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Iowa State women’s basketball takeaways: Freshman Aili Tanke gets first collegiate start

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Iowa State women’s basketball takeaways: Freshman Aili Tanke gets first collegiate start


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AMES – Iowa State women’s basketball player Aili Tanke was walking up the ramp at Hilton Coliseum following Sunday’s practice when she bumped into Cyclones coach Bill Fennelly.

Fennelly, who was getting ready to hop in his car, asked Tanke if she was ready for her first collegiate game on Monday.

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“I was like, ‘Yeah’ and he was like, ‘Well, good, because you’re starting,’” Tanke said. “My mouth just dropped. I didn’t even think I said anything.”

Tanke was one of the stars of Iowa State’s first show Monday. The former Johnston standout scored 12 points and grabbed three rebounds as the ninth-ranked Cyclones beat Chicago State 96-56 in their season-opening victory at Hilton Coliseum.

“I thought she was fantastic,” Fennelly said.

Tanke, a 5-foot-11 freshman guard, has been that way ever since she stepped foot on campus. She was impressive in workouts leading up to the season. Tanke then turned in a strong showing by tallying 11 points off the bench in Iowa State’s exhibition win over Central.

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Fennelly has praised Tanke’s basketball IQ and ability to be in the right spot at the right time. He also loves the consistency she brings to practice. All that factored into her locking up the last remaining starting spot alongside Audi Crooks, Emily Ryan, Arianna Jackson and Addy Brown.

“She just knows what she can do and I think she’s really comfortable playing with the other four that have a little experience,” Fennelly said.

Tanke got the starting nod over some more experienced players. She said she was shocked when Fennelly broke the news to her on Sunday.

“It kind of felt like a dream,” Tanke said. “I honestly didn’t believe it. Like, I was scared to tell people because I was like, what if I just imagined it?”

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It was real, though. And Tanke made the most of the opportunity. She connected on two 3-pointers in Iowa State’s 29-0 run to open the game. When it was all said and done, she shot 4-of-5 from the field including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

“You’ve got to give her credit,” Fennelly said. “When you’re a freshman and you start in this environment, you never know how it’s going to go, and she played really, really well and really smart. And I thought for her first college game, was one that was really good.”

Addy Brown starts strong in season opener

With most of the attention on Crooks this season, Brown has managed to fly under the radar. The sophomore was one of Iowa State’s top contributors last season but was left off the preseason All-Big 12 team and didn’t garner much of the spotlight during the offseason.

“If we didn’t have Audi Crooks, Addy Brown would get all that attention,” Fennelly said. “She is as skilled and as talented as any player at her position in the country.”

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Brown showed off that versatile skillset Monday when she filled the stat sheet with a game-high 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists. More performances like that should generate more attention for Brown, who has used any offseason snubbing to her advantage.

“I kind of like it that way,” Brown said. “I think it motivates me.”

Crooks finished with 16 points and four rebounds.

Fennelly still figuring out minutes and rotations

Fennelly was able to unload his entire bench during the win over Chicago State. That was the plan. Fennelly had planned to not play anyone more than 24 minutes and get at least 13-14 minutes for everyone. It’s his way of giving everyone on the roster opportunities to make compelling cases for playing time.

But with so many players making the most of those chances early on, Fennelly said he isn’t quite ready to start cutting down on playing time. He said playing time will sort itself out as the season goes along and the games get tougher.

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“We have a very skilled team,” Fennelly said. “It’s one of the more skilled teams that we’ve had here when you look at one through 12.”

Taulelei nears debut

Iowa State center/forward Lilly Taulelei may be close to making her Cyclones debut. Taulelei, a transfer from UMass, has been dealing with a sprained ankle. She didn’t suit up for Iowa State’s exhibition game or the season opener.

But Taulelei did go through a 45-minute individual workout prior to Monday’s game. Fennelly said she could suit up for Thursday’s game against Indiana State.

“She’s close,” Fennelly said. “That’ll be nice to have another body in the post.”

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 lawmakers react to Trump tariffs, set to go into effect Saturday

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Iowa lawmakers react to Trump tariffs, set to go into effect Saturday


The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.

Iowa’s agriculture industry could see the impacts of tariffs that President Donald Trump said he will impose as soon as Saturday.

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Shortly after Trump was elected in November, he announced a plan for 25 percent tariffs on goods imported from Mexico and Canada, and 10 percent tariffs on imports from China. Now, those tariffs are expected to go into effect Feb. 1.

Trump has said the tariffs are aimed at pressuring Canada and Mexico to stop the flow of migrants and fentanyl crossing their borders into the United States. Economists have said the new tariffs could increase taxes and decrease economic output.

Iowa State University agricultural economist Chad Hart said adding Mexico and Canada into the mix could make things even more difficult for the state’s agriculture industry — which has faced low commodity prices and declining farm income — should the countries decide to retaliate with their own trade measures.

