The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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ROCK VALLEY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have been evacuating people from floodwaters because more heavy rain has fallen in and around a hard-hit northwest Iowa town. Rock Valley issued a mandatory evacuation order for northern parts of the city Sunday night, where the Rock River had left its banks. A post on the city’s Facebook site says the displaced are encouraged to find shelter at Faith Reformed Church on the south side of the city of about 3,300 residents.
A travel ban was issued because vehicle wakes were causing extra problems. The ban was lifted early this (Monday) morning. Crude oil from derailed railroad tank cars upstream added to the city misery. Officials say 14 of them leaked after Friday’s derailment near Doon, along the bloated Little Rock River, which merges with the Rock River nearby.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest just before 1-a.m. today (Monday), of Brandon Kammerer of Clarinda, for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Gathering Where Controlled Substances are Unlawfully Used. Three additional juveniles were cited into juvenile court. The names of the juveniles are being withheld due to their age. At around 2:20-a.m. Saturday, Adams County Deputies cited a 14 year old juvenile into Juvenile Court for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The juvenile was also cited for Minor in Possession of Tobacco.

And at around 4:40-a.m. Sunday, Adams County Deputies arrested Michael Archer, of Corning, for Simple Assault.

Police in Red Oak made an arrest Sunday, in connection with damage to a motor vehicle that took place Saturday. 38-year old Luke Daniel Rinehart, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 9:12-p.m. in the 300 block of 2nd Avenue, for Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree. Rinehart was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

A series of farmer roundtable meetings opens today (Monday) for members of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Lisa Cassady, spokeswoman for the Johnston-based organization, says the grassroots meetings are important so farmers’ concerns can be heard at all levels.

“They are one of the key parts of our policy development process,” Cassady says. “They’re happening in locations throughout the state.” Roundtable meetings are being held today in Le Mars, Ogden and Sheffield, and tomorrow (Tuesday) in Grinnell, Red Oak and Oxford Junction. More talks are planned July 11th in Mount Pleasant, Emmetsburg and Denison and July 12th in Albia, Creston and Fayette. At the gatherings, Cassady says growers can bring up any issues that are impacting their operations.

“Those policies will be brought forward and approved at the roundtable meetings and then they’ll go on to the annual ICGA Grassroots Summit which will be held on August 24th and 25th,” she says. That summit will be held in Des Moines.
www.iowacorn.org

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:50 a.m. CDT

(Bloomfield) — A child is dead and another person was injured, when they were struck by a vehicle while walking on 180th Street in Davis County, west of Drakesville, Sunday night. The Iowa State Patrol said 9-year old Merlin Beechy, of Drakesville died at the scene. Nathan Beechy, whose age was not given, was flown by helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. The incident happened as the victims were walking west on the eastbound side of 180th Stree, at around 9:50-p.m., Sunday. The vehicle which struck the victims did not stop.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Republicans have moved aggressively to block city and county government actions since winning control of both legislative chambers two years ago. That’s left local officials frustrated but matches a trend seen in other states with single-party control. Legislators in Iowa last year overturned already-enacted minimum wage increases in three counties, and this year they passed an immigration enforcement law threatening local governments with the loss of funding if they refuse to comply.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say a child has died after being found in a Des Moines lake. Officers and firefighters were called to Gray’s Lake on Saturday evening after a 6-year-old child was reported missing. The girl had been playing with her family, who thought she might be in the water. Police say firefighters started a search and quickly found the girl. They tried to resuscitate the child and rushed her to a hospital, where she died.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — The excess methane that Dubuque officials used to just burn at the city’s wastewater treatment plant is now being converted into natural gas. The Telegraph Herald reports Dubuque was already using about 75 percent of the methane produced at the plant that was built in 2016 to power and heat the facility.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says sandbars along part of the Missouri River are again closed to protect the nests of endangered bird species. The Corps says endangered interior least terns and threatened piping plovers nest on sandbars between Ft. Peck Dam in Montana and Ponca State Park in Nebraska.

An unnamed juvenile from Houghton, died during an UTV accident Sunday morning in southeast Iowa’s Lee County. The Iowa State Patrol reports the youth, who was a passenger on the machine, was thrown off a 2018 Polaris Ranger, a little after 9-a.m., and suffered fatal injuries. The UTV was traveling north on Pilot Grove Road when the accident occurred. The incident remains under investigation.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — The excess methane that Dubuque officials used to just burn at the city’s wastewater treatment plant is now being converted into natural gas. The Telegraph Herald reports Dubuque was already using about 75 percent of the methane produced at the plant that was built in 2016 to power and heat the facility.

The new equipment will convert the remaining methane into natural gas. Dubuque City Council member Ric Jones says this project will help reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions while also generating energy.

After the methane is converted by some of BioResource Development’s equipment, the natural gas is sent to Black Hills Energy to be distributed.

DOON, Iowa (AP) — Crews are working to contain and clean up crude that spilled when an oil train derailed in northwestern Iowa. BNSF railroad spokesman Andy Williams says workers have unloaded oil from 10 of the oil tank cars that didn’t leak after Friday’s derailment. Officials have said 14 of the 32 cars that derailed in Lyon County leaked oil.

Officials say 230,000 gallons spilled. Roughly 100,000 gallons has been contained with booms in a low-lying area filled with floodwaters near the derailment.

Cities downstream from the spill are monitoring their water systems. Workers will continue unloading oil from the rest of the cars and removing them from the area over the next several days. It wasn’t immediately clear Sunday how long the effort will take.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Bricks from the University of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium have proven to be a popular souvenir for Hawkeye fans when there is construction on the facility. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports Bravo Sports Marketing is selling bricks from the stadium with a commemorative plaque for $99 apiece.

The company acquired about 8,000 bricks from the stadium after a 2004 renovation and sold them all quickly. So Bravo Sports’ Dave Gallagher says it was natural for the company to bid on 1,200 bricks that were available last summer.

The bricks were all washed with a special detergent, dried and given a special plaque. They all come with a certificate of authenticity from the university. Only about 400 remain available.