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Police issue warrants in search for Mason City woman, missing since 1995

News

March 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

A group that operates a website about the Jodi Huisentruit case says they’ve discovered search warrants were recently executed tied to the case of the missing Mason City television anchor. John Vansice has claimed he was the last person to see Huisentruit alive, saying that she stopped at his house the night before her disappearance in 1995. Vansice moved to Arizona more than 20 years ago. The website “FindJodi.com” says that search warrants were issued on March 20th of last year for two vehicles belonging to Vansice.

Jodi Huisentruit

The warrants were sealed the next day and were resealed in October of last year for an additional year. Mason City police say the search warrants are part of their ongoing investigation in the case. Huisentruit disappeared from the parking lot of her Mason City apartment building on June 27th, 1995.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in News |

Sioux City considering $12M-plus in aid to hotel project

News

March 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The City Council in Sioux City is considering more than $12 million in assistance for a $56 million project to convert two historic downtown buildings into luxury apartments and a nearly 150-room hotel. Developer Lew Weinberg and St. Louis-based developer Restoration St. Louis plan to turn the former Warrior Hotel and Davidson buildings into a Marriott brand hotel.

The Sioux City Journal reports that the financial package would include a partially forgivable $5 million loan, a portion of the city’s share of hotel-motel taxes generated by the facility, property tax incentives, and reduced rates for city ramp parking.

The council could vote on the package today (Monday).

Posted in News |

Skyscan Forecast & weather data for Atlantic: 3/19/18

Weather

March 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Today: Cloudy w/a 30% chance of showers. High 50. NE @ 15-25.
Tonight: A 40% chance of rain developing late, before changing to snow. Low around 32. N/NE @ 5-10 mph.
Tuesday: Mo. Cldy w/snow shwrs in the morning; rain in the afternoon. High 41. N @ 5-10.
Tue. Night: Cloudy. Low 27.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.

Thursday: Mo. Cldy. High 56,

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 41. Our Low this morning was 34. Last year on this date our High was 76 and the Low was 41. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 79 in 1976. The Record Low was -14, in 1923.

Posted in Weather |

Iowa’s state climatologist retiring

News, Weather

March 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Harry Hillaker, Iowa’s state climatologist for the past three decades, is stepping down this week. “March 22 will be my last day in the office and basically it’s been, gosh, almost 37 years I’ve been working in this office,” Hillaker said. The state climatologist monitors weather activity to compile monthly and annual reports about precipitation totals, shifts in temperatures, and other climate-related data. Iowa’s only other state climatologist, Paul Waite, hired Hillaker. “He hired me to do a little, three-month long research grant,” Hillaker said. “It’s almost 37 years later and I’m still here. That research grant led to one thing and then another, and then another, and I’ve been here all that time.”

Harry Hillaker

Waite was Iowa’s state climatologist from 1976 to 1988, when Hillaker took the job. Hillaker plans to do some traveling, but will keep Iowa as his home in retirement. He’s looking forward to digging deeper into the state’s historical weather data. “There is still a lot of work to be done with that,” Hillaker said. “There’s a lot of stuff I’d like to do that I never had time to do with the regular job, so I’m hoping to do some of that with retirement.”  The state climatologist’s office is part of the Iowa Department of Agriculture.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in News, Weather |

Villisca man arrested Sunday night

News

March 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a traffic stop at around 10:30-p.m. Sunday, resulted in the arrest of a Villisca man. 31-year old Jerome Powell Burch was charged with Driving While License Suspended, and Interference with Official Acts. Burch was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

Posted in News |

Hawkeye freshman Spencer Lee wins national title at 125 as Iowa finishes third in team chase

Sports

March 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Spencer Lee became the first true freshman to win a national title for the Iowa Hawkeyes since 1993 on Saturday night at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland. Lee topped Nick Suriano of Rutgers 5-1 at 125 pounds as the Hawkeyes claimed third place in the team race.

Lee suffered an ACL injury his senior season in high school and began his first season with the Hawkeyes as a redshirt. He says he and the Hawkeyes have lofty goals going forward as they try to reel in Penn State.

The Nittany Lions claimed their seventh team title in the last eight years.

(Learfield Sports)

Posted in Sports |

Iowa baseball team rallies late the sweep Evansville

Sports

March 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Hawkeye baseball team rallied late to complete a three game sweep of Evansville, Saturday. Kyle Crowl’s RBI single capped a two run eighth inning as the Hawkeyes posted a 4-3 victory.

