(Fort Atkinson, Iowa) – Authorities in Winneshiek County report one person died during a collision Monday afternoon between a tractor and a train. The accident happened at around 2:30-p.m. in the vicinity of Highway 24 and 128th Street, in Fort Atkinson.
The name of the crash victim was not immediately released. The accident remains under investigation by the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office and officials with the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Today: Sunny, with a high near 78. Winds S/SW @ 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. South wind around 5 mph.
Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 82. S/SW wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 84.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.
Monday’s High in Atlantic was 73. The Low was 30. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 73 and the Low was 34. The Record High in Atlantic on Oct. 8th was 93 in 1893. The Record Low was 19 in 1908 & 2000. Sunrise: 7:24. Sunset: 6:50.
(Radio Iowa) – Election Day is four weeks away, but the leaders of both of Iowa’s major political parties are urging their fellow partisans to vote early. Governor Kim Reynolds and Senator Joni Ernst have helped the Iowa G-O-P fund an early voting effort. “This election is going to be about turnout, it’s going to be about turnout, it’s going to be about turnout.” Reynolds says the goal is to “bank” as many early votes as possible. “So that we can take the limited resources that we have, be more efficient with those limited resources and do everything we can to get more people to the polls.”
The Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart notes the party’s website lists “early in person” as the recommended way to vote in 2024. “And then go out and get three of your friends, all of your neighbors, everybody you know to do that same thing,” Hart said at a recent fundraiser. Kira Barker is executive director of Polk County Democrats. She says they’ve delivered a placard that lists all the deadlines for absentee ballots, early voting and election day voting to 140-thousand doors in Iowa’s largest county.
“This cycle we have been laser focused on field work,” Barker said, “…in every precinct in the county.” October 16th is the the first day Iowans may vote at county auditors’ offices. It’s also the day county auditors may begin mailing absentee ballots to voters who requested one.
DES MOINES — A boil advisory was issued Monday for the communities of Greenfield, Fontanelle and Orient in Adair County following a water main break. Schools in the County will have bottled water on-hand for students and staff until the advisory is lifted.
The incident happened around 4:00 p.m. when a contractor hit a 10 inch main near the Greenfield city water tower, resulting in pressure loss. City officials isolated the leak, and repairs are underway. Once repairs are completed the affected area will be disinfected and flushed.
Along with the City of Greenfield, Greenfield Municipal Utilities (GMU) also supplies the Southern Iowa Rural Water Association (SIRWA) #1 – Greenfield and the City of Fontanelle with drinking water. Additionally, the City of Orient receives its water from SIRWA #1 – Greenfield.
Officials have notified affected residents through city Facebook pages and postings in public locations. Customers are encouraged to boil water that will be consumed or used for food preparation. Water should be boiled for two minutes and allowed to cool before use. Water is safe to use for showering, laundry, general washing and outdoor use without boiling.
Bacteria samples will be collected for testing. The boil advisory will be lifted when bacterial samples have tested negative for bacteria.
(Des Moines, Iowa) – More than half of Iowa soybeans and nearly a quarter of the state’s corn have been harvested as of Monday’s crop report. The warm and dry weather from September persisted into October and led to increased drought and burn bans across the state. The Iowa Capital Dispatch says the crop report shows Iowa farmers harvested 31% of the state’s soybeans acreage during the reporting period of Sept. 30 through Oct. 6, bringing the total acres harvested to 58%. Harvest percentages for corn harvested for grain doubled from last week, with 22% of the crop harvested and 90% reaching maturity.
The state climatologist report for the same period said the Iowa saw a high temperature of 96 degrees Fahrenheit (reported in Atlantic) and a statewide average rainfall of 0.10 inches, or 0.64 inches below normal. The majority of topsoil and subsoil moisture rated short or very short, and a persistent decline in pasture conditions gave producers concern about water for livestock.
A small portion of west central Iowa moved from moderate drought to severe drought conditions over the span of a week, and more than 90% of the state remains in abnormally dry or worse conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. These conditions increased the likelihood of fires, especially on combines and other field equipment as it gets hot. The crop progress and condition report for the week said several combine and equipment fires were reported.
State Fire Marshal Dan Wood said he didn’t have a report of the number of equipment fires from the past week, but said 46 Iowa counties are in a burn ban. He urged Iowans, and farmers, to be cautious around things that could start a fire. “Make sure that farmers are trying to keep their combines and tractors cleaned off of debris and stuff, especially the parts that get hot,” Wood said.
Iowa has 46 active burn bans, represented by a flame icon on the map, as of Monday. (Map courtesy of Iowa State Fire Marshal)
He said folks should take care to properly dispose of cigarettes during these dry, windy conditions, and call in anything they see smoking on the side of the road.
