PERSONEL FROM THREE FIRE DEPARTMENTS RESPONDED TO A HOUSE

FIRE TUESDAY EVENING AT THE JAMIE WRIEDEN RESIDENCE AT 2474

372ND STREET IN RURAL KEOKUK. ACCORDING TO THE KEOKUK FIRE

DEPARTMENT BY THE TIME FIREMEN ARRIVED AT THE SCENE THE

HOUSE WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE ROOF HAD

ALREADY COLLAPSED. FIREMEN USED TWO DIFFERENT HOSES TO

CONTROL THE EXPOSURES AND EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. THE KEOKUK

AND MONTROSE FIRE DEPARTMENTS ASSISTED THE JACKSON TOWNSHIP

FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE FIRE

IS UNDER INVESTIGATION

AMEREN CORPERATION WILL SOON BE MERGING ITS THREE ILLINOIS

ELECTRIC AND GAS UTILITIES INTO A SINGLE UTILITY KNOWN AS

AMEREN ILLINOIS. THE CONSOLIDATION OF AMERENIP, AMERENCIPS,

AND AMERENCILCO IS EXPECTED FOR COMPLETION BY OCTOBER FIRST.

THE SUBSIDIARY OF THE ST.LOUIS BASED COMPANY WILL OPERATE

AS A SEPARATE COMPANY AND WILL BE HEADQUARTED IN PEORIA.

A AMEREN SPOKESMAN SAYS THAT THE CONSOLIDATION IS DESIGNED

TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS AND CUT COST. THE THREE UTILITIES

CURRENTLY SERVE 1.2 MILLION ELECTRIC AND 840 THOUSAND NATURAL

GAS CUSTOMERS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS INCLUDING

HANCOCK COUNTY.

IOWA STATE AUDITOR DAVID VAUDT RELEASED A AUDIT REPORT

FOR LEE COUNTY. LEE COUNTY HAD LOCAL TAX REVENUES OF 37.870

MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH ,2009 WHICH

INCLUDED 1.6 MILLION IN TAX CREDITS FROM THE STATE. THE COUNTY

FORWARDED 28.1 MILLION OF THE LOCAL TAX REVENUE TO THE

TOWNSHIPS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, CITIES AND OTHER TAXING BODIES

IN LEE COUNTY. LEE COUNTY RETAINED 9.6 MILLION OF THE LOCAL

TAX TO FINANCE COUNTY OPERATIONS A 2.8 PERCENT INCREASE OVER

LAST YEAR. OTHER REVENUES INCLUDE CHARGES FOR SERVICE OF 2.7

MILLION FOR OPERATING GRANTS, CONTRIBUTIONS AND RESTRICTED

INTEREST OF 7.8 MILLION DOLLARS. CAPITAL GRANTS , CONTRIBUTIONS

AND RESTRICTED INTEREST OF 2 MILLION DOLLARS. 1.4 MILLION

COLLECTED FROM LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX, 379 THOUSAND DOLLARS

FROM UNRESTRICTED INVESTMENT EARNINGS AND 528 THOUSAND

DOLLARS FROM OTHER GENERAL REVENUES. EXPENCES TOTALED 22.6

MILLION DOLLARS A DECREASE FROM LAST YEAR. WHICH INCLUDES A

REDUCTION OF 3.9 MILLION OF COUNTY GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS

REMITTED TO THE GREAT RIVER REGIONAL WASTE AUTHORITY DURING

FY 2008 TO PAY FOR LEE COUNTY’S SHARE OF THE COST TO EXPAND THE

LANDFILL TO PROVIDE A EXTRA 15 YEARS OF USE.. A COPY OF THE AUDIT

REPORT IS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW IN THE LEE COUNTY AUDITORS

OFFICE, IN THE IOWA STATE AUDITORS OFFICE OR ONLINE AT

http://auditor.iowa.gov/reports/index.html.

KEOKUK POLICE ARRESTED 35 YEAR OLD JASON WRIGHT OF KEOKUK

ON A CHARGE OF ASSAULT WITH INJURY. HE WAS CITED AND RELEASED

33 YEAR OLD CODEY PAGE OF MONTROSE WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED

WITH TWO COUNTS OF PROBATION VIOLATION. PAGE WAS TAKEN TO

KEOKUK POLICE MADE SEVERAL ARREST OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS.