Hart noted that agriculture is one of this country’s major export industries, and Canada and Mexico are some of the biggest importers of products produced in Iowa, including soybeans and pork.

“Mexico alone would create some big hits to Iowa agriculture, throwing Canada on top of that,” Hart said. “That’s why there’s been such concern about these tariffs moving forward here, we do know that it will create some economic damages that show up for Iowa farmers.”

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In 2023, 30 percent of Iowa’s total goods exports were to Canada, with the state exporting $5.5 billion in goods to the country.

Iowa Republicans: Tariffs are Trump’s ‘negotiation tactic’

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says Trump is committed to farmers and she will continue to stay in contact with his administration about the impacts.

“President Trump has already used tariffs as an undeniably successful negotiation tactic with foreign trade partners,” Reynolds said in a statement. “Colombia backed down from the President’s threat of 25 percent tax on imports and are now accepting the return of illegal immigrants who invaded our country.”

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst said she believes Trump’s tariffs will stop the flow of fentanyl across the borders.

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“After the Biden administration created a record $45.5 billion agricultural trade deficit, President Trump is working to make sure Americans are getting the best deal and stopping the flow of fentanyl that has hurt our communities,” Ernst said in a statement. “I will always listen to Iowans and bring their ideas to the President.”

Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, said the tariffs echo negotiating tactics Trump used during his first term in office.

“The way I look at it, it’s nothing he didn’t do the first term. He uses it for negotiating tactics,” Durham said. “So at this point, I couldn’t pinpoint anything that’s going to have an effect one way or another.”

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley describes himself as a “free trader” and said he doesn’t believe in tariffs but understands Trump uses them as bargaining chips.

“I think the tactic is questionable but I am not going to bad mouth Trump’s approach,” Grassley said during a call with Iowa radio networks on Jan. 21. “I’m going to sit and see how it works out, I hope he’s successful.”

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Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said the tariffs will hurt manufacturing jobs, raise consumer prices, lower grain markets and increase Iowans’ taxes.

“Looks like Donald Trump is once again betting the farm on risky trade war policies,” she said in a statement. “Between falling incomes and layoffs in the ag economy, now is not the time to be levying tariffs on allies like Canada. This does not look like using tariffs as a ‘last resort’ as some in our congressional delegation have cautioned. Let’s not forget that once tariffs are in place, they are difficult to remove.

Trump’s use of tariffs this presidency seems to be occurring at a quicker pace than his last term, Chad Hart said, noting the president has a better understanding of which “levers to pull.” He says these quick changes are creating challenges for people who work in Iowa’s agriculture industry as they try to determine what tariffs will look like in the coming years.

“A big challenge for everybody right now is trying to figure out what tariffs may be coming, when they may be here, when they may be taken off. How might that happen?” Hart said. “There’s just a lot of unknowns here, and it can move very quickly, given the speed at which President Trump is moving.”

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Iowa reaches final settlement in lawsuit alleging state hasn’t provided adequate mental health care for kids

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Iowa reaches final settlement in lawsuit alleging state hasn’t provided adequate mental health care for kids


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Iowa will take steps to ensure Medicaid-eligible children with mental illness diagnoses will receive the necessary mental and behavioral health care services as part of a recently announced settlement agreement.

The lawsuit, filed in early 2023 by Disability Rights Iowa and other national health and law advocacy organizations, accused Iowa of “longstanding failure” to provide Medicaid-eligible children with legally required and medically necessary mental and behavioral health services.

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The suit was filed against Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Director Kelly Garcia.

The plaintiffs alleged that Iowa administers an inadequate mental health system, despite receiving federal funds for children’s mental health care. As a result, Medicaid-eligible children younger than 21 who require intensive home and community-based services face a high risk of being placed in institutions away from their families and communities, they argued.

More than 300,000 youth — or about three out of every eight Iowa youth under the age of 21 — are covered by Medicaid. Of that population, nearly 90,000 had a serious emotional disturbance in state fiscal year 2020, according to court records.

Advocates behind the lawsuit say the steps proposed by the state in the agreement present a “radical change” that will ultimately be a positive move for youth in Iowa who need mental and behavioral health services.

“That’s a lot of children that this is going to directly impact in terms of the services they’re able to receive, and change the trajectory of not only their immediate circumstances and immediate mental health needs, but also their long-term prospects,” Catherine Johnson, executive director of Disability Rights Iowa, told the Register.

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A preliminary settlement was reached in December after more than a year of negotiation between the plaintiffs and the state health and human services agency. The judge issued preliminary approval of the agreement last week, and set a final approval hearing for early May.

What does this settlement mean?

To address the plaintiffs’ alleged shortfalls in behavioral health services for children, the state agreed to ensure key services are available statewide to Medicaid-eligible children with serious emotional disturbances. The state is required to complete this process by the end of 2032.

