A major component of the Program is the highway program, which documents programmed investments in the Primary Highway System for the next five years. For FY 2014-2018, approximately $2.6 billion is forecast to be available for highway right of way and construction.

The highway section was developed to achieve several objectives. The Commission’s primary investment objective remains stewardship (i.e., safety, maintenance, modernization) of Iowa’s existing highway system. More than $1.1 billion is programmed from FY 2014 through FY 2018 for modernization of Iowa’s existing highway system and for enhanced highway safety features.  The highway section also includes significant interstate investments on Interstate 29 in Sioux City, I-29/80/480 in Council Bluffs, and I-74 in Bettendorf/Davenport. Portions of these investments address stewardship needs.

The Commission and Iowa DOT continue to recognize the critical importance of an effective and efficient interstate highway system. The interstate highways connect all transportation systems in Iowa and allow major freight movements to occur delivering Iowa products to the world’s marketplace.

•          U.S. 20 Woodbury County from east of Moville to Correctionville
•          U.S. 30 Benton County from Iowa 21 to U.S. 218
•          U.S. 30 Linn County, Mount Vernon and Lisbon bypass
•          U.S. 52 Jackson County Mississippi River bridge replacement at Sabula
•          Iowa 58 Black Hawk County Viking Road interchange in Cedar Falls
•          U.S. 61 Louisa County from south of Iowa 92 to Muscatine County
•          Iowa 100 Linn County from U.S. 30 to Edgewood Road
•          Iowa 196 Sac County
•          U.S. 218 Black Hawk County interchange at County Road C-57

While these previously programmed multiyear corridor improvement projects will remain on schedule, the Commission was not able to add additional segments of these corridors to this Program. This is the result of flat or uncertain revenue at the federal and state level, increasing construction costs, and the need to invest in the existing highway system. Absent additional revenue at the state and/or federal level, the Commission does not anticipate being able to add additional corridor projects to the Program for the foreseeable future.

A large part of funding available for highway programming comes from the federal government.  Accurately estimating future federal funding levels is dependent on having a multiyear federal transportation authorization bill. The current authorization, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century (MAP-21), was signed into law on July 6, 2012. However, it is only a two-year authorization set to expire on Sept. 30, 2014, resulting in continued federal funding uncertainty after this date.

Another major concern with federal funding is solvency of the federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF) beyond 2014. At that time, the HTF, which is funded primarily from federal fuel taxes, will not be able to provide funding at current levels. If this is not corrected, drastic cuts to the federal highway program are anticipated. If this occurs, the Commission will have to make significant changes to the Program in FY 2015 and beyond. In fact, approximately half of the funding available for programming in FY 2015 could be impacted by this issue. As the Commission decides which projects will be rescheduled, they will consider statewide equity, length of time a project has been considered for programming, how many times a project has been rescheduled, purpose of a project, whether the project is already underway, local efforts to move forward on a project, and current conditions and need for a project.

Beverly Aalgaard of Thompson, a Reading Buddy at North Iowa Elementary School in Buffalo Center, received a Gold Award for more than 500 hours of service to RSVP of North Central Iowa.

MASON CITY – Volunteers with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of North Central Iowa were honored May 9 for another year of service to elementary and middle school students and other programs throughout RSVP’s four-county service area.

Terry Schumaker, Dean of Continuing Education at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), welcomed volunteers to the event. The event was held at NIACC, which sponsors RSVP, in the Activity Center.

The event included a keynote address by Dean Cataldo, former RSVP Advisory Council member and now a member of the NIACC Board of Directors, presentation of lifetime service awards to volunteers, a year-in-review synopsis of RSVP programs and activities and music by Betty & The Gents.

Cataldo reminded volunteers, though most are retired, of the important work they do in their communities, and the gift they have to share with the students they serve.

“You have something most young people don’t have,” Cataldo told more than 100 volunteers and guests attending the celebration, “wisdom.”

