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Demolition workshop to be held in Corning next month

News

February 11th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Two groups in Iowa want to teach people about the alternatives to demolition.  The Center on Sustainable Communities and the Iowa Waste Reduction Center are hosting four workshops in March to talk about deconstruction. The practice involves carefully disassembling something so its materials can be reused.

The groups say deconstruction is an alternative to demolition that provides social, economic and environmental benefits. The workshops are scheduled March 11 in Ida Grove; March 13 in Corning; March 18 in Keosauqua; and March 20 in Elkader.

The Center on Sustainable Communities is a nonprofit group in Des Moines. The Iowa Waste Reduction Center is at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. Their efforts are funded in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state Department of Natural Resources.

Posted in News |

JERRY STERLING SORENSEN, 78, of Atlantic & formerly of Anita (Svcs. 2/13/14)

Obituaries

February 11th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

JERRY STERLING SORENSEN, 78, of Atlantic (& formerly of Anita), died Mon., Feb. 10th, at the Heritage House, in Atlantic. Funeral services for JERRY SORENSEN will be held 11-a.m. Thu., Feb. 13th, at the United Methodist Church in Anita. Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the church Wed., from 5-to 7pm, with the family present.

Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery at Anita.

JERRY SORENSEN is survived by:

His wife – Ramona Sorensen, of Atlantic.

His son – Sterling Sorensen, and His daughter – Audrey (Kelly) Cullen.

5 grandchildren & 3 great-grandchildren.

Posted in Obituaries |

Domestic disturbance leads to an arrest Tue. morning

News

February 11th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A “domestic situation” early this (Tuesday) morning in Montgomery County has resulted in an arrest. Sheriff’s officials say deputies were called to a residence in the 100 block of west 2nd Street in Villisca shortly after midnight. Following a brief investigation, they took into custody 22-year old Jesse A. Luft. Luft was charged with Disorderly Conduct and brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center, where he was being held on $300 cash bond.

And, a Red Oak woman was arrested Monday evening on for Violating the terms of a Protective Order. 43-year old Shelby JoAnn Oliveres was taken into custody at around 6:55-p.m. at a residence on east Maple Street, in Red Oak. She was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

Posted in News |

NWs forecast for Cass & area Counties: Tue., Feb 11th 2014

Weather

February 11th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -20. South wind 5 to 13 mph.
Tonight: A 40 percent chance of snow, mainly after 3am. Increasing clouds, with a temperature rising to around 15 by 3am. Wind chill values as low as -5. South southwest wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of snow before noon. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 30. Wind chill values as low as 5. Southwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Light south wind becoming south southwest 9 to 14 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Breezy.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 17.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 28.

Posted in Weather |

Iowa early News Headlines: Tue., Feb. 11th 2014

News

February 11th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A legislative panel is considering a pair of bills that would limit the use of drones in Iowa. Members of a Senate judiciary subcommittee discussed two bills yesterday that would regulate drones, or unmanned aircraft systems, used by law enforcement agencies and private users. Similar legislation is being debated in the House.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Classes at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City were canceled Monday because of a water main break. The Sioux City Journal says water to the campus was shut off, leaving students and school workers without running water and heat.

DEWAR, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 50-year-old Waterloo man has been hospitalized after a snowmobile crash. The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office says the accident was reported a little before 10 p.m. yesterday and occurred in Dewart. Deputies say Jerry Morehouse was thrown from the snowmobile after it struck a pile of wood. He was thrown into a chain-link fence.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s Lisa Bluder is now the school’s winningest coach. The Hawkeyes beat Northwestern 90-84 last night to give Bluder her 270th victory at Iowa, surpassing the mark set by C. Vivian Stringer. Bluder has a record of 270-163 in her 14 seasons with the Hawkeyes.

Posted in News |

New tax credit for up to 585 first-time Iowa homebuyers

News

February 11th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Finance Authority is now offering some first-time Iowa home buyers a tax credit of up to two-thousand dollars a year, for the life of their 30-year mortgage. Twenty years ago congress passed a law allowing states to set up this kind of a program and Iowa is doing it for the first time in 2014. Iowa Finance Authority director Dave Jamison says his agency will issue a certificate for that tax credit on mortgages that are handled by a lender participating in the program.

“One important note is that the Mortgage Credit Certificate funding will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until the funds are expended,” Jamison says. Home sales that closed after February 3rd of this year are eligible. There are income limits as to which first-time home buyers are eligible, as well as limits on the price of homes they buy, but Jamison estimates 585 Iowa home buyers will be eligible in 2014. Iowa Association of Realtors C-E-O Dave Bert says this “Take Credit” program should encourage more Iowans to buy a home.

“Not only is home ownership good for individuals, it promotes a prospering economy,” Bert says. “Every home purchase pumps up to $50,000 into the economy over time and homeownership helps support and create jobs.” The Iowa Finance Authority was created in the mid-70s to administer programs that help low- and moderate-income Iowans buy their first home.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in News |

Legalizing fantasy sports leagues in Iowa

Sports

February 11th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A bill to clarify that “fantasy” sports leagues are legal in Iowa has cleared the Senate State Government Committee. Senator Rick Bertrand of Sioux City steered the bill through committee. “Right now in Iowa gaming is defined as a game of chance,” Bertrand says. “And what this bill does is it classifies fantasy sports as a game of skill, not chance so it does not need any type of licensing as long the prizes are established and made known in advance.”

