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No. 9 Iowa State holds off K-State 77-71

Sports

January 21st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Monte Morris hit a floater with 37 seconds left and No. 9 Iowa State held off Kansas State 77-71 on Tuesday night, moving into a tie for first place in the Big 12. Jameel McKay had 15 points off the bench for the Cyclones (14-3, 4-1), who joined No. 11 Kansas atop the league. Iowa State beat Kansas in Ames 86-81 on Saturday.

Kansas State turned it over at mid-court after Morris put the Cyclones ahead 73-69. That miscue allowed Iowa State to seal the game at the line. Nino Williams had a season-high 22 points for Kansas State (11-8, 4-2), whose winning streak was snapped at four games.

Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., 1/21/15

News

January 21st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

ATLANTIC, Iowa (AP) — A woman from Atlantic who tricked people into thinking her daughter had cancer is avoiding jail time. A judge has sentenced Leatha Slauson to five years of probation and ordered her to continue mental health treatment. Donations for Slauson’s five-year-old daughter poured in after she pulled the hoax on Facebook.

CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say a previously convicted child sex offender has been arrested for violating his sex offender registry regulations. Police records say 45-year-old Kenneth F. Orr was arrested Monday at Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville for being within 300 feet of the mall’s ice rink and the Iowa Children’s Museum. Iowa law prohibits sex offenders from being within 300 feet of any place intended primarily for the use of minors.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Freshman Republican Sen. Joni Ernst says the newly empowered GOP-led Congress heard the voters’ message in November and will work to change the direction in Washington. Ernst delivered the GOP response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday. In excerpts released in advance, the Iowa senator says Republicans will make Washington focus on Americans’ concerns. She is criticizing Obama’s health care law as a failed policy.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A bill has been introduced in the Iowa Legislature that would force casinos to comply with the state’s smoking ban. Casino floors in Iowa are now exempt from following a 2008 law that prohibits smoking in public places. A bill sponsored by Sen. Herman Quirmbach, of Ames, would eliminate that exemption. The bill could face strong opposition from the casino industry. A spokesman for Republican Gov. Terry Branstad says the governor favors such a measure and would sign it into law.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A north-central Iowa man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug use and illegal firearm possession charges. Officials say 32-year-old Mark Harken, of Aplington, received the prison term. The sentence comes after his August 2014 guilty plea to one count of being a felon and illegally using methamphetamine while in possession of firearms and ammunition. Harken said he had five firearms, including one semi-automatic rifle.

KJAN listening area weather forecast: Wed., 1/21/15

Weather

January 21st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

331 AM CST WED JAN 21 2015

EARLY THIS MORNING…MOSTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY. NORTHWEST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH.

TODAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH AROUND 40. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 20S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 30S. NORTHWEST WIND AROUND 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE WEST IN THE AFTERNOON.

THURSDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE LOWER 20S. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

FRIDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 40S. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

FRIDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S.

SATURDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 40S.

Tuesday Boys Basketball Results

Sports

January 21st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Hawkeye 10:

  • Kuemper Catholic 66, Atlantic 49
  • Creston 76, Clarinda 39
  • Glenwood 56, Red Oak 32
  • Lewis Central 59, Denison-Schleswig 53
  • Shenandoah 76, St. Albert 65

Western Iowa:

  • A-H-S-T-W 64, Underwood 55
  • Griswold 49, Logan-Magnolia 45 (OT)
  • IKM-Manning 71, Riverside 27
  • Missouri Valley 60, Audubon 49
  • Treynor 68, Tri-Center 43

Rolling Valley:

  • Adair-Casey 79, West Harrison 46
  • Boyer Valley 58, Coon Rapids-Bayard 51
  • CAM 76, Woodbine 65
  • Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton 69, Charter Oak-Ute 37
  • Ar-We-Va 72, Paton-Churdan 60

Others:

  • Bedford 59, Southwest Valley 39
  • Earlham 56, Panorama, Panora 49
  • Lenox 66, Nodaway Valley 42
  • Sergeant Bluff-Luton 66, Abraham Lincoln 63

Corner Conference TournamentFirst Round

  • Clarinda Academy 57, East Mills 51
  • Fremont Mills 72, Heartland Christian 50
  • Sidney 63, Essex 52
  • Stanton 57, Nishnabotna 39

Cass County Attorney statement on Slauson sentence

News

January 20th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Cass County Attorney David L. Wiederstein, late Tuesday afternoon, issued a statement to the press about the sentencing earlier in the day of 30-year old Leatha Kaye Slauson to a term of 5-years probation, in association with a child cancer hoax. Wiederstein said “The Court clearly set forth the rationale for the sentence and I am not going to comment any further on the Judge’s ruling. The biggest form of punishment levied against Leatha this morning is further removing her from her status as a mother.”

