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Area Softball scores from 6/30/16

Sports

July 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Creston 6, Atlantic 1
Creston 9, Atlantic 5
Bishop Heelan 8 Thomas Jefferson 1
CAM 9, Ar-We-Va 3
Carlisle 3, Winterset 0
Charter Oak-Ute 14, Boyer Valley 1 (Charter Oak-Ute clinches Rolling Valley Conference Title)
Denison-Schleswig 5, Glenwood 4
Denison-Schleswig 7, Glenwood 6
Exira/EHK 12, Adair-Casey 0
Fremont-Mills 15, Nishnabotna 0
Glidden-Ralston 7, Woodbine 2
IKM-Manning 12, Treynor 2 (5 innings) (WIC Semifinal)
Kuemper Catholic 10, Shenandoah 0 (5 innings)
Kuemper Catholic 6, Shenandoah 0
Lenox 4, Bedford 0
Logan-Magnolia 2, Missouri Valley 1 (WIC Semifinal)
Logan-Magnolia 8, IKM-Manning 0 (WIC Final)
Nodaway Valley 7, Mt. Ayr 6
Panorama 13, West Central Valley, Stuart 3
Red Oak 9, Harlan 4
Harlan 5, Red Oak 2
Ridge View 7, Westwood, Sloan 3
Sergeant Bluff-Luton 12, Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 6 (SBL wins MRC title)
St. Albert 10, Clarinda 3
St. Albert 12, Clarinda 8
West Harrison 14, Coon Rapids-Bayard 4
West Harrison 12, Coon Rapids-Bayard 5
West Monona 4, Ridge View 2

Area Baseball Scores from 6/30/16

Sports

July 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Atlantic 10, Creston 0 (5 innings)
AHSTW, Avoca 11, Stanton 6
Bedford 11, Lenox 6
CAM, Anita 6, Ar-We-Va, Westside 4 (completion of suspended game from 6/13) (CAM clinches Rolling Valley Conference Championship)
Ar-We-Va, Westside 9, CAM, Anita 4
Coon Rapids-Bayard 10, West Harrison, Mondamin 6
Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 5, Sergeant Bluff-Luton 2
Denison-Schleswig 1, Glenwood 0
Earlham 6, Ogden 2
Exira/EHK 10, Adair-Casey 0 (5-innings)
Glenwood 4, Denison-Schleswig 2
Harlan 16, Red Oak 6 (5 innings)
Harlan 17, Red Oak 2 (4 innings)
Hinton 15, Westwood, Sloan 1 (5 innings )
Lewis Central 3, Clarinda 0
Newell-Fonda 6, OA-BCIG 3
Nodaway Valley 12, Mount Ayr 2 (6 innings)
Ogden 11, Earlham 5
Sidney 14, Clarinda Academy 4
Sioux City, East 5, Sioux City, North 0
Sioux City, North 7, Sioux City, East 2
Southwest Valley 7, East Union, Afton 5
Unity Christian, Orange City 10, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 2

 

June 30th marked the end of Iowa’s “peak” tornado season & the numbers are way down

News, Weather

July 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Thursday was the last day of June. It also marked the end of the peak season for tornadoes in Iowa. National Weather Service meteorologist Craig Cogil says the state’s only had about a dozen confirmed tornadoes this year, way below the average of 35 by the end of June. Cogil says it’s been a relatively quiet year so far. “In general, we haven’t seen a lot of stormy activity across the state,” Cogil says. “We’ve seen low numbers with hail and wind damage as well. It’s just not been a really active storm season for the state.”

After a lot of hotter-than-normal days during June, Cogil predicts something of a cool-down to start off July, along with maintaining the generally quiet weather year. “We’ll still see storms on and off but nothing real widespread and temperatures certainly look to be at least at normal,” he says. “I’m certain as we head out, we’ll have a few periods of warmer than normal.”

A National Weather Service survey team has confirmed one tornado impacted parts of Harrison and Pottawattamie Counties, Wednesday evening. The twister, rated as an EF-zero on the Fujita scale, packed peak wind gusts of up to 85 mph. On the ground it traveled 4 1/2 miles,  damaging crops and trees in an area stretching from around Interstate 680 a little more than 7 miles southwest of Persia, and ended slightly over 5 1/4 miles west of Neola. No structure damage was observed by the Storm Survey Team.

And, while the peak season is wrapping up, Cogil reminds tornadoes can strike any month of the year and we may still get several. “On average, about another 20 or at least 15 to 20,” he says. “It’s the end of the peak season but certainly still a threat of seeing additional (tornadoes) through the end of the year.” On Veterans Day last November, there was an outbreak of tornadoes with 10 twisters being reported in Iowa.

(Radio Iowa)

Criminal sentencing reforms go into effect today (7/1)

News

July 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

A series of criminal justice reforms officially takes effect today (Friday). Supporters hope some will help reduce racial disparities in Iowa’s prison system.  Governor Terry Branstad signed the bills outlining these new policies into law this spring. One change will make inmates doing time for robbery — a crime committed without a gun — eligible for parole sooner.

Officials estimate it could save the state more than 750-thousand dollars a year by 2018. A new state law also shields most juvenile delinquency records from the public from now on. It does not apply to felonies and a judge could order that any record be made public. The governor agreed there are many situations where allowing a teenager’s minor offense to be a public record has kept them getting a job or going to college.

A new law also calls for erasing convictions for public intoxication and alcohol consumption in public after two years — but only if the person guilty of THAT crime has a clean record. A traffic ticket wouldn’t be enough to stop the process of scrubbing the public “intox” or alcohol consumption conviction off a person’s record.

(Radio Iowa)

New laws in guns and illegal dumping take effect in IA today (7/1)

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

It’s July 1st, which means a string of new state laws go into effect today (Friday).

Iowa landowners can legally carry a loaded gun while they’re driving an A-T-V on their property. The bill that goes into effect today lets A-T-V operators on someone else’s property carry a gun, but the gun cannot be loaded and must be in a case. The law does NOT let you stay ON the A-T-V while shooting. You have to get off the vehicle to shoot. Another gun-related law about “suppressors” went into effect in March, on the day Governor Branstad approved it. It is now legal to have “suppressor” or “silencer” on a gun in Iowa.

Tougher penalties are also in effect beginning today, if you’re caught littering or illegally dumping garbage. The crime of illegal dumping covers getting rid of things like old television sets, refrigerators and tires in ditches, fields and other places that are NOT legal dump sites. If you’re caught illegally dumping something that weighs more than 10 pounds or something larger than 15 cubic feet, the fine will be a thousand dollars for a first offense. If you’re caught a second time, the fine doubles. It triples on a third offense. The crime of littering things like a pop can or a candy wrapper is a simple misdemeanor, but because of this new law fines can now go as high as 625-dollars.

The Keep IOWA Beautiful organization estimates the State of Iowa spends 35 million dollars each year to pick up the garbage that’s tossed out of moving vehicles. A Keep AMERICA Beautiful survey concludes nearly 22 percent of all litter is paper, about 20 percent is plastic and nearly six percent is glass. The largest share of litter, though, comes from smokers. Nearly 38 percent of litter comes from cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products.

(Radio Iowa)

NWS forecast for Cass & area Counties in IA: 7/1/16

Weather

July 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

308 AM CDT FRI JUL 1 2016

EARLY THIS MORNING…CLEAR…COOLER. NORTH WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 70S. NORTHEAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE UPPER 50S. EAST WIND NEAR 5 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 20 PERCENT.

SATURDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE MID 70S. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 50 PERCENT.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE UPPER 50S. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE MID 70S. EAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE LOWER 60S.

INDEPENDENCE DAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S.

