United Group Insurance

Big 12 Hires Stanford AD Bowlsby as Commissioner

Sports

May 4th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

LAS COLINAS, Texas (AP) — The Big 12 Conference has made it official, announcing the hiring of Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby as its new commissioner. The North Texas-based league announced the hire on Thursday, a few hours after Bowlsby broke the news to his staff and coaches at Stanford. He will take over from interim Commissioner Chuck Neinas on June 15th. The 60-year-old Bowlsby spent the past six years at Stanford, helping it rebuild its football program into a national power. He was hired away from Iowa in 2006, following 15 years running the Hawkeyes’ athletic department. Bowlsby will now take over a BCS conference that seems to have found some stability after losing four schools over the past two years. The league will head into this fall with 10 members, including new additions TCU and West Virginia.

Iowa early News Headlines: Friday, May 4th 2012

News

May 4th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Waterloo police have arrested a suspect in a shooting that left a woman dead and her daughter wounded. Police arrested 33-year-old Kevin Ambrose during a raid on a Waterloo apartment building yesterday. Authorities say Ambrose is a suspect in Wednesday’s night shooting that killed 59-year-old Kay Straw and wounded her daughter, 33-year-old Marlene Buss.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa City has ordered a bar to tear down a platform where a student says she was told she was too overweight to dance. The city’s housing and inspection services department has sent a formal violation to The Union Bar, demanding the platform be removed by today. The platform, which is 4-feet square and 4-feet tall, overlooks the dance floor.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Governor Terry Branstad has approved a measure to create a state Public Information Board to ensure Iowa’s open records and meetings laws are enforced. The Republican governor signed the bill into law yesterday at a signing ceremony. The event capped a six-year effort to improve access to government meetings and records.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials in Des Moines are considering opening a dog park at a downtown spot along the Des Moines River. The City Council will consider the proposal on Monday. Plans call for a fenced off-leash area, a dog waste station and portable restrooms for people.

Bedard, Pirates Beat Cardinals 6-3 to Avoid Sweep

Sports

May 3rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Erik Bedard struck out a season-high 11, including seven straight batters, and Pedro Alvarez hit a go-ahead home run as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 Thursday to avoid a three-game sweep. Bedard (2-4) was pulled after five innings. Alvarez hit his two-run drive in the sixth. Clint Barmes had a pair of RBI doubles for the Pirates, who completed a 3-4 trip and will have 18 of the next 25 at home to end May. Jose Tabata, a career .343 hitter against St. Louis, had three hits and a steal. Jake Westbrook (3-2) lost to Pittsburgh for the second time in three starts, giving up four runs in 6 1-3 innings.

TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 1-A.M. FOR CASS, ADAIR & ADAMS COUNTIES

Weather

May 3rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 710 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

TORNADO WATCH 234 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:

IOWA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE ADAIR ADAMS APPANOOSE CASS CLARKE DAVIS DECATUR DES MOINES HENRY JEFFERSON KEOKUK LEE LOUISA LUCAS MADISON MAHASKA MARION MONROE RINGGOLD TAYLOR UNION VAN BUREN WAPELLO WARREN WASHINGTON WAYNE.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dmx/

ESTHER GOSNELL, 100, of Fontanelle (Svcs. 5-7-12)

Obituaries

May 3rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

ESTHER GOSNELL, 100, of Fontanelle, died Thu., May 3rd, at the Good Samaritan Society in Fontanelle. Funeral services for ESTHER GOSNELL will be held 2-p.m. Mon., May 7th, at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fontanelle. Steen Funeral Home in Fontanelle has the arrangements.

An open viewing will be held at the funeral home from 4-6pm Sun., May 6th, with a family visitation from 6-8pm Sunday.

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.steenfunerals.com. Memorials may be directed to the Emmanuel Lutheran Church.

Burial will be in the Fontanelle Cemetery.

ESTHER GOSNELL is survived by:

Her son – Norbert Schroder and wife Cheryl of Eureka, Arkansas.

2 granddaughters, 6 great grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

2012 Vietnam Veterans Recognition Ceremony

News

May 3rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Iowans will honor their Vietnam Veterans at a remembrance ceremony to be held Monday, May 7th, 2012, beginning at 12:00 p.m. at the Vietnam Memorial − located on the south side of the State Capitol in Des Moines. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Vietnam War.

