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Home Care In Shell Rock, IA

Home Care Shell Rock, IA

They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.

However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic The Old Mill gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Shell Rock, IA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.

In-Home Care Shell Rock, IA

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The Always Best Care Difference

Since 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.

Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.

The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.

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“Always Best is OK but doesn’t seem to make up hours very well. When the”

Always Best is OK but doesn’t seem to make up hours very well. When the caregiver is sick, nobody comes. I would think that they need a little more back up than they have right now. They give me a schedule, and billing is paid by Medicaid.
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“I knew a lady who works for Always Best Health Care that's why I chose”

I knew a lady who works for Always Best Health Care that's why I chose it. The caregiver is very good with a very good attitude. They were able to provide the caregiver for myself immediately. She accompanies me to shopping.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Always Best is OK but doesn’t seem to make up hours very well. When the caregiver is sick, nobody comes. I would think that they need a little more back up than they have right now. They give me a schedule, and billing is paid by Medicaid.”

DouglasJJIWF
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TESTIMONIALS

“I knew a lady who works for Always Best Health Care that's why I chose it. The caregiver is very good with a very good attitude. They were able to provide the caregiver for myself immediately. She accompanies me to shopping.”

Carol64210350

What is Non-Medical Senior Care in Shell Rock, IA?

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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.

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When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

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The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

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At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

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Senior Care Shell Rock, IA

Types of Elderly Care in Shell Rock, IA

To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:

Personal Care

Personal Care Services

If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.

Common personal care services include assistance with:

  • Eating
  • Mobility Issues
  • Incontinence
  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Grooming
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Respite Care Shell Rock, IA
Home Helper

Home Helper Services

Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.

Common home helper care services include assistance with:

  • Medication Reminders
  • Meal Preparation
  • Pet Care
  • Prescription Refills
  • Morning Wake-Up
  • Walking
  • Reading
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Caregivers Shell Rock, IA
Companionship Services

Companionship Services

Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Shell Rock Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.

Common companionship services include:

  • Grocery Shopping
  • Transportation to Appointments
  • Nutritional Assistance
  • Conversation
  • Planning Outings
  • Completing Errands
  • Transportation to Community
  • Events and Social Outings
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Home Care Shell Rock, IA
Respite Care

Respite Care Services

According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Riverview Cafe or visit Site of Former CRI&P Depot, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.

At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.

If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.

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In-Home Care Shell Rock, IA

Benefits of Home Care in Shell Rock, IA

Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:

Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.

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Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?

A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.

With the help of elderly care in Shell Rock, IA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.

Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.

In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

Elderly Care Shell Rock, IA

Affordable Care

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

If your loved one qualifies, Medicaid may help reduce in-home care costs. Review your IA's Medicaid program laws and benefits, and make sure your senior's financial and medical needs meet Medicaid eligibility requirements.
Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.
Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.
Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.
Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.
Senior Care Shell Rock, IA

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers.

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Shell Rock, IA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

Assisted Living Referral Services

While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.

Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.

Respite Care Shell Rock, IA

At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.

Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:

  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Recreational Activities
  • Social Outings
  • Emergency Medical Response
  • Medication Monitoring
  • Family Visitation
  • Personal Care
Caregivers Shell Rock, IA

At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.

Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.

Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:

  • The Meadows of Shell Rock
  • Shell Rock Health Care Center
Home Care Shell Rock, IA

For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.

In-Home Care Shell Rock, IA

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way

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A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive

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Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider

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Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Shell Rock, IA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

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Elderly Care Shell Rock, IA

Latest News in Shell Rock, IA

Cole Marsh commits to Hawkeyes as preferred walk-on TE

The Iowa Hawkeyes added another name to their 2024 class, picking up a commitment from Waverly-Shell Rock’s Cole Marsh as a preferred walk-on.The 6-foot-6, 215 pound prospect plays quarterback in high school, but the Go-Hawk is coming to Iowa City on a preferred walk-on offer to play tight end.Marsh had an offer from Northern Iowa and was also drawing interest from Iowa State, but the walk-on opportunity with Iowa won out. As Waverly-Shell Roc...

