712 Digital Group - top

RYAN “TATOR” JOHNSON, 51, of Atlantic (Svcs 12-15-11)

Obituaries

December 12th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

RYAN “TATOR” JOHNSON, 51, of Atlantic, died Sun., Dec. 11th. Funeral services for RYAN “TATOR” JOHNSON will be held 10:30-a.m. Thu., Dec. 15th, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Atlantic. Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

Visitation is open at the funeral home from 1-5:30pm Tue., Dec. 13th, & from 8am-5pm Wed., Dec. 14th. Visitation with the family will be from 5-7pm Wed., at Rolands.

RYAN “TATOR” JOHNSON is survived by:

His parents – Gail (Marie) Johnson, of Atlantic.

His sisters – Denise (Curtis) Bradley, of Corning; Debbie (Jerry) Martin, of Atlantic; & Julie (Jay) Muhe, of Yuma, AZ.

Posted in Obituaries |

JOHN “BUTCH” DENNIS, 83, of Exira & formerly of Brayton (Svcs 12-14-11)

Obituaries

December 12th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

JOHN “BUTCH” DENNIS, 83, of Exira (& formerly of Brayton), died Sat., Dec. 10th, at the Cass County Homecare/Hospice. Funeral services for “BUTCH” DENNIS will be held 10:30-a.m. Wed., Dec. 14th, at the Kessler Funeral Home in Exira.

Friends may call at the funeral home, where the family visitation is a 6-p.m. Tue., Dec. 13th.

Burial will be in the Oakfield Cemetery, east of Brayton.

JOHN “BUTCH” DENNIS is survived by:

His children – Donna Dennis & Lyle Drees, of Exira; David (April) Dennis, of Brayton; Denise (Andy) Jago, of Clarinda; Debbie Wiskus; John Brannon.

His brother – Carol (Betty) Dennis, of Audubon.

5 grandchildren, a Special Newphew, his in-laws, other relatives and friends.

Posted in Obituaries |

Saturday High School Basketball Results

Sports

December 12th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Girls Basketball:

Adair-Casey 52, Guthrie Center 43
Audubon 65, West Central Valley 51
Coon Rapids-Bayard 37, Exira-EHK 32
Denison-Schleswig 67, Carroll 62
Harlan 68, St. Albert 28
Kuemper Catholic 60, South Central Calhoun 24
Panorama 85, Jefferson-Scranton 36
Villisca 68, Essex 46
Walnut 49, Woodbine 37

Boys Basketball

Essex 49, Villisca 45
Jefferson-Scranton 66, Panorama 62
Kuemper Catholic 86, South Central Calhoun 23
Red Oak 67, Shenandoah 31
Walnut 61, Woodbine 49
West Central Valley 60, Audubon 45

Posted in Sports |

3 Carroll residents injured during head-on crash in Sac County

News

December 11th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Three people from Carroll, two men and a teenager, were injured Saturday evening in Sac County, during a collision between two pickup trucks. The Iowa State Patrol says the drivers of both trucks, 27-year old David Bloyer, and 46-year old Richard Wallace, along with a passenger in his vehicle, 13-year old Jacob Wallace, were injured in the crash, which happened at around 5-p.m. Saturday, south of Auburn.

Officials say a 2004 Chevy pickup driven by Bloyer was traveling south on Highway 71, when the vehicle went out of control due to the icy road and blowing snow. The vehicle crossed the center line of the road and hit a 2011 Chevy pickup driven by Wallace. Richard Wallace was flown from the scene by air ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. David Bloyer and Jacob Wallace were transported by ambulance to the Carroll Hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries. All three of the crash victims were wearing their seatbelts.

Posted in News |

Two western IA utilties among 8 share $40.6-million in grants to help rebuild or strengthen power grid

News

December 11th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Two western Iowa power companies are among eight utilities from around the state that have been awarded a portion of more than $40.6-million in FEMA grant money, in reaction to recent severe storms, and are part of a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Senator Tom Harkin announced late last week, that more than $3.3-million was awarded to the Western Iowa Power Cooperative, which serves portions of Audubon County and Harrison County. The grant will be used to retrofit nearly 57 miles of electrical distribution lines. And, more than $2.3-million was awarded to Guthrie County Rural Electric Cooperative, to strengthen over 49 miles of overhead electrical distribution lines.

