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NWS forecast for Cass & area Counties in IA: Wed., 11/20/13

Weather

November 20th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

401 AM CST WED NOV 20 2013

EARLY THIS MORNING…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS. BREEZY. NOT AS COOL. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH. CHANCE OF SHOWERS 50 PERCENT.

TODAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. ISOLATED SHOWERS THROUGH MID MORNING. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 50S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH. CHANCE OF SHOWERS 20 PERCENT.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE UPPER 30S. SOUTHEAST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

THURSDAY…CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN IN THE MORNING…THEN LIGHT RAIN LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON. COLDER. HIGH AROUND 40. TEMPERATURE STEADY OR SLOWLY FALLING IN THE AFTERNOON. NORTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 60 PERCENT.

THURSDAY NIGHT…SNOW…BREEZY…COLDER. SNOW ACCUMULATION AROUND 1 INCH. LOW IN THE LOWER 20S. NORTH WIND 15 TO 20 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 80 PERCENT.

FRIDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. COLDER. HIGH AROUND 30. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. LOW 10 TO 15.

SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S. LOW 5 TO 10 ABOVE.

Posted in Weather |

Seahawks edge Broncos in AP Pro32 power rankings

Sports

November 20th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

UNDATED (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks moved back on top of the AP Pro32 power rankings, edging out Denver despite the Broncos’ victory over previously unbeaten Kansas City. The Seahawks, who were second a week ago, received 379 points and seven first-place votes from the 12-member panel that regularly covers the league. The Broncos moved ahead of the Chiefs into second with 377 points and the other five first-place votes. Kansas City dropped to third, followed by New Orleans and Carolina.

The Saints knocked off the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, while the Panthers beat the New England Patriots 24-20 in a controversial finish on Monday night. The Patriots were sixth in the AP Pro32, followed by the Colts, Niners, Bengals and Lions.

Posted in Sports |

Broncos’ win over Chiefs draws big TV ratings

Sports

November 20th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

NEW YORK (AP) — The Broncos’ win over the previously undefeated Chiefs drew the largest television audience for a prime-time November game in 17 years. Denver’s 27-17 victory averaged 26.9 million viewers Sunday on NBC. The network said Tuesday that was up 48 percent from last season’s Week 11 “Sunday Night Football” game between Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

It was the most for a November prime-time NFL game since 31.5 million people watched the defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys beat Brett Favre and the Packers on “Monday Night Football” on ABC in 1996, when the population was smaller.

Posted in Sports |

Cardinals look to purchase Memphis affiliate

Sports

November 20th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals hope to purchase their minor-league affiliate in Memphis as city leaders there consider a plan to save the financially strapped Class AAA Redbirds. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that general manager John Mozeliak and chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. are scheduled to meet with Memphis business leaders Tuesday to pitch the plan.

The Memphis Redbirds Baseball Foundation and the Cardinals announced a tentative purchase deal last week. The Memphis City Council will consider the offer at its Dec. 3 meeting, The city would acquire AutoZone Park and lease the stadium to the Cardinals

The Cardinals already own three of their minor-league affiliates: Class A Palm Beach and the Gulf Coast League team, both of which play in Jupiter, Fla., and Class AA Springfield in southwest Missouri.

Posted in Sports |

Chiefs release DT Toribio, sign DT Love

Sports

November 20th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have released defensive tackle Anthony Toribio and signed former New England Patriots defensive tackle Kyle Love. The Chiefs made the moves Tuesday, two days after a loss to the Denver Broncos.

Toribio joined the Chiefs in 2010 and had hung around the past four seasons, despite having to impress three different head coaches. He was pressed into service against the Broncos on Sunday night when Mike DeVito had to leave a 27-17 loss with a leg injury. It’s unknown how long DeVito will be out.

Love started 25 games over the past three seasons in New England, but was waived in May after he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. He was claimed by the Jaguars and cut in September.

Posted in Sports |

Iowa News Headlines: Wed., Nov. 20th 2013

News

November 20th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican Julian Garrett has defeated former Democratic lawmaker Mark Davitt in a special election for state Senate. Garrett received about 60 percent of the vote in the election for Iowa Senate District 13. The seat was vacated when former Sen. Kent Sorenson resigned after an independent investigator found he likely broke ethics rules by taking money from presidential candidate Michele Bachmann’s political action committee and presidential campaign.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The McCaughey septuplets say they don’t mind that they’re taking a lower profile these days. The now-16-year-olds gained international fame when they became the world’s first surviving septuplets in 1997. But Nathan McCaughey tells the Des Moines Register it’s nice to live a more normal life. He says the attention was fun, but at the same time he never really liked cameras following the family around everywhere.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former Des Moines doctor accused of improperly prescribing painkillers to patients won’t go on trial until next year. The Des Moines Register reports the trial of Dr. Daniel Baldi has been pushed back from Dec. 2 to Feb. 3. Prosecutors say Baldi prescribed large amounts of narcotic painkillers to patients including Paul Gray, founder of the band Slipknot, who died in 2010. Baldi’s lawyers say his patients either took more medication than prescribed or also took other drugs.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A jury has found a man guilty of first-degree murder in the 2012 shooting of a man in Iowa City. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that a Johnson County jury returned the verdict Tuesday in the trial of Brandon D. Brown. Brown pleaded not guilty in connection to the June 2012 shooting of 30-year-old Donelle Derrell Lindsey in Iowa City. Witnesses testified that the men got into an argument before Brown shot Lindsey several times.

