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Thousands attend USS Iowa pep rally

Sports

January 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Thousands of Iowans traveled to Long Beach, California Thursday for a pep rally on board the U-S-S Iowa. Many kids toured the ships with their parents, including ten-year old Zander Schuett. “It’s very cool to see all the cannons and everything,” Zander says. Brother Nile Shuett says it’s a piece of history. He says it’s amazing that the ship is in the same shape that it was in when it was used in World War Two. Their father Clay Schuett had much the same reaction.

“I think it is fantastic to see the size of the 16 inch guns, it’s just amazing, just very impressive, very cool. Great to see the crowd out here too, see all the Hawkeye fans,” Clay Schuett says. Jim from the Quad Cities was walking along the deck with some friends. “Oh it’s really neat, it was worth the trip alone,” he says. Cory Kusick of North Liberty brought her kids to California for the game, and said they had to see the battleship too. “It’s amazing, it’s massive, amazing, the whole thing has been a really neat experience,” Kusick says. Her son Ben Kusick was also impressed.

He says he can’t imagine being on the ship for the amount of time sailors were aboard. Zack Kusick says the size of the ship stood out. Battleship Larry is a tour guide aboard the U-S-S Iowa. He got his name from his service on another battleship. “I served on the Missouri, so that kind of drew me to the ship,” he says. People who tour the ship can learn all about its history. He says you can see the 16 inch guns, and see where the three presidents who were carried on the ship stayed, as well as a list of all the crew members who served on board the ship through 1990. He says the Iowa was a first of its kind.

“This is the prototype of the Iowa class, this is the Iowa class that started the other ships, the Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, Wisconsin,” according to Larry. The Iowans enjoyed food and music along with the tours of the ship, and got to witness the firing of one of the smaller guns on the ship. The State of Iowa help save its namesake battleship from the scrap heap and the U-S-S Iowa is open free to Iowa residents throughout the year.

(Radio Iowa)

National Sports Headlines: 1/1/16

Sports

January 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Top-ranked Clemson has worked its way into the CFP title game by dominating the second half of a 37-17 win over No. 4 Oklahoma. Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson ran for a touchdown and threw for another while rolling up 332 total yards. He completed 16 of his 31 throws for 187 yards, and also ran for 145 yards on 24 carries as part of Clemson’s 312-yard ground attack.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Tide have moved into the CFP championship game by posting a 38-0 pounding of Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl. Jake Coker completed 25 of his 30 passes for 286 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry had a pair of TD runs while carrying 20 times for 75 yards.

HOUSTON (AP) — Klay Thompson poured in 38 points and the Golden State Warriors bounced back from Wednesday’s blowout loss in Dallas by downing the Houston Rockets 114-110. Thompson nailed six 3-pointers to lead the Warriors’ long-range shootouts while NBA scoring leader Stephen (STEH’-fehn) Curry missed his second straight game with a sore left lower leg. Draymond Green had 10 points and a career-high 16 assists as the Warriors improved to a league-best 30-2.

UNDATED (AP) — A pair of top-10 men’s basketball teams were knocked off by ranked squads on New Year’s Eve. Rodney Bullock scored a career-high 25 points and Kris Dunn contributed 20, seven rebounds and nine assists as 12th-ranked Providence topped No. 9 Butler 81-73. Ryan Arcidiacono (ahr-chee-dee-ah-KAH’-noh) hit seven 3-pointers and finished with 27 points as No. 16 Villanova beat sixth-ranked Xavier 95-64.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes have cooled off the NHL’s hottest team, stopping Washington’s nine-game winning streak by downing the Capitals 4-2. Eric Staal snapped a 1-1 tie 51 seconds into the third period before Jeff Skinner tallied 4:25 later. Staal also had an assist and Eddie Lack stopped 30 shots in the Hurricanes’ third victory in four games.

 

Hamburg man arrested on drug charge New Year’s morning

News

January 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

An investigation in Fremont County led to an arrest early this (Friday) morning, following a brief pursuit. Deputy Zac Buttercase with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports at around 1:30-a.m., deputies conducted an investigation into the distribution of narcotics. During the investigation, the suspect, 21-year old Jason Vance, of Hamburg, tried to flee the scene when he was contacted.

Vance was apprehended a short time later and brought to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, where he was being held on a $100,000 cash bond, for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine) with the Intent to Deliver.

KJAN listening area forecast from the NWS: 1/1/2016

Weather

January 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

342 AM CST FRI JAN 1 2016

EARLY THIS MORNING…MOSTLY CLEAR. WEST WIND AROUND 10 MPH.

TODAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S. WEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

TONIGHT…CLEAR. LOW AROUND 10. WEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

SATURDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 30S. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT…CLEAR. LOW 10 TO 15. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SUNDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

MONDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S.

TUESDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 20S.

 

Iowa early News Headlines: Fri., Jan. 1st 2016

News

January 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Police have charged a Davenport man with illegally selling a pistol to a man who used it to shoot up his estranged wife’s workplace and then kill himself. Forty-four-year-old Lonnie Long turned himself into authorities Thursday, three days after Bettendorf police obtained a warrant for his arrest. Long told police he sold a pistol to 40-year-old Robert Mayes II in October without asking if Mayes had a permit. Days later, Mayes fired shots in his wife’s workplace before fatally shooting himself.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A New Jersey woman is suing Embassy Suites and the Hilton hotel chain for negligence alleging she was raped in her Des Moines hotel room in April 2014 after staff gave a key to her room to a man she didn’t know. The woman’s lawsuit was transferred this week to federal court in Des Moines. She reported the attack to Des Moines police. Christopher LaPointe later pleaded guilty to sex abuse and burglary charges.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — A Cedar Rapids-bound flight has made an emergency landing at a Tennessee airport. Chattanooga Airport spokesman Albert Waterhouse says Allegiant Air Flight 760 landed safely Thursday morning after reporting an engine problem. No injuries were reported. The plane was headed from Orlando, Florida, to Cedar Rapids.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Cedar Falls’ top administrator will get a big payout as he ends 40 years with the city. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports City Administrator Dick McAlister will get more than $94,000 after taxes in unused sick leave to apply toward health care expenses. Over his four decades, McAlister accumulated more than 440 sick days.

Manure spill in Taylor County Thu. afternoon

Ag/Outdoor, News

January 1st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say a manure overflow at a small hog finishing farm about three miles southwest of Lenox was being investigated Thursday evening. A passerby noticed that the pit at the facility appeared to be overflowing and alerted the DNR on Thursday afternoon. The buildings at the site have shallow under-building pits.

When the pits are full, they are drained into an outdoor concrete tank. It is believed that employees emptied the shallow under-building pits at the facility on Wednesday, December 30th, causing manure to overflow from the tank. The tank was not overflowing on Thursday afternoon, but a path where manure had flowed was still visible and field tests indicated slightly elevated levels of ammonia in water flowing into an unnamed tributary of the East Fork of the One Hundred and Two River.

The operator contacted a commercial manure hauler to land apply manure from the tank in order to prevent further overflows. The DNR is continuing to investigate the incident and will consider appropriate enforcement action.

Judge declines hospitals request to stop Medicaid changes

News

December 31st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Polk County judge has declined to stop Gov. Terry Branstad’s plan to privatize Medicaid indicating the federal government has already delayed implementation until March and hospitals that sued to stop it haven’t proven they’d be irreparably damaged.

The Iowa Hospital Association claims Branstad’s plan to turn over the state’s $4 billion Medicaid program to private for-profit companies is illegal because it takes millions of dollars from a hospital trust fund and gives it to the managed care companies the state hired.

Judge Robert Hanson’s ruling Friday says it’s too early for the court to stop Medicaid privatization because the federal delay allows time for the legislature or the administration to fix problems. Branstad’s spokesman says the decision allows the state to move toward a March 1 implementation.

Wichita State beats Drake 67-47 for 8th straight win

Sports

December 31st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – Ron Baker scored 14 points, Fred VanVleet added 13, and Wichita State beat Drake 67-47 on Thursday for its eighth straight victory. Baker was 3 of 4 from 3-point range as Wichita State made 8 of 24 from distance. Zach Brown added 10 points for Wichita State (7-5), which has won six straight Missouri Valley Conference openers.

Kale Abrahamson hit a 3-pointer for Drake to tie it at 25-all before Wichita State closed on an 8-0 run, with a Baker 3-pointer, for a 33-25 halftime lead. The Shockers started the second half on a 13-2 run, with balanced scoring from VanVleet, Brown and Anton Grady, as Drake only made one field goal in the first six minutes.

Abrahamson and Graham Woodward scored 12 points apiece for Drake (5-8). The Bulldogs were held to 16-of-43 shooting (37 percent), were outrebounded 38-28 and turned it over 18 times.

Survey shows very little Iowa farmland sold to NEW farmers

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 31st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The recently released Iowa State Extension land value survey gives some insight into what happens when farmland is sold in the state. Iowa State University extension economist Wendong Zhang oversees the survey.  “About three-quarters of the land sold in Iowa is bought by existing farmers, so it’s more typical that Iowa farmers are buying Iowa land,” Zhang says. Zhang says the 2015 information keeps with the trends seen through the years in land sales. He says it continues to be tough to try and get land to start a new farm operation.

Zhang says only three percent of the land sold in 2015 was sold to new farmers, and that is something that’s been consistent going back to 1986. “So there are some concerns about the access to land by beginning farmers.” Part of the problem is the cost of land. The average value of farm ground in the state fell by 310 dollars in 2015, but still averages seven-thousand-633 dollars an acre.

“When the land price is high, rent is also high, which creates additional difficulty for the beginning farmers without a lot of financial assets to get into the market,” Zhang explains. “So, I do think the beginning farmers might be better able to better start livestock production as opposed to row crops, given how the land market is playing out.” I-S-U extension has put together a new website that combines the findings of the U-S-D-A, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and Realtors Land Institute in determining the land values.

“Farmers, land owners and agricultural professionals could view the land visually. So it is a visualization tool that allows people to analyze and see how changes over time and how land values vary across space, Zhang says. You can see the new tool at www.card.iastate.edu/farmland.

(Radio Iowa)

Two southwest Iowa towns make Top 10 list of Main Street communities

News

December 31st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The online website Onlyinyourstate.com has placed two southwest Iowa towns on a Top 10 list of the Best Main Streets in Iowa. In its article posted Dec. 30th, the website shows Greenfield and Corning were ranked 8th and 9th respectively.

Greenfield was noted for “Its Lancaster Square with thriving shops and businesses, and also for it’s cultural and historical offerings.” They suggest while you’re there, “Check out the Warren Cultural Center and the historic Hotel Greenfield.”

Main Street in Corning was said to be “A charming place, full of history and culture.” The article suggests “While you’re there, check out the Corning Opera House and the Kline Museum, then spend the rest of the day shopping, dining, and exploring.”

Cedar Falls topped the list, followed by Dubuque, Ames, Mt. Vernon, Decorah, Lemars and Pella. Fort Madison rounded out the list in 10th place. For more, go to: http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/iowa/best-main-streets-ia/