March 27 thru March 30 is Severe Weather Awareness Week. The annual statewide tornado drill is March 29 at 10 am. Every year in the United States, hundreds of people are killed and thousands injured because of the weather. Dangerous weather can take many forms, ranging from violent tornadoes to crippling winter storms. With the notable exception of hurricanes, Iowa can experience any of these dangerous phenomena. While there is nothing we can do to stop dangerous weather from affecting us, there are things we can do to stay safe when the weather turns nasty….
KNOW THE HAZARDS – Be aware of the hazards that you might face during a weather event.
KNOW WHEN TO EXPECT DANGEROUS WEATHER – Monitor forecasts and information from the National Weather Service Forecast Office.
PAY ATTENTION – Be aware of all watches, warnings, and advisories affecting you.
HAVE A PLAN TO STAY SAFE – Think about it before it happens and be ready to act to survive.
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If you travel on Iowa 1 and Iowa 78 in Washington County you need to be aware of an upcoming road construction project that may slow down your trip. Beginning on Monday, April 3 until late October, weather permitting, the roadway from just east of the Keokuk County line to the west side of Brighton will be closed so crews can replace a culvert and reconstruct the roadway. Construction work will be completed in two stages.
- Stage 1 will require closing the roadway to drivers from east of the Keokuk County line to the entrance of Lake Darling on Monday, April 3 until early July 2023.
- Stage 2 will require closing the roadway to drivers from the entrance to Lake Darling to the west side of Brighton after Stage 1 is completed and until late October.
While the roadway is closed drivers will follow marked detour routes. Access to Lake Darling State Park and private properties within the work zone will be always maintained during the project.
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April 3-10, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau is partnering with law enforcement across the state to help curb the epidemic of distracted driving. In 2022, 9,201 crashes on Iowa roadways were because of distracted/inattentive drivers. These accidents are responsible for 20 deaths, 3,652 injured persons, and over $81 million dollars in property damage. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 32,483 people died in distraction-affected crashes across the country from 2011 to 2020. Beginning April 3, drivers will see increased law enforcement efforts. Officers will be stopping and ticketing those caught texting and driving. You drive, you text, you pay.
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The Mount Pleasant School Board meets for a special session Monday followed by a work session. The special session begins at 6 pm and will include approval of the master contract with the union. The board will be asked to approve a land lease agreement for the Ag Education Land Lab. Other items on the agenda include a memorandum of understanding for the I Jag program and personnel items. The Board will set the public hearing date for the new fiscal budget and go into closed session to discuss the purchase of real estate. The work session begins at 6:30 pm and will focus on next year’s capital projects and the spending plan for the penny sales tax. Both meetings will be held in the High School Media Center.
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Henry County Treasurer, Kellie Sloan, reminds property owners that the second half property taxes are due no later than March 31. Property owners may pay their taxes by mail. Mail-in taxes cannot be postmarked later than March 31 to avoid penalty. Taxes can be paid in the Treasurer’s office which is open Monday thru Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm or can be placed in the drop box at the south door of the court house. Property taxes can also be paid online at iowatreasurers.org. A late penalty will apply starting April 1.