United Group Insurance

ISU signs Greek center Tsalmpouris

Sports

May 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State says it has signed 7-foot-1 Greek center Georgios Tsalmpouris to a letter of intent. Tsalmpouris, who doesn’t turn 18 until next month, is a member of Greece’s national team. Tsalmpouris will be just the seventh 7-foot player in school history, and he’ll be eligible to play starting next season.

Tsalmpouris and 6-foot-9 center Jameel McKay should help provide Iowa State with the post presence it lacked at times last season. But it’s unclear if Tsalmpouris will redshirt or be ready to contribute as a freshman

Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg says Tsalmpouris fits Iowa State’s style of play because he can run the floor and shoot from the perimeter.

Cooke to sign with Iowa State

Sports

May 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Oregon State guard Hallice Cooke says he plans to sign with Iowa State. Cooke averaged 8.2 points a game while shooting 46 percent from 3-point range as a freshman in 2013-14. He’ll sit out next season and have three years of eligibility left. Cooke, a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Union City, New Jersey, tells The Associated Press that he built a strong relationship with Iowa State’s players during a visit earlier this month.

Cooke also says the opportunity to join a winning program and play for coach Fred Hoiberg factored into his decision to join the Cyclones. Iowa State announced earlier Monday that 7-foot-1 Greek center Georgios Tsalmpouris had signed with the Cyclones.

Rediscovered Hank Williams radio show restored & released

News

May 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

NASHVILLE (AP) — Hank Williams usually is portrayed as a dark and lonely man. His daughter says it’s time to show the happy side. Jett Williams says her father comes across as a guy you’d want to know better on “The Garden Spot Programs, 1950.” She says it’s because it’s a radio program and her father would have thought it would never be heard after it aired. KSIB-AM in Creston, Iowa, saved the tapes, which were restored and released in modern formats this week. Jett Williams says the highlight is “Lovesick Blues” because it’s a different version. She advises anyone who finds a funny-looking record should realize it’s probably an acetate and get a professional to play it, because if it’s old, it may only play once.

EPA mulls ethanol change as industry profits soar

Ag/Outdoor

May 20th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — As ethanol producers see some of their most profitable months ever, the federal government is considering whether to lower the amount of the corn-based fuel that must be blended into gasoline.

If the EPA approves a proposal reducing the required amount of ethanol that must be used nationally from about 14 billion gallons to 13 billion gallons, it would hurt a biofuels industry that built plants and spent billions on research based on the standard Congress approved in 2007.

University of Illinois professor Scott Irwin estimates a model Iowa ethanol plant would have hit a record profit of $4.50 per bushel of corn processed at the end of March. The average profit was 20 cents per bushel from 2007 to 2013.

The EPA’s decision is expected in June.

Girls Regional Golf Results

Sports

May 19th, 2014 by Jim Field

Class 3-A:

Region 2A at Altoona: Terrace Hills Golf Course

  1. Kuemper Catholic – 346 (Qualifier)
  2. Roland-Story – 430 (Qualifier – won tiebreaker)
  3. PCM – 430
  4. East Marshall – 470
  5. Bondurant-Farrar – 470
  6. Colo-NESCO/CMB – 479
  7. Gilbert – 480
  8. Chariton – 496

Individual Qualifiers:

  • Morgan Naberhaus, Kuemper Catholic – 79
  • Micaela Boyce, Kuemper Catholic – 86
  • Cassidy Van Veen, PCM – 87
  • Brooke Kroeger, Kuemper Catholic – 90
  • Mara Masching, Kuemper Catholic – 91

Region 2B at Atlantic: Atlantic Golf and Country Club

  1. Atlantic – 365 (Qualifier)
  2. Clarinda – 399 (Qualifier)
  3. Shenandoah – 414
  4. North Polk – 437
  5. Red Oak – 471

Individual Qualifiers:

  • Brooke Fletcher, Atlantic – 78
  • Brooke Newell, Atlantic – 87
  • Bailey Walter, Atlantic – 95
  • Emily Wagner, West Central Valley – 98
  • Grace Davidson, Clarinda – 99
  • Samantha Swanson, Clarinda – 99

Class 2-A:

Region 1B at Lake City: Lake City Country Club

  1. Audubon – 387 (Qualifier)
  2. West Monona – 393 (Qualifier)
  3. Ogden – 410
  4. Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto – 433
  5. South Central Calhoun – 443
  6. Woodward-Granger – 468
  7. IKM-Manning – 478
  8. Madrid – 583

Individual Qualifiers:

  • Susie Bylund, Audubon – 82
  • Faith Fliflet, Audubon – 85
  • Emily Rinehart, Odgen – 90
  • Samantha Knight, West Monona – 94
  • Shayla Murray, West Monona – 96

Region 2A at Neola: Quail Run Country Club

  1. Treynor – 346 (Qualifier)
  2. Southwest Valley – 370 (Qualifier)
  3. Tri-Center – 398
  4. A-H-S-T – 404
  5. Underwood – 414
  6. Southwest Iowa – 434
  7. St. Albert – 486
  8. Nodaway Valley – 531
  9. Riverside – 542

