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Fister leads way for Astros with arm, bat

Sports

June 15th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Doug Fister pitched effectively into the eighth inning and gave the Houston Astros breathing room with a two-run single in a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night. Colby Rasmus hit his 150th career homer in his first game back in St. Louis since 2011. Fister had been 0 for 2 on the season before hitting the first pitch from reliever Seung Hwan Oh up the middle to put the Astros up by three in the seventh.

Matt Adams and Brandon Moss homered for the Cardinals, whose season-best five-game winning streak ended. Fister (7-3) allowed two runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings, his longest outing of the season, to win his sixth consecutive decision. The Astros have won the right-hander’s last nine starts overall. The hit gave Fister four career RBIs, and the first since he had one in 2013 for Detroit.

Chiefs’ Jamaal Charles on field for mandatory minicamp

Sports

June 15th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles was on the practice field for the start of a three-day minicamp, though All-Pro safety Eric Berry was absent as his representatives negotiate a long-term contract. Charles has been ahead of schedule after having surgery last season to repair a torn ACL in his right knee. He has been involved in some of the voluntary workouts prior to Tuesday, and has insisted all along that he intends to be ready by the start of training camp.

Charles was hurt in a Week 5 game against the Bears. Berry has been absent all offseason after getting the franchise tag, which would pay him about $10.8 million next season. Since he has not signed the franchise tender, he is not under contract and obligated to attend the mandatory minicamp.

Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., June 15th 2016

News

June 15th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

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

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has ordered an iconic downtown Sioux City hot dog joint to pay more than $72,000 to a minority partner who said he’d never received his share of the business’ profits. The Sioux City Journal reports that District Judge Steven Andreasen ruled Friday that Milwaukee Wiener House owners Mike and John Eliades never paid Gus Demetroulis, who has owned ten percent of the restaurant since 2004.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Sioux City officials have agreed to have an architecture firm design a day lodge at a planned all-seasons park. The City Council voted unanimously Monday to have Sioux City-based PLaN Architecture design the lodge, which is estimated to cost $750,000. The park will include a tubing hill, splash pad and ice rink.

MARION, Iowa (AP) — A woman was injured when a school bus hit the car she was driving north of Marion. The Linn County sheriff’s office says the crash happened Tuesday afternoon when a College Community School District Bus carrying about 20 Prairie High students drove through a four-way stop and hit a car driven by 69-year-old Anne B. Wikle, of Davenport. Wikle was taken to a Cedar Rapids hospital, where she was treated for injuries not believed to be life threatening. The bus driver and students weren’t hurt.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad says the state has certified a portion of Iowa Army Ammunition Plant near Burlington as a project-ready industrial development site. A 153-acre plot of land within the 19,000-acre federally owned military installation has been certified by the Iowa Economic Development Authority through its Iowa Certified Site Program.

Buzzing bee blamed for crash of semi trailer hauling livestock

News

June 14th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

A semi trailer hauling cattle overturned in northwest Iowa and an insect may be to blame. The accident happened on Highway 75 north of Hinton around 11:30 Monday morning. The truck driver told police that a bee had flown into his cab and he was attempting to swat it when he lost control of his rig. The semi veered off the highway and overturned.

The truck driver, 56-year-old Steven Johnson of Osage, was not injured. The trailer was hauling 40 head of cattle, six of which either died in the accident or were put down due to injuries. Johnson was cited for failure to maintain control.

(Radio Iowa)

Atlantic City Council to act on Resolution amending Personnel policies

News

June 14th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, is expected to act on passing a Resolution amending two sections of the City’s Personnel policies. City Administrator John Lund has said the City’s Personnel and Finance Committee met and reviewed proposed changes to the policies, with regard to a repeal of wage step increases, and health insurance.

Lund says a draft of the policies repeals the step increases, because the numbers for those increases have proven confusing for those not directly involved with the City’s payroll, which in-turn, makes transparency on City employee compensation unnecessarily difficult. By repealing the step increase process, Lund says wages listed on salary resolutions will be the numbers paid at the first of the year, including annual adjustments. The only element missing, would be longevity pay, which only applies to exempt, hourly employees.

