Public Works Officials Close 4th Avenue SW
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Street Department has closed 4th Avenue Southwest where the storm sewer culvert goes under the road. They will be tearing out the street to fix the undermining that is causing the street to settle. In addition, city officials have announced the 15th Street SW closure between 2nd Avenue SW and 3rd Avenue SW will be back open on Friday, August 21st at 12:00 noon.
Nelson Joins Floyd Valley Health Care Physical Therapy
(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Healthcare announces the addition of Megan Nelson, PT, DPT to the Floyd Valley Therapies staff.
Megan Nelson received her Bachelor’s Degrees in Biology and Chemistry from Central College in Pella, IA. She went on to receive her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Des Moines University. Megan brings with her 11 years of hospital experience with her including working in skilled care, long-term
care centers, outpatient, aquatic therapy and home health. In addition, Nelson also enjoys vestibular rehabilitation and women’s health.
Northwestern College Will No Longer Require ACT/SAT Tests Scores
ORANGE CITY — Northwestern College of Orange City is waiving the ACT/SAT score requirement for this year’s high school seniors who apply to the college.
Jackie Davis, Northwestern’s dean of admissions says “We know it’s been and will continue to be a difficult year for all students. Some high school seniors haven’t had the chance to take the ACT or SAT, so we’ve removed that as a requirement. Any high school senior can apply, and their acceptance will be based on their high school GPA. We’re revising our academic scholarship
model to do the same GPA-only calculation.”
Northwestern College’s academic honors scholarships, which range from $8,000 to $18,000, have historically been based on students’ GPA plus their standardized test scores. This year, students will have the option of basing their academic scholarship on their GPA only or on a combination of their GPA
and test scores if they’ve been able to take the ACT or SAT. (Test scores may still be required for some extracurricular eligibility, such as participation in intercollegiate athletics, as currently required by the NAIA.)
“Reporting scores, even if you have them, will be optional,” says Davis.
“We’ll consider your GPA only or your GPA plus your test score and use whichever measurement gives you the best academic scholarship.
“We just want to remove even one worry for our incoming class if we can,” Davis says.
Eastern Iowa Residents Still Without Power
(Marshalltown) — Eight days after the derecho now and more than 47-thousand Iowa homes are still without power, as residents continue cleaning up fallen trees and limbs. In Marshalltown, an estimated 56-hundred Alliant Energy
customers remain without electricity. Brigitte Narreau (BRIJ-it NARE-oh) is running a generator outside her home to power her husband’s oxygen machine and to keep the house cool.
“You can live without TV but if it’s hot, you have problems,”
Narreau says. “See, I had a heart attack when I was 47 so when you sit around with no power, that’s bad.” Marshalltown officials says more homes and businesses were damaged by the derecho than the tornado that struck two years ago. In Clinton, a mobile community resource center was set up in a city park to provide ice for people to preserve food, but now, storm survivors can get
pizza, produce, milk and meat. Clinton Mayor Scott Maddasion (MAD-ah-sun) says one of the most important services being offered to people without power is charging stations.
“There are so many things that are run off technology now, dialysis machines and different medical devices,” Maddasion says. “We had some folks down there charging those types of devices so that they could take them home and use them when needed.” He hopes the response to last week’s
storm will help them respond to severe weather in the future. “Sometimes in Iowa, we feel like we’re not as prone to some of these hurricane-type winds because we’re in the Midwest, but they came through,” Maddasion says. “I definitely want to put this on our radar so that
we continue to have a plan in place.” The resource center in Clinton is a collaboration of the city and county, plus Mercy One hospital, and Information Referral Assistance Services.
Crops Within the Derecho Zone Look Worse Today Then They Did Immediately After The Storm
(Nevada) — The corn and soybeans growing in central and eastern Iowa have gone from being listed as good to excellent condition, prior to last week’s derecho storm, to now being listed as poor to fair condition. But is there any chance some of those crops may show signs of some recovery? Megan Anderson serves as the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach crops
specialist for central Iowa and says many of the damaged crops look worse today than it did a week ago immediately following the wind storm.
Anderson seems to believe the damaged soybeans in central Iowa may have a chance for some recovery.
Although Anderson says the farmers in her region most likely will not have a crop to harvest this fall, they will be given some compensation because most of the farmers have crop insurance. Anderson says perhaps a more immediate concern are the storage facilities that have been destroyed.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly from April through November.
“It’s been one week since the catastrophic derecho hit Iowa. There were 57 counties in the path of the storm, with 36 counties experiencing severe crop damage. There was also significant structural damage to grain storage facilities,” said Secretary Naig. “Clean-up continues and farmers are working with their crop insurance adjusters and agronomists to gain a better insight into the yield impact of the storm.”
Corn was 81% in the dough stage or beyond, almost 2 weeks ahead of the previous year and 5 days ahead of the 5-year average. Just over one-quarter of the corn crop is in or beyond dent stage, 11 days ahead of the previous year and 3 days ahead of average. Corn condition rated 59% good to excellent, a drop of 10 percentage points from the previous week and the lowest level this crop season. Soybeans were 97% blooming or beyond, 3 days ahead of average. Soybeans setting pods were over 2 weeks ahead of last year and 1 week ahead of average at 90%. Soybean condition fell again this week, and the crop is now rated 62% good to excellent, the lowest level so far this season.
State Fire Training Center Moves To Camp Dodge
(Des Moines) — The organization which trains Iowa firefighters has moved from Ames to new facilities at Camp Dodge in Johnston. Fire Service Training Bureau Chief John Kraemer, says the new facility is 95-hundred square feet and houses their offices, equipment and has classrooms.
The National Guard has an area known as “container city” where
they can train.
He says the Fire Service Institute outgrew its facility in Ames as the types of training required expanded from basic firefighting techniques.
He says they hold an annual fire school that got started through a need for more training.
Kraemer says it’s particularly important for a state where the majority of firefighters are volunteers.
Kraemer says the new site also allows them space to store the various trailers and displays that are used for firefighter education. The new facility was celebrated with a ribbon cutting last week.
