Home News Wednesday News, July 3rd

Wednesday News, July 3rd

Floyd River And Willow Creek Floods After Heavy Rains

(Le Mars) — Heavy rains that fell on northwest Iowa Monday evening, 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 on Tuesday 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 last evening before the rains.
At 3:00 a.m. the river had risen to 14.8 feet. At 6:00 a.m. this 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. then yesterday afternoon, the Floyd River was beginning to recede as it was listed at 19.35 feet at 3:15 p.m.

 

 

Fire Destroys Assisted Living Facility At Rock Valley

(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.

 

 

Rock Valley Fire Chief Comments On Assisted Living Facility Fire

(Rock Valley) — Earlier this morning, I spoke with Rock Valley Fire Chief Brent Eshuis  about yesterday’s fire. Eshuis says the fire department was dispatched to the scene shortly after 6:00 a.m.

The Rock Valley fire chief says the assisted living building which was to open within the next couple of weeks had a sprinkler system, but unfortunately, it was not hooked up at the time of the fire.

Eshuis says officials from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the federal agency of ATF have been called to the scene to assist with the investigation of the cause and origin of the fire.

Eshuis says they are also looking at the possibility as to whether lightning may have played a role in starting the fire. Eshuis says he believes the fire may have been burning for several minutes prior to being notified of the burning structure. Many of the mutual aid firefighters from Sioux Center and Orange City were on the scene for more than four hours. However, the Rock Valley Fire Department remained at the scene until late Tuesday afternoon.

 

 

Iowa State Patrol Refuses To Comment On Trooper’s Moving Benefits

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 Victims Of 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.

 

 

Lawsuit Filed Against Physician 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 phone number for Casey wasn’t listed. His defense attorney didn’t immediately return a message.

 

 

Missouri River To Remain At High Levels All Summer Long

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.