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Cardinals, C Molina reach 5-year, $75M deal

Sports

March 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a five-year, $75 million contract with four-time Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina. The team announced the details Thursday. The contract begins next year and will keep Molina in St. Louis through the 2017 season. There is a mutual, $15 million option for a sixth year. General manager John Mozeliak says the Cardinals consider Molina to be the best catcher in baseball. The 29-year-old Molina is a lifetime Cardinal and one of the best defensively at any position, winning a platinum glove last season in voting by fans. He also is coming off the best offensive season of his career. Molina batted .305 in 2011 with 14 home runs and 65 RBIs, and added 12 RBIs during the team’s World Series title run. He’s been durable, too, averaging 138 games the last three seasons.

Posted in Sports |

Iowa News Headlines: Fri., March 2nd 2012

News

March 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

AMES, Iowa (AP) — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says his department will lead an agricultural trade mission to China at the end of this month. Acting Agriculture Under Secretary Michael Scuse will lead the group to Chengdu and Shanghai, two of China’s largest cities, from March 23rd to the 28th. The former Iowa governor announced the trip in Ames yesterday.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — An Illinois man has turned himself in on Iowa charges in a fatal boat collision along the Mississippi River in Dubuque. Thirty-nine-year-old Kent Hoffman of Galena, Illinois arrived at the Dubuque County sheriff’s office yesterday. He faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter and operating a boat while intoxicated on September 1st. The driver of the other boat, 45-year-old James Sutton of Maquoketa (muh-KOH’-kih-tuh) was killed.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A 28-year-old Fort Dodge woman has been accused of stabbing her mother. The Messenger reports that Jennifer Dietz was arrested Wednesday after the attack on 61-year-old Joleen Dietz around 4 p.m. A Webster County jailer says Dietz remained in custody yesterday, pending $7,000 bail.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa City man has arrested for allegedly threatening attorneys in the Johnson County public defender’s office in Iowa City. Randy Chipman is charged with first-degree harassment. Police say he allegedly called the office on February 25th and left threatening voicemails for five attorneys. Police say the office has made arrangements to install a new security door.

Posted in News |

Nat’l. Weather Service Forecast for Cass & area Counties

Weather

March 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

348 AM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

TODAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW THROUGH MID MORNING…THEN MOSTLY SUNNY IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. BREEZY. LOW IN THE MID 20S. NORTHWEST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

SATURDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE MID 30S. NORTHWEST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 20S. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW IN THE MORNING…THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE LOWER 40S. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST AROUND 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 20 PERCENT.

SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW IN THE MID 20S. HIGH IN THE LOWER 50S.

Posted in Weather |

Drake knocks out Bradley 65-49

Sports

March 2nd, 2012 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rayvonte Rice scored 18 points and Ben Simons had 16 as Drake defeated Bradley 65-49 Thursday night in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. The seventh-seeded Bulldogs (17-14) advance to the quarterfinals on Friday when they’ll face No. 2 seed Creighton. Drake finished in a five-way tie for third place at 9-9 in the Missouri Valley — its second-highest finish in 26 years — but tiebreakers dropped the Bulldogs to the No. 7 seed. Walt Lemon scored 16 points and Dyricus Simms-Edwards had 14 for 10th-seeded Bradley (7-25), which shot 34 percent from the field and hit just 4 of 20 3-point attempts. Drake, which beat Bradley for the third time this season, dominated inside with a 40-22 advantage on points in the paint.

Posted in Sports |

Cass County Conservation offers Intro to Rainscaping/Native Landscaping Prgm.

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 1st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Conservation Board reports it is partnering with West Pottawattamie Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) and Iowa Western Community College (IWCC), to present Rainscaping Loess Soils. The free Intro to Rainscaping classes will be held at the IWCC Campus Centers in Council Bluffs Harlan, Atlantic, Clarinda and Shenandoah. The workshop in Atlantic will be held 5:30-p.m. March 27th. For other class dates and times and to register for the free classes go to http://www.iwcc.edu/ce/classes/GoGreen.asp

Rainscaping Loess Soils is a series of workshops to educate the public in what rainscaping is and how landowners can plan and install conservation best management practices in their sites landscape. Workshops will cover topics such as rain gardens, rain barrels, composting and soil quality restoration. The program is made possible thanks to a grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources – REAP Conservation Education Project.

