News
Weather Forecast
Today: Increasing clouds, breezy and warm. High: 86. Winds S 15-25, gusts up to 30 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, 20% chance showers/storms. Low: 62. Winds S 5-15 mph.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, breezy, and cooler. 40% chance showers/storms. High: 79. Winds S to NW 10-20 mph. Overnight low: 49.
Monday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower to mid 70s. Overnight lows in the mid to upper 40s.
Dubuque and TriState
LaHood In Dubuque
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was in Dubuque yesterday to participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Complete Streets Millwork District TIGER Project. The 137 million dollar Millwork District Project is designed to reinvigorate the Dubuque community by attracting both businesses and residents through expanded options and improved livability. LaHood told a crowd of over 300 gathered at the intersection of 10th and Washington Streets that the Millwork District embodies the definition of a "vision".
LaHood says critics of President Obama claimed that his "Stimulus Package" didn't work. He says try telling that to the people of Dubuque. The 7.7 million dollar "Complete Streets" project was funded through a 5.6 million American Recovery Act TIGER grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation. Joining LaHood for the ribbon cutting was Dubuque Mayor Roy Buol and members of the city council as well as members of the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors.
Walk To Cure
Multiple Sclerosis
More than 80 walkers will move toward a free of Multiple Sclerosis in Dubuque this weekend, as they'll participate in "Walk MS Iowa." Walkers will gather at the Mystique Ice Center at 9 am this morning. The route will open at 10. Walkers will walk a 1 or 3 mile route starting and ending at Mystique Community Ice Center. Funds raised will benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Upper Midwest Chapter. Walkers are expected to raise nearly 7-thousand dollars to support programs, services, direct financial assistance and cutting-edge research for people affected by MS.
Iowa Unemployment
The Iowa Workforce Development Office says today that Iowa's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate continued to fall in the month of April.
Officials say the state-wide rate fell to 5-point 1 percent from 5-point 2 percent in March. One year ago, Iowa's jobless rate stood at 5-point 9 percent. According to state figures, over 12-thousand jobs were added in the last year.
Iowa Workforce officials say job growth in April was spread across more sectors, but the largest gains were in the goods-producing industries… mainly in construction and manufacturing. The private sector increased by 47-hundred jobs, while government added 11-hundred workers. The Transportation and warehousing sectors lost the largest number of jobs in April
County-by-county break downs of the unemployment numbers will be released later by Iowa Workforce.
Like the Museum on Facebook
This is the weekend that officials at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium hope a lot of people will "like them" on Facebook. If that happens, they can win a new Toyota mini van.
The museum is a finalist in the annual "100 Cars For Good" program that is sponsored by Toyota. On Sunday, the museum, along with 4 other finalists will be featured on a Facebook page, and people are asked to vote for their favorite non-profit organization. The Development Director of the Museum, Ginger Sakas says the organization that gets the most "likes" each day wins the vehicle.
Sakas says if the riverboat museum wins a Toyota mini van, officials want to use it for their educational outreach program.
Voting for the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium on Facebook starts at 9AM Sunday and ends at midnight. If the museum doesn't win the vehicle, it will receive a 1-thousand dollar cash grant from Toyota for being a finalist in the competition.
Regional News
Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Governor Terry Branstad says he's headed to China later this month at the invitation of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. Branstad will travel with a group of Iowans from May 29th to June 5th. They'll participate in a reunion banquet with Xi, who came to Iowa in February as part of his first U.S. trip as the presumed next president of China. February's trip was a reunion 27 years after Xi first visited Iowa for a diplomatic exchange to Muscatine.
AMES, Iowa (AP) - Police say a 46-year-old Ames man had died after he was caught in the hydraulic loading door of a water tanker truck. The Ames Tribune reports that the man died yesterday morning at Manatts Construction in Ames. His name hasn't been released.
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - A 61-year-old former high school teacher in Waterloo has pleaded guilty to having inappropriate conduct with a student. Former Waterloo West High School social studies teacher Michael Lyons pleaded guilty yesterday to one felony count of sexual exploitation by a school employee and two misdemeanor counts. Lyons was arrested in November.