The ceremony will include keynote speaker Bill McCarthy, Vietnam Veteran, Sheriff, Polk County, Iowa, and guest speaker Lawrence Paul, Vietnam Veteran, retired IWD Executive Officer, Mason City. 

The event is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs, who invites you to join them, as we remember those who served, and those who sacrificed their lives for our country.

Government Agencies Provide Resources to Iowans on Bullying / Cyber-Bullying

News

May 3rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Bullying has been recognized as a widespread problem and the recent instances of bullying highlighted in the media bring this topic to the forefront for Iowans.  In response, the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Department of Public Safety, Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Office of The Attorney General Tom Miller, and Office of The Governor Terry Branstad are working in partnership to provide information and resources to Iowans on the topic of bullying and cyber-bullying.

A 2011 study by the Pew Research Center on Teens and Social Media found that 88% of social media-using teens have witnessed other people being mean or cruel on social networking sites and 15% of social media-using teens say they have been the victim of online meanness.  Another study in 2009 sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics who conducted the National Crime Victimization Survey / School Crime Supplement found that 28% of 12-18 year old students stated they had been bullied at school during the school year and 6% stated they had been victims of cyber-bullying.

In light of the alarming statistics these agencies have formed a partnership to continue to educate Iowans and to provide necessary resources to address bullying and cyber-bullying.  Resources have been provided to every school district in the State of Iowa, including links to websites containing teaching materials, presentations, safety education kits, and other information for school use in educating Iowa students.  In addition, the Iowa Internet Crimes against Children Task Force and Iowa State Patrol Safety Education Officers (SEO’s) are available to provide presentations at Iowa schools on the topics of bullying, cyber-bullying, internet safety, and others.  Contact information for the SEO’s was provided to all Iowa school districts so they may arrange for these presentations when it fits with their curriculum. These agencies continue to communicate with each other as instances of bullying and cyber-bullying are discovered.  It is vital that state government assist local school districts with appropriate resources to address instances of bullying at the onset, and in-turn prevent the often tragic outcome of negative peer influences.

Online resources for parents are available at www.netsmartz.org, the Iowa Internet Crimes against Children website at www.iaicac.org, the National Crime Prevention Council website at www.ncpc.org, and www.cybersmart.org. These resources represent an important component of an overall school-wide bullying prevention effort.  Additional resources can be found on the Department of Education website at http://educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1030&Itemid=2911 .

Officials say by striving to reach every Iowa student through our schools we can make a difference and put a stop to bullying in our state.

Pott County Sheriff warns of new scam

News

May 3rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker is warning the public about a new sweepstakes mailing scam that purports to be the result of your shopping trip to a large chain store. The Sheriff says his office has received multiple complaints from citizens saying they were notified by mail, that they have won a sweepstakes by being randomly selected as a consumer that has shopped at a large, well-known chain store.

The notification includes a check, which the recipient is instructed to deposit, before remitting a “non-resident” tax to an address included in the letter. The mailing says the recipient would then be entitled to receive the remaining prize funds.

Danker says any person who receives any check, money order or negotiable instrument from an UNSOLICITED source, should be suspicious of the financial documents’ validity. He urges you to report ANY suspected fraudulent activity to your local law enforcement agency, prior to taking any other action.

Forecast for Cass & area Counties in IA: 5-3-12 (Updated)

Weather

May 3rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

341 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

LATE THIS AFTERNOON...PARTLY SUNNY WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 20 PERCENT.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING…THEN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT. PATCHY FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE MID 60S. SOUTHEAST WIND NEAR 5 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 40 PERCENT.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE MID 60S. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE MID 80S. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH SHIFTING TO THE EAST 15 TO 20 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. BREEZY. LOW IN THE UPPER 60S. SOUTHEAST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTH 5 TO 15 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 50 PERCENT.

SUNDAY...THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 70S. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 60 PERCENT.

Kick-off Times Announced for Hawkeyes

Sports

May 3rd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa has announced that at least four of their games will start at 11 a.m. next season. The Hawkeyes say their Big Ten opener at home against Minnesota on Sept. 29 will start at 11 a.m., as will the season-ending matchup against Nebraska on Nov. 23. Iowa’s games at Michigan State on Oct. 13 and at Northwestern two weeks later will also kick off before noon. Iowa’s only night game will be at home against Penn State on Oct. 20. The Hawkeyes open the season in Chicago on Sept. 1 against Northern Illinois, then host four straight in Iowa City.