 

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Omaha couple arrested on theft charges out of Harlan

News

March 1st, 2012 by admin

Authorities in Harlan said Thursday a man and woman from Omaha were arrested Wednesday (2/29) on theft charges following an incident at the “Do it Best” Hardware Store, in Harlan. According to the Harlan Police Department, 40-year-old Terry Cottonwood and 34-year-old Peggy Robitaille were taken into custody during a traffic stop as they attempted to leave town. Video security footage showed the pair allegedly taking items which had not been paid for, from the hardware store.  Cottonwood and Robitaille were charged with 4th degree theft, possession of stolen property, and ongoing criminal conduct.  Cottonwood was also charged with failure to have a valid drivers license and failure to have proof of insurance. That same day, 64-year-old Dennis Peters, of Harlan, was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.  Peters was taken to the Shelby County Jail.

Officials said also, 18-year old Brett Wilke, of Harlan, was arrested February 24th, on three counts of Ongoing Criminal Conducts,  three counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, and Prohibited Acts. The arrest was the result of an ongoing investigation. And, on Feb. 22nd, a complaint was filed in Shelby County District Court against 52-year old Kenny Carl, of Omaha, following a reported theft at the NAPA Store in Harlan. Carl faces a charge  of 5th Degree Theft. That same day, 18-year old Johana Torres, of Harlan, was arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order, and, a complaint was filed in court against 23-year old Theodore Behrens, of Harlan, who faces a similar charge.

Harlan Police report also, 43-year old Mark Boardman, of Portsmouth, was charged Feb. 19th, with 5 counts of identity theft, following an investigation into the theft from a residence in Harlan, and use of, a stolen credit card.

Posted in News |

Class 2-A Girls State Tournament Semi-Finals

Sports

March 1st, 2012 by Jim Field

Western Christian 62, OA-BCIG 54

Western Christian beat the defending champion and now has a chance to win a title of its own.

The fifth-ranked Wolfpack put together an 8-0 run late in the game to take the lead and toppled No. 1 OA-BCIG 62-54 in the Class 2A semifinals, ending the Falcons’ 52-game winning streak.

With the victory, Western Christian moves into the state championship game at 8 p.m., the first appearance in the basketball finals for a school long known for its outstanding volleyball teams.

Brooke Wolterstorff led the way with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Kim Kroeze added 13 points, including three key 3-point baskets in the second half. Alissa Pollema added eight points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals for Western Christian, which has no seniors in its starting lineup and is now 24-3.

OA-BCIG lost for the first time since the semifinals of the 2010 state tournament and finished 26-1. Morgan VanDerSloot led the Falcons with 22 points. Jessie Pauley, who’ll play at Northern Iowa next season, added 12 points and nine rebounds.

In a back-and-forth game, OA-BCIG built a six-point lead in the first half, fell behind by four in the third quarter, then rallied to pull ahead. Pauley’s two free throws gave the Falcons a 50-49 lead with 3:29 left before some clutch shooting at the line put the Wolfpack ahead to stay.

Pollema went 4-for-4 at the line, Kenzie VandeVegte sank two free throws and Kroeze fed Wolterstorff for a layup, sending Western Christian into a 57-50 lead with 1:43 to play.

Four straight free throws by VanDerSloot cut the lead to 57-54 with 1:13 remaining, but the Wolfpack hit five of eight free throws to wrap it up.

Western Christian finished 23 of 35 at the line and outrebounded OA-BCIG 41-33.

Pella Christian 60, IKM-Manning 49

Clutch shooting and solid defense down the stretch has put Pella Christian in the Class 2A state championship game.

Sparked by Paige Engbers’ 50-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer ending the third quarter, the 15th-ranked Eagles pulled away to beat No. 3 IKM-Manning 60-49 in semifinal action.

They’ll take on No. 5 Western Christian in the title game at 6 p.m. Friday, a rematch of a midseason game that Western won 74-72. Pella Christian has won 15 of 16 since then and is now 23-3.

