Welcome to Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Here are 7 local news items at 7 a.m.:

1. WEATHER: DRY TODAY, WET TOMORROW:

Today will be mostly sunny with a high near 82 and wind gusts above 20 mph. Tonight it will be partly cloudy with a low of 64. There is a 30% chance of rain and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 a.m. as we head into what could be a wet weekend. (Extended Forecast)

2. OELWEIN HOMECOMING ROYALTY CROWNED

Oelwein’s Homecoming king and queen are seniors Tyrone Armstead and Emma Smock. Oelwein Activities (@HuskyActivities) tweeted this photo:

3. FOOTBALL MATCHUPS TONIGHT:

• Wapsie Valley Warriors (1-2) at AGSWR Cougars (3-0), 7 p.m.
• West Central Blue Devils (4-0) at Clarksville Indians (2-1), 7 p.m. Listen on The Blue Devilcast
• Jesup J-Hawks (1-2) at Oelwein Huskies (1-2), 7 p.m., Homecoming. Dollars for Scholars tailgate starts at 6 p.m. at the bus barn next to the stadium.

4. WAPSIE VALLEY VOLLEYBALL WINS:

Wapsie Valley (20-2) def. Jesup (9-7) in Fairbank, 3-00 (25-10, 25-12, 26-16

Click here for a game summary and stats.

5. FIRE DEPARTMENT GETS SOME PRACTICE IN:

Speaking of fire, the Oelwein Fire Department burned a derelict house at 202 4th Ave. NW last Saturday. The department posted pics and a statemen that said it “held a controlled house burn. In the previous few weeks we used this house for various training exercises. Saturday we practiced interior fire attacks before letting the house burn. These training provide valuable opportunities to gain knowledge and experience in different firefighting tactics.:

6. CITY SETTING RULES FOR FLYING DRONES:

The Oelwein City Council is on its way to adopting a new ordinance regarding unmanned aerial vehicles — or drones. The new rules would make it unlawful to fly a drove over private property at 500 feet or less without permission. It’s OK on your own property. The same is true for public property unless the drone user got a special event permit OK’d by the City Council. Commercial users need to meet certain requirements and must be registered with the Police Department and need to inform it at least four hours prior to each use.

The ordinance also addresses harassment and tries to protect privacy by outlawing taking pictures or recordings on private property without the subject’s express permission.

Violations will be simple misdemeanors.

The council unanimously approved the first reading of the ordinance. It needs two more readings at a council meeting to be approved.

7. DOWNTOWN BUILDING GOING DOWN:

The Oelwein City Council this week voted to accept the deed to the old restaurant at the corner of 1st Street South East and South Frederick (33 S. Frederick). The resolution adopted by the council says the building owner does not have the resources to fix the unsafe building and the city is taking an aggressive standpoint on dilapidated properties, especially
properties that are having an adverse effect on neighboring properties. The city will work on a plan “to revitalize the lot to ensure the downtown continues to stay vibrant.”

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