After a year or two of retirement, he said, going to coffee and having fun with their friends, retirees eventually decide “I need something more” and some become volunteers.

“As volunteers, you are giving. You are making someone a better person,” he said. “Please look at yourself as a caring individual – someone who loves what they are doing.”

In closing, he reminded the volunteers: “Never forget the power of one.”

Also at the celebration, 23 volunteers were honored with awards for their service. The President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation was established in 2003 to recognize the contributions volunteers make in their communities.  The Council established a President’s Volunteer Service Award to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service.

Measured by the cumulative hours earned over a lifetime, three levels of awards are given: Bronze awards (100 to 249 lifetime service hours), Silver awards (250 to 499 lifetime service hours) and Gold awards (500+ hours).

This year, Beverly Aalgaard of Thompson, currently a Reading Buddy at North Iowa Elementary School in Buffalo Center, was honored with a Gold Award for 500+ hours of service. She has been an RSVP volunteer for more than 13 years, logging 509 hours.

Other RSVP of North Central Iowa volunteers recognized for reaching a lifetime award level, include:

Silver Award (250 to 499 hours) honorees attending the event included Ralph Cassady (left) and Teresa Leerar (right). Dean Cataldo (center), former RSVP Advisory Council member and current member of the NIACC board, was the keynote speaker at the annual celebration.

Silver

Britt: Teresa Leerar, West Hancock Elementary School

Forest City: Roberta Kraft-Abrahamson, Forest City Christian & Forest City Middle Schools

Mason City: Ralph Cassady, Lincoln Intermediate, Jefferson & Roosevelt Elementary Schools

Bronze Award (100 to 249 hours) honorees present at the event included (front row, left to right): John Sporri, Beverly Wilhite, Letha Steinauer, Rena Steele and (back row, left to right), Charissa Olson, Eunice Kinsella, Joyce Nielsen, Janae Haygood, Joan Hansen and Marlene Freudenberg.

Bronze
Britt: Beverly Wilhite, West Hancock Elementary School

Buffalo Center: Vonnie Pilgrim-Bosma, North Iowa Middle School

Clear Lake: Ellen Anderson, Clear Lake Elementary School

Forest City: Joan Hansen, Forest City Middle School; John Sporri, Forest City Elementary School

Garner: Diane Deibler, Garner-Hayfield Elementary School; Eunice Kinsella, Ventura/Garner-Hayfield Junior High School

Kanawha: Kathryn Johnson, West Hancock Middle School

Lakota: Rena Steele, North Iowa Elementary School

Lake Mills: Darlene Behr, Lake Mills Elementary School

Mason City:  Judy Bohn, Harding Elementary School; Marlene Freudenberg, Harding Elementary School; Janae Haygood, Lincoln Intermediate & Roosevelt Elementary Schools; Joyce Nielsen, Harding Elementary School; Marcia Nord, Harding, Roosevelt & Newman Catholic Elementary Schools; Letha Steinauer, Harding & Roosevelt Elementary Schools; Mary Wilson, Roosevelt Elementary School

Northwood: Sandra Nitcher, Northwood-Kensett Elementary School

Thompson: Charissa Olson, Forest City Christian School & Lake Mills Elementary Schools

RSVP Director Molly Anderegg reviewed the program contributions during the past year. A total of 307 volunteers served 5,683 hours from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013. The service by program included:

• Breakfast Buddy Program: 20 volunteers served 511 hours and 255 elementary school students in the Breakfast Buddy program at five schools: Forest City, Garner-Hayfield*, Lake Mills, North Iowa (Buffalo Center)* and West Hancock (Britt).

• Reading Buddy Program: 135 volunteers served 3,566 hours and 261 elementary school students in 12 schools: Central Springs (Manly), Clear Creek (Clear Lake), Forest City Christian, Forest City, Garner-Hayfield, Harding (Mason City), Lake Mills, Newman (Mason City), North Iowa (Buffalo Center), Northwood-Kensett, Roosevelt (Mason City) and West Hancock (Britt).

