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Midwest Sports Headlines: 12/31/2018

Sports

December 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Nia Clouden scored 27 points, Jenna Allen had 17 rebounds, both career highs, and No. 20 Michigan State pulled away from No. 16 Iowa in the second half for an 84-70 win in the Big Ten Conference opener. The one-two punch for the Spartans (11-1) offset a 30-point, 14-rebound outing for Megan Gustafson, who became the all-time leading scorer for the Hawkeyes (9-3).

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Emmanuel Nzekwesi had 28 points on 12-of-19 shooting and 14 rebounds, D.J. Weaver made seven 3-pointers and scored 21 and Oral Roberts beat Omaha 87-84. Kevin Obanor made two free throws with 29 seconds left to give ORU an 87-83 lead.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs clinched their third consecutive AFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs with a 35-3 whitewash of the Oakland Raiders. Patrick Mahomes threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns, making him the second quarterback in NFL history with at least 5,000 yards passing and 50 TDs in a season. The Raiders never gave themselves a shot after turning the ball over on their first four possessions.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Missouri’s Drew Lock wants to make sure he ends his college career with a positive memory as the No. 24 Tigers face Oklahoma State in the Liberty Bowl. Lock didn’t follow the example of other NFL prospects who skipped bowl games to begin draft preparations. The senior quarterback instead wanted to join his college teammates one last time.

Iowa early News Headlines: Monday, Dec. 31st 2018

News

December 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

BROWNVILLE, Neb. (AP) — Utility crews extinguished a fire at a nuclear power plant in southeast Nebraska over the weekend. The Nebraska Public Power District says the fire was discovered in the basement of the facility around 9 a.m. Saturday while crews were investigating a hazardous gas. It was extinguished before 10 a.m. The utility says the fire never threatened public safety.

CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) — A major financial rating agency has lowered its bond ratings for an Iowa town because of how it is financing a $70 million arena project. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that S&P Global Ratings pointed to Coralville’s bank loans with variable interest rates to pay for the planned 5,700 seat arena set to open in 2020. City leaders say they remain confident the project does not threaten the city’s finances.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa woman whose son died from a drug overdose has had a chance to hear his heart beat again in the chest of an Ohio man who received it as an organ donation. The Quad City Times reports that Lisa Bragg met Friday in Davenport with 45-year-old Kenneth Vogelsong, of Sherwood, Ohio. Bragg’s 27-year-old son, Markus Abbott, died in January, and his heart was transplanted in Vogelsong.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — In 2008, Barack Obama won the hearts of Iowa Democrats. Today, his supporters are looking more pragmatically for someone who can simply seize the presidency from Donald Trump in 2020. Niki Neems, a Democratic activist in Iowa city, says that ideally she would want to fall in love with the new candidate the same way as she did with Obama. But she adds that the candidate’s ultimate success at defeating Trump is more important. Neems says, “So, for me, it’s OK to just fall in like.”

Iowa prepares for familiar offense in Outback Bowl

Sports

December 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(Learfield Sports) — Iowa will face a familiar offense in tomorrow’s (Tuesday’s) 33rd edition of the Outback Bowl, against 18th ranked Mississippi State. Bulldog coach Joe Moorhead was the offensive coordinator at Penn State when the Nittany Lions beat the Hawkeyes in 2016 and 2017.

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker says the Hawkeyes need to be assignment sound against Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, who has rushed for more than a thousand yards this season.

We’ll have the game for you here on KJAN, beginning at 9-a.m., with the kick-off from Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL at 11-a.m.

Chiefs claim top seed in the AFC West

Sports

December 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Kansas City finally clinched its third consecutive AFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, Sunday, with a 35-3 pounding of the Raiders. Patrick Mahomes threw for 281 yards, highlighted by a 67-yard TD pass to Tyreek Hill and an 89-yard TD toss to Demarcus Robinson for the 12-4 Chiefs. That gave the first-year starter 5,097 yards and 50 touchdown passes, joining Peyton Manning as the only QBs to hit 5,000 and 50 in the same season.

Hill finished with five catches for 101 yards, becoming the Chiefs’ single-season leader for yards receiving with 1,479, while adding a fourth-quarter touchdown run. Damien Williams added 51 yards and a score on the ground as the Chiefs beat the Raiders for the eighth time in nine games.

The Chiefs’ Travis Kelce had five catches for 62 yards, giving him 1,336 yards this season. That broke the NFL record for tight ends set by the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski in 2011, only for the 49ers’ George Kittle to pass him a few minutes later.

Mahomes was 14 of 24, giving him a franchise-record 383 completions this season. He began the day tied with Trent Green with 369. Coach Andy Reid broke a tie with former Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer for seventh on the NFL’s career wins list with his 206th.

Next up: A postseason bye and divisional-round game at home await the Chiefs.

