Demolition of a SiouxCity train bridge destroyed by flooding took place two months after it partially fell into the water.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad received the approval from a federal agency needed to start removing the railway bridge over the Big Sioux River between Sioux City and North Sioux City, South Dakota.
A controlled blast was carried out Monday morning on the South Dakota side of the river. It went fast, with one loud explosion, then some black smoke, and no snafus.
Prior to that, Sioux City police officers went door-to-door to alert residents in the Riverside neighborhood, which was greatly impacted by flooding after the river reached a record level of 45 feet on June 24. They were told to remain indoors from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m.
Work to remove the 100-year-old bridge will take several weeks. Another controlled blast is scheduled for the Iowa side of the river on September 6.
Railroad Spokeswoman Amy McBeth said once the bridge is removed, it will take nine months for a more modern bridge to take its place.
“The community is still recovering from the impacts of that high historic water volume. So, the new pier will be deeper in footings to be able to withstand that moving forward," McBeth said.
In other news, efforts continue to get relief to people in Northwest Iowa who were impacted by late June flooding.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will open Agriculture Recovery Centers in Woodbury and O’Brien counties over the next week.
The first one will open on August 22 in downtown Correctionville, Iowa, and the other in Sheldon opens on August 27. FEMA has opened 11 Disaster Recovery Centers in 11 Siouxland towns, and these Agriculture Recovery Centers are more geared to support farmers.
Additionally, a longer-term agency is being created in Woodbury County to support flooding victims. That Long-Term Recovery Group entity will bring together local government, faith-based organizations and local non-profit groups to assist people.
The point of contact is through the Community Action Agency of Siouxland, in Sioux City, by calling 712.274.1610. People with unmet flooding recovery needs can be connected to food, construction materials, financial support, and mental health services.
*Additionally, the Office of the State Archeologist unearthed the bones of a mastodon in Wayne County, Iowa. A sample from the well-preserved skeleton dates it at about 13,600 years old.
While the contours of the skull may be eye-catching, State Archeologist John Doershuk said he was particularly excited about a two foot section of tusk recovered from the site. He called it a “goldmine” for answering all sorts of questions about the animal.
“Apparently there are techniques now to determine how many calves a female mastodon had that get recorded as a chemical signature because of the changes in the body chemistry during the pregnancy and the birth. And that gets recorded in the tusks," Doershuk said.
The team didn’t find any stone tools near the bones. Doershuk says he’s interested in whether analysis will reveal cut marks consistent with early human involvement.
The 12-day dig began aftet Doershuk got a call about a Facebook post of relatively young guy: “Huge grin on his face, holding a Fred Flintstone-type, you know, 45-inch long, massive (leg) bone.”
*A Ho-Chunk subsidiary is getting a financial influx that will help with a food sovereignty program.
The grant of $60,000 to the Ho-Chunk Community Development Corporation came from the First Nations Development Institute of Longmont, Colorado. This award will support the efforts of the development corporation’s Winnebago Food Sovereignty Internship Program.
That program offers students in Winnebago, Nebraska, opportunities to explore suburban agricultural methods, internship opportunities to explore agricultural careers, learn to sell produce, and foster community bonding through farming. This program aims to provide access to fresh foods for youth living in a food desert while also sharing culture, and teaching employable skills.
