Home Care In Marengo, IA

Water runoff from a Marengo facility that exploded and caught fire this month was contaminated with chemicals associated with petroleum, some of which are used as solvents, according to an Iowa Department of Natural Resources report.

Those who operate the C6-Zero facility on the east side of Marengo in eastern Iowa had — prior to the explosion — repeatedly declined to reveal the chemicals it used to break down old shingles, a recent DNR order said.

The purpose of that emergency order issued last week was to prevent further processing of shingles at the facility and to contain the soil and water contamination that resulted from the explosion, which also injured an unspecified number of employees of the facility and forced the evacuation of nearby houses.

“Inside the building are large quantities of unknown chemicals in buckets, barrels, and gas tanks, along with big piles of loose, crushed shingles, all of which are exposed to wind, rain, and changing temperatures,” the order said.

It also noted that “large run-off pools of contaminated water are flowing into or towards the Iowa River.”

It’s unclear how much of the chemicals might have flowed into the river, which is a source of drinking water downstream in Iowa City.

Water runoff from the C6-Zero site flows into two ditches that connect to a city-managed stormwater drainage basin, which empties into the Iowa River.

Tammie Krausman, a DNR spokesperson, said current runoff is being contained in the basin. But early DNR sampling of the water, including in a stream that flows out of the basin to the river, revealed contaminations of benezene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylenes, according to a summary obtained by Iowa Capital Dispatch.

It’s unclear if the DNR has identified all of the chemicals that were contained at the facility. Krausman did not immediately respond to a request to comment about it.

The DNR has been attempting for more than a year to gather information about the facility’s processes to determine whether it is subject to the state’s air quality, recycling and solid waste regulations. The company has repeatedly insisted it is not, according to the DNR.

The facility apparently began operating this year, but it’s unclear when. An attorney for C6-Zero said in April there were no stockpiled shingles at the facility, the DNR order said. The attorney said the company planned to eventually process about 800 tons of shingles per day. The company breaks down the shingles into their base components for reuse.

On Dec. 14, six days after the explosion, DNR staff noted multiple pools of unknown liquids or dark, contaminated water and runoff flowing into ditches that connect with the stormwater basin and Iowa River.

Jonathan Durst, the water superintendent for Iowa City, said his testing has not found contamination in the city’s drinking water.

He noted that the high flows of the Iowa River would significantly dilute the Marengo contamination and that the city draws most of its water from shallow wells near the river, not directly from the river.

MARENGO — When David and Kim Straka decided to open their own business, a restaurant and coffee shop seemed the right fit. Both have a background in food service.

And they are both from this part of Iowa, David from Blairstown and Kim from Mt. Vernon.

Today the couple lives near Hannen Lake in Benton County. They opened DK’s Eatery at 1185 Court Ave. on the Marengo square in July.

“When I was younger, I worked at the bar in Amana,” said David. He has worked as a cook at Chi-Chi’s and Denny’s in Cedar Rapids, though most recently he worked for PepsiCo.

Kim worked in the cafeteria at Upper Iowa University and at Rockwell Collins through Wellmark for five or six years, she said. She spent a few years as manager of Dollar General in Cedar Rapids.

The couple had talked about opening a restaurant, but it wasn’t until David’s mother passed away and left them some money that they were able to make it happen.

They thought running their own business would be “kind of nice,” said Kim.

“I kind of like being my own boss,” said David.

David had considered constructing a building for his hog business with the money, but the coffee shop-restaurant won out.

“My hog building can wait a little longer,” said David.

The couple bought a vacant building on Court Avenue with two separate spaces, one for the coffee shop and one for the café.

“This used to be Phat Daddy’s,” said David. But no equipment was left from the pizza place when the Straka’s moved in. “It’s been closed five or six years,” said David. “There was nothing here.”

The Strakas had to buy new and used equipment to get the restaurant going.

“We even had to put in a new vent system and fire suppression,” said Kim. That set them back $40,000.

“I really thought the building was neat,” said David. He refinished the wood floors himself. “We wanted to keep the hardwood,” said Kim, but hiring someone to do it was too expensive.

About 90% of the plumbing and half of the electrical system had to be redone. And the toilets had to be replaced to make them ADA compliant, said Kim.

The renovation took three months, said Kim, and a few things still need finishing up, but the coffee shop and restaurant are open.

The couple is surprised they haven’t been busier. They’ve gotten more customers from out-of-town than they’d expected, but locals don’t seem to know they’re open.

“We do have some signs up,” said David. The window of the restaurant clearly displays its name and daily specials.

“I would think there’d be more people coming in,” said David.

“We put an ad in the paper twice. We’re on Facebook,” said Kim. Daily specials are posted there as well as on the window.

They may have opened during the wrong time of year, said David. During the summer, people are busy, and they grill out, he said.

In the three months they’ve been open, the Strakas have noted what sells and what doesn’t, and they’re revamping their menu.

“We sell a lot of tenderloins,” said David. Burgers and onion rings are popular with customers. “And then, we make a lot of omelets,” David said.

Besides the Strakas, the restaurant employs two waitresses and a backup cook.

