Author: Yorke Prough

The Burlington Police Department has confirmed that multiple cats have been recovered from a property in the city. Reports on social media suggest that the former resident of 105 Melrose Ct abandoned up to 50 cats before leaving town. 10 cats have been recovered by the Des Moines County Animal Shelter, with approximately 15 remaining on the property.

One local business is taking matters into their own hands. Press Paws Cat Café and Game Room has started a fundraiser to help rescue and rehabilitate these animals. According to them, an overwhelming amount of the abandoned animals are malnourished, sick, and neglected.

The Burlington Police Department says that they are in contact with the former resident, and that an investigation is ongoing.

Discussions have seemingly been placed on hold for the Henry County Board of Supervisors after a work session turned into a stalemate on Tuesday. While many sections of the alternative energy ordinance were discussed, the main issue at hand was the failure to agree on setback lengths.

All three supervisors have proposed distances that conflict with each other. Board chair, Moeller, and supervisor Lindeen, agree that the setback distance should be from structures, which is what the ordinance currently says. Supervisor White, however, argues that the distance should be measured from the property line.

Lindeen believes that one kilometer (3280ft) from a structure is ample setback length, with White wanting 3/4ths of a mile, or 3960 feet, from the property line. Moeller came in much lower, choosing a figure of 2500 feet from a structure. All three men shared their reasoning for the distance that they chose.

The board will be taking the rest of the month to conduct further research in regard to issues with natural disasters, mechanical failures, and things of that nature. Moeller believes that the setback distance is the main hold up at this point in time.

The topic of money was brought forth by Moeller. Further discussion will be had over the value and growth that this potential wind turbine project would bring into the county. Meanwhile, supervisor Lindeen seemed frustrated with the progress of this project, believing that it is continually consuming the board. He agreed that the board should not rush through anything, but did mention that they can’t get anything else done right now because most of their time is focused on this. White called this potential project “monumental” and stated that it would change Henry County for the foreseeable future.

Gone are the days of running to the nearest landline in an emergency. With the advancements made in technology, anyone can dial 911 on their smartphone and connect with an operator in almost no time. Sometimes, quick is not quick enough. Now, individuals can create an emergency health profile, providing first responders with the critical information they need to help care for you in a medical emergency.

LeeCom consolidated dispatch recently shared information on an app that can be downloaded by anyone.

RapidSOS, an app for smartphones, is an emergency response data platform which securely links life-saving data from connected devices or profiles to 911 and first responders in an emergency.

The app even has a silent panic alarm button, which can be pressed in a situation in which someone must stay quiet. There is an example given of a gas station employee who triggered the silent alarm during a robbery in progress. A safety agent then verified the claims and shared a photo of the intruder, through security camera footage, with the closest 911 center.

Having access to this platform, however, does not mean 911 telecommunicators will simply rely on the data given by the application. 911 Telecommunicators will still ask important questions prior to responders arriving on scene.

Learn more about RapidSOS and sign up with your health profile at emergencyprofile.org