(Radio Iowa) – Efforts to reach an agreement on a new contract to end the strike at a Cargill corn processing plant in Cedar Rapids have failed to make any headway. The business agent for the local Teamsters chapter at the Cedar Rapids plant, Scott Punteney, says the company is busing in workers from other plants to continue production and has not responded to the union’s request to negotiate.
“We haven’t heard from them, and we’ve reached out through a federal mediator to try to resume talks. So we’re willing to talk whenever we were willing to talk the very next day after the strike happened,” he says.
The union’s three-year contract with Cargill expired last week. Punteney said workers are seeking a wage increase of more than three dollars an hour and are prepared to strike until the company meets their demands. He said striking workers are paid from a union fund to cover basic living expenses. Cargill has not responded to requests for comment. Punteney made his comments on the Iowa Public Radio Program, River to River.
(Radio Iowa) – University of Iowa Health Care announced plans today (Monday) to buy a clinical cancer practice. The U-I Healthcare plans to buy Mission Cancer plus Blood’s more than 20 community clinics across Iowa, saying it will create a comprehensive state-wide cancer care network.
The Iowa Board of Regents will hold a special meeting Tuesday to discuss the proposed purchase that includes equipment, inventory, workforce, supplies, and active business operations for 280 million dollars.
Some of the facilities involved are in Des Moines, Ankeny, Pella, Oskaloosa, Fort Dodge and Grinnell.
(Creston, Iowa) – Three people were hurt in two separate crashes today (Monday), in Creston. According to Creston Police, one of the accidents happened at around 11:15-a.m. on southbound Sumner Street, when 17-year-old Brynn Tussey, of Creston, attempted to turn east into the Casey’s Store, as she was driving a 2017 GMC Acadia (SUV). 
When the SUV turned in front of a northbound 2022 Toyota Corolla, driven by 40-year-old Clarke Howe, of Creston, the SUV was struck and came to rest on the side of the road. The car came to rest in the Casey’s driveway. Creston Police say both drivers complained of pain following the crash. Tussey was flown by EMS Air to the Greater Regional Medical Center (GRMC) in Creston. Howe was transported to the hospital by ambulance. Damage from the accident amounted to a police estimated $13,000. Both vehicles were a total loss.
The second crash happened at around 1:50-p.m. at the intersection of Lincoln Street and Highway 25, in Creston. Police say a 2016 GMC Acadia SUV driven by 47-year-old Megan Ann Andreasen, of Prescott, was traveling southbound when it entered the intersection, and was collided with a westbound 2016 Chrysler Town & Country van driven by 85-year-old Patricia Elaine Mielk, of Carroll.
Witnesses told police they saw the SUV enter the intersection under a red light. Following the impact, the SUV spun and collided again with the van before hitting a sign and a fence. The SUV came to rest on the shoulder at the northeast side of the road. Patricia Mielk complained of pain and was transported by ambulance to the GRMC. 
The van was a total loss, while the SUV sustained “functional damage.” The total amount of damage from the collision was a police estimated $21,500 (including damage to a church sign and the fence).
Creston Police said there were no citations issued in either crash, as of the latest report.
(Clinton County, Iowa) – A collision this (Monday) morning in eastern Iowa resulted in the deaths of three juveniles. Three other people were injured. The Iowa State Patrol says the accident happened in the 3700 block of the outside lane of eastbound Highway 30, when a 1999 Jeep that was stopped in the lane for reasons unknown, was hit from behind by a 2023 Dodge 4500 pickup truck. The accident took place at around 9:20-a.m.
The impact caused the Jeep to be enter the south ditch, where it came to rest. The pickup came to rest on the south shoulder of the road.
Authorities say the three juveniles died from their injuries. None of them was wearing a seat belt. The driver of the pickup was transported by Clinton Fire to Mercy Hospital in Clinton. The driver of the Jeep, who was not wearing a seat belt. They were transported to helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics. A passenger in the Jeep, who was not wearing a seat belt, was also transported to the UIHC.
No names have been released at this time. The crash remains under investigation.
The return of Payton Sandfort is a key as the Iowa Hawkeye men look to make a retun to the NCAA Tournament. Sandfort returns for his senior season after testing the NBA Draft. Sandfort averaged nearly 16 and a half points and more than six and a half rebounds as a junior.
That’s Iowa coach Fran McCaffery who says Sandfort is developing a complete game.
The Hawkeyes were 19-15 last season and played in the N-I-T. They were picked to finish 11th in the expanded Big Ten Conference.
The Hawkeyes open at home on Monday, November fourth against Texas A@M Commerce.
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