The Cass County Soil and Water Conservation District will be hosting a Cover Crop meeting on Wednesday, March 12th at the Cass County Community Center. The meeting will start at 1:00 pm and run till 3:30pm. Doors will open at 12:30 to the public. Bill Northey, Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture will speak during the meeting about Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

Matt Lechtenberg from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation will also present information about the Iowa Water Quality Initiatives. There will also be a panel of local producers that will give their account of how they have incorporated cover crops to their own farm operations.

The Cass County Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioners are: Greg Zellmer, Fred Kay, Ray Wilson, Curt Behrends, and Chase Wheatley along with Assistant Commissioner Alan Peterson.

Class 1-A Semifinal

• Burlington Notre Dame 65, Janesville 58

Class 2-A Semifinals

• Hudson 45, Cascade 33
• Western Christian 69, North Linn 52

 Class 3-A Semifinals

• MOC-Floyd Valley 64, Mediapolis 51
• Unity Christian 50, Crestwoodo 41

Class 4-A Semifinals

• Western Dubuque 30, Ballard 23
• Harlan 45, Carlisle 42

Friday Schedule

Class 5-A Semifinals

• Noon – Waterloo West (22-2) vs. Southeast Polk (17-6)
• 1:45 p.m. – Iowa City High (24-0) vs. Dowling Catholic (21-3)

Class 1-A Championship

• 6:00 p.m. — Newell-Fonda (25-1) vs. Burlington Notre Dame (23-3)

Class 2-A Championship

• 8:00 p.m. — Hudson (25-1) vs. Western Christian (26-1)

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Keith Appling scored in double figures for the first time in more than five weeks and No. 22 Michigan State looked healthier than it had in months in an 86-76 victory over No. 24 Iowa on Thursday night. Appling showed his old aggressiveness before hip and wrist injuries and scored 12 points for the Spartans (23-7, 12-5 Big Ten).  Travis Trice, Appling’s backup, was 3 for 4 from 3-point range and had 16 points, while Adreian Payne added 14 points in his final home game.

Denzel Valentine had 13 points and nine assists for Michigan State, which looked a lot like the team that is 19-2 with a healthy Branden Dawson in the lineup.  Roy Devyn Marble had 24 points for Iowa (20-10, 9-8).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs released linebacker Robert James and tight end Dominique Jones on Thursday as they prepare for the start of free agency next week. James was signed near the end of last season when James Michael-Johnson went on injured reserve. Jones spent time on the practice squad before making the 53-man roster at the tail end of the season, but he did not have a catch with the Chiefs.

The Chiefs were already in the market for a linebacker to provide depth, either through the draft or free agency. Jones was expendable with the anticipated return of tight end Travis Kelce, their third round pick last year who missed the season with a knee injury.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – The exhibition game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins scheduled for Thursday was rained out.   The game was called off before it started. Ricky Nolasco was set to start for the Twins. With rain in the forecast, he pitched a simulated game instead.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State senior guard Bubu Palo says he might petition the NCAA for a hardship waiver that would allow him to transfer to another school and play one more season. Palo missed much of 2013-14 after being dismissed from the team following sexual assault charges that were later dropped. Palo was reinstated by a district court judge in January, but he hasn’t played this season.

Palo says he and coach Fred Hoiberg have discussed the possibility of a waiver, adding that he might sit out Saturday’s home finale against Oklahoma State to aid those efforts. Palo redshirted as a freshman in 2009-10 and was suspended for 18 games in 2012-13. He will be honored in pre-game festivities for Iowa State’s seniors on Saturday.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Egidijus Mockevicius tied a career-high with 19 points, had a career-best eight blocks and grabbed 10 rebounds as No. 9 seed Evansville defeated eighth-seeded Drake 69-61 in the opening round of the Missouri Valley tournament Thursday night. D.J. Balentine added 30 points for Evansville (14-18) which faces top-seeded Wichita State in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Jordan Daniels scored to give Drake a 21-19 lead with 8:10 to play in the first half. Evansville answered with a 14-0 run, including six points by Balentine, to take a 33-21 lead and the Purple Aces led the rest of the way. Daniels scored seven straight points and Daddy Ugbede made a layup to cap a 9-0 to pull Drake within six points, 58-52 with 8:49 remaining, but the Bulldogs did not get any closer. Richard Carter scored 26 points and Daniels finished with 11 to lead Drake (15-16).

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bethany Doolittle scored a career-high 26 points, hitting 10 of 14 shots, as fifth-seeded and 23rd-ranked Iowa defeat Illinois 81-62 in the first round of the Big 10 tournament on Thursday.

Melissa Dixon added 15 points and Ally Disterhoft 14 with 12 rebounds for the Hawkeyes (24-7), who face No. 17 Purdue (21-7), the fourth seed, in the quarterfinals Friday.

Amber Moore had 26 points for the Illini (9-21), who have lost 11 straight). Ivory Crawford had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Iowa opened the game with an 11-2 run and after Illinois regrouped to take a 27-26 lead, the Hawkeyes closed the half with a 15-2 surge for a 41-29 lead.

Iowa shot 54 percent from the field, made 21 of 26 free throw and had a 45-31 rebounding edge to offset 24 turnovers. The Illini shot just 32 percent and got to the line 14 times, making 10.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kicker Billy Cundiff has agreed to terms on a contract extension with the Browns.

Cundiff was eligible to hit the free-agent market next week, but he’ll stay with the Browns. Terms of the deal announced Thursday were not immediately available.

