The City of New London has officially reopened its yard waste dump site on Adams Street, located just south of the school’s football field, designating it as the new permanent location for residents to dispose of grass, leaves, and limb debris.

City officials remind residents to follow the posted guidelines when using the site. Grass clippings and leaves should be placed in the designated dumpster, while limbs and branches should be placed directly on the ground.

With this change, the former yard waste site behind the Police Station on East Main Street is now permanently closed. Residents are encouraged to use the Adams Street location for all future yard waste disposal needs.

DES MOINES COUNTY – Des Moines County Engineer Brian J. Carter, P.E. & P.L.S., has announced that a portion of Skunk River Road will be closed for a culvert replacement project. The closure will begin Wednesday, September 24, at 8:00 a.m. and is expected to remain in effect until Friday, September 26, at 3:30 p.m., weather permitting.

The work zone is located just west of 200th Avenue. Drivers are encouraged to plan alternate routes and exercise caution in the area.

County officials apologize for any inconvenience this temporary closure may cause and thank the public for their patience as crews work to improve roadway infrastructure in Des Moines County.

Wet conditions across portions of Iowa limited the number of days suitable for fieldwork to just 4.9 during the week ending September 21, 2025, according to the latest report from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Despite the damp weather, warm temperatures continued to push crop development forward, allowing both corn and soybean harvests to begin in many areas of the state.

Topsoil moisture levels were reported at 3 percent very short, 18 percent short, 70 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture mirrored those numbers closely, with 2 percent very short, 17 percent short, 72 percent adequate, and 9 percent surplus.

Corn progress remains ahead of schedule, with 95 percent of the crop dented or beyond and 66 percent matured—four days ahead of last year and two days ahead of the five-year average. The corn harvest for grain has started, with 8 percent of fields already harvested. Corn condition was rated 1 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 19 percent fair, 55 percent good, and 19 percent excellent.

Soybeans are also moving quickly toward harvest. Nearly 89 percent of fields are now coloring, and 62 percent are dropping leaves, which is two days ahead of last year and one day ahead of the average pace. Soybean condition was rated 1 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 21 percent fair, 57 percent good, and 17 percent excellent.

Pasture conditions remain mostly favorable, with 60 percent rated good to excellent.

Producers are keeping a close eye on weather patterns as harvest activity picks up, balancing the benefits of warm temperatures with the challenges of wet soils and limited fieldwork opportunities.

Many residents in Wapello experienced power outages yesterday after a semi truck incident prompted quick action from local emergency responders. The Wapello Fire Department was called to the scene of Hwy 61 and State St. where a hydraulic lift on the truck came into contact with overhead power lines, igniting a fire.

Alliant Energy was notified, and crews worked to address the situation. As of 3:40 PM on Monday, power had been fully restored to affected areas. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

KILJ will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has confirmed a second death linked to the Legionella outbreak in Marshalltown. The individual, an elderly adult with multiple underlying health conditions, died on September 18.

To date, 71 cases of legionellosis have been reported, including two deaths. Investigators continue to identify cooling towers as the most likely source of the outbreak, though laboratory testing has not yet confirmed a direct source. All business centers in the affected area with cooling towers have completed disinfection procedures.

“We are encouraged to see fewer new cases reported recently,” said Dr. Robert Kruse, State Medical Director. “Our teams remain engaged with building owners on disinfection and it will take additional time to know if this decline reflects successful remediation.”

Health officials urge anyone who lives, works, or has spent time in north central Marshalltown and is experiencing a cough, fever, or other pneumonia-like symptoms to contact their health care provider and ask about Legionella testing.

The Marshall County Health Department, Iowa HHS, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to investigate potential sources and work with local businesses on remediation and prevention efforts.