United Group Insurance

Armed with new deal, Chiefs’ Smith looks forward

Sports

September 2nd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Smith didn’t have much choice when he was traded from San Francisco to Kansas City last year. He had the final say when it came to staying with the Chiefs, though. One day after signing a four-year extension that should solidify his future through the 2018 season, Smith expressed relief at being able to focus solely on football — rather than negotiations that had been going on for months, and that were threatening to bleed into the regular season.

Smith said he made it clear to his agent, Tom Condon, he wanted an agreement done before the start of the season. Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said that was also his goal. The Chiefs open the regular season against Tennessee on Sunday.

Posted in Sports |

Southwest Iowa women charged with dependent adult abuse

News

September 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

HAMBURG, Iowa (AP) – Two women responsible for the care of a woman with a seizure disorder who was immobile and unable to speak have been charged with dependent adult abuse. The Omaha World-Herald reports 51-year old Lisa Kay Moody died on Nov. 16th from pneumonia. Fremont County Attorney James Burger says Moody had serious bedsores that reflected inadequate care.

Burger says he has charged 72-year old JoAnn Clark, a home care provider, and 54-year-old Tamara O’Neil, a nurse advising Clark on Moody’s care. Clark’s trial is scheduled for late this month and O’Neil’s is in October. Both say they’re not guilty.

Clark’s attorney, Corey Becker of Sidney, says his client cared very much for Moody after caring for her for years and she will be exonerated. O’Neil’s attorney declined to comment.

Posted in News |

1 killed, 1 injured in Greene County crash, Monday

News

September 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A man from Boone died and two Oskaloosa residents were injured during a collision Monday morning in central Iowa’s Greene County. The Iowa State Patrol says 27-year old Daniel Reetz, of Boone, died at the scene of the crash on Highway 30, about a mile east of Grand Junction near 220th Street. The accident happened at around 9:30-a.m., Monday. Reetz was not wearing a seat belt.

Officials say Reetz’ 2001 Chevy Impala was traveling west on Highway 30 in a reckless manner, when his car crossed the center line of the road and hit an eastbound 2007 Cadillac Escalade driven by 25-year old Lombardo Ramos, of Oskaloosa.

Ramos and his unidentified female passenger, who were wearing their seat belts, were transported to the hospital in Jefferson. Their injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

Posted in News |

A-P High School Football Poll after week 1 (released 9/1/14)

Sports

September 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Top Ten teams in the first Associated Press Iowa high school football polls of the 2014 season with first-place votes in parentheses and won-loss record, total points and position last week at right:
Class 4A
Record Pts Prv
1. West Des Moines Dowling (8) 1-0 89 –
2. Waukee (1) 1-0 80 –
3. Bettendorf 1-0 70 –
4. Cedar Rapids Washington 1-0 52 –
5. Ankeny Centennial 1-0 46 –
6. Johnston 1-0 36 –
7. West Des Moines Valley 0-1 28 –
8. Eldridge North Scott 1-0 27 –
(tie) Cedar Falls 1-0 27 –
10. Iowa City West 1-0 16 –

Others receiving votes: 11, Sioux City East (1-0) 13. 12, Urbandale (1-0) 3. 12, Marion Linn-Mar (1-0) 3. 14, Council Bluffs Lincoln (1-0) 2. 14, Ankeny (1-0) 2. 16, Ottumwa (1-0) 1.

Class 3A
Record Pts Prv
1. Pella (3) 1-0 80 –
2. Solon (3) 1-0 73 –
3. Cedar Rapids Xavier (3) 1-0 67 –
4. Manchester West Delaware 1-0 48 –
5. Harlan 1-0 46 –
6. Sioux City Heelan 0-1 33 –
(tie) Waverly-Shell Rock 1-0 33 –
8. Davenport Assumption 0-1 29 –
9. Gilbert 1-0 25 –
10. Humboldt 1-0 24 –

Others receiving votes: 11, Carroll (1-0) 23. 12, Bondurant Farrar (1-0) 8. 13, Boyden-Hull-RV (1-0) 3. 14, Huxley Ballard (1-0) 2. 15, Dallas Center-Grimes (1-0) 1.

