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DNR announces numerous State Parks closures due to flooding

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 14th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

The current flooding impacting parts of Iowa is also causing some closures at state parks and recreational areas throughout the state.

The rapidly rising flood waters have caused full or partial closings at the following state parks:

  • Walnut Woods State Park, West Des Moines
  • Dolliver Memorial State Park, Lehigh
  • Wilson Island State Recreational Area, Missouri Valley
  • Springbrook State Park, Guthrie Center
  • Wapsipinicon State Park, Anamosa
  • Banner Lakes at Summerset State Park, Indianola
  • Brushy Creek State Recreational Area, Lehigh
  • George Wyth State Park, Waterloo
  • Ledges State Park, Madrid

The safety of park visitors is the number one priority for DNR. Some parks could be closed for several days to allow the water to recede and cleanup efforts to take place before any visitors will be allowed back into the impacted areas.

For the latest list of closures and any updates affecting state parks and recreational areas, visit: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks/Alerts-and-Closures.

Travel not advised on all secondary roads in Montgomery County

News

March 14th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

The East Nishnabotna River continues to rise in Montgomery County. Flood control efforts are ongoing within the City of Red Oak and City of Elliott. The City of Red Oak has 3 large pumps working on the Red Oak creek, at this point it appears those pumping efforts are keeping up with the creek on the city side of the levee. The City of Elliott has trash pumps working and an additional larger pump has been requested by Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Travel is not advised on all secondary roads within Montgomery County due to current and deteriorating conditions. Highway 34 is being actively monitored west of Red Oak. Below is a list of closures that are known as of Thursday afternoon.

NEW – NUMEROUS CLOSURES around W Coolbaugh Street x G Ave south to 210th Street. AVOID THE AREA.

NEW – 100th Street CLOSED between Kirkwood & Lumber Ave north of Elliott due to a stuck semi.

EXPECTED CLOSURE – Kirkwood Ave north out of Elliott to be closed for flood control measures.

FULL HARD CLOSURE on Highway 48 west of Elliott. Detour being established by Iowa DOT. Please check www.511ia.org for more information once available. DO NOT TRAVEL NORTH ON KIRKWOOD AVE.

J Ave between Highway 48 south past the Schildberg quarry drive near 144th street.

250th Street between Evergreen and Railroad Tracks is now CLOSED.

145th Street at Stennett is CLOSED due to water over the roadway. The closure is between 148th St x 150th.

Horton-Tucker leads Iowa State past Baylor 83-66 in Big 12

Sports

March 14th, 2019 by admin

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Talen Horton-Tucker hit five 3-pointers and scored 21 points and Iowa State beat Baylor 83-66 in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.

The Cyclones (21-11) also had key contributions from Marial Shayok who had 18 with four 3-pointers, Lindell Wigginton with 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton with 13.

Iowa State faces top-seeded Kansas State in the semifinals on Friday night.

“Just being a freshman and my teammates having confidence to keep giving me the ball says a lot,” Horton-Tucker said. “I just felt good today and knocked down some shots.”

Mario Kegler led Baylor (19-13) in scoring with 16 while Makai Mason had 14.

Iowa State made 13 three’s and shot over 50 percent from the field in their first win since Feb. 25. The Bears made nine shots from distance and shot just 43 percent.

Both teams came out hot but Mason hit three of his four 3-pointers, the last one part of a 10-1 run that gave the Bears and 18-14 lead. Iowa State finished the first half on a 12-3 run to lead 38-29 as Horton-Tucker finished with four first half triples and 16 points.

“You really have to credit Iowa State,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “It seems like with Tucker if he’s on he’s on and if not he’s not. He was on today and I thought that’s what cost us.”

Haliburton started the second half nailing two 3’s and making a layup to give the Cyclones a 16-point edge before a Baylor timeout. The Cyclones led by as many as 22.

The Cyclones had a clear home-court advantage, which is something that Iowa State coach Steve Prohm doesn’t take for granted.

“This is the elite conference tournament in the country,” he said. “And our fans always travel well. Until you get here, there’s nothing really like it. Iowa State and the Big 12 in Kansas City is surreal and tomorrow will be even better at six o’clock on a Friday night.”

Baylor had just two players with Big 12 Tournament experience coming into the game, but Drew hopes his team will learn from this.