The Iowa Hawkeyes added another name to their 2024 class, picking up a commitment from Waverly-Shell Rock’s Cole Marsh as a preferred walk-on.

The 6-foot-6, 215 pound prospect plays quarterback in high school, but the Go-Hawk is coming to Iowa City on a preferred walk-on offer to play tight end.

Marsh had an offer from Northern Iowa and was also drawing interest from Iowa State, but the walk-on opportunity with Iowa won out. As Waverly-Shell Rock’s quarterback last season, Marsh completed 58 passes for 954 yards and 10 touchdowns and ran for another three scores. The Go-Hawks compiled a 10-1 record and advanced to the Class 4A state quarterfinals.

Extremely excited to announce my commitment to the University of Iowa!@HawkeyeFootball pic.twitter.com/qjzWSejeeG

— Cole Marsh (@ColeMarsh18) July 18, 2023

A multi-sport athlete, he also averaged 14.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 blocks per game playing basketball for Waverly-Shell Rock. Marsh shared with Blair Sanderson of On3’s Hawkeye Report why Iowa was the right fit.

“I have been a Hawkeye fan my whole life. I chose a preferred walk-on opportunity to Iowa over scholarship offers to other schools because this opportunity is once in a lifetime, and I can’t pass up on it.

“The coaching staff at Iowa is amazing and has been great to me throughout the recruiting process. The energy inside of Kinnick Stadium is unmatched. I love Iowa City. It’s such a great town and it’s not too far from home. I just feel like this is the best place for me to develop, not only as a player but as a person and a student in the classroom. I plan to do something in business and Iowa has an amazing business program,” Marsh said of his decision to commit to the black and gold.

Per Sanderson, Marsh played tight end for the first time in his life at the Hawkeyes’ June camp. Marsh’s play impressed the Iowa coaching staff enough to earn the preferred walk-on offer.

“I came to camp as a tight end having never played tight end before, but I competed and tried to do everything to the best of my ability. A couple weeks after camp, I got a call telling me I had a preferred walk-on opportunity from Iowa.

“I will be coming in as a tight end, but that could change when I get there. The opportunity to be part of a program like Iowa doesn’t come around often and I’m very excited about it,” Marsh said.

Marsh joins a trio of other preferred walk-ons in Iowa’s 2024 class. That group also features Central Lyon safety and linebacker Graham Eben, Grundy Center defensive tackle Trent Cakerice and Kuemper Catholic tight end DJ Vonnahme.

Here’s a look at Marsh’s junior season Hudl highlights with Waverly-Shell Rock.

Cole Marsh Junior Season

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Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

Waverly-Shell Rock mulls future after being voted out of Northeast Iowa Conference

WAVERLY, Iowa (KWWL)- Waverly-Shell Rock will need to find a new conference to play sports in after the Northeast Iowa Conference voted five to one to remove them on Friday.The superintendents from Charles City, Howard Winneshiek (Crestwood), New Hampton and Waukon all voted for the resolutions, with Waverly-Shell Rock as the lone dissenting vote. The move becomes effective in June of 2023.Ted Ihns, the Superintendent for Howard Winneshiek Schools, said it is about numbers. Waverly-Shell Rock is much larger than all of the othe...

WAVERLY, Iowa (KWWL)- Waverly-Shell Rock will need to find a new conference to play sports in after the Northeast Iowa Conference voted five to one to remove them on Friday.

The superintendents from Charles City, Howard Winneshiek (Crestwood), New Hampton and Waukon all voted for the resolutions, with Waverly-Shell Rock as the lone dissenting vote. The move becomes effective in June of 2023.

Ted Ihns, the Superintendent for Howard Winneshiek Schools, said it is about numbers. Waverly-Shell Rock is much larger than all of the other schools in the conference and is two or two and half times bigger than some of them.

