Officials with the City of Elk Horn said Monday, that a Drinking Water Advisory is currently in effect. The Elk Horn Water Supply is recommending to boil the water before using for drinking or to use an alternative source. Officials say the Elk Horn Water Supply had a problem in the water plant and the system lost pressure on Monday, August 20th, 2018. Due to the potential for bacterial contamination, it is being recommended that the water be boiled before using for drinking or cooking or that an alternative source be used.

IT IS RECOMMENDED NOT TO DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. The water may be used for bathing and other similar purposes.

For more information, please contact the City of Elk Horn at 712-250-1273 or 712-249-6025. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.

When water service is restored, there may be air in your water piping and the water may be discolored. It is recommended to run the first water from a faucet that does not have an aerator screen, such as a bathtub or hose bib. Open the faucet slowly to allow the air to escape. Once the water is flowing, allow the faucet to run until it is clear. The water may be cloudy at first due to air in the water or particles that dislodged as the pipes filled with water. This should clear fairly quickly. If water is cloudy throughout the house and it does not clear after allowing the water to run for several minutes, contact the person listed above.

The system has been repaired, repressurized, and bacteria samples will be collected. This advisory is a precaution until bacterial sample results are available. You will be notified when the results are available and the advisory is lifted. The system is working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to resolve the situation.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report two arrests took place, Monday. At around 8:30-p.m., 28-year old Mildred Helenora Douglas, of Red Oak, was arrested on a valid Red Oak Police Dept. warrant for Domestic Violence/1st offense. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 cash bond. And, at around 5:40-p.m., Deputies arrested 38-year old Christopher Mickel Mattingly, of Red Oak, for Violation of a Protective Order. He was also being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 cash bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A Waterloo woman has been charged with murder in the house fire deaths of a mother and her son. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports police on Monday charged 41-year-old Denise Susanna O’Brien with two counts of first-degree murder. The charges stem from an April 22 house fire that killed Ashley Smith and her 9-year-old son, Jaykwon Sallis. Court records show a restraining order barred O’Brien from going to the house, where she was involved in a dispute with a resident.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Fair has set a record for attendance at the annual 11-day event in Des Moines. Fair officials say an estimated 1,130,260 people attended the fair that ended Sunday. That topped the previous record set in 2017 by 189 people. Attendance was a bit behind the 2017 mark but moved ahead thanks to pleasant weather over the weekend. The fair also set a record for Grandstand concert attendance, with the biggest draw being the 15,775 people who attend a Thomas Rhett concert on Aug. 15.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa (AP) — Racers and others have been answering the call from an 11-year-old Iowa boy who wants auto racing stickers to cover his casket after he dies from leukemia. Caleb Hammond’s uncle, Chris Playle, told The Des Moines Register that his family brought him home to Oskaloosa after determining that the painful hospital treatments he’d been undergoing weren’t working and other options offered little hope. He says the stickers pouring in from social media appeals have helped keep everyone’s spirits up.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Fair has set a record for attendance at the annual 11-day event in Des Moines. Fair officials say an estimated 1,130,260 people attended the fair that ended Sunday. That topped the previous record set in 2017 by 189 people.

Attendance was a bit behind the 2017 mark but moved ahead thanks to pleasant weather over the weekend. The fair also set a record for Grandstand concert attendance, with the biggest draw being the 15,775 people who attend a Thomas Rhett concert on Aug. 15.

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors, Monday, approved the ordering of playground equipment for the west side of the Schildberg Recreation Area (SRA), near the Shelter House. Parks & Rec Director Seth Staashelm said part of the next step in the development of the SRA is the inclusion of playground equipment. Miracle Recreation Equipment of Monett, MO., is having a sale on playground equipment, according to Staashelm.

Atlantic Parks & Rec Board meeting, 8-20-18

The equipment he was looking at has a 65-to 75 capacity for the younger kids and costs $16, 899, which is in-line with the Parks Department’s budget of $25,000. It will include a slide, monkey bars, balance beam-type steps, pull-up bars, swing sets and two-to three spring-type rides (with animal characters, etc,). A formed plastic rock climbing wall had been considered, but its cost and the risk of having it be vandalized by spray painters made it less appealing to the Board and Staashelm, for that matter. The price tag allows for the installation of required rubberized-type fall material that protects against injuries.

He said also, an Eagle Scout Boat, Joseph Barkley, of Omaha, was planning to construct a kayak launch project for the boat ramp area near the wastewater treatment plant in Atlantic. But those plans had to be scrubbed because they had apparently never been given permission by the DNR to place a launch near the river. Still, the Scout constructed parking lot signage and refurbished a picnic table. The signs were hand-made, and include access points to the East Nishnabotna River.

Staashelm said work is still being planned for the Sunnyside Park entrance sign, which he said “Will be large,” once it’s finished. He said they are “So getting close to (finally) getting started on [the project]. They’re working with Central Western Fabricators for the metal arch that will be 14-feet tall for truck clearance. Landscaping and other features will be added soon thereafter.

(DES MOINES) – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds received word today (Monday) that President Donald Trump approved her request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration for 30 counties impacted by flooding and severe weather from June 6-July 2, 2018.

The counties included in the declaration are: Adair, Buchanan, Buena Vista, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Clay, Dallas, Delaware, Dickinson, Emmet, Floyd, Hamilton, Hancock, Howard, Humboldt, Kossuth, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Polk, Sioux, Story, Warren, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek and Wright.

The declaration will provide federal funding to the included counties under the Public Assistance Program. A Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance puts into motion long-term federal recovery programs, some of which are partially matched by state programs, and designed to help public entities and select non-profits.

Public Assistance funds may be used for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities and may include debris removal, emergency protective measures, repair of damaged public property, loans needed by communities for essential government functions and grants for public schools. Damage assessments in the seven declared counties showed an estimated $16 million worth of damage that could be eligible under the Public Assistance Program.

The governor also received notification that the Presidential Disaster Declaration includes funding to conduct hazard mitigation activities for the entire state. With this funding, Iowa will be able to minimize the impact of future disasters by taking steps to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural hazards.

The governor requested the declaration on Aug. 1st.