More area and State news from KJAN News Director, Ric Hanson.
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More area and State news from KJAN News Director, Ric Hanson.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs hired Steve Spagnuolo as their defensive coordinator Thursday, moving swiftly to replace Bob Sutton after his unit’s dismal performance against the Patriots in the AFC title game.
Spagnuolo began his coaching career as Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s assistant in Philadelphia, where he worked with several position groups over the course of eight seasons. He left to become the Giants’ defensive coordinator, and has held similar roles with the Saints and Ravens.
He’s best known for his two stints as head coach, though. Spagnuolo went 10-38 over three seasons with the St. Louis Rams and 1-3 as the Giants’ interim coach during the 2017 season.
“Steve is a bright defensive mind with a lot of coaching experience and success in our league,” Reid said in a statement. “I know him well from our time together in Philadelphia and I feel that his leadership skills and teaching abilities, combined with his scheme, will be a great fit for our team.”
Spagnuolo, who spent last season out of coaching, has primarily run a 4-3 defense, which would be a change from the 3-4 scheme that Sutton had run. But the Chiefs drafted last season as if they planned to move forward with two defensive tackles and two defensive ends, so the adjustment should not be a big one for a defense that returns many of its key pieces.
One big change will be the mentality of the defense.
Sutton orchestrated a bend-but-don’t-break approach to defense, while Spagnuolo — who learned under defensive mastermind Jim Johnson — prefers an aggressive, blitz-oriented approach. But he’s also been willing to adapt, running variations of his defensive scheme with the Giants.
Sutton was fired Tuesday, two days after his defense collapsed in the fourth quarter and overtime in a 37-31 loss to New England. The Chiefs failed to stop the Patriots in OT, meaning star quarterback Patrick Mahomes never got an opportunity to step on the field.
That was likely the final straw for Sutton, whose defenses regularly ranked among the worst in the NFL the past few seasons. The Chiefs were particularly bad against the run this season, and they allowed at least 29 points in each of their five losses this season.
Spagnuolo doesn’t come without some concerns, either.
While his Giants defenses finished in the top 10 three times, two of his last three units were last and second-to-last in yards allowed. And while the Eagles were regularly stout with Johnson as the coordinator and Spagnuolo in various roles, his Saints defense in 2012 allowed more yards than any other in history and Spagnuolo was ultimately fired after the season.
Now, the attention in Kansas City turns to Spagnuolo’s personnel.
Pass rusher Dee Ford is ready to hit free agency, though it’s becoming increasingly likely that he will be franchised. Defensive end Allen Bailey is also a free agent, while defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback Kendall Fuller are likely candidates for contract extensions.
Longtime safety Eric Berry has been beset by injuries the past few years, and he is set to take up $16.5 million of the salary cap next season, while linebacker Justin Houston carries a cap hit of $21.1 million next season. The Chiefs could cut both over the summer and free up substantial space, or they could attempt to restructure their deals for a more manageable number.
The Chiefs will be looking to plug holes just about everywhere on defense, but particularly at cornerback and middle linebacker. They are projected to have about $32 million in salary cap space and will have one first-round pick and two second-rounders in the upcoming draft.
Jim Field speaks with Atlantic Schools Superintendent Steve Barber about the Atlantic School Bond Proposal for facility upgrades.
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The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Chris Parks.
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The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson
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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Briar Cliff University in Sioux City has announced a $2 million gift from the Sisters of St. Francis. The money will be used to establish an endowed chair in theology and support Briar Cliff in the recruitment and retention of faculty. The private college was founded in 1929 by a Roman Catholic Franciscan nun from the order in Dubuque. Briar Cliff’s current enrollment is around 1,200 students.