"It does come down to competitiveness, we have 25 kids off for seventh-grade football, and they have 60 or whatever the numbers might be. It does become a disadvantage overall," Ihns said. "That wasn't necessarily a driving force in that, but it comes down to making sure that our kids are in a competitive league with schools that are very similar to our size, and right now, Waverly didn't fit that mold."

Waverly-Shell Rock has 596 students in grades 9-11, over 100 more than the next closest district in the conference, Decorah, with 430. Charles City has 399, Crestwood has 305, Waukon has 286 and New Hampton has 272.

Waverly-Shell Rock Athletics Director Greg Bodensteiner said those numbers are a little skewed because there are some big classes in the high school, but there are smaller classes behind them, and he expects the school to be back down around 550 in a few years.

"There's been stress on our league for several years," Bodensteiner said. "Our community is slowly growing, our school is slowly growing, and just about everybody else has slowly gotten smaller and it's created an insurmountable gap there."

Bodensteiner said the district was not surprised by the vote on Friday. He said Oelwein's departure from the NEIC to the North Iowa Cedar League set the conference shifting in motion.

"When Oelwein left, and we ultimately went down to a 6 team league, I think everybody in the Northeast Iowa conference knew the long-term sustainability of the conference probably wasn't there," he said.

Bodensteiner said the writing was on the wall when the Upper Iowa Conference invited ten schools, including New Hampton, Waukon and Crestwood to join the conference in February.

"Either some of those schools were going to go to the upper Iowa conference, and our league would cease to exist, or our league needed to make some moves to expand," he said. "We were going to be an insurmountable hurdle for expansion because all of those schools are smaller than what currently is the smallest school in our league. Given our BEDS number, that was going to be a hurdle that they weren't going to be able to overcome."

The NEIC now needs to attract new members. Without Waverly-Shell Rock, they only have five schools. If any of the three smaller schools switch to the Upper Iowa Conference, the NEIC would no longer be viable.

This week the conference sent invitations to MFL Marmac, North Fayette Valley, Oelwein, Osage and Sumner-Fredricksburg.

Ihns said his district are waiting on the others schools to respond to the invitation and keep the Northeast Iowa conference intact. If not, they are keeping other avenues open.

"If this were to come to fruition where we could get some other schools to join, is that something we want to do? And if not, what are the next steps?" he said. "I don't think any decisions have been firmly set in stone yet, but we as a school district are looking at our options on what the next steps are right now."

There have been complaints of bad sportsmanship by Waverly-Shell Rock in the past, but both Ihns and Bodensteiner said this move is not about that.

At the moment, Waverly-Shell Rock does not have a plan for its future, but Bodensteiner said the school board would recommend the next steps in finding a new league.

For the Go-Hawks, finding a new, long-term conference home may be challenging because Waverly is a unique community without another one around the is like it.

"We're either going to be bigger than most schools or way smaller one way or the other," he said. "There's just if there were a whole bunch of schools that were similar to our size, and they were within an hour away really shallow rock should be straightforward, we would try to go to that league, and we do everything we could, to try to get in there, but that place doesn't exist."

With any league they apply to, Bodensteiner expects there will be some hurdles like whether they have an even number of teams or have just undergone a change in schools in the conference.

If the Go-Hawks cannot find a new conference, they can file a grievance with the State Department of Education to allow them to come in and mediate.

"The biggest thing for us is figuring out what's best for Waverly-Shell Rock starting with the 2023-2024 school year," Bodensteiner said. "We got to look out for ourselves and do what's best for our school in our athletic and fine arts programs."

Waverly-Shell Rock's Jake Walker commits to both wrestle and play football at Wartburg

Jake Walker, Waverly-Shell Rock’s talented multi-sport senior, couldn’t decide whether to play football or wrestle in college, so he found a school that's going to let him do both.Walker announced his commitment to Division III Wartburg on Monday, choosing to stay home over other opportunities from Northern Iowa, Navy, and even Iowa, among others. He projects as a heavywei...

Jake Walker, Waverly-Shell Rock’s talented multi-sport senior, couldn’t decide whether to play football or wrestle in college, so he found a school that's going to let him do both.