Christina Nolte led three Pella Christian scorers in double figures with 14 points. Tayler Stursma added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Jasmin Schelhaas scored 10. Nolte went 4-for-6 from 3-point range and handed out three assists.

Tember Schechinger, Kaylee Blake and Kenzie Cast led IKM-Manning with nine points each and Liz Halbur scored eight. Schechinger, who’ll play at Northwest Missouri State next season, handed out six assists and blocked three shots. Blake led all rebounders with nine.

The Wolves, in the state tournament for the sixth time in eight years, finished the season 24-3.

Pella Christian rallied after falling behind 15-6 in the first quarter. A 14-0 run in the second quarter that included 3-pointers by Schelhaas and Cali Vink pulled the Eagles into the lead, but IKM-Manning came right back with three straight 3s to go up 26-22.

The Wolves led 26-24 at halftime and the game stayed close until Pella Christian made its move at the end.

Pella Christian was leading 44-42 when Engbers launched a desperation shot from just beyond half-court as the third quarter ended. The ball banked in, giving her team a 47-42 lead and momentum heading into the final quarter.

The Eagles started the fourth quarter with a 6-2 run and were in control the rest of the way, holding the Wolves to one field goal in the period.

Posted in Sports |

Boots to Heels Conference Scheduled for March 24th in Atlantic

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 1st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Women in Southwest Iowa are invited to a day of fun, learning and friendship during the sixth annual Boots to Heels Conference on Saturday, March 24th. The conference runs from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. The lineup of speakers scheduled for the one-day conference will focus on the interests of women living and working in rural Iowa.

The conference will start off with a keynote address on “Finding Happiness in the Craziness of Life” by Kathy Petersen. Kathy and her husband run a 5th generation farming operation near Storm Lake, Iowa. Kathy speaks and conducts training sessions all over the U-S through her company, Peopleworks, Inc. Throughout the day, conference participants will be able to select from twelve unique topics during four workshop sessions. Break-out topics include Home Organization, Farm Succession Planning, Wind Energy, Food Preservation, Interior Decorating and more.

Each presenter has a wealth of knowledge in their respective field and will provide practical tips based on first-hand experience. Conference attendees will be treated to snacks, a breakfast, lunch and  special dessert, served by locally-owned businesses. Lunchtime entertainment is being provided by the Patchwork Pals. In addition, there will be door prizes, time for conversation and networking.

Registration for the entire day, which includes a continental breakfast, lunch, dessert and materials, is just $30 if postmarked by March 16th. Registrations postmarked after that date are $35. A special “bring a friend” rate of $55 for two registrations is also available if postmarked by the 16th. Registration forms are available at local ISU Extension offices or may be printed off at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

See the schedule of events here: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/NR/rdonlyres/D1EEFECF-F465-45BD-8DC5-C852E153FA99/165430/WebFliertopost1.pdf

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

2011-2012 Western Iowa Conference Winter All-Conference Teams

Sports

March 1st, 2012 by Jim Field

WIC All-Conference Girls Basketball Team

1st Team:

  • Lacy Vokt (Audubon)
  • Courtney Cunard (Missouri Valley)
  • Carlee McKee (Missouri Valley)
  • Amy Lintner (Underwood)
  • Tracy Purdy (Treynor)
  • Courtney Kardell (AHST)

2nd Team:

  • Kaylee Grote (Tri-Center)
  • Emily Baatz (Tri-Center)
  • Jordyn Sindt (Griswold)
  • Chaley Rath (Treynor)
  • Molly Cunard (Missouri Valley)
  • Anna Hildebrand (Riverside)
  • Emily Nelsen (Audubon)

Honorable Mention:

  • Marissa Haubrich (Audubon)
  • Hailey Hellstrom (Missouri Valley)
  • Alex Snyder (Treynor)
  • Emily Vandivort (Underwood)
  • Brooke Hansen (Griswold)
  • Shelby Sullivan (Tri-Center)
  • Casey Peters (AHST)
  • Kyra Obermeier (Audubon)
  • Sheyenne Smith (Riverside)

WIC All-Conference Boys Basketball Team

1st Team:

