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American Gothic Center to Host Grant Wood Tour
Officials with the American Gothic Center in Eldon have announced they will host a one day trip via the Ottumwa Transit Authority to see Grant Wood Country. Stops will include a tour of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Grant Wood’s Studio at 5 Turner Alley, the Anamosa Grant Wood Gallery,
The day long trip will be held Saturday April 24th departing from the American Gothic House Center in Eldon at
City of Ottumwa Prepares for High Water
The City of
Officials say the City has refurbished two of the main storm water pump stations since the flooding in 2008. The Mary Street Pump Station has been completely updated with a new building, pumps and engines. The Walnut Street Pump Station has a new engine. Along the levee in
Seals say “we take this threat seriously and are taking steps to ensure our people and equipment is ready if higher water comes. City operations are not seriously affected until the river reaches 15 feet but a lot of things are happening precautionary steps and planning that the public may not see or notice to make sure we are ready”.
First Responders Prepare to Deal with Muddy Roads
Emergency responders from
Wapello County Engineer Brian Moore noted that most
Residents should be aware that if the condition of gravel roads deteriorates, response times may be slower for fire and medical emergency calls in rural areas. There may be situations of responders having to wait for a 4 wheel drive vehicle to arrive before they can proceed down a road.
Ottumwa School District Looking for Preschool Children
The
Parents wanting to participate need to attend the upcoming Child Find, to be held March 31st and April 1st from
The
Preparations Under way for 2nd Annual BBQ Showdown
The Ottumwa Area Convention and Visitor Bureau is gearing up for the 2nd Annual O’Town BBQ Showdown set for June 11th and 12th at
Events will begin Friday evening with family night with a packed schedule of events including kids jumpers & inflatibles, games and give aways, BBQ taste testing, live music featuring Richie Lee & the Fabulous 50’s, delicious festival food and other great entertainment.
The competition on Saturday June 12th will feature up to 48 teams tying for $10,000 in prizes and will be overseen by the nationally acclaimed Kansas City Barbecue Society. The O’Town BBQ Showdown is sanctioned by the KCBS and is a State Championship BBQ. Last year’s competition brought in 37 teams from 5 states and this year’s competition is filling up fast.
If you are interested in competing in the 2010 cook-off officials encourage teams to sign up as soon as possible due to limited availability of cooking sites. Teams will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. For more information call
Southeast Iowa Orchestra announces next Artist in Residence
The Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra is proud to present oboist Dane Philipsen as its 2010 Artist in residence. Philipsen will perform for more than 18 schools, community and service groups throughout southeast
The performances will be Saturday March 20th at 7:30 p.m. at the Burlington Memorial Auditorium; Sunday March 21st at
The Southeast Iowa Symphony Artist-in-Residence Program has been nationally recognized by the League of American Orchestras and receives support from the Iowa Arts Council, Wapello County Foundation, and the Ottumwa Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Dane is the son of Michael and Marva Philipsen of
State Official Explains Closing the State Patrol Office in Ottumwa
The Iowa Department of Public Safety has announced plans to shut down two Iowa State Patrol District Posts including the one in
She says “it will save roughly 25-thousand dollars in facility costs and an additional 100-thousand dollars a year by not filling vacant positions”. She says “the good thing is it will not affect the number of troopers patrolling
Greene says troopers who currently report to the office in
State Senator Keith Kreiman Supports Legislation on Guns
The Iowa Senate has sent the governor a bill that would take guns away from those convicted of domestic abuse and forbid those who’re the subject of a “no contact” order from owning or selling guns and ammunitions. Senator Keith Kreiman a Democrat from
Kreiman says “as a supporter of the Second Amendment, I understand that there is a fear that this bill will affect Second Amendment right”. He says “the short and direct answer is that this bill affects no person who has not been found by a judge or jury to have committed domestic abuse or assault”. The lawyer says domestic abuse is extremely dangerous not only to families, but to law enforcement and sometimes to innocent bystanders.
The senate approved the bill on a vote of 36 to 12 while the Iowa House approved the bill on a vote of 73 to 25.
Two Area Legislators Announce Re-Election Bid
Two area lawmakers have announced their intention to seek re-election to the Iowa Legislature. State Representative Curt Hanson a Democrat from
Hanson says “I feel honored to serve the people of House District 90. With so many families struggling in today’s tough economy, my main priority is to help strengthen
Hanson is currently serving his first term in the Iowa House and is a member of the Environmental Protection, Natural Resources, Public Safety, and Transportation Committee, as well as the Education Appropriations Subcommittee.
And State Senator Becky Schmitz of
Schmitz says “I am running for re-election to the Senate so that I can continue to create more opportunities for the people in our largely rural part of
Van Buren County Board of Education Discusses Closing Birmingham Child Center
Residents in
The proposal to close the center was discussed by the Van Buren County Board of Education last night. Birmingham Mayor Willis Buregge told KBIZ news this morning a number of representatives and parents attended the meeting. The Board of Education is considering the idea of closing the
Buregge says the center is for the kids and residents and parents in
Buregge says the community is also upset because of the way they found out about closing the early child care center. He says they found out through word of mouth.
The Van Buren County Board of Education is expected to discuss the closing of the child care center again on March 31st.