Walker announced his commitment to Division III Wartburg on Monday, choosing to stay home over other opportunities from Northern Iowa, Navy, and even Iowa, among others. He projects as a heavyweight wrestler and future contributor on the defensive line.

“Just couldn’t give up football quite yet,” Walker told the Des Moines Register. “Plus I get to do it in front of my hometown, which is freaking awesome.”

Walker is both an all-state football player and an All-American wrestler for the Go-Hawks. As his recruiting process unfolded, he was pulled in many directions as he decided which sport to play — and there were many opportunities for both.

On the mat, Walker finished his prep career as a four-time state medalist and three-time Class 3A state finalist with a 139-24 career record. He helped the Go-Hawks to three traditional state team championships and three more state duals crowns.

Nationally, Walker is considered the No. 123 overall prospect in the 2023 class by MatScouts. He is also ranked No. 19 nationally at 285 pounds. He earned All-American honors at both the 16U and Junior national championships, and twice finished in the top-six at the Cadet freestyle world team trials.

On the gridiron, Walker was a force at defensive tackle, earning first-team All-Iowa honors this past season. He helped Waverly-Shell Rock to a 20-3 record over the last two seasons, during which he racked up a combined 56 tackles, including 22.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

From a recruiting standpoint, Walker was an under-the-radar prospect in both sports. He had conversations with coaches about playing football at Northern Iowa, wrestling at Navy, and even trying both at Iowa, alongside Iowa City High’s Ben Kueter.

Ultimately, he decided to stay home and do both. His father, Steve, is an assistant athletic director at Wartburg. His mom, Jennifer, coaches the women’s volleyball team. He’s known wrestling coach Eric Keller and head football coach Eric Winter since he was very young. The familiarity paired with his desires to play both sports won out.

“They said they would work with me,” Walker said when asked how he might balance both sports, “which is probably what every coach has told an athlete trying to do both, but I’ve known these coaches since I was young so I believe these guys.”

On top of that, Walker is stepping into two programs who consistently compete for championships at the Division III level.

Wartburg wrestling is one of the D-III’s legendary wrestling brands, with 15 national team titles and another 10 runner-up finishes since 1993. The Knights’ football program is also 50-10 over the last five seasons, with four postseason appearances, reaching the NCAA quarterfinals in 2017 and the semifinal round this past season.

"I am excited to announce that I will be furthering my academic and athletic career at Wartburg College," Walker wrote in an Instagram post, announcing his decision. "I would like to thank my coaches, teammates and family for supporting me to get to this point."

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at@codygoodwin.

Waverly-Shell Rock beats Southeast Polk in another thrilling Class 3A state duals final

CORALVILLE — A lot of things were different about the state duals championship this year.There was, first and foremost, a new location. After more than a decade at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, the Iowa High School Athletic Association moved the state dual championships here to Xtream Arena...

CORALVILLE — A lot of things were different about the state duals championship this year.

There was, first and foremost, a new location. After more than a decade at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, the Iowa High School Athletic Association moved the state dual championships here to Xtream Arena.

There was, most importantly, a new date. The IHSAA moved the entire dual postseason so that it no longer clashed with the individual tournament schedule. The state duals championships were previously held the day before the traditional state tournament.

But while a lot of the surrounding details about this year’s state duals tournament had changed, a few things stayed the same — like the winners (at least in two of the three classes).

In Class 3A, Waverly-Shell Rock stormed from the 3-seed to the top of the podium, taking down both second-seeded Bettendorf, 36-28, and top-seeded Southeast Polk, 36-33, to win a third-consecutive, and seventh overall, large-class state duals title.

In 1A, Don Bosco took out both Nashua-Plainfield, 43-27, and a red-hot Wilton squad, 36-25, to win a third straight small-class state duals championship and their fifth crown in the last six seasons.

A new champ was crowned in 2A, as top-seeded Osage unseated four-time defending champion West Delaware, 37-28, in a down-to-the-wire thriller. The Green Devils are state duals champs for the first time since 2006, and the fifth time in school history.

