The City of Fort Madison Fire Department will allow the controlled burning of leaves only from November 4, 2023 to December 3, 2023 without application for a temporary burning permit, subject to the following restrictions per International Fire Code.

Starting November 4^th, the City of Fort Madison Fire Department will allow the controlled burning of leaves until December 3^rd, 2023, without application for a temporary burning permit, subject to the following restrictions per International Fire Code.

There are rules that all must adhere to. The open burning of leaves shall only be allowed one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset. Open burning is not permitted on any public street, alley, or sidewalk. The location must be more than 50 feet away from any structure, or more that 15 feet from any structure if an approved waste burner is used.

A competent person must constantly attend to all fires until it is completely extinguished, and there must be a working hose or fire extinguisher readily available. Any fire causing a nuisance or discomfort shall be extinguished immediately, and the fire chief may prohibit any or all open burnings in the event they deem it dangerous.

The Keokuk Community School District is attempting to increase communication with the public by hosting a monthly town hall meeting. These are virtual and will allow the community to listen to from the comfort of their own home. The first of these will be Monday, November 6^th, at 5:30pm.

This first meeting has a variety of topics planned for discussion, as updates for planned improvements to the track and field at KHS will be the focus of the November Town Hall Meeting.

Aaron Hinton, director of maintenance, Heidi Harness, KCSD Business Manager, Zach Summers, Activities Director, and Dr. Kathy Dinger, Superintendent of Schools will be on hand to share information and respond to questions.

To join the November Town Hall Meeting, go to keokukschools.org under District News.

It is no surprise that highways can be very dangerous. Traffic fatalities in Iowa are more than 13 percent higher this year than the average number of fatalities over the last five years.

One of the keys to reducing fatalities and major crashes is to bring awareness to the problem. While many are aware of the dangerous stretches of roads, the number of crashes is increasing at an alarming rate. The Iowa departments of transportation and public safety are teaming up with local law enforcement partners to create safety corridors across the state.

Six sections of roadways in Iowa have been identified to be in the top 1% for all crashes and severe crashes in Iowa between 2016-2020. Two out of six are roads right here in Southeast Iowa.

U.S. 218 from Mt. Pleasant to County road J-20 (near Salem) in Henry County as well as Iowa 2 from Donnellson to U.S. 61 in Lee County.

These roads also had a higher number of single-vehicle, run-off-the-road crashes and rear-end crashes at intersections with speeding and distraction as major causes.

Iowans may notice the safety corridor marked with signs. Pavement markings in those areas have been widened to help drivers more easily see them in low-light and inclement weather. In addition, the Iowa State Patrol and local law enforcement will have an increased focus on enforcing the area. Education and communication efforts throughout the year will help remind drivers that practicing good driving behaviors can make the area safer.

“We have seen speeds and distraction behind the wheel rise and only 40 percent of those who die on Iowa’s roads are wearing a seatbelt. Unfortunately, our state’s climbing fatality rates are showing the consequences of our individual decisions behind the wheel. We all have someone who is expecting us to return from each trip safely. Creating safety corridors is just another way the DOT can help remind drivers of the role they play in making sure everyone returns home safely,” explained Scott Marler, Iowa Department of Transportation director.

“The Iowa State Patrol is committed to reducing traffic collisions, injuries, and preventable deaths on Iowa roadways. We are confident that we can accomplish these goals with collaboration, strong partnerships, and a concerted effort on traffic safety.  By working together, we can collectively and proactively address safety concerns across the state of Iowa,” remarked Colonel Nathan Fulk, Iowa State Patrol.

There was a structure fire on Wednesday evening in Mt. Pleasant that took 18 firefighters to extinguish.

At 6:58pm on November 1^st, Mt. Pleasant Fire Department was paged out for a structure fire at 200 E South St Lot 29.

Upon arrival, firefighters found flames at the southeast corner of the house. The first fire crew initiated an interior fire suppression while the second crew started an exterior suppression.

The fire was extinguished approximately 30 minutes later. The fire was contained to a single bedroom, however, the whole house sustained heavy smoke and heat damage.

Two engines, a command vehicle, brush trucks, and 18 firefighters were on scene for about an hour and a half.

This fire is currently under investigation. No one was injured as a result of the fire.

Louisa County Emergency Personnel responded to a reported house fire in Grandview. At 6:17am on Tuesday, October 31^st, responders were dispatched to the 200 block of North Madison Street.

Upon arrival at 6:23am, a Louisa County Deputy was unable to make entry due to excessive heat and smoke. Soon after, Grandview firefighters arrived to fight heavy smoke and fire in the front part of the residence.

Further investigation found a deceased resident along with the family’s two dogs inside of the home.

The fire scene was handed over to the State of Iowa Fire Marshal’s office to complete the investigation. The cause of the fire and the cause of death are both pending results from the state evidence lab and the state medical examiner’s office. No foul play is suspected.

The Louisa County Sheriff’s Office along with the following agencies assisted on this day; Grandview Fire Department, Letts Fire Department, Wapello Fire Department, Wapello Ambulance Service, Columbus Junction Fire Department, Louisa County Ambulance, Fruitland Fire Department, Muscatine Fire Department, Muscatine Communications Department, State of Iowa Fire Marshall Office, Iowa Division of Criminalistics Lab and State of Iowa Medical Examiner Office.

The price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 11 cents, averaging $3.19 across Iowa according to AAA.

Crude Oil Summary

• The price of global crude oil fell this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by 89 cents per barrel over last week, currently priced at $82.67.
• Brent crude oil fell $1.40 and is currently priced at $86.65.
• One year ago, WTI crude sold for $88.37 and Brent crude was at $95.12.

Motor Fuels

• As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $3.19 across Iowa according to AAA.
  • Prices fell 11 cents from last week’s price and are down 37 cents from a year ago.
  • The national average on Wednesday was $3.46, down 8 cents from last week’s price.
• Retail diesel prices in Iowa fell 17 cents this week with a statewide average of $4.51.
  • One year ago, diesel prices averaged $5.17 in Iowa.
  • The current Iowa diesel price is 6 cents higher than the national average of $4.45.
• Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16.
• The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $2.15 for U87-E10, $2.43 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.97 for ULSD#2, $3.44 for ULSD#1, and $2.20 per gallon for E-70 prices.

Heating Fuels

• Propane prices were down 1 cent with a statewide average of $1.54 per gallon.
• Home heating oil prices fell 46 cents, with a statewide average of $3.91 per gallon
• Natural gas prices rose 17 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $3.55/MMbtu

Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.