• Reading Coach Program: 32 volunteers served 623 hours and 59 students in four middle/junior high schools: Forest City, Ventura/Garner-Hayfield, North Iowa (Buffalo Center) and West Hancock (Kanawha).
• Pen Pal Program*: 144 volunteers served 891 hours and wrote 1,062 letters to 177 fourth- and fifth-grade students in nine classrooms: Clear Creek Elementary School (Clear Lake), Forest City Christian School, Harding Elementary School, 3 classes, (Mason City), Lincoln Intermediate School (Mason City), Roosevelt Elementary School (Mason City) and West Hancock Elementary School, two classes, (Britt).
• Walking School Bus Program*: Four volunteers served 65 hours escorting 22 students to Harding Elementary and Roosevelt Elementary schools in Mason City.
• IRIS, Iowa Radio Reading Service for the Blind and Print Handicapped Program: Seven volunteers served 66 hours reading articles from the Globe Gazette on radio station KCMR to 133 sight-impaired listeners living in Cerro Gordo County and parts of surrounding counties in North Central Iowa.

* Denotes a new program

She also thanked the Advisory Council for their commitment to the program.

“It’s wonderful having council members from all four counties in the service area to ensure input and feedback from all communities served by RSVP,” stated Anderegg.

Advisory Council members include:  Joe Angstman, Adriana Attleson, James Becker, Janis Borum, Tony Coloff, Mike Ebaugh, Tim Fleming, Brenda Hanson, Joan Hanson, Andy Hill, Larry Hill, Connie Hunget, Bob Perry, Verla Perry, John Severtson, and Sharon Steckman.  The council members represent each of the four counties RSVP serves: Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Winnebago and Worth.

In honor of Senior Corps Week, RSVP hosted a service project as part of its annual celebration, asking attendees to bring food for the Backpack Buddy Program. Several boxes full of food were collected from the volunteers and NIACC staff.

The program, sponsored by United Way of North Central Iowa, provides food for the weekends to more than 400 students in seven counties in North Central Iowa who might otherwise go hungry. Backpacks are filled with non-perishable, easy-to-open meals and snacks. Schools in Britt, Buffalo Center, Forest City, Garner, Mason City, and Northwood participate in the Backpack Buddy Program.

For information on RSVP of North Central Iowa, visit www.niacc.edu/rsvp/ or contact 1-888-466-4222 ext. 4256, (641) 422-4256 or rsvp@niacc.edu.  RSVP of North Central Iowa responds to priority community needs by providing meaningful, purposeful volunteer opportunities for people ages 55 and over. RSVP is sponsored by North Iowa Area Community College and is partly funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, State of Iowa, United Way of North Central Iowa and local county governments.

“Many children already benefit from the excellent care of high-quality child care providers who are meeting or exceeding the proposed requirements,” Kathleen Sebelius, secretary health and human services, said in a statement.

“However, too many children remain in settings that do not meet minimum standards of health and safety. These basic rules ensure that providers take necessary basic steps to shield children from an avoidable tragedy.”

Many states do not enforce even basic standards such as fingerprinting, background checks and first-aid training for providers and this puts children at risk, Sebelius said.

An HHS proposed rule would apply directly to child care providers who accept Child Care and Development Fund funds. More than 500,000 providers serve about 1.6 million low-income children via the CCDF.

Under the proposed rule, states would require that all CCDF-funded child care providers:

– Receive health and safety training in specific areas.

– Comply with applicable state and local fire, health and building codes.

– Receive comprehensive background checks including fingerprinting.

– Receive on-site monitoring.

The rule would also require states to share information with parents through user-friendly websites about provider health, safety and licensing information. While some states already post health and safety reports online, the new rule would bring all states up to this standard, Sebelius said.

Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).

