Rock Valley Assisted Living Center Destroyed By Fire
(Rock Valley) — A major fire broke out Tuesday morning in Rock Valley at a newly constructed assisted living residence facility. Fire was reported shortly after 6:00 a.m. The Riverview Ridge Living Center, according to Rock Valley Police Chief Monte Warburton, was to be dedicated later this month.
Warburton says four different fire departments responded to the blaze.
Firefighters were on the scene for more than four and a half hours. The Rock Valley Police Chief says flames were shooting through the roof when he had arrived on the scene.
There were no injuries associated with the fire. Fire officials are still conducting their investigation as to the cause and origin of the fire. The building has been totally destroyed.
Local Rivers Rise To Flood Stage Following Heavy Rains
(Le Mars) — Heavy rains fell on northwest Iowa Monday evening, which has caused local rivers to rise, and even begin to flood. Le Mars Fire Chief Dave Schipper has been monitoring the Floyd River and the Willow Creek. He says both, the Floyd River and the Willow Creek have overflowed their banks.
Schipper says north of Le Mars, areas received between three and four inches of rain, which has made the Floyd River bank full. The most recent round of flooding has also adversely affected the Willow Creek Golf Course.
Schipper says the residents living near the golf course are still able to travel into town, and the 4th Avenue northeast road hasn’t been affected by the rising waters.
The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Chief says this time around there is limited amount of debris within the flood waters.
Schipper says the Floyd River was at 11.9 feet Monday evening before the rains.
At 3:00 a.m. the river had risen to 14.8 feet. At 6:00 a.m. Tuesday morning the measurement on the Floyd River was at 17.8 feet. It rose to a peak of 19.4 feet at 12:15 p.m. this afternoon, and the latest measurement shows the Floyd
River is beginning to recede as it was listed at 19.35 feet at 3:15 p.m.
Lawsuit Filed Against Physican Assistant For Sexual Abuse
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa woman has filed a lawsuit alleging that a physician assistant engaged in a sexual relationship with her while treating her for mental health problems.
The lawsuit alleges that physician assistant Mervin Casey IV of Fort Dodge sexually exploited the patient and mishandled prescription drugs.
Casey is serving a one-year suspension after reporting himself to the Iowa Board of Physician Assistants for an inappropriate relationship with a patient outside the clinic. But he has applied for license reinstatement. A hearing’s set for July 17.
The lawsuit filed Friday alleges Casey began texting the woman and the two developed a relationship after he started treating her at a UnityPoint clinic in November 2017 for panic attacks, depression and other illnesses.
Casey pleaded guilty last year to misdemeanor charges of obstructing a prosecution and unlawfully possessing Adderall. He was sentenced to probation.
The lawsuit alleges Casey, 32, improperly administered oxycodone to the woman outside his practice.
A Second Dead Body Found At Iowa City
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Police say another body has been found in Iowa City.
The first body was found in Ralston Creek around 6:45 a.m. Monday, and police say the second was found around 2:45 p.m. Monday. The second was found at a makeshift campsite under a U.S. Highway 6 bridge.
Authorities haven’t released the names of either person or other details about the deaths.
No arrests have been reported.
Iowa State Patrol Concludes Its Investigation Of Trooper Move
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa State Patrol is refusing to release the findings of its investigation into a supervisor whose residency and receipt of $40,000 in relocation benefits were challenged.
Patrol spokesman Nathan Ludwig said Tuesday that the investigation into Lt. Joel Ehler is completed but that the findings are completely confidential.
Ehler declined comment when contacted at his office in Council Bluffs, where he remains the patrol’s district manager.
The patrol opened the investigation after an anonymous complaint in May alleged that Ehler didn’t fully relocate when he was transferred to Council Bluffs in 2017 as required by department policy. Ludwig pledged then the patrol would investigate “the allegation and all surrounding facts and circumstances.”
Records obtained by The Associated Press show Ehler received $40,000 in relocation benefits to sell his Adel home in 2018 and move after the transfer. But instead of moving toward Council Bluffs, Ehler began claiming a new home in West Des Moines as his home for tax purposes.
Ehler has told the department that he was also renting a place near Council Bluffs, but the complaint alleged he wasn’t there on weekends as required.
Florida Man Agrees To Repay Clients After Pyramid Scheme
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Florida man accused of operating a pyramid scheme that cost 17 Iowans about $51,000 has agreed to repay the money and is prohibited from participating in any business operation involving mail or phone solicitations in the state.
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said Tuesday he investigated Jhon Palacio, who also goes by the name Richard Diamond Sr., after receiving complaints.
Palacio, of Lake Worth, Florida, sent out mailers to Iowans telling them for $750 they could be part of a money-making scheme that would generate $5,000 a week.
Miller says Iowa consumers paid thousands of dollars and received no returns.
Palacio denied the allegations but agreed to refund the money and pay $5,000 to a state consumer education and litigation fund.
The agreement between Miller and Palacio was documented in an order signed by a state court judge on June 30.
Ernst Opponent Raises More Than $625,000
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Democrat Theresa Greenfield has raised more than $625,000 for her campaign against Republican Sen. Joni Ernst in less than a month since launching her bid.
Greenfield, a Des Moines-area businesswoman who touts her rural roots as the daughter of a farmer, announced her campaign for Senate on June 3. Her campaign emphasized its grassroots support in its first fundraising report, touting that 85% of her contributions were $100 or less and that she’s received contributions from 96 of Iowa’s 99 counties.
Greenfield is one of three Democrats competing to take on Ernst. She has received endorsements from national and local Democratic groups.
A handful of surveys have shown Ernst enjoying a positive approval rating from Iowans, but she remains a top target for national Democrats.
Missouri River Likely To Remain High Through The Summer
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The amount of water flowing into the lower Missouri River will remain high throughout the summer and fall, and that water will likely continue to exacerbate flooding downstream.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it plans to keep releases from Gavins Point Dam on the Nebraska-South Dakota border near current levels – which are more than double the average amount.
The high releases will likely continue worsening flooding downstream – in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas – where many levees were damaged during severe March flooding.
Officials say the releases of 70,000 cubic feet per second of water are needed because the upstream reservoirs remain quite full. The amount of water entering the dams in June was 159 percent of normal, and it has been a wet year.
