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Drake and ISU meet in basketball Tuesday

November 16, 2009 By

Iowa State visits Drake in a men’s intra-state basketball matchup on Tuesday night. The Cyclones are 2-0 after a lopsided win over Chicago State and will be out to snap a three game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Drake lost its season opener to IUPUI and the Bulldogs were without standout guard Josh Young who was sidelined by a hip pointer.

Coach Mark Phelps says the injury can be nagging and painful, and they will have to see if he is ready to go. Phelps says the injury occurred last week in practice, and involves the muscles that attach to the hip, so any movement of his torso can cause pain.

Phelps says this is a much better Iowa State team than the one the Bulldogs topped in Ames a year ago. He says returning players are bigger, stronger and faster and the newcomers have added more athleticism. He says Craig Brackins is a bonafide All-American candidate.

Iowa State coach Greg McDermott says despite losing their opener the Bulldogs showed they will be tough to guard. He says if they can score 82 points without Young in the lineup is impressive. He says they lost a tough game last year and his team is excited to go on the road to see how they do.

They Cyclones have the advantage in terms of experience inside and McDermott says they can not afford to settle for three point shots against Drake’s zone. This will be Iowa State’s first road test of the season. McDermott says as a coach you always wonder how your team will respond for the first time.

The Cyclones will be looking to snap a three game losing streak in the series.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: , ,

Cyclones look for 7th win at Missouri

November 16, 2009 By

The Iowa State Cyclones prepare for their regular season finale this weekend when they visit Missouri. The Cyclones are 6-5 after a 17-10 win over Colorado in their home finale.

Cyclone coach Paul Rhoads says they’re excited to head into the final game with an opportunity to play for a winning record, but he says it will take a great effort against a good team. I.S.U. is bowl eligible after the Colorado win and would lock up a bowl trip with a victory this week.

Rhoads says he has not even considered the possibilities as they have enough to do in preparing for Missouri. A big key this season has been a defense that has generated turnovers and done a good job of keeping opponents out of the endzone. He says those two things have helped as he says when you create turnovers and keep people out of the endzone, then you have a chance in any game.

Rhoads says he is most happy for the older players that have been through two coaching changes. He says it is fun to see the faces of the players and see them work and enjoy the rewards of the hard work.

Missouri is 6-4.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

DM police say man who was shot acted like he had a gun

November 16, 2009 By

Des Moines Police say a man who was shot by two officers during an apparent robbery attempt wanted people to believe he had a gun. The shooting happened just before 6 p.m. Sunday at a Dollar General store on the city’s northwest side.

Police spokesperson Lori Lavorato says the suspect, 30-year-old Daniel Carter, was holding a cashier hostage when officers arrived on the scene. Another store clerk called 9-1-1. “She told dispatch that Carter told them that he had a gun,” Lavorato said. “Although she didn’t see the gun, he had his hand in his coat pocket, simulating as if he had a gun.”

After Carter was shot, police learned he was not holding a weapon. Lavorato says Carter was becoming increasingly violent with the clerk and made several sexually suggestive comments. “He was becoming more forceful with her, poking her in the back with what (officers) believed was a gun inside the coat,” Lavorato said. “They felt her life was in danger and they stepped around…one officer fired one shot and the other officer fired another shot.”

Carter was hit in the face and stomach. He remains hospitalized with possible life-threatening injuries. The clerk was not physically injured. Lavorato says the officers, identified as Brian Carter and Hung Ung, took the appropriate action. “When someone acts like they’re holding a gun in their coat, they want you to think that, they want you to fear and everyone in that store feared that this man had a weapon,” Lavorato said. “(The officers) ordered him to show his hands multiple times and he did not comply with orders.”

The Iowa DCI is reviewing the case and has in-store video surveillance of the incident. Officers Carter and Ung have been placed on paid administrative leave.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Iowa Lottery Board approves sale of Mega Millions game

November 16, 2009 By

The Iowa Lottery Board gave approval today for Iowa retailers to sell the multi-state Mega Millions game along with the Iowa-based Powerball lottery game. Iowa Lottery vice president Mary Neubauer says states that sell Powerball have been working for several months on the plans to add Mega Millions sales.