South Pierce Avenue will have reduced lane widths between 9th Street SW and 15th Street SW beginning Monday, May 20th. A contractor will be replacing pavement on South Pierce Avenue near the Canadian Pacific Railroad tracks. This work is expected to take approximately 2 weeks to complete.

Stay alert and exercise caution when traveling near the construction zone.

Calls for a halt to sectarian violence went unheeded, with gunmen storming the home of a top police anti-terrorism official and killing him, his wife and their two young children. The BBC said police Capt. Adnan Ibrahim was targeted by Sunni gunmen.

Gunmen killed Assad Nassir, a Sunni cleric, outside his home later in the day and, in a third incident Saturday, eight police officers were kidnapped at a checkpoint in Ramadi, a city west of Baghdad.

In the northern city of Mosul, two police officers were shot at a checkpoint and two more died when a roadside bomb detonated, the BBC said.

The attacks came after three explosions Friday in Sunni-occupied areas of Baghdad killed an estimated 60 people.

Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).

Soldiers exit a sally port after completing a 12-hour shift at Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay. UPI/Michael R. Holzworth/U.S. Air Force

WASHINGTON, May 18 (UPI) — The 166 detainees remaining in Guantanamo cost U.S. taxpayers about $900,000 a year each, officials say.

The annual cost of the detention center at the naval base in Cuba is $150 million, CNN reported. That makes it far more expensive than the typical federal prison, where spending is about $25,000 a year per inmate, a figure that rises to $60,000 for the almost 500 inmates at the federal “supermax” prison in Florence, Colo.

More than half of the Guantanamo inmates are currently on hunger strike. There are also questions about the facility’s future, since many of the inmates are on a list of those a presidential task force recommended in 2009 to be transferred to their home countries.

But the military is planning to spend millions of dollars for renovations at Guantanamo. Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly said the tab could run to $170 million because Guantanamo was created hastily in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).

Sprint closed Friday on a $480 million purchase of U.S. Cellular’s spectrum in central Illinois and St. Louis, a deal that also affects some customers in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, the Chicago Tribune reported Saturday.

But U.S. Cellular phones do not work with Sprint’s system.

Sprint said 420,000 customers would be affected by the purchase. They will have a transition period before their U.S. Cellular phones stop working and the time-line for that has not been determined, the newspaper said.

In the meantime, Sprint said it would offer those customers with smartphones a $100 “port-in” credit and a $50 service credit. It also said it would waive a $36 activation fee incurred by new customers.

For customers with “feature phones,” Sprint is offering only the $50 service credit, which can be applied to a monthly bill.

Customers will incur “virtually no cost” due to the acquisition, said Sprint regional vice president Kevin Gleason.

“We’re very sensitive to those customers who have made purchasing decisions in the last six months — we understand they just made their investment,” Gleason said.

The only customers who will have out-of-pocket expenses due to the acquisition are those choosing to upgrade their phones. But they would have incurred the same expenses if they had upgraded with U.S. Cellular, Gleason said.

Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).

Jacquelin Goldberg, 87, testified in federal court Friday she was aware of a clause in her purchase contract allowing Trump to make changes in the terms, but did not think it would be used to unilaterally cut her off from her share of revenues from the rental of the building’s meeting facilities and ballroom.

Goldberg said she had bought two condos in Trump International Hotel and Tower as rentals in 2006, her decision based in part on an expectation anticipated revenues would offset some of the purchase price.

“I would have stepped in rather than jumped in, but I was particularly intrigued,” Goldberg, a former financial planner and real estate investor, testified.

The Chicago Tribune said Goldberg knew about the clause in the purchase contract but believed it would only be used in dire circumstances, such as a change in the city building code or a construction problem.

Trump is not named in the suit. He testified earlier in the proceedings the contract gave his firm the authority to make changes to any section of the agreement.

Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).

Joseph Kuhns of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte led a team of researchers who questioned convicted offenders in North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio.

