Home News Saturday News, December 29

Saturday News, December 29

SIOUX CITY’S SOUTHERN HILLS MALL IS LOSING ITS MAJOR EASTSIDE ANCHOR DEPARTMENT STORE AT THE END OF THIS COMING MARCH .  SEARS ANNOUNCED FRIDAY AFTERNOON THE CLOSING OF EIGHTY MORE SEARS AND K MART STORES AROUND THE COUNTRY INCLUDING SIOUX CITY, OMAHA, AND LINCOLN STORES.  A LIQUIDATION SALE WILL BEGIN AT THE STORES IN TWO WEEKS.  THE ADJOINING AUTO CENTER WILL ALSO BE CLOSING.  THE PREVIOUS CLOSING OF YOUNKERS IN AUGUST LEAVES ONLY THE J.C.PENNEY STORE AS THE  REMAINING ANCHOR ON THE WESTSIDE OF THE SOUTHERN HILLS MALL.

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A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER FROM LAWTON, IOWA WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO RESPOND TO THE SCENE WHEN A SMALL PLANE CRASHED IN A SIOUX FALLS NEIGHBORHOOD ON THURSDAY.  AMY NIEWOHNER (NEE-WONNER) WAS VISITING RELATIVES TWO HOUSES AWAY FROM WHERE THE SMALL PLANE STRUCK THE GROUND AND BURST INTO FLAMES.

NIEWOHNER’S FIREFIGHTER TRAINING THEN TOOK OVER AS SHE RAN TO THE CRASH TO CHECK FOR SURVIVORS.

SHE WAS JOINED BY ANOTHER NEIGHBOR WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AND THEY STARTED CHECKING NEARBY HOMES TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE WAS INJURED.

SIOUX FALLS FIRE CREWS SHOWED UP A FEW MOMENTS LATER AND BEGAN FIGHTING THE BLAZE WITHING 10 MINUTES OF THE CRASH.  NIEWOHNER SAYS IT’S WAS MIRACULOUS THAT MORE PEOPLE WERN’T INJURED.

THE CRASH ON TUESDAY KILLED 68-YEAR-OLD VAUGHN AND JOANN MEYER OF SIOUX FALLS.

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FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE IDENTIFIED ONE OF THE VICTIMS IN THURSDAY’S EXPLOSION AT THE SIOUX CITY LANDFILL.  60-YEAR-OLD ROBERT BIEDERMAN SUSTAINED BURN INJURIES IN THE EXPLOSION AT THE OFFICE AND RECEIVING BUILDING.  HE IS HOSPITALIZED IN SERIOUS BUT STABLE CONDITION AT AN AREA HOSPITAL WITH THE SECOND UNIDENTIFIED MALE VICTIM.  BOTH ARE EMPLOYEES OF GILL HAULING, WHICH OPERATES THE LANDFILL.  THE LANDFILL REMAINS CLOSED WHILE DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING IS ASSESSED AND THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION IS DETERMINED.    SIOUX CITY RESIDENTS MAY BRING BULKY WASTE, ELECTRONICS AND APPLIANCES TO THE L.P. GILL LANDFILL OFF HIGHWAY 20 NEAR JACKSON, NEBRASKA IN THE INTERIM.

 

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MOST OF SIOUX CITY’S CONE PARK  WILL RE-OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TODAY (FRIDAY) FOR TUBING AND ICE SKATING.  CITY PARKS OFFICIALS SAY ENOUGH SNOW WAS MADE OVERNIGHT FOR THE MAIN TUBING HILL TO RE-OPEN FOR ALL REGULARLY SCHEDULED SESSIONS TODAY.  THE WIND WAS NOT BLOWING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR THE BLUE BUNNY HILL THOUGH, SO THAT SECTION OF THE PARK REMAINS CLOSED.  THE PARK HOPES TO RE-OPEN THE BLUE BUNNY HILL ON SATURDAY.