Posted in News |

“Be The Seed” grants awarded to area FFA chapters

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 19th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Twelve Iowa FFA chapters have been awarded $2,500 “Be The Seed” grants to spur innovation and progress in their communities while promoting the importance of farming. The “Be The Seed” Grant Program, providing $35,000 in community funding, is sponsored by the Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa FFP) in cooperation with DuPont Pioneer and the Iowa Soybean Association. Among the grant recipients was the Guthrie Center and West Central Valley FFA’s.

The Guthrie Center FFA plans to establish a community orchard, working with the school’s Family and Consumer Sciences department. The chapter is inspired by the long-term potential of such a project. Establishing a community orchard creates an opportunity to teach students and the area about the importance of agriculture and how people can grow their own food. As the populations continue to grow, food production is going to become increasingly important, and the chapter would like to foster a community-focused interest in food production for local students and area food banks.

West Central Valley FFA in Stuart, will work with the Stuart Public Library to create a community reading garden. The reading garden will encourage people to become more active outdoors and to learn about plants. The reading garden will be used as a way to engage the public by providing a place for them to learn about annuals, perennials, as well as garden crops. FFA members will tend to the garden throughout the summers and will be available to the public as a resource for information.

Grant recipients will be recognized in April at the Iowa FFA State Leadership Conference in Ames. One chapter determined to have conducted the most successful activity in partnership with its community will be recognized with a $5,000 Award of Achievement. More than 40 FFA chapters applied for grant funding.

(For more information, go to: http://www.iasoybeans.com/whatnew/release/275)

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Several area fire departments receive grants from IA DNR

News

November 19th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forestry Bureau, in cooperation with U.S. Forest Service – State and Private Forestry, has awarded $194,820 in 50 percent cost-share grants to 90 Iowa rural fire departments to aid their efforts in protecting Iowan’s and their property from wildfires. The grants offer valuable funding assistance for wildfire suppression equipment, personal protective equipment and communications equipment. Among the fire departments had their 2013 VFA grant requests approved were those in: Avoca, Creston, Elk Horn, Elliott, Harlan,Irwin, Manilla, Onawa, Pacific Junction, Sidney and Templeton.

Gail Kantak, fire supervisor with the DNR’s Forestry Bureau, said it is important for all fire departments to submit Wildland Fire Reports whenever they respond to a wildland fire or provide assistance to a prescribed or controlled wildland fire. Wildland fire reports are compiled locally and nationally and are reported to Congress. Wildland Fire reporting forms are available at www.iowadnr.gov/fire. Departments actively returning these reports receive priority points when the Volunteer Fire Assistance grant applications are scored.

Posted in News |

Estate planning & evaluation workshop for farm families to be held 12/9/13

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 19th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The topic of estate planning and evaluation will be an all-day workshop next month in Pottawattamie County. East Pottawattamie County Extension is hosting “Evaluating Your Estate Plan, a Workshop for Farm Families” in southwest Iowa on December 9th, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Community Center in Carson. Topics include the language of estate planning, needed information, setting goals, and gift, estate, and inheritance taxes.

The program gives participants tools and the chance to use those tools to help them prepare or revise an estate plan, and has been highly successful throughout Iowa. According to evaluations within one year 69% of participants had held a family meeting. 64% of participants met with their attorney to review their estate plan within one year of the program.

Presenters are Melissa O’Rourke and Kelvin Leibold, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Farm and Agribusiness Management Specialists. O’Rourke is an attorney who has experience in agricultural law and estate and succession planning. Leibold has been helping farmers with management and business decisions for decades.

The cost is $50 per person, which includes resource materials and lunch. Advance registration by December 6 is required because the program is limited to 40 people. To register, call East Pottawattamie County Extension at 712-482-6449.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Iowa’s Canzeri proves value vs. Purdue

Sports

November 19th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa sophomore Jordan Canzeri was essentially forgotten for most of the year as the Hawkeyes leaned on fellow running backs Mark Weisman and Damon Bullock. Canzeri enters Iowa’s most crucial stretch of the season more valuable than ever. Canzeri did more than just give Weisman and Bullock a breather in Iowa’s last game, a 38-14 romp at Purdue on Nov. 9. He brought Iowa’s stumbling running game to life with 165 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

The Hawkeyes (6-4, 3-3 Big Ten) host Michigan (7-3, 3-3) on Saturday before closing out the regular season at Nebraska (7-3, 4-2). Canzeri and his fresh legs could play a key role for Iowa in the final two weeks.

Posted in Sports |