Iowa
Experts detail environmental impact of fertilizer spill in southwest Iowa
RED OAK, Iowa. (WOWT) – Water is one of the necessities of life.
“Everybody wants good water quality. We all have to drink water. We all recreate in water,” said John Lorenzen, a biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Lorenzen and his fellow DNR experts are still examining the environmental impacts of a massive 1,500-ton liquid nitrogen fertilizer spill near Red Oak, Iowa caused by a New Cooperative valve that was left open last Monday.
They know liquid nitrogen fertilizer traveled along the East Nishnabotna River in Iowa for 50 miles down to the state of Missouri where it’s estimated to have traveled at least another 10 miles.
“(It’s) probably the longest fishkill that we’ve experienced in this area,” said Brent Marten, an environmental specialist for the Iowa DNR.
As the fertilizer plume swept through the water, the home of aquatic wildlife soon became their grave. Native species of varying sizes were found dead ashore and floating in the water.
“Just acute toxicity basically burned tissue on the outside and if they ingested it, on the inside of the fish,” said Lorenzen.
Water testing showed that where the spill happened, nitrogen levels were at least 60 times higher than they should’ve been.
After surveying from Red Oak to Hamburg on the Iowa-Missouri border, surveyors told 6 News they didn’t see any live fish with one exception: “We saw a handful of grass carp at the Hamburg bridge that were in the process of dying,” said Lorenzen. “Fortunately, this did not happen a month or so from now.”
That’s because larger species, like catfish, are still in the Missouri River for the cold season. If it were warmer, they too could’ve been killed. Lorenzen is hopeful that the native species will rebound. Those that found refuge in tributaries should spawn and restock the river. It’s still unknown how long that will take.
“On a short time frame, a year,” said Lorenzen. “On a longer time frame, it may take a bit longer. It’s really hard to say.”
Lorenzen explained this may have an impact on the larger fish in the upcoming season. With many of the smaller, native fish of the East Nishnabotna River dead, the food chain may be impacted.
Now, Martens is doing follow-up testing for the water. In Red Oak, the nitrogen levels are back to what they would’ve been before the spill. He said it’s likely once the plume hits the Missouri River it would dilute and dissolve.
The field specialists’ reports will go to the legal division of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. From there they’ll determine the next steps and possible fines.
Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.
Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes Connected to Overwhelming Bowl Expectation
Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes were able to take care of business on Saturday against the Maryland Terrapins. Now, they head into their final game of the regular season this coming Saturday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers with a 7-4 record.
Iowa will be headed to a bowl game following their game against Nebraska. However, the real question ends up being, which bowl game will they play in?
At this point in time, the Hawkeyes seem to be trending towards playing in one bowl game in particular.
Here are a few of the bowl game projections that have been put out there by analysts:
Obviously, the ReliaQuest Bowl seems to be the clear favorite when it comes to what game Iowa will play in.
Looking at some of the matchups that have been suggested, there is the potential for a very entertaining game.
Going up against Ole Miss, South Carolina, or Alabama would be a very difficult test for the Hawkeyes. Any of those three games would give them a great test to end the 2024 season.
There is still one game that needs to be played. A win over the Cornhuskers would have them ending their season at 8-4. After that game, it will be a wait and see approach as to which bowl game Iowa will play.
All of that being said, seeing this projections should bring excitement to the Hawkeyes’ fan base. None of them would be easy games, but the matchups would give Iowa a chance to end the season with a major upset and to head into the offseason on a high note.
Iowa
SYC: Iowa Big project focuses on helping unsheltered
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A group of Cedar Rapids High School students are making sure people without a home have the essentials this winter.
Gavin Cornwell and his team of Iowa Big students filled 100 bags this week with a little bit of everything.
“We have some fruit roll-ups, some gushers, and a granola bar,” said Cornwell.
For this team, it’s more than just a class. Once done, the bags will go to the unsheltered population living at the winter overflow homeless shelter.
“People really don’t understand, everyone has their own story,” said Cornwell.
These care packages will go to each person who stays at the low-barrier shelter this winter.
“We kind of grabbed the basic necessities to include in these care packages to give them some cheer this holiday season,” he said.
The homeless population in Linn County grew by more than 40% in 2024. Denine Rushing oversees operations at the overflow shelter and said the bags provide items that those who sleep at the shelter might not otherwise get.
“Being able to have these bags that they can just throw in their backpacks or in a bag or just carry with them and utilize throughout the day,” said Rushing. “I think it is going to be really helpful for people.”
Rushing expected to see more people utilize the shelter this year, especially during snow events and bitter cold temperatures.
“You really have to kind of have things on the go, things that you can kind of just grab and take with you while you are out and about throughout the day,” said Rushing.
Cornwell said they planned to hand the bags out this Monday at the shelter. A place this Prairie High School senior is now closer to, a place that was more visible thanks to this school-based project.
“You might drive by and you might see somebody experiencing homelessness but you don’t really know what they’re experiencing,” said Cornwell.
Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa
Iowa State women get back on track, hold off in-state rival Drake
Returning to Hilton Coliseum was just what the Iowa State women needed, as the eighth-ranked Cyclones held off Drake Sunday afternoon in Ames, 80-78.
Returning sophomore standout Audi Crooks had the game-winning bucket with just :00.3 seconds left in the game, finishing off a 33-point effort to lead Iowa State (5-1).
Crooks, a preseason honorable mention All-American, added four rebounds to her night while shooting 15 of 25 from the field.
Emily Ryan had a double-double, scoring 11 points while dishing out 12 assists. Addy Brown added 13 points and Mackenzie Hare chipped in 10. Brown led the team with eight rebounds while Ryan had six with two steals.
Arianna Jackson had three steals and no turnovers in almost 31 minutes of action.
For Drake, another former Iowa prep standout put up a big number vs. the Cyclones, as Katie Dinnebier knocked down eight 3-pointers and scored a game-high 39 points. Anna Miller had 18 with eight rebounds, as Dinnebier also had five rebounds, two steals and two assists.
The win marked the 300th non-conference victory for Iowa State under Bill Fennelly all-time, as he improved to 616-314 with the Cyclones and 782-367 overall in his coaching career.
Iowa State added to its NCAA-record streak for consecutive games with a made 3-pointer, stretching it to 933 straight.
Up next for the Cyclones will be defending national champion South Carolina on Thanksgiving at 12:30 p.m. on FOX. The Gamecocks had their 43-game win streak snapped with a 77-62 loss in Los Angeles.
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