Iowa City, Cedar Rapids buses give free rides to polls

October 28th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Buses in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids will offer free rides to people headed to the polls on Election Day. The cities issued releases saying leaders decided to offer the free rides on Nov. 6 to give as many voters access to the polls as possible. Rides will be free on the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids Transits all day, with no proof of voter registration or destination required.

Polls are open in the state from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Buses in Cedar Rapids stop running at 6:15 p.m., and at least one precinct — at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area — in Iowa City is not on the city’s bus route.
Residents are encouraged to find their polling place online before Election Day.

Posted in News |

Winning Powerball tickets sold in Redfield, IA & in Manhatten, NY

October 28th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The winning Powerball ticket sold in Iowa marks the largest lottery prize ever won in the state, even though the $688 million jackpot will be split with another winning ticket holder in New York. Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich said Sunday that even state lottery officials are stunned that one of the tickets was sold in the rural Iowa town of Redfield. Lottery officials encouraged the winner to consult a financial adviser before coming forward. Rich says anyone who recently played Powerball should double-check their tickets. The winning numbers in Saturday night’s drawing were 8, 12, 13, 19 and 27, and Powerball 4. Powerball winners have a year to claim the prize. Rich says the identity of the Iowa winner will be made public under Iowa law.

The winning Iowa ticket was sold at Casey’s convenience store in Redfield. A store clerk declined comment Sunday. Casey’s will receive $10,000 for selling the winning ticket. The other winning ticket was sold at West Harlem Deli in New York City. The co-owner of a Manhattan deli where someone purchased one of two jackpot-winning Powerball tickets says he likely sold the winning ticket but has no idea who won. Jose Espinosa and his father own the West Harlem Deli in New York City. The 41-year-old joked Sunday while helping customers that he knows he sold the winning ticket because he’s always working. But he says he has no idea who purchased the lucky ticket.

Posted in News |

Iowa conservation groups partner on nature area project

October 28th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Two Iowa conservation groups are working together to turn a 506-acre site into a natural area that will be transferred to the state to manage and allow for public use. The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and The Nature Conservancy in Iowa purchased the Green Hill Ranch just south of Council Bluffs in 2017, The Daily Nonpareil reported . The area is split between Pottawattamie and Mills counties and features hills, oak savanna and pockets of prairie. “There is a big demand for more natural land near Council Bluffs,” said Kristin Aschenbrenner, state director for The Nature Conservancy’s Iowa program.

The groups have raised about two-thirds of the $3 million needed to fund the project through grant funding and private donations. The area will serve as a haven for birdwatchers, hunters and hikers, said Joe McGovern, president of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. “You come off the highway and you don’t even see half the property. You climb up, and there’s an oak-lined ridge top. From there you can see Folsom Point and beyond Folsom Point, the skyscraper of Omaha,” said Graham McGaffin, Loess Hills project director for The Nature Conservancy. “You feel miles away from the highway and the metro.”

Ownership and management of the site will be transferred to the state Department of Natural Resources once fundraising is complete. Pottawattamie and Mills county conservation boards will also participate in the restoration efforts. Matt Dollison, Nishnabotna Wildlife Unit Biologist for the Iowa DNR, will oversee the restoration work.

Posted in News |

AP College Football Top 25 10/28/2018

October 28th, 2018 by admin

The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Oct. 27, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:

	Record	Pts	Prv
1. Alabama (60)	8-0	1500	1
2. Clemson	8-0	1433	2
3. Notre Dame	8-0	1374	3
4. LSU	7-1	1317	4
5. Michigan	7-1	1240	5
6. Georgia	7-1	1202	7
7. Oklahoma	7-1	1132	8
8. Ohio St.	7-1	1022	11
9. UCF	7-0	1014	10
10. Washington St.	7-1	938	14
11. Kentucky	7-1	905	12
12. West Virginia	6-1	891	13
13. Florida	6-2	734	9
14. Penn St.	6-2	733	17
15. Texas	6-2	719	6
16. Utah	6-2	593	23
17. Houston	7-1	403	–
18. Utah St.	7-1	340	–
19. Iowa	6-2	323	18
20. Fresno St.	7-1	261	–
21. Mississippi St.	5-3	204	–
22. Syracuse	6-2	192	–
23. Virginia	6-2	175	–
24. Boston College	6-2	169	–
25. Texas A&M	5-3	132	16

Others receiving votes: Washington 120, Northwestern 86, Georgia Southern 62, Michigan St. 51, Cincinnati 45, Iowa St. 42, South Florida 29, Stanford 26, Oklahoma St. 24, UAB 17, Oregon 13, Wisconsin 12, Auburn 7, San Diego St. 6, Army 6, NC State 5, California 2, Buffalo 1.

