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Northeast Iowa flooding, dam collapse at Lake Delhi

July 25, 2010 By

Record flooding in the Manchester area this weekend caused the failure of the Lake Delhi Dam and the flooding of up to 300 homes around the lake. It also sent the Maquoketa River cascading toward the small downstream town of Hopkinton, prompting an evacuation.

Bob Galiher, a member of hte Lake Delhi Recreation Association board, stood near the dam as he talked with a reporter on Saturday afternoon. ”I don’t know what to tell you.  This roadway, and this is considered part of the dam, just gave away.  Yep, we’re losing our lake, but there’s a lot of folks that are in big trouble, not just us,” Galiher said.  “The water’s just having it’s way — that’s all there is to it.” 

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Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Weather

Undefeated Martensdale-St. Mary’s has “business-like” attitude

July 24, 2010 By

It’s a rarity in the sport of baseball but Martensdale-St. Mary’s has a chance to finish the season with a perfect record.

The top-ranked Blue Devils take a 40-0 mark into Saturday night’s matchup with AR-WE-VA in the opening round of the class 1A state tournament in Des Moines. 

“What more can you want, at this point?” says Martensdale-St.Marys coach Justin Dehmer. “…We’re very pleased where we’re at and we’re giving ourselves an opportunity to win a state title.”

The team won its conference.

“To be honest, it wasn’t much of a celebration,” Dehmer says.  “Even when we won district and the substate, it was more of a business-like thing where we took care of business and did what we needed to do…We’re still keeping our eyes on the prize, so to speak.”

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With:

A tornado plus more rain, flooding hit Iowa

July 24, 2010 By

Authorities say a dam is failing this morning along the Maquoketa River, near Delhi, causing more flooding downstream in places like Hopkinton and Monticello.  At about a quarter ’til seven an engineer monitoring the Hartwick Lake Dam south of Manchester reported the failure of an earthen berm next to the dam.

twister500

Photo by Justin Davey

A tornado touched down at about eight o’clock Friday night near Indianola in central Iowa, damaging property but no people.

Three-day rainfall amounts in the northeast quadrant of the state range from six to ten inches according to Dan Sheets of the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities.

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Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Weather

Explorers Lewis & Clark honored with fest in Council Bluffs

July 24, 2010 By

Council Bluffs is hosting what’s known as the Lewis & Clark White Catfish Camp this weekend. Jeff Morgan, spokesman for the State Historical Society of Iowa, says the events commemorate the Corps of Discovery explorers who made camp near Council Bluffs in 1804 during their historic journey up the Missouri River.

Morgan says there will be all sorts of family-friendly activites, including period re-enactors, speakers and educational opportunities about the exploits of the famed explorers, Lewis & Clark, more than two centuries ago. The events are all free and are underway at the Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs.

Butch Bouvier of Onawa will be offering free rides on his three-quarter scale replica keelboat, the image for which was used on the commemorative Lewis & Clark bicentennial coin. He says it makes for a fun day-trip for history lovers, kids and adults.

So, why is it called White Catfish Camp? In July 1804, when Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery made camp near present-day Council Bluffs. The five-day stop was an opportunity to repair equipment and make astronomical observations. On July 24 of that year, one of the explorers, Silas Goodrich, caught an albino catfish there, giving the camp its name.

Events are underway today and Sunday from 9-to-5 both days at the Western Historic Trails Center. Call (712) 366-4900 for full details.

Filed Under: Human Interest

Unemployment benefits reactivated for 16,000 Iowans

July 24, 2010 By

Around 16,000 Iowans who stopped receiving unemployment benefits since June 2 will start receiving more payments soon. An extension of emergency unemployment compensation was approved by Congress this week and Kerry Koonce, with Iowa Workforce Development, says eligible claimants in Iowa will be paid next week. “We’ll probably be the first state in the nation to get our payments out,” Koonce said. “Most states are expecting two to four weeks until they get it out but we’ve been anticipating (the extension) and getting our programming ready to go.”

Koonce says most people who stopped receiving benefits continued to file weekly reports which will speed delivery of their payments. “We’re going to push a payroll out on Monday,” Koonce said. “If they have direct deposit or the debit card, the payment should arrive Thursday or Friday. If they receive a paper check, those checks will go out on Wednesday and then it will just depend where they’re at in Iowa on the delivery time.”

Claimants who have not filed weekly reports since benefits were exhausted can begin adding those weeks next Tuesday. Those Iowans report their past weeks though an 800 number or online. Congress extended the benefits program through November 30.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Afton man gets home confinement for tax evasion

July 24, 2010 By

A southwest Iowa man has been sentenced to half-a-year of “home confinement” for income tax evasion.  

Forty-three-year-old Scott Eugene Mitchell of Afton ran a business called Central Iowa Amusements. Prosecutors say Mitchell hid profits he was making from the rental of Iowa Lottery “TouchPlay” machines in 2004, 2005 and 2006. TouchPlay machines had been placed in convenience stores and other businesses to sell Lottery tickets, but legislators yanked the machines in May of 2006 after complaints. 

Mitchell — the Afton man accused of tax evasion — has been sentenced to three years of probation and, for the first six months of that sentence, he is not to leave his home.  A judge has ordered Mitchell to pay the taxes he owes the federal government, too.  According to a news release from federal prosecutors, Mitchell’s back taxes could amount to about $150,000.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Champions crowned at State Softball Tourney

July 23, 2010 By

West Des Moines Valley scored four times in the bottom of the third as the Tigers downed top-ranked Des Moines East 5-1 in the class 4A championship contest.

Senior pitcher Emma Remy tossed a four hitter as Valley claimed its third title in four years. Janie Smith provided East with its only run of the game with a solo homer in the fifth.

In the Class 3A championship game Carlisle senior Jordan Gronewold tossed a four hitter and also drove in a pair of runs as the top rated Wildcats secured a 10-1 victory over Keokuk. Carlisle finished the season with a record of 38-2.

Conrad BCLUW made it two in a row in 2A.

Jamie Fisher tossed a three-hitter with 16 strikeouts and also drove in three runs as the top-ranked Comets earned a second straight class 2A title with a 9-0 victory over eighth-ranked Wayne of Corydon.

The game was never in doubt after the first inning when BCLUW sent 11 batters to the plate and scored eight runs. The Comets finish the season with a record of 41-3.

A one versus two showdown in the class 1A title contest went to top ranked Akron-Westfield.

The Westerners took advantage of three Newell-Fonda errors in the third inning to push cross three runs in a 5-1 victory. Jordan Harris tossed a two hit shutout and also helped her own cause with three hits as the Westerners finish the season with a mark of 37-1.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With:
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