United Group Insurance

Shawn Johnson sprains foot ahead of selection camp

Sports

September 14th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson is back training after spraining her right foot, just a few days before the final world team selection camp. Johnson slipped off the balance beam Tuesday, and agent Sheryl Shade says she was back at practice later that night. Johnson says she’s fine, tweeting Wednesday: “I’m doing ok everyone! Healing fast & still planning on giving it my all!” She leaves Saturday for the final selection camp, and the world team is expected to be named next Wednesday. Worlds are Oct. 7-16 in Tokyo. Johnson made big improvements at last month’s U.S. championships, her second meet since winning four medals at the Beijing Olympics. She was fourth on beam and sixth on uneven bars – the Americans’ weakest event – and planned to upgrade the difficulty of her routines.

 

Posted in Sports |

Iowa Forward Jade Rogers out for ’11-12

Sports

September 14th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa sophomore forward Jade Rogers will miss all of next season to repair her left knee. The Hawkeyes say Rogers will have surgery Thursday to realign her left leg to aid healing in her knee. Rogers tore her anterior cruciate ligament in high school and has had issues with her knee while at Iowa. Rogers had 21 points and 22 rebounds in 13 games last season. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder says the surgery will give Rogers a chance to return to basketball and improve the quality of her life after she’s done playing.

Posted in Sports |

Page County woman sentenced to 7 years in prison on meth conviction

News

September 14th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa says a Page County woman was sentenced Wednesday to seven-years in prison for Conspiracy to Manufacture Methamphetamine. U-S District Judge James Gritzner also ordered 44-year old Shaunna Jaylynn Stanton, of Shenandoah, to serve a four-year term of supervised released following her incarceration.

Stanton entered a plea of guilty to the charge on April 7th, in Federal Court in Council Bluffs. Prosecutors say Stanton conspired to manufacture Meth from January 2009 to July 17th, 2010. On that date, Stanton was found at an active Methamphetamine lab in the residence of co-defendant 48-year old Michael Thomas Shane. Michael Shane was previously sentenced to 12 and a-half years in prison, and a five-year term of supervised release following his incarceration.

Authorities say Stanton and Shane had worked over a long period of time with a group of people, to gather the items needed to make Meth. U-S Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt says Stanton would assist in the manufacture of the drug by purchasing pseudoephedrine tablets and other items, and manufacture Meth at various locations in and around Page County.

The investigation into Stanton’s activities was conducted by the Shenandoah Police Department, the Page and Mills County Sheriff’s Offices,  the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force (SWINE), Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Page County Attorney’s Office.

Posted in News |

Iowa cropland values up nearly 13-percent over the past 6 months

Ag/Outdoor, News

September 14th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

A recently released survey of Iowa land trends and values shows a statewide increase in cropland values of nearly 13-percent over the past six-months. The survey by the Iowa Farm and Land Chapter number Two of the Realtors Land Institute, shows a 12.9-percent increase in cropland values from March 2011 through September 1st. The estimates are for bare, unimproved land, with a sale price on a cash basis. Pasture and timberland values were requested from participants in the survey, as supplemental information.

In southwest Iowa, the value of High Quality Crop Land increased $643 per acre over the past six-months, to $7,555. Medium Quality Crop Land increased $531, to $5,837 per acre. Even Low Quality Crop Land increased more than $315 per acre, to $4,116. Non-tillable Pasture was valued at $2,328 per acre, which was a loss of $8. And, Timber acreage gained $17, with a value of $1,678 per acre. On average, land values were up 9.3-percent.

In western central Iowa, High Quality Crop land was valued at $9,085 per acre, which is an increase of nearly $1,050 over the past six-months. Medium Quality Crop Land was valued at $7,275, which was a slightly more than $850 increase. Low Quality Crop Land in West Central Iowa saw the least amount of increase per acre, at $316, averaging out to $5,260. Non-tillable Pasture fared better in the valuation in the West Central part of the state as compared to the southwest, by increasing just over $320 per acre, while Timber acreage increased modestly as well, to $2,160 per acre. On average, the West Central part of the state realized a 12-percent gain in tillable cropland values from March through September.

All nine crop reporting districts in the state showed an increase in land values, ranging from 8.5-percent in Southeast Iowa, to as much as 17-percent in northeast Iowa, from March 2011 to September, 2011. The Realtors Land Institute said factors contributing to the increase in farmland values included strong commodity prices, favorable long-term interest rates, and a limited amount of land being offered for sale. For more information, log on to www.rlifarmandranch.com.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Cass County Extension Report 09-14-2011

Ag/Outdoor, Podcasts

September 14th, 2011 by admin

w/ Kate Olsen

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, Podcasts |

Police get tip on Hot Dog Man statue owner

News

September 14th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Police in Council Bluffs say they have found a link to the mysterious appearance of a Hot Dog Man statue. Police Sgt. Chad Meyers says a man called police Wednesday morning claiming the statue belongs to his son. Meyers says police still have to talk to the son before deciding what to do with the statue. Police took the Hot Dog Man statue into custody September 2nd,  after a concerned citizen reported a man in a hot dog costume near a bus stop where children congregate. When officers arrived, they discovered it was only a statue. Meyers says the statue is only a “found property” case and no investigation is under way, but he acknowledged “it’s not something you see very often, if at all.”