With around 4,000 fans, unofficially, packed into Xtream Arena throughout Saturday, Iowa’s top high school programs put on a show, setting the stage for what’s expected to be another exhilarating postseason, as district tournaments are set for next weekend.

Here’s how the 2023 state duals champions were crowned:

Waverly-Shell Rock rises over Bettendorf, Southeast Polk

The Go-Hawks used fast starts in both the semifinals and finals to take down both Bettendorf and Southeast Polk — the two teams who are likely to be their primary adversaries in the traditional state tournament in two weeks.

Against the second-seeded Bulldogs, a young-yet-talented team this season, Waverly-Shell Rock clinched the semifinal showdown by simply winning eight of the first 10 matches. The Go-Hawks scored four pins and also won a trio of key swing matches:

In the other semifinal, Southeast Polk downed Ankeny, 42-20, setting up the fifth-straight large-class state duals final between the Rams and the Go-Hawks. Southeast Polk won in 2019 and 2020 while Waverly-Shell Rock won in 2021 and 2022.

The Go-Hawks again used a fast start to take the rubber match, storming out to a 20-0 lead on pins from Ryder Block (138) and Bas Diaz (145) and Ethan Bibler’s technical fall at 152. The Rams made it 24-10 at the halfway mark, but just like the last two years, a key win in the heavy weights propelled Waverly-Shell Rock to victory.

The last two years, it’s been Layne McDonald keying Waverly-Shell Rock to titles — so much that he was nicknamed “ram killer” by his coaches and teammates. McDonald pinned Southeast Polk’s Kalob Runyon in 2021 to lead the Go-Hawks to a lopsided 59-12 win. Last year, he pinned Cooper Martinson in a 30-26 triumph.

On Saturday, it was sophomore Caden Wetherell, with an 8-1 win at 220 over Harrison Gibson, a returning state medalist who bumped up from 195 and then cost the Rams a team point afterward for unsportsmanlike conduct. Wetherell gave the Go-Hawks a 27-9 lead, putting them in firm control with six matches to go.

“I just thought, if I stick to the basics, I’ll do great,” said Wetherell, who was at Wells Fargo Arena last year when McDonald pinned Martinson. “As soon as I started scoring, I believed in myself more and more. From there, I knew that I had it.”

Jake Walker’s pin at 285 meant the Rams needed to pin out for gold. Ryker Graff, a one-time Southeast Polk wrestler who moved to Waverly-Shell Rock last summer, ensured that wouldn’t happen. His 3-2 win over Wil Oberbroeckling at 113 pounds mathematically clinched the dual for the Go-Hawks.

“It was definitely electric,” said Graff, who also clinched the Junior Greco-Roman national duals title for Team Iowa last July. “They say diamonds are made from pressure. I guess that’s where I get it from.

“We’re peaking at the right time. These guys were all fired up and we were ready to go.”

Osage cruises into 2A final, wins thriller over West Delaware

Osage has long been viewed as the team to beat in Class 2A this season, and made good on that expectation by winning the 2A state duals championship — but it required some fight in Saturday night’s final to rip the title from West Delaware.

The Green Devils won eight of 14 matches to win 37-28 over the Hawks, who sought a fifth straight 2A state duals crown, but the dual wasn’t formally clinched until Anders Kittelson pinned Ryan Hilby in the second-period of the final match.

“I was prepared for that,” Kittelson said. “I was confident and ready to go. Yeah, there might be some pressure, but pressure builds diamonds. You have to come up big in those moments. Just go out there and have fun. When I’m having fun, I’m fine.”

Osage won four of the first five matches — a technical fall from Tucker Stangel (145), pin from Nick Fox (170), and two gutsy 3-2 wins by Chase Thomas over Brent Yonkovic at 152 and Max Gast over Logan Peyton at 160 — but West Delaware won five of the next seven, including three by fall, to come within 29-28 with two matches remaining.

There, Blake Fox, a seasoned freshman, bumped to 126 and downed Jax Miller, 6-0, teeing up Kittelson to finish the job. The junior built a 10-3 lead before pinning Hilby on the edge in 3:01.

