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Iowa State beats Oklahoma State at buzzer 71-68

Sports

January 19th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Scott Christopherson’s buzzer beater was a first. Christopherson banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a late rally that gave Iowa State a 71-68 victory over Oklahoma State on Wednesday night. “I’ve never done something like that before,” the senior guard said. “Not even in high school, not even in middle school. It was a good feeling.” And quite a thrill for the Hilton Coliseum crowd of 12,397, which was squirming after the Cyclones fell behind 66-60 with less than three minutes to play. But Christopherson hit a 3-pointer and driving layup to cut the lead to one, and after Keiton Page sank two free throws for Oklahoma State, Tyrus McGee nailed a 3 to tie it at 68-all with 16.8 seconds remaining.

The Cowboys had a chance for the final shot, but McGee, who gave the Cyclones a huge lift off the bench with 17 points, knocked the ball off Markel Brown’s leg, and it rolled out of bounds with 4.8 seconds left, giving Iowa State possession. “He was our energy guy all night long,” Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We don’t have Tyrus tonight, no way we win that ballgame.” Iowa State (13-5, 3-2 Big 12) inbounded, and Christopherson dribbled up the floor. He stopped 2 feet from the 3-point line and launched his game winner over the 5-foot-8 Page, touching off a wild celebration among the ISU players. Christopherson was mobbed, then jumped up onto the scorers table to salute the crowd. After a video review by the officials, the basket stood. “I didn’t know he could jump that high,” Hoiberg cracked. Christopherson and Royce White also scored 17 points each for the Cyclones. Keiton Page and Le’Bryan Nash led Oklahoma State (9-9, 2-3) with 21 points each.

Wichita State rallies to beat Northern Iowa 71-68

Sports

January 19th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Toure’ Murry scored 24 points, including a layup with 1:21 to play that gave Wichita State the lead for good, in a back-and-forth 71-68 victory Wednesday over Northern Iowa. Murry added a jumper with 12 seconds left for the final margin. Northern Iowa’s Marc Sonnen’s game-tying 3-point attempt in the closing seconds was off the mark. Garrett Stutz added 17 points and Joe Ragland 13 for the Shockers (16-3, 7-1 Missouri Valley). Anthony James led the Panthers (13-7, 3-5) with 16 points, and Seth Tuttle had 15. Northern Iowa led by as many as eight in the second half and by five, 64-59, after a Jake Koch jumper with 4:20 to play. But a Murry jumper, a Carl Hall layup and two Murry free throws put the Shockers up 65-64. Deon Mitchell’s two free throws gave UNI the lead back before Murry’s layup, and Ragland added two big free throws.

Forecast for Cass & Surrounding Counties, Thu., Jan. 19 2012

Weather

January 19th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

351 AM CST THU JAN 19 2012 Nat’l. Weather Service/Des Moines…

TODAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. VERY COLD. HIGH AROUND 10. NORTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. WIND CHILL READINGS AROUND 15 BELOW.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. A CHANCE OF SNOW EARLY IN THE MORNING. LOW ZERO TO 5 ABOVE. TEMPERATURE STEADY OR SLOWLY RISING AFTER MIDNIGHT. EAST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 50 PERCENT.

FRIDAY…CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. HIGH 15 TO 20. EAST WIND AROUND 10 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY THROUGH MIDNIGHT THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW ZERO TO 5 BELOW. NORTH WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

SATURDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S. EAST WIND AROUND 5 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. NOT AS COLD. LOW 15 TO 20.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW. WARMER. HIGH IN THE UPPER 30S.

Rice helps Drake top Southern Illinois 75-68 in OT

Sports

January 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Rayvonte Rice hit two free throws to force overtime, then made a fast-break layup to put Drake ahead to stay in a 75-68 victory over Southern Illinois on Wednesday night. Rice, who finished with 18 points, made two foul shots to tie the game 63-63 with 30 seconds left. He then broke 64-64 tie with his basket with 3:12 remaining in overtime. Ben Simons’ 20 points led the Bulldogs (12-7, 5-3 Missouri Valley), who won their fourth in a row for their longest winning streak in two years. Aaron Hawley added 16. He and Simons hit three 3-pointers apiece. Jeff Early had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Salukis (6-13, 3-5), and Mamadou Seck had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Dantiel Daniels matched Early with 15 points, and Kendal Brown-Surles had 13, including three 3-pointers. Neither team ever led by more than seven points.