“We have parties in here, too,” David said. They’ll rent the coffee shop space for parties, but they don’t rent out the restaurant side anymore. “This side is pretty busy,” said Kim.

The restaurant serves breakfast all day and has expanded its hours at the request of customers. “We were only open until 2 when we first opened,” said Kim.

Now they’re open until 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

“That’s a 15-hour day for us,” said Kim.

Friday and Saturday, DK’s is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday it’s open for buffet only, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The couple offers carryout if customers call ahead to 319-741-5005.

(This article has been edited to correct the spelling of Phat Daddy’s.)

MARENGO — Hours before the Marengo Fall Festival opened its vendor booths and started children’s activities and entertainment on the square, a crowd gathered on the south side of town to board five Pullman cars bound for Victor.

People from all over the state arrived in Marengo Saturday morning to ride Iowa Interstate Railroad’s Pullman cars, dating from 1928.

Colbee Altenhofen and her children, Bexlee, Keera and Jorei, were part of a party of eight catching the first ride of the morning.

“I grew up in Deep River and Millersburg,” said Altenhofen. When she and her family heard that Marengo was offering train rides, they grabbed some tickets. “We thought we’d bring the kids up for some fun.”

The children aren’t strangers to trains, said Altenhofen. They’ve ridden the Polar Express in Mt. Pleasant.

Saturday’s ride was much warmer, with sunny skies and mild autumn temperatures.

The event was more than a pleasure trip, however. It was a fundraiser for the Marengo Fire Department and Marengo Community Development.

In 1984, Heartland Rail Corporation, owned at the time by Maytag, Pioneer Seed, CRANDIC, Pella Rolscreen and other businesses, selected Iowa Interstate to operate its railroad.

Heartland purchased track rights and reestablished rail service from Council Bluffs and Chicago in 1985 which had ceased following the liquidation of Rock Island Railroad in 1980.

In 2004, Pittsburgh-based Railroad Development Corporation purchased the company, becoming its sole owner.

Following an Iowa Interstate derailment several years ago in Illinois, to which firefighters responded, the company began giving train rides to raise funds for fire departments, according to Volunteer Conductor Ron Rahn.

Iowa Interstate contacted the Marengo Fire Department about conducting a fundraiser after an explosion and fire at the C6-Zero plant in Marengo in December 2022, said Marengo Community Development Director Corienne Dally.

About 15 fire departments, two hazmat teams and multiple other agencies fought the fire at the C6 plant, which recycled asphalt roofing shingles for use in alternative fuels, according to news reports.

Doug Spence, who has been with the Marengo Fire Department since 1989, said chemical got into the bunker gear and gloves, and they had to be replaced. The fire department asked Marengo Community Development to organize the event, offering to share the proceeds.

Decked out in a blue uniform with gold buttons and a conductor’s hat with gold braid trim, Volunteer Conductor Bill Nelson, of Rock Island, directed passengers to the train cars.

Other volunteer conductors greeted passengers and answered questions as they boarded the train cars and during the trip.

The volunteer conductors don’t have to have railroad experience, said Conductor Ken Roehrs. They are people who like railroads, he said.

Roehrs has collected N-gauge model trains for years, and he belongs to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America in Silvas, Illinois, an organization collecting train engines and cars in preparation for building a railroad museum.

Rahn is also a member of Railroading Heritage. His grandchildren know him as Papa Choo-Choo.

Rahn sat in one of the last three cars as the train traveled to Victor Saturday. He’s been volunteering on the trains for 18 years, he said. In addition to Iowa Interstate rides in Oxford and Brooklyn, Rahn has been a conductor for Polar Express holiday train rides in Minnesota and for cross-country excursions to the west coast.

Saturday was the first time Iowa Interstate took its passenger cars to Marengo.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Rahn. “You meet a lot of people. We’d like to see a lot more younger people get into this.”

The five Pullman cars can carry up to 36 passengers each, and Iowa Interstate made the round trip to Victor three times Saturday.

Tickets sold out in 10 days after the event was announced, Dally said. She estimated that the fire department and community development would each see about $4,500.

Marengo Community Development used the event to showcase the town and to give it an economic boost. Dally hoped that people who came from other communities to ride the train would stop in town and spend some money with Marengo businesses.

“C6-Zero gave our town such a negative [reputation],” said Dally. She hoped Saturday’s train ride and fall festival gave people a positive view of the town.

Home / Marengo city pool on track to open summer 2024

Design will go out to bid in 30 to 60 days

MARENGO — After receiving overwhelming community support and adamant fundraising efforts, the Marengo city pool is on track to open in the summer of 2024.

After a special election on Sept. 18, Marengo City Public Measure D was approved, permitting the issuance of $3.8 million in debt for a new pool. More than 70 percent of voters supported the project.

Karla Marck, the Marengo City Administrator, said the pool design still is in process and is set to go to bid within the next 30 to 60 days. This timeline sets bidding to happen in late April or May, aligning with the summer construction season.

The pool will be built between city hall and Iowa Valley Elementary School and will include a splash pad, pool, diving board, waterslide and concessions.

Marck said the pool has been a massive community effort, with residents and council participants working in tandem to progress the project.

