Planned Parenthood: Iowa closings a financial move

June 7th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Planned Parenthood of the Heartland says its decision to close two southern Iowa facilities was financially driven and wasn’t influenced by the efforts of abortion rights opponents who regularly protest outside those locations and others.

The Iowa-based affiliate, which also serves Arkansas, Nebraska and eastern Oklahoma, will close facilities in the communities of Red Oak and Creston effective June 18, after officials determined the centers each averaged about one patient per month. Spokeswoman Angie Remington calls it a “fiscal efficiency issue.”

The announcement comes around the time Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, the affiliate based in Oregon, announced plans to close three facilities in the region and reduce staff. Planned Parenthood Federation of America says affiliates operate independently from the national group and that there was no directive to close facilities.

Posted in News |

Sioux City looks to lose plastic bags

News

June 7th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials in Sioux City are considering a local law to cut down on litter from plastic shopping bags. The Sioux City Journal reports that details have yet to be worked out, but a possible ordinance likely would not contain an outright ban on plastic bags. Instead, the city could impose a fee on plastic bags or encourage retailers to issue reusable bags.

City environmental services analyst Melissa Campbell says any restrictions might affect only larger, corporate businesses at first. Campbell says the push to create an ordinance began after people complained to her office about plastic bags getting stuck in fences and trees and littering streets and parks.

Posted in News |

Flood Outlook: Nodaway River at Clarinda

Weather

June 7th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

157 PM CDT SAT JUN 7 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK FOR POTENTIAL RIVER FLOODING ON THE NODAWAY RIVER IN SOUTHWEST IOWA…

AN AVERAGE OF TWO AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN THE NODAWAY BASIN.

THE NODAWAY RIVER AT CLARINDA…..

* AT 1:45 PM SATURDAY THE STAGE WAS 21.2 FEET.

* FLOOD STAGE IS 23.0 FEET.

* NO FLOODING IS OCCURRING…AND NO FLOODING IS FORECAST.

* FORECAST…THE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO CREST JUST BELOW

FLOOD STAGE. HOWEVER IF A FLUCTUATION OF ONLY A FEW INCHES IS SEEN…MINOR FLOODING WILL OCCUR ALONG THE BANKS OF THE NODAWAY RIVER NEAR CLARINDA.

Posted in Weather |

Bible-themed park organizers decline state money

News

June 7th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Organizers of a planned Christian-themed park in Sioux City have declined a $140,000 public grant to avoid a controversy that arose after the grant was announced last month. Garry Smith, a member of The Shepherd’s Garden board, tells the Sioux City Journal that the group didn’t want to be in the middle of a lawsuit over the grant.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, of Madison, Wisconsin, complained last month about funding the Christian-themed park with public money from Vision Iowa. The group said the grant violated the U.S. and Iowa constitutions. Smith says the group’s objection prompted private donors to come forward, and now the project doesn’t need state money.

Smith says the $810,000 park is still on track for completion in the fall.

Posted in News |

Flash Flood Warning: Western Adams County

Weather

June 7th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA

1124 AM CDT SAT JUN 7 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR…WESTERN ADAMS COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA…UNTIL 230 PM CDT.

* AT 1122 AM CDT…DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN ACROSS WESTERN ADAMS COUNTY BETWEEN CARBON AND NODAWAY WITH UP TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN HAVING ALREADY FALLEN. FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE…NODAWAY AND CARBON. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND 1 INCH MAY BE POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON IN THE WARNED AREA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND NOW. ACT QUICKLY TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE. TURN AROUND…DONT DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES. PLEASE REPORT FLOODING TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

Posted in Weather |

Small Stream Flood Advisory: Page & Montgomery Counties

Weather

June 7th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

1004 AM CDT SAT JUN 7 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR…NORTHERN PAGE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA…MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA… UNTIL 1200 PM CDT

* AT 959 AM CDT…TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED HEAVY RAIN IN MONTGOMERY AND NORTHERN PAGE COUNTIES THAT WAS BEGINNING TO CAUSE SMALL STREAM FLOODING AND MINOR FLOODING OF ROADWAYS. OVER TWO INCHES OF RAIN HAVE ALREADY FALLEN IN SOME AREAS.

* SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE…RED OAK…VILLISCA…ESSEX…STANTON…ELLIOTT…GRANT…COBURG…HEPBURN…PIERCE RECREATION AREA AND VIKING LAKE STATE PARK.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF UP TO AN INCH IS POSSIBLE OVER THE AREA. THIS ADDITIONAL RAIN WILL CAUSE MINOR FLOODING. WATER IS FILLING UP DRAINAGE DITCHES AND IS UP TO THE ROADWAY ALONG HIGHWAY 34 AND IN THE VIKING LAKE AREA.

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING STREAMS AND DRAINAGES…MIDDLE NODAWAY RIVER TRIBUTARY…WEST NODAWAY RIVER…SIN CREEK TRIBUTARY…MIDDLE NODAWAY RIVER…RAMP CREEK…TARKIO RIVER…EAST NISHNABOTNA RIVER… LITTLE TARKIO CREEK…RED OAK CREEK…DUNNS CREEK…SEVENMILE CREEK…NEELE BRANCH…EAST TARKIO CREEK TRIBUTARY…CLARKS BRANCH… WEST NODAWAY RIVER TRIBUTARY…EAST TARKIO CREEK…SEVEN MILE CREEK TRIBUTARY…WOLF RUN AND WEST TARKIO CREEK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS…AS WELL AS FARM AND COUNTRY ROADS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL ACROSS FLOODED ROADS. FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

Posted in Weather |

Brief heavy rain possible this morning

Weather

June 7th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

COUNTIES: CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS- MONROE-WAPELLO-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS-

904 AM CDT SAT JUN 7 2014 …BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE THIS MORNING...

AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTH THROUGH SOUTHERN IOWA OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE. MOST SITES HAVE BEEN PICKING UP A QUICK HALF INCH TO ONE INCH AS THE INITIAL LINE OF STORMS MOVES THROUGH…WITH RAINFALL TOTALS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS.

Posted in Weather |