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Winter Storm Continues to Impact Iowa’s Roadways

News, Weather

March 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa – March 11, 2013; 5 a.m. update – The slow-moving winter storm will continue to impact roadways in portions of Iowa through this morning. The Iowa Department of Transportation’s WeatherView system is presently reporting north-northwest winds of 16 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Snow is also continuing to fall along a line from Council Bluffs through Boone, Mason City and to the Minnesota state line.

A winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service remains in effect in until 7 a.m. For much of central and north central Iowa; a winter weather advisory remains in effect for Iowa. North-northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts near 45 mph are expected to cause blowing snow, reducing visibility to less than one-half mile at times.

Iowa’s 511 system is presently reporting that roadways in the Correctionville, Denison and Ida Grove areas are impassible. Roads in western and northeast Iowa are partially to completely covered snow covered. Travel remains hazardous along Interstates 29 and 80 in western Iowa, and also east of Mason City and north of Waterloo.

Unsafe conditions for snowplow operators in keeping roadways open caused the many of Iowa DOT’s maintenance garages to suspend operations across the state. Operations in these areas are scheduled to resume as day light appears and as the wind conditions lessen.

Motorists should exercise extreme caution during the morning commute and while otherwise traveling this morning. Remember, “Don’t Crowd the Plow,” and make sure to carry appropriate winter survival items in your vehicle.

For Iowa road condition information, visit http://www.511ia.org/; call 511 in Iowa or 800-288-1047 nationwide; or visit Twitter @iowadot or @statewideia511. Use the hashtag #iatraffic when tweeting about this winter storm.

Posted in News, Weather |

NWS Forecast for Cass & area Counties in Iowa: Mon., March 11 2013

Weather

March 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Early This Morning: Light snow. Breezy…colder. New snow accumulation up to 1 inch. Total snow accumulation 3 to 7 inches. Northwest wind 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow near 100 percent.
Today: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. High in the upper 20s. Northwest wind 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Isolated light snow showers in the evening. Low in the lower 20s. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of snow 20 percent.

Tuesday: Partly sunny. Isolated light snow showers in the afternoon. Breezy. High in the mid 30s. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 35 mph. Chance of snow 20 percent.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear. Low around 15. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 25 mph through midnight.

Wednesday: Partly sunny. High in the upper 30s. Northwest wind around 5 mph shifting to the southwest up to 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night And Thursday: Partly cloudy. Not as cool. Low in the upper 20s. High in the upper 40s.

Thursday Night Through Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Low in the mid 30s. High in the lower 50s.

Posted in Weather |

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast: Mon., March 11th 2013

Podcasts, Weather

March 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Freese-Notis (podcast) forecast for Atlantic and the KJAN listening area, and weather data for Atlantic…..

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1.1MB)

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Posted in Podcasts, Weather |

Atlantic City Council to hold special session Wednesday

News

March 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic City Council will hold a special session this Wednesday evening, March 13th. The meeting takes place in the Atlantic Senior Center, beginning at 5:30-p.m.  During the session, the Council will act on a resolution awarding a contract to Dostals Construction Company, of Gretna, NE, for reconstruction of the tennis courts at Sunnyside Park. Dostal’s low bid for the project was $259,000.

The Council will also hold a public hearing and act on a Resolution pertaining to adoption of the Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Budget. The budget amounts to slightly more than $9.43-million dollars, which is down $3.71-million, or 28.2-percent, from the FY 2013 revised estimate of $13.1-million.The proposed budget will require a 48-cent increase per $1,000 of taxable valuation, or just under 2.5-percent. The proposed estimated total tax levy on regular property would be $17.68 per thousand, while the rate on agricultural land would be $3.00 per thousand.

City Administrator Doug Harris attributes the increase to the City’s Debt Service costs. Harris says the budget is relatively flat when adjustments are made for such items as the completion of the wastewater treatment plant improvements and a County Communications grant that was hosted by the fire department.

The Council will also act on approving a Resolution authorizing the use of a preliminary official statement in connection with the sale of General Obligation Corporate Purpose Bonds, series 2013-A, as it pertains to the hearing and pre-levy action taken by the Council on February 20th. Doug Harris is working with the City’s bonding agent to put together the required financial information prior to Wednesday’s meeting. The planned par amount of the bond issue remains at $2.72-million.

Assuming the Council approves the official statement during its meeting Wednesday, the next step is for them to consider on March 20th, a Bond Purchase Agreement, to lock in interest rates.

Posted in News |

Prins’ 32 help Iowa St. women beat Oklahoma 79-60

Sports

March 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

DALLAS (AP) – Anna Prins scored a career-high 32 points and Iowa State advanced to its first Big 12 tournament championship game in six years, beating Oklahoma 79-60 on Sunday.  Chelsea Poppens, the other Iowa State senior starter, had 14 points and 10 rebounds in Dallas, Texas.

