712 Digital Group - top

UNI, ISU Wrestling Teams Head to Midlands Championships

Sports

December 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa State and Northern Iowa wrestling teams will be in Evanston, Illinois this weekend for the 50th annual Midlands Championships. The two-day tournament at Welsh-Ryan arena is considered one of the toughest competitions of the season as many former collegiate All-Americans are in the field. UNI Coach Doug Schwab says the Midlands is one of the highlights of the year for the wrestling world. “It’s always been a big event…it’s always a tournament you really look forward to,” Schwab says. “It’s kind of a mid-season gage of where you’re at and where you want to get to. Almost every top team in the country is wrestling over these two days, so it’s great for wrestling. I’m looking forward to having some guys have a lot of success and bringing a lot of hardware home.”

This will be UNI’s first competition since December 13, when the Panthers beat Ellsworth Community College in a dual 46-9. The Midlands will be the second two-day long tournament UNI has participated in, as the Panthers took part in the Cliff Keen Invite in Las Vegas earlier this season. “And now we’re putting ourselves in another tough tournament and giving our guys an opportunity to really set themselves up for the rest of the season and make a name for themselves nationally. That’s what we’ve been talking about trying to do all year,” Schwab says. “I’m ready to get back…the break was way to long for me. We’re getting back at it now and I’m just looking forward to Midlands.”

Top-ranked Penn State is not competing in the Midlands. Instead, the Nittany Lions are wrestling in the Southern Scuffle taking place in Chattanooga, Tennessee next Tuesday and Wednesday (Jan 1-2). Neither UNI or Iowa State are ranked in the top 25. Iowa State enters the Midlands following dual meet losses to Old Dominion and Iowa and a win over North Dakota State. ISU Coach Kevin Jackson says his wrestlers are improving as they continue to develop team chemistry. “I see a tighter connection with our team. I see some bonding going on and some more cheering for each other,” Jackson said. “The guys are pulling together in building this team and building this program. These guys kind of started from scratch a little bit, as far as trying to build back the culture, tradition and mentality in which we’re founded on. I’m starting to see more of that and we just have to continue to build that.”

The second-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes are not sending a full team to this year’s Midlands Tournament. Only a handful of Hawkeye freshman are competing – including Cory Clark, who is considered a top contender at 125 pounds. Clark is 9-0 this season wrestling unattached behind two-time NCAA champion Matt McDonough. The Hawkeyes host fourth-ranked Ohio State in a dual at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City next Friday, January 4.

Posted in Sports |

USDA report blames drought for food price rise in 2013

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Some Iowa farmers had a very rough 2012 due to the drought and it’ll translate to a more expensive 2013 for consumers. A report from the U-S Department of Agriculture predicts food prices will be rising in the months ahead. U-S-D-A economist Ricky Volpe says the big hike in livestock feed prices means beef, pork and chicken will cost more.  “We’re going to see strong food price inflation for a lot of animal-based products,” Volpe says. “That’s expected to happen relatively early in the year, in the first quarter or the first half of 2013.” Food prices rose about two-and-a-half percent this year and the agency predicts they’ll rise three-to-four percent in the year ahead.

Volpe says meat prices will go up initially, with many other items costing more by late summer.  “That’s when we can expect to see more significant impacts for all these more packaged, processed, shelf-stabled foods, things like soups, condiments and side dishes, and then even things like breakfast cereals and packaged breads,” Volpe says. “That’s where we’ll start to see the impacts of the drought happen a little bit later. Consumers are going to feel it more for those foods. It’ll be a little bit smaller but it will happen in the second half of 2013 and maybe even in 2014.”

