Latest news with #Watertown
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Here's what we know about the tornado confirmed near Watertown on July 27
A confirmed tornado northwest of Watertown late July 27 caused "significant damage" to a farmstead, a National Weather Service meteorologist told the Argus Leader. The damage was still being assessed, so the tornado had not yet been assigned a rating as of the morning of July 28, said Kelly Serr, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Aberdeen. "We have to look at the damage to be able to assign the wind speed," Serr said. "Radar tells us a lot – it told us there was rotation there – but it can't tell us the actual wind speed of the tornado itself." There were reports of large hail on the south side of Watertown and farther to the south, Serr said, and also reports of between 3 to 5 inches of rain in Hamlin County, where some secondary roads were flooded. Multiple images and videos of the tornado were shared online as it tore across fields near Watertown. Storm topples power lines in Watertown Watertown Fire Rescue responded to multiple reports of downed power lines during the July 27 storm, a news release says. Here are the details: Shortly before 7 p.m., crews responded to 11th Street and 1st Avenue NE and found that a tree had fallen onto power lines, dropping the lines on several vehicles parked nearby. The responders confirmed that the power lines were no longer energized. About 7:05 p.m., crews responded to a report of two power poles in the roadway at 1528 17th St. NE, north of the Premier Softball complex. Both poles had snapped off, causing a large power line to make contact with a nearby residence. The power line made a burn mark on the home and damaged a gas line outside, so crews turned off the gas and made sure no fires had started inside. Shortly before 8 p.m., crews responded to a report of another downed power line in the 1700 block of 4th Avenue SW, where they found a tree had fallen on a power line, knocking it to the ground. More severe weather forecast for July 28 Another round of severe thunderstorms is expected to move through the region in the late afternoon July 28, with heavy rain and hurricane-force winds possible, the weather service says. The main concern will be wind gusts of 70 mph or more, though large hail and a few tornadoes are also possible. The storms could become a derecho as they drift over eastern South Dakota, according to the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. The area most at risk for high winds was north of Interstate 90, including Aberdeen, Brookings, Huron and Watertown. The weather service said it "highly advised" securing any items that might easily blow away before the storms arrive. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: NWS still assessing damage after July 27 tornado near Watertown
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Structure felled by fire had divine roots
Jul. 26—WATERTOWN — As 235 N. Rutland went up in flames on Tuesday night, forcing its demolition two days later, a piece of the city's spiritual history fell with it. The apartment complex, at the intersection of North Rutland and Olive streets, was the original home of Emmanuel Congregational Church, now at 119 S. Hamilton St. Nearly 150 years ago, the Rev. W.T. Stokes of Rodman Congregational Church was chosen to start the first Congregational church in the city. To help in the mission, a principal donation was received from First Presbyterian Church, with other contributions from local Episcopalians, Methodists and Baptists. The lot was purchased from Edwin Paddock. The North Rutland Street structure was completed as a church in October of 1886 and dedicated a few months later. At the time, the population on the east/northeast side of Watertown was steadily growing. Emmanuel's Sunday school enrolled 40 children at its opening, which increased to 150 students in six months. According to Times files, the congregation outgrew the North Rutland Street site and ordered plans drawn for the new church at its present site. In June 1912, a contract was signed for the construction of the new building at a cost of $54,500 — about $1.9 million in today's dollars. The structure, made of Pamelia limestone, was built at a rapid pace, and in September of 1913, the Rev. Dr. Rockwell Harmon Potter of Hartford, Connecticut, preached the dedicatory sermon. The Times called the structure, "Magnificent, built by popular subscription." From its inception, the church has been not only a house of worship, but a social service center as it serves people of all faiths. On Sept. 15, 1913, the church published a classified advertisement in the Times: "For sale, cheap: Old Emmanuel church, corner of Olive and Rutland streets. Also, church pews in first-class condition. Good investment for tenement flat." When city fire crews arrived at the site at 9:31 p.m. Tuesday, heavy fire was seen in a rear stairwell entrance to an upstairs apartment. Fire had also spread to the attic. The fire prevented access to the attic, and as the fire progressed, firefighters were forced to go on the defensive. The structure sustained heavy damage and was deemed unsafe. City crews demolished it on Thursday and Friday. On Friday, Watertown City Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael D. Kellogg said there was one "legally occupied" apartment in the structure, which was owned by Tyler Gray. But there was evidence of a few others staying there. "Others weren't there with the approval of the owner," Kellogg said. "I don't know what that scenario was. I just know they were there, essentially, without permission. It's like similar structures within the city, which tries to secure them, but people break in." That has been an issue in Watertown and other communities. "People seek shelter and they're going to go where they can, legally or not," Kellogg said. "It's unfortunate, but it's kind of a sign of the times right now." An Emmanuel church official said Friday that anyone impacted by the fire and who may need assistance because of it should contact the church at 315-782-2650. On the web: Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Watertown applying for $20 million to correct Western Outfall drainage issues