After Phil Dawson left for San Francisco before last season, the Browns signed Cundiff, who made 21 of 26 field-goal attempts and made 32 extra points in 16 games. Cundiff also set a franchise record with 42 touchbacks.

Cundiff made the Pro Bowl with Baltimore in 2010. He kicked in five games for the Browns in 2009 and has also played for Dallas, New Orleans and Washington. He was in training camp with the New York Jets last summer before he was waived on Aug. 28.

He has converted 76 percent of his career field-goal attempts.

The former Drake University player is a Harlan alum.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State senior Hallie Christofferson was named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while sophomore Nikki Moody was a Second-Team selection and Jadda Buckley and Seanna Johnson earned spots on the All-Freshman Team.

Christofferson, a forward from Hamlin, Iowa, was a first-team pick after averaging 18.5 points and 7.2 rebounds. In conference play, Christofferson averaged 16.5 points and was in the top-15 in the league in field goal percentage at 46.4 percent for the season. She was also second in the league with an 89.2 percent clip at the free-throw line.

Christofferson, who tallied seven double-double this season, was in double figures in 27 of 29 games, including 15 games with 20 or more points.

Moody, a junior guard from Euless, Texas, earned second-team honors for the first time in her career. She averaged 12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game this season. Moody tallied 20 points on three occasions and scored in double digits 17 times. She recorded five or more assists 18 times including two games with 10 or more assists.

Johnson and Buckley have enjoyed standout freshman campaigns earning eight of the 18 Big 12 Freshman of the Week awards between the two. Iowa State’s two nods on the All-Freshman team is the first time in the history of the award that a school has placed two on the team in the same year.

Buckley, a guard from Mason City, Iowa, is averaging 11.0 points per game, 3.2 assists per game and 2.2 rebounds per game. Buckley has grabbed three Freshman of the Week honors for the Cyclones and scored 20-plus points on two occasions. She has also scored in double-digits 16 times this season.

Johnson, a guard from Brooklyn Park, Minn., is averaging 10.6 points and 8.1 rebounds. She has earned five Freshman of the Week honors and scored in double-digits 16 times. Johnson has also recorded nine double-digit rebounding games.

2013-14 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Awards

• Coach of the Year: Mike Carey, West Virginia
• Player of the Year: Odyssey Sims, Baylor **
• Freshman of the Year: Nina Davis, Baylor
• Defensive Player of the Year: Odyssey Sims, Baylor
• Sixth Man Award: Taylor Palmer, West Virginia

All-Big 12 First Team (all honors listed alphabetical by school)

• Nina Davis Baylor F 5-11 Fr Memphis, Tenn.
• Odyssey Sims^~!** Baylor G 5-8 Sr Irving, Texas
• Hallie Christofferson^ Iowa State F 6-3 Sr Hamlin, Iowa
• Chelsea Gardner Kansas F 6-3 Jr DeSoto, Texas
• Aaryn Ellenberg^~** Oklahoma G 5-7 Sr Las Vegas, Nev.
• Tiffany Bias%+** Oklahoma State G 5-6 Sr Andover, Kan.
• Zahna Medley TCU G 5-6 So Springfield, Ill.
• Nneka Enemkpali Texas F 6-1 Jr Pflugerville, Texas
• Asya Bussie West Virginia C 6-4 Sr Randallstown, Md.
• Bria Holmes** West Virginia G 6-1 So New Haven, Conn.

All-Big 12 Second Team

• Nikki Moody Iowa State G 5-8 Jr Euless, Texas
• Leticia Romero Kansas State G 5-8 Fr Las Palmas, Spain
• Morgan Hook Oklahoma G 5-10 Sr Lowell, Ark.
• Imani McGee-Stafford Texas C 6-7 So Los Angeles, Calif.
• Amber Battle Texas Tech G 5-9 Jr Albuquerque, N.M.

All-Big 12 Honorable Mention

Niya Johnson (Baylor), Makenzie Robertson (Baylor), Natalie Knight (Kansas), Sharane Campbell (Oklahoma), Nicole Griffin (Oklahoma), Liz Donohoe (Oklahoma State), Brittney Martin (Oklahoma State), Chassidy Fussell (Texas)

Big 12 All-Defensive Team

• Odyssey Sims Baylor G 5-8 Sr Irving, Texas
• Tiffany Bias Oklahoma State G 5-6 Sr Andover, Kan.
• Latricia Lovings TCU C 6-3 Sr Fort Worth, Texas
• Asya Bussie West Virginia C 6-4 Sr Randallstown, Md.
• Jess Harlee West Virginia F 6-1 Sr Bel Air, Md.

Big 12 All-Freshman Team

• Nina Davis** Baylor F 5-11 Memphis, Tenn.
• Jadda Buckley** Iowa State G 5-8 Mason City, Iowa
• Seanna Johnson Iowa State G 5-10 Brooklyn Park, Minn.
• Leticia Romero** Kansas State G 5-8 Las Palmas, Spain
• Roshunda Johnson Oklahoma State G 5-7 Little Rock, Ark.

** Unanimous First Team Selection (coaches cannot vote for own players, unanimous denotes voted first team by other nine coaches)

^ 2012-13 All-Big 12 First Team Selection

% 2012-13 All-Big 12 Second Team Selection

~ 2011-12 All-Big 12 First Team Selection

+ 2011-12 All Big 12 Second Team Selection

! 2010-11 All-Big 12 First Team Selection