Neubauer says it’s “a very big undertaking” for the lotteries to make the changes to sell Mega Millions as they need to program their computers and do testing. She says the Iowa Lottery Board’s approval is another step in the process and the sale of Mega Millions can begin January 31st. The two games have been competitors, but Neubauer says they believe combined sales will help both — much the same way that selling scratch tickets and pull-tab games at the same outlets generates more sales.

Neubauer says it’s the same multiple game concept where people will get another option to play a large jackpot lottery game, and they may play both games, or one of the games they haven’t played before. Powerball brought in just over 58 million dollars in the last fiscal year, and Neubauer says they believe adding Mega Millions will boost Powerball sales by eight to 10%.

Powerball drawings are held on Wednesday and Saturdays, and Mega Millions drawings are on Tuesday and Friday. She says Iowa will advertise the availability of both games, and will also give retailers a bonus when winning Mega Millions tickets are sold in Iowa. Neubauer says retailers who sell a jackpot winning Powerball ticket get a $10,000 bonus, and the Iowa Lottery Board voted to give the same bonus to retailers who sell a winning Mega Millions ticket.

Mega Millions is now sold in 12 states — including some of the largest such as California and New York. Powerball is sold in 32 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. Neubauer says if everything goes as planned, the first drawing where Iowans could play Mega Millions would be Tuesday, February second.

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With:

Report looks at hunger in America

November 16, 2009 By

U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says a new report puts a spotlight on hunger in the United States. “I think this report suggests that it is time for America to get very serious about food security and hunger, about nutrition and about food safety,” Vilsack says. “This, together with several other reports that have been issued in the last couple of weeks by the U.S.D.A., are a wake-up call for America.”

Over 14.5% of American households were unable to put “adequate food” on their tables in 2008 according to a survey released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Vilsack says too many Americans are “challenged” — sometimes every day — in getting enough food and many “go days” without eating.

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Filed Under: Agriculture, Human Interest, Politics & Government Tagged With:

Discussion centers on arts funding in tough economy

November 16, 2009 By

As Iowa’s symphonies, ballets and theatre troops strive to survive an unforgiving economy, the president of Washington D.C.’s prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will visit Iowa this week. Michael Kaiser will be holding a round-table discussion with the leaders of numerous Iowa arts organizations, some of which are struggling financially.

Jeff Morgan is spokesman for the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. Morgan says, “He’s going to be visiting Des Moines to engage the arts community in a conversation about what is going on both locally and across the country with cultural arts in America.” In February, Kaiser began touring all 50 states to lead arts management meetings and community conversations. Morgan says non-profit cultural groups nationwide are feeling the budget pinch.

Morgan says, “From what we’re hearing ahead of his arrival here, many organizations across the country are facing similar issues with fundraising, their marketing, driving attendance to their venues or to their events.” The Kennedy Center has launched a program called “Arts in Crisis” in response to the economic emergency facing arts organizations across the U.S. The program provides free and confidential planning assistance to help maintain a vital performing arts organization during a troubled economy.

Morgan says, “We’re anxious to hear what he has to say about what he’s learning in other parts of the country and have a conversation and share experiences here in Des Moines and try to resolve some of these issues as we move forward.” The event is scheduled for 9 AM on Friday at The Temple for Performing Arts in Des Moines. Admission is free. For more on the program, visit: “www.artsincrisis.org“.

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment

Task force keeping eye on H1N1 impact on the blood supply

November 16, 2009 By

A Davenport doctor is leading a national task force that’s dealing with the impact of the H1N1 flu on the nation’s blood supply. Doctor Louis Katz of the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center in Davenport says blood supplies around the country remain robust — but a survey shows that about one fourth of blood centers nationwide report reduced donations due to flu.

He says there are sometimes fewer donors than expected at a high school, colleges or business blood drives, and there’s been the cancellation of a few blood drives because of absenteeism from flu. Katz says more donors are calling this year after giving blood and reporting illnesses, so the blood must be thrown out. Katz says that’s a precaution blood centers take even though flu is not believed to be transmitted by blood.

“In all the years that blood transfusion and influenza have co-existed, more than 50 years, no one has ever alleged that flu was transmitted by transfusion,” Katz says. The task force is helping medical centers prepare to handle a possible blood shortage in the future if the flu outbreak gets worse.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine
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