Posted in Sports |

REBA VANDERHART, 84, of Atlantic (Svcs. 11/3/18)

October 28th, 2018 by admin

REBA VANDERHART, 84, of Atlantic died Saturday, October 27th at Heritage House in Atlantic. Funeral services for REBA VANDERHART will be held 11-a.m. Saturday, Nov. 3rd, at Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic.

Visitation is open at the funeral home on Friday, Nov. 2nd, from 10-a.m. until the time of family visitation, which is from 6-until 8-p.m.; Online condolences may be left at www.RolandFuneralService.com.

Burial will be in the Atlantic Cemetery.

REBA VANDERHART is survived by:

Her daughters – Linda (John) Hartkopf, of Atlantic; Janice (Steve) Walrath, of Florence, KY; Carol (Floyd) Johnson, of Omaha; Alice (Mark) Jacobberger, of Colorado Springs, CO, and Martha (Mike) Gardner, of CO.

Her son – Harold (Melissa) Vanderhart, of Fort Calhoun, NE.

21 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Posted in Obituaries |

HELEN L. BEER, 86, of Panora (Svcs. 10/30/2018)

October 28th, 2018 by admin

HELEN L. BEER, 86, of Panora died Friday, October 26th at Panora Specialty Care in Panora. Funeral services for HELEN L. BEER will be held on Tuesday, October 30th at 1:00pm at Twigg Funeral Home in Panora.

Visitation will be held on Monday, October 29th from 5:00pm-7:00pm at Twigg Funeral Home in Panora.

Burial will be in the Union Cemetery in Guthrie Center.

HELEN L. BEER is survived by:

Husband: Robert Beer of Panora.

Daughter: Connie (Todd) Kirkpatrick of Plymouth.

Son: John (Tracy) Beer of Panora.

Brother: Jerry Foster of Normal, IL.

4 Grandchildren

5 Great-Grandchildren

Posted in Obituaries |

Emerson woman arrested in Red Oak early Sunday

October 28th, 2018 by admin

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of an Emerson woman early Sunday. At 2:09am Officers arrested 32-year-old Claire Ashly Thalken of Emerson in the 1600 block of North Broadway Street in Red Oak on a valid Mills County Warrant for Violation of Probation. She was taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on $2,500 bond awaiting extradition to Mills County.

Posted in News |

Skyscan Forecast Sunday 10/28/2018

October 28th, 2018 by admin

Skyscan Forecast Saturday, October 28, 2018 National Weather Service

Today: Sunny, with a high near 61. Windy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 36. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 66. Breezy, with a south wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 59. North wind 10 to 15 mph.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 55.

Posted in Weather |

No. 17 Penn State Escapes No. 18 Iowa 30-24 With Late Stands

October 27th, 2018 by admin

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Nick Scott intercepted a pass to thwart Iowa at the Penn State 2 with 3:18 left and the No. 17 Nittany Lions held on to avoid a third straight home loss with a 30-24 victory Saturday over the No. 18 Hawkeyes.

Penn State (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) needed one last defensive stand to hold off Iowa (6-2, 3-2), which got to the Nittany Lions 44 with less than a minute left.

On fourth-and-10 with 7 seconds left, Penn State’s pass rush swarmed Nate Stanley, who flipped backward to offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. The 300-pounder rumbled 15 yards before being dragged down with no time left.

It was a fitting end to an odd game with little sustained offense. Iowa scored on two safeties and a touchdown pass by punter Colten Rastetter to defensive tackle Sam Brincks on a faked field goal in the first half. Penn State played three series in the second quarter without starting quarterback Trace McSorley.

