City To Close Recreational Trail To Make Repairs From Flooding Damage
(Le Mars) — Le Mars city officials gathered Monday morning to assess the damage that has occurred to city property and infrastructure as a result of the recent flood waters. City Administrator, Jason Vacura says the recreational trail will be closed for an undetermined time in order to make
the necessary repairs.
Vacura says he isn’t certain as to how long of time the recreational trail will be closed. But he says city officials want to make sure the trail will be safe before allowing the public to have access to the trail.
The city administrator is hoping that federal funds through FEMA can be used to help finance the repairs to the recreational trail, but he says city officials will first need to estimate the damages, along with the costs and time to repair the trail.
Vacura says city officials are still evaluating the city streets to determine if any damage may have occurred. He says there may need to be some shoulder repairs to both Marble and Mahogany Avenues.
Vacura says the Waste Water Treatment Plant was able to handle the additional water load from the flooding, and kept on operating without any major problems.
Big Sioux River Near Akron Is Receding
(Akron) — Near Akron, reports show the Big Sioux River has crested, and since Saturday has now been receding. Gary Horton is a county supervisor with the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors. He says due to levies and sandbagging efforts, the town of Akron was able to keep most of the water
from entering the downtown region.
Horton says this flood has been ranked as having higher flood waters than with past year’s floods. However, due to the work of the Akron Fire Department and the Akron City employees, they were able to keep most of the water at bay.
Horton says he has not heard of any reports from Akron residents with water in their basements. He says if there is water in basements, it may be due to the snow melt near a house, as opposed to rising flood waters.
Hamburg Is The Latest Town To Evacuate
(Hamburg) — The small southwestern Iowa town of Hamburg, near the Missouri border, is the latest town to be evacuated due to the flood. Hamburg’s water plant is among the latest victims of the floods of 2019. City officials were forced to shut the plant down Sunday night after floodwaters spread into the
community. Fremont County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Crecelius says critical problems developed when water over-topped the famed “Ditch 6” levee — a focal point of the 2011 flooding.
The big Hesco barriers have been set up in hopes of preventing water from getting further into Hamburg.
Hamburg officials are asking residents not to flush their toilets, and they’ve expressed fear the city may run out of water within 24 hours.
Crecelius says he hopes to secure a tanker truck for Grape Community Hospital in Hamburg and to secure water pallets for residents. Officials are also monitoring developments in Thurman, which was evacuated early Sunday after
floodwaters inched closer to the community.
Shelters in Hamburg have been relocated to nearby Sidney, Tabor and Shenandoah.
Cedar Rapids Bracing For Another Flood
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) -The flooding isn’t restricted to just western Iowa, portions of eastern Iowa are also bracing themselves for potential flooding.
Barriers have been placed to protect some Cedar Rapids neighborhoods from floodwaters.
The National Weather Service says the Cedar River is expected to crest later Monday at 18.5 feet (5.6 meters). That’s nearly 3 feet (1 meter) into what the service says is major flood stage but nearly 13 feet (4 meters) below the 2008 record of 31.1 feet (9.5 meters).
The sand-filled barriers are arrayed along the west side of the river.
Storm drains and manholes have been plugged in the neighborhoods.
Any flooding isn’t expected to reach houses and businesses.
Highway 75 Will Be Down To Two-Lane Travel Beginning April 1st
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – March 18, 2019 – Reconstruction work on U.S. 75 between Plymouth County Road C-80 near Sioux City, and Plymouth County Road C-60 near Hinton, requires shifting traffic into a head-to-head pattern in the southbound lanes to accommodate reconstruction of the northbound lanes
beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, April 1, until Thursday, Oct. 3, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 3 Office.
Left turns will be prohibited through the work zone during the construction.
Peterson Contractors, Inc. was awarded the $8.8 million contract for this project.
Sioux City Anxiously Awaiting Blue Ox To Pay Its Sewer Bill
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The city of Sioux City is waiting for a biofuels company to pay $77,500 in fines and explain why its Nebraska plant has exceeded daily limits on solids sent to the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Sioux City is seeking answers on why Big Ox Energy has surpassed daily limits of solids sent to the city’s wastewater treatment plant at least 33 times since June. A city official tells the Sioux City Journal that Big Ox
has mentioned equipment failures, but hasn’t provided a full explanation.
Murder Charges Filed Against Man Suspected Of Setting Fire To Apartment
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – A murder charge has been filed against a man accused of setting a Cedar Rapids apartment fire. Linn County District Court records say an amended criminal complaint with the new charge was filed Friday against 24-year-old Dallas Tullis, of Cedar Rapids. The new charge was prompted by the death of one of the tenants injured in the Feb. 28 fire.
