Hinton’s Kinsey Bak competes in the 100 hurdles during the War Eagle Conference track meet in gt. Bluff Tuesday, April 29, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal) Click here for more photos

Last weekend is was sunburn. This weekend it’s frostbite. My first assignment was Explorers baseball practice at 10 a.m. and there was still ice on the field when I got there. At least I was too busy today to get too cold. Check out my photo galleries from the Explorers as well as Bandits football and Morningside vs Briar Cliff baseball.

Sioux City quarterback Chad Kapanui grabs the face mask of Bloomington’s Blue Aldridge as he carries on the keeper during Bandits arena football action at the Tyson Events Center Saturday, April 26, 2008.(Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Briar Cliff’s Chris Davis slides past Morninside’s Jason Wysong as he steals second during baseball action at Lewis and Clark Park Saturday, April 26, 2008.(Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Alex Llanos fields the ball during Explorers baseball practice at Lewis and Clark Park Saturday, April 26, 2008.(Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Traffic slows on the southbound lane of Interstate 29 near the Iowa/South Dakota border as drivers stop to change flat tires. About 30 cars received flat tires after metal debris was dumped on the road. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

If you weren’t driving on Interstate 29 going from South Dakota to Iowa this afternoon, consider yourself lucky. Around 30 cars got flat tires after a truck accidentally spilled metal debris onto the road.

Our editor received a tip saying that 60 cars (a slight exaggeration) had flat tires from nails (well, close) dumped on the road, so he asked me to go check it out. My first thought was “Yeah, right. Like I want to be driving anywhere near there and joining the herd of cars with flat tires.” But I stayed off the lane with all the flats and took the long way back just too be safe.

You can read more about it in Molly Montag’s story and you can see more photos in my gallery.

Rachel Lykken, rural Alcester, waves to people driving past as Hyperion protesters carry signs in front of the Elk Point Hyperion office during an Earth Day demonstration Tuesday, April 22, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

I’m a big fan of solar and wind power. I’m all for renewable energy sources. And I also wouldn’t be a fan of having an oil refinery built in my back yard. But I also don’t want to pay $4.00/gallon for gas.

And as I was covering a protest at the Hyperion office in Elk Point today I noticed there were plenty of signs saying “Solar Yes,” “Wind Yes,” “Oil No.” But I didn’t notice any protesters arriving in solar or wind powered cars.

Click here for more photos from the protest.

Bandits football player Spetlar Tongs levels ground for a new sidewalk at the Lori Lukken home in Sgt. Bluff Sunday, April 20, 2008. Members of the Lawton-Bronson football team and the Sioux City Bandits worked with local contractors at the Lukken home to begin a local “Extreme Makeover” effort to make the home more suited for sons Tony, 25, and Billy Lukken, 17. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal) Read more about it in Tim Gallagher’s column and see more photos in my gallery.

North’s Rachael Fischer takes the hand-off from Nicole Benzoni in the 4×800 during the Sioux City Relays at Olsen Stadium Saturday, April 19, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Got my first sunburn of the season today during the Sioux City Relays. Couldn’t ask for a better day for a track meet. But my face and arms are red and I’m sure I’ll be feeling it in the morning.

Lots of great action at the relays. Check out the gallery for more photos.

Buena Vista’s Eric Bertelsen and Chris Rowedder celebrate their win in the 4×200 during the Sioux City Relays at Olsen Stadium Saturday, April 19, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Morningside’s Megan Tuttle looks up after steeling second during softball action at Briar Cliff University Monday, April 15, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

I think spring is finally here. Today I got to shoot a softball game and a track meet and there was no snow. It felt great to be out in the sun. Now if we could just turn down the wind a bit.

When I was making my first edit I almost passed up the photo of Megan Tuttle at second. The shot was after the action was already over, but then I looked closer at her expression and decided that one was a keeper.

I posted photo galleries from both softball and the City track meet.

West’s Gabriel Williams crosses the finish line in the 100 during the City track meet at Olsen Stadium Monday, April 15, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Firefighters from Moville, Bronson and Lawton battle a fire at Country Foods in downtown Moville Monday evening, April 14, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Big fire in Moville tonight. When I got there it didn’t look all that bad, but it was spreading quickly. The photo below shows what the scene looked like shortly after I got there shortly after 8:30 p.m. The photo above was about 40 minutes later. There were three fire departments on the scene while I was there. I had to head back to the office to make deadline, but three more fire departments were called in after I left.

I have a photo gallery posted and make sure you check out Tuesday Journal and our website for more news from the fire.

Sheri Hineman flies a kite at Bacon Creek Park Sunday, April 13, 2008, while at a reunion picnic with the Morninigside College’s Mission Team, a group of 22 people who went to New Orleans during spring break to do volunteer work. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday I’m photographing people in the snow, today I’m photographing people flying kites. Let’s hope spring is here to stay.

Liberty Income tax worker Dustin Origer waves to drivers along Hamilton Boulevard as snow falls in Sioux City Saturday, April 12, 2008.

Somebody needs to go up to Mother Nature and whack her along side the head. It’s April. Stop snowing!

I realize it’s possible to get blizzards through May, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. At least the forecast looks good for next week. And I hope it is, I’m scheduled to shoot 3 track meets next week and they are so much more fun when it’s sunny and warm outside.