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Cleanup of oil from derailment in Iowa begins

News

June 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Cleanup of an oil spill caused by the derailment of nearly three dozen oil tankers in northwestern Iowa has begun. Lyon County Sheriff Steward Vander Stoep says between 30 and 40 semitrailers containing cleanup equipment had arrived at the scene near Doon, Iowa, this (Friday) afternoon.

Tank cars carrying crude oil are shown derailed about a mile south of Doon, Iowa, Friday, June 22, 2018. (Tim Hynds/Sioux City Journal via AP)

BNSF spokesman Andy Williams says 33 oil tanker cars hauling crude oil from Alberta, Canada, derailed around 4:30 a.m. Friday just south of Doon. Williams says some of the tankers were compromised, causing the oil to leak into floodwaters and eventually into the rain-swollen Little Rock River, but officials don’t yet have an exact number of tankers that leaked oil.

Williams says clean-up crews are working to contain the oil as close to the derailment as possible using containment booms, skimmers and vacuum trucks. City public information officer Travis Olson says the wells were shut down as soon as Rock Valley officials were told of the derailment and oil spill north of them early Friday morning.

Olson says Rock Valley’s water towers also will be drained as a precaution. In the meantime, the city is getting its water from the nearby Rock Valley Rural Water system, which Olson says is not in danger of being contaminated by the spill. Olson says the city will use the rural water supply until testing by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources confirms the safety of the city’s drinking water. He did not know when that testing would be finalized.

SWITA Taxi Rates to Decrease July 1, 2018

News

June 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA) said Friday (today) that Taxi rates will decrease effective July 1st, 2018 through June 30th, 2019.  SWITA taxi service is available in Atlantic, Glenwood, Harlan, Red Oak, Missouri Valley, and Shenandoah. The new rates will be $2 per ride for seniors (60+), and $2.50 per ride for general public.

Additional companion rider rates will remain $1.00.  Previous rates were $3.00 for elderly and $4.25 for general public.  In order to receive the senior rate, individuals must complete paperwork for the Connections Area Agency on Aging, who generously help support the taxi program for seniors.  The Connection forms are available from the taxi driver, except in Atlantic where they are available at the SWITA office.

SWITA’s mission is to break down barriers caused by a lack of transportation options or access to transportation.  The SWITA taxi is a vital piece of that mission, especially for members of the community without access to a car.  Decreasing the cost of a taxi ride is one way that SWITA seeks to promote the use of the taxi and make it accessible to all, and to help southwest Iowa communities grow and thrive.

Mark Lander, SWITA Transit Director said “We have many individuals that utilize the taxi service on a daily basis and love it.  But many others don’t realize that it is available for anyone to ride, or the cost was a barrier.  Reducing the rate was the most obvious and immediate way we could see to make the service more visible and useful to our area residents, and we hope people take advantage of this great value.”

SWITA is the public transportation agency for the eight counties of southwest Iowa; Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby operated by Southwest Iowa Planning Council.  For more information on SWITA please visit the website at www.swipco.org or call the office at 800-842-8065.  SWITA/SWIPCO is an equal opportunity employer, lender, and provider.

Audubon Boil Advisory lifted

News

June 22nd, 2018 by admin

City of Audubon officials informed KJAN Friday afternoon that the Boil Water Advisory for the community has now been lifted. All necessary tests have now been completed and passed so the advisory is no longer needed.

2 arrests Friday morning in Page County

News

June 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports two men were arrested on separate charges this (Friday) morning 30-year old Kenneth Alan Cline, of Coin, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension, following a traffic stop at around 1:18-a.m. near Highway 71 and Upland Avenue. Cline was unable to post the $566.25 bond and is currently being held in the Page County Jail pending further court hearings.

And, at around 5:11-a.m., a traffic stop in the 2300 block of Highway 2 in Page County, resulted in 22-year old Brandon Alexander, of Clarinda, being arrested for OWI/1st offense.  Alexander was also charged with Driving under suspension, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of controlled substance, and a prescription drug violation. He was transported to the Page County Jail where he is currently being held on $3866.25 bond pending further court proceedings.

Brandon Alexander

Iowa court: Families get no immediate relief from hog stench

Ag/Outdoor, News

June 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Three Iowa families who say the stench from two hog farms makes it difficult for them to emerge from their homes won’t get immediate help from the Iowa Supreme Court, which reversed a lower court decision that found a law protecting producers was unconstitutional. The court ruled Friday that Iowa’s right-to-farm law was constitutional in its aim, but it upheld a previous ruling that says the protection for producers can be overcome by showing “sustained significant hardship” and meeting other conditions.

The Wapello County neighbors will return to a lower court to determine if their case meets those requirements. Justice Bruce Zager wrote in the opinion that all 50 states have similar right-to-farm laws and the law wasn’t clearly unconstitutional because it seeks to promote the development of animal agriculture.

