominant as what we’ve seen in recent years, but they’re still very good. They come into the game ranked #17 nationally in total defense, #12 in scoring defense, and #26 in rushing defense. They have been susceptible to giving up the big play, and currently rank #41 in opponent yards per play, after finishing the 2023 season at #1 in that category. 

What will we see out of Nebraska’s offensive unit this week? Are we going to see the squad that had its way with Wisconsin? Or will we see the unit that struggled to move the ball for most of the year? If new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen can sprinkle a little more magic on the Nebraska offense, perhaps they can get out to a lead and take Iowa out of their comfort zone. 

Make Special Teams Special. Another defining characteristic of Iowa teams in recent years has been outstanding special teams play. On the other side of the equation, all Common Fans know that Nebraska’s special teams play has struggled for most of this season. That said, against Wisconsin, Jacorey Barney had a 45 yard kickoff return to set up Nebraska’s first scoring drive, and place kicker John Hohl was 3-for-3 on field goals. Progress. 

Can someone make a game changing play against the Hawkeyes? Can the Huskers at least make sure special teams doesn’t hurt them on Friday? 

COMMON FAN KEYS

Soak It In. This is painful to say, but it’s the first time in eight years that Nebraska will be playing Iowa with bowl eligibility already secured. Husker fans don’t have to hold our breath, stressing that the team’s postseason fate rides on this game. I’d love nothing more than to see the Big Red pick up where they left off against Wisconsin, come out and pummel the Hawkeyes. But whatever happens, this isn’t the end of the road for the Huskers. 

At least for me, the Iowa game has emerged as a great Thanksgiving weekend tradition. Iowa is the closest thing we have to a rival since joining the Big Ten. Embrace it. Enjoy it. We’re going bowling this year, no matter what happens against Iowa. So load up with some leftover turkey and mashed potatoes, maybe an extra piece of pie, and enjoy the ride, Husker fans.

Going to Kinnick? Common Fan Podcast co-host Matty O was in the house for the Wisconsin game, and after the win, pulled the trigger on tickets for the Black Friday battle against Iowa. He and his son will be making the trek to Iowa City on Friday. That’s the impact of beating the Badgers, getting to bowl eligibility, and starting to believe in this program again.

Are any other Common Fans out there going to be in the house? Hats off to anyone representing the Big Red in enemy territory. And, if you are going to be there on Friday, we’d love to hear from you. Send us an email to commonfangbr@gmail.com or hit us up on social media (@commonfangbr on X) to share your experience. Send pictures, stories, smart remarks…whatever you’ve got! Let’s go 1-0 this week and beat those Hawkeyes!

As always, GBR for LIFE.

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Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

LOS ANGELES – Senior Michelle Urquhart set Iowa’s single-season service aces record in the Hawkeyes’ 3-1 loss to UCLA on Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion. Iowa drops to 10-21 overall and 4-15 in the Big Ten.

Urquhart needed two aces to surpass the single-season rally scoring era record set by Becky Walters in 2010. With the third set tied at 10-10, Urquhart dropped in a soft serve to secure her 42nd ace on the season.

The senior from Virginia Beach, Virginia, also recorded a double-double, registering 13 kills and 12 digs. Freshman Dominique Phills and sophomore Hannah Whittingstall were in double-figures with 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Phills was a spark off the bench, drilling five kills in the opening set.

Senior libero Joy Galles notched a career high in digs, finishing with 24. She neared a double-double, tallying eight assists.

MATCH SUMMARY
SET ONE (UCLA, 25-23)
After trading points early on, the Hawkeyes strung together three consecutive points to take a 5-3 lead, courtesy of a kill and ace from Urquhart. UCLA answered with a run, pushing ahead 13-8. Phills was a spark off the bench, helping Iowa pull within two on several occasions. The Hawkeyes rallied all the way back in the opener, tying the set at 23-23 before the Bruins capitalized on back-to-back kills to win the set. UCLA had only one attacking error in the first set, while Iowa had seven.

SET TWO (UCLA, 25-11)
Despite gaining momentum at the end of the first set, Iowa fell behind 9-1 to begin the second. A timeout slowed the Bruins’ progress, but they gained early control of the set. Iowa chipped away in the middle of the set on terminations from Phills and UCLA errors. UCLA ended the set on a 5-0 run.

SET THREE (IOWA, 25-23)
Iowa quickly regrouped for a competitive set in the third. A kill from Whittingstall and ace from freshman Jenna Meitzler kept the pressure on UCLA early. Urquhart notched her record-setting ace, breaking a 10-10 tie in the third set. The teams headed into the media timeout with UCLA leading, 15-14. It wasn’t until late in the set before Iowa pulled away, using a 3-0 run to go up by two at 20-18, courtesy of kills from freshman Malu Garcia and Phills. After a UCLA timeout fueled back-to-back points for the Bruins, Iowa sealed the set with a kill from Whittingstall and error from UCLA.

Mickey’s record-setting ace! 💛#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/PlUu17YR2R

— Iowa Volleyball (@IowaVolleyball) November 28, 2024

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗰𝗲𝘀 👑

With Michelle’s second ace tonight, she has set the program record for service aces in a season during the rally scoring era (42).#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/fimM7XstTc

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— Iowa Volleyball (@IowaVolleyball) November 28, 2024

SET FOUR (UCLA, 25-15)
UCLA recovered and regained momentum, leading 6-2 to begin set four. A pair of kills from Urquhart and a termination from Garcia brought Iowa back within one at 7-6. The Hawkeyes stayed within striking distance but could not take the lead in the set. The Bruins used a run in the middle of the set to take control. A block from senior Anna Davis and Garcia stopped the run at 19-13. UCLA finished the set on a 5-1 run to win the match.

UP NEXT: Iowa heads across town for its season finale, battling No. 20 USC on Friday evening. First serve is set for 9 p.m. (CT) from the Galen Center. The match will be broadcast on B1G+ and the Hawkeye Radio Network.