Truck Wheel Catches On Fire
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department had a busy weekend, responding to seven different calls since Friday. The last call happened Sunday evening at about 10:05 p.m. when a semi-truck and trailer that had caught on fire. The truck was travelling on Highway 75 south near the Highway 3 exit. Fire chief Dave Schipper says it was the Le Mars Police that had noticed the back dual wheel that was on fire.
Schipper says once the fire was out, the fire department helped escort the semi truck loaded with hogs to the exit near the Wells corporate offices. A second semi truck had arrived to transfer the hogs from one truck to the other.
Schipper says the livestock trailer did not sustain much damage, other than the wheel axle and tire. He says the load of hogs were doing fine. Schipper says the truck was based from Missouri.
RAGBRAI Day One: Orange City To Spencer
(Primghar) — Day one of RAGBRAI produced nice weather for the thousands of bicyclists that left Orange City on their way to Spencer. A gentle breeze prevailed, along with cooler temperatures in the 80’s made for nearly ideal conditions to ride a bike. Many of the riders say they have been on previous RAGBRAI rides including Pat Baldwin who hails from near Tulsa, Oklahoma. Baldwin says this year’s ride is his tenth ride across Iowa. He says he enjoys Iowa’s countryside, its people, and meeting old and new friends.
Cindy Deitz is traveling with Baldwin, but this marks her first ever RAGBRAI ride. She says she got started riding a bike just over year ago. Deitz says it was Baldwin who convinced her to try RAGBRAI. She says besides meeting people, she is anxious about trying the various foods.
Deitz and Baldwin admit Iowa has more hills than they ever imagined, prior to riding a bicycle across the state.
Baldwin reflects on his first RAGBRAI ride, and how he was surprised by the topography of Iowa.
Deitz says besides all the different foods, she talks about what else she is looking forward to during her first visit to the Hawkeye state.
Dana Pottabaum of rural Granville decided the bicyclists would need a chance to cool down from their ride, so she constructed a modified swimming pool, capable of holding up to 2000 gallons of water and consisting of hay bales and a plastic tarp. In addition, Pottabaum also provided a “slip and slide” and an obstacle course to offer the bikers some fun during their ride.
Pottabaum wasn’t certain as to how many bicyclists took advantage of the added recreational activities. She says it could number the hundreds. Pottabaum says it was a last minute decision to create the water recreation.
Martin Pauley was seen riding his bicycle carrying a German flag waving in the breeze. Pauley now lives in Iowa, but grew up in Germany. Like Pat Baldwin, this is Pauley’s tenth time to participate on RAGBRAI. He says he keeps coming back to ride on RAGBRAI because it is a week without any scheduled time
commitments, and its a week where he feels like he can relax. The native German says throughout the years, he has met several other international visitors participating on RAGBRAI.
According to authorities, there was one emergency incident that occurred during the first day of RAGBRAI. Vince Kurtz with the Iowa State Patrol says the incident occurred early in the morning, and early in the ride.
Kurtz classified the first day as being a “positive day.”
Sioux City Police Investigates Fatal Stabbing Incident
(Sioux City) — Sioux City Police are searching for a suspect wanted in a fatal stabbing Sunday afternoon.
Officers were called to 506 22nd Street just after 3p.m. where they found that 36 year old Vincent Walker of Winnebago, Nebraska had been stabbed several times during a confrontation between several people outside of the residence.
Walker was taken to Mercy Medical Center where he later died from his injuries.
Police have issued an arrest warrant for a suspect they have identified as 29 year old Daniel D. Levering.
Levering is 5’6” tall and 145 pounds with brown eyes and a bald shaven head.
He is to be considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information about the suspect should call law enforcement immediately.
Truck Driver’s Body Found In River
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) – The body of a truck driver who crashed into the Wapsipinicon River near Independence in eastern Iowa has been found.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports (https://bit.ly/2tC20WV ) the body of Michael Wallace was found in the river over the weekend. The 58-year-old was a resident of Hazelcrest, Illinois.
Wallace’s delivery truck was found by kayakers Friday morning. It was mostly submerged with no sign of the driver.
The Iowa State Patrol is still investigating the circumstances of the crash.
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Motorcycles Have Head-on Collision
LINEVILLE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say two people have died in the head-on collision of their motorcycles in southern Iowa.
The accident occurred around 10 p.m. Saturday a few miles northwest of Lineville.
The Iowa State Patrol says 29-year-old Alex Naylor was headed south on the wrong side of a gravel road when he crashed into a northbound motorcycle driven by 33-year-old Cody Evans.
Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. The patrol says Naylor lived in Lineville, Evans in Altoona.
The collision is being investigated.