GREENFIELD MAN SENTENCED ON FEDERAL CHARGES FOR FAILURE TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT

News

January 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa said Wednesday, a New Zealand Osteopathic physician whose children live in Greenfield, was sentenced last week to five-years probation for willingly failing to pay child support. Dr. Greg Michael Singer, D.O. of Napier, New Zealand, a former Rock Island, Illinois resident, was also ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Longstaff to pay $209,000 in restitution to the Iowa Child Support Recovery Unit for past due payments owed to his ex-wife for the support of their four children and herself.

In an amended child support order of August 2006, the Iowa District Court for Adair Country ordered the 50-year old Singer to pay child support of $2,142 per month until his oldest child turned 19, $1,932 when three children were eligible for support, $1,626 when two children when two children were eligible for support, and $1,104 as long as his last child was under 19. During the divorce, Singer was also found guilty of criminal contempt of court for willfully disobeying the court’s order to promptly return a vehicle to his wife for her use and that of the children. As special conditions of his probation, Singer, who is listed as a physician for “The Doctors,” an accident and medical centre in Napier, New Zealand, was ordered to find employment, surrender his passport, limit his travel to the states of Iowa and Illinois, and start making the court-ordered child support payments for the two remaining children who still reside at home with their mother.

According to the court, it chose five years of probation over sending the defendant to jail for six months in order to monitor Singer’s compliance with its restitution order and Singer’s duty to pay ongoing child support. The court warned Singer he could still be sentenced to some form of incarceration if he violates the terms of his probation by failing to fulfill these duties. Singer’s request to renew his passport was denied by the United States Department of State because the State of Iowa reported he owed more than $2,500 in past due child support. The passport sanction means the State Department can deny an application for a passport, refuse to renew a passport, restrict or limit the use of a passport, or revoke a passport. The passport sanction is not removed until the overdue support is paid.

The Iowa Child Support Recovery Unit sends updates to the U.S. State Department every month. The Iowa Board of Medicine suspended Dr. Singer’s medical license on July 14, 2011 “for failing to pay a debt owed to the Iowa Department of Revenue.” His Illinois medical license was also recently suspended for tax problems. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the State of Iowa, and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

New Wastewater Superintendent to begin work in Atlantic

News

January 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Atlantic City Administrator Doug Harris says while’s been busy working on the Fiscal Year 2013 budget, he’s also been working to fill the City’s Wastewater Superintendent position, which was created by the announcement last year, current Superintendent George Evans would be retiring this year, effective February 29th. Harris announced at Wednesday night’s City Council meeting, the position has been filled. Harris says he’s hired Mark Farrier, who’s worked for the past 5-years as treatment plant operator in North Liberty, IA.

Farrier has a Grade 3 Treatment Plant license and a Grade 2 Collection System license. He has attended the University of Iowa. Ferrier and his wife have three children, whom they home school. Harris says an extensive process was undertaken to screen applicants for the Wastewater Superintendent’s position. Farrier will begin his duties on February 27th.

Teacher evaluation changes concern Iowa lawmakers

News

January 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some Iowa lawmakers are concerned about details of the governor’s education reform plan. During a House Education subcommittee meeting Wednesday evening, lawmakers were particularly concerned about how teachers would be evaluated under the bill from Gov. Terry Branstad. Representatives agreed teachers should be evaluated annually as the bill calls for, rather than the current minimum of every three years. But they questioned how administrators struggling to keep up with their workload would do that, and what those evaluations would consist of. The committee got to just four sections of the 17-section bill during the two-hour meeting. The committee will continue discussion of the legislation Monday morning. Committee Chairman Greg Forristall, a Macedonia Republican, hopes to bring the bill before the full committee on Feb. 15th.

Atlantic City Council to take bids on CIP’s

News

January 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, set February 15th as the date for a public hearing on bids to be received for several Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) valued at just over $4-million. In the plan, $3.4 million dollars will be spent on streets, while almost $634,000 is budgeted for the Parks and REC Department. The move followed a public hearing on the details of those projects, which include Hot Melt Asphalt (HMA) resurfacing on specific roads, Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) paving and Storm Sewer work, PCC patching on Linda Drive and 14th/Olive Streets, and work on the City Park sidewalk project, Phase 2. Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm ran down the list of roads residents can expect to see crews working on this Summer. The first part covered the various concrete projects.

