THE IMPEACHMENT TIMELINE FOR FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP REMAINS IN FLUX. DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL ON THURSDAY, IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST GAVE HER THOUGHTS ON THE PROCESS, NOW THAT TRUMP HAS LEFT THE WHITE HOUSE. OTHER REPUBLICAN SENATORS HAVE EXPRESSED MORE WILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER A CONVICTION AFTER RIOTING IN THE CAPITOL ON JANUARY 6TH.
THE IOWA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION MADE A PAIR OF SIGNIFICANT ANNOUNCEMENTS AFTER A BOARD OF CONTROL MEETING ON THURSDAY. THE STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENTS WILL HAPPEN AS SCHEDULED FROM FEBRUARY 17TH THROUGH 20TH AT WELLS FARGO ARENA IN DES MOINES. CAPACITY WILL BE LIMITED TO FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE PER SESSION, WHICH IS LESS THAN HALF OF THE AVERAGE ATTENDANCE FROM RECENT YEARS. TICKET PRICES ARE ALSO GOING UP TO $15…$20 FOR THE FINALS. AND THE I-H-S-A-A WILL HAVE 5A FOOTBALL FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE STATE’S 36 LARGEST SCHOOLS WILL BE PART OF THE NEW CLASS, WITH 16 TEAMS QUALIFYING FOR THE PLAYOFFS.
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A WEEK, OFFICIALS MANAGING A DUBUQUE WORK RELEASE PROGRAM ARE LOOKING FOR AN ESCAPEE. CHRISTOPHER PUCCIO DISAPPEARED ON THURSDAY. THE 27-YEAR-OLD IS 6-1, 257 POUNDS WITH DARK HAIR. PUCCIO FIRST ENTERED STATE CUSTODY AFTER HE WAS INVOLVED IN A 2018 STABBING. EARLIER THIS WEEK, 44-YEAR-OLD CHAD WEEKLY SIMILARLY DID NOT RETURN TO A WORK RELEASE FACILITY AS SCHEDULED.
HALF A BILLION FEWER GALLONS OF ETHANOL WERE PRODUCED IN IOWA DURING 2020, COMPARED WITH 2019. THE IOWA RENEWABLE FUELS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCED THOSE STATISTICS ON THURSDAY. IT WAS THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF FALLING PRODUCTION. THE INDUSTRY TRADE GROUP CITED CHANGES TO DRIVING PATERNS DUE TO COVID-19, AS WELL AS TRADE DIFFICULTIES, AND REFINER EXEMPTIONS TO THE FEDERAL RENEWABLE FUELS STANDARD AS THE REASONS FOR THE 12 PERCENT DECLINE. IOWA HAS 42 ETHANOL REFINERIES.
THE IOWA DONOR NETWORK SAYS 300 PEOPLE IN THE STATE RECEIVED TRANSPLANTS LAST YEAR. THAT NUMBER IS A RECORD FOR IOWA. THE NEW MARK COMES DESPITE THE FACT THAT ORGANS FROM THOSE INFECTED WITH THE CORONAVIRUS AT THE TIME OF THEIR DEATH CANNOT BE DONATED. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 TALKED WITH IOWA DONOR NETWORK SPOKESPERSON HEATHER BUTTERFIELD. THE ORGANIZATION SAYS THE 300 TRANSPLANTS CAME FROM 103 DONORS. I-D-N INDICATED THAT OVER 500 IOWANS ARE STILL IN NEED OF AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT.
A PAIR OF LOSSES LAST WEEKEND DROPPED THE UNI PANTHER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM UNDER .500. TONIGHT THEY OPEN A TWO-GAME ROAD WEEKEND AGAINST INDIANA STATE. LIVE PREGAME COVERAGE FROM TERRE HAUTE BEGINS AT 4:45 HERE ON NEWS/TALK 1540 KXEL. ALSO IN SPORTS TODAY, THE PANTHER WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM OPENS THEIR DRAMATICALLY ALTERED SCHEDULE THIS EVENING AT DRAKE…THE IOWA HAWKEYE WRESTLING SQUAD IS ON THE ROAD TO VISIT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA…AND THE WATERLOO BLACK HAWKS PLAY THE SECOND OF SEVEN CONSECUTIVE GAMES AT YOUNG ARENA WHEN THEY MEET THE SIOUX CITY MUSKETEERS AT 7:05 P.M.
FORMER BUCHANAN COUNTY SHERIFF BILL WOLFGRAM HAS RIDDEN INTO THE SUNSET FOLLOWING MORE THAN THREE DECADES WORKING IN THE DEPARTMENT. WOLFGRAM IS NOW OFFICIALLY RETIRED. HE HAD BEEN THE COUNTY’S TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL SINCE 2004. NEW BUCHANAN COUNTY SHERIFF SCOTT BUZYNSKI WAS ELECTED IN NOVEMBER, RUNNING FOR THE OFFICE UNOPPOSED. BUZYNSKI WAS SWORN IN AT THE END OF DECEMBER. HE HAD ORIGINALLY JOINED THE DEPARTMENT IN 2001 AFTER SERVING AS AN INDEPENDENCE POLICE OFFICER BEFORE THAT.
IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST WAS ON HAND WEDNESDAY AS PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN TOOK HIS OATH OF OFFICE. ON THURSDAY MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, ERSNT OFFERED HER PERSPECTIVE ON THE BEGINNINGS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. ERNST ALSO SAID THAT SHE DOES NOT BELIEVE IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SHOULD CONTINUE NOW THAT HE IS OUT OF OFFICE. HEAR MORE FROM ERNST ON THAT ISSUE DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST. HER FULL INTERVIEW WITH KXEL’S JEFF STEIN IS AVAILABLE ON DEMAND ANYTIME AT KXEL.COM.
IN SPORTS…SOME SCHEDULING CHANGES. THE IOWA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL VISIT KANSAS ON FEBRUARY 11TH. THE CYCLONES’ PLANNED TRIP TO LAWRENCE COULD NOT BE MADE LAST SATURDAY DUE TO COVID-19 CASES RELATED TO THE JAYHAWKS PROGRAM. MEANWHILE, THE UNI FOOTBALL SCHEDULE HAS BEEN SHUFFLED DUE TO INDIANA STATE’S DECISION NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SPRING SCHEDULE. THE PANTHERS WILL PLAY IN THE UNI-DOME FEBRUARY 19TH, MARCH 6TH AND 20TH, AND APRIL 10TH.
