Gazette Daily News Briefing, July 4
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, July 4.
According to the National Weather Service, your Independence Day will be sunny and quite warm. It is predicted to be 94 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. A chance of rain will return in the early morning hours on Wednesday.
Five people were injured in a boat explosion on Lake Rathbun in Appanoose County Sunday, according to a news release from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
One woman was evacuated by helicopter to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for moderate to severe burns. One adult male and three juveniles were taken by ambulance to Mercy One in Centerville for minor burns.
The boat exploded — likely because of a mechanical malfunction — during engine startup on the Buck Creek Arm of Lake Rathbun at approximately 3 p.m. Sunday, the news release stated.
If your holiday plans include a dip in a nearby lake, here is some good news: Most of Iowa’s state park beaches this week have water quality within safe standards for swimming.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources collects water samples each week at state park beaches and tests the water for E. coli bacteria and toxins from harmful algae — both of which can harm swimmers. The agency posts notices advising against swimming on weeks when levels exceed state standards, but many people do not see or heed the warnings.
Last week’s tests showed 31 of the beaches tested within safe levels for swimming. This includes Backbone, Macbride, near Solon, and Pleasant Creek, near Palo.
At eight state park beaches, swimming is not advised because of high levels of either E. coli or algal toxins. These are:
- Black Hawk, Lake View
- Brushy Creek, Lehigh
- George Wyth, Cedar Fall
- Lake Darling, Brightons
- Marble Beach, Spirit Lake
- McIntosh Woods, Ventura
- Pine Lake South, Eldora
- Prairie Rose, Harlan
Iowa DNR weekly advisories are available online or over a hotline at 515-725-3434. Two state park beaches — Lake Geode and Lake Ahquabi — are closed this summer for renovations so the water isn t being tested there.
The E. coli at Iowa beaches likely comes from feces from wildlife and manure runoff from farm fields. These bacteria levels often spike after a heavy rain. Accidentally ingesting contaminated water can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms.
The lake at Terry Trueblood Park in Iowa City, while not at one of Iowa’s state parks, remains is closed to swimming because of E. coli.