“Couldn’t let the environment get the best of me,” Kittelson said. “I trusted in my abilities. I visualizes those moments. I want to be an individual state champ, so I visualize those big moments. That helped me stay calm.

“We were confident coming in. We know we’re the best team. We have so many hammers in the lineup that are going to go out and make some noise in the individual tournament. We’re want to take both of them.”

Don Bosco tops Wilton in exciting 1A tournament

What was maybe the most anticipated final — at least to this writer — was the one that, mathematically, ended first.

Don Bosco continued their 1A reign with a 36-25 finals victory over Wilton. The Dons won eight of the first nine weights, including four by fall, to put the Beavers away with five matches still to go.

Wilton charged into Saturday night’s final by winning a riveting 36-33 semifinal over third-seeded Alburnett. The Pirates led 21-9 after six matches, but Wilton rolled up four consecutive pins, plus a 5-2 decision from Mason Shirk at 106, to lead 36-21. Alburnett needed three pins to win, but got just one, sending the Beavers to the final.

There, Don Bosco smothered Wilton, the same way they smothered Nashua-Plainfield, the eventual third-place finishers, in the semifinals — and the same way they hope to continue to smother the rest of the Class 1A field at Wells Fargo Arena later this month.

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at@codygoodwin.

2023 State Duals Championships

Class 3A: Waverly-Shell Rock 36, Southeast Polk 33

Class 2A: Osage 37, West Delaware 28

Class 1A: Don Bosco 35, Wilton 26

Iowa cooperative to sell stake in soybean processor

CONRAD, IOWA, US — The board of directors of Mid-Iowa Cooperative (MIC) said it has approved the sale of the cooperative’s shares in Shell Rock Soy Processing, LLC (SRSP). MIC did not disclose who is buying the shares, noting only that it was presented with a “significant offer” for its ownership and that the offer “validates the initial investment made two years ago to develop this modern soybean processing plant.”“Selling MIC’s shares was no easy decision,” said Ben Bader, presid...

CONRAD, IOWA, US — The board of directors of Mid-Iowa Cooperative (MIC) said it has approved the sale of the cooperative’s shares in Shell Rock Soy Processing, LLC (SRSP). MIC did not disclose who is buying the shares, noting only that it was presented with a “significant offer” for its ownership and that the offer “validates the initial investment made two years ago to develop this modern soybean processing plant.”

“Selling MIC’s shares was no easy decision,” said Ben Bader, president of the MIC board. “We thought long and hard on this. MIC’s board and leadership have spent significant time on this project and anticipated keeping MIC’s ownership long term. When we were presented with a high rate of return on our initial investment, we knew we’d succeeded in creating a new market that will generate significant returns for our members long-term.”

MIC joined AGR Partners in the spring of 2021 in providing financing to SRSP to complete the construction of the latter’s soybean crushing plant in Shell Rock, Iowa, US. The plant became operational earlier this year and currently crushes about 40 million bushels of soybeans annual, or 110,000 bushels daily. In addition to the soybean oil, SRSP produces roughly 900,000 tonnes per year of soybean meal, along with soy hulls for livestock feed. SRSP also produces soy oil that may be used for a variety of applications, including livestock feed, fuel and the human food industry.

“Shell Rock Soy Processing owes a lot to Mid Iowa Cooperative for their forward thinking and early efforts on this successful project,” said Corey Jorgenson, chief executive officer and general manager of Shell Rock. “We thank them for the great work, which ultimately created a compelling story for the rest of the investors in the project. This is a great win-win for everyone, as existing investors were able to grow their ownership share while Mid-Iowa achieved their return objectives.”

Bruce Kempf, chief executive officer of MIC, said the sale of its shares will allow MIC “to accelerate improvements to its current assets, create new end-user opportunities, and return equity back to members.”

MIC is a progressive, farmer-owned company with significant investments in feed, grain and grain-processing assets. MIC has 92 employees and 13 locations spanning five central Iowa counties.

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