They include: 22nd Street, from Chestnut to Palm [widening of pavement w/granular shoulder]; 1 block each of Hickory, Cedar and Locust Streets [complete reconstruction w/storm sewers added]; the addition of a storm sewer to Laural Street, from 7th to 8th; and curb and gutter work on 8th Street, between Laural and Palm. Sturm said the HMA work covers 15 sections of town, and involves minor patching, curb repairs, milling in some locations, and asphalt overlay: Birch, from 4th to 7th St.; Chestnut St., from 7th to 18th St.; 18th Street, Chestnut to Bryn Mahr; Cass Avenue; Waddell Dr.; Oak St., from 4th to 7th, and from Ridge Rd. to 21st; 17th St., from Olive to Lomas Circle, including the cul-de-sac; Mulberry St., from 9th to 10th St.; Lois Circle cul-de-sac by Redwood Dr.; Pine Street, from 3rd to 7th; 11th St., from Linn to Olive; 3rd St., from Walnut to Pine; Hazel St., from 3rd to 9th; & Elm St., from 3rd to 9th.

A storm sewer will also be added on Elm Street, near Akin Building Center. Sturm said plans for all projects should be ready to submit to contractors by sometime next week, with bids being opened on February 15th, prior to the public hearing on that date. He said the contractors for those projects will be required to begin work no later than June 1st, but regardless of when they start, there will be a deadline for completion, which by DOT standards, is no more than 50 days.

Engineer Ken Coffman, of Atlantic, talked about the projects he’s in charge of overseeing, including the milling of asphalt on 29th Street, from Highway 6 just to the west of Palm Street, and the overlaying of hot melt asphalt. His other projects include the City Park sidewalk, Phase 2, which involves the widening of the northwest spoke, from 4-to 6-feet, the replacement of the west sidewalk with a two-foot wider sidewalk, along with necessary grading, and patch work on the southwest spoke, which is already 6-feet wide.  There will also be seeding done on a portion of the City Park which wasn’t done after last year’s sidewalk work was finished.

Another project, is a PCC patching project which covers 14th St. and Linda Drive, and from Olive St. to Roosevelt. Some sewer intakes in that area will also be replaced. And, PCC patch work is scheduled to take place on Olive Street, from about the KJAN studios on south, to near the north side of the Troublesome Creek bridge, as well as from just south of the bridge, to about Commerce Street. Traffic lights will be in-place once work begins to control through traffic on Olive. Work on Coffman’s portion of the CIP projects is slated to begin no later than April 2nd.

City Administrator Doug Harris said they won’t have a good idea on what the total cost of the projects will be, until the bids are received, but if there’s enough money left over from the bonding and other funds for those projects, other street repairs and/or projects that were scheduled for upcoming years, could be moved forward.

Capital Improvement Projects in Atlantic will likely mean an increase in tax rate

News

January 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Atlantic City Administrator Doug Harris says the various, proposed Capital Improvement Projects the City hopes to have completed this year, will mean an increase in the tax rate, by as much as 35-cents per thousand dollars valuation, or about 2%. Most of the projects will be paid for through the issuance of bonds, while others will come out of the Local Option Sales Tax.

He says the City is looking at a $3.9-million bond issue. It was hoped the bonds could be paid for with “modest increases in the tax rate,” but the final figures aren’t yet known. It could add 12-cents to the tax rate, or as much as a 35-cent tax rate increase. The issuance of bonds, according to Harris, would account for about one-third of that increase.

Harris said the City needs to catch-up on backlogs to the repair of the streets, but he says they understand “These are difficult times, and people can’t afford to catch everything up.”  He says the City will do the most modest repairs possible, without putting undue pressure on the tax rate, yet keep it well within or below what it was in 2005.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18th

Trading Post

January 18th, 2012 by admin

FOR SALE: Samsung 1,000 watt white microwave.  It is 3 years old and in good condition.  $15.  304-2587 in Exira.

FOR SALE: Late 1950’s Fairfax vacuum in like new condition with 6 bags.  $250.  243-3396