LE MARS FLOOD IMPACTS
The Le Mars city council heard a report on flood impacts at their meeting Tuesday. Fire Rescue Chief Dave Schipper said the main concern was keeping the city waste treatment plant in operation during the flood. He said the employees there were isolated at the facility for a while, but kept operations going, and the flood did not overwhelm the city’s waste treatment system. The golf course and campground were swamped, but flood waters have for the most part been removed, and as of Tuesday, 18 holes were open for golf. The city airport had flooding as well, but the fire department cleaned the runway, and they were back in operation within days of the flood. The police department was sandbagged, and that kept water back at that location. Schipper says they await FEMA teams to arrive, so they can assess damages to the agency. All in all, there were perhaps a dozen homes that were affected by water within and without the city limits. There were no injuries, and two people had to be rescued when water quickly covered Highway 3 on the west side of town. Schipper said city employees knew their jobs and performed them well during the flood.
FEMA CENTER OPENS IN ROCK VALLEY
FEMA will open a disaster recovery center today in Rock Valley.
It opens at 1 p.m. at the city park shelter house. Hours today are 1 to 6 p.m. After that, they will be open daily from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. until further notice. They will be open on the Fourth of July.
Recovery specialists from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration will provide information on available services, explain disaster assistance programs and help people complete or check the status of applications for federal assistance.
185TH CLEANING UP SIOUX RAPIDS
Members of Sioux City’s 185th Air National Guard refueling wing have been in Sioux Rapids cleaning up debris caused by recent flooding.
The 185th and Des Moines’ 132nd wing sent 30 airmen to Sioux Rapids.
Major Daniel Ress of the 185th says National Guard airmen are working in conjunction with local civil authorities to ensure the safety of the public by cordoning off streets as the airmen operate their vehicles and equipment:
[clip]
185flood1 oc…….makes a difference. :24
185th airmen such as Staff Sergeant Seth Stamm are loading debris brought by residents aboard dump trucks so residents can attempt to return to living in their homes:
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185flood2 oc………difference for them. :11
One of those affected residents is Eric Boge, a local high school teacher:
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185flood3 oc………phenomenal. :12
Iowa National Guard airmen are also working in affected areas of Woodbury, Cherokee, Ida, and Buena Vista counties.
Airmen taking part in this mission primarily come from their unit’s civil engineering squadrons.
The volunteer guard team is expected to be on duty through the independence holiday week and even the holiday if necessary to assist with recovery efforts.
FEDERAL FUNDS OKAYED FOR IOWA DAIRIES HIT BY BIRD FLU
Iowa dairy producers who’ve been impacted by bird flu can now apply for federal emergency funding. The U-S-D-A expanded its Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm Raised Fish Program to help cover lost profits from the virus. Dairy farmers are required to discard milk from sick cows to prevent the spread of pathogens. Matt Russell, executive director of U-S-D-A-Iowa Farm Service Agency, says expanding the program supports dairy farmers and creates an incentive to get tested. To be eligible, Russell says producers need a positive test result from the National Veterinary Services Laboratories.
REYNOLDS FILLS 16 OF 33 SLOTS IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PANEL
Governor Kim Reynolds has filled dozens of positions on state boards and commissions, including the board that helps set policy for the state agency that handles unemployment benefits. There are 33 members on the State Workforce Development Board and Reynolds has filled 16 open positions. The governor has appointed Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell, Iowa Federation of Labor president Charlie Wishman and Iowa Restaurant Association president and C-E-O Jessica Dunker to the board. An O’Brien County supervisor and an executive at a marketing company in Forest City are also among the Workforce board’s members.
