The City of Ottumwa is making preparations for a potential high water event on the Des Moines River. Ottumwa is protected by a levee system designed to withstand river stages up to 25 feet. City officials are at a state of high vigilance and maintaining daily contact with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

Ottumwa's Director of Public Works, Larry Seals said, "As is always the case during higher river stages our public works and public safety crews are prepared to protect the city from the potential of flooding.
The greatest threat to the community is inland flooding, which occurs when heavy rain overwhelms the drainage capacity behind the levee. All of our storm pump stations have been tested this week and are ready to go."

The Ottumwa Transit Authority is announcing several temporary route and schedule changes. In order to make up a number of snow days taken this winter, Ottumwa Schools will begin dismissing school at 3:30 PM on Monday, February 22. On Monday through Thursday each week through April 8, students will be dismissed at 3:30 PM. Friday dismissal will remain at the regular time of 3 PM.

OTA buses will be making a few changes in order to pick up students at the revised dismissal times.
Beginning on Monday, February 22nd, the following changes will take place:
1. The 2:40 PM South Commercial Route will go to Venture Drive (Wal-Mart area) and they normally do not on this trip.
2. On the 3:30 PM trip, several routes will run in reverse order in so that the buses go by the schools shortly after dismissal.
3. The 3:30 PM South Commercial bus will not go to Venture Drive (Wal-Mart area) on this trip and they normally do.

These changes will occur Monday through Thursdays only; Friday and Saturday routes and times will remain unchanged.

Crews at the Ottumwa and Calvary Cemeteries will begin the annual spring clean up, removing all floral tributes, winter decorations and wreaths on Monday, March 1st. Families that wish to keep tributes and decorations including holders, saddles, flowers, vases, planters and holiday wreaths need to remove those items from the cemetery prior to March 1st. If a shepherd's crook is used to hang an arrangement, families may leave the shepherd's crook, but please remove the arrangement.

Spring and summer decorations can be placed after April 1st. Ottumwa and Calvary Cemeteries are cleaned twice annually (spring and fall). Residents with questions about the cemetery clean up or the requirements for memorial decorations can call the Cemetery Office at 683-0687.

On the morning of Wednesday January 27, 2010 members of the Ottumwa Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and Southeast Iowa Inter-Agency Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at the Larry Leroy Christy residence located at 602 East Main Street, Ottumwa Iowa. During the execution of the search warrant officers seized items consistent with the distribution of marijuana. Larry Leroy Christy age 33 was arrested on a warrant for delivery of marijuana. Christy later bonded from jail. More charges are pending.

Please note the following pursuant to recent Supreme Court rulings:
"A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty."

Some Ottumwa residential recycling routes were not collected Monday, January 25th due to the extremely slick road conditions. Whaley Waste will finish collecting recycling routes on Tuesday, January 26th. Whaley's will also collect tires, appliances, Christmas Trees and bundles of small branches on Tuesday.

City trash and recycling customers are reminded that when streets are slick, regular collection can easily be delayed a few hours or even days. Please be patient with collection crews as they are trying to do their jobs while staying safe in a hazardous slippery environment.

The City of Ottumwa Snow Emergency will be lifted, effective at 5 PM today, Monday, February 22, 2010. Once lifted, parking on City streets returns to the regular, posted regulations. The City appreciates the public's patience with the snow removal operation and regrets any inconvenience caused by the process.  

During snow events, City Public Works crews focus on keeping the snow routes and major streets open through the duration of the storm. This allows essential and emergency travel around town even in the worst of conditions. Once the snow stops, the focus shifts to clearing the side streets and residential areas.

Ottumwa's Municipal Code requires all dogs in the City over six months old to be licensed. Licensing helps ensure all dogs in the City are properly immunized against rabies. License tags also help identify lost animals, helping officials to quickly reunite lost pets with their owners. Dogs kept in a State licensed kennel for breeding and sale purposes are exempt from the licensing requirement.

City dog licenses for 2010 are now available at the City Clerk's Office is located at City Hall, 105 East Third Street or at the Ottumwa Police Department Records Desk on the first floor of the Joint Law Center at 320 West Second Street. Holders of 2009 dog licenses have until January 31st to renew their license without violation.

H1N1 vaccinations are now available to all Iowans ...  sufficient supplies of H1N1 vaccine have been created to make it available to the general public.

Residents may call 682-5434 to schedule an appointment for H1N1 vaccination at Wapello County Public Health. The H1N1 vaccine is provided free of charge at the Wapello County Public Health Office at 108 E. Main Street.

Wapello County Public Health continues to encourage those at highest risk of complications to make sure they are vaccinated. Children who are 9 years of age and under should be sure they receive two doses of the H1N1 vaccine in order to provide complete protection against the virus.

The Ottumwa Historic Preservation Commission has commissioned a series of collectors' edition jigsaw puzzles depicting well-known Ottumwa landmarks. Three different puzzles are available featuring Merrill Cabin at Memorial Park, the fountain at Ballingall Park and a City Hall winter scene.

The puzzles are for sale at the Planning and Development Department on the third floor of City Hall, 105 E Third Street and at O'Town Books in downtown Ottumwa. The 500 piece puzzles are 16" x 20" and sell for $20. Limited quantities are available.

The puzzles are being sold as a fundraiser for the Historic Preservation Commission. Proceeds from sales will be used as matching funds for local historic preservation projects.

The City of Ottumwa's fifth deer season for bow hunters began on September 12, 2009 and recently concluded on January 31, 2010. During the season, forty-eight (48) hunters registered with the police department to participate in the program. Sixty (60) does and eleven (11) bucks for a total of seventy-one (71) deer were harvested during the four month season.

One of the largest antlered deer harvested scored 201 inches and was taken by Joe Clawson of Ottumwa on Christmas Eve near East Rochester Avenue. Last year, forty-four (44) hunters registered with seventy-eight (78) deer harvested. Five (5) hunters qualified for buck tags for next year's season.