Harlan Mayor Gene Gettys said Wednesday, that “Due to heavy rains 6^th Street will be temporarily closed from Chatburn Avenue to Walnut Street. And, Exchange Street from Pine Street to the bridge will remain closed. He apologized for the inconvenience.

Police in Council Bluffs were called Wednesday to the Hub Trampoline Park at 7 S.4th Street, in reference to an accident where a vehicle struck a building. An investigation determined the vehicle was going east, hit a parking meter in the 400 block of 1st Ave and crossed 4th St hitting the building.

photo courtesy Council Bluffs P-D

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Mark Armstrong of Crescent, Iowa. He was transported to a local hospital by ambulance for observation. The vehicle had minor damage and the business sustained about $5000 in damage. There were children in the building at the time, however, no one was injured. Charges are pending against the driver.

The main entrance at Cass County Health System will be closed on Thursday, July 4th for maintenance work and repairs. Hospital officials say all visitors and patients should use the Emergency Department entrance.

The Atlantic Medical Center and most clinics will be closed in observance of the holiday. As always, the Emergency Department will remain open 24/7.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa –Weather forecasters have indicated the chance for widespread rainfall over the next five days in the Missouri River Basin. Current river forecasts estimate an additional 1.6’of river rise as a result. The crest of this latest rise is anticipated around 7a.m. on July 5th. Emergency Management and County Roads officials in Pottawattamie County are advising that some residents in the northwest portion of the county could have access to their homes cut off or limited during this rise, once again.

Residents south of Rosewood Road and 145thStreet could be impacted by this latest river level increase. Currently, the intersection of Rosewood and 145this inundated with water and will likely remain so until levees in northern Pottawattamie County are repaired, as well as areas at the southern portion of Meadowlark Loop. Sumac Road and 152ndStreet may also be over-topped during this upcoming river level increase.

Pott. County Emergency Management Director Doug Reed, says “We want people in the areas still impacted by ongoing flooding to be aware of the potential over the next few days and take appropriate action now, in case safe access to your property is hindered or completely shut-off from this next round of flooding.”

With the potential for additional flooding and isolated thunderstorm chances over the holiday week, all residents should remain weather-aware and take heed to warnings issued by the National Weather Service. Free alerts can be obtained by signing up for Pottawattamie Alert! at www.pottcounty-ia.gov.

Residents are also reminded that the deadline to file for FEMA assistance related to the flooding disaster has been extended to July 16th.

(Radio Iowa) — Fireworks, love ’em or hate ’em, they’re a big part of how Iowans mark the 4th of July. Iowa’s largest home insurer is urging everyone who plans to celebrate the holiday with a bang to use extreme caution. James Walford, a State Farm agent in Des Moines, says in addition to the risk of injury, there’s also a significant fire hazard from fireworks — and it’s vital to have your policy up-to-date.

“If you were to cause damage to your own home, that would be covered under State Farm’s property damage on your homeowner’s policy,” Walford says. “If you were to cause damage to your neighbor’s property, they would actually use their own homeowner’s coverage to cover that damage.”

If the fire damage to a home is significant, the case may quickly evolve into a lawsuit based on negligence and other factors. As far as insurance, a house fire caused by fireworks may be considered much like any other disaster that’s the result of a storm or flood.

“If my tree falls on your property, you’re using your homeowner’s policy,” Walford says. “Sometimes it comes down to, what’s your relationship with your neighbor? Is this a lawsuit thing? Is this a ‘I’ll use my policy but pay my deductible?’ so, it can get interesting.” The way the fine print reads, the homeowner would have to pay a deductible — perhaps $500 or $1,000 — for damage to their own home that was caused by a neighbor’s fireworks.

“It can catch people by surprise,” Walford says. “I’m big on education. That’s the value of having a local agent is staying informed and understanding how your policy works.” State Farm says there are nearly 20,000 reports of fireworks-associated fires every year nationwide and another 13,000 injuries. Last year, a northeast Iowa teenager died after setting off fireworks that exploded on the ground instead of in the air in rural Waverly.

Harlan Mayor Gene Gettys reports “Due to heavy rains 6^th Street will be temporarily closed from Chatburn Avenue to Walnut Street,” today (Wednesday).