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Chiefs fans aim to break Seahawks’ noise record

Sports

October 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Even the most muffled clap seemed to echo throughout Arrowhead Stadium last season as the Kansas City Chiefs plodded their way toward one of the worst seasons in franchise history. A group of fans is trying to restore the roar.

When the Chiefs host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, they will be trying to break a Guinness world record for loudest sports crowd roar in an outdoor sports stadium that was set earlier this year by Seahawks fans during a game against the 49ers.

The record is 136.6 decibels, or just below what a jet engine sounds like 100 feet away. The fans even have the support of the Chiefs, who paid for a Guinness adjudicator to fly to Kansas City for the record attempt.

Big Mac is back: McGwire holds court in St. Louis

Sports

October 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mark McGwire was back in his element, holding court in St. Louis. Most major league coaches do their jobs in virtual anonymity behind the scenes. McGwire, however, is no ordinary hitting instructor and his homecoming is a juicy, natural subplot in this NL championship series. Once a star slugger for the Cardinals and later their batting coach, McGwire now serves in that role with the Los Angeles Dodgers on manager Don Mattingly’s staff. So on Thursday evening, none of the players on either team received nearly as much attention at Busch Stadium.

A swarm of reporters surrounded Big Mac near the batting cage before the Dodgers’ workout. He noticed the boom mike that hovered over the crowd and repeated answers to the second and third waves.

Kelly, Greinke set for Game 1 of NLCS

Sports

October 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Carpets were still drying out from a champagne bath and a few players looked bleary eyed after a workout at Busch Stadium. A day after advancing, there wasn’t much time to rest for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Los Angeles Dodgers don’t have home-field advantage in the NL championship series, but they got a few extra days to savor early postseason success.

No telling which side will benefit, the team on a roll or the team coming off a break, entering Game 1 Friday night. Joe Kelly, who flourished as a replacement starter with St. Louis, opposes Zack Greinke in the opener. The staff aces won’t go until later in the best-of-seven series, with the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw set for Game 2 and the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright ready for Game 3.

The Cardinals will again be without cleanup man Allen Craig, who was out of town Thursday seeing a specialist for his foot injury.

Iowa News Headlines: Fri., Oct. 11th 2013

News

October 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Farmers in many states are surprised at the abundance of corn coming from their fields, and record harvests are likely in many states. In southeastern Nebraska, farmer Ben Steffen says his first field brought in 168 bushels an acre, above the average of 140. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates this year’s harvest will break the 2009 record of 13.1 billion bushels.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa National Guard has laid off 100 state employees and canceled more training due to the ongoing partial government shutdown. The state Department of Public Defense employees received notice yesterday afternoon that they would be temporarily laid off for up to 60 days beginning today. Officials say this immediate action is in lieu of a 30-day temporary layoff that was scheduled to begin on October 18th.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A Catholic college in Dubuque has launched a campaign to pay its professors better. Cedar Rapids television station KCRG reports Loras College in Dubuque kicked off the campaign yesterday to raise $75 million.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — About 200 families from the Des Moines area received food and household supplies thanks to the Salvation Army of Des Moines and an Oklahoma City-based organization. A truck loaded with groceries and household supplies was unloaded yesterday afternoon at a Salvation Army center, where the items were given to pre-selected families.

Iowa State expecting big things from Kane

Sports

October 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Few coaches have embraced senior transfers like Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg. He might have one of his best ones yet in former Marshall point guard DeAndre Kane. The Cyclones will fill one of their guard positions with yet another “one-and-done” player in Kane. He averaged 15.1 points and seven assists for Marshall last season and earned second-team All-Conference USA honors.

Iowa State’s hopes for a third straight NCAA tournament bid rest in part on Kane’s ability to lead a revamped roster. Hoiberg says Kane is a versatile player who will see time at point and shooting guard. Iowa State, picked fourth in the Big 12 preseason poll, opens on Nov. 10 against UNC-Wilmington.