Posted in News |

Massena City Council to discuss funding for F.D. tanker truck replacement & street lights

News

December 11th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

The City Council in Massena will meet in a regular session Monday night. On their agenda at 7-p.m., is discussion and possible action with regard to: funding for a replacement Fire Department tanker truck; Approval of new street lights to be installed by Alliant Energy near Massena Livestock; Formal approval of bids for snow removal on downtown city properties and the city park; discussion and potential action on a new sewer improvement design contract, and an agreement between Railroad Management, L.L.C, and the City of Massena.

Posted in News |

Audubon City Council to meet Monday evening

News

December 11th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

The City Council in Audubon is set to hold their regular meeting Monday night. On their agenda, is: Katie Jo Walters, who will discuss New Opportunities; Diane McGrain, with an audit report; Barb Jacobsen will provide an update on the Blue Zone Project, and, there’ll be  discussion with regard to compensation practices. The meeting begins at 7-p.m., in the Audubon City Hall.

Posted in News |

Weak First Half Dooms Chiefs in 37-10 Loss to Jets

Sports

December 11th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Todd Haley could have spent the rest of Sunday pointing out everything his Kansas City Chiefs did wrong – just in the first half. Coming off two strong defensive performances, the Chiefs couldn’t get out of their own way in a 37-10 loss. They couldn’t get in the Jets’ way, either, falling behind 28-3 by halftime. “The first half, when we can’t get a first down and are terrible keeping the other team from getting a first down, that will not be a good half,” Haley said. “They did a great job in the red zone,” he added about the Jets. “They were more prepared and just played better, period.” Through two quarters, New York (8-5) led Kansas City 253-4 in yards, 16-1 in first downs, and 20:34-9:26 in time of possession. Not a formula for success for the Chiefs (5-8).

The second half wasn’t much better, marked mostly by penalties. In the most brutal stretch, the Chiefs were penalized five times for 81 yards during the Jets’ final touchdown drive. One of those was an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Haley. Kansas City finished with 11 penalties. Tyler Palko was sacked five times, a week after the quarterback earned his first victory as a starter at Chicago. He was 3 for 8 for 11 yards in the first half. He finished 16 of 32 for 195 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Dwayne Bowe dropped a would-be touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter for Kansas City. Mark Sanchez threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more scores as the Jets improved their lot in the AFC playoff race. The Jets were helped by that inept Chiefs offense, and KC couldn’t stop New York’s rushing game, either.

Notes: Chiefs K Ryan Succop badly botched an onside kick attempt that traveled 3 yards early in the fourth quarter. … Chiefs S Jon McGraw left in the second quarter with an injured left ankle and didn’t return. … New York’s five sacks were a season high. … Chiefs RB Thomas Jones had just 12 yards on five carries, but passed Eddie George and Tiki Barber for 22nd on the NFL’s career list.

Posted in Sports |

Wreaths laid at graves of Neb., Iowa veterans

News

December 11th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Hundreds of wreaths are marking the graves of Nebraska and Iowa veterans as part of a nationwide memorial effort. More than 500 wreath-laying ceremonies were held Saturday – Wreaths Across America Day – to honor both living and dead veterans. Seventeen ceremonies were held at Nebraska cemeteries or veterans’ memorials. In Lincoln, more than 100 volunteers helped lay 645 wreaths at Wyuka Cemetery. Some 170 others were laid at Fort McPherson National Cemetery in Maxwell.

A ceremony at the Iowa Veterans Ceremony near Van Meter was among six held in that state. Seven ceremonial wreaths were laid on memorials for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and POW/MIA. In Johnson County, some 75 volunteers laid 1,155 wreaths on veterans’ graves.

Posted in News |

Iowa’s Norm Parker to Retire After 13 Seasons

Sports

December 11th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker says he’s retiring after 13 seasons with the Hawkeyes. The 70-year-old Parker says in a statement released by the school that he’s stepping down following Iowa’s matchup with Oklahoma in the Insight Bowl on Dec. 30. The Hawkeyes have not yet said who will replace Parker.

Iowa ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense in 2008, 2009 and 2010 under Parker, who was recently named the Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association. But Parker battled health issues last season and had his foot amputated in the fall of 2010 because of diabetes. Parker began his college coaching career in 1968 and also made stops at Wake Forest, Minnesota, Illinois, East Carolina, Michigan State and Vanderbilt.

Posted in Sports |