The Catholic Diocese Of Des Moines is implementing a policy to create a separation between church and sports.

Bishop Richard Pates has approved a policy at the requests of the priests council that would prohibit any Catholic school from holding activities not related to religious services or religious education on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings.

The diocese in Sioux City and Dubuque leave it up to the schools to set restrictions and officials says most schools have some type of rule.

Bishop Pates says a young person confronted with the possibility of playing sports or going to church would naturally want to play sports, and the puts pressure on the parents that want them to go to church.

Pates says the Catholic church isn't the only one facing the issue and he plans to seek support from the larger religious community.

Pates says it is important to keep the church's place within the family along with the other activities.

Story information from Radio Iowa

MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY AND PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE IN THE NAME OF AMERICA'S FREEDOM WERE HONORED ACROSS THE COUNTRY MONDAY.

LOCALLY, TWO SERVICES WERE HELD IN SIOUX CITY. MORNINGSIDE LEGION POST 697 HONORED FALLEN HEROES IN A MORNING CEREMONY AT FLOYD CEMETARY WHICH ENDED WITH A 21 GUN SALUTE AND THE PLAYING  OF TAPS.

MONAHAN AMERICAN LEGION POST # 64 HELD THEIR OBSERVANCE AT MEMORIAL PARK CEMETARY AT NOON. 

THAT CEREMONY HAD A RIDERS FLAG ESCORT AND MUSIC FEATURING JILL MILLER.

A 76-year-old man has died in a house explosion in Onawa. Fire crews were called to the home about 11:30 p.m. Saturday.

When they arrive, the house was engulfed in flames. Firefighters found the man's body in the basement of the home after the fire was put out.

He was identified by police as Richard Collison. The state fire marshal in investigating the cause of the fire.

A contract extension is on the table for the Argosy riverboat casino in Sioux City.

The nonprofit group that holds the license has offered the casino owner a 30-month extension of the 20-year agreement that expires July 7.

Talks have stalled on a long-term deal between Penn National Gaming and Missouri River Historical Development.

State regulators say without an agreement, the casino could close, jeopardizing over
300 jobs.
    

The nonprofit group's board of directors voted Thursday to offer the extension, which would run through March 2015. Penn has until July 6 to accept it.

The two sides are to appear before the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission on June 7.