Atlantic/CAM vs. St. Albert
Atlantic/CAM 84, St. Albert 0
AHSTW vs Tri-Center
AHSTW 66, Tri-Center 16
Denison-Schleswig, Glenwood at Kuemper Catholic
Glenwood 63, Denison-Schleswig 3
Glenwood 51, Kuemper Catholic 27
Kuemper Catholic 59, Denison-Schleswig 15
Audubon, Riverside, West Monona at Logan-Magnolia
Logan-Magnolia 66, Audubon 15
Logan-Magnolia 49, Riverside 24
Logan-Magnolia 71, West Monona-Whiting 10
Riverside 48, Audubon 28
Riverside 46, West Monona-Whiting 33
West Monona-Whiting 36, Audubon 24
Missouri Valley/MVAOCOU/West Harrison
Missouri Valley 69, MVAOCOU 12
Missouri Valley 76, West Harrison 6
Griswold, West Harrison at Treynor PPD
(Radio Iowa) — Clinton firefighter Adam Cain, who was critically injured battling a blaze earlier this month, is being released from the hospital today (Friday). A news release from Clinton City Hall says Cain has met with his surgery team, trauma team and physical therapy team. All have agreed that Cain has done amazingly well in his healing process. They have decided he can be discharged and cleared to go home with follow-up outpatient therapy.
While fighting the fire at the city’s A-D-M plant on January 5th, Clinton Fire Lieutenant Eric Hosette was killed. The incident is still under investigation. Cain is 23. Hosette was 33.
Non-profit organizations in Cass and Audubon Counties are being reminded that applications for funds from the separate Cass and Audubon County Community Foundations are due in about a week. In each county, approximately $115,000 in grant funds are available for nonprofit organizations that submit their respective county applications by no later than Feb. 1st. Only organizations providing charitable services in Cass County or Audubon County are eligible, in each respective county, only. They must be able to demonstrate broad community/county support, and be an IRS approved 501(c)(3) Public Charity or hosted by a fiscal sponsor. Requests for general operational funds will not be considered.
Detailed application procedures, fact sheets, and a link to the application form can be obtained online at http://omahafoundation.org/swiowa. Applications will only be accepted through the online system.
Contact any Cass or Audubon County Community Foundation board member in your respective county, for additional information. You may contact Stacey Goodman at 800-794-3458 or stacey@omahafoundation.org, or Denise Cardos at denise@omahafoundation.org, with grant application-specific questions. All completed applications will be considered at the March board meeting with notification of results in early April.
Board members of the Audubon County Community Foundation are Chair, Genelle Deist of Audubon; Vice Chair, Joel Hoegh of rural Brayton; Secretary/Treasurer, Barbara Johnson of Audubon; Bob Blomme of Audubon; Shelley Burr of Audubon; Steven B. Hansen of Audubon; and Joseph T. Rasmussen of Exira. Board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are Chair, Nicholas Hunt of rural Atlantic; Vice Chair, Gary Maas of Anita; Secretary/Treasurer, Roland K. Landsness, Esq. of Atlantic; Royal Bierbaum of Griswold; John Curry of Massena; and Mark D. Kyhnn, CPA of Atlantic.
The Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO), in conjunction with the Cities of Walnut and Griswold, is holding housing assessment meetings in the coming weeks. In Walnut, the housing assessment meeting will be held 6-p.m. Thursday, January 31st, at the Walnut Community Building. In Griswold, the meeting takes place 6-p.m. Thursday, February 7th, at the Griswold Community Building.
The purpose of each meeting is to gather public input on the current condition of the housing stock in each city; to address the rehabilitation of current housing, development of new housing, and affordability of housing. This will also include setting goals to improve/maintain the housing conditions within the city and what avenues the city may explore to reach these goals. The information obtained will be added to other data to formulate a formal written housing assessment for the city and as part of the public participation requirement of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application the city is applying for in April 2019. The meeting will conclude with asking all participants, if they have not done so already, to fill out a housing survey and CDBG Pre-Application.
SWIPCO Lead Planner Alexsis Fleener says “Public participation is a critical component of the housing assessment and application process. In addition, the meeting gives residents an opportunity to be involved in the future of their city. Housing has been identified to be a major contributing factor to the growth or decline of our towns. A housing assessment is a pro-active approach to address those factors that could be detrimental and set clear goals for how to continue to thrive and grow.”
The CDBG owner-occupied housing repair program the city is applying for seeks to bring homes up to Iowa Minimum Housing Rehabilitation Standards. Items repaired may include furnaces, water heaters, windows, doors, roofing, siding, foundation, etc. up to $24,999. If anyone would like more information on the Housing Assessment meeting, plan, or CDBG application please contact Alexsis Fleener at 866-279-4720.