With regard to the City’s health insurance policy, identical changes to those adopted by both the Police and Public Works Unions will be applied to union benefits and wage adjustments to non-union staff. The amendment sets new deductible amounts, and increases employee premium contributions. Employee contributions for premiums would increase 2% for family plans (to a total of 15%) beginning in July 2017. Single employees will pay 5% of the cost of their plan beginning July 1st, 2016. In July 2017, those contributions will be increased to 8%. Currently, singles pay nothing for their health insurance…which Lund says is “Increasingly rare among Iowa’s municipal employers.”

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on the appointment of Hans Krengel to the Library Board, and at the start of their meeting, recognize all the 2016 Atlantic High School spring athletic programs for having great seasons, and the coaches for being positive influences on today’s youth.

The Atlantic City Council meeting gets underway at 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, in their chambers, at City Hall.

Atlantic employer receives 2016 Iowa Job Honor Award

News

June 14th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Iowa Association of Business and Industry today (Wednesday), presented an Atlantic business with a 2016 Iowa Job Honors award. Representatives from Owner Revolution received the award at the ABI’s annual “Taking Care of Business” conference, in Sioux City. The Iowa Job Honor Awards, is an initiative aimed at recognizing Iowans who have overcome barriers to employment, and the employers who hire them.

Several hundred Iowa business leaders assembled at the conference to witness the ceremony, during which biographical videos recounted honoree efforts to win life-changing jobs. The ReWall Company of Des Moines was also honored for their commitment to hire disadvantaged candidates, including people with developmental disabilities, past criminal convictions, and histories of addictions.

Lead sponsor of the Iowa Job Honor Awards, is the ManPower Group. Central Iowa Works Co-sponsored the celebration, along with Iowa ABI. Launched in 2014, the awards are expanding nationally, under the banner of America’s Job Honor Awards.

Honoree videos can be viewed at www.jobhonor.org.

Glenwood woman arrested on burglary charges

News

June 14th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says a Glenwood woman was arrested on Burglary charges, Sunday. 24-year old Sheryl Castillo faces burglary and attempted burglary, charges. Her bond was set at $3,000.

Iowa West Foundation Awards $5 Million in Grant and Initiative Funding

News

June 14th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa West Foundation Board of Directors recently approved more than $5 million in grants and initiatives funding to 19 nonprofit organizations and government entities in southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska.

Locally:

  • The Audubon Community Cinema received $6,000 for The Rose Movie Theater Renovation
  • The Pottawattamie County Mental Health and Substance Abuse Network received General Operating Support in the amount of $15,000.

IA West Foundation logo

Among the recipients was the City of Council Bluffs, which received a $100,000 grant for the city’s newly unveiled “UN” image campaign, with a tagline of “Unlike anywhere else. On purpose.” The city also received $85,000 toward the Council Bluffs Fire Department Bell Tower project, which will place one of the city’s oldest artifacts, a centennial fire bell from 1876, on prominent display for the public to enjoy.

The City, in partnerships with the Council Bluffs Community School District ALSO received $150,000 for phase three of the BLink Wi-Fi initiative, which will expand the city’s free Wi-Fi footprint in Council Bluffs further east of N. 16th Street to the existing downtown Wi-Fi zone along 100 Block of West Broadway.

Per its focus on healthy families, the Foundation awarded a $70,000 grant to Connections Area Agency on Aging to ensure homebound senior citizens in Pottawattamie County could continue or begin to receive “Meals on Wheels.” The program had been experiencing a funding shortfall causing food-insecure individuals to be placed on a waiting list. The Iowa West Foundation grant will ensure a total of 36,348 hot and frozen, nutritionally-balanced meals are delivered to 228 individuals, leaving no one on a waiting list.

The Iowa West Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the Midwest. It has distributed more than $300 million to nonprofits and governmental agencies through southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska since the inception of its grant program. Funding for the grants comes from investment earnings and the Iowa West Racing Association, which receives contractual fees from casino operators, Ameristar and Harrah’s.

Backyard and Beyond 06-14-2016

Backyard and Beyond, Podcasts

June 14th, 2016 by admin

Lavon Eblen speaks with Richie Lee about an upcoming performance at the Corning Opera House on Sunday, June 26th.

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Heartbeat Today 06-14-2016

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

June 14th, 2016 by admin

Jim Field speaks with Bob Boots on this Flag Day about proper Flag Etiquette and the flag drop box in Atlantic.

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