Suicidal subject leads police on a pursuit in Council Bluffs

News

December 30th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

A suicidal man led Police in Council Bluffs on a chase Sunday morning, that resulted in his arrest and hospitalization. Authorities say at around 8:24-a.m., officers were dispatched to the 2500 Block of South 17th St. in Council Bluffs for a 44-year old Council Bluffs man threatening suicide by holding a gun to his head. As officers arrived in the area, the suspect fled the area in a vehicle, at a high rate of speed. Officers saw the suspect holding, what they believed to be a gun to his head.

A pursuit ensued and the suspect fled the area getting on I-80 westbound at the South Expressway.  continued to I-29 North where he made a U-turn at mile marker 57 in the median, to head back into Council Bluffs on North 16th Street. Officers were able to use the PIT (Pursuit Intervention Technique) at South 16th Street and 7th Ave. where the vehicle was disabled. The suspect was taken into custody without further incident.

The suspect had numerous self-inflicted wounds all over his body from a knife, and he made comments to the officers on scene he wanted to die. He was transported to the hospital for medical attention and evaluation. There are charges pending for Felony Eluding, Domestic Abuse-Serious, Reckless Driving, Disobedience to a Police Officer and Interference with Official Acts.

Officers from the Iowa State Patrol and the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s office assisted in the arrest of the suspect. At this time the suspect’s name is not being released until he is formally charged.

Utility extinguishes fire at Nebraska nuclear power plant

News

December 30th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

BROWNVILLE, Neb. (AP) — Utility crews extinguished a fire at a nuclear power plant in southeast Nebraska over the weekend. The Nebraska Public Power District says the fire was discovered in the basement of the facility around 9 a.m. Saturday while crews were investigating a hazardous gas. It was extinguished before 10 a.m.

The utility says the fire never threatened public safety. NPPD and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will investigate what started the fire and evaluate the utility’s response. The Cooper nuclear plant continued operating throughout the incident on Saturday.

Cooper sits along the Missouri River in southeast Nebraska near Brownville about 80 miles south of Omaha and across the river from Iowa.

Clouden, Allen lead No. 20 Spartan women past No. 16 Iowa

Sports

December 30th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Nia Clouden scored 27 points, Jenna Allen had 17 rebounds, both career highs, and No. 20 Michigan State pulled away from No. 16 Iowa in the second half on Sunday for an 84-70 win in the Big Ten Conference opener. The one-two punch for the Spartans (11-1) offset a 30-point, 14-rebound outing for Megan Gustafson, who became the all-time leading scorer for the Hawkeyes (9-3). Gustafson surpassed former teammate Ally Disterhoft (2,102) and men’s great Roy Marble (2,116). Gustafson, the nation’s leading scorer (26.5 ppg) now has 2,124 points.

The turning point was the third quarter when Michigan State shot 50 percent and outscored Iowa, which shot 17 percent (2 of 12), 23-10 to take a 60-53 lead. Clouden, a freshman, had nine points in a 13-3 run to start the second half, converting two 3-point plays and hitting a 3-pointer.

Iowa, which had a five-game winning streak snapped, never got untracked, shooting 29 percent in the second half and 43 percent for the game. For the Hawkeyes, who lead the Big Ten at 53 percent, it was just their fifth time below 50 percent. Iowa was within seven with 3:07 to go when MSU went on a 9-0 run as the Hawkeyes missed four straight 3-pointers.

Allen also had 20 points for Michigan State, which won its eighth straight.

Red Oak woman arrested on an assault charge

News

December 30th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Police in Red Oak, late Saturday night, arrested a woman for assault. 71-year old Diane Elaine Charmeda, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 11:15-p.m., for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Charmeda was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

Fatal accident in Polk County Saturday night

News

December 30th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

One person died and another was injured during a crash on Interstate 80 Saturday night, in Polk County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2018 GMC pickup driven by 37-year old Travis Gonzales, of Bondurant, was traveling at a high rate of speed westbound on I-80 a little after 10-p.m., when his truck struck a 2016 Ford Focus from behind, just before the east mixmaster (the I-80/I-235/I-35 interchange). After the impact, both vehicles entered the north ditch, where the car struck a tree. The driver of the Ford was not identified. The victim who died at Mercy Hospital, was a 24-year old. The unidentified person who was injured was 22-years old. Both were wearing their seat belts. The injured person was transported to Methodist Hospital by medical helicopter. Their names were being withheld pending notification of family.

The accident remains under investigation, with charges pending the results of the investigation.

Single-vehicle injury accident near Menlo

News

December 30th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Stuart Fire and Stuart Rescue, along with Menlo Fire and Rescue were called into service for a single vehicle accident just east of Menlo, Saturday evening. Officials said two patients were extricated, with one being transported by Mercy One helicopter. The other person was transported by ambulance to the hospital for treatment of their injuries.The accident happened at around 10-p.m. Saturday, as a 2000 Chevy Silverado was traveling north on Ranch Trail Road near White Pole Road. The vehicle went out of control on a bridge and hit the guard rail before going airborne. The pickup cleared a creek and landed on its wheels in the east ditch. No names have been released.

Image from the Stuart Fire Dept. Facebook page