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The latest Nat’l. Weather Service forecast for Cass & area Counties in Iowa

Weather

July 4th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

…A HEAT ADVISORY CONTINUES TO BE IN EFFECT UNTIL 7-AM CDT SATURDAY…

(for a County outline of the advisory area, go to: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dmx/)

TODAY…SUNNY. HOT AND HUMID. HIGH IN THE UPPER 90S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS 102 TO 107 IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 70S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS 100 TO 102 THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HOT AND HUMID. HIGH IN THE UPPER 90S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. HEAT INDEX READINGS 103 TO 108.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE MID 70S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. HIGHEST HEAT INDEX READINGS 100 TO 103 THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

FRIDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 90S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. HEAT INDEX READINGS 102 TO 107.

FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 70S. HIGH IN THE UPPER 90S.

SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE LOWER 90S. LOW AROUND 70.

Posted in Weather |

Cubs recall Volstad to make start against Braves

Sports

July 4th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

ATLANTA (AP) — The Chicago Cubs optioned Casey Coleman to Triple-A Iowa to clear a roster spot for Chris Volstad, who was recalled from Iowa to start Tuesday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves. Coleman was 0-1 with a 7.32 ERA and allowed 13 earned runs in his last seven appearances. The right-hander gave up seven earned runs, his career-high as a reliever, in last Wednesday’s 17-1 loss to the Reds. Volstad, a right-hander, is 0-6 with a 7.46 ERA in eight starts with the Cubs. He was optioned to Iowa on May 18. He was 2-3 with a 4.44 ERA in eight starts with Iowa. The 25-year-old Volstad is 32-45 in his career, including four seasons with Florida.

Posted in Sports |

Chris Carpenter to undergo season-ending surgery

Sports

July 4th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a nerve issue in his shoulder that has sidelined him since spring training. The 37-year-old Carpenter wants to continue pitching. He’s been told the surgery to relieve compressed nerves in the shoulder could allow him to resume his career, although there are no guarantees. The Cardinals had been optimistic Carpenter would pitch after the All-Star break until recently. A bullpen throwing session was cancelled on Monday because strength had not returned to the shoulder, and now the team is optimistic Carpenter will be ready for spring training. General manager John Mozeliak said Tuesday that recovery time is three to six months. The surgery will be performed on July 19 in Dallas.

Posted in Sports |

Francis solid, Rockies beat Cardinals 3-2

Sports

July 4th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jeff Francis worked five solid innings before the Colorado bullpen took over and Tyler Colvin hit a three-run homer as the Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Tuesday night. Matt Holliday hit his 14th homer for the Cardinals. Carlos Beltran was 0 for 3 with a walk to end a nine-game RBI streak in which he drove in 15 runs. Matt Belisle retired four in a row to end the eighth, the biggest out coming on Holliday’s groundout with two runners on. Rafael Betancourt worked out of trouble in the ninth for his 13th save in 17 chances. He had blown three of his last five save opportunities, but got Jon Jay to look at strike three with two on for the final out.

Posted in Sports |

Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., July 4th 2012

News

July 4th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — President Barack Obama returns to Iowa next week, his fourth trip in the political battleground state this year. His Iowa campaign spokeswoman says Obama will campaign Tuesday in Cedar Rapids. Details will be released soon, but he’ll focus on the economy.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Transportation says it has resolved a computer problem that knocked out a system used to issue driver’s licenses and vehicle registration. The DOT says the outage early yesterday afternoon was fixed about two hours later.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad has tapped a prosecutor from Spirit Lake to serve as chairman of the Iowa Board of Parole. Dickinson County Attorney Jason Carlstrom takes over Sept. 3. He replaces Doris Kelley, who was elevated from vice chair to chair earlier this year when Branstad demoted longtime chairwoman Elizabeth Robinson.

DECORAH, Iowa (AP) — One of the American bald eagles born this year in northeast Iowa and watched by millions on the Decorah eagle cam has died, most likely of electrocution. The Gazette in Cedar Rapids says the eaglet was found Sunday morning at the base of a power pole near the nest at the Decorah Fish Hatchery.

Posted in News |

ZIEGLER PROVIDES FFA SCHOLARSHIP TO WALNUT RESIDENT

News

July 3rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Officials with Ziegler announced on Tuesday, that as an approved National FFA scholarship sponsor it has, in cooperation with AGCO, awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Katelyn Blake, a high school graduate from Walnut, for the 2012–13 school year.

Katelyn Blake

With support from local FFA chapters, the scholarship program was offered through more than 55 Massey Ferguson, Challenger, and Gleaner dealers across the United States. Ziegler awarded a total of five scholarships this year.

Dick Emmerich, general sales manager, Ziegler Ag Division, said, “We are very excited to be a part of this great new program and assist Katelyn in reaching her long-term educational goals. Agriculture is constantly changing and providing new opportunities. There’s no question in my mind that our support of scholarships through the FFA will strengthen the agricultural interests of young people in our communities.”