Jul. 25—WATERTOWN — The city hopes to secure up to $20 million in state funding to resolve longtime environmental issues in the Western Outfall Trunk Sewer drainage system. The City Council on Monday night authorized city staff to file grant applications for two state programs that would provide as much as $10 million each to correct large amounts of water that flow into the Western Outfall Trunk System — or WOTS — during heavy rains. Two years ago, the city received a consent order from the state Department of Environmental Conservation to stop issuing sewer permits until it corrected environmental violations. For years, the city has been blamed for heavy infiltration of untreated wastewater discharged into Beaver Meadows, a large wetlands west of the city. The consent order requires the city to take corrective action to mitigate the identified issues. Working with the engineering firm of LaBella Associates, the city has put together a preliminary engineering report that identifies ways to reduce what is called "inflow and infiltration" and "structural vulnerabilities" in the WOTS drainage system, according to a memo to City Council. If the grants are obtained, the city plans a complete rehabilitation of a series of sub-basins in the WOTS. Plans would then call for installing lining into mainline piping and manholes, as well as grouting of all lateral to main connection points, according to the memo. "It's a major project," said City Engineer Tom Compo, adding that it would take 18 months to design the project and another 18 months for construction if the grants are obtained. City staff believe that all the extensive repairs would correct the issues with the DEC consent order. Under the Consolidated Funding Application program, Empire State Development is accepting grant applications through a new $100 million Pro-Housing Supply Fund. As a certified Pro-Housing Community, the city is eligible to apply for up to $10 million in funding to assist with financing essential infrastructure projects, such as sewer, electrical and water system upgrades, that are needed to facilitate new housing developments. Under the consent order, the city cannot approve any new housing developments until the drainage is resolved. The program requires a 50% match. Applications are due July 31. The city also plans to apply for another grant that provides up to $10 million available from the DEC through its Water Quality Improvement Program. The DEC has made available up to $75 million. That program requires a 25% match and applications are also due July 31. "They're very competitive," Compo said about other communities applying for the two grants. After discovering that the city purposely discharged the untreated waste, the DEC issued a moratorium in the spring of 2023 that prohibited the city from approving sewer permits to developers until it put together the plan to correct the violation. Since then, the city has made some repairs to reduce the inflow and infiltration issues in the basin, so the DEC has lifted some of the sewer permit restrictions. "We've done a lot of work and we need to do a lot of work," Compo said. WOTS consists of 10 sub-basins that are "defined by road grades and elevations" that feed into the piping, Compo said. He described it as large tree trunk with branches coming out on one side and branches coming out of the other side. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
City grants some department heads exemption to residency law
Jul. 21—WATERTOWN — The City Council voted Monday night to exempt the current city manager, city engineer, and the superintendent of public works from a law that would have required the department heads to move into the city. "I appreciated the support and I'm going to continue to serve the city residents to my best possible ability," City Manager Eric Wagenaar said after the meeting. In a 4-1 vote, the only opposition was from Councilwoman Lisa A. Ruggiero. Under contract, Wagenaar was given until June 29, 2024, to make the move, with a possible six-month extension until last December. The City Council discussed the issue during an executive session but no action was taken. Mayor Sarah V. C. Pierce said she understands that there is frustration that the residency provision of Wagenaar's contract was not fulfilled, while adding Wagenaar's experience would be difficult to replace. "Over the past year and a half we've seen the city manager really do an exemplary job for the city," she said. "I think that his experience and connections to the community would be extremely hard to replicate." The mayor said the city is facing a number of issues it is making progress on. "To not grant an exemption would essentially stall that progress and I don't think that we can afford to do that at this point in time," she said. Pierce also said that there should be talks about ways to encourage more city employees to live in Watertown. "The next time those positions come open, what can we do to encourage the next person who takes that job to live in the city, or how can we give preference to people who live in the city for those positions," she said. While saying it wasn't an easy decision, Pierce added that she thinks it's in the city's best interest that they continue on the path they're on. "I think that this is important to move forward with this," she said. Ruggiero said she received a phone call from Assemblyman Scott A. Gray, who suggested doing "home rule" legislation. A home rule law "makes the local government a full partner with the state in the shared responsibility for providing services to the people," according to the state's website. City attorney Kristen Smith said if they passed the local law, it wouldn't stop the council from doing home rule legislation. Council member Clifford G. Olney III, in explaining his vote, said that he has heard people say they are doing a "workaround" to state law, which states that officers must live in their municipality. But he doesn't see it that way, instead calling it a "patch to a situation that wasn't addressed initially." Olney claims that what they did previously by allowing the city manager to have six months and then a potential additional half-year to move into the city, was a workaround because the council did not have a law in place permitting Wagenaar, and other city officers, to live outside the city. "What we would be doing this time is cleaning up that issue for this particular time with these three individuals but not doing anything about the next manager, the next department head... We would be faced with this again," he said. Olney said he would be open to putting the grace period they gave Wagenaar into law. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Yahoo
Dump truck crash in Wisconsin spills gravel, diesel fuel and hospitalizes both drivers
WATERTOWN, Wis. (WFRV) – Two drivers were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after a crash tipped a dump truck onto its side, causing gravel and diesel fuel to spill onto the road. Deputies with the Dodge County Sheriff's Office stated on Thursday afternoon that a passenger vehicle and a dump truck crash caused a long-term closure on State Highway 26 near Watertown. 10-month-old killed, four others hospitalized in single-vehicle crash in Wisconsin The incident began around 11:30 a.m. on July 17 when 911 callers reported the crash at the interchange area on State Highway 26 southbound and State Highway 16. An initial investigation reportedly showed that a passenger vehicle driven by a 60-year-old woman from the Town of Lebanon was stopped at the bottom of the entrance ramp from State Highway 16 westbound at State Highway 26 southbound, then allegedly began crossing the southbound lanes, into the path of a dump truck. Authorities say the dump truck driver, a 25-year-old man from Jefferson, tried to evade the vehicle but ended up crashing into the front of the car, causing the dump truck to roll onto its side. Green Bay man arrested for 9th OWI offense following police pursuit in Fond du Lac County When the dump truck rolled over, the majority of its gravel load spilled out while its fuel tanks ruptured, causing diesel fuel to cover the road. Both drivers were taken by ambulance to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, deputies say. The crash remains under investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
