712 Digital Group - top

Arrieta, Cubs silence Pirates 4-0 to win NL wild-card game

Sports

October 8th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jake Arrieta allowed four hits in nine dominant innings and the Chicago Cubs rolled to a 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL wild-card game on Wednesday night. Arrieta struck out 11 without a walk. He also dusted off getting plunked by Pittsburgh reliever Tony Watson to send the Cubs to the NL Division Series in St. Louis starting on Friday.

Dexter Fowler homered and scored three times for the Cubs. Kyle Schwarber added a towering two-run shot off Pittsburgh starter Gerrit Cole as Chicago raced to an early lead and let Arrieta do the rest.

The largest crowd ever at PNC Park failed to rattle Arrieta or one of baseball’s youngest teams. Manager Joe Maddon’s club played with swagger and confidence and looked right at home while snapping a nine-game playoff losing streak that dated to the 2003 NL Championship Series.

 

Iowa early News Headlines: Thu., Oct. 8th 2015

News

October 8th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton says she opposes the big Pacific Rim trade accord backed by President Barack Obama. The Democratic presidential candidate says in an interview with PBS there are too many “unanswered questions” about the Trans-Pacific Partnership. She joins Democratic rivals Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley who warn it could lead to lost American jobs.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Dubuque is getting more street lighting and security cameras as part of an effort to address safety in the city. The Dubuque City Council voted 6-1 Monday to spend more than $500,000 to add 96 cameras and install 216 light-emitting diode, or LED, streetlights. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports 25 existing lights will get converted to brighter fixtures.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Duke University researcher says three lemurs at a northeast Iowa zoo at the center of a lawsuit likely have stressful lives being apart from fellow members of their species. The Des Moines Register reports Peter Klopfer testified Tuesday during the trial of the federal lawsuit against Cricket Hollow Zoo in Manchester.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — An auto shop owner in Waterloo has been sentenced to life in prison for the killing of a man last year. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Judge Todd Geer on Wednesday sentenced Anthony Albert Tronca to the mandatory sentence following his conviction last month of first-degree murder in the death of 44-year-old Ronald Randall.

City Administrator: Empty storefronts in Atlantic may become a serious problem

News

October 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Empty storefronts in downtown Atlantic are becoming so much of a concern for some City Officials in Atlantic, that the City Administrator said if the matter isn’t addressed quickly, it will become a “Serious Problem.” During his report to the Council, Wednesday, Administrator John Lund said he sat down Tuesday with Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Director Ouida Wymer, to discuss the problem. He said he intends to utilize Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds to conduct a downtown assessment for the purpose of economic development, and a market analysis conducted by the IEDA (Iowa Economic Development Authority), that might help to attract more businesses to the downtown area.

Lund said the study would include public surveys to identify areas of need, as far as businesses and services are concerned. Mayor Dave Jones said the City paid a good deal of money (About $40,000) about 15 years or so ago, to have a similar study conducted through what at that time, was the recently established Community Promotion Commission. He suggested the Chamber go back through those results and see if some of the goals and needs have been fulfilled, before spending more money for another study.

Jones said the City itself shouldn’t have to be involved in the role of business recruitment, since it has a Chamber of Commerce whose purpose is to promote and recruit new businesses, as well as retain current establishments. He says there seems to be some confusion and finger pointing as to which entity is responsible for recruiting new retails businesses, the Chamber, or the Cass-Atlantic Development

He says someone “Needs to tackle that bull. My personal opinion is, CADCO is a County-wide organization, the Chamber is an Atlantic organization….they should do more attracting retail to that area.” The funds he says, are going to come out of the CPC anyway, which is funded by the City each year. Councilman Bob Cord said CADCO shouldn’t be excluded from the recruitment process, and Jones agreed, but he said they tend to focus on bringing more industry to communities in the County, not so much retail.

Jones said even if CADCO managed to bring in a new business with the potential for 250 jobs, the question remains, where would the employees come from, because Atlantic has a relatively low unemployment rate. He said the City needs to focus on mid-range housing to bring qualified people into town who can fill those jobs.

Atlantic F.D to handle Fire Extinguisher Inspection & Services

News

October 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, gave the go ahead for Fire Chief Mark McNees, to begin the process of training three department personnel plus himself, for Fire Extinguisher Inspections and Servicing. Their approval means McNees can also purchase the necessary equipment to service commercial and public fire extinguishers, some the which will come from a local man who is no longer in the business. McNees said the fire department has the facilities and the people, so “It’s right up our alley.”

