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With 7 NCAA teams, Big 12 can validate status as best league

Sports

March 17th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

UNDATED (AP) – The Big 12 again has seven teams in the NCAA Tournament. Regular-season champion Kansas is a No. 2 seed, and the No. 3 seeds in three of the four regions are from the Big 12 – tournament champion Iowa State, Oklahoma and Baylor. The league also has the nation’s top cumulative RPI and five top-20 teams in this season’s final AP poll. “We’re arguably the best conference in the country,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said Monday. “Still, we need to validate that with some tournament wins and some teams advancing.”

This is the second year in a row with seven NCAA teams, making the Big 12 the only league that can boast 14 bids in that span. But only Baylor and Iowa State made it past the opening weekend of the tournament last March, then both lost in the Sweet 16.

Lackey outduels Price in first spring training start

Sports

March 17th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) – John Lackey pitched three perfect innings in his spring training debut, outpitching David Price in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 2-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Monday.
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny let the 36-year-old Lackey set his own pace during camp and it has paid off. The right-hander struck out four and needed only 37 pitches.

In his third outing of the spring, David Price was nearly as efficient as Lackey, throwing four scoreless innings of one hit ball while striking out five and walking one. Yoenis Cespedes returned to the Tigers lineup after missing a couple games with a quadriceps injury, and showed little sign of rust. He sent a pitch from Lackey to the right field warning track in the second inning and doubled off Carlos Villanueva in the fifth. Pete Kozma had an RBI single.

Iowa early News Headlines: Tue., March 17th 2015

News

March 17th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Federal officials say the former director of Iowa’s workforce agency created a “perceived pressure” to favor employers over workers in unemployment benefits decisions. The U.S. Department of Labor made the assessment about Teresa Wahlert in a recent letter to Beth Townsend, the new director of the Iowa Workforce Development. The letter makes recommendations, including that the position of a chief administrative law judge be merit based. That protects certain state workers from being fired for political reasons.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – A woman has died in a hospital after a fire damaged her home in Davenport. The fire was reported shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday. Authorities say the fire started in a kitchen. The cause is being investigated. The woman, who officials have identified as 34-yer-old Stephanie Ford, was alone in the home when the fire broke out.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A plan for Iowa to hire an outside contractor to vet some Medicaid recipients is under review in the Iowa Senate. The proposal would require the state to contract with an outside vendor to set up a computerized system that would assess whether people who are elderly, blind or disabled meet Medicaid eligibility rules. This would apply to about 78,800 people currently on Medicaid, out of about 550,000 in the program in Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Federal prosecutors say a former Des Moines police officer who was sentenced to less than two years in prison for severely beating a man during a 2012 traffic stop should be locked away for up to 14 years. Merced Dautovic was convicted of using excessive force and obstructing justice in 2012. Federal Judge John Jarvey sentenced him to less than two years and he was released in January 2014.

Atlantic School Board passes budget, but rejects Non-Cert. Employee agreement

News

March 16th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education Monday night held a public hearing with regard to the district’s proposed 2015-16 Certified Budget. Hearing no comments for or against the proposal, the budget was approved. The Fiscal Year 2016 Budget, which amounts to $6,512,112, is $226,089 more than last year’s (FY2015) budget (of $6,286,023). The school district’s levy will increase from $14.91-per thousand dollars valuation in FY2015 to $15.22-per thousand, for FY 2016.

The Board however by unanimous vote declined to ratify the Non-Certified Employees 2015-16 tentative contract agreement, thereby sending the matter to mediation, then arbitration, if necessary beyond that. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said the negotiations went fairly fast this year. The tentative agreement they had reached was for part-time employees to receive time-off with pay for the holidays, which only affected two employees. They also granted an hourly increase of 47-cents, which would cost the district $87, 584.

Amstein said that factored in a state supplemental aid increase from 2 to 2.5-percent. Board member Phil Hascall said “He struggled with” the 3.28-percent increase, and other board members agreed. Hascall said “I really think that we should have done maybe a better job of trying to settle for half of that. It’s tough for me to vote for something like that when we’re going to get two and a half percent [from the Legislature] as a district. I wish our bargainer would have done a little better job than that…somebody that can take the heat rather than you [Amstein] or the board…and hold the line.”

Hascall said it’s not that he doesn’t think people don’t deserve a raise, but in his business and elsewhere, it’s hard to justify a nearly three-percent raise. “It’s sends a message to the rest of the employees who haven’t [yet] settled.” Board member Rod Hartwig said the amount was “A little higher than I thought it would be,” and Hascall said he didn’t want to vote for something that might result in the elimination of the para-educators.

In his report to the Board, Superintendent Amstein said the legislature’s failure to act on State Supplemental Aid continues to frustrate administrators such as himself. He said it’s been over the month since the deadline has past under Iowa Code for the amount of aid to be set. Amstein said in talking with Superintendents in other districts, he isn’t optimist they’ll have the final number by April. That he says is sad, because “It holds districts hostage in trying to create budgets, when you don’t know what amount it going to be available for school funding.”