Class 2A
Record Pts Prv
1. Clear Lake (6) 1-0 85 –
2. New Hampton (1) 1-0 61 –
3. West Union North Fayette 1-0 58 –
4. Central Lyon-GLR (2) 1-0 57 –
5. Spirit Lake 1-0 53 –
6. Williamsburg 1-0 43 –
7. Cascade 1-0 39 –
8. Albia 1-0 31 –
9. Sioux Center 1-0 21 –
10. Mediapolis 1-0 16 –

Others receiving votes: 11, Hampton-Dumont (1-0) 12. 12, Dyersville Beckman (1-0) 10. 13, Baxter CMB (1-0) 5. 14, Tama South Tama (1-0) 3. 15, Clarion-Goldfield (1-0) 1.

Class 1A
Record Pts Prv
1. Iowa City Regina (7) 0-1 81 –
2. Calmar South Winneshiek (1) 1-0 76 –
3. Fort Dodge St. Edmond (1) 1-0 70 –
4. West Branch 1-0 56 –
5. Dike-New Hartford 1-0 47 –
6. St. Ansgar 1-0 38 –
7. Emmetsburg 1-0 31 –
8. Manson-NW Webster 1-0 20 –
9. Sigourney-Keota 1-0 16 –
10. Ogden 1-0 14 –

Others receiving votes: 11, Sumner-Fredericksburg (1-0) 13. 12, Hinton (1-0) 10. 13, Inwood West Lyon (0-1) 7. 14, IKM/Manning (1-0) 6. 15, Stanwood North Cedar (1-0) 4. 16, Jewell South Hamilton (1-0) 2. 16, Madrid (1-0) 2. 18, Pella Christian (1-0) 1. 18, South Central Calhoun (1-0) 1.

Class A
Record Pts Prv
1. Delhi Maquoketa Valley (2) 1-0 83 –
2. Council Bluffs St. Albert (6) 1-0 81 –
3. Logan-Magnolia 1-0 55 –
4. Ackley AGWSR 1-0 52 –
5. Packwood Pekin (1) 1-0 47 –
6. Fairbank Wapsie Valley 1-0 36 –
7. Nashua-Plainfield 1-0 34 –
8. Lawton-Bronson 1-0 31 –
9. Lone Tree 1-0 16 –
10. Algona Garrigan 0-1 14 –

Others receiving votes: 11, Gladbrook-Reinbeck (0-1) 10. 12, Audubon (1-0) 8. 13, Mount Ayr (0-1) 7. 14, Earlham (1-0) 6. 14, Brooklyn BGM (0-1) 6. 16, Montezuma (1-0) 4. 17, Belmond-Klemme (1-0) 2. 18, Danville (1-0) 1. 18, Belle Plaine (1-0) 1. 18, Hawarden West Sioux (1-0) 1.

Class 8-Man
Record Pts Prv
1. Gilbertville-Don Bosco (1) 1-0 74 –
(tie) Elk Horn-Kimballton Exira (4) 1-0 74 –
3. Fremont Mills, Tabor (2) 1-0 63 –
4. East Mills (2) 1-0 50 –
5. Janesville 1-0 49 –
6. Marcus MMC 1-0 40 –
7. HLV, Victor 1-0 30 –
8. Jackson Junction Turkey Valley 1-0 27 –
(tie) Glidden-Ralston 1-0 27 –
10. West Bend-Mallard 1-0 21 –

Others receiving votes: 11, Springville (1-0) 8. 12, Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire (1-0) 7. 12, Melcher-Dallas (1-0) 7. 14, Elkader Central (1-0) 6. 15, Guthrie Center (1-0) 4. 15, Coon Rapids-Bayard (1-0) 4. 17, Anita CAM (1-0) 3. 18, Adair-Casey (0-1) 1.

