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Inexperienced Cyclones open fall camp

Sports

August 5th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — The Big 12 is as unsettled as ever heading into 2013, with more than half the league earning at least one first-place vote in preseason poll. Except, of course, for Iowa State. Once again, expectations are fairly low for the Cyclones. Iowa State, which finished 6-7 and 3-6 in the Big 12 in 2012, has been picked ninth.

The Cyclones need to replace at least 11 starters and are highly unsettled at defensive line and wide receiver heading into fall camp, which began on Monday. Iowa State opens its fifth season under coach Paul Rhoads against Northern Iowa on Aug. 31. Rhoads says the competition for starting spots is a good thing, adding that it creates the appetite necessary for improvement.

USDA survey shows Iowa cropland getting drier

Ag/Outdoor, News, Weather

August 5th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A U.S. Department of Agriculture weekly survey shows Iowa’s cropland is getting drier as most of the state sees little rainfall. The agency says 41 percent of topsoil had adequate or surplus moisture, down 8 percentage points from the previous week. An estimated 54 percent of subsoil was in the adequate to surplus range.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey notes that cooler weather was putting less stress on crops, but the lower temperatures have caused plants to develop more slowly. That comes amid a season in which crops already were far behind five-year averages.

The USDA found that corn conditions worsened slightly, with 5 percent rated very poor, 12 percent poor, 32 percent fair, 41 percent good and 10 percent excellent.

JAMES HYLAND, JR., 91, of Griswold (Svcs. 8/13/13)

Obituaries

August 5th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

JAMES HYLAND, JR., 91, of Griswold, died Sun., Aug. 4th, at the Griswold Care Center. A Funeral Mass for JAMES HYLAND, JR., will be held 11-a.m. Tue., Aug 13th, at the Creighton University Retreat Center in Griswold. Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold has the arrangements.

A Rosary will be recited Mon., Aug. 12th at 6:30-p.m., followed by a visitation from 7 to 8 PM, at the Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold.

JAMES HYLAND, JR. is survived by:

His daughter: Julianne (Duane) Adams, of Griswold.

His sister: Margaret Miller of Apache Junction, KY.

2 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren & 1great-great grandchild, other relatives and friends.

DENNIS R. JOHNSON, 64, of Harlan (Svcs. to held at a later date)

Obituaries

August 5th, 2013 by admin

DENNIS R. JOHNSON, 64, of Harlan died Fri., Aug., 2nd in Harlan. Family services for DENNIS JOHNSON will be held at a later date. Burmeister-Johannsen Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

No visitation is planned.

DENNIS JOHNSON is survived by:

Daughter, Angie Johnson of Omaha, NE

Brothers, Myron Hedrick of Marceline, MO; Tommy Hedrick of Marceline, MO; and Richard Hedrick of Kansas City, MO

Sisters, Joetta Fite of Marceline, MO and Patricia Dorral of Marceline, MO

Father, Tom Hedrick of Marceline, MO

Three grandchildren and other relatives and friends.

Chiefs’ revamped secondary out to prove itself

Sports

August 5th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — There were four players in the NFL last season who made at least seven interceptions. Then there was the Kansas City Chiefs. They picked off seven, too. The Chiefs’ inability to cause turnovers, particularly in the secondary, was somewhere near the root of their problems in an awful season.

The Chiefs have dramatically revamped their secondary this offseason. They jettisoned cornerback Javier Arenas and brought in veteran defensive backs Sean Smith and Dunta Robinson. Andy Reid and the rest of the coaching staff are banking on them making a difference.

Iowa’s Wilson, Clark leave program

Sports

August 5th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa wide receiver Cameron Wilson and lineman Drew Clark have left the program. Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz announced Monday that Wilson, a redshirt freshman, notified him last month that he intends to transfer. Clark, a seldom-used senior from nearby Marion, Iowa, will forego his final season to focus on his schoolwork.

Iowa opened fall practice on Monday. The Hawkeyes will hold an open scrimmage on Aug. 17 and host Northern Illinois in their season opener on Aug. 31.

Walnut man & Avoca teen arrested Sunday evening

News

August 5th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Two people were arrested Sunday evening following a traffic stop for excessive speeding on Highway 59, in Shelby County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a Trooper attempted to stop at vehicle north of 200th Street at around 7:30-p.m.  When the Trooper turned his cruiser around and attempted to catch up to the vehicle, the suspect’s car went out of control and came to rest in the southeast ditch.

When the Trooper pulled up to the vehicle, a male passenger in the car later identified as Mark Osborn, Jr., of Avoca, ran into a soybean field and laid down, in an attempt to hide from the Trooper. The driver of the car, Christopher Chapman, of Walnut, was held at gunpoint but taken into custody without further incident. Chapman was charged with OWI/1st offense, speeding, and failure to maintain control. Osborn located and taken into custody without incident. He faces charges that include with Interference with Official Acts, and Possession of Alcohol under the Legal Age/3rd offense.

Both subjects were booked into the Shelby County Jail.

DOLORES “LORI” SNYDER, 80, of Atlantic (Svcs. 8/8/13)

Obituaries

August 5th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

DOLORES “LORI” SNYDER, 80, of Atlantic, died Sun., Aug. 4th, at the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic. Memorial services for DOLORES SNYDER will be held 10:30-a.m. Thu., Aug. 8th, at the Brayton Lutheran Church. Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

Visitation with the family will be held from 5-to 7-pm Wed., Aug. 7th, at the funeral home, where a Prayer service begins at 5-p.m. Wednesday.

Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery west of Brayton.

DOLORES “LORI” SNYDER is survived by:

Her daughter – Mary (Shon) Young, of Lewis.

ZACHARIAH ALAN “ZACK” BROWN, 24, of Osceola (Svcs. 8/8/13)

Obituaries

August 5th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

ZACHARIAH ALAN “ZACK” BROWN, 24, of Osceola, died Sat., Aug. 3rd. Funeral services for ZACK BROWN will be held 10:30-a.m. Thu., Aug. 8th, at the Casey United Methodist Church. Johnson Family Funeral Home in Stuart has the arrangements.

Visitation at the Casey United Methodist Church will be held from 5-to 8-pm Wed.

Burial will be in the Dalmanutha Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the Zachariah Brown Memorial Fund, in care of the funeral home.  Online condolences may be left to the family at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.

Governor will try again to reign in early school start dates

News

August 5th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Governor Terry Branstad is regrouping and hopes to come up with a new alternative that would prevent Iowa school districts from starting early in August.  “It is an important issue to a lot of Iowans and I do want to see it resolved and I want to see it resolved in a reasonable way, and I think we’re going to continue to reach out to people that have concerns about it to see what is the best and most appropriate way to deal with it,” Branstad says.

Last week the Iowa Board of Education voted down rules that would have made it tougher for schools to get a state waiver to start school in August.  “I’m disappointed that the board decided that they didn’t want to take on this issue,” Branstad says. State law stipulates that schools are not to start before the week in which September 1st falls, but under present practice all districts that apply for a waiver to start in August get one.

Iowa’s tourism industry has been a critic, saying they lose millions because families stop traveling in August, plus many of their teenage employee leave because school is resuming. Branstad vows to meet with parents, teachers, school administrators and others to come up with another plan to address the controversy. “It’s not going to go away and I think we need to try and come up with a reasonable and fair compromise in trying to deal with this,” Branstad says.

Branstad suggests he may make a recommendation to legislators to pass a law on the issue in 2014. The Iowa House and Senate have passed bills in the past to restrict early starts for schools, but a bill on the issue has never cleared both the House and Senate in the same year and in the same form.

(Radio Iowa)