The settlement agreement includes a detailed implementation plan Iowa HHS, which has been dubbed by state officials as the Iowa REACH initiative.

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The plan includes specific steps the state will take to develop and deliver intensive home and community-based mental health services to children statewide when deemed medically necessary, and will be lead by a team from across the agency who will be responsible for overseeing the plan.

The agreement, along with the state’s REACH strategy, signals “a major step in the right direction for Iowa youth and their families,” Garcia said in a statement Wednesday.

“Iowa HHS is fully committed to implementing new strategies and evaluating current outcomes to ensure we are meeting the needs that our children and youth deserve and families expect,” she said.

Johnson praised the significant work to develop the settlement agreement, noting that the plan laid out by the state would create major structural change to Iowa’s current mental and behavioral health system for youth. Because of this plan, she said youth will be able to stay with their families in their community, receiving the services and supports they need to succeed.

“They get to go to school with their friends and they don’t have to go to an institution or a hospital that’s scary and they don’t know anyone,” Johnson said. “They get to stay with the people that love them, and grow up with mental health services in place. Your future is different, perhaps, than it might have been without this brand new structure.

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“I think it’s just very, very significant, and I’m really excited for the implementation to begin so that Iowa can have these services in place as soon as possible for our kids.”

What are the terms of the settlement?

Among the terms of the settlement, the state must ensure Medicaid-eligible children receive mental health services “in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs and are free from serious risks of segregation and institutionalization, including the unnecessary use of out-of-home placements.”

These changes must ensure Iowa youth receive the supports necessary to maximize their success growing into healthy and independent adults, the settlement agreement states.

To reach that goal, the state must develop and implement certain relevant services, which include intensive care coordination. This is a “single point of accountability” for ensuring medically necessary Medicaid services are coordinated and delivered appropriately to Iowa youth, according to the settlement agreement.

State officials also agreed to provide intensive in-home and community therapeutic services, with the goal to “maximize the child’s ability to live and participate in the community and to function independently.” That includes individual and family therapy.

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The state must also boost its 24/7 mobile crisis intervention and stabilization services for young Iowans as part of this settlement agreement.

To support their effort, state officials say they will utilize additional Medicaid services to support children with serious emotional disturbances and “to help maintain them in their homes and communities and avoid higher levels of care and out-of-home placements.”

These additional services include respite care or other supports meant to help children build skills and help the family’s ability to successfully care for the child at home.

However, state officials warn that while it can request funding from state lawmakers for these initiatives, the settlement ultimately does not have authority over the Iowa Legislature.

Both parties also agreed to an independent monitor tasked with evaluating the state’s progress in implementing the proposed plan. The monitor — which will be a third-party selected at a later date — will issue reports on the state’s effort each year, per the settlement agreement.

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Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at mramm@registermedia.com or at (319) 339-7354.



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Iowa woman charged with numerous counts of child endangerment, animal neglect pleads guilty

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Iowa woman charged with numerous counts of child endangerment, animal neglect pleads guilty


WASHINGTON, Iowa (KCRG) – A Washington, Iowa, woman has pleaded guilty to several charges, including child endangerment, after police said they found dead animals and black mold in the home where she and four children were living.

A criminal complaint says the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services conducted a welfare check on the living conditions of four minor children at a home in the 600 block of South Marion Avenue on Dec. 13, 2024.

Police said Teresa Richmond, the children’s maternal grandmother, was living at the home at the time, and told officers she is a caretaker for the children.

Following the welfare check, police conducted a search warrant on Dec. 20, 2024.

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During the search, police found 24 live dogs, five live cats and three dead animals (one dog, one hedgehog and a bearded dragon).

Officers said there was urine and fecal matter throughout the home, and black mold in the basement due to a broken sewer pipe.

According to law enforcement, all the living animals were in poor condition, and Richmond was unable to provide proof of Rabies Vaccination for one of the dogs.

Richmond was charged with four counts of Child Endangerment, seven counts of Animal Neglect, three counts of Failure to Provide Current Rabies Vaccination, and three counts of Failure to Dispose of a Deceased Animal.

Court documents filed on Thursday say the court accepted Richmond’s guilty plea to one charge of failure to dispose of a dead animal. The two other charges of failure to dispose of a dead animal have been dropped.

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The court also accepted her guilty plea to three of the animal neglect charges and one of the rabies vaccination violations. The rest were dismissed. The court also accepted her plea of guilty to the child endangerment charges.

A sentencing hearing is set for March 13.

Two other adults were also charged in relation to this case. John Zaiss, 35, and Heather Egbert, 37, were charged with four counts of child endangerment each.

Paws and More, a Washington County animal shelter, took in the surviving animals following the arrests of Zaiss and Egbert.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services took in the four children that were found at the home.

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