THE SUN IS SHINNING IN MAQUOKETA. BUT IT IS STILL COLD...NOT MUCH ABOVE ZERO.
THERE WAS A PRESS CONFERENCE ABOUT THE FIRE AT 1 P.M. AT THE MAQUOKETA CITY HALL. I PUT IT ON KMAQ AM AND FM AND IT WAS AIRED "LIVE" ALSO ON THