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Pena agrees to $5M, 2-year deal as Molina’s backup on Cards

Sports

December 1st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Free agent catcher Brayan Pena has agreed to a $5 million, two-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he will be the backup for All-Star Yadier Molina. The 33-year-old switch-hitter receives $2.5 million in each of the next two seasons.

Pena led Reds catchers with 86 games last season while batting .273 with a career-best .344 on-base percentage. His led the NL with a .999 fielding percentage, making one error in 715 chances.

Pena has a .260 career average, with 23 homers and 164 RBIs in 629 games over 11 big league seasons. He spent the last two years with the Reds and has played for Detroit, Kansas City and Atlanta. Tony Cruz had been Molina’s backup in recent seasons.

 

NWS forecast for Cass & area Counties in IA, 12/1/15

Weather

December 1st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

339 AM CST TUE DEC 1 2015
EARLY THIS MORNING…CLOUDY. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.
TODAY…CLOUDY. OCCASIONAL VERY LIGHT SNOW BEFORE NOON. ISOLATED LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON…THEN SCATTERED LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 30 PERCENT.
TONIGHT…CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN SCATTERED FLURRIES AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE UPPER 20S. WEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 30 PERCENT.

WEDNESDAY…CLOUDY IN THE MORNING THEN BECOMING PARTLY SUNNY. SCATTERED FLURRIES IN THE MORNING. HIGH IN THE MID 30S. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.
THURSDAY…SUNNY. HIGH AROUND 40. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.
FRIDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 40S.

Iowa early News Headlines: Tue., 12/1/2015

News

December 1st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say two people have been found dead in a house west of downtown but two children in the home weren’t injured. Sgt. Paul Parizek told the Des Moines Register police received a report of a shooting just before 3 p.m. Monday. Two unidentified adults were found dead in the home. An infant and toddler in the house weren’t harmed.

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) — A fire at a Clear Lake warehouse caused significant damage to the structure and sent a plume of smoke high above the northern Iowa city. About two dozen firefighters from Clear Lake and Ventura were called to the fire at NTI Limited. The company sells axles, tires and wheels for trailers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is boosting the amount of corn-based ethanol and other renewable fuels in the U.S. gasoline supply. That’s despite sustained opposition by an unusual alliance of oil companies, environmentalists and some GOP presidential candidates. The Environmental Protection Agency announced a rule to increase production of ethanol to be blended with gasoline through 2016, a decision that could reverberate in Iowa’s crucial presidential caucuses.

LARCHWOOD, Iowa (AP) — The small towns of Larchwood and Lester in northwest Iowa are exploring whether to establish their own municipal gas utilities. The Sioux City Journal reports voters approved the idea this month after people in both communities were hit by high propane prices.

High School Basketball Scores from 11/30/15

Sports

December 1st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

BOYS BASKETBALL

Bedford 68, Essex 52
Mount Ayr 46, Lamoni 36

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

A-H-S-T-W, Avoca vs. CAM, Anita, ppd.
Southwest Valley vs. Griswold, ccd.
Tri-Center, Neola vs. Adair-Casey, ppd.
Westwood, Sloan vs. Logan-Magnolia, ppd. to Dec 5.
Whiting vs. Woodbine, ppd.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Creston 55, Winterset 31

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

A-H-S-T-W, Avoca vs. CAM, Anita, ppd.
Southwest Valley vs. Griswold, ccd.
Treynor vs. Iowa School for the Deaf, ppd.
Tri-Center, Neola vs. Adair-Casey, ppd.
Westwood, Sloan vs. Logan-Magnolia, ppd.
Whiting vs. Woodbine, ppd.

MATTHEW RACHAL, 89, of Manilla (Formerly of Louisiana) (Svcs. 12-07-2015)

Obituaries

November 30th, 2015 by Jim Field

MATTHEW RACHAL, 89, of Manilla (Formerly of Louisiana) died Monday, November 30th at the Manilla Manor.  Funeral Services for MATTHEW RACHAL will be held Monday, December 7th at 2:30pm at Ohde Funeral Home in Manilla.

Friends may call after 1:30pm on Monday, December 7th at the funeral home prior to services.

MATTHEW RACHAL is survived by:

Daughter: Paula Ewald of Manilla.

2 Atlantic residents arrested on drug charges

News

November 30th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Two people were arrested Saturday on drug charges, in Cass County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 30-year old Benjamin Daniel Jobe, of Atlantic, was arrested on charges of OWI 2nd Offense, Possession of Marijuana 2nd Offense, and Driving While Revoked. Jobe was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance. And, 19-year old Selena Marie Hansen, of Atlantic, was arrested Saturday on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear and charges of Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was released later that day on $1,300 bond.

In an unrelated incident, 31-year old Ehren Michael Mardesen, of Anita, was arrested Saturday on two counts of Violation of a No Contact Order. Mardesen was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released Sunday on his own recognizance. And, 21-year old Keith Anthony Stinson, of Aurora, CO, was arrested Sunday on a charge of Carrying Weapons (Aggravated). Stinson was taken to the Cass County Jail and released Monday on $2,000 bond.

CARL EUGENE DUDLEY, 90, of Redfield (Svcs. 12-02-2015)

Obituaries

November 30th, 2015 by Jim Field

CARL EUGENE DUDLEY, 90, of Redfield died Wednesday, November 25th at Legacy Care Center in Waukee.  A Private Service will be held for CARL EUGENE DUDLEY on Wednesday, December 2nd at 1:00pm at Johnson Family Funeral Home- Stuart Chapel.

Memorial contributions may be made in his honor to the Redfield United Methodist Church.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.

Winter Storm Warning downgraded to Winter Weather Advisory

News, Weather

November 30th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

COUNTIES: CASS-ADAIR-AUDUBON AND GUTHRIE….

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND SLEET…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING. THE WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
Untitled

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CONTINUES UNTIL 6-PM AS WELL FOR POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT AND PAGE  COUNTIES.

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR HARRISON AND SHELBY COUNTIES, AND UNTIL 6-P.M. FOR SAC-CRAWFORD AND CARROLL COUNTIES.

* SHORT TERM TRENDS…SNOW AND SLEET WILL COME TO AN END THIS AFTERNOON…ALTHOUGH BRIEF PERIODS OF SNOW AND EVEN FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY BE POSSIBLE TOWARDS SUNSET.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS…MOST SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS HAVE ENDED ALTHOUGH UP TO AN INCH OF NEW SNOW OR A TENTH OF AN INCH OF SLEET REMAIN POSSIBLE.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS AT 10 TO 15 MPH WILL BE COMMON.

* IMPACTS…THE WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL LEAD TO HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

(2:30pm) Winter Weather Advisory/Warning update

Weather

November 30th, 2015 by Jim Field

A Winter Weather Advisory is now in place until 6:00pm for Cass, Pottawattamie, Montgomery, Mills, Fremont, Page, Adams, Audubon, Guthrie, and Adair Counties.  The Winter Storm Warning that was in place for Cass, Adair, Audubon, Guthrie counties has been cancelled.

A Winter Storm Warning is still in place for Sac, Crawford, and Carroll Counties until 6:00pm Tuesday.  A Winter Storm Warning for Monona, Shelby, and Harrison Counties is in place until midnight Monday.

Expected snowfall totals have been drastically reduced excluding the far Northwestern Counties and minimal accumulation is now expected in Cass county.

Backyard and Beyond 11-30-2015

Backyard and Beyond, Podcasts

November 30th, 2015 by Jim Field

Lavon Eblen speaks with Atlantic High School Student Tori Kroegh about the National Catholic Youth Conference.

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