“Atlantic and Cass County should not be ashamed with the overwhelming giving spirit it showed when the child was purportedly sick, and even more so the community-wide show of support to Riley since her mother’s criminal scheme was revealed. The longer that Leatha is not able to stand in the shoes of a parent, the more justice will be served.”

NANCY BARNETT, 71, of Broken Arrow, OK, formerly of Walnut (1-23-15)

Obituaries

January 20th, 2015 by Jim Field

NANCY BARNETT, 71, of Broken Arrow, OK, formerly of Walnut died Monday, January 19th at Broken Arrow Nursing Home.  Graveside service for NANCY BARNETT will be held on Friday, January 23rd at 3:00 pm in the St. Patrick Cemetery in Walnut.  Hockenberry Family Care of Atlantic has the arrangements.

——————————————————————-

NANCY BARNETT is survived by:

Brothers:  Robert Bigelow of Broken Arrow, OK and Darrell (Shei) Bigelow of Collinsville, OK.

Grant Helps Communities Inventory Public Trees

Ag/Outdoor, News

January 20th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

This year, 10 Iowa communities, including Atlantic, will participate in a public inventory of their trees through a U.S. Forest Service grant called Sustainable Urban Forestry Training and Assistance (SUFTA). The grant will fund training to municipal staff, non-profits and interested citizens, so communities can complete a public tree inventory, prepare for emerald ash borer and create a sustainable urban forestry program.

A volunteer participates in the Iowa Tree Inventory.

A volunteer participates in the Iowa Tree Inventory.

The eight-session training, administered by the DNR forestry bureau, will include tree identification, risk assessment, forest pest identification, technology training, tree planting, pruning/maintenance and inventory data collection.

Attendance at all eight training sessions is mandatory to take part in the community tree inventories.  Interested individuals, civic groups and clubs are asked to contact the local coordinator at the respective phone number for further details. In Atlantic, the training sessions begin Feb. 24th. For more information or to participate, call John Lund at 712-243-4810.

For more information about the Sustainable Urban Forestry Training and Assistance (SUFTA) grant program, contact Laura Wagner, grant coordinator at 515-725-8456 or laura.wagner@dnr.iowa.gov.

Acres Remain for Landowners wanting to Improve Pheasant Habitat

Ag/Outdoor, News

January 20th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Time is running out for landowners in Iowa’s 46 best pheasant counties to secure funding to restore pheasant habitat in Iowa’s core pheasant range. The Iowa Pheasant Recovery – State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) program is for Iowa landowners who want to restore top notch pheasant habitats to their property. It is a new USDA continuous CRP practice designed to restore native grasslands and wetlands where they will be the most beneficial for ring-necked pheasants.DNR logo

Iowa received 50,000 acres split between the 46 primary pheasant counties (37,500) and the 31 secondary pheasant counties (12,500). The 31 secondary counties enrolled all 12,500 acres before the 2014 pheasant season opened. An estimated 20,000 acres remain in the 46 primary pheasant counties.

Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says “We are getting a lot of pressure from landowners in the secondary counties to release these acres so they can make offers to enroll. Landowners in primary pheasant counties who are interested in this program shouldn’t wait to contact us because acres may be shifted to the secondary counties.”

Primary pheasant counties include (locally): Adair, Adams, Audubon, Carroll and Cass. Pheasant and other grassland birds are particularly vulnerable to harsh winters and wet springs. Restoring top quality winter and nesting/brood-rearing habitat will help pheasant populations recover and could boost annual harvest by 100,000 roosters.

CRP rental rates are at an all-time high in Iowa. Landowners should contact the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Bureau private lands staff to discuss eligibility and cost share assistance. A map of DNR staff contacts and a factsheet on the Iowa Pheasant Recovery program is available at www.iowadnr.gov/habitat

Council Bluffs plans renovation of historical building

News

January 20th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A Council Bluffs historical structure that’s stood vacant for years will soon undergo renovation. City parks director Larry Foster tells the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil of plans to create an open-air pavilion at a local building formerly used as a trolley equipment repair shop. The project will be funded by both public and private grants.

Foster says the Council Bluffs Public School District initially developed the idea for the space as the district’s summer lunch program needed a shelter in order to continue. Renovation includes removing three brick panels on two sides of the structure to open the building up and installing windows and the other two sides. Foster says the pavilion will be open to the public.

Foster says he’s unsure when construction will begin.

Sioux City teacher accused of having sex with student

News

January 20th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Sioux City teacher has been arrested on charges he had sex with a 16-year-old student. Court records say 29-year-old Erick DeLeon, a Sioux City Community School District teacher and coach, was charged Monday with felony exploitation by a school employee. He was released on bail Tuesday. The Sioux City Journal reports DeLeon is accused of sending sexually related text messages and engaging in sexual acts with the one of his female students at least twice from September through December.

DeLeon is set to appear in court Jan. 30.