Posted in Sports |

Holliday, Wong lead Cardinals past Pirates, 5-4

Sports

September 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Matt Holliday had the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning after Kolten Wong’s pinch-hit homer tied the score, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. St. Louis took sole possession of first place in the NL Central for the first time this season with its third straight win. The Cardinals moved one game ahead of Milwaukee, which lost to the Chicago Cubs.

St. Louis scored three in the seventh. Wong homered off Pittsburgh starter Gerrit Cole (7-5) to tie the score at 4-all. Jon Jay followed with a triple and scored on Holliday’s single to left. Holliday, who also had a two-run double in the third, is 7 for 11 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in the last three games.

Seth Maness (6-3) picked up win in relief. Trevor Rosenthal got the last three outs for his 41st save.

Posted in Sports |

Accident in Red Oak possibly the result of mechanical failure

News

September 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

An accident Monday afternoon in Red Oak resulted in a total of about $4,600 damage, but no one was injured. According to a police report, 17-year old Cara Belle Hale, of Red Oak, was traveling south on north 4th Street at around 12:20-p.m, when the steering wheel on the 2001 Ford Taurus she was driving began to shake and the brakes failed.

As the teen was trying to turn onto the High School Road, the vehicle crossed the center line, went off the road just south of High School Road, and went through a ditch filled with water. The vehicle continued and struck a berm on the north side of a bike trail. The impact caused the right side of the car to leave the ground for about 10-feet. The vehicle finally came to rest on the south berm, next to the bike trail.

Officials say no citations were issued, pending an investigation into the car’s mechanical issues. Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Posted in News |

Iowa State football off to another awful start

Sports

September 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — One of the defining qualities of Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads is his ability to generate optimism in lieu of success. It’s going to be tough to keep selling hope after another awful start.

The Cyclones (0-1) didn’t just drop their first game for the second year in a row. They fell at home, 34-14, to North Dakota State — an FCS program with 22 fewer scholarships, a new coach and a new quarterback.

Considering what lies ahead for the Cyclones in the coming weeks, starting Saturday against Kansas State (1-0), Rhoads’ stated goal of a bowl win this season already seems a bit out of reach.

Posted in Sports |

Missouri Valley neighborhood evacuated

News

September 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

(Updated 4-p.m.)

MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa (AP) – Residents of a neighborhood in Missouri Valley have been evacuated after water from the overflowing Boyer River broke through a levee. About 70 residents in the southeast corner of the city were asked to leave their homes after the levee breach occurred at around 7 a.m. Monday two miles east of Missouri Valley near U.S. Highway 30.

Residents on four streets have been evacuated as of noon. Mayor Clint Sargent says a shelter was set up in the city of 2,700 but no one has made use of it with most people staying with relatives or friends.

Sargent says it’s unclear how long the evacuation will be needed but the river was receding.

Posted in News |

Storms roll through Midwest with strong winds

News, Weather

September 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A storm spotter remains hospitalized in Sioux City after lightning struck him as storms moved across several Midwest states Sunday night leaving power outages, trees down and campers overturned. Hardest hit in Iowa was the Denison area where Crawford County Emergency Management Director Gregory Miller says five travel trailers were overturned at Yellow Smoke Park. No injuries were reported.

Miller says winds of at least 70 miles an hour knocked down trees and blew down outbuildings on two farms. Denison and areas to the south saw flash flooding from heavy rain.

In Nebraska, Omaha officials rescued eight people from the fast-moving Elkhorn River and some buildings were damaged by strong winds. In Kansas City, the Indians-Royals game was suspended due to rain.

Posted in News, Weather |

ISU WR Bundrage out for season

Sports

September 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State wide receiver Quenton Bundrage is out for the season with a knee injury. Cyclones coach Paul Rhoads said Monday that Bundrage tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Saturday’s loss to North Dakota State. Bundrage, who led the Cyclones with 48 catches for 676 yards and 9 TDs last season, injured his knee just four plays into a 34-14 loss to the Bison.

Rhaods says freshman Allen Lazard and transfer D’Vario Montgomery will likely get more playing time in Bundrage’s absence. Iowa State (0-1) hosts Kansas State (1-0) on Saturday.

Posted in Sports |