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Martinez, Gibson sharp in starts; Cards beat Twins 3-1

Sports

March 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — St. Louis’ Carlos Martinez and Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson each enhanced their chances of earning a spot in their team’s rotation with solid outings, and the Cardinals beat the Twins 3-1 on Wednesday. Martinez cruised into the fifth, holding the Twins to one hit, but Jason Bartlett had an RBI single to right-center in the sixth that ended the right-hander’s scoreless string at 14 innings.

For Bartlett, the hit was his first of the spring in 27 at-bats. Making his fourth appearance — second start — Gibson limited the Cardinals to Matt Adams’ second homer of spring training in 4 1-3 innings. Gibson allowed four hits.

Peter Bourjos doubled and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by Samuel Deduno in the eighth inning.

JERRY BICE, 52, of Des Moines (Svcs. at a later date)

Obituaries

March 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

JERRY BICE, 52, of Des Moines, died Tue., March 18th, at his home in Des Moines. Memorial services for JERRY BICE will be held at a later date. Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold has the arrangements.

JERRY BICE is survived by:

His parents – Walter Leroy and Delores Bice of Griswold.

His sisters – Debra Bradburn of Rialto, CA, Carla Peirson of Sioux City, IA, and Lana Thompson of Lake Ozark, MO.

His brother – Keith Bice of Columbus, NE.

Vols rally to beat Iowa 78-65 in OT at First Four

Sports

March 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Jarnell Stokes dominated inside as Tennessee finally caught up in the closing minutes of regulation, and then opened overtime with a three-point play that got the Volunteers headed to a 78-65 victory over Iowa on Wednesday night in the NCAA’s First Four. The Volunteers’ late comeback sent them Raleigh, N.C., where they’ll play sixth-seeded Massachusetts on Friday in the Midwest Regional.

Tennessee (22-12) didn’t lead until Antonio Barton’s 3-pointer put the Vols up 59-57 with 3:05 left regulation. There were five lead changes before the Vols’ Jordan McRae missed a jumper missed at the buzzer, leaving it tied at 64. Stokes’ three-point play was the key moment in his 18-point, 13-rebound performance. Iowa (21-13) managed only one free throw in overtime, ending a hectic and stressful day for coach Fran McCaffery.

McCaffery started the day in Iowa with his teenage son Patrick, who had surgery to remove a thyroid tumor.

5 area residents charged with Minor in Possession

News

March 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Five people from Audubon and Cass Counties were charged with Minor In Possession (MIP) of Alcohol, following a traffic stop Tuesday in Cass County. The Sheriff’s Office reports the driver of the vehicle, 19-year old Kelsey Ann Muhr, of Exira, was arrested on charges of OWI/1st offense, MIP and Reckless Driving. She was brought to the Cass County Jail and released Wednesday, on her own recognizance.

Four passengers in her car: 20-year old Dillon Gene Linn, and Madeline Joanne Binter, both of Atlantic; 19-year old Gary Allen Carter, of Exira, and 18-year old Abigail Louise Bintner, of Brayton, were each charged with Minor In Possession.

Massena man arrested Wed. on assault & other charges

News

March 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office report the arrest on Wednesday of a Massena man on a trio of charges. 24-year old Michael Russell Robinson, was taken into custodty on charges of Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree, Domestic Abuse Assault 2nd Offense, and Violation of No Contact Order. Robinson was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $7300 bond.

And on Monday, Cass County deputies arrested 21-year old Jorge Ariel Perez Adams, of Muscatine, on a charge of Driving While Barred. Adams was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on $2000 bond.

Iowa House approves civil containment legislation

News

March 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa House has passed a bill intended to keep sexually violent predators off the streets. Lawmakers unanimously approved the measure 97-0 Wednesday. It now returns to the Senate for final review. The bill would allow people convicted of a violent sexual offense as a juvenile to be sent to a civil containment unit for sexually violent predators upon release from prison.

Republican Rep. Greg Heartsill, from Melcher-Dallas, says taking this step is needed to ensure the safety of all Iowans. Democratic Rep. Mary Lynn Wolfe, from Clinton, says predators like Michael Klunder, who authorities say abducted and killed 15-year-old Kathlynn Shepard last year, would have been kept in civil containment instead of being freed. Wolfe says the Shepard case may have been different had the legislation been in place.

Iowa man accused of sex crimes involving minors

News

March 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

SAC CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sac City man has been accused of multiple sex crimes involving minors. The Sac City Police Department says they received a report Sunday from a 15-year-old girl who claims she was sexually assaulted by 35-year-old Christopher Carnine. The girl told police she was assaulted Saturday at Carnine’s residence. She claims Carnine gave alcohol to minors and drove them around the Sac City area.

The Fort Dodge Messenger reports Carnine has been arrested and faces multiple charges, including third-degree sexual assault. He is also charged with two counts of lascivious acts with a child, in connection to allegations that he had sexual contact with two other underage teenagers over several years.

Carnine remains at the Sac County Jail.

Iowa panel OKs tax breaks for Newton auto racing

Sports

March 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A plan to extend a tax break provided last year to the Iowa Speedway at Newton has moved forward in the Iowa House. The proposal received preliminary approval Wednesday from a House Ways and Means subcommittee. It will now be subject to committee-level review.

The racetrack in Newton receives a state sales tax rebate under current law, but the rebate is limited to sales occurring before January 1, 2016. The proposal seeks to extend the rebate by 10 years to sales occurring before January 1, 2026.

Racetrack officials say the tax break extension is needed not only to grow auto racing in Newton, but also to shine a spotlight on what central Iowa has to offer. The Iowa Speedway, which opened in 2006, was bought by NASCAR last year.

Logansport’s Jennings named Miss Basketball

Sports

March 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Star has named Logansport’s Whitney Jennings the 2014 Indiana Miss Basketball. The newspaper announced Wednesday the 5-foot-5 point guard received 177 of the 332 votes cast for the award. Maura Muensterman of Evansville Mater Dei finished second with 97 votes. No one else had more than 10 votes.

Jennings led the state in scoring this season at 32 points per game. The Iowa recruit also averaged eight rebounds, 7.4 assists and five steals per game as Logansport (24-3) reached the Class 4A semistate before losing to Penn. She’s also the 2013-14 Gatorade Indiana girls basketball player of the year.

Jennings has averaged at least 23.6 points per game each of her four high school seasons to finish fifth on the all-time state scoring list with 2,641 points.

McCaffery returns to Dayton after son’s surgery

Sports

March 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa coach Fran McCaffery says his son’s surgery to remove a thyroid tumor went as planned and he was flying back from Iowa City to Dayton to coach the Hawkeyes in the NCAA tournament on Wednesday night. McCaffery says his son Patrick, who turns 14 on Thursday, was in “good spirits” after the operation. Doctors will continue with tests in the coming days to determine further treatment.

McCaffery flew with the Hawkeyes to Dayton on Monday to prepare for their First Four matchup with fellow No. 11 seed Tennessee. He returned to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics to be with his family for Wednesday’s procedure. McCaffery says the outpouring of support and encouragement from the public has been “overwhelming.”