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Cardinals OF prospect Taveras out for season

Sports

August 15th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Oscar Taveras will undergo surgery after a high right ankle sprain did not respond to treatment. The Cardinals had anticipated the 21-year-old Taveras would make his major league debut this season. He was the Texas League player of year last season at Double-A Springfield, batting .321 with 23 home runs, 94 RBIs and 10 steals.

Taveras was limited to 46 games and 173 at-bats this season at Triple-A Memphis, batting .306 with five home runs and 32 RBIs. Taveras injured the ankle twice this season and hasn’t played since mid-July. General manager John Mozeliak said Taveras’ ankle was not showing improvement.

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Iowa early News Headlines: Thu., Aug. 15th 2013

News

August 15th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz says his office will gain access to a federal immigration database it can use to investigate potential voter fraud by people in the U.S. illegally. The Des Moines Register reports Schultz made the announcement yesterday and released a signed memorandum of understanding between his office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Davenport’s Modern Woodmen Park has been voted the nation’s “Best Minor League Ballpark.” The Quad-City Times reports the website 10Best DOT com and USA Today asked people to vote on the best ballpark, and after a monthlong balloting, the Iowa stadium came out on top. Minor league baseball is played in 160 stadiums across the country.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in Cedar Falls say an SUV hit a school bus loaded with children as it waited near train tracks, but no one was injured. Cedar Falls police say the accident occurred yesterday afternoon as the school bus was stopped for railroad tracks on Center Street. Children on the school bus, which is owned by the Cedar Falls Community School District, were transferred to another bus.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas head cross country and track and field coach Chris Bucknam has been inducted to the University of Northern Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame. Bucknam is one of six people inducted in the 2013 Hall of Fame class. The induction ceremony will take place at the UNI campus on November 8th.

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Liriano dominates, Pirates beat Cardinals 5-1

Sports

August 15th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Francisco Liriano was dominant coming off the worst outing of his career and the Pittsburgh Pirates got home runs from Pedro Alvarez and Garrett Jones in a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night. The win snapped a season-worst four-game losing streak and gave Pittsburgh a three-game lead in the NL Central.

The Pirates had a five-run cushion after four innings against rookie Shelby Miller (11-8), who didn’t miss a turn five days after getting drilled on the elbow and lasting just two pitches against the Dodgers.

Liriano (13-5) allowed four hits with six strikeouts and needed just 94 pitches to beat the Cardinals for the second time this year. He is 3-0 in his career against St. Louis. His last time out, the lefty was punished for 10 runs in 2 1-3 innings at Colorado.

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina expects to be in the lineup today (Thursday), the first day he’s eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list from a right knee strain. He wants to play every day again, too. Molina worked out on the field for the third straight day before Wednesday’s game against the Pirates and said everything felt good. He said now is no time to rest. The Cardinals had been 6-7 without their perennial All-Star and trailed Pittsburgh by two games.

Molina was second in the National League with a .330 average, along with eight homers and 54 RBIs. Backup Tony Cruz was batting .219 with a homer and 11 RBIs. Matt Holliday was in the lineup after rolling his right ankle injury retreating to first base from a lead. Manager Mike Matheny said Holliday was “scared more than anything else.”

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(Update) Tractor-trailer rollover Thu. morning on I-80 in Cass County

News

August 15th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

(Update to story posted just before 3-a.m.)

Two truck drivers from Wisconsin were injured when the semi they were in rolled over early this (Thursday) morning on Interstate 80, in Cass County.

Accident scene photo courtesy Mike Kennon, Cass Co. EMA

Accident scene photo courtesy Mike Kennon, Cass Co. EMA

The Iowa State Patrol says the driver of the 2008 Peterbilt, 65-year old Bettie Dettberner (who was wearing her seat belt), and her husband, 62-year old Larry Dettberner (who was in the sleeper portion of the cab), both of Montello, WI, were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by Medivac and Anita Ambulance.

Officials say the semi, which was hauling produce, was traveling east on I-80 at around 2:45-a.m. near the 68.1-mile marker, when the rig drifted off onto the edge of the road. When Dettburner was unable to get the semi back onto the road, the vehicle rolled into the south ditch, landing on its right side. The couple was trapped in the cab until rescue crews arrived and were able to free them.

Responding to the scene, was Anita Rescue, Wiota 1st Responders, Medivac Ambulance, deputies with the Cass and Audubon County Sheriff’s Departments, and Iowa State Patrol. The accident remains under investigation.

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Chamber Ambassadors tour new Atlantic upholstery store

News

August 14th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Members of the Atlantic Area Chamber Ambassadors recently took a tour of another new business in town. Upholstery Creations, is located at 209 Walnut Street.

Pictured are Connie Wailes, Debbie Leistad, Sue Muri, Dawn Edwards, Lana Westphalen, Michelle Thomas, Dale Wright, Britney Weirich, Nedra Perry, JoAnn Runyan, Bill Saluk, Sara Nelson, Jolene Roecker, Kathy Sweeney, Rich Perry, Darrell Hockenberry, Carole Schuler, Jim Kickland, Keith Leonard, Diane Harris, Dolly Bergmann, Tyler Mosier, Gerald Brink, Doug Harris, Chris Blake, Lucas Mosier and Kristi Ladd.