Volpe says the effects of the summer-long drought will continue to have ripple effects in all grocery aisles. “We’ve seen, in the last couple of months, fluid milk prices ticking up,” Volpe says. “It does appear as if, for this food, the drought has really started to hit it. We always expected that fluid milk and dairy would be kind of a good bellwether of where the drought is headed because we’re looking at a food group that is not very storable and doesn’t require a lot of processing. Expect to see dairy products, this large category, on average go up about 4% in 2013 as a result of these higher feed prices.” The report says the price of milk and other dairy products could double if price supports are not addressed by Congress in a new Farm Bill by the end of the year.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

NWS Forecast for Cass & area Counties in Iowa: 12/28/12

Weather

December 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

347 AM CST FRI DEC 28 2012 National Weather Service/Des Moines

EARLY THIS MORNING…LIGHT SNOW AND PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE. NOT AS COLD. LITTLE OR NO NEW SNOW ACCUMULATION. NO ICE ACCUMULATION. NORTHEAST WIND AROUND 5 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION NEAR 100 PERCENT.

TODAY…LIGHT SNOW IN THE MORNING…THEN LIGHT SNOW LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON. LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION. HIGH IN THE MID 20S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW NEAR 100 PERCENT.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. LOW 5 TO 10 ABOVE. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW 5 TO 10 ABOVE. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SUNDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S. SOUTH WIND AROUND 10 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 20 MPH INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

SUNDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW 15 TO 20.

MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. HIGH 15 TO 20. LOW ZERO TO 5 ABOVE.

NEW YEARS DAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S. LOW 5 TO 10 ABOVE.

Posted in Weather |

Iowa Athletics Trainer Retires after 40 Years

Sports

December 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An award-winning trainer who has worked with University of Iowa athletes for 40 years is retiring. Iowa on Thursday announced the retirement of John Streif, an assistant athletic trainer since 1972 and the athletic department’s travel coordinator since 1980. To Hawkeyes fans, Streif has long been a familiar face on the sidelines of sporting events.

Streif says he’s fortunate to have been involved with the university and is grateful to student-athletes and fans who’ve impacted his life. Iowa athletic director Gary Barta says Streif’s service to athletes and coaches has been “second to none” and he has touched the lives of so many people. The athletic training facilities at Carver Hawkeye Arena have been named in honor of Streif, thanks to a donation from former basketball player Ronnie Lester.

Posted in Sports |

Iowa officials remind residents on propane safety

News

December 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials are reminding residents to be careful about using propane when generating heat or running appliances during the winter. The state Department of Public Safety says people should have a qualified technician inspect their propane system. Officials also warn people to avoid using a stove for space heating, and suggest not using outdoor propane appliances inside. Officials say this is especially critical during a power outage because of possible carbon monoxide poisoning.

Officials also recommend people take immediate action if they suspect a gas leak. That includes avoiding any flames or sparks, turning off the main supply valve on a propane tank, and leaving the area immediately.

Posted in News |

Farming group recognizes ISU professor

Ag/Outdoor

December 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa State University professor has been given a top sustainability achievement award in the state. Practical Farmers of Iowa says Matt Liebman is the recipient of its 2013 Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award. He will be presented the prize in January.

The annual award recognizes individuals who have excelled in demonstrating sustainable agriculture and sharing it with others. Liebman’s research focuses on diversified crop rotations and using native perennial species for biofuels production.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor |

Iowa early News Headlines: Friday, Dec. 28th 2012

News

December 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Transportation says it will not issue driver’s licenses to young illegal immigrants who are now eligible to work in the U.S. under an Obama administration program. The department announced yesterday that Iowa law does not allow it to issue driver’s licenses or non-operator identification cards to people who are not in the country legally.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — A trade group representing Iowa’s liquid renewable fuels industry says drivers in the state could save a lot of money if they switch to an ethanol-based fuel when buying gas. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says drivers could have saved $69 million in 2012 if they switched to E15, a fuel blend containing 15 percent ethanol. They calculated the savings based on state Department of Revenue data.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say a man suspected of stealing narcotics from several Iowa pharmacies has been arrested following a high speed chase. Devan Parsons walked into a Medicap pharmacy in Altoona yesterday with a note demanding narcotics. The store’s cashier alerted police after saying he recognized Parsons’ clothing from a November 20th robbery. Parsons has been charged with eluding, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and three counts of robbery.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A 34-year-old Dubuque man has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he killed his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son. Nicholas Reed faces first-degree murder and other charges in the death of Bentley Randall. Reed entered the pleas on Wednesday.

