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Cards Minor Leaguer Gonzalez Suspended 50 Games

Sports

August 23rd, 2013 by Jim Field

NEW YORK (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Yoenny Gonzalez has been suspended for 50 games for an unspecified violation of baseball’s minor league drug program.

The 21-year-old, selected from Central Florida Community College in the eighth round of the 2012 amateur draft, was hitting .192 with no homers and 10 RBIs in 104 at-bats this season with Johnson City of the rookie level Appalachian League.

The suspension was announced Thursday. It’s the 39th this year under the minor league program.

Kelly Pitches Cardinals to 6-2 Win over Braves

Sports

August 23rd, 2013 by Jim Field

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Joe Kelly pitched six effective innings, Matt Holliday broke out of a slump with two doubles and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Atlanta Braves 6-2 on Thursday night.

David Freese drove in two runs as St. Louis won for the fifth time in six games.

The Braves played without Jason Heyward, who is out with a broken right jaw after he was beaned during Wednesday’s 4-1 win at the New York Mets. The outfielder had surgery on Thursday in Atlanta.

Justin Upton hit his 24th homer, but the Braves lost for the second time in three games at the start of a six-game trip. Atlanta had won eight of its last nine regular-season games against St. Louis.

Adams County Arrests

News

August 23rd, 2013 by admin

On Thursday August 22nd, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office arrested two people. 43-year old Matthew Desher of Corning was arrested and charged with aggravated assault (with weapon) after he walked into a Hy-Vee store and threatened an employee with a knife. He is being held on $2,000 bond.

Also arrested Thursday was Tara Squibb of Corning on a warrant from Union County. She is being held on $300 bond.

Two search warrants executed in Villisca

News

August 23rd, 2013 by admin

On Wednesday August 21st, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office executed two search warrants in Villisca. The first being at 113 N 4th Avenue around 9:00-a.m. 41-year old Chad Jason Rittgers of Villisca was arrested and charged with three counts of delivery of methamphetamine. He is being held on $50,000 bond. Also arrested was 38-year old Misty Marie Herring of Villisca. She was charged with child endangerment and is being held on $2,000 bond.

As a result of the second warrant at 609 East 8th Street at approximately 3:20-p.m., 35-year old Jill Currin of Villisca was arrested and charged with criminal mischief/4th, possession of methamphetamine, and additional pending drug charges. Currin was held on $1,000.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Department of Human Services Child Protection Division.

Early morning headlines 8-23-2013

News

August 23rd, 2013 by admin

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A prayer leader at the Islamic and Culture Center Bosniak in Des Moines has pleaded not guilty to sexual abuse charges. The Des Moines Register reports that 40-year-old Nermin Spahic waived his right to an initial appearance and entered the plea yesterday. Johnston police arrested Spahic last week after a 42-year-old woman and her 18-year-old daughter told police he had abused them during a religious ritual at their home.

OSAGE, Iowa (AP) – Police say they’ve received multiple reports of a person entering unlocked houses uninvited in the northern Iowa city of Osage. Police say people have reported finding a person in their house, or a person walking into the house unannounced without knocking. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports the incident has happened about half a dozen times in the past few weeks.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A report by the country’s five largest mortgage providers says Iowa homeowners have received nearly $40 million in relief through a national settlement. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said in a news release yesterday that the report by an independent monitor shows more than 1,100 homeowners in the state have received money under the national mortgage settlement.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – The Federal Aviation Administration is awarding a nearly $2 million grant to the Dubuque Regional Airport. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports U.S. Representative Bruce Braley announced the grant yesterday.

