AP top news in Iowa at 4:58 p.m. CDT

Associated Press

6:01 PM EDT, July 25, 2008

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union has named a new executive director.

Mike Dick will begin his duties as the union's executive director on Aug. 1. Dick has served as an associate director of the union for six years.

He is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and received his Masters' degree from Drake University.

Dick was a teacher and coach before joining the athletic union in 2002.

He replaces Troy Dannen who left in June to become athletic director at the University of Northern Iowa.

------ Centerville to meet Harlan in 3A championship game

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Centerville's Patrick Harshman wasn't overpowering, just effective.

Harshman checked West Delaware's potent lineup on four hits in pitching Centerville to a 2-0 victory Friday and into the Class 3A state championship game.

Centerville (31-7) reached the finals for the first time since winning the state championship in 1988 and will play Harlan for the title on Saturday night. Harlan (30-5), the state champion in 1996 and 2003, advanced with a 4-3 victory over Dallas Center-Grimes.

West Delaware (39-4), the top seed in the 3A field and the defending champion, entered the tournament batting .356 and had scored at least 10 runs 31 times this season, including a 13-0 rout of Cedar Rapids Xavier in Tuesday's quarterfinals.

But the Hawks struggled to get anything going against Harshman (13-1), who pitched his second complete game of the tournament. When they did get a couple of baserunners, the Centerville left-hander made the pitches he needed to get out of trouble and keep the Hawks scoreless, the first time they've been shut out this season.

Twice West Delaware came away with nothing after putting runners on first and second with no outs. The Hawks left the bases loaded in the sixth inning.

Harshman struck out only one but had the West Delaware batters swinging under the ball, getting 12 outs on fly balls or popups.

------ Carp leads to smelly problem in Clear Lake

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) -- An increase in carp is causing a smelly problem for some Clear Lake residents.

This year's wet weather has caused more water to flow from the lake into Clear Creek, and that has pushed more carp into the stream.

The carp are so plentiful that people are using bows and arrows, spears and even their bare hands to catch them. That's legal, but often the fish are then being left on the shore to rot. That's littering and not legal.

The stench has become annoying to more responsible anglers and residents.

"You can hardly walk around there because of the smell," said Tammy Boeshart, who has lived along Clear Creek for 27 years. "It's not the kids that go in with their little fishing poles to have fun. It's the ones who are there with their bows and take the sport out of fishing."

Two 12-year-old anglers, Kristian Cordes and Gabe Craighton, go fishing in Clear Creek most days. They've also grown tired of the people who catch fish, then leave them on the bank to rot.