Players have shot at $415 million Mega Millions prize

News

July 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Tonight’s (Friday’s) Mega Millions drawing will give lottery players a shot at the 10th largest jackpot in U.S. history. Because no one has won a Mega Millions jackpot since March 8, the prize has steadily grown to an estimated $415 million. That makes it the largest jackpot since a $430 million Powerball prize won by a New Jersey family May 7th. The record prize was a $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot won in January by players in three states.

Winning numbers in the Mega Millions game will be drawn at 11 p.m. Eastern time. The odds of picking the correct numbers on five white balls and one yellow ball are one in 259 million. Mega Millions is played in 43 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Royals beat the Cardinals 4-2; Cards’ Mgr. Metheny ejected during the game

Sports

July 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kendrys Morales homered and recorded his sixth straight multi-hit game to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night. Kansas City won for the fourth time in five games and took the two-city, four-game series three games to one. Brandon Moss and Jhonny Peralta homered for the Cardinals who have lost their last seven home games — their longest losing streak since Aug. 2-15, 1983. Wade Davis recorded his 19th save in 21 opportunities.

Morales, a designated hitter playing right field for the second straight night, doubled in the sixth inning off Mike Leake (5-6) to push the lead to 3-1. Morales, who went 3 for 4, has 16 hits in 24 at-bats over the six-game run. He went 12 for 16 in the series and started in the outfield for the first time since 2008. His six-game multi-hit streak ties him for the longest this season along with J.D. Martinez (Detroit), Jackie Bradley Jr. (Boston) and Xander Bogaerts (Boston).

***************

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cardinals manager Mike Matheny was ejected from a game against Kansas City in the sixth inning on Thursday night. Matheny was tossed by home plate umpire Mike Everitt. It was Matheny’s first ejection this season. Matheny appeared upset after the Royals called for a replay on a play at first base. The original call was changed and overturned in the Royals favor.

Council Bluffs couple accused of using meth around children

News

July 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a Council Bluffs couple faces child neglect charges after their three children tested positive for methamphetamine. The Daily Nonpareil reports that Craig and Crystal McConnell were arrested Wednesday and charged Thursday with three counts of abandonment of a dependent person. Crystal McConnell is also charged with third-degree burglary and possession of a controlled substance.

Court documents say the children’s hair follicles tested positive for meth. Craig and Crystal McConnell also tested positive for the drug on May 12th. Assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney Dawn Landon says the children have been removed from the home and are safe.

The couple remains in the Pottawattamie County Jail. Bail is set at $10,000 for Craig McConnell and $15,000 for Crystal McConnell. They have a court date scheduled for July 8th.

Iowa early News Headlines: Friday, July 1st 2016

News

July 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 2:40 a.m. CDT

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a Council Bluffs couple faces child neglect charges after their three children tested positive for methamphetamine. The Daily Nonpareil reports that Craig and Crystal McConnell were arrested Wednesday and charged Thursday with three counts of abandonment of a dependent person. Crystal McConnell is also charged with third-degree burglary and possession of a controlled substance. Court documents say the children’s hair follicles tested positive for meth.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — For years, critics have regarded Iowa’s policy of disenfranchising felons as an outrage in a state known for landmark civil rights rulings on slavery, gender equality and gay marriage. Now the practice of stripping felons of their voting rights looks likely to remain in place, probably for years. The Iowa Supreme Court upheld it Thursday as constitutional.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The owner of six Iowa cosmetology schools will forgive some student debt, pay a fine and submit to outside oversight to settle a lawsuit filed by the Iowa attorney general’s office. The Des Moines Register reports La’ James International Colleges agreed to forgive $2.1 million in student debt and pay a $550,000 fine. The settlement also requires former U.S. Attorney Nicholas Klinefeldt to serve at least three years as an independent settlement administrator overseeing the company’s compliance.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Tonight’s (Friday) Mega Millions drawing will give lottery players a shot at the 10th largest jackpot in U.S. history. Because no one has won a Mega Millions jackpot since March 8, the prize has steadily grown to an estimated $415 million. That makes it the largest jackpot since a $430 million Powerball prize won in May.