“This study broadens our understanding of burglars, their motivations and their techniques,” Kuhns said in a statement. “By asking the burglars what motivates and what deters them, we believe this research can help people better understand how to protect themselves against these crimes and help law enforcement more effectively respond.”

The study found:

– When selecting a target, most burglars said they considered the close proximity of others: people, traffic, people in the house or business and police officers; the lack of escape routes; and signs of increased security such as alarm signs, alarms, dogs inside and outdoor cameras.

– 83 percent said they would try to determine if an alarm was present before attempting a burglary and 60 percent would seek an alternative if there was an alarm on-site.

– If an alarm went off during a burglary, half reported they would flee, 31 percent would sometimes retreat and 13 percent said they would always continue despite an alarm.

– Most burglars reported entering open windows or doors or forcing windows or doors open. About 1-in-8 reported picking locks or using a key that they had previously acquired to gain entry.

– 70 percent of women burglars said they were motivated to steal due to drug use, while men cited money as their main motivation. Only one burglar indicated interest in stealing firearms.

The study was funded by the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation, under the auspices of the Electronic Security Association, a trade association for the electronic life safety and security industry.

Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).

The new analysis of the 2011 data released Friday shows Christianity has been losing ground even faster than thought among those born in the country, The Daily Telegraph reported.

A report last year said the Census found 4.1 million Christians, down 10 percent in a decade. That figure turns out to include 1.2 million recent immigrants, including Polish Catholics and evangelical Protestants from Nigeria and other African countries, with a 15 percent drop in observant Christians among those born in Britain.

The differences are starkest among those under 25 with almost one in 10 describing themselves as Muslim.

David Coleman, an Oxford University demographer, said the change is “substantial.”

“But I wonder how far it reflects an overarching change in society where it is more acceptable, more normal to say that you are not religious or are not Christian,” he said.

Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).

Feldman (4-3) allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out six in the 109-pitch performance.

His two-bagger, scoring Nate Schierholtz and Welington Castillo, capped a four-run uprising in the fourth inning that broke a scoreless tie.

Anthony Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and David DeJesus provided a two-run single for the Cubs, who evened the three-game series.

Mets starter Jeremy Hefner (0-5) yielded four runs on five hits in four innings.

Rick Ankiel went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run for New York.

Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).

CNN said the plane, US Express Flight 4560, operated by Piedmont Airlines, took off from Philadelphia about 11 p.m. EDT Friday. As the pilot guided the plane toward the runway he was alerted to a problem with the landing gear and pulled the plane back up in the air.

Passengers told The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger they initially thought it was a routine delay. Only after an hour of circling the airport did they realize something was amiss, when the pilot exited the cockpit with a flashlight to perform an inspection — and deliver some terrifying news.

The pilot and three-member crew calmly informed the 31 passengers of the need to attempt a “belly landing” and rehearsed safety procedures for the maneuver.

Linda Demarest of Pompton Plains, N.J. — one of 34 people aboard — described a harrowing scene, with passengers crying, holding hands and calling and texting loved ones with what may have been a last goodbye.

“I just kept thinking of my family and how much I loved them,” Demarest said. “I thought I was never going to see them again.”

About 200 feet from the ground, the pilot came on the intercom and shouted “Crash! Crash! Crash!” Demarest said. The plane landed with a thud — and when it finally came to rest after skidding along the runway, remarkably, no one was hurt.

“We felt that initial force of it hitting the ground. It was screeching and sliding and moving all over,” as it slid down the runway, she said. “It was making sparks fly around the plane.”

Firefighters assembled on the ground rushed to the plane and doused it with foam to prevent a fire. The cabin filled with smoke but all aboard were able to evacuate without further incident.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. The Dash-8 airplane is a similar model to Continental Connections Flight 3407 that took off from Newark and crashed outside Buffalo, N.Y., in February 2009. That crash, which killed all aboard and a man on the ground, was laid to pilot error, not a technical problem.

Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).

Mason City police make the arrest of wanted man from Clear Lake, Chad Tannahill (Photo courtesy of an NIT reader on the scene.)

MASON CITY -Mason City police apprehended a wanted man Thursday on the city’s North End.

“That was interesting, it got our heart rate going a little bit,” said UI head coach Jack Dahm. “Why not? It has been that type of year with a lot of tough things occurring, but I want to give a lot of compliments to our seniors. Our younger players know and respect our seniors so much. It’s a big compliment to them that we were able to win five of our last six.”

It is Iowa’s first three-game conference sweep since the 2010 season when the Hawkeyes won three-straight games over the Boilermakers in Iowa City. Iowa has also won back-to-back Big Ten series for the first time since the 2011 season when the squad downed Ohio State and Penn State on successive weekends.

Kaufman scattered a pair of hits and allowed one run over eight innings to improve to 3-3 this season. The left-handed pitcher had three strikeouts before departing after facing one batter in the ninth inning. Kaufman retired Purdue in order in 5-of-8 innings in just his second career start.

“Taylor was tremendous,” said Dahm. “We probably could have left him in there, but I wanted to get Ricky (Sandquist) in there being a senior. Taylor was throwing three pitches for strikes and attacking the zone. Purdue wasn’t getting any good swings against him other than their third baseman (McHugh).”

Iowa used the first eight innings to build a 5-0 lead. The Hawkeyes plated a single run in the top of the first when sophomore Jake Yacinich led off the frame with a single before scoring on an RBI single by classmate Anthony Torres.

The Hawkeyes then broke the game open in the fourth inning, scoring four runs on three hits and a pair of Purdue errors. Junior Bryan Niedbalski jumpstarted the inning with a double to left field before redshirt junior Keith Brand followed with a walk to put two runners on.

Junior Taylor Zeutenhorst’s RBI single through the right side made the score 2-0, and senior Dan Sheppard’s sacrifice fly to left field stretched the margin to 3-0. Zeutenhorst tallied Iowa’s third run after scoring on a Purdue throwing error, and sophomore Nick Day’s sacrifice fly to left plated freshman Nick Roscetti to stretch the lead to 5-0.

“We were moving guys, hitting sacrifice flies, doing everything we needed to score some runs,” said Dahm of the fourth frame. “Then we took advantage of some of their mistakes and coach (Zach) Dillon did a good job of getting the guys going.”

After silencing Purdue for the first eight innings, the Boilermaker bats came alive in the ninth. Stephen Talbott led off the inning with a double down the right field line to chase Kaufman from the contest. Sean McHugh followed with a walk against reliever Ricky Sandquist to put two runners on.

Following the first out of the inning, Kyle Johnson delivered a two-run double to left center to make the score 5-2, and Angelo Cianfrocco followed with a hit by a pitch to chase Sandquist. Freshman Josh Martsching entered and induced a fly out against the first batter he faced for the second out before Brandon Krieg and Steve Maniago had back-to-back RBI singles to make it a one-run ball game.

Martsching then buckled down and got Conner Hudnall to foul out to Torres behind the plate to earn his first save and end the game.

Yacinich had two of Iowa’s six hits in the contest, while Torres, Zeutenhorst, Sheppard and Day all tallied RBIs. It was Yacinich’s 13th multi-hit game this season.

That game marked the end of the careers of Iowa’s six seniors — Sandquist, Sheppard, Brand, Matt Dermody, Ben Bergman and Andrew Hanse.

Iowa closes out the season with a 22-27 overall and 10-14 Big Ten record, which put the Hawkeyes in eighth place in the conference standings.

NIACC picked up two wins Saturday over Miles Community College (3-1) and Dakota County Technical and Community College (10-2 in seven innings) to advance to the championship game of the North Plains District tournament.