Pictured are Connie Wailes, Debbie Leistad, Sue Muri, Dawn Edwards, Lana Westphalen, Michelle Thomas, Dale Wright, Britney Weirich, Nedra Perry, JoAnn Runyan, Bill Saluk, Sara Nelson, Jolene Roecker, Kathy Sweeney, Rich Perry, Darrell Hockenberry, Carole Schuler, Jim
Kickland, Keith Leonard, Diane Harris, Dolly Bergmann, Tyler Mosier, Gerald Brink, Doug Harris, Chris Blake, Lucas Mosier and Kristi Ladd.

Officials say Dale Wright, Dawn Edwards and Michelle Thomas work on a wide variety of items including home furniture, automotive, boats, vehicle headliners, motorcycles and many more items. Edwards and Thomas said the materials can be brought in or ordered in many varieties and patterns to suit the style of their customer.

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(Update 8:23-a.m. 8/15) Rollover accident south of Atlantic, Wed. evening

News

August 14th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

In an update to a story we reported on earlier, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office tells KJAN News a local teenager was injured during a single-vehicle rollover accident south of Atlantic, Wednesday evening. 17-year old Ashley Shinn was in a 2002 Oldsmbile that rolled over and landed on its top about two-miles south of Atlantic near 60122 620th Street, at around 6:25-p.m.

Shinn who reportedly suffered from shoulder pain and other, possibly unknown injuries, was transported to the Cass County Memorial hospital by Medivac Ambulance. The accident remains under investigation.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Atlantic P-D, Atlantic Fire and Rescue, and Medivac Ambulance responded to the scene.

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Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz Faces Intense Scrutiny

Sports

August 14th, 2013 by Jim Field

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz made nearly $1 million a win last season and yet kept his job — likely for years to come, too.

The Hawkeyes have been left to hope that Ferentz can prove he’s worth all the money they owe him.

Iowa is about to enter its 15th season under Ferentz, a coach who is signed through 2020 with a prohibitive buyout at roughly $3 million a year — with nonexistent national expectations. The Hawkeyes collapsed last season, losing their last six games to finish 4-8.

But Ferentz has the unquestioned support of athletic director Gary Barta, and he’s also made a number of coaching changes in hopes of reversing a disturbing three-year slide.

Iowa opens the season on August 31st when it hosts defending MAC champion Northern Illinois.

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Softer Schedule Should Help Cornhuskers in Big Ten

Sports

August 14th, 2013 by Jim Field

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — If the schedule is an indication, Nebraska’s initiation to the Big Ten is over and the Cornhuskers are set up to make hay.

Coach Bo Pelini starts his sixth season in Lincoln with one of the nation’s most dynamic offenses and a young defense that will benefit from playing its first five games at home.

UCLA is the only real non-conference test. Big Ten favorite Ohio State and three-time defending champion Wisconsin drop off the regular-season schedule and are replaced by Illinois and Purdue.

It probably will be November before anyone knows how good the Huskers are, after they play Northwestern at home and Michigan and Penn State on the road.

The Huskers open the season Aug. 31 at home against Wyoming.

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Royals Acquire INF Bonifacio from Blue Jays

Sports

August 14th, 2013 by Jim Field

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have acquired versatile Emilio Bonifacio from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash or a player to be named later.

The Royals announced the move before their game Wednesday against Miami.

Bonifacio was traded to the Blue Jays from the Marlins last offseason, and was hitting .218 with three homers and 12 stolen bases. He’s played all three outfield spots but can also play second base and third base, two positions of importance for the Royals.

Third baseman Mike Moustakas is out with a strained left calf, while Miguel Tejada went on the disabled list on Sunday with a strained right calf. Tejada was transferred to the 60-day DL to clear space on the 40-man roster for Bonifacio.

Bonifacio’s younger brother, Jorge, is an outfield prospect in the Royals organization. He is currently at Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

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Iowa, Iowa State, Creighton Among Men’s Hoops Attendance Leaders

Sports

August 14th, 2013 by Jim Field

The NCAA announced the national attendance leaders in men’s division 1 basketball for the 2012-13 season.  Creighton was sixth on that list, with Iowa in at number 21 and Iowa State at number 22.  Creighton and Iowa State have drawn well over the last several years.  This marks a significant upturn in Iowa’s attendance numbers.

2013 Division I Basketball Attendance Leaders

(Rank, School, Average Attendance, Percentage of Capacity)

  1. Kentucky, 23,099 (100.4%)
  2. Syracuse, 22,439 (64.0)
  3. Louisville, 21,571 (98.0)
  4. North Carolina, 19,350 (88.9)
  5. Indiana, 17,412 (99.6)
  6. Creighton, 17,155 (99.3)
  7. Wisconsin, 16,843 (97.6)
  8. Tennessee, 16,635 (76.7)
  9. Ohio State, 16,524 (87.8)
  10. Kansas, 16,438 (100.8)
  11. Memphis, 16,336 (88.7)
  12. North Carolina State, 16,299 (82.7)
  13. BYU, 15,986 (76.4)
  14. UNLV, 15,196 (82.1)
  15. Marquette, 15,033 (80.8)
  16. New Mexico, 15,022 (97.4)
  17. Illinois, 15,013 (90.3)
  18. Michigan State, 14,341 (97.1)
  19. Arizona, 14,157 (97.3)
  20. Arkansas, 13,750 (71.6)
  21. Iowa, 13,625 (88.4)
  22. Iowa State, 13,393 (93.1)
  23. Minnesota, 12,580 (86.0)
  24. Kansas State, 12,528 (100.0)
  25. Maryland, 12,489 (69.5)

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