The junior center averaged 22 points, nearly 14 rebounds, three blocked shots and five assists in three victories. Tuttle scored 24 points, hauled down 20 rebounds and dished out six assists in a win over Mason City Newman. He also had a 29 point, 10 rebound effort in a victory over Saint Ansgar and for the week shot 59 percent.
Class 1A: Jordan Dykstra, Rock Valley
December 22, 2009 By
The senior forward averaged 23 points and 12 rebounds in a pair of wins for the Rockets. He scored 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a victory over Sheldon. Dykstra also had 22 points and nine rebounds in a victory over George-Little Rock and in the two games made 16-of-29 shots.
DOT ready to battle ice and snow
December 22, 2009 By
Snow plow operators around the state might not be spending a lot of time with family this Christmas. A Winter Storm Watch covers most of the state Wednesday through Friday. Iowa Department of Transportation Winter Operations Administrator Dennis Burkheimer says his agency has 900 trucks and all of their drivers could be working – despite the holiday.
“That kind of goes with the job and they anticipate those types of things happen. We don’t shut down just because it’s a holiday,” Burkheimer said. “They’ll have to work through the holiday period…our guys will be out there taking care of the roads.” The heaviest snowfall is expected over northwest Iowa, with a foot or more possible Wednesday through Thursday. North-central and northeast Iowa can expect 2 to 6 inches of snow, while central and southwestern Iowa will receive freezing rain, sleet and light snow.
“It’s going to be a mixed bag as far as the type of precipitation we get,” Burkheimer said. “Then, it looks like going to follow up with some pretty strong winds and top it all off with some cold temperatures over the weekend. So, all of those combine to make it a tough clean-up and a tough few days that we’ll have to be working.” Iowa D.O.T. snow plow operators have more than 172,000 pounds of salt mix at their disposal.
During the early stages of the winter storm, Burkheimer believes D.O.T. crews can defend roads from freezing over by applying plenty of salt. State public safety officials are encouraging Iowans, if they can, to travel to their destinations today.
Weather forecast: www.weather.gov
Road conditions: www.511ia.org
Winter storm watch calls for sleet, ice, snow
December 22, 2009 By
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Wednesday morning through Friday afternoon. While we’ve seen a lot of snow in the recent storms, National Weather Service forecaster Kenny Podrazik, says the new storm brings a different challenge.
Podrazik says the next couple of days could be more tricky as we will be dealing with more ice and up north near the border they could see a snow/sleet mix. He says the challenge will begin today. He says it will be a “tricky situation” travel wise today with areas of drizzle and freezing drizzle this afternoon. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day could be a rough go for holiday travel in Iowa.
Podrazik says across the I-80 corridor almost all the way to maybe Highway 20, there could be freezing rain through most of the morning with the possibility of some freezing ice — with maybe a tenth or two of ice accumulation. For information on road conditions, dial 5-1-1 or 511ia.com.
By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City
Behn drops out of ’10 race for governor
December 22, 2009 By
Another Republican has dropped out of the race for governor. State Senator Jerry Behn is endorsing former Governor Terry Branstad’s bid for a fifth term.
“It’s one of those deals where all along I’ve had a common sense theme and I’ve consistently said that in times of trouble you resort to the basics. That’s the ABCs,” Behn says. “And in this particular case, it’s ‘Anybody But Culver.’”
Democrat Chet Culver intends to seek a second term as governor in 2010.
Behn has pledged his “full support” to helping Branstad make a political comeback. Behn talked with Branstad about his endorsement. Behn says he wasn’t promised a job in a Branstad administration — and Behn says his exit from the race is not a signal to his other competitors that they should drop out, too.
”I’ve said all along I wanted to do what’s best for Iowa,” Behn says. “Well, I think this is what’s best for Iowa and I wanted to be involved in helping Iowa move forward and I think I can do that best by replacing our current governor with Governor Branstad.”
Behn, who farms with his son, says he was forced to take a sort of “sabbatical” from the campaign because the wet weather in October extended the harvest season.
“As a farmer I had a long, particularly drawn-out fall, so there was kind of some time off from the campaign while I was farming and it would be time now to get actively rolling again,” Behn says. “It just seemed like the appropriate time to do this.”
Behn was elected to the Iowa Senate in 1996 and he is in the middle of a four-year term.
Cedar Rapids businessman Christian Fong announced after Thanksgiving that he was ending his campaign for the G.O.P’s 2010 gubernatorial nomination. Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley announced in July that he would “explore” the idea of running for governor, but he announced this fall he was not running. There are now four candidates remaining in the Republican field: former Governor Branstad, state Representative Chris Rants of Sioux City, state Representative Rod Roberts of Carroll and Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City, the 2006 Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.
Grassley says Americans should look at “bribes” in health care bill
December 22, 2009 By
The massive health care reform bill passed on the second of three “test votes” this morning in the U.S. Senate. Another test vote is scheduled for tomorrow with the final vote on the Democrat-sponsored bill expected on Christmas Eve.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican, says it appears there — are — enough votes for passage, unless the American people can build enough momentum through “irate” phone calls and e-mails over the next 48 hours to derail the measure.
Iowa downs South Carolina State
December 22, 2009 By
Matt Gatens scored 20 points while Jaryd Cole had 19 and Eric May added 18 as the Iowa Hawkeyes beat South Carolina State 82-69 in their final pre-conference contest. Gatens made 4-6 from three point range as he continues to shoot the ball well. Gatens says his shots are starting to fall and that got going at UNI and he says that makes it easier.
The Hawkeyes took control with a 9-0 run in the opening half and the connected on 57 percent of their shots. Iowa coach Todd Lickliter says they got contributions from everyone and in stretches played as well as they have all year. The Hawks take a 5-7 record into the start of Big Ten play.
Lickliter did not say when or even if Anthony Tucker will rejoin the squad. The sophomore guard was suspended following his arrest over the weekend for public intoxication. It was his second alcohgol related offense in a little more than a year. Lickliter says everyone needs to step back and see how Tucker can get things straightened out.
Lickliter says Tucker’s future with the program will be decided at a later date. He says they will help Tucker make the best decision for him and Lickliter says he does not have the answer at this point as to what that might be, but they will come up with it.