2013 High School Football Schedule – Week 0, August 23

Sports

August 23rd, 2013 by Jim Field

Eight Man, District 6

  • CAM @ Adair-Casey (live on KJAN AM 1220/FM101.1, www.kjan.com, KJAN TV – 6:30 pre-game)
  • Grandview Park Baptist @ Coon Rapids-Bayard
  • Glidden-Ralston @ Murray
  • Mormon Trail @ Seymour
  • Colo-Nesco @ Melcher-Dallas
  • Lenox at East Union

Eight Man, District 7

  • Heartland Christian @ Ankeny Christian
  • Boyer Valley at Kingsley-Pierson
  • Fremont-Mills at West Harrison
  • Sidney at Ar-We-Va

Eight Man, District 8

  • Stanton @ Nishnabotna
  • Essex/South Page @ Twin Cedars
  • Southwest Valley at Tri-County

Iowa Hires Bjorkgren as Head Coach

Sports

August 22nd, 2013 by Jim Field

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Energy of the NBA’s D-League has named Nate Bjorkgren as its new coach.

Bjorkgren, a native of Storm Lake, Iowa, spent the past two seasons as the coach of Golden State’s D-League affiliate and went 61-39 in the regular season.

Bjorkgren got his start in the league as Nick Nurse’s assistant with Iowa in 2007. Bjorkgren was named the Energy’s coach in waiting in 2011 before leaving for Golden State’s affiliate in North Dakota.

Bjorkgren graduated from Buena Vista University in 1998.

New-look Chiefs Still Learning to Communicate

Sports

August 22nd, 2013 by Jim Field

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Smith might as well have been playing Paul Newman’s part from the seminal 1967 film “Cool Hand Luke” after the Kansas City Chiefs struggled in a preseason loss to San Francisco.

You know the line where Newman says, “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.”

Smith and his wide receivers weren’t on the same page. The offensive line might just as well have been speaking another language given the seven sacks they allowed. The entire unit never put together a sustained drive, the Chiefs’ lone touchdown coming on special teams.

Coach Andy Reid says that the communication issues remain a work in progress. The next benchmark to judge that progress comes in preseason game No. 3 on Saturday night in Pittsburgh.

49ers Sign Quarterback Wallace to one-year Deal

Sports

August 22nd, 2013 by Jim Field

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have added another quarterback to the competition to be Colin Kaepernick’s backup, signing nine-year veteran and former Iowa State star Seneca Wallace to a one-year contract Thursday.

While Colt McCoy had appeared to be the favorite to win the No. 2 job coming into training camp, neither he nor Scott Tolzien have separated themselves. Even rookie B.J. Daniels has been deemed a contender, though clearly Wallace now will get a chance with little time to prepare before the Sept. 8 season opener against Green Bay.

Wallace, who was competing with Luke McCown to back up Drew Brees in New Orleans, had his contract terminated by the Saints on Monday.

San Francisco waived wideout Ricardo Lockette, who worked out with Kaepernick in Atlanta for a stretch this offseason along with departed A.J. Jenkins.

Due to overwhelming demand, additional $1 million made available for water quality practices

News

August 22nd, 2013 by admin

Due to strong demand from Iowa farmers, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey announced today that an additional $1 million in cost share funds have been made available to help farmers implement nutrient reduction practices. Farmers have already submitted applications for the initial $1.8 million in funding that was made available on Aug. 8 for water quality practices.

“We are extremely pleased by the overwhelming response we have received from farmers and believe this shows their commitment to water quality,” Northey said. “Farmers are matching all these funds, so they are putting up at least $1.8 million of their own money to implement these voluntary, science-based practices to protect water quality.”

The practices that are eligible for this funding are cover crops, no-till or strip-till, or using a nitrification inhibitor when applying fertilizer. Any farmer not already utilizing these practices can apply for assistance. Farmers are only eligible for cost share on up to 160 acres.

The cost share rate for farmers planting cover crops is $25 per acre and for farmers trying no-till or strip till is $10 per acre. Farmers using a nitrapyrin nitrification inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer can receive $3 per acre.

Farmers can contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District office to apply.

To date, more than 700 farmers in 85 of the 100 Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Iowa have applied to participate in the program. Farmers have submitted applications for 71,023 acres of cover crops, to use nitrification inhibitor on 4,019 acres, 770 acres of no-till and 466 acres of strip-till.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship received $3 million in one-time funding to support statewide science-based water quality practices over the next five years. After today’s announcement the Department will have made $2.8 million available to support these practices this fall.