Barbara McMeen is a member of the community team dubbed the ‘Pool Pals’ that fronts fundraising efforts and community engagement. McMeen has been an advocate for the reopening of the Marengo pool, and her husband is on the official city pool committee.

McMeen said the pool would curb safety issues in the Marengo community, giving kids who choose to swim in the river a safer alternative. She also said the pool offers a healthy recreational activity and would build camaraderie within the community.

“We're all on our media too much of the time,” McMeen said. “Our phones and screen time is way too much.”

From sharing renderings of the pool to community members to holding an abundance of fundraisers, the Pool Pals have dedicated a great deal of time and energy to the project.

McMeen said the Pool Pals have sold signs to community members, sold food during other events, painted the local high school’s symbol on driveways, and done much more to raise funds for the pool.

“Our fundraisers probably aren't going to make the kind of money that we would need to do this pool, but it has become such a community spirited and community supported project that I think that everybody feels like it's going to be our pool,” McMeen said.

The pool’s largest donors come from Compass Memorial Healthcare, which has agreed to donate a total of $250,000 over a span of five years, and an anonymous donor who has donated $250,000 and has agreed to match community donations up to an additional $250,000.

Marengo city Mayor Adam Rabe said the Pool Pals have been instrumental in the process of reopening the Marengo pool. Rabe said the large donation from Compass Memorial Healthcare will be put toward operating costs so the pool can be maintained within the first several years of its opening.

“Some of our local businesses, especially our local hospital, is trying to attract health care providers, physicians, nurses, you know, everyone that works in the hospital,” Rabe said. “It's important to them that we have amenities to attract people.”

Outside of the pool, Rabe said Marengo has seen an explosion of activity in the past few months. With new local businesses on the rise and renovations being made to buildings in the downtown area, Rabe said he’s excited to see Marengo continue to grow.

“We're getting a lot of energy going right now with the pool and stuff going on downtown,” Rabe said.

MARENGO, Iowa —

Multiple patients are being treated at University of Iowa Health Hospitals & Clinics for injuries following an explosion and fire at a Marengo plant, about 80 miles east of Des Moines.

The Iowa State Patrol tells KCCI that the explosion happened around 11:20 a.m. on Thursday. Many agencies responded within a 30-50 mile radius. The first priority was to account for the people inside the plant, several of which sustained injuries. A few injuries are burn-related.

The state patrol tells KCCI that preliminary findings indicate that approximately 30 people were in the plant. All of those people have been accounted for.

UI Hospitals & Clinics said that they are treating 10-15 patients who were at the explosion. They cannot comment on specific conditions, but say the majority are in the minor to moderate category. Most patients are being treated for burns and trauma. Patients' immediate family members can contact the hospital at 319-356-1616.

The fire is still burning and crews are using foam and water to put it out. The state Fire Marshal is on site trying to find a cause.

Marengo residents in an eight-block radius were evacuated from their homes, but have since been allowed to return.

Watch: Sky 8 drone footage of Marengo fire

Iowa State Patrol continues to monitor air and water quality.

"This was a hazmat situation. This is a biofuel plant, from my understanding. With that, we look at what is possibly in there, we try and figure out what chemicals are there. Look at the hazmat guide and say, ‘OK we want to evacuate these people,'" Iowa State Trooper Bob Conrad told KCCI.

11:20 a.m. Authorities receive a call for an explosion and fire at the Marengo plant.

12:05 p.m. One business near the fire tells KCCI they are under evacuation.

12:30 p.m. The city says on Facebook if residents are evacuated due to the fire, they should go to the Iowa County Transportation Building.

12:45 p.m. A staff member with Iowa Valley Community School District said the district is not impacted. So far, they have not evacuated or canceled classes.

12:45 p.m. The State Fire Marshal's Office said they have not responded but are aware of the fire.

12:50 p.m. Staff at the Iowa County Transportation Building says they don't have any evacuated residents there yet. They are on standby to pick people up if needed.

1:15 p.m.KCCI's Beau Bowman has arrived on scene in Marengo. While keeping a safe distance from the investigation, KCCI is working to confirm new information about the explosion and whether anyone is hurt.

1:20 p.m. University of Iowa Health Hospitals & Clinics says it has received multiple patients following the explosion. Staff members say they anticipate others may be en route. At this time, UIHC says doctors are evaluating the severity of injuries and working to ensure all patients receive the care they require.

1:40 p.m. KCCI confirms the burning building is owned by Heartland Crush LLC, according to the Iowa County assessor.

1:45 p.m. Iowa Valley Community School District tells KCCI students and staff members in Marengo are advised to not go outdoors because of air quality concerns. There are currently no changes to student pickup or activities after school.

3:50 p.m. UIHC confirms 10-15 patients are being cared for that were at the explosion. Most patients are being treated for burns and trauma. Most patients are in minor to moderate condition.

8:26 p.m. Residents in an eight-block radius who had evacuated are allowed to return home.

4 a.m. Friday - Firefighters have the fire out and under control.

Previous coverage: Here's what we know about an explosion, fire at a Marengo soybean processing facility

Watch: Drone footage shows crews responding to fire in Marengo