Cass County Supervisors to discuss privatizing emergency/public communications

News

October 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

On the heels of a Public Safety Commission meeting held Sept 23rd,  the Cass County Board of Supervisors next Wednesday will discuss the possibility of privatizing Emergency/Public Safety Communications. When informed by KJAN News about the Board’s agenda item, Cass County 9-1-1 Director Rob Koppert said he wasn’t aware it would be brought up at next week’s meeting, and as far as he knew, neither was anyone on the Commission. The topic was brought up at the September meeting by Supervisors Board Chair Mark Wedemeyer, who also sits on the Public Safety Communications Commission.

Koppert said at that meeting that he wasn’t aware of any firms in Iowa or around the region that would handle 9-1-1 calls in the private sector. In fact, there are very few instances across the country, where emergency dispatch services have been turned over from County-run operations to a private provider. One such case is Lawrence Township, in Mercer County, NJ., which in January, 2013, agreed to hired iXP Corporation out of Cranbury, NJ, to handle its 9-1-1 dispatches.  iXP was awarded a two-year, $719,400 contract to run police dispatch for the community, whose population as of the 2010 Census was nearly 33,500. It was estimated the move would save the county $1.1-million over a period of 5-years.

Another is Sandy Springs, GA, an incorporated suburb of Atlanta with 94,000 residents, which has its 9-1-1 dispatch center also operated by iXP. The theory behind privatizing the service is to save a County money, but there are many questions that remain, including: A private firm’s hiring practices – would current dispatchers with knowledge of the county be utilized?; Where would the facility be located?; Will the service be as efficient as the current system? And more.

Koppert said he will find out along with the rest of us, what next Wednesday’s discussion will cover, and to what extent the County will pursue the privatization of emergency/public communications.

Avoca receives $75k REAP grant for Nishnabotna Trail

Ag/Outdoor, News

October 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The City of Avoca has been awarded an Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection)  grant amounting to $75,000 . City Manager Clint Fichter says the grant money will be used for the construction of a 1 mile segment of the Nishnabotna Trail, which will connect the community to the new pedestrian bridge to Edgington Memorial Park. The $243,850 bridge will soon be constructed with the assistance of an additional $171,392 grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation.

REAP invests in projects that enhance and protect the Iowa’s natural and cultural resources. 15% of REAP is set aside for grants to cities for projects that help establish natural areas, encourage outdoor recreation, and resource management.

This fall, REAP is hosting local meetings across the state. These meetings places for public and private organizations, as well as individuals, to plan REAP projects. The full schedule and more information REAP can be found at:

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/REAP/10.7.13%202013%20Assembly%20Schedule.pdf

 

More than $1 million in Grants Awarded to Iowa Communities

Ag/Outdoor, News

October 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Vision Iowa Board has awarded nearly $1.1-million in grants to a public garden in Jefferson, community centers in Templeton and Emmetsburg, a backcountry trail in Coon Rapids and an amphitheater in Waverly. The grants were approved Wednesday by the Vision Iowa Board at their meeting in Des Moines.

A $400,000 Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant was awarded for the “Opening Whiterock: Iowa’s Backcountry Trail Attraction,” in Coon Rapids. The organization had requested $404, 785 toward the total Project Cost just over $4.22-million.  The award is contingent upon completion of fundraising within 60 days.

This project includes the construction of 35 miles of state-of-the-art “soft trails” through a seven-square-mile landscape at Whiterock Conservancy, remodeling of the Visitors Center and trail signage.

Western Iowa woman dies in skid loader accident

News

October 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

SCHALLER, Iowa (AP) — The Sac County Sheriff’s Office says a Schaller woman has died in a skid loader accident at her home. The sheriff’s office says in a news release Thursday that a friend found 53-year-old Karen Jeanne Terry on Wednesday. She was pinned beneath a skid loader and a boom arm.

Friends had become concerned after being unable to reach Terry on Wednesday, prompting someone to visit her home. The friend called 911. Terry was pronounced dead at the scene. The Sac County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.

Cross Country meet affects school bus parking in Atlantic

News, Sports

October 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Atlantic Police remind the public that the Atlantic High School Cross Country meet takes place this (Thursday) afternoon (3:30-p.m.), at the Atlantic Golf and Country Club, and not Nishna Hills.

With the change, bus parking will be on Chestnut Street between 29th and 22nd Streets. Spectator parking will be on 22nd Streets, west of Palm St., as well as 29th St., west of Chestnut Street.

Residents should plan for increased traffic and pedestrians in the area.