McSorley was sandwiched by two Hawkeyes defenders as he tried to scramble and stayed down, grabbing his right leg. The Beaver Stadium crowd fell silent as athletic trainers attended to the senior. He got up with assistance and had help to take a few steps before walking off on his own with a limp. The 6-foot, 202-pound McSorley has started 35 straight games for Penn State since the start of the 2016 season.

Tommy Stevens played the next two series at quarterback for Penn State, scoring on a 3-yard run that was set up by John Reid’s 41-yard interception return. Stevens led a short drive late in the first half to set up Jake Pinegar’s career-best 45-yard field goal to make it 17-all at the break. Pinegar bested that with a 49-yarder in the third quarter and made a 44-yard in the fourth after being 0 for 3 from 40 and beyond coming into the game.

McSorley began the second half and broke free for a 51-yard touchdown run to give Penn State its first lead, 24-17, with 12:10 left in the third quarter.

Penn State turnovers in the fourth quarter kept Iowa in the game, despite a poor day from Stanley, who was 18 for 49 for 205 yards and two interceptions.

Geno Stone intercepted McSorley’s pass and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown to make it 27-24 with 10 minutes left in the fourth.

Trailing 30-24, Iowa and Stanley converted two third-and-longs to get to first-and-goal at the 3 with 3:30 left. But Stanley’s next throw was a quick pass toward star tight end Noah Fant, who was not looking. Scott jumped up and made the interception.

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa: The Hawkeyes have lost three straight years to Penn State and five straight overall in the series, but they are still very much in contention to win the Big Ten West.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions had lost their last two home games, to Ohio State and Michigan State, by blowing fourth-quarter leads. By hanging on, they dodged their first three-game home skid since 2015.

NEXT UP

Iowa: The Hawkeyes go to Purdue.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions travel to No. 5 Michigan.

Posted in Sports |

Safety, Butler TD Push Iowa State Past Texas Tech 40-31

October 27th, 2018 by admin

AMES, Iowa (AP) — This used to be the time when Iowa State would start to fade — if it hadn’t already.

Coach Matt Campbell and the Cyclones finished their second straight October unbeaten, and they’re peaking heading into the sport’s most crucial month.

Texas Tech’s Alex Bowman was forced into a safety with 4:39 left, Hakeem Butler added a 48-yard TD catch from Brock Purdy just over two minutes later and Iowa State rallied to beat the Red Raiders 40-31 on Saturday.

Bowman’s two-point blunder was the break the Cyclones (4-3, 3-2 Big 12) needed to clinch their third straight win behind Purdy, their star freshman, after a 1-3 start.

“You work 10 months to get to November to be in it and to play meaningful games,” Campbell said. “We’ve worked really hard to shed that, you can’t do that here.”

With the game tied at 31, Bowman fumbled the snap, retrieved the ball and flung it away with his foot in the end zone as a hard-charging JaQuan Bailey approached. Bowman failed to get the ball back to the line of scrimmage though, putting Iowa State ahead 33-31.

“That’s not good enough. It’s on me,” Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “We’ve got to get better quick.”

Butler, who had four catches for 148 yards, then corralled a beautiful pass from an inconsistent Purdy to put a weird and wild game out of reach.

Purdy threw for 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns and David Montgomery added 125 yards rushing on 33 carries.

Bowman had 323 yards passing for Texas Tech (5-3, 3-2), but he also had three picks. Iowa State linebacker Marcel Spears had two of those interceptions, and he brought one back for a touchdown.

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa State: At times, the Cyclones looked more like the team that started 1-3 than the one on a winning streak. But Iowa State’s defense made a number of big plays, none bigger than its third safety in as many weeks. The Cyclones could be favored in four of their final five games — and the second spot in the Big 12 title game remains an unlikely but somehow realistic goal.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders blew a massive opportunity to take charge in the Big 12 standings with home games against Oklahoma and Texas. Tech wasted an early 10-0 lead, committed 10 penalties and rushed for just 30 yards. The Red Raiders have allowed a staggering 106 points in their last two trips to Ames.

UP NEXT

Iowa State plays as Kansas next Saturday.

Texas Tech hosts Oklahoma on Nov. 3.

Posted in Sports |

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