“We got two good pitching performances (Saturday),” NIACC coach Travis Hergert said. “Tim Black had 11 strikeouts and Nick Veale pitched 6 2/3 innings – a gutty, gutty performance. That’s where it starts right there.”

NIACC faces DCTC in the championship game at noon (Mountain time) on Sunday. DCTC (19-19) would have to beat NIACC twice to claim the title. DCTC topped Miles CC 5-3 in the elimination game on Saturday.

The winner of the North Plains district advances to the NJCAA Division II World Series in Oklahoma May 25-June 1.

“Pedal down,” Hergert said. “We’re not looking ahead yet.

“We’ve taken a one-game mentality and we’ve got Lucas Bakker going (Sunday) and that’s exactly what we’re looking for. We expect nothing but the best from him and let’s go win this thing.”

NIACC (28-16) topped Miles CC in the opener behind a two-hit pitching performance from Black, a sophomore right-hander.

The Trojans stopped DCTC in seven innings in their second game to advance to the district title game as they scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to end the game by the eight-run rule.

Veale, a freshman right-hander, struck out three and walked five in his 6 2/3 innings of work. He allowed two runs to DCTC in the third inning before departing with two outs in the seventh inning.

In both games Saturday, NIACC scored three runs in the first inning to take the early lead.

“That was fantastic,” Hergert said. “It gives you a cushion and helps you settle in.

“It was big to get that 3-spot on the board in both games.”

Sophomore Ryan Voves was 2 for 4 with a double against Miles CC and 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs in the second game against DCTC.

“It was nice to see Ryan get it going,” Hergert said. “He’d been struggling a bit lately.

“He’d been taking good swings but he put it together (Saturday).”

In the first game, Black (5-3) struck out 11 and walked one in the nine-inning victory.

“The first one in a double-elimination tournament is huge,” NIACC sophomore outfielder Ryan Voves said. “You have to get the first one.”

NIACC (27-16) plated all three of its runs in the first inning. Drew Verstegen drove in a run with a single and Max Waletich hit a 2-run home run, his first of the season.

“He was saving it for the right time,” Hergert said. “He got all of it.”

Miles CC scored its lone run in the sixth inning on a throwing error.

For NIACC, Brett Guba, Verstegen and Voves all collected two hits.

Black moved his school-record strikeout total to 116 and moved to second on the single-season strikeout list with 60. He’s also tied with teammate Lucas Bakker for first on the career innings pitched list with 125 2/3.

“You know Tim is always going to give us a solid outing,” Voves said. “We just have to give him a little more run support and he’ll be fine.”

Black said he had good command of his fastball on Saturday.

“I was getting ahead of the lefties with the curveball,” he said. “I was getting them inside and they were rolling over on a lot of stuff. It was nice.”

In the second game against DCTC, NIACC received two hits (both doubles) and two RBIs and the two hits and three RBIs from Voves.

In the fifth inning, NIACC sophomore Hunter King injured his ankle rounding second base and was tagged out.

“We’ll probably be down a man (Sunday) with Hunter King spraining his ankle,” Hergert said. “It’ll be a game-time decision.”

NIACC 3, Miles Community College 1

NIACC 300 000 000 – 3 9 3

Miles CC 000 001 000 – 1 2 0

Tim Black (11K, 1BB) and Robert Swenson. Jake Mills (8K, 1BB) and Jake Harris. 2B – Ryan Voves (N). HR – Max Waletich (N). Multiple hits – Drew Verstegen (N) 2, Voves 2. Multiple RBIs – Waletich (N) 2.

NIACC 10, Dakota County 2 (7)

Dakota County 002 000 0 – 2 6 2

NIACC 302 010 4 – 10 10 3

Lucas Long (5K, 4BB), Roy Hotvedt (6) (0K, 2BB), Joel Klinkhammer (7) (0K, 0BB) and Matt Wixon. Nick Veale (3K, 5BB), Isaac Willenbring (7) (0K, 0BB) and Swenson. 2B – Chris Gaynor (DC), Alex Stuart (N) 2, Reynaldo Sala (N), Waletich. 3B – Zach Garner (DC). Multiple hits – Garner 2, Brett Guba (N) 2, Stuart 2, Voves 2. Multiple RBIs – Waletich 2, Sala 2, Voves 3.