Posted in News |

Cardinals Release 2012 Home Schedule

Sports

September 14th, 2011 by Jim Field

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The St. Louis Cardinals announced their 2012 home regular season schedule today in conjunction with Major League Baseball’s league-wide release. The Cardinals will open their home slate Friday, April 13 vs. Chicago. It marks the latest home opener for the Cardinals since 1991 when the team’s first home game was on April 19 vs. Philadelphia. The Redbirds’ opening homestand
features three games against division rival Chicago (April 13-15), followed by three vs. the Cincinnati Reds (April 17-19). The Cardinals play division opponents in each of their first four home series through May 3.  The club’s home interleague action features a three-team homestand that brings the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals to St. Louis (June 8-17). Following a 9-game road-trip, the club returns home for a 10-game homestand facing Pittsburgh for three, the Colorado Rockies for four games and Miami for three games (June 29-July 8) leading into the All-Star break. The other three team homestand falls in August (14-23) when the club is home for 16 of 19 games August 3-23.

St. Louis will host the Chicago Cubs two additional times besides the home opening weekend; hosting a two-game Monday-Tuesday series, May 14-15, and a three game weekend series in July (20-22). The Cardinals will host both Milwaukee and Pittsburgh for three, three-game series each. However division opponent Houston will visit St. Louis just twice next season, with their first visit not coming until August 21-23.  Cincinnati is also at Busch Stadium on just two occasions next season. After hosting the Reds for three games during the opening homestand, the Cardinals don’t see the Reds at Busch Stadium until the final three games of the season (October 1-3). St. Louis will close the season at home with three games vs. the Washington Nationals (Sept. 28-30) followed by the final three vs. the Reds as the season once again ends on a Wednesday.  The Redbirds will host every National League East and West team one time during 2012, playing the National League East 16 times at home and the National League West teams 17 times. St. Louis will host 43 games at Busch Stadium before the All-Star break, and 38 after the break. The team has nine home dates in April, 15 in May, 11 in June, 15 in July, a season-high 16 in August and 15 September/October home games.

The Cardinals will make future announcements regarding game times, ticket pricing and availability for the 2012 season. The 2012 home schedule follows.

2012 St. Louis Cardinals Home Schedule
April
April 13-14, Friday-Sunday – Chicago Cubs
April 17-19, Tuesday-Thursday – Cincinnati Reds
April 27-29, Friday-Sunday – Milwaukee Brewers
May
May 1-3, Tuesday-Thursday – Pittsburgh Pirates
May 11-13, Friday-Sunday – Atlanta Braves
May 14-15, Monday-Tuesday – Chicago Cubs
May 21-23, Monday-Wednesday – San Diego Padres
May 24-27, Thursday-Sunday – Philadelphia Phillies
June
June 8-10, Friday-Sunday – Cleveland Indians
June 12-14, Tuesday-Thursday – Chicago White Sox
June 15-17, Friday-Sunday – Kansas City Royals
June 29-July 1, Friday-Sunday – Pittsburgh Pirates
July
July 2-5, Monday-Thursday – Colorado Rockies
July 6-8, Friday-Sunday – Miami Marlins
July 20-22, Friday-Sunday – Chicago Cubs
July 23-26, Monday-Thursday – Los Angeles Dodgers
August
August 3-5, Friday-Sunday – Milwaukee Brewers
August 6-9, Monday-Thursday – San Francisco Giants
August 14-16, Tuesday-Thursday – Arizona
Diamondbacks
August 17-19, Friday-Sunday – Pittsburgh Pirates
August 21-23, Tuesday-Thursday – Houston Astros
September/October
Sept. 3-5, Monday-Wednesday – New York Mets
Sept. 7-9, Friday-Sunday – Milwaukee Brewers
Sept. 18-20, Tuesday-Thursday – Houston Astros
Sept. 28-30, Friday-Sunday, Washington Nationals
October 1-3, Monday-Wednesday, Cincinnati Reds

Posted in Sports |

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th

Trading Post

September 14th, 2011 by admin

WANTED: 32″ color tv. 243-3396.

FOR SALE: LARGE DOG CRATE/KENNEL, GOOD SHAPE $48.00.  712-254-0217.

Posted in Trading Post |

Backyard and Beyond 09-14-2011

Backyard and Beyond, Podcasts

September 14th, 2011 by admin

Lavon Eblen speaks with Bob Nelson about the Greenridge Steam and Gas Engine Antique Show near Irwin this upcoming weekend!

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Posted in Backyard and Beyond, Podcasts |

IWCC Design Tech Program Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Planned

News

September 14th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Iowa Western Community College has announced a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held Thursday, for their new “Design Technology” Program.. The ceremony takes place at 10-a.m. IWCC’s Cass County Center in Atlantic. Center Director Ann Pross says everyone is invited to attend the event.

In mid-April, officials with the Southwest Iowa Foundation announced the Atlantic Center of Iowa Western Community College had received a $150,000 grant for the new Design Technology Program, which began at the start of the 2011-2012 school year. The City of Atlantic and Cass County Board of Supervisors had previously pledged $100,000 each to assist with the infrastructure necessary to make the program possible.

Students enrolled in the program will learn to build 3-D virtual products using specialized software developed by Plano, Texas-based Siemens Product Lifestyle Management. The PLM software will introduce students to product design and development technology used by many of the world’s leading manufacturing, architectural and construction companies. The classroom and hands-on experience will allow students to develop technical drawings and plans, to build everything from microchips to skyscrapers.

Among the dignitaries expected to be on-hand for Thursday’s ceremony are: Iowa Western President, Dr. Dan Kinney; lead volunteer Jay Miller; and, Design Technology Program Instructor Joe Vanstrom.

Posted in News |