Simpson pitcher approaches another record

Record setting pitcher Kelly Schade looks for another milestone thisweekend when the Simpson softball team hosts its own tournament. Schade has91-career victories and with her next victory will establish a new all-timedivision three national mark. The former Clarke of Osceola all-stater saysshe never even thought of records like this when she joined the Simpsonprogram.Simpson is ranked third in the country right now and Schade says the teamgoals are first and foremost in her mind right now.Schade says the reason she is on the verge of this record is because she hasbeen part of so many outstanding teams.Shade says to be part of a program that can compete for a national titleevery year is better than any record.Schade already owns the career shutout record in division-three.****************************************************************************A few republican legislators are starting to have second thoughts about the150-million dollar tax cut package that’s advancing through the Senate andHouse. Senate Appropriations Committee chairman Derryl Mc-Laren, arepublican from Farragut, says the state’s financial picture has dimmed inrecent months.Mc-Laren says some of his colleagues don’t realize how bad the farm economyis.Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a bill which wouldprovide 73-million dollars worth of income tax cuts, and Committee ChairmanJamie Van Fossen of Davenport says there’s no turning back.Van Fossen rejects the idea that the 150-million dollars worth of tax cutswould put the state in fiscal jeopardy in future years.The chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation recently cited astudy which concluded more than one-third of Iowa farms will requirefinancial restructuring or liquidation if the current level of low commodityprices persists through next year…………………………………………………………………..The University of Iowa’s Economic Institute is predicting good economictimes to continue for the state throughout this year and into next.Institute Director Beth Ingram.Ingram says the farm sector may have slowed the economy in 1998. She saysthe farm economy should improve.The economy in Iowa may eventually slow, but Ingram says not in the nearfuture.The institute’s report says it expects a three-point-six percent growth inthe employment rate growth in Iowa in 1999. The report says the biggestincrease in jobs will come in the service sector………..The world’s top growth market for printer’s ink made from soybeans plans todouble the amount of soy ink it uses this year. Estimates are, Japan willincrease its use of soy ink from 177-thousand bushels to more than350-thousand. Iowa soy promoters say it’s thanks to agressive marketing.Jo Patterson is coordinator for the National Soy Ink Information Center inUrbandale. She says the new estimates for Japan’s soy ink usage are a realboost to U-S soybean growers.There are about a hundred factories in the U-S that make ink out ofsoybeans. Only one of them is in Iowa — and it’s in Des Moines. Pattersonsays it’ll be -little- challenge for U-S soybean growers to meet Japan’sdoubled demand for soy ink, which will require 350-thousand bushels:That means one in five newspapers across the U-S is using soy ink. ********************************sports************************************ Despite being the smallest markets in the Midwest League, professionalbaseball returns to Clinton and Burlington this year. In recent years,markets like Waterloo and Springfield, Illinois have lost their franchisesand the one in Rockford, Illinois is apparently headed to Dayton, Ohio butClinton and Burlington have kept their clubs. Clinton Lumberkings GeneralManager Ted Tornow says while there are special challenges, professionalbaseball can remain viable in the league’s smallest market.Tornow has been in Clinton only a couple of months and feels baseball canwork in the city.Tornow says baseball has survived in Clinton because it is community ownedand a single owner would have moved to greener pastures years ago.Dan Vaughan is the new General Manager of the Burlington Bees. Theoff-season saw new improvements to Community Field, including thereplacement of old wooden bleachers with aluminum stands.Vaughan says being community owned has kept pro baseball in the city.And while the status of the ballclub means small improvements are morecommon than major stadium plans, it also means there is not as much pressureto make a huge profit.Vaughan says they have actively tried to market the ballclub in othersoutheast Iowa cities to try and broaden their market………….