Individual Qualifiers:

  • Ellen Johnson, Riverside – 80
  • Gracie Meyers, Treynor – 81
  • Ashley Bailey, Treynor – 85
  • Aly Anderson, Treynor – 85
  • Kelsey Kinman, Southwest Valley – 88
  • Sabrina Hernandez, Southwest Iowa – 88

Class 1-A:

Region 2-A at Dunlap: Dunlap Golf Course

  1. Boyer Valley – 464 (Qualifier)
  2. Griswold – 523 (Qualifier)
  3. Woodbine – 526
  4. Charter Oak-Ute – 529

Individual Qualifiers:

  • Katie Cogdill, Boyer Valley – 106
  • Miranda Scroggie, Nishnabotna – 107
  • Courtney Schinz, Woodbine – 111
  • Katie O’Day, Boyer Valley – 112
  • Nickole Schwartz, Nishnabotna – 116

Region 2B at Mt. Ayr: Mt. Ayr Golf and Country Club

  1. Guthrie Center – 433 (Qualifier)
  2. Earlham – 477 (Qualifier)
  3. Southeast Warren – 516
  4. Lenox – 532

Individual Qualifiers:

  • Maria Ahrens, Guthrie Center – 96
  • Tessa Shields, Mt. Ayr – 96
  • Mallory Olson, Guthrie Center – 100
  • Brooklyn Wendt, CAM – 102
  • Taylor Louk, Guthrie Center – 102

Region 2C at Burnside: Dayton Golf and Country Club

  1. Newell-Fonda – 439 (Qualifier)
  2. Southeast Webster-Grand – 476 (Qualifier)
  3. Laurens-Marathon – 480
  4. Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton – 511
  5. Storm Lake St. Marys – 514
  6. Glidden-Ralston – 525
  7. Coon Rapids-Bayard – 560

Individual Qualifiers:

  • Jade Hess, Newell-Fonda – 100
  • Kennedy Gallentine, Southeast Webster-Grand – 100
  • Abby Christensen, Newell-Fonda – 110
  • Rachel Potter, Laurens-Marathon – 113
  • Claudia Larsen, Newell-Fonda – 114
  • Sage Michalski, Southeast Webster-Grand – 114

Iowa St golf teams finally reach NCAA tournament

Sports

May 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State men’s golf team used to be an afterthought. Snapping a 61-year NCAA tournament drought should finally have college golf fans talking about the Cyclones. Fourth-year coach Andrew Tank and the Iowa State men’s team are headed to the NCAA tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, later this week for the first time since 1953.

Although the NCAA doesn’t keep track of such statistics, it’s believed to be the longest drought between NCAA appearances in the history of men’s golf. They’ve been joined by the Iowa State women, who’ll tee off in the NCAA tournament for the first time in Tulsa on Tuesday.

USDA reports 84 percent of Iowa corn crop planted

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa farmers have planted a higher percentage of the corn crop than last year but remain behind the five-year average. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday that 84 percent of the corn crop had been planted as of Sunday. That’s more than the 63 percent of the crop planted at this time last year but a little behind the five-year average of 88 percent.

The USDA says 40 percent of the soybean crop has been planted. That’s 10 percentage points behind average. The report showed that 78 percent of topsoil moisture was adequate and 12 percent had surplus water. Of the remaining, 9 percent was short of moisture and 1 percent was very short. The USDA says 62 percent of subsoil moisture was adequate.

Walnut man arrested on A-PD warrant

News

May 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A Pottawattamie County man was arrested Friday by deputies in Cass County. Officials say 24-year old Randy Travis Arbuckle, of Walnut, was wanted on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Harassment in the 1st Degree. Arbuckle was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $2000 bond.

Accident in Cass County causes nearly $20k damage

News

May 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

An accident that happened Friday in northern Cass County caused nearly $20,000 damage, but no one was injured. The Sheriff’s Office says the crash involving a 1999 Chevy Silverado pickup and a 2013 Toyota, happened at the intersection of Boston Road and 650th Street.

Officials say the pickup, driven by 19-year old Dustin Owen Ferguson, of Brayton, attempted to cross 650th Street on Boston Road, when it was hit by the southbound Toyota,  driven by 73-year old M. Elaine Cook, of Rhinelander, WI. Deputies cited Ferguson for Failure to Yield.

Chiefs sign offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb

Sports

May 19th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs have signed former Vikings and Bears offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb and three undrafted free agents as they prepare for the start of organized team activities next week. Webb started 45 of the 54 games he’s played in over four seasons in the NFL. He has played both tackle positions and should compete for one of the backup jobs in Kansas City after starting left tackle Branden Albert departed in free agency.

The Chiefs also signed James Baker, a fullback out of Idaho; Ben Gottschalk, a center from SMU; and Cairo Santos, a kicker out of Tulane. The Chiefs begin a three-day rookie minicamp Saturday. Full-squad OTAs begin May 27.

The team announced the moves Monday.