COURT. 26 YEAR OLD JESSE ARNAMAN OF DONNELLSON WAS ARRESTED

ON A CHARGE OF CHILD ENDANGERMENT AND WAS TAKEN TO COURT.

A 17 YEAR OLD JUVENILE WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH

INTERFERENCE WITH OFFICIAL ACTS. AND 23 YEAR OLD LINDSAY

CLEESEN OF HAMILTON WAS ARRESTED AT WALMART AND WAS

CHARGED WITH 5 COUNTS OF THEFT IN THE 5TH DEGREE. SHE WAS

JAILED ON THE CHARGES. KEOKUK POLICE RECEIVED 28 POLICE

CALLS AND THERE WAS A MINOR ACCIDNET IN THE 3100 BLOCK OF.

MAIN STREET. KEOKUK FIREMEN ANSWERED THREE MEDICAL CALLS,

A GREASE FIRE AT THE PARK APARTMENTS. A CO2 DETECTOR WENT

OFF AT THE HAWKEYE APARTMENTS A OVEN WAS PRODUCING CO2.

THE TENNETT WAS TOLD BY FIREMEN NOT TO USE THE OVEN UNTIL

IT WAS REPAIRED. PLUS FIREMAN RESPONDED TO A FIRE IN RURAL

KEOKUK

In the high-stakes, high-pressure world of major college sports, another coach has fallen to the axe of wins and losses.

The University of Iowa fired Head Basketball Coach Todd Lickliter today, three years into a seven-year contract that was supposed to give him time to rebuild from a nearly empty cupboard that had been left to him by his predecessor, Steve Alford.

Lickliter compiled a 38-58 record in his three years…but his biggest downfall was not being able to recruit/keep talent in Iowa City.  Four players transferred after last season, and there were loud rumblings of others prepared to transfer out of town after this season — the first in which an Iowa team lost 20+ games.

When does enough become enough?  When does integrity, loyalty, and patience become a plan that must be replaced?  When do wins and losses begin to take priority?

Compare the football and men’s basketball programs at the University of Iowa.  The basketball program has been hit with transfers, alcohol issues, minor criminal offenses, and losing teams.  The football program has been hit with transfers, alcohol issues, minor criminal offenses, and winning seasons. Both programs feature academic records well above the national average.  One coach is revered.  One coach is fired.

The firing of Todd Lickliter is just another example of the impatience that is rampant in major college big-money sports.  No one will ever have the chance that Dean Smith had in North Carolina, or Ray Meyer had at DePaul.  No university will ever have the patience to let a coach build a program from the ground up.  Sad but true.

With racing season just around the corner, drivers and car owners got a chance to show off their rides at the Quincy Raceways Car Show.

On this episode of the Pepsi Inside Track, we continue our coverage of Racemart’s Open House in Memphis, Missouri. Dave talks with drivers AJ Johnson and Levi Smith, Lee County Speedway promoter Terry Hoenig, Scotland County Speedway promoter Wayne Messamaker, and Racemart owner Brent Walker.

Don’t forget to subscribe the podcast for free so you don’t miss an episode!

Web Poll!!  Which of these following events would signal the coming Apocalypse?

1.)  The Chicago Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup Championship.

2.) The Chicago Cubs winning the World Series.

3.)  The Chicago White Sox becoming relevant other than on the South Side.

4.) The Chicago Bears actually spending money.

The first could actually happen this year.  Numbers 2 and 3 will never happen — even after the end of the world.  That leaves number 4.

The Apocalypse is here.

On the first day of NFL free agency heading into an un-capped year of player salaries, the Chicago PennyPinchers ….uh, I mean, Bears…quickly and emphatically signed the top free agent defensive end and top free agent running back.  On the same day.  In the same year.  Heck…in the same lifetime.

The signing of former Panther Julius Peppers and former Viking 1400-yard rusher Chester Taylor signifies just how desperate Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith have become.  After three straight non-playoff seasons that followed a trip to the Super Bowl, things were getting out of hand.  After trading away first and second round draft choices in the upcoming draft — hence no chance at an immediate impact player — all that was left to the Bears braintrust (if they had a brain, that is) was to convince the notoriously frugal McCaskey family to pony up the dough.

Wonder of wonders, the purse strings loosened.