More on train derailment oil spill in Northwest Iowa

News

June 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Those on the scene of a train derailment caused by floodwaters south of Doon along the Sioux and Lyon County lines are worried about the impact downstream. Lyon County Sheriff, Stuart Vander Stoep (stoop) says leaking material from the train could negatively effect Rock Valley. “When the cars derrailed they went into the water and they are now leaking oil. We don’t know how much oils is leaking, but we can smell it, so we d0 know there is some,” the sheriff says. “We do to try and catch some of the oil.”
He is not sure how successful they have been in capturing the oil. The Little Rock River flows into the Rock River which is at flood stage in the city of Rock Valley. Vander Stoep says the D-N-R is on site and has staff arriving downstream to monitor the flow of the crude oil plume. In addition to their current attempts to contain the crude oil, Vander Stoep says the railroad is sending a crew in for clean up. Environmental Program Supervisor and Spencer Field Office Superintendent Kenneth Hessenius says they are monitoring the situation.”The biggest concern that we have are the shallow wells in the towns downstream that are pulling their water source from near the river. I believe Rock Valley has shut off their well fields while this incident is taking place. And we’re looking further downstream with additional water supplies along that watershed,” according to Hessenius.
He is also concerned about the plume reaching Rock Valley He says the number of rail cars leaking may not be known for a long time as many of them are partially submerged in the flooded Little Rock River. He says he will know more as time goes by and more information becomes available.
(Radio Iowa)

Lawsuits in IA and other States/Cities challenge efforts to push abstinence-only on teens

News

June 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Several affiliates of Planned Parenthood are suing the Department of Health and Human Services over its efforts to impose an abstinence-only focus on its Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program that has served more than 1 million young people. The lawsuits were filed today (Friday) in federal courts in New York City and Spokane, Washington, by four different Planned Parenthood affiliates covering New York City and the states of Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska and Washington.

Planned Parenthood says the lawsuits are intended to protect the future of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program from what they termed an ineffective abstinence-only curriculum. The Trump administration has announced that it would end funding for what Planned Parenthood called science-based portions of the program. The agency has said it has the right to change its funding priorities.

Iowa homeless shelter begins $3.6M expansion

News

June 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A Council Bluffs shelter has begun work on a $3.6 million expansion that will allow it to help more women and families. The Daily Nonpareil reports that the Micah House announced the public part of its Shelter Reimagined campaign Thursday. The nonprofit raised $2.1 million in the “quiet” phase of the campaign, leaving $1.5 million left to be raised to reach the final goal.

The organization serves as an emergency homeless shelter for single women and families. The nonprofit says it provides shelter, meals, case management services, health care access and budgeting classes.
The expansion is already under construction. Shelter officials say it will accommodate an additional 250 women and 24 families annually. The shelter served almost 60 women and more than 200 families last year.

Iowa Soybean Association president discusses U.S.-China trade war

Ag/Outdoor

June 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

The president of the Iowa Soybean Association says, like many other farmers, he has mixed feelings about the U.S. trade dispute with China. Bill Shipley says there are many long-running trade issues with China that needed to be addressed. “I agree that we need to take on the inequality of trade we have with China, and I think most farmers do,” Shipley says. “We just want a free and open, level market – and they don’t want to do that. They want everything in their favor.”

But, that resolve to fix trade issues starts to waiver as soybean prices continue to decline. Shipley, who farms nears the southwest Iowa town of Nodaway, says his local cash price for soybeans – assuming average yields – is more than a dollar under his cost of production. “That doesn’t bode well for what my banker thinks, or anybody else,” Shipley says. “I’m going to have to eat into equity to stay alive – to stay in farming.”

Shipley is hopeful the two countries can find a resolution to the trade dispute before additional tariffs go into effect July 6. China is a critical market for Iowa soybean growers. The country buys about 60-percent of all the soybeans traded in the world.

(Radio Iowa)

23-year old male w/developmental issues found in a Council Bluffs motel reunited with family; No charges filed

News

June 22nd, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Police in Council Bluffs Thursday evening, put out a call for information from anyone who might be able to identify a 23-year old man with developmental issues who was unable to communicate with authorities and who was left alone at the Super 8 Motel. Thursday evening, officers were contacted by family members of the man, whose name is Tyler.

Tyler from TX

They were able to determine through the family, that he is from Texas.

Tyler’s family had been traveling and stayed the night at a hotel in Council Bluffs. On the morning of the 21st the family, who had been traveling in two separate vehicles, left for their destination of Grand Forks, North Dakota. One of the family members stated he observed Tyler follow his mother out of the room and thought he would be riding with her. Other family members left a short time later in the second vehicle, without Tyler. The family arrived in North Dakota at separate times. Once they all got to Grand Forks, they realized that Tyler had not been in either car and immediately made contact with the Council Bluffs Police Department. The Council Bluffs Police Department, along with officials from the Iowa Department of Human Services, were able to reunite Tyler back to his family early this morning.

It was determined that this was an unintentional oversight by family members; no criminal charges are going to be filed.