712 Digital Group - top

Montgomery County thefts under investigation

News

May 30th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Authorities in Montgomery County are investigating recent incidents of thefts in the Red Oak and Stanton areas. Sheriff’s officials say they received two reports Tuesday. One of the incidents occurred sometime between Saturday and Monday, south of Red Oak. A white & yellow 2012 Cub Cadet GT-2100 lawn tractor and black 1995 H&H Dovetail trailer were reported stolen from Dickel Outdoor Power, just off of Highway 48. The trailer with Iowa license plate number 3544HB is valued at $3,000, while the lawn tractor was valued at $4,000.

The second incident occurred in the 500 block of Thorn Street, in Stanton. Officials say the victim reported someone removed two center caps off the rims of her 1999 Ford F-250 pickup truck, and damaged an aluminum door on the inside of her 2000 Kiefer-built horse trailer. The loss was estimated at $350 altogether.

Anyone with information about either of those crimes, is asked to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107, or Montgomery County Crimestoppers at 1-800-432-1001.

Iowa crops needs a good soaking

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 30th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Much of Iowa, especially southern Iowa, could use some rain. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says while weeks of dry weather allowed farmers to finish planting, a lack of significant rain is resulting in poor soybean stands with seeds lying in dry soil. High winds have slowed spraying and dried out the soil. The USDA says in Tuesday’s report that 95 percent of the corn crop has emerged, which is 11 days ahead of normal. The condition of the corn has dipped slightly from a week ago, from 81 percent in good or excellent condition to 77 percent. Farmers have planted 97 percent of the soybean crop, ahead of 83 percent average. Topsoil moisture is 49 percent adequate or surplus, with subsoil moisture at 58 percent adequate or surplus.

NWS Forecast for Cass and area Counties in Iowa

Weather

May 30th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

National Weather Service, Des Moines – updated 3:55-a.m. May 30th, 2012

Today: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. East northeast wind between 7 and 9 mph.

Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Low around 50. East wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 56. Northeast wind between 10 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 47. North northwest wind between 7 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. North northwest wind between 6 and 8 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.

Funeral services set for boy killed by falling tree

News

May 30th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Funeral services will be held next Tuesday afternoon in Fontanelle, for a 3-year old boy who died Sunday afternoon, when a tree fell on him as he was playing hide and seek with his stuffed animals under the tree in his family’s back yard. Nathan “Tader” Hutt died instantly from injuries he suffered when a huge Maple tree fell over and landed on top of him. The accident happened at around 12:45-p.m. His mother Alisha, made the call to 9-1-1.

Fontanelle Police Chief Pat Henry told the Des Moines Register that it had been windy that day. Too windy, for the old tree, which was basically hollow, with only about five inches of wood remaining around the edges of the trunk. Henry said the tree looked fine from the outside, and there was no way to tell it was so internally weak.

Funeral services for Nathan Hutt will be held 3-p.m. Tue., June 5th, at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fontanelle. Memorials may be directed to the Nathan Hutt memorial fund in care of the First National Bank, 311 5th Street, Fontanelle, Iowa 50846.

Examining fundraising reports for four Iowa congressional races

News

May 30th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The latest campaign disclosure reports show there’s a lop-sided fundraising race between Tom Latham and Leonard Boswell — the two incumbent Iowa congressmen who’re running against one another in November. Republican Congressman Tom Latham had nearly two-million dollars in cash in his campaign account by May 16th. That was a deadline day for reporting fundraising totals. It’s six times more than Democratic Congressman Leonard Boswell had. Boswell had about 300-thousand dollars in his campaign account by mid-May.

Democratic Congressman Bruce Braley of Waterloo raised about 100-thousand dollars since April 1st. Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Iowa City, raised about 13-thousand more than that. But former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack, the Democrat who plans to challenge Republican Congressman Steve King in November, raised more than Braley and Loebsack combined. Her haul in the six-week period was 230-thousand dollars.Congressman King, however, is a more aggressive fundraiser than he has been in the past, collecting nearly 373-thousand dollars during that six-week period. King had about a million dollars in his campaign account by mid-May. Vilsack had about 144-thousand less.

Two Republicans face off in June’s primary to win the G-O-P nomination to challenge Braley in November. Loebsack faces a Democratic challenger in the primary who hasn’t set up a campaign website or raised enough money to require disclosing his donors. And two Republicans are running in the second congressional district for the change to run against Loebsack in November.

(O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

Sweeney Accepts AD/AP Position in Shenandoah

Sports

May 30th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Former Atlantic High School Activities Director and Assistant Principal Bob Sweeney has accepted a similar position with the Shenandoah Community School District. Shenandoah Superintendent Jeff Hiser announced the move late Tuesday. Details of the contract are still being worked out. Sweeney served the Atlantic district for 13 years in the AD’s position, and has taught and coached at Shenandoah. He’s set to take over the position previously held by P-J Hedrington, whose contract was not renewed after one year.

Uggla, Bourn Go Deep, Braves Beat Cardinals 5-4

Sports

May 30th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

ATLANTA (AP) — Dan Uggla hit a three-run homer, Michael Bourn also went deep and the Atlanta Braves snapped their longest losing streak in more than two years, holding off the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 Tuesday night after an eight-game skid. Bourn led off the bottom of the first with his fifth homer of the season, tying a career high. Uggla made it 4-0 in the third, sending one into the seats in left-center. Randall Delgado (3-5) worked into the sixth, allowing three runs, and the Cardinals closed within a run in the seventh on Yadier Molina’s third RBI of the night, a run-scoring single. Molina went 4-for-4, including a solo homer. But Craig Kimbrel got the final three outs for his 14th save in 15 chances. Jake Westbook (4-4) took the loss.

Cubs Option Lalli to Triple-A Iowa

Sports

May 30th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Chicago Cubs Tuesday, activated catcher Steve Clevenger from the 15-day disabled list before their game, optioning catcher Blake Lalli to Triple-A Iowa to make room on the roster. Cubs manager Dale Sveum said that Clevenger, who has been out since April 28 with a right oblique strain, will see the majority of action behind the plate. Regular backstop Geovany Soto is on the DL with a torn meniscus in his left knee

Pacific Coast League Baseball

Sports

May 30th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Tuesday’s Games

Iowa 5, Omaha 4

 

Wednesday’s Games

Iowa at Omaha, 7:35 p.m.

Hoiberg Agrees to 8-Year Contract with Cyclones

Sports

May 29th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg intends to stay with the Cyclones. The university says Tuesday that the Ames native and former ISU and NBA player has agreed to an eight-year contract worth an average of $1.5 million a year. ISU says terms of the contract will be released at a later date. Hoiberg, who took his first coaching job at any level just two years ago, was named the Big 12’s co-Coach of the Year in March and took his Cyclones to the NCAA tournament for the time in seven years. Hoiberg says in a statement that returning the Ames has been “much more than expected” for his family and he’s “thrilled” to have the chance to continue coaching at Iowa State.