What this all means is the end of the world as we know it.  To wit, the end of putting up with mediocrity from the top down in the once-proud franchise that is now the National Football Laughingstock.

If, after all the coaching changes and money spent on new personnel, this upcoming season ends like the last three…the only end  will be the end of the Angelo/Smith Barnum and Bailey circus that has existed in Lake Forest for the last three seasons.

The only remaining question is this:  Do Bears fans want the team to succeed this year with the new players?  That would result in an “I told you so” by the current administration and the probable return of Angelo, Smith, et. al.  If the team flops again this season after all of the machinations of the offseason, then it’s hit the road….sayonara…don’t let it door hit your a– on the way out for Angelo and Smith.  Which way does the true Bear fan lean?

Spring Training in Arizona this season for the Chicago Cubs is a lot quieter this year than last.  The Milton Bradley experiment blew up in the Cubs’ faces last season…a major reason why the North Siders underachieved last year to a dismal second place finish.

As the new season gets underway with Bradley now in Seattle as a Mariner…he still can’t stop stirring up issues in Chicago.  In his latest incarnation of “stupid is as stupid does” Bradley blamed last season entirely on Chicago.

The man who has been with 8 teams in 11 years still can’t figure out the HE is the problem.  His statement this time was that “I was good before” Chicago and that he’ll “be good this year” so the problem was “all Chicago’s fault.”

Sure, Milt…Chicago caused you to lose your temper the first home at bat you ever had at Wrigley field.  Chicago caused you to be angry in the clubhouse every day.  Chicago caused you to have the worst year of your career.  Chicago was probably even the cause of you not being welcome in half the clubhouses in baseball.  It obviously can’t be your churlish and childish nature, or your inability to get along with others.  And definitely NOT your inability to take any responsibility for your own actions and attitudes.

I echo the non-spoken sentiments of many of your ex-teammates.  Good riddance to a problem best gotten rid of.  Even if the Cubs fall even further in the standings this year…it’s going to be a better year in Chicago simply because Milton Bradley is somewhere else.

Dave ventured down to Memphis, Missouri, for the Open House at Racemart. He was able to talk with over a dozen drivers and others, so we split up the interviews to make two shows. This week, Dave talks with Adam Birck, Brian Clark, Jason McDaniel, Jacoby Hooper, Brian Rodefer, Michael Browning, and Derek St. Clair.

Make sure to subscribe to the podcast or stop by again next week for the rest of the interviews from Racemart’s Open House.

The gold medal game of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic men’s hockey tournament promises to be one of two things:

1)  A close, physical game that could go either way depending on the hot goalie, or

2)  A blow-out by a very p-o’d Canadian squad that has already lost once this tournament to Team USA.

Either way, this should be an excellent example of how hockey should be played.  Fighting is NOT tolerated in Olympic play, so the teams resort to the true beauty of the game — speed, agility, passing, and teamwork.  It is this type of play that, to me, makes hockey the most exciting sport in the world.

For the casual fan, you truly cannot get the feel of a hockey game from the TV.  Even so, I urge you to watch the game on Sunday.  If all you know about hockey is the fighting, then you need to watch this game.  You may actually see something that grabs your attention and makes you a fan.  Better yet, go to a game if you get the chance.  Once you experience the game at the personal level, you’ll be hooked.  I was.  Years ago.

Go USA.  But either way, it’s gonna be a great game!!

Lovie Smith began waxing idiotic at the NFL Combine Friday. The man who simply cannot see that his precious Cover-2 scheme is old, outdated, and ineffective in today’s NFL had these nuggets of “wisdom” for us to digest on Friday:
“Tommy Harris is still an impact player.” Smith even said that there were about “five” sacks that Harris didn’t get because he didn’t “wrap the guy up.” So, 2.5 sacks for the season is fine as long as you have five “almost” sacks?

“Devin Hester is a No. 1 receiver” and that it “may be the deepest position” on the team. WHAT!?!? You CANNOT be serious! Sure, you have depth, because you go six or seven deep of number five or six receivers. Hester is the game’s most explosive return man who has been neutered by a coach who should be selling pencils from a cup on the corner out in front of Soldier Field.

Until the beancounters at Halas Hall realize they are paying huge money for miniscule results, nothing will change and the once-proud Chicago Bears franchise will continue to be the NFL — the National Football Laughing stock.