TAMA, Iowa (AP) - Tama County authorities have arrested a second volunteer firefighter in connection with a string of recent fires they believe were set intentionally. Eighteen-year-old Joshua Weiermann of Chelsea, Iowa, faces charges of aiding and abetting arson and being an accessory after the fact. He was being held yesterday morning in lieu of $20,000 bond.
Here is the latest Wisconsin news from The Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Governor Scott Walker and his Democratic challenger Tom Barrett have sparred for a fifth day over how many jobs have been created or lost in Wisconsin. A new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report released yesterday shows Wisconsin lost more jobs than any other state between April 2011 and last month. Walker released those figures before they had been vetted by the BLS, a move Barrett says makes them unbelievable.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A judge has lowered bail for a Madison truck driver and his wife who are accused of starving and torturing the man's 15-year-old daughter. Dane County Circuit Judge Julie Genovese yesterday lowered bail for the couple to $9,000 each. The 41-year-old man and his 42-year-old wife have pleaded not guilty. The couple remained jailed last night.
META, Mo. (AP) - Missouri-based Diamond Pet Foods is voluntarily recalling another type of dog food because of potential exposure to salmonella. The recall announced yesterday applies to samples, 6-pound bags and 18-pound bags of Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb and Rice Formula food manufactured on August 26th, 2011. The product was distributed in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other states.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A Wisconsin mine that extracts sand for use in the oil and gas industry has spilled an unknown amount of sediment into the St. Croix River and wetlands near the Minnesota border. Wisconsin conservation officials learned of the leak on April 22nd.
Here is the latest Illinois news from The Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) - Conspiracy to commit terrorism and other charges have been filed against three protesters at the NATO summit who were arrested earlier this week in the Chicago apartment raid. The charges were filed late last night against Brian Church of Florida, Jared Chase of New Hampshire and Brent Vincent Betterly of Massachusetts. They're accused of trying to make Molotov cocktails. Six others have been released.
CHICAGO (AP) - Four businessmen who say they were attacked by off-duty Chicago police officers inside a tavern have won compensation from a jury. The men have been awarded nearly $34,000. In the lawsuit, the businessmen contend they suffered broken ribs, broken facial bones, injured vertebrae and bruises in the 2006 attack that was captured on videotape.
CHICAGO (AP) - A bribery indictment against state Rep. Derrick Smith has drawn a crowd of third-party challengers to try to take his seat. Among them is Angelique Momon-Collins, daughter of state Sen. Annazette Collins. She and five others are seeking the nomination by the Unity Party. Chicago Democrats created that party after Smith refused to resign following his indictment.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is looking for a few new pictures of Lincoln, though not necessarily of the president himself. It's collecting pictures of anything named after him, such as a dog or a car. The best ones might be posted on the Facebook page "Good Morning from Mr. Lincoln." It features images collected from around the world.
National News
Launch aborted, engine issue suspected...Firefighters battle Colo., Ariz., wildfires
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - An engine problem is suspected in the aborted launch of a private rocket scheduled to carry supplies to the International Space Station. A NASA spokesman says a computer shut down the engines as the ignition sequence began on the SpaceX vehicle. This was the first launch attempt by one of the private U.S. companies hoping to deliver cargo and eventually astronauts to the space station.
BEIJING (AP) - Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng and his family are aboard a United Airlines flight headed to the United States. Chen was at the center of a U.S.-China diplomatic tussle after his escape from house arrest. The flight is scheduled to arrive in Newark, N.J., this evening.
UNDATED (AP) - About 1,100 firefighters are battling a pair of wildfires, one in Northern Colorado and another north of Phoenix, Ariz. The Colorado fire about 20 miles northwest of Fort Collins is about 50 percent contained while the Arizona blaze, which forced the evacuation of the historic mining town of Crown King, is 10 percent contained.
BEIJING (AP) - A blind Chinese activist says he's hoping to get on a plane today bound for the United States with his wife and two children. Chen Guangcheng's escape from a rural village set off a diplomatic tussle between Beijing and Washington. He's waiting at Beijing Airport.