“The great thing about it is this will get us ready for next week,” Drew said. “The escort, the time and just all of the tournament should prepare us for the NCAA tournament.”

The Cyclones beat Baylor after being swept by the Bears in the regular season. They went 1-3 in the regular season against the two teams they could face in the semifinals.

“We will go back and watch the film from today and get ready for whoever’s next,” Prohm said.

UP NEXT

Baylor will await to see their seed in the NCAA tournament on Sunday.

Iowa State is on to the semifinals against first-seeded Kansas State on Friday night.

Villisca man arrested for Driving Under Suspension

News

March 14th, 2019 by admin

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest Thursday of 36-year-old George Allen Alfred Wesbrook of Villisca. Wesbrook was arrested at 12:08pm in the 300 block of East Coolbaugh Street in Red Oak for Driving Under Suspension. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $566.25 bond.

Red Cross Shelter Closes in Avoca

News

March 14th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS – The Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency reports, the American Red Cross Shelter established in Avoca, has closed. The Nishnabotna River waters in the area are beginning to recede and officials have determined there is no longer an imminent threat that would require emergency sheltering.

Gravel road embargoes in-place in Shelby and Audubon Counties

News

March 14th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

The Shelby and Audubon County County Boards of Supervisors have placed a 10-ton load embargoes on all County Rock (gravel) roads. The embargo is in place until further notice. No vehicle heavier than 10-tons is allowed to traverse gravel roads.

Area 911 Outage

News

March 14th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports officials with Windstream have notified the Shelby County EMA that there is a phone outage that is effecting landline 911 services in the city of Shelby. They do not have a time frame of when it will be fixed. The EMA is asking people to use cell phones if there is an emergency until landline services are restored.

Elk Horn Fire and Rescue reports also, landline 911 services are currently down in their area. If you need help, please call 911 on your cell phone or call 712-755-2121.

Windstream customers in the Minden prefix area of Pottawattamie County are also experiencing a phone outage that has disrupted 9-1-1 service to this area. If a cell phone is not available, you are asked to go to the Minden Fire Station for assistance. The station will be staffed until service is restored. This outage does not affect CenturyLink customers. To receive emergency weather warnings and community alerts such as evacuations, shelter locations, water/sewer system alerts and other emergency notices, sign up for free alerts from Pottawattamie Alert, part of the Alert Iowa Network, at www.pottcounty-ia.gov.

Flood Warning extended for some area Counties

Weather

March 14th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Cass-Adair-Adams-Audubon-Dallas-Guthrie-Madison-Union-Ringgold and Taylor Counties...

The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a Flood Warning for Urban Areas and Small Streams for Rain and Snowmelt until 10:15-a.m. Friday.

* At 1009 AM CDT, the combination of recent rainfall and snowmelt has resulted numerous creeks and streams out of their banks and widespread overland flooding. Local county DOTs and law enforcement continue to report many secondary roads with water over them or closed. Gravel roads are also likely very saturated and difficult to operate a vehicle on. Additional light rain is possible today.

Mills-Shelby-Monona-Pottawattamie-Montgomery- Fremont-Harrison and Page Counties: A FLOOD WARNING remains in effect until 6:30-p.m. today (Thursday).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are potentially dangerous. Do not attempt to cross flooded roads. Find an alternate route.

KYLE SOTHMAN, 60, of Griswold (Visitation 3/17/18)

Obituaries

March 14th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

KYLE SOTHMAN, 60, of Griswold, died Tuesday, March 12th, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha. Private family services are planned. Visitation with the family of KYLE SOTHMAN will be held Sunday, March 17th, from 1-until 3-p.m., at the Hockenberry Funeral Home, in Atlantic.

Burial at a later date will be held in the Wierich Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the family’s wishes.

KYLE SOTHMAN is survived by:

His Mother – Kay Sothman, of Lyman.

His Father – Bob (Mary Ann) Sothman, of Atlantic.

His daughters – Sara (Nate) Jensen, of Huxley, and Abby (Colby) Spann, of Des Moines.

His Brother – Tracy (Stacey) Sothman, of Bennington, NE.

THURSDAY, MARCH 14th

Trading Post

March 14th, 2019 by Jim Field

WANTED: Looking for a small pasture to rent in Audubon County for about 15 head of cattle. Call 712-304-2955 or 712-563-3409.

WANTED:  a full size mattress.  Call 712-254-3878.