http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/ames/ Ames, IA News http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/ames/content/596f76579d5b7f1570d4cf8c75d2a805.html There's nothing wrong with PeteyHe's kind playful affectionate house broken and he loves the stuffed duck he carries aroundThere are only two reasons why Petey an English Pointer might still be at the Humane Society of North Central Iowa shelter his home for more than a yearOne he's big Two he's not a puppy anymore http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/ames/content/60f39f22c0ef14f87657a7476052b545.html Associated Press September 4 2008 5:14 PM ET AMES Iowa AP Iowa State University officials say the school will be awarded 20 million to establish an international biorenewable research http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/ames/content/064e10c0ab6280915106b9cb90933d45.html Maria Kline is a shining example of what life in a small town is all about http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/ames/content/baa30e774573a43ff3bb2ad2cec2151b.html MASON CITY Last season Mason City finished third at the state meet with 184 points behind fellow CIML Iowa foes West Des Moines Valley and Marshalltown http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/ames/content/1e5b375f0e68ebb72f08e0c2a854fb8b.html Harsh weather conditions in the past seven months have resulted in the reduction of the Iowa pheasant population by 32 percent a wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources told The Des Moines Register on Wednesday http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/ames/content/b4e1b9cddc65d24a5087a83fe0730cfe.html Jensen http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/ames/content/9e6e1d4b2cde1da113f0cb949750fe07.html AMES and8212; For Iowa State's Sedrick Johnson playing immediately was as easy as 123Hustle play hard my ability to jump Johnson counted offOK it's a little more complicated than that The lanky wide receiver also brings size 6feet4 soft hands and a good attitude And he obviously was intelligent enough and disciplined enough to learn the offense and do what he's toldPut all that together and you've got a freshman who's ready to play That would be Johnson who came in with a ton of hype and already has made his presence knownThough he caught only one pass in the Cyclones' seasonopening victory over South Dakota State it was a dandy and8212; a leaping grab of a Phillip Bates toss in the end zone to finish a 14yard playJohnson had a simple explanation for that tooI know Phillip threw a good ball he said All I was thinking about was Don't drop the ball' It was a good ball All I had to do was jump up and get itThat jumping up and getting it part is one reason Johnson was such a highly regarded prospect coming out of Arp High School in East Texas where he caught 24 touchdown passes his last two seasons He also played basketball there and the young man has some hopsJohnson's vertical leap was measured at 41 inches in high school After a few weeks working out with the Cyclones he said he's up to 42 inches now Think of it this way: If he went to a basketball court stood under the basket and jumped the top of his head would come within 2 inches of the rimThat's getting up there And take it from Bates it's comforting to have a receiver like that when the Cyclones get close to the goal lineIt's big Bates said He's a big target and can go up and get it He just makes playsBefore making that play Johnson had to calm down The pregame jitters got to him and he needed some help from fellow receiver Marquis HamiltonI was a little bit scared Johnson said I got to play the first time I was out there I had to get reminded from Marquis what to doISU lured Johnson away from Texas AandM which might have kept him if coach Dennis Franchione hadn't been dumped He became the prime catch of Coach Gene Chizik's second recruiting class then faced the daunting task of living up to the hypeJohnson handled it by ignoring itI really don't pay too much attention to it he said That's high school Now I'm in college It's time to move on to new thingsHe seems to be adhering to those words Johnson comes across as a modest sincere individual who understands that college is a new ballgame altogetherEverybody's good in college he said You always stay humble You just try to do the best you can in collegeJohnson is one example of Chizik's effort to bring in more athleticism mainly by working the recruiting trail hard in Texas and Florida The Cyclones have 19 players from Texas and 18 from FloridaThat leads to a friendly rivalry between the two groups who are outnumbered only by the 42 Iowans on the teamWe all come together but we still have little arguments over which one's the best state Johnson said It's been a lot of fun playing with all these guys from Texas and FloridaSo Sedrick which state produces the best playersYou no doubt can guess his answerOf course Texas he said flashing a wide smileWith the attention he's getting Johnson has more than just the eyes of Texas on him http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/iowa/ames/content/f709cc5b59a46e1b0cbd0f20f08c7a3e.html Associated Press September 3 2008 8:44 PM ET AMES Iowa AP Switchgrass has been a buzzword in renewable fuels for awhile but Iowa State University Researchers say miscanthus may be the