The Cyclones (23-7) trailed only once. After Joanna McFarland’s 3-pointer put Oklahoma up 10-7 less than 4 minutes into the game, Brynn Williamson’s 3-pointer opened a 17-0 run when five different Iowa State players scored.  McFarland and Morgan Hook had 12 points each for Oklahoma (22-10), which overcome a 22-point second-half deficit Saturday to beat West Virginia.

Iowa State, which kept a double-digit lead after that 6-minute spurt, plays No. 1 Baylor (31-1) tonight (Monday). The Cyclones were tournament champs in 2000 and 2001, and lost their last title game appearance to Oklahoma in 2007.

Posted in Sports |

Marcum, Mets shut out Cardinals 3-0

Sports

March 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) – Shaun Marcum and six Mets relievers combined on a three-hit shutout Sunday, propelling New York to a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.  Making his third start of the spring, Marcum allowed only one hit and didn’t walk anyone in 3 2-3 innings.  St. Louis starter Jamie Garcia was equally baffling to New York hitters. The left-hander threw five shutout innings, surrendering four hits and a walk.

The Mets scored in the eighth when Travis d’Arnaud drew a walk from Edward Mujica, moved up on a wild pitch and later came home on Jordany Valdespin’s single.  Jamie Hoffman hit a two-run double in the ninth.

Posted in Sports |

Cards manager Mike Matheny to have back surgery

Sports

March 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) – Cardinals manager Mike Matheny plans to leave the team after Sunday’s spring training game and return to St. Louis for surgery to repair a ruptured disk in his lower back.  Matheny expects to be back at spring training for Thursday’s game against Atlanta in Jupiter. The 42-year-old said early in spring training that the injury probably traces back to his days as a big league catcher from 1994-06.

The ruptured disk sends pain into his right leg, which became severe on Feb. 28 and caused him to skip the next day’s game against Houston at Kissimmee. An epidural injection on March 4 failed to relieve the pain.

Posted in Sports |

Winter Weather Advisory continues for Cass & Adair Counties

Weather

March 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

356 AM CDT MON MAR 11 2013

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT THIS MORNING…

* SHORT TERM TRENDS…LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE EARLY THIS MORNING…ENDING WELL BEFORE NOON.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WILL PERSIST THIS MORNING…RESULTING IN BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITY OF LESS THAN A MILE AT TIMES.

* IMPACTS…HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED EARLY THIS MORNING DUE TO BURSTS OF ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL REDUCING VISIBILITY AND MAKING ROADS SLICK IN SOME AREAS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITY…AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

Posted in Weather |

Winter Storm Warning continues until 7-am Monday for Guthrie County

Weather

March 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

GUTHRIE COUNTY 356 AM CDT MON MAR 11 2013

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT THIS MORNING…

* SHORT TERM TRENDS…BANDS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL CONTINUE EARLY THIS MORNING…ENDING BY LATE MORNING.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WILL PERSIST THIS MORNING… RESULTING IN BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITY OF LESS THAN A MILE AT TIMES.

* IMPACTS…HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED EARLY THIS MORNING DUE TO BURSTS OF ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL REDUCING VISIBILITY AND MAKING ROADS SLICK IN SOME AREAS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT… FOOD…AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

Posted in Weather |

Des Moines Register lays out the full RAGBRAI Route

News, Sports

March 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Des Moines Register, on Sunday, released more details on the 2013 RAGBRAI route, including those cities which the bicyclists will roll through, but not stay overnight. As mentioned earlier, the throngs of bicyclists begin Sunday, July 21st, by dipping their wheels in the Missouri River at Council Bluffs. From there, they will travel through the unincorporated town of Weston, and then on to Underwood, Neola, Minden, Shelby and Tennant. The first day’s leg of the journey ends with an overnight stay in Harlan.

When the bikers roll out Monday morning on their way to Perry, they’ll pass through Kimballton and Hamlin. Between Harlan and Kimballton, the bicyclists have a chance to make a swing through Elk Horn, as part of  “Karras Loop,” which takes them from Highway 44 down M-47 to County Road F-58 and back up to Highway 44.The Karras Loop was named for RAGBRAI Co-founder, John Karras.

Then it’s on to Guthrie Center, Springbrook State Park and Yale, before they roll into Dallas County. The journey ends on Saturday, July 27th, at the Mississippi River in Lee County, near Ft. Madison. The route is just under 407 miles long and the 15th flattest in RAGBRAI history.

Posted in News, Sports |