Hinton Fire Department Responds To Grass Fire
(Hinton) — The Hinton Fire Department had to respond to a grass fire last evening that was caused by fireworks. The fire was reported at about 10:50 p.m. and was located in the far southwest corner of the county at 22807 County Road C-80. Hinton Fire officials were on the scene for approximately an hour.
Remsen Continues To Celebrate Quasquicentennial
(Remsen) — The town of Remsen enters its third day of celebrating its Quasquicentennial. Today, may be considered as its busiest day with school tours for both Remsen-Union and Remsen St. Mary’s. Karen Harnack serves as the co-chair for the festivities and summarizes today’s events.
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Harnack says the parade is already having several entries, including the Shriner’s from northwest Iowa and northeast Nebraska.
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Danika Portz is a hometown girl, originally from Remsen, who has been able to become a country-western singer with recording contracts in Nashville. Sunday, is when the German-Luxemborg community wraps up its 125th anniversary celebration. Harnack says the events begin with a breakfast at the EMT building located on Fulton Street.
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A word about today’s parade, it is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. and will start at the Remsen-Union school and wind its way through town and finish on the west end near Mid-Sioux Opportunities.
Fire Destroys Audubon Downtown Building
(Audubon) — Firefighters from Audubon plus more than a half-dozen other communities responded to the scene of a structure fire in downtown Audubon early Friday afternoon. Audubon Fire Chief John Ballou says the fire at 310 Broadway Street was reported at around noon. He said there was a little confusion at first because the noon whistle sounded at about the same time as the fire sirens were going off.
The Chief said when they arrived there was a fire on the second floor and smoke coming from the windows. The upper floor of the building was said to have been vacant. Audubon Mayor Sam Kauffman says the lower floor was a former daycare center, but currently, was being used primarily for storage of documents and other items.
Crews from Adair, Atlantic, Brayton, Exira, Manning and Templeton all responded with mutual aid. Atlantic sent it’s ladder truck,while Templeton and Manning sent their tankers. A semi tanker loaded with water provided by a local farmer also was at the scene. Ballou said it was fortunate that several of the fire trucks had just been in Exira for the City’s 4th of July parade, and were able to respond quickly.
The flames were pretty much knocked down by around 3:30 pm, but a rekindle was reported just after 4-p.m. The roof, upper floor and part of the 1st floor eventually collapsed into the basement. The structure was considered a total loss. A business in an adjacent building sustained water damage. No injuries were reported. A cause of the blaze was not immediately available. An inspector with the State Fire Marshal’s Office is expected to be in Audubon Saturday, to try and determine the source of the fire.
Our thanks to radio station KJAN of Atlantic for providing the details of the fire.
Mississippi River Crests At Davenport Causing Flooding
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – Flooding concerns have eased in much of eastern Iowa as the Mississippi River crests at Davenport.
Officials are now turning their attention to points south along the river in Missouri and Illinois.
The National Weather Service reports that the Mississippi River at Davenport crested Friday at 20.89 feet – well above the 15-foot flood stage. That level is expected to drop starting Saturday to below 18 feet by Thursday.
Along the river in northern Missouri, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing for flooding next week.
Corps civil engineer Davor Karic says most of the areas of concern are north of St. Louis.
Corps officials had expected to close Lock and Dam 24 north of St. Louis to navigation Friday, but later moved the projected closure to Sunday.
Charles City Man Dies From Bicycle Accident
CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) – A bicyclist has died in a crash with a car in north-central Iowa.
An Iowa State Patrol report that says 55-year-old Brian Guy Lauterbach, of Charles City, died after being hit by a car as he rode his bicycle Thursday night.
Investigators say Lauterbach was eastbound on Highway 14 about five miles west of Charles City when he was hit about 8:30 p.m.
Authorities say a 16-year-old boy from Rockford was driving the car that hit Lauterbach’s bicycle.
Officials say Lauterbach was taken to Floyd County Hospital, where he died. The State Patrol did not say whether the driver had been charged in the crash.
Council Bluffs Woman Arrested For Stabbing Ex-Boy Friend
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Homicide police in Council Bluffs are investigating what’s being described as the stabbing death of a man on the city’s west side, and a woman has been arrested in the case.
Police were sent to the area for a report of a possible stabbing or shooting around midnight Friday.
Police say officers found a man in his 50s with cuts to his neck. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he died.
A woman described as a one-time girlfriend of the man has been arrested.