Scholarship selection takes into consideration FFA involvement, work experience, community service, leadership skills, and academics, and is based on academic records, FFA achievements, leadership, and other school and community activities. Supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs and future goals are all considered in the scholarship award.

Founded in 1914, Ziegler is a family-owned company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., employing more than 1,450 people in 23 communities in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Missouri.

(Ziegler Press Release)

Posted in News |

THOMAS SANDHORST, 54, of Marne (Svcs. 7-6-12)

Obituaries

July 3rd, 2012 by Jim Field

THOMAS SANDHORST, 54, of Marne died Tuesday, July 3, 2012 at his home in Marne.  Services for TOM SANDHORST will be held 10:30-a.m. Fri., July 6th, at the Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Atlantic. Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

Visitation with the family will be from 6-8pm Thu.,, July 5th, at the funeral home, with a Scripture Service at 8-p.m.

Burial will be in the Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Cemetery, in Atlantic.

TOM SANDHORST is survived by:

His wife – Connie, of Marne.

His father – Charles Sandhorst, of Atlantic.

His daughter – Jennifer (Zach)Kerber, of Council Bluffs.

His sisters – Ann (Robert) Lederman, of New Jersey, & Kathy (Jerry) Rumery, of Omaha.

His brother-in-law: Jamie (Lisa) Swanson, of Marne.

and 1 grandchild.

Posted in Obituaries |

LARRY GENE WAGNER, 73, of Oakland (formerly of Griswold & Council Bluffs) – Svcs.

Obituaries

July 3rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

LARRY GENE WAGNER, 73, of Oakland (& formerly of Griswold & Council Bluffs), died Mon.,  July 2nd, at the Oakland Manor Nursing Home. Interment of ashes for LARRY WAGNER will be held 4-p.m. Thursday, July 5th, at the Oaklawn Cemetery at Oakland. Rieken-Vieth Funeral Home in Oakland has the arrangements.

Visitation with the family will be held at the funeral home, following the cemetery service, and until 7-p.m., Thursday.

LARRY WAGNER is survived by:

His children – Shawn Wagner of Council Bluffs, and Beth Reno (and husband Kirk), of Atlantic.

His brother – David (Sue) Wagner, of Oakland.

2 grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

Posted in Obituaries |

Medical exemption allowing window tinting no longer being granted

News

July 3rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) reminds motorists that an Iowa Administrative Rule which takes effect July 4th will eliminate the provision that allowed the DOT to grant a medical exemption from the minimum standard of window transparency provision set forth in a subrule, and permit dark window tinting of a vehicle registered in Iowa. In the past, a driver with a medical condition could request a physician’s exemption from the minimum standard of transparency for vehicle windows.

While new exemptions will not be granted, those who have a previously approved exemption will continue to be exempt from the minimum transparency rule. The exemption form must be carried at all times in the vehicle to which it applies. At such time that a vehicle is no longer used to transport the passenger or operator that is the subject of a previously granted exemption, the exemption expires. The exemption cannot transfer to any replacement vehicle purchased after July 3rd, 2012.

Once no longer used for these transportation purposes, the owner of the vehicle to which the exemption applied must return the vehicle to conformance with the minimum standard of transparency within 60 days of expiration of the exemption. Pursuant to Iowa Code, a person shall not operate on the highway a motor vehicle equipped with a front windshield, front side window or front side wing that is excessively dark or reflective. “Excessively dark or reflective” means that the glass does not meet a minimum standard of transparency of 70 percent light transmittance.

Posted in News |

IA DOT warns of possible pavement blow-ups

News, Weather

July 3rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Motorists traveling in Iowa should be aware that the mercury might not be the only thing to rise during the sweltering summer heat. Pavement blowups occur when thermal expansion forces the pavement to buckle and shatter. A number of such incidents have been occurring this week.

Example of Pavement blow-up incident

In a typical year, Iowa DOT maintenance equipment operators spend 2,000 to 4,000 hours making temporary repairs of pavement blowups and another 6,000 hours replacing these pavement sections, costing an average of $400,000 annually. Many of the blowups only result in a small pothole or small chunks of concrete lying around the pavement joints, but they must still be repaired.

Unlike scheduled maintenance, pavement blowups occur spontaneously and motorists receive no advance warning. Once a blowup is reported, it takes time to erect a work zone and notify the public. The Iowa DOT urges motorists to pay special attention to pavement surfaces when driving during afternoons with 90-degree or hotter temperatures. Use caution and reduce your speed when approaching broken pavement areas.

Motorists who witness a pavement blowup are asked to contact the nearest law enforcement agency to ensure traffic is routed around the blowup until work zone signage and repair crews are on the scene.

Posted in News, Weather |