He said there is a big demand right now for a local fire extinguisher and inspection service, since no one in or near Atlantic provides that service. The total cost of the upstart service is estimated at $5,000-to $6,000, which includes the necessary equipment, parts, supplies and training. McNees proposed paying for the program through the Fire Trust and Agency Account, which was donated for projects above and beyond equipment. Those funds would then be replaced by billing customers for the service and inspections, just like a commercial business would do.

The Chief would handle the billing and collect receipts, which he would turn over to City Clerk Deb Field to document and place into the proper account. The service itself would fall under the jurisdiction of the State Fire Marshals Office. McNees said he doesn’t want the Fire Department to be in competition with someone who may want to start their own, so anyone who wants to open such a business is welcome to do so. Or, residents and business owners may choose to go to one of the other communities such as Red Oak, Carroll, Omaha or Des Moines.

One person receives minor injuries in Red Oak accident Wednesday

News

October 7th, 2015 by admin

A Red Oak woman was cited for Failure to Yield from a Stop Sign following an accident late Wednesday morning. Police responded to the crash at around 11:50-a.m. at the intersection of N 2nd and East Oak Streets, in Red Oak.  An investigation determined  a 2005 Cadillac Deville driven by 67-year-old Ladonna Johnson, of Red Oak was traveling northbound on North 2nd Street and continued through the intersection before it was clear.

Johnson’s Cadillac struck a 2007 Dodge Caliber driven by 47-year-old Charlene Telschow, of Red Oak, as she was traveling westbound on East Oak Street.  Telschow was transported by Red Oak Rescue to the Montgomery County Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.  Damage from the collision amounted to $8,000.

Red Oak Fire and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.

MARTHA WATERS, 93, of Atlantic (Svcs. 10/12/15)

Obituaries

October 7th, 2015 by Jim Field

MARTHA WATERS, 93, of Atlantic died Tuesday, October 6th at the Heritage House in Atlantic.  Funeral services for MARTHA WATERS will be held 10:30-a.m. Mon., Oct. 12th, at the 1st United Methodist Church, in Atlantic. Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the funeral home from 9-am until Noon on Sat. (Oct. 10th), and from Noon until the time of family visitation on Sunday, from 3-until 5-p.m.

Online condolences may be left at www.RolandFuneralService.com

Memorials may be directed to the Atlantic 1st United Methodist Church; Atlantic Public Library, or the Heritage House Good Samaritan Fund.

Burial will be in Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Cemetery, in Atlantic.

MARTHA WATERS is survived by:

Daughter: Teresa (Carey) Noland of Adair.

Son: Michael (Kay) Waters of Omaha, NE.

EDWIN “GENE” EUGENE MONSON, 75, of Harlan (Svcs. 10-10-2015)

Obituaries

October 7th, 2015 by admin

EDWIN “GENE” EUGENE MONSON, 75, of Harlan died Wednesday, October 7th at Elm Crest Assisted Living in Harlan.  Funeral Services for GENE MONSON will be held Saturday, October 10th at 10:30am at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Irwin. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Family will greet friends on Friday, October 9th from 5:00pm-7:00pm at Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan.

Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Irwin.

EDWIN “GENE” EUGENE MONSON is survived by:

Sons: Jason (Michele) Monson of Irwin.  Jeff (Kristen) Monson of Urbandale.

Brother: Cyrus (Marolyn) Monson of Irwin.

5 Grandchildren

Fatal accident in Union County Wed. morning

News

October 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A man from Polk County died this (Wednesday) morning, during a fiery, single-vehicle crash in Union County. The Iowa State Patrol says the driver of the SUV, 60-year old Patrick A. Mitchell, of Des Moines, who was wearing his seat belt, died at the scene.

Officials say Mitchell was traveling south on Green Valley Road, south of 140th Street, at around 3:35-a.m., when his 2010 Subaru Forester left the road, went airborne over a drainage ditch and crashed through a fence, before coming to rest and bursting into flames.

The accident remains under investigation.

2 arrests in Montgomery County

News

October 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests took place, Tuesday. At around 2:20-p.m., deputies arrested 59-year old William Elliott, of Red Oak, on two warrants out of Fremont County. The warrants were for Violation of a No Contact Order, and Operating a vehicle without the Owners Consent. Elliott was transported from the Montgomery County Jail by Fremont County deputies, back to the Fremont County Jail.

And, at around 12:40-p.m. Tuesday, deputies in Montgomery County arrested 27-year old Zackery Haley, of Villisca, for Violation of a No Contact Order. Haley was being held at the Jail in Red Oak.

Reminder: IA DOT license stations closed Thursday

News

October 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A reminder from Cass County Treasurer Tracey J. Marshall: All Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) driver’s license stations will be closed Thursday, Oct. 8th, for employee training. The stations will resume full operations beginning 8:30-a.m., Friday.