  • Ricky Williams (Riverside)
  • Britton Barrier (Tri-Center)
  • Chris Zimmerman (Treynor)
  • Conner Meis (Treynor)
  • Devin Bates (Griswold)
  • Sean Blakely (Underwood)

2nd Team:

  • Cole Chapin (Treynor)
  • Jared Schoning (Griswold)
  • Austin Konsor (Underwood)
  • Deven Moore (Riverside)
  • Steven Humphrey (Missouri Valley)
  • Brady Ryan (Riverside)

Honorable Mention:

  • Bill Price (AHST)
  • Ean Patrick (Riverside)
  • Todd Schmidt (AHST)
  • John Gunderson (Riverside)
  • Cody Cunard (Missouri Valley)
  • Ryan Spiegel (Underwood)
  • Collin Fast (Griswold)
  • Kyle Ticer (Treynor)
  • Tyler Robinson (AHST)
  • Kody Stowell (Riverside)
  • Cameron Eckmann (Tri-Center)
  • Michael Bylund (Audubon)

WIC Winter All-Academic

Girls Basketball:

  • Katlyn Kay (AHST)
  • Cassandra Krummel (AHST)
  • Lauren Baylor (AHST)
  • Courtney Kardell (AHST)
  • Katelin Schroder (AHST)
  • Cora Shumate (AHST)
  • Dana Johnson (Audubon)
  • Courtney Cunard (Missouri Valley)
  • Janelle Smithson (Missouri Valley)
  • Carlee McKee (Missouri Valley)
  • Ashley Nelson (Missouri Valley)
  • Anna Hildebrand (Riverside)
  • Shayley Smith (Riverside)
  • Bianca Lopez (Riverside)
  • Elisabeth Seifert (Riverside)
  • Amy Lintner (Underwood)

Boys Basketball:

  • Todd Schmidt (AHST)
  • Drew Keller (Audubon)
  • Fabian Peilicke (Audubon)
  • Amos Weiland (Audubon)
  • Deven Moore (Riverside)
  • Chris Zimmerman (Treynor)
  • Ryan Messerschmidt (Tri-Center)
  • Nathan Miller (Tri-Center)
  • Collin Kunzman (Tri-Center)
  • Ben Sibert (Tri-Center)
  • Sean Blakely (Underwood)

Wrestling:

  • Cole Burns (Audubon)
  • John Jensen (Audubon)
  • Riley Jensen (Audubon)
  • Blair Kerkhoff (Audubon)
  • Cameron Mennenoh (Audubon)
  • Nate Stephens (Audubon)
  • Nick Carolus (Treynor)
  • Blake Gunderson (Underwood)

Posted in Sports |

Creston FSA Office on the cutting block

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 1st, 2012 by Ric Hanson

News that U-S Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack plans to approve the closing of 131 Farm Service Agency (FSA) Offices around the country within 90-days, including three in Iowa, does not sit well with western Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King. King said today (Thursday) that while he believes all government agencies should strive to become more efficient, the USDA and Secretary Vilsack have not taken into account the actual FSA workload in the affected counties, which includes Appanoose, Decatur and Union.

The criteria for office closures were based on the number of employees the offices had on the payroll in mid-December of 2011. Any office that had two or less employees and was 20 miles or less from another office has been slated for closure. Last year, when the proposal was developed, the Iowa FSA system was under a hiring freeze due to budget issues and therefore offices that had retiring employees experienced lower than normal staffing numbers.

King says “Historically we have had a tool to determine the workload in each county office based on the programs offered and the number of participants in those programs. I suspect an analysis of the workloads of these offices would justify keeping them open. It’s also important to note that the FSA offices in Iowa that are slated for closure by Secretary Vilsack are located in counties that have a large number of acres in CRP. Over several decades, this has led to a loss of population, a loss of farmers and shrinkage of our small towns. This proposal will only make things worse for small town and rural Iowa. Soon these counties will begin to see more and more acres come out of CRP. There’s no question they’ll be hurt by the lack of local FSA offices to help support revitalization of their land and communities.”

King called upon Secretary Vilsack to reconsider his decision.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |