712 Digital Group - top

Audubon & Massena City Council meetings set for tonight

News

February 13th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The City Councils in Audubon and Massena are set to hold their regularly scheduled meetings tonight. The Audubon City Council meeting begins at 7-p.m. Discussion and/or action items on the agenda include: maintenance of the Audubon Fire Dept. building; Insurance matters; a Resolution to re-appoint Board of Adjustment and Planning & Zoning Board Members (Milo Clemmensen, William Roth, & Rod Rowland to the BoA, & Bruce Christensen to the P&Z Board); and, a Resolution appoint a representative to the Hazard Mitigation Committee.  Other discussion items will cover issues pertaining to the transfer station, a nuisance lighting ordinance, a water/sewer maintenance contract, and compensation practices.

The Massena City Council meeting begins at 7-p.m. as well, but will be preceded at 6:30, by a Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget. During the regular meeting, the Council will act on building permits for 303 Spruce Street and 103 Rosalinda Drive, and a Resolution pertaining to the installation of a street light near Massena Livestock.

The Council will also: Receive an update from MSA Professionals, and discuss sewer infiltration issues; discuss rainwater runoff and damage concerns, from Mulberry Street RV Park.; hear from Rod Anderson, about concerns over the Feb. 14th 2011 budget hearing minutes;  hold discussion on other matters to come before them.

Winter Weather Advisory continues for far western/sw Iowa

News, Weather

February 13th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT & PAGE COUNTIES…

245 AM CST MON FEB 13 2012

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING…

* TIMING…SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. ALSO…AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 BY MID MORNING.

* SNOW AMOUNTS… MUCH OF EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA WILL SEE AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW…WITH HIGHER TOTALS AROUND 3 INCHES EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL LIKELY BE FALLING DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE.

* IMPACTS…THE COMBINATION OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW ALONG WITH AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL MAKE FOR DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS…ESPECIALLY DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE WHEN THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED. SLICK ROADS AND SIDEWALKS ALONG WITH REDUCED VISIBILITIES CAN BE EXPECTED. MOTORISTS SHOULD ALLOW PLENTY OF EXTRA TIME TO REACH MORNING DESTINATIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW AND FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

Woman trapped/freezing in C.Bluffs sewer ditch rescued Sunday afternoon

News

February 13th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

A woman who was found freezing and seriously injured over the weekend in Council Bluffs, spent at least 24-hours in a sewer ditch before being rescued. The unidentified woman told officers with the Council Bluffs Police Department she’d been walking along a retaining wall Saturday, and accidentally fell into the sewer opening near 515 North 6th Street. She was found at around 4:45-p.m. Sunday, by two men. She was said to have been naked, from the waist down. Authorities said she had been apparently been suffering from hypothermia after having spent Saturday night outside in sub-zero air temperatures. Paramedics took the woman to a Council Bluffs hospital, where she was reported to be in critical condition. The case remains under investigation.

Iowa wins regional of college wrestling National Duals

Sports

February 13th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Iowa advanced to the final four of the College Wrestling National Duals by winning a regional tournament in Ames Sunday.  The Hawkeyes beat Virginia Tech 31-3 and Oregon State 22-14 to claim the championship of the regional hosted by Iowa State University. Iowa racked up four major decisions and two technical falls in their two meets, but it was the losses and occasional lapses in intensity that bothered coach Tom Brands. “When you get taken down, you (shouldn’t) put your head on the mat…when a guy picks me up and puts me down on the mat, I come back up. It’s really that simple. That’s what sticks in my head right now,” Brands said. At 141 pounds, Iowa’s Montell Marion – ranked sixth – beat fourth-ranked Michael Mangrum of Oregon State 6-4 in overtime. But, Marion was in no mood to celebrate the Hawkeye’s victories in Ames.

“We haven’t won anything yet,” Marion said. “We want to get this (National Duals) team title. Then, we want to win the Big Ten title and then go to the nationals and win that. We’ve had some hiccups along the way. We’ve lost three duals…but we feel like we’re that number one team. The thing is, we have to go out there and prove it every time we step on the mat.” Iowa State beat Wisconsin, but lost to Oregon State 27-12 in the semi-finals. Cyclones coach Kevin Jackson watched his team lose two matches by pin and one by technical fall.  “Obviously, we’re a little disappointed because we thought we had a great chance to make the final,” Jackson said. “We’ve got some young guys who have to understand bonus points are huge in a dual meet. We gave up two falls and a tech fall by freshmen. That just can’t happen.” Northern Iowa finished 5th in the regional, losing to Virginia Tech, but beating Wisconsin. The Panther’s Joe Colon scored a 13-2 win over Virginia Tech’s Devin Carter, who entered the tournament as the number one ranked wrestler at 133 pounds. Colon also pinned his opponent from Wisconsin.

“I feel pretty good…it’s good momentum. Things are going in the right direction and it’s showing. I just need to get better from here, keep working hard like I have been and it’s going to pay off come the national tournament,” Colon said. The sophomore at UNI, a Clear Lake native, is currently ranked 11th at 133. The National Dual Championship Tournament will take place next Sunday at a site to be announced later today (Monday).

(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)

DOT host online meeting on Chicago to Omaha passenger rail route

News

February 13th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Transportation is hosting an on-line open house meeting as part of a study of passenger rail service. Amanda Martin of the D-O-T says the meeting begins today (February 13th).  Martin says the study will consist of five previously established passenger rail routes from Chicago, through Iowa to Omaha. “Each route is approximately 500 miles long, and as part of the midwest regional rail initiative that was the corridor that was established as a route for future study and future passenger rail service,” Martin says. The study is one of the steps in moving ahead to establish a new route. “It’s looking at the alternative routes and determining what route is most feasible based on the purpose and need of the route,” Martin says. “So it’s a tier one service level environmental impact statement is what we will end up with.” You can submit comments on the routes during the on-line meeting.

“People who have concerns about particular routes…or if they are supporting particular routes since it is looking at several. If there are concerns about any sort of impacts their state might be affected by if the route were to go through their community, those sorts of things,” Martin says. The on-line format provides lots of information for people who’re interested. “There is a video that will be on the website that they can review and it’ll talk about the project and will give more details about what we are doing, and there will be resources within the website, maps and information that will help the user understand the study a little bit better, and what sort of comments we are looking for,” Martin said. Go to:www.iowadot.gov/chicagotoomaha to participate in the meeting.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)

ISU takes on #6 Baylor tonight (Monday), in men’s basketball

Sports

February 13th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa State men’s basketball team (18-7, 8-4 Big 12) travels to face Baylor (21-4, 8-4) for sole possession of third place in the Big 12. The Cyclones have won four of their last five after blowing out Texas A&M 69-46 on Saturday. Baylor has lost two straight to league leaders Kansas and Missouri. Iowa State has lost five straight games in Waco dating back to 2000. The game at Ferrell Center in Waco, TX, will be televised on ESPNU.

Drake routs Evansville 78-54

Sports

February 13th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Jordan Clarke scored 18 points, leading five Drake players in double figures, and the Bulldogs ended a three-game losing streak by beating Evansville 78-54 on Sunday night. Clarke also had 12 rebounds for Drake (14-12, 7-8 Missouri Valley), which never trailed. Kurt Alexander had 16 points, Rayvonte Rice scored 13, Jeremy Jeffers scored 12 and Aaron Hawley added 10 points for the Bulldogs. Drake was 11 for 22 from behind the 3-point line, with Jeffers making four of his six tries. Denver Holmes led Evansville (12-13, 7-8) with 16 points. Kenny Harris had 12 points for the Purple Aces, who beat No. 17 Creighton 65-57 in their previous game. The Bulldogs led by as many as 13 in the first half, but Evansville cut it to 33-26 at the break and trailed 40-39 with 13 minutes left. Drake then put the game out of reach with a 17-2 run.

IA women surge past MI State 74-57 Sunday

Sports

February 12th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Samantha Logic scored 11 second-half points to help the University of Iowa women’s basketball team surge past Michigan State, 74-57, on Sunday on Medicom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It is Iowa’s fifth consecutive victory. The teams were tied, 30-30, at halftime, but the Hawkeyes turned up the heat during the final 20 minutes by shooting 53.6 percent from the field (15-of-28).  Iowa improved to 16-10 overall, 8-5 in the Big Ten Conference; Michigan State dropped to 15-10, 7-5.

Ravens Kicker Cundiff grateful for teammates’ support

Sports

February 12th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff says the support of his teammates has helped keep the biggest miss of his career in perspective. The 31-year-old Cundiff returned to his home state of Iowa on Sunday to accept an alumni award from Drake University in Des Moines. His homecoming comes three weeks after he shanked a 32-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds left in the AFC championship game that sent the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl. Cundiff says his teammates’ support has been impressive and he expected more backlash than he’s gotten. Cundiff also says he learned how to keep the game in perspective while playing high school football in Harlan, Iowa.

Sac County turns over rescued dogs to shelters

News

February 12th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

SAC CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say the owner of dozens of dogs rescued from a farm in rural Sac County has relinquished ownership of the animals, clearing the way for them to be made available for adoption. Eighty-seven dogs, mostly cocker spaniels, and one cat were rescued two weeks ago. Some of the dogs are pregnant.

Sac County Attorney Ben Smith says the owner gave up ownership to the sheriff’s office on Friday. The sheriff’s office, in turn, gave the animals to the rescue shelters caring for them. A court order says the owner will reimburse Sac County for expenses for the animals’ care since their removal on January 25th, which total over $25,000. Smith says he expects charges will be filed in the case sometime this week.