Iowa improves to 11-6 and returns to action Tuesday by hosting Saint Louis.

(Learfield Sports)

Posted in Sports |

Ivanka Trump to be in Iowa today, touring suburban Des Moines education center

News

March 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

First Daughter Ivanka Trump, a senior advisor to President Trump, is scheduled to visit Iowa today (Monday). Ivanka Trump and Governor Kim Reynolds will visit a center in Waukee where high school students gain professional experience by working on high-tech projects for local businesses. It’s the same center Apple C-E-O Tim Cook visited last August.

Last Friday, Ivanka Trump said in a written statement she and Reynolds “have worked closely on a number of workforce development initiatives.” Trump said her visit to Iowa is meant to “highlight how important” workforce development and the president’s infrastructure plan are to “unleashing the economy and promoting…prosperity.”

Ivanka Trump and Iowa’s governor will host a roundtable discussion today (Monday) with some of the students working on high-tech projects for local Iowa businesses. Educators and state officials will also be part of the discussion.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in News |

Mid-America/Regional Sports Headlines: 3/19/18

Sports

March 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Barry Brown scored 18 points, and Kansas State ended UMBC’s brief, but historic run in the NCAA Tournament with a 50-43 victory. UMBC had only had two field goals in the final six minutes and shot just 29.8 percent for the game. UMBC garnered national attention for its relatively unknown program when it destroyed the top-ranked Virginia 74-54 in the biggest upset in college basketball history. It was the first time a No. 16 seed had defeated a No. 1 seed.

CHICAGO (AP) — Patrik Berglund scored 3:31 into overtime, and the St. Louis Blues came from behind for a big 5-4 victory over the lowly Chicago Blackhawks. Defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Vince Dunn each had a goal and three assists for the Blues, who are trying to rally for a playoff wild card in the Western Conference. Alexander Steen had a goal and an assist, and Vladimir Sobotka also scored.

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Royals signed right-handed reliever Justin Grimm to a $1.25 million, one-year deal that includes up to $300,000 incentives after he was released by the Chicago Cubs last week. The 29-year-old Grimm was 1-2 with a 5.53 ERA in 50 appearances last season.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA will just need to win one more home game to advance to the Sweet 16 for the third straight year. The third-seeded Bruins host 11th-seeded Creighton on Monday evening in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — When considering where to slot Dexter Fowler in the batting order, St. Louis manager Mike Matheny isn’t concerned about last year. There’s additional data to consider. And with a good track record in the past, that could leave him at the leadoff spot for the Cardinals.

UNDATED (AP) — Many of the freshmen who garnered so much of the college basketball world’s attention during the regular season are having an abbreviated postseason. Arizona’s Deandre Ayton, Oklahoma’s Trae Young, Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr. Alabama’s Collin Sexton and Texas’ Mohamed Bamba are all considered potential NBA lottery picks whenever they turn pro. They’re also all out of the NCAA Tournament.

Posted in Sports |

Iowa early News Headlines: Monday, March 19th 2018

News

March 19th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Police in Davenport are investigating after an 80-year-old woman fell victim to a scam artist who claimed he was checking water meters. KCRG-TV reports that Velma Holmes answered a knock on her door Thursday from a man claiming he was with Iowa American Water Co. She took him to the basement to show him her meter. The next day she realized money and valuables worth $20,000 were missing, including her wedding ring.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A member of the Iowa Legislature has reunited with the daughter she released for adoption 47 years ago. On a Saturday morning this year, State Rep. Marti Anderson’s phone rang, and her daughter, Shellie Price Wardlaw, was on the other line. Wardlaw tells the Des Moines Register that she found Anderson after taking a DNA test through Ancestry.com in January, which identified a maternal match. Anderson had taken the same test in December. Anderson says she hopes to make up for lost time.

CORNING, Iowa (AP) — Federal loans will help utilities in Iowa and Missouri upgrade electric lines in rural parts of those states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced $276 million in loans to help rural utilities improve the efficiency and reliability of their networks.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — If you bought a Powerball ticket in Pennsylvania for Saturday’s drawing, you may be holding a piece of paper worth $457 million. Powerball officials say a single winning ticket was sold in Pennsylvania that matches all of the winning numbers: 22-57-59-60-66 and Powerball 7. The specific location where the winning ticket was sold has not been announced.

Posted in News |