The legislature’s inaction on Early Start Waivers has also impacted districts. Atlantic has created two calendars, one with an August 31st date, and one for August 24th. If they don’t hear anything from the legislature by mid-April, Amstein said the district will have to act on its own accord.

GRACE BOOS, 91, of Cumberland (Graveside Svcs. 3/20/15)

Obituaries

March 16th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

GRACE BOOS, 91, of Cumberland, died Mon. March 16th, at the Adair County Memorial Hospital in Greenfield. Graveside services for GRACE BOOS will be held 10-a.m. Fri., March 20th, at the Massena Center Cemetery, north of Massena. Steen Funeral Home in Massena has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the Steen Funeral Home in Massena on Thursday, March 19th from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; The family will greet friends on Thursday evening at
the Steen Funeral Home in Massena from 6 to 8 p.m.

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.steenfunerals.com.

Memorials may be directed to the Grace Boos memorial fund to be established by the family at a later date.

GRACE BOOS is survived by:

Her husband – Virgil Boos of Cumberland

Her son – Ron Boos of Massena

Her daughter – Julie Stender and husband Kent of Massena.

Her brother – Lewis Chapman, of Wiota

Her sisters – Betty Chapman, of Massena, and Mary Chapman, of Red Oak.

6 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; her sister-in-law, Lela Boos of Atlantic; other relatives and friends.

ROMONA LEE REED, 86, of Cumming , GA & formerly of Griswold (Svcs. 3/19/15)

Obituaries

March 16th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

ROMONA LEE REED, 86, of Cumming , GA (& formerly of Griswold), died Thu., March 12th, at the Chestnut Ridge Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, in Cumming, GA. Funeral services for ROMONA REED will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2015 at 10:30 AM at the Elliott Church of Christ in Elliott. Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold has the arrangements.

Visitation with the family will be on Wednesday evening from 5-7 PM at the Duhn Funeral Home.

Interment will be at the Evergreen Cemetery in Red Oak.

ROMONA REED is survived by:

Her children- Stephanie Chandler and husband Ken of Alpharetta, GA and Chuck Reed and wife Rose of Albuquerque, NM.

Her sister – Helen Crawley and husband Gene of Brush, CO.

1 grandchild,  other relatives and friends.

Emergency officials contain large grass fire in western Iowa

News

March 16th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

HONEY CREEK, Iowa (AP) – Officials say a large grass fire in western Iowa caused by what was meant to be a controlled burn has been contained. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports  that three area fire departments responded at about 12:15 p.m. Monday to the fire in northwestern Pottawattamie County. Emergency crews contained the fire within an hour.

Deputy Crescent Fire Chief says dry and windy conditions contributed to the fire. No injuries have been reported. The National Weather Service had issued a red flag warning to western Iowa and parts of central Iowa, that was in effect until 7 p.m. The warning indicated dry conditions and low humidity that can lead to flames that spread more quickly than usual.

Des Moines water supplier files lawsuit over nitrates

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 16th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Des Moines Water Works has filed a lawsuit against three northern Iowa counties, alleging they are violating federal law by running drainage systems that contribute to high nitrate levels in rivers the utility uses for source water. Details of the lawsuit against Buena Vista, Calhoun and Sac counties were released Monday. The Des Moines Register reports  the lawsuit was filed Friday and seeks reimbursement after spending $540,000 to operate a nitrate removal facility for 97 days this winter.

Water Works officials say the counties’ 10 drainage districts allow excessive nitrate levels into the Raccoon River, a primary central Iowa water source. In the lawsuit, the utility alleges such systems limit the area’s drinking supply. The law firm representing the counties didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment Monday.

Red Oak Man Caught Destroying Property

News

March 16th, 2015 by admin

A Red Oak man was arrested Monday (3/16) afternoon after he was discovered inside a residence breaking items.  Red Oak Police responded to a call of someone in a house at 107 4th Avenue breaking things at 2:35pm Monday.  Upon arrival officers arrested 35-year-0ld Kim Jack Douglas Trost who was inside residence.  He will be charged with Burglary in the 3rd Degree and was taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on $5,000 bond.  The Red Oak Police were assisted by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

RONNIE EHLERS, 65, of Manning (3-19-15)

Obituaries

March 16th, 2015 by Jim Field

RONNIE EHLERS, 65, of Manning died Sunday, March 15th at his home.  Funeral services for RONNIE EHLERS will be held on Thursday, March 19th at 10:30 am in the First Presbyterian Church in Manning.  Ohde Funeral Home in Manning has the arrangements.

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Friends may call Thursday after 9:30 am at the church.

Burial in the Manning Cemetery.

RONNIE EHLERS is survived by:

Uncle:  Leland Bender of Glidden

Aunt:  Delores Briedert of Lake City

Cousins and friends