Friday over the noon hour, the Mount Pleasant Fire Department was called to the Tolson Community Action Center, on West Washington Street to investigate smoke in one of the restrooms. It was determined the smoke was from the process of smoking sewers that is being done by Warner Engineering. They will continue smoking sewers on Monday. Crews will be working on West Washington Street from Saunders Avenue east to Jackson Street. If you have property in this area and see smoke in your building please step outside and let one of the crew members know so they can help you determine where the smoke is getting in. Remember, if you get smoke in your building it could mean sewer gases are getting in.  Sometimes you don’t notice the sewer gas smell but it could be fatal. Crews are primarily smoking on Washington Street but the smoke can also travel farther down the sewer pipes into side streets.

The Oakland Mills Nature Center is closed Saturday, 9-10-2022.  The dumping station in the South Shore campground is also closed until further notice.

On another note, Conservation Department Director Caleb Waters is looking for more volunteers to host visitors to the Nature Center. If you are interested contact the Department office at 319-986-5067.

Effectively immediately 220^th Street east of Mt. Pleasant is open to traffic.

Henry County Public Health has received the new Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 bivalent boosters which protect against both the original COVID-19 strain and the more recent omicron variants. Pfizer’s booster is available for anyone age 12+ and Moderna’s booster is available for anyone age 18+. However, if your child is eligible for a booster they can receive Pfizer even if they received Moderna for their primary series. You must have completed your primary series and wait at least 2 months from either your last dose in your primary series or your most recent booster to be eligible.

Public Health is currently giving COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesdays from 9-3, Thursdays from 9-3:30, and Thursday September 15^th will be 9-5:30. All Moderna, Pfizer, and Novavax vaccines are available. Ask about getting your flu shot too. For more information visit HealthyHenryCounty.org/covid, call 319-385-0779, or follow Facebook.com/HealthyHenryCounty. There is no cost for any of the COVID-19 vaccines.

The Mount Pleasant Fire Department responded to a report of smoke coming from a restroom at the Tolson Center.  The Department was paged out over the noon hour today(Friday) when a call came in reporting that a restroom in the facility on West Washington Street was filled with smoke.  The building was evacuated as a precaution.  It was determined that the smoke was the result of the sewer smoking process being conducted by the City.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Department reports a two vehicle crash that occurred September 7 at about 5:45 pm. Deputies were dispatched to 320^th and Mississippi River Road. Stephen Benner of Montrose was driving a pickup east on 320^th following a semi, driven by Jeff Berg of Colfax, Iowa.  Gravel dust obstructed his view and he didn’t see the semi stop at a stop sign.  The pickup hit the semi from behind causing major damage to the pickup. Benner received minor injuries and was taken to the hospital by private vehicle.

DES MOINES — Iowa’s August precipitation was 3.53 inches, or 0.6 inches below normal for the month, according to the latest Water Summary Update.

This marks the fifth month in a row of below normal statewide average precipitation. Southeast Iowa was the driest region of the state, with Keokuk receiving only 0.25 inches of rain for the entire month.

“Although August was close to normal for rainfall on a statewide basis, rainfall was below normal for the fifth consecutive month. The state needs above-normal rainfall for several months in a row, not another below-normal month,” said Tim Hall, DNR’s coordinator of hydrology resources. “Over the past several years, the state has seen very wet September and October months, and that trend would be welcome in 2022.”

Some improvement in drought conditions was made in southwest and central Iowa, but drought conditions worsened in southeast Iowa over the last month.

Streamflow, soil moisture and shallow groundwater levels are all lower than normal in northwest and southeast Iowa.

For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, go to www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.

The report is prepared by technical staff from Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.