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Ryan Blaney wins NASCAR Xfinity race in Iowa

Sports

August 2nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — Ryan Blaney survived a flurry of late cautions to win the NASCAR Xfinity race Saturday night at Iowa Speedway for his first victory of the season. Blaney erased the sting of a disappointing runner-up finish last week in Indianapolis by maintaining his lead through a second green-white-checkered finish on the 0.894-mile oval.

Blaney won after finishing second three times in his other six Xfinity starts this season. Regan Smith was second, followed by Brian Scott, Ty Dillon and Brendan Gaughan. Fifty-one-year-old Kenny Wallace, the career Xfinity starts leader with 547, finished 15th in the last race of his NASCAR career.

After rough budget, is Iowa Capitol getting more combative?

News

August 2nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa elected officials pride themselves on working in a politically divided government that still gets things done. But after a combative budget process, capped with several vetoes by Gov. Terry Branstad, some are questioning how well the system is working. Simply put, is Iowa politics becoming more like Washington?

Branstad has spent weeks defending his decision to veto several budget compromises negotiated by the Democratic-controlled Senate and the Republican-majority House. The governor says he’s not concerned about his relationships with lawmakers or ability to get legislation passed in the future.

Branstad says officials dealt with worse situations during the farm crisis of the 1980s. But Democratic Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal says relations between Branstad and lawmakers are near “an all-time low.”

Iowa early News Headlines: Sun., Aug. 2nd 2015

News

August 2nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s annual sales tax holiday set to coincide with back-to-school shopping also brings Nebraskans looking for bargains across the Missouri River. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports that Iowa’s sales tax holiday this year is being held August 7th through 8th. Nebraska doesn’t have a sales tax holiday, although the idea has been discussed from time to time by Nebraska lawmakers.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Public school officials in northern Iowa say a shortage of special education teachers have left districts struggling to fill those teaching positions. The Globe Gazette reports that enrollment numbers last school year show the Clear Lake school district had 136 students receiving special education services, while Mason City had 508.

CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) — A Coralville man has been arrested and charged with stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a pizza restaurant he managed. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that 32-year-old Samuel Rainey is charged with first-degree theft. Police say Rainey was a night manager at Domino’s Pizza, where he was responsible for making night deposits.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Police are looking for a Black Hawk County man who failed to return to a work release facility. Authorities say Nicholas Toles was transferred to work release after his parole on a robbery conviction was revoked last month. The Iowa Department of Corrections says in a written release that Toles was absence from the facility on Friday.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Harrison & Shelby Counties

Weather

August 2nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

04 AM CDT SUN AUG 2 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…EAST CENTRAL HARRISON COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN IOWA…SOUTHWESTERN SHELBY COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN IOWA…UNTIL 430 AM CDT

* AT 403 AM CDT…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LOGAN…OR 28 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DENISON…MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

HAZARD…60 MPH WIND GUSTS AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

SOURCE…RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT…HAIL DAMAGE TO VEHICLES IS EXPECTED. EXPECT WIND DAMAGE TO ROOFS…SIDING AND TREES.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…

PERSIA…WOODBINE…PANAMA…PORTSMOUTH AND TENNANT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A BUILDING.

First practice gives Chiefs cornerbacks chance to shine

Sports

August 1st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) – There was already going to be plenty of competition for one of the starting cornerback jobs in Kansas City, even before the Chiefs learned Sean Smith would be suspended for the first three games of the regular season. Now, there are two jobs up for grab.

The battle began in earnest Saturday, when the Chiefs had their first full-squad workout of training camp on the campus of Missouri Western. Nearly a dozen players on the roster are capable of playing cornerback, and nearly half have a realistic shot at a starting job. That makes the competition one of the most intriguing of camp.

