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Realmuto’s bloop pushes Marlins past Cardinals, 4-2

Sports

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — J.T. Realmuto’s two-out, two-RBI bloop single in the sixth broke a 2-all tie and propelled the Miami Marlins to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. Realmuto lofted what normally would have been a routine fly ball to right-center field, but Cardinals’ right fielder Stephen Piscotty had been positioned to guard the line moments earlier. The ball barely eluded diving center fielder Tommy Pham, allowing Giancarlo Stanton and Martin Prado to score.

The Marlins’ comeback overshadowed a strong start by Jaime Garcia. The Cardinals’ lefty didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning, when Miami struck for two runs. Marlins ace Jose Fernandez spent much of the afternoon working on off-speed pitches. He allowed five hits and walked three while striking out six in 3 2/3 innings.

Posted in Sports |

Lenox man arrested on a warrant, Sunday morning

News

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s deputies in Montgomery County, Sunday morning, arrested a Taylor County man wanted on a warrant. 37-year old Hector Antonio Rodriguez-Menjivar, of Lenox, was taken into custody on a warrant out of Clark County for Failure to Appear on an original charge of OWI/1st offense. Rodriguez-Menjivar was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,900 cash bond.

Posted in News |

Memorial fund established for Iowa officers killed in crash

News

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines Police Officers Burial Association has established memorial funds for the families of two officers killed in a traffic crash on Interstate 80. The funds were opened at the Des Moines Police Officers Credit Union on behalf of Officers Carlos Puente-Morales and Susan Farrell.

Susan Farrell

Susan Farrell

Carlos-Puente-Morales. Officer photos courtesy of the Des Moines Police Department.

Carlos-Puente-Morales.
Officer photos courtesy of the Des Moines Police Department.

The officers died after their police SUV was hit head-on by another vehicle traveling the wrong way on I-80 west of Des Moines. They had been on the job less than six months. The jail inmate they were transporting, 32-year-old Tosha Nicole Hyatt, was also killed. Hyatt was being taken early Saturday from Council Bluffs to Des Moines.

Police say both officers and the driver of the other vehicle were wearing seat belts, but they don’t know if Hyatt was.

Posted in News |

Cards’ 3B coach Oquendo takes medical leave of absense

Sports

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals say third base coach Jose Oquendo is taking a medical leave of absence for “the foreseeable future.” Oquendo missed several days earlier this spring when he traveled to St. Louis for knee surgery. He returned to camp on March 20, walking with the aid of crutches. He hasn’t returned to the third base coach’s box since the surgery.

First base coach Bill Maloney handled third base coaching duties while Oquendo recovered and will continue to do so. Assistant hitting coach Bill Mueller will coach first base and assume Oquendo’s infield instruction duties.

Derrick May, the Cardinals’ minor league hitting coordinator, will serve as St. Louis’ assistant hitting coach. The 52-year-old Oquendo has been part of the Cardinals’ major league coaching staff since 1999.

 

Posted in Sports |

Northern Iowa sees bounty of agriculture jobs, few workers

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Employers in northern Iowa are trying to fill a bounty of agricultural jobs. The Globe Gazette reports that local economic development officials are touting a series of jobs that are directly and indirectly related to farming. The list includes work in cooperatives, ethanol plants and feed mills, as well as full- and part-time jobs.

Low unemployment rates in area counties can make it tough to find employees. The rate in many counties around Mason City ranges between 3 and 5 percent, while the statewide average is 4.5 percent. Jennifer Andrade, an IowaWorks business marketing specialist, says her groups is encouraging more businesses to focus on outreach by visiting local high schools.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Iowa man contests support for child he didn’t father

News

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

(Updated 3-p.m.)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Davenport man is protesting a state law that requires him to financially support a child that’s not his. Joe Vandusen received a letter this month from the Iowa Department of Human Services notifying him that he would have to pay child support for his estranged wife’s child, even though he is not the father, according to The Des Moines Register.

Vandusen, 45, said he and his wife split up without filing an official divorce and have hardly talked in the last 15 years. The child Vandusen is expected to help support is about 1 year old, he said. Vandusen contacted the Department of Human Services’ Child Support Recovery Unit to say he’s not the biological father of his wife’s child, and he offered to take a paternity test to prove it. He said he was told it didn’t matter according to state law.

“They said since I’m still legally married, I’m going to be responsible for the child support,” Vandusen said. The Register could not reach state officials for comment, but WQAD-TV in Davenport reported that a Human Services spokesperson said in a case like Vandusen’s, the husband is considered the legal father of his wife’s child.

Other states have similar laws, which are aimed at making sure all children receive sufficient financial support. Vandusen said he was recently laid off from his job and doesn’t have the money to pay child support. He said he also can’t afford to pay an attorney to file for divorce and fight in court against the child support requirement.

Vandusen already owes child support on his own child, who was born to another woman before his marriage. He said “in that case, I didn’t deny it.”

Posted in News |

Iowa Legislature checks off boxes needed for adjournment

News

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Legislature has checked off several boxes that are needed to agree on a state budget and reach adjournment this session.The completed tasks include deals on taxes, K-12 education and what’s actually available to spend for the fiscal year that begins in July. Lawmakers could adjourn the session on schedule in April, a stark contrast to last year when they extended it into June amid disagreement over education funding.

Lawmakers appear to agree there’s about $7.35 billion available for the next budget, and about $176 million in new dollars. Legislative leaders agree most of that new money will go to K-12 education, but they haven’t released information about where the rest should go. Issues like Medicaid oversight, funding for water quality initiatives and medical marijuana remain in limbo.

Posted in News |

OWI & assault arrests in Villisca

News

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were arrested this weekend on separate, OWI & assault charges. Early this (Sunday) morning, 24-year old Shayney Delyn Scott, of Villisca, was arrested in Villisca for OWI/1st offense. Scott was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where she was being held on $1,000 bond.

Saturday morning, deputies in Montgomery County arrested 22-year old Ridge R. Ballard, of Villisca, on charges of Simple Assault, and Interference with Official Acts. Ballard was taken into custody in Villisca and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where his bond was set at $300.

Posted in News |

NE woman arrested on drug charges in Adams County

News

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s officials in Adams County report a woman from Nebraska was arrested Saturday on drug charges, following a traffic stop. Kayla Davis, of Omaha, was taken into custody for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Posted in News |

NWS forecast for Atlantic & the area, 3/27/16

Weather

March 27th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Today: Cloudy through mid-morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 50. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts to near 20.
Tonight: Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 29.
Monday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 64. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 42.
Tuesday: Partly Sunny & windy, w/a 20% chance of afternoon showers. High near 65. S/SE winds 10-20 w/gusts to near 35mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly Cloudy & windy w/a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low around 53.
Wednesday: Mostly Cloudy & breezy, w/a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 70.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 44. The Low thru 6-a.m. today was 33. We received .35” of precipitation here, Saturday. Last year on this date, our High in Atlantic was 39, and the low was 19. The All-time Record High in Atlantic on this date was 85 in 1895. The Record Low was 6 in 1894.

Posted in Weather |