Posted in News |

Cyclone Defender Expects Tulsa to Try and Establish the Run

Sports

December 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Iowa State is preparing for a rematch with Tulsa in Tuesday’s Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. Senior defensive lineman, Jake McDonough said getting a chance to play in a 13th game means a lot. “It’s huge for our program, we need to come out here, we need to have that mentality that we are going to win the game,” McDonough said. Iowa State beat Tulsa 38-23 on September first to open the season. But McDonough knows a lot has happened to both teams since then.

“They’ve developed pretty well over the season, they’ve changed a little bit, whereas in the beginning of the year we thought we were going to get more throwing from them, they have great tailbacks now — I think three great tailbacks — that have carried the ball for almost 700 yards. They have a lot of talent on their team. I mean it got them to a conference championship, so we can’t take them lightly, it’ll be a fun, good rematch,” McDonough said.

The Golden Hurricane’s leading rusher is Trey Watts, the son of former Oklahoma great J-C Watts. He ran for 125 yards against I-S-U in the first match-up. McDonough expect to see Watts and the other Tulsa backs again in the bowl game. “I have no doubt in my mind they are going to try and run it at us, but you know, we’ve got to be prepared for that, we’ve got to be prepared for the pass too. Whatever they throw at us, we’ve got to be prepared for it,” he says.

The game against Tulsa is Monday at 2:30 Iowa time. The Cyclones come in at 6-6 on the season, while Tulsa — the champions of Conference U-S-A — is 10-3.

(Radio Iowa Sports)

Posted in Sports |

Iowa ACLU not happy with DOT’s decision on illegals

News

December 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s decision to not issue driver’s licenses to aliens who came into the country illegally as kids is not sitting well with the Iowa A-C-L-U. Ben Stone is the group’s executive director. “The A-C-L-U of Iowa and its allies are profoundly disappointed in the conclusion reached by the Iowa Department of Transportation, and we will vigorously pursue all legal options to change this result,” Stone told Radio Iowa. D-O-T director Paul Trombino said his department’s reading of Iowa law found they could not issue licenses or I-D cards to those who are not in the country legally. Stone does not agree.

“We can make no sense of the reading that they have put forward. It makes no sense, it’s wrong and we will attempt to convince them otherwise. And we are optimistic that we will be able to do that,” Stone says. The issue gained attention in June when the U-S Department of Homeland Security issued a memo saying it was up to the discretion of the states on how to handle the illegals given what’s called “deferred action” status by the U-S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Stone says the state is messing with the lives of those in the group.

“I think what we are encountering here is a state agency that is basically bending over backwards to find something in which to justify it’s conclusion. And frankly it’s nonsensical,” according to Stone. “These people are not going to be deported, they are authorized to be here by the federal government. All of this is just semantic shenanigans.” One estimate says there are some five-thousand people impacted. Stone says it is a public safety issue.

“It makes no sense to have people who are here who are not going to be removed by the federal government, who are permitted to work, who have been issued papers to that affect. And yet the state of Iowa doesn’t seem to think that there is any obligation to provide them with the ability to lawfully obtain a license,” Stone says. “And that results in our roads being occupied by people that have not been properly licensed, and that is not in the interest of public safety.” Stone says they will seek all legal means to get the D-O-T to change its mind and if that is not successful, will seek other ways to change the decision.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in News |

Chiefs’ Colquitt Unsung Star for Losing Team

Sports

December 28th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt is finally getting some much-deserved attention. Colquitt was voted to his first Pro Bowl this week after averaging nearly 47 yards on 75 punts for the Chiefs, who have just two wins to show for themselves in an otherwise forgettable year. Colquitt will be joined in Hawaii by running back Jamaal Charles, safety Eric Berry and linebackers Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson. But perhaps with the exception of Charles, none of them have been as valuable or deserving this season as Colquitt.

He’s second in the NFL with 42 punts inside the 20, matching the record shared by three others coming into the year. Only Arizona’s Dave Zastudil has more with 44, but he’s also punted 31 times more than Colquitt.

Posted in Sports |