Iowa Boys State Baseball Championship Scores

Sports

August 1st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Sat., Aug. 1st 2015 at Principal Park in Des Moines

Class 1A

Newman Catholic 10, Pleasantville 0 (five innings)

The Newman Catholic Knights won the Class 1A state championship game 10-0 over the Pleasantville Trojans behind Joey Verstegen’s no-hitter and a 10-run fifth inning Saturday at Principal Park. It was Newman Catholic’s fifth state title (1998, 2002, ’09, ’13 and ’15) and their first since 2013. Verstegen’s no-hitter was the fifth in an Iowa state title game and the first since J.D. Nielsen turned the trick in 2012 for Martensdale-St. Marys. Both teams came into the title game with the best team-ERAs in 2015 tournament play.

Class 2A

Clear Lake 11, Columbus Catholic 1 (five innings)

Clear Lake defeated Columbus Catholic 11-1 in five innings to win the Class 2A state championship Saturday afternoon at Principal Park.Clear Lake ended at 30-11. The Lions won the 3A state title in 2013. Columbus closed the season at 32-6.

Class 3A

Waverly-Shell Rock 11, Harlan 1 (five innings)

Number one-seeded Waverly-Shell Rock exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as they defeated the number three-seeded Harlan Cyclones 11-1 to claim the class 3A title on Saturday at Principal Park. Waverly-Shell Rock capped the third straight run-rule shortened game of our four state final games on Saturday. It was their first state baseball title in school history.

Class 4A

Southeast Polk 6, Iowa City West 2

Southeast Polk got an early lead after a four-run first inning and never looked back. The Rams defeated the Iowa City West Trojans, 6-2 to win back-to-back 4A state championships.

A. BERNIECE JENSEN, 97, of Anita (Graveside Svcs. 8/4/15)

Obituaries

August 1st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A. BERNIECE JENSEN, 97, of Anita, died Sat., Aug. 1st, at Caring Acres Nursing & Rehab, in Anita. Graveside services for BERNIECE JENSEN will be held 10-a.m. Tue., Aug. 4th, at the Exira Cemtery. Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Anita has the arrangements.

Visitation with the family will be from 4-until 6-pm Mon., Aug. 3d, at the funeral home.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

BERNIECE JENSEN is survived by:

Her children – Marlene(Arlen) Schutt, of Fairmount, ND; Terry Jensen, Linda (Roger) Ottchen, LuAnn (Rick) Stanley, and Greg Jensen, all of Adair.

14 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.

Iowa sales tax holiday set for next weekend

News

August 1st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s annual sales tax holiday set to coincide with back-to-school shopping also brings Nebraskans looking for bargains across the Missouri River. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports that Iowa’s sales tax holiday this year is being held Aug. 7-8. Nebraska doesn’t have a sales tax holiday, although the idea has been kicked around from time to time by Nebraska lawmakers.

The Iowa holiday allows shoppers to buy select clothing and footwear priced at less than $100 without paying sales tax or local option taxes. The two days are usually among the best of the year for Iowa retailers. Although the sales tax holiday falls during the back-to-school shopping season, the tax exemption applies to merchandise for adults, too.

(Update) Monona County motorcycle crash

News

August 1st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

In an update to our story that posted Friday afternoon, officials say it was an Omaha man who died and whose wife was critically injured, during a motorcycle crash in Monona County. The Sioux City Journal reports that 81-year-old Willard Crowl was killed and 78-year-old Sonya Crowl was injured in the Thursday morning crash near Onawa on Interstate 29.

The Iowa State Patrol says the motorcycle was northbound when it began to drift into the right lane, then switched back to the left lane and crashed into the median. Investigators say Willard Crowl died at the scene. Sonya Crowl was taken to an Onawa hospital, then transported to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City.

It is not known who was driving the motorcycle at the time. The investigation into the crash continues.

Ames police warning of phone scam targeting ISU students

News

August 1st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Police in Ames are warning of a phone scam targeting Iowa State University students. The Des Moines Register reports that multiple Iowa State students have received calls demanding money. Police say the callers threaten to take a student’s diploma, issue an arrest warrant or cause problems with a visa. Often, the callers mask their phone numbers through caller ID, posing as police departments.

Police are asking on-campus residents who have given money to the callers or who think they have received a call from a scammer to contact ISU Police. Off-campus students are asked to report incidents to the Ames Police Department. All are urged to contact the Federal Trade Commission through the commission’s website.