BALTIMORE (AP) - The second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown is to be run today at Pimlico in Maryland. The Preakness favorite is Bodemeister, despite a second-place finish at the Kentucky Derby. Only six of the 20 Derby horses came to the Preakness. They include Derby winner I'll Have Another.
Sports
Preakness is today, Dodgers win on a walk, Sixers stun Celts
BALTIMORE (AP) - It's race day in Baltimore - as the horses, trainers, jockeys and fans get ready for the running of the Preakness Stakes. Derby winner I'll Have Another is bidding for a chance to break the long drought of not having a Triple Crown winner. But the horse that is favored to win - at least according to the betting crowd - is Bodemeister.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A 15-point first-half deficit? No problem for the Philadelphia 76ers - as they overcame an early Boston surge to defeat the Celtics 92-83. The Sixers' win ties the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals at two games each.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - It's a quick turnaround for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. After the Lakers rallied late for a 99-96 win last night, the two teams will tip off again tonight at the Staples Center. The Thunder lead the best of seven series, 2-1.
UNDATED (AP) - Interleague play continues this weekend in major league baseball. Meanwhile the only two teams not in the NL versus AL party played a close game last night. The Los Angeles Dodgers got a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 in a battle of early-season division leaders.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Baseball isn't a sport controlled by the clock. But a judge has decided that the trial of one of baseball's top pitchers will be controlled by the clock. The judge at Roger Clemens' steroids trial in Washington has ruled that he will limit the time on the stand for witnesses the rest of the way - in an effort to speed the proceedings and keep the jury from zoning out.
MLB
American League Scores
White Sox 3, Cubs 2
Braves 5, Rays 3
Tigers 6, Pirates 0
Yankees 4, Reds 0
Blue Jays 14, Mets 5
Diamondbacks 6, Royals 4
National League
Marlins 3, Indians 2
Dodgers 8, Padres 1
Twins 11, Brewers 3
Orioles 2, Nationals 1
Rangers 4, Astros 1
Mariners 4, Rockies 0
Phillies 6, Red Sox 4
CHICAGO (AP) - Paul Konerko has lifted the Chicago White Sox to a victory over the crosstown rival Cubs in the first game of their series at Wrigley, but he also had to leave the game with an injury. Konerko had a two-run blast in the first, and Gordon Beckham hit a tie-breaking one in the eighth for the 3-2 win.
CHICAGO (AP) - Ryan Dempster tries again for his first victory of the season as the Cubs host the White Sox in the second game of their crosstown series. It's a rare Saturday night game at Wrigley, with the first pitch scheduled at 6:15. John Danks gets the start for the Sox.
Baseball
Semi-pro Pairings
Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League Tournament
Dubuque 10, Rickardsville 0
Key West 7, Cascade 2
East Dubuque 6, Zwingle 2
Epworth 8, Bellvue 3
Prep Scores
Fennimore 10, Iowa Grant 0
Southwestern 11, Mineral Point 6
In a doubleheader with Albany, Cassville swept both games winning 10-3 in the first, and 14-1 in the second
And in another doubleheader between Monticello and Shullsburg/Benton, Shullsburg/Benton took both games winning with 10 in the first and 13 in the second with Monticello scoring 0 for each game.
Softball
Belmont 15, Southwestern 0
Plattville 6, Dodgeville 2
Cassville/River Ridge 11, Wauzeka 2
Soccer
Maquoketa 3, Vinton-Shellsburg 0
Independence 5, Western Dubuque 0
Dubuque Senior 5, Davenport North 0
Lenz voted one of five ISU Football CO-CAPTAINS
AMES, Iowa – Former Dubuque Hempstead prep Josh Lenz has have been voted a co-captain by his teammates on the Cyclone football team for the 2012 season. The announcement was made Friday by head coach Paul Rhoads.
Lenz made some of the biggest plays of the 2012 season. His T-D catch in the corner of the endzone late saved Iowa State’s victory over Northern Iowa. In Iowa State’s 24-20 win at UCONN, the Dubuque native sustained the Cyclones’ winning drive in the fourth quarter making a third-down reception that Coach Rhoads called “the best catch he’s ever seen.” Iowa State scored the winning touchdown two plays later. Lenz starts the 2012 season with 73 career catches for 866 yards and four touchdowns.
State Track