CHEROKEE, IA – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Friday, said the DNR has approved the City of Cherokee’s request to temporarily discharge partially treated wastewater into the Little Sioux River due to safety concerns at the city’s wastewater treatment facility.

In late June 2024, the wastewater treatment plant sustained significant damage as a result of floodwaters. While efforts were made to continue treatment operations, the facility is currently unable to process wastewater due to safety and reliability concerns. The city has been storing wastewater in equalization lagoons, which are now full and at risk of overflowing, which could impact their structural integrity.

On November 15th, the City of Cherokee began to discharge up to 2 million gallons of wastewater per day for a period of 25 days or until lagoon levels are lowered to a safe level. Throughout this period, the city will monitor the discharged wastewater.

In addition to the temporary discharge plan, the City of Cherokee is actively developing short-term treatment options utilizing the equalization lagoons and is in the planning stages for a permanent wastewater treatment facility.

(Lyman, Iowa) – One person was injured during a single-vehicle accident just south of Lyman, this (Saturday) morning. A dispatch by the Cass County Communications Center at around 5:27-a.m., said the accident happened at Highway 71 (630th) and Lyman Street. A woman in the vehicle was said to have been complaining of neck and back pain. Griswold Rescue and Cass EMS were called to the scene.

Additional information is currently not available.

(Red Oak, Iowa) — Officials with the Red Oak Police Department say that at around 6:15-p.m., Friday, 60-year-old Robert Wade Abraham, of Red Oak, was arrested on serious misdemeanor charges of Domestic Abuse Assault/2nd Offense, and Obstruction of Emergency Communications.

Abraham was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (KCRG) – John Deere says it plans to suspend production at its Ottumwa plant for a month due to reduced demand for its products. John Deere Ottumwa Works manufactures hay and forage equipment. The facility had a three-week shutdown earlier this year, with production resuming in September though November. However, Deere says the factory is planning another of what it calls a “temporary inventory adjustment shutdown” from early December through early January, due to reduced demand for AG equipment.

The shutdowns come after numerous rounds of layoffs from the company’s workforce at plants across eastern Iowa, including the Quad Cities, earlier this year. Deere has been moving parts of its manufacturing from its various facilities to Mexico. In a statement to KCRG-TV, Deere said each of its factories balances its work schedule with the projected demand for the products it builds.

The Des Moines Register reports the employees at the facility are expected to receive close to their normal pay while the plant is idled.

Des Moines, Iowa (Via KCCI and KCRG) — The National Weather Service in Des Moines has confirmed an EF-0 tornado that struck at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5 near the town of Bloomfield. Damage was reported to the National Weather Service and it was determined that a tornado had touched down at 11 a.m. and lasted for around one minute with an overall path length of one-third of a mile. The cell associated with the storm was said to have no lightning. Tornadoes can occur any time of the year.

According to the Weather Service, since January 1st Iowa has broken the record for the most tornadoes touching down in the state in a year, with 122 having been confirmed- and the year isn’t over yet, of course. The previous record was set in 2004. Several different events have contributed to this year’s high number of tornadoes. A Weather Service meteorologist said four of the largest tornadoes occurred April 16th and 26th, and were followed-up by an active weather pattern, in May. Storms on the 21st and 24th of May produced between 18 to 23 tornadoes each.

In addition to a strong jet stream, meteorologists also noted several additional features that helped strengthen storms this year. Dr. Bill Gallus, a professor of Meteorology at ISU told KCRG, “In the spring, the southern part of the United States got very hot, record hot and the Gulf of Mexico warmed up quickly and became warmer than average, which also helps more humidity to enter the atmosphere and then the south winds that came up ahead of these storm systems could bring that higher humidity up to Iowa and that acts as the fuel as the instability for the thunderstorms.”

2024 isn’t the only year we’ve dealt with a high number of tornadoes. In the last 20 years, five years have had more than 100 tornadoes statewide. Scientists don’t think climate change is causing an increase in the number of tornadoes we see. However, experts are considering the possibility that climate change is causing more large scale severe weather events. Officials say learning from this year’s storms will help to prepare for twisters in the years to come.

As for the upcoming Winter months, the Climate Prediction Center – which specializes in long-range, seasonal forecasts – says developing La Niña conditions are expected through the winter. What does that mean for Iowa? The influence of La Niña is most impactful in northern and southern states and along the east coast. Towards the central US, La Niña has less of a signal making it difficult to draw conclusions about what to expect this year. Recent La Niña patterns have generally favored a warmer start to the winter season for our area, followed by colder and snowier conditions over the second half of winter with a later onset of spring.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – One person has been arrested and a University of Iowa fraternity chapter has been suspended as authorities investigate a potential hazing incident, university leaders said Friday. KCRG-TV reports, according to a statement from the university, the arrest and suspension came after first responders were called to the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity house early Friday morning for a fire alarm, and they found several dozen pledges blindfolded in the basement.

