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Iowa early News Headlines: Tue., Feb. 19th 2013

News

February 19th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines Democrat wants to require that school harassment policies address the issue of student bullying on social networking sites. Rep. Bruce Hunter introduced a bill yesterday that would update state guidelines for district bullying and harassment policies to include so-called cyberbullying. It also would require that all alleged incidents be reported to school administrators.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Anti-abortion advocates and lawmakers say changing state laws remains a challenge given the politically divided Legislature. Advocates held a rally in the state Capitol yesterday afternoon with Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and other abortion opponents. Branstad said life from the point of conception was a freedom granted by the founding fathers, while Reynolds said the anti-abortion movement supported women.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad says he will travel to Washington to meet with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to discuss extending a state health insurance program set to expire later this year. Branstad said yesterday that he would meet with Sebelius on Friday and discuss extending a federal waiver to continue the IowaCare program, which provides limited health care coverage for about 70,000 Iowans.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — The five final Blockbuster stores in Iowa will close this spring as part of a move to close hundreds of the video rental shops across the nation. The Gazette in Cedar Rapids reports that stores in Ankeny, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Iowa City and Muscatine will close in April, ending a 20-year presence in Iowa.

Posted in News |

JOHN D. “JACK” WAMBOLD, 87, of Stuart (Svcs. 2-20-2013)

Obituaries

February 18th, 2013 by admin

JOHN D. “JACK” WAMBOLD, 87, of Stuart died Sun., Feb., 17th at the Stuart Community Care Center. Funeral Mass for JACK WAMBOLD will be held at 10:00 AM Wed., Feb., 20th at All Saints Catholic Church in Stuart. Johnson Family Funeral Home is Stuart has the arrangements.

Visitation will be held from 6:00 to 7:30 PM Tues., Feb., 19th with a rosary being held at 7:30 PM, all at Johnson Family Funeral Home in Stuart.

Burial will be in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Stuart Community Care Center Foundation and may be sent in care of Johnson Family Funeral Home, PO Box 246, Stuart, IA 50250.

Online condolences may be left at www. johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com

Posted in Obituaries |

Some ammunition harder to find in Nebraska, Iowa

News, Sports

February 18th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Ammunition for certain guns is hard to find in Nebraska and Iowa because people worried about the possibility of tougher gun control are buying it up. Demand for ammunition and guns took off after the Dec. 14 shooting in Newtown, Conn., that took the lives of 20 schoolchildren and six adults. The shortages are apparent at gun shows and many stores. Dealers say .223-caliber ammunition used in semiautomatic rifles, 9mm bullets and even .22-caliber bullets seem to be in short supply.

Terry Edwards of Palmyra, Neb. says ammunition supplies were already tight before demand surged. At a gun show in Altoona, Iowa, dealer Kevin King says many customers are afraid they won’t be able to buy the amount they want in the future, so they’re stocking up now.

Posted in News, Sports |

ISU’s Okoro plays through family tragedy

Sports

February 18th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State freshman guard Kerwin Okoro got a brief respite from an extremely painful time when his basket capped an 87-53 victory over TCU on Saturday. It was the first action in two months for Okoro, who had just returned from his brother Idiongo’s funeral in New York. Idiongo died earlier this month of colon cancer at just 28 years old, just two months after Okoro said his 72-year-old father, Stanislaus Okoro, died of a stroke. Kerwin Okoro says the reception he got from his teammates and Cyclones fans shows how much the program has become like a family to him.

Posted in Sports |

Winter Storm Watch issued for SW Iowa late Wednesday night

News, Weather

February 18th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

315 PM CST MON FEB 18 2013

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

…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

* TIMING…SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY. * MAIN IMPACT…SNOWFALL POTENTIAL OF 8 TO 12 INCHES IS INDICATED WITH EAST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH CAUSING SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING.

* OTHER IMPACTS…TRAVEL WILL BE DANGEROUS AND MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE IN SOME AREAS DUE TO SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

Posted in News, Weather |

MARY LOUISE HOWEY, 81, of Guthrie Center (Svcs. 2-20-2013)

Obituaries

February 18th, 2013 by admin

MARY LOUISE HOWEY, 81, of Guthrie Center died Sun., Feb., 17th at the Guthrie County Hospital. A funeral service for MARY LOUISE HOWEY will be held at 10:00 AM Wed., Feb., 20th at First Christian Church in Guthrie Center. Twigg Funeral Home in Guthrie Center is in charge of the arrangements.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 PM Tues., Feb., 19th at Twigg Funeral Home in Guthrie Center.

Place of interment will be Union Cemetery in Guthrie Center.

Posted in Obituaries |

GUY RICHARD BARTON, 80, of Exira (Svcs. Pending)

Obituaries

February 18th, 2013 by admin

GUY RICHARD BARTON, 80, of Exira died Mon., Feb., 18th at the Exira Care Center. Celebration of life memorial service for GUY RICHARD BARTON will be held at the Exira Christian Church at a later date. Kessler Funeral Home in Exira has the arrangements.

GUY RICHARD BARTON is survived by:

Wife, Ruth Barton of Exira

His children: Sheryl (Bill) Norman-Ryan of Pleasant Hill; Brenda Barton of Ames; and Paul Steven Barton of Chula Vista, CA.

Sister, Agnes Barton Atwood of Exira

His sister and brother-in-law, Trudy Crosby of Omaha, NE and Russell (Betty) Walker of Des Moines.

Eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

Posted in Obituaries |

BETTY JANE SHEPHERD, 87, of rural Stuart (Svcs. 2-23-2013)

Obituaries

February 18th, 2013 by admin

BETTY JANE SHEPHERD, 87, of rural Stuart died Sat., Feb., 16th at her home. A memorial service for BETTY JANE SHEPHERD will be held 1:30 PM Sat., Feb., 23rd at the Stuart Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church. Johnson Family Funeral Home in Stuart has the arrangements.

Visitation will be held on Fri., Feb., 22nd from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Johnson Family Funeral Home in Stuart.

Private family burial will be held at the Jefferson Center Cemetery in rural Stuart.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Stuart Rescue Unit, in care of, Johnson Family Funeral Home, PO Box 246, Stuart, IA 50250.

Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com

Posted in Obituaries |

Governor Says 9,000 Signed Online Olympic Petition

Sports

February 18th, 2013 by Jim Field

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad says 9,000 people have signed an online petition aimed at keeping wrestling in the Olympics.

Branstad launched the petition drive last week at the state high school wrestling tournament after the International Olympic Committee decided to remove the sport from the Olympic Games in 2020.

The governor gave the newest count of online petitioners from the Let’s Keep Wrestling campaign website at a news conference Monday.

The move to end wrestling at the Olympics surprised many because the sport had been part of the Olympics for more than a century.

Posted in Sports |

Special Weather Statement: SW IA Counties

Weather

February 18th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

COUNTIES: PAGE -SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS HARRISON- MONTGOMERY-FREMONT
1107 AM CST MON FEB 18 2013

A BAND OF SNOW SHOWERS…POSSIBLY MIXED WITH A LITTLE RAIN…WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH EASTWARD ACROSS SOUTHWEST IOWA AND PARTS OF SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. VISIBILITIES MAY BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN HALF A MILE AT TIMES WITH SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD MAINLY BE LESS THAN AN INCH.

Posted in Weather |