(Radio Iowa) – In a follow-up to a report last week, residents of five counties in southwest Iowa will have to continue boiling and conserving water this week as work continues to get their water system back up. Avoca Rural Water Plant general manager Tom Kallman, says the ongoing drought caused the problem that led to the system running out of water last week. “We’ve had so many years of below average rainfall the watershed in the West Nishnabotna river has gone down so far that I used to be able to pull the water right out of the best part of the well — which is right where the gravel is — and we’re now having to lower the wells the pumps down further into the wells past the gravel into the silt and clay stuff,” Kallman say.

He says that made it tougher to keep up with the water needs. “I don’t get as much water out of the well, and it takes more time to filter it properly so that it reads meets state standards for purity,” he says. The Rural Water System supplies in Shelby, Audubon, Cass, Harrison, and northern Pottawattamie County with water. Kallman says water usage became a concern right away at the start of the year. “We set a record January this year in the 50 year history of our company. We had our probably our third highest use in February — and that’s when I knew we were going to have some issues — so I asked for voluntary conservation in March,” Kallman says.

He says April wasn’t another record month, but he didn’t get as much conservation of water that he hoped. That eventually led to all the water coming out of the seven towers before they could be refilled, and a negative pressure in the water system. Kallman has been working to repressurize the system and pass the tests required by the state before the system is back again. He says best the best-case scenario would have the system back up by Friday.

(Radio Iowa) – The two Republican presidential candidates who are leading in the polls will be in Iowa this week. Florida Senator Ron DeSantis will hold events here Tuesday and Wednesday, then former President Donald Trump will be in Iowa Thursday. Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.

(Radio Iowa)- Davenport officials say an apartment building that partially collapsed Sunday is unstable and will be demolished. A woman was rescued from the building Monday — more than 24 hours after the western side of the six story building in downtown Davenport collapsed. Dozens of people then protested near the building, calling for another search before the building’s demolished.

According to a statement late Monday night from the City of Davenport, there are apartment residents who are unaccounted for, but it did not indicate how many people might be missing.

Governor Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster declaration for Scott County. It means low income residents of the building are eligible for state grants of up to five-thousand dollars to cover temporary housing expenses and buy new clothes since residents lost all their belongings.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports three men from Illinois, were arrested last week on Interstate 80 near Adair. Adair Police conducted a traffic stop on May 23rd at around 9:05-p.m., at the eastbound 76 mile marker. Upon further investigation arrested 27-year-old Jesus Ricardo Maldonado, 26-year-old Johnny A. Saleme Negrete, and 27-year-old Ramon S. Reyes, all of Chicago. They were each charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense: Heroin; Cocaine; MDMA (ecstacy); Marijuana and Psilocybin (hallucinogenic) mushrooms. Maldonado, Negrete and Reyes were later released on $1,000 bond, each.

On May 25th, an inmate at the Adair County Jail, 36-year-old Lee Delmar Goll, of Stuart, was charged with three counts of contempt of court, for Violation of a No Contact Order. He pled guilty was sentenced to serve seven jail in jail.

On My 24th, 37-year-old David Spencer Reeves, of Stuart, was arrested by Stuart Police, for Violation of a No Contact Order, and Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree (for damages ranging in cost from $300-to $750). Reeves was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

And, on May 21st, 54-year-old Dianne Marie Ricketts, of Perry, was arrested in Perry on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. Her bond at the Adair County Jail was set at $10,000.

(CRESTON, Iowa DOT Construction Office News) – Motorists who travel on Iowa 92 between U.S. 59 and Pottawattamie County Road M-47 east of Carson should be aware of an upcoming bridge deck replacement project that could slow down their trip.

Beginning on Tuesday morning, May 30, until Thursday, Aug. 24, weather permitting, construction crews will work on replacing the bridge deck on the Iowa 92 bridge over Graybill Creek, 1.2 miles east of the junction with U.S. 59. Motorists on the bridge will be directed by traffic signals. A 10-foot-4-inch lane-width restriction and a 15-foot height restriction will be in place during this project.

In addition, a project to repair the Iowa 92 bridge over Jordan Creek one mile east of Carson will require closing Iowa 92 in both directions between U.S. 59 and Pottawattamie County Road M-47 starting Wednesday, June 1 at 7 a.m., weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston construction office. The closure is expected to be in place until Aug. 18.

During this project, traffic will be detoured around the work zone using U.S. 6, U.S. 59, and Iowa 48 (see map).