Black (5-3) struck out 11 and walked one in the nine-inning victory.

“The first one in a double-elimination tournament is huge,” NIACC sophomore outfielder Ryan Voves said. “You have to get the first one.”

NIACC (27-16) plated all three of its runs in the first inning. Drew Verstegen drove in a run with a single and Max Waletich hit a 2-run home run.

Miles CC scored its lone run in the sixth inning on a throwing error.

For NIACC, Brett Guba, Verstegen and Ryan Voves all collected two hits.

Black moved his school-record strikeout total to 116 and moved to second on the single-season strikeout list with 60. He’s also tied with teammate Lucas Bakker for first on the career innings pitched list with 125 2/3.

“You know Tim is always going to give us a solid outing,” Voves said. “We just have to give him a little more run support and he’ll be fine.”

NIACC plays Dakota County Technical and Community College at 1:30 p.m. today. Freshman right-hander Nick Veale will start for the Trojans.

The winner of the North Plains district advances to the NJCAA Division II World Series in Oklahoma May 25-June 1.

Tsarnaev’s attorneys had sought permission to take “current and periodic” pictures of him and not be obligated to turn them over to U.S. prosecutors. Magistrate Marianne Bowler said in a written order Friday Tsarnaev’s defense team had not proven such images are subject to attorney-client privilege.

Bowler said taking photos inside a prison could compromise the security of the facility.

The defense motion stated Tsarnaev’s lawyers want to document his “evolving mental and physical state” while he awaits trial on charges he and his brother, Tamerlan, planted two bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon last month, causing three deaths and more than 270 injuries.

Bowler wrote the defense could have prison staff take pictures of Tsarnaev, 19, but federal prosecutors would be allowed to see them.

Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).

Senator Amanda Ragan

Monday, May 27, is Memorial Day. It is a time to remember the fallen soldiers who bravely served our country and the veterans among us who have sacrificed for our freedom. Supporting our veterans, service members and their families is a fundamental responsibility we all share.

With the war in Iraq over and the Afghan war winding down, our obligation to our returning veterans continues. Education, health care and job training are among the essentials needed to help welcome them back to our communities.

We took another step this session to help veterans get the medical attention they need by providing assistance from the Veterans Trust Fund for service-related brain injury screening. Under House File 545, funding is available to those who cannot receive payment or reimbursement through any other federal or state program, private health insurance or managed care organization.

To ensure timely treatment, there are no income eligibility requirements for veterans seeking help from the Trust Fund for possible service-related brain injury. The Veterans Trust Fund also helps low-income veterans with expenses related to vision, hearing and dental care, durable medical equipment, and emergency home or vehicle repairs.

Here are a few other ways we have continued Iowa’s strong track record of supporting and honoring our service members, veterans and their families this session:

• Ensuring that those serving on active duty remain eligible to receive tuition assistance benefits and attend school once they return.

• Emphasizing the admission of homeless, honorably discharged veterans to the Iowa Veterans Home.

• Including a mental health treatment staff member on the care committee for patients at the Iowa Veterans Home.

• Providing care at the Iowa Veterans Home for Gold Star parents—that is any parent of a service member who died on active duty.

• Allowing veterans to immediately get their veteran status marked on their driver’s license or state ID.

The quartet of Andrew Sloan, John Enright, Brad Petersen, and Cody Harmon completed the 8 laps in 7:59.95.

The Charles City boy’s 4×800 placed fifth in the 3A race.

The quartet of Alec Jensen, Brian Foster, Levi Miller and Caleb Hageman completed teh 8 laps in 8:11.07.