One person was arrested and charged with interference with official acts. That person was NOT a student, and does not live at the house where the incident took place. Their name has not been released at this time. University leaders did not say how they were involved in the incident.

The University of Iowa’s Office of Student Accountability has suspended the operations of Alpha Delta Phi, pending the outcome of the investigation. The fraternity’s national chapter has also suspended the charter until further notice. The university released a statement saying it is committed to protecting the health and safety of its students and will address any behavior that puts student safety at risk.

The university has also reached out to the students involved in the incident to offer counseling resources. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

(State News) – Two people died and two others were injured in separate collions on opposite sides of the State, Friday. The Iowa State Patrol reports a pedestrian died when she was struck by a pickup truck a little after 6-p.m. Fort Madison, which is in southern Iowa’s Lee County.

According to the report, a 2009 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck driven by 70-year-old Jeffrey Stephen Jordan, of Argyle, was traveling westbound on Highway 2 in Fort Madison, when the pedestrian – 70-year-old Nancy Lynne Kuhljuergen, of Ft. Madison – attempted to cross the roadway from the Fort Colonies Restaurant, and was struck by the pickup. Kuhljuergen died from her injuries.

The other accident happened on Highway 69 between 180th and 190th Streets in northern Iowa’s Hamilton County, at around 6:30-a.m., Friday. The State Patrol says the driver of an SUV died during a multi-vehicle collision north of Blairsburg, and the drivers of a pickup truck and a semi were hurt.

Officials say a 2021 Jeep Renegade driven by 27-year-old Cole Lantz, of Williams (IA) was traveling north on Highway 69 and was attempting to pass another vehicle traveling northbound. A 2011 Dodge RAM 2500 pickup driven by 51-year-old Carlos Vielman Castillo, of Postville, was southbound on Highway 69  and collided head-on with the Jeep in the southbound lanes. Both vehicles came to rest on the roadway.

32-year-old Justin Norton, of Belmond (IA), was traveling south on Highway 69 in 2024 Freightliner semi. He swerved to the center-line of the road to avoid striking the pickup truck but collided with the vehicle on the way through the debris. a fourth vehicle that was involved lightly struck the Jeep. Officials say weather appeared to play a factor. A dense fog advisory was in effect at the time.

The Patrol says Cole Lantz died at the scene. Carlos Castillo and has passenger, 28-year-old Jilmer Vielman Monroy, of Belmond, were injured, and transported to a hospital in Webster City. All of the crash victims were wearing their seat belts. The road was closed for several hours as a result of the wreck.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s a bit late in the year to be planting trees, but the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is urging homeowners and city leaders to plan ahead and consider any of about 85 different species of trees to plant in the spring. However, if they’re thinking about maples, think again. Chip Murrow, an urban forestry program specialist at the D-N-R, says maples are beautiful, sturdy trees, but they’ve become too poplar, or rather popular, in Iowa.

There are all sorts of maples, including black, sugar, Norway, Japanese, silverleaf and paperbark, but he says diversity is a good thing when it comes to trees. Murrow fears what our state’s tree canopy would look like if an infestation of insects or some sort of tree disease sweeps in, as has happened many times before.

The D-N-R is now offering an online publication which makes a case for cultivating a different sort of diversified canopy in the state.

The online document lists dozens of other trees that do well in Iowa under a long list of categories, including: vibrant fall color, fast growing, spring flowers, good for shade and storm resistant. Murrow says if Iowans help by planting a wide variety of species that are well suited for their sites, they’ll be helping ensure a community’s tree canopy is a valuable resource for the future.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says she is excited to win another term and return to Washington knowing the Republicans retain control of the House.

Hinson who is from Marion won her third term in Congress. She says Republicans should be able to get things done after winning the Senate as well and the landslide win of Donald Trump.

She expects fixing the Biden border crisis is going to be one of the first issues.

Hinson says she has always tried to work in a bipartisan manner, and that may be more possible now in the lame duck session.

Hinson defeated Democrat Sarah Corkery of Cedar Falls in the recent election to win her third term in the Second Congressional District.

(Radio Iowa) – State regulators in North Dakota approved a pipeline route permit today (Friday) for the Summit Carbon Solutions proposed carbon capture pipeline. The route approved by the North Dakota Public Service Commission is part of a 25-hundred mile proposed project covering five states, including Iowa.
Summit C-E-O Lee Blank says it’s an important step.

The approval is important for Iowa, as construction in Iowa cannot begin until the project is fully approved in North and South Dakota. The Sierra Club of Iowa’s Jessica Mazour says pipeline opponents are disappointed in the permit decision but that the fight is far from over.

Summit plans to reapply for a route permit in South Dakota on Tuesday (Nov. 19).