In “fantasy sports” leagues, participants pretend to be the owner of a team made up of real players. These “fantasy” franchises get points based on the statistics the real players rack up, like the number of touchdowns a quarterback throws during a game. The fantasy sports industry is seeking to legalize the games in Iowa this year, as state law prevents players from winning cash or prizes above the value of what they paid to participate in a fantasy sports league.

“This is not an expansion of gaming of any sort,” Bertrand says. “This basically provides clarity.” The Fantasy Sports Trade Association estimates 33-and-a-half million people in the U.S. and Canada played fantasy sports in 2013. During Monday afternoon’s committee meeting Senator Tod Bowman of Maquoketa — a former high school wrestling coach — asked Bertrand if some of these fantasy teams involve amateur athletes.

“If Senator Feenstra and I wanted to be involved in an NCAA wrestling fantasy league, that would be legal under this?” Bowman asked. Bertrand interjected: “You may be the only two, but I’m not sure.” That prompted laughter in the committee room. “We’ll say it’s basketball. In all seriousness, would this be legal with the NCAA?” Bowman asked. Bertrand replied: “….It looks like professional sports is all I see.” However, some fantasy teams do involve college athletes.

There are a number of online sites that help players manage fantasy teams and fantasy sports have become big business for websites run by professional sports leagues as well as E-S-P-N and C-B-S Sports. No Iowan has been prosecuted for playing fantasy sports games despite existing state law. The industry estimates a quarter of a million Iowans play fantasy sports.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in Sports |

Glenwood School Board allows off-duty officers to carry guns on school property

News

February 11th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Just weeks after a former police officer accidentally shot himself in his vehicle in the parking of the West Elementary School in Glenwood, the Glenwood school board has unanimously approved a resolution to allow off-duty law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms on school property. The Omaha World-Herald reports those officers, however, would first require district approval in order to do so.
Superintendent Devin Embray told the paper approval would be given only to full-time peace officers in good standing. The resolution approved Monday by the Board, says the goal is to enhance the safety and security of students and teachers. Embray said school security was brought to light after an incident on Jan. 24th, when Douglas Trent Good, the father of a student at West Elementary, accidentally shot himself in the leg while waiting in his car. He was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and was later released.Glenwood police arrested Good and charged him with carrying a weapon on school grounds, a Class D felony. If convicted, Good would face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $7,500. He is scheduled to appear in court at 10 a.m. on Feb. 19. Good was a former Glenwood police officer who had taught training classes for people seeking permits to carry concealed weapons. As a former officer, Good would not have been allowed to carry a firearm on school property under the resolution approved Monday.The Mills County Attorney says only on-duty law enforcement, military, correctional officers or people authorized by the school district are now allowed to carry a firearm on school property. The Glenwood Community School District currently has two officers who carry firearms on school grounds — a truancy officer from the Glenwood Police Department and a safety education officer from the Iowa State Patrol. It’s not clear how soon schools in the district would begin to welcome off-duty officers carrying a weapons, or how those officers would apply for the required authorization to do so.

Posted in News |

Area basketball scores from Mon., Feb 10th 2014

Sports

February 11th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

BOYS BASKETBALL

Hawkeye 10:

  • Glenwood 72, Creston 60
  • Red Oak 70, Southwest Valley 62
  • Shenandoah 71, Fremont Mills 61

Western Iowa:

  • A-H-S-T 53, Riverside 46
  • IKM-Manning 78, Logan-Magnolia 47
  • Tri-Center 56, Audubon 40
  • Underwood 58, Griswold 53

Rolling Valley:

  • Adair-Casey 53, Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton 40
  • Ar-We-Va 50, Glidden-Ralston 35
  • Boyer Valley 75, Charter Oak-Ute 39
  • Paton-Churdan 63, Woodbine 52
  • West Harrison 72, CAM 53

Other:

  • Diagonal 93, Essex 64
  • Lenox 66, Stanton 64

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Hawkeye 10:

  • Lewis Central 59, Kuemper Catholic 51
  • Red Oak 66, Southwest Valley 39
  • Shenandoah 51, Fremont Mills 42

Western Iowa:

  • IKM-Manning 73, Logan-Magnolia 28
  • Riverside 34, A-H-S-T 30
  • Tri-Center 39, Audubon 38
  • Underwood 51, Griswold 29

Rolling Valley:

  • Adair-Casey 36, Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton 33
  • Ar-We-Va 70, Glidden-Ralston 25
  • West Harrison 52, CAM 44
  • Paton-Churdan 59, Woodbine 52

Other:

  • Sergeant Bluff-Luton 63, Thomas Jefferson 11
  • Stanton 60, Lenox 35

Posted in Sports |

Iowa’s Bluder becomes school’s winningest coach

Sports

February 11th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s Lisa Bluder is now the school’s winningest coach. The Hawkeyes (19-6, 7-4 Big Ten) beat Northwestern 90-84 on Monday night to give Bluder her 270th victory at Iowa, surpassing the mark set by C. Vivian Stringer.

Bluder has a record of 270-163 in her 14 seasons with the Hawkeyes. She is one of just 13 active Division I coaches with more than 600 wins. Bluder graduated from Northern Iowa and previously coached at Drake and NAIA school St. Ambrose.

Posted in Sports |