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Evansville defeats Drake 69-61 in MVC opener

Sports

March 7th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Egidijus Mockevicius tied a career-high with 19 points, had a career-best eight blocks and grabbed 10 rebounds as No. 9 seed Evansville defeated eighth-seeded Drake 69-61 in the opening round of the Missouri Valley tournament Thursday night. D.J. Balentine added 30 points for Evansville (14-18) which faces top-seeded Wichita State in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Jordan Daniels scored to give Drake a 21-19 lead with 8:10 to play in the first half. Evansville answered with a 14-0 run, including six points by Balentine, to take a 33-21 lead and the Purple Aces led the rest of the way. Daniels scored seven straight points and Daddy Ugbede made a layup to cap a 9-0 to pull Drake within six points, 58-52 with 8:49 remaining, but the Bulldogs did not get any closer. Richard Carter scored 26 points and Daniels finished with 11 to lead Drake (15-16).

Driver dies as truck hauling hamburger crashes

News

March 7th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

SALIX, Iowa (AP) — Authorities closed Interstate 29 in western Iowa after a truck veered off the freeway and caught fire. The Sioux City Journal reports the driver of the truck was found dead, but it’s possible he had a medical condition that led to the Thursday morning crash.

The Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office says the incident happened when the truck, which was hauling a trailer filled with hamburger, veered off I-29 near Salix, south of Sioux City. The truck crossed a shallow ditch, came to rest in trees and caught fire. Both southbound lanes of the freeway were closed while crews fought the fire. Traffic was routed into Salix. One lane was reopened several hours later.

Iowa early News headlines: Friday, March 7th 2014

News

March 7th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Legislative leaders say they agreed before the current session started to arrive at broad budget figures on which Republicans and Democrats could agree to prove that divided state government can work. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, a Democrat from Council Bluffs, said yesterday that record low public disapproval of Congress gave state leaders impetus to work together.

SALIX, Iowa (AP) — Authorities closed Interstate 29 in western Iowa after a truck veered off the freeway and caught fire. The Sioux City Journal reports the driver of the truck was found dead, but it’s possible he had a medical condition that led to the crash. The Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office says the incident happened Thursday when the truck, which was hauling a trailer filled with hamburger, veered off I-29 south of Sioux City.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A Dubuque man has been accused of trying to conspire with his teenage daughter to get his wife to take harmful pills. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports 55-year-old Michael Schoonover was arrested Tuesday morning. He faces a charge of solicitation to commit a felony.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Egidijus Mockevicius tied a career-high with 19 points, had a career-best eight blocks and grabbed 10 rebounds as Number 9 seed Evansville defeated eighth-seeded Drake 69-61 in the opening round of the Missouri Valley tournament last night. Richard Carter scored 26 points and Jordan Daniels finished with 11 to lead the Bulldogs in St. Louis.

Lawmakers want agreement soon on Iowa dog racing

News

March 6th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Legislative leaders are telling the greyhound racing industry and casinos that want to end dog racing to work out their differences soon. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, a Council Bluffs Democrat, says he’d like to see a deal that provides a “soft landing” for the greyhound industry that support the state’s two remaining dog tracks at casinos in Council Bluffs and Dubuque. Republican House Speaker Kraig Paulsen agrees.

The casinos, which provided $10 million last year to subsidize dog racing want the tracks to close. The greyhound industry says it employs 1,200 workers in Iowa and hopes to keep a track operating somewhere in Iowa.

A bill that has passed the committee level requires the casinos to pay the dog industry $70 million over six years to shut down racing.

Doolittle Sparks No. 23 Iowa Past Illinois 81-62

Sports

March 6th, 2014 by Jim Field

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bethany Doolittle scored a career-high 26 points, hitting 10 of 14 shots, as fifth-seeded and 23rd-ranked Iowa defeat Illinois 81-62 in the first round of the Big 10 tournament on Thursday.

Melissa Dixon added 15 points and Ally Disterhoft 14 with 12 rebounds for the Hawkeyes (24-7), who face No. 17 Purdue (21-7), the fourth seed, in the quarterfinals Friday.

Amber Moore had 26 points for the Illini (9-21), who have lost 11 straight). Ivory Crawford had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Iowa opened the game with an 11-2 run and after Illinois regrouped to take a 27-26 lead, the Hawkeyes closed the half with a 15-2 surge for a 41-29 lead.

Iowa shot 54 percent from the field, made 21 of 26 free throw and had a 45-31 rebounding edge to offset 24 turnovers. The Illini shot just 32 percent and got to the line 14 times, making 10.

Browns Agree to Terms with Kicker Cundiff

Sports

March 6th, 2014 by Jim Field

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kicker Billy Cundiff has agreed to terms on a contract extension with the Browns.

Cundiff was eligible to hit the free-agent market next week, but he’ll stay with the Browns. Terms of the deal announced Thursday were not immediately available.

After Phil Dawson left for San Francisco before last season, the Browns signed Cundiff, who made 21 of 26 field-goal attempts and made 32 extra points in 16 games. Cundiff also set a franchise record with 42 touchbacks.

Cundiff made the Pro Bowl with Baltimore in 2010. He kicked in five games for the Browns in 2009 and has also played for Dallas, New Orleans and Washington. He was in training camp with the New York Jets last summer before he was waived on Aug. 28.

He has converted 76 percent of his career field-goal attempts.

The former Drake University player is a Harlan alum.

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March 6th, 2014 by admin

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Branstad joins lawsuit opposed to chicken rules

Ag/Outdoor

March 6th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad says he has joined a lawsuit seeking to strike down a California law regulating the living conditions of chickens. Branstad announced Thursday he’d joined the lawsuit filed in February by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster. Attorneys general in Alabama, Kentucky, Nebraska and Oklahoma also have joined the lawsuit.

It seeks to block a California law taking effect in 2015 that prohibits eggs from being sold there if they come from hens raised in cages that don’t comply with California’s new size and space requirements. The voter-approved law requires that egg-laying hens, pigs and calves be given enough space to lie down, stand up, turn around and fully extend their limbs.

Iowa is the nation’s top egg producer. About 9 percent of those eggs are sold in California.

2 arrests in Cass County

News

March 6th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests this week. Authorities said Thursday that 44-year old Tammy Darleen Flathers, of Cumberland, was arrested Tuesday on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear to Serve Jail Time. Flathers was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was being held until the completion of her jail time.

And on Wednesday, 29-year old Ehren Michael Mardesen, of Anita, was arrested on a charge of Aggravated Domestic Abuse Assault. Mardesen was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on his own recognizance.

 

Lawmaker: Iowa bill would pay for child burials

News

March 6th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) – A Cedar Falls lawmaker is pushing for legislation that would help low-income families pay for child burials.  The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Democratic Rep. Bob Kressig’s bill would give qualifying individuals up to $2,000 for funeral expenses after the death of a child. The measure has been assigned to an appropriations subcommittee.

Kressig says the legislation was inspired by Sing Me to Heaven, a nonprofit group in northeast Iowa that raises money to help pay for such funerals. Group organizers say the cost of a funeral can range from $2,000 to $10,000 or more.

The bill would provide $100,000 to be administered through the state Department of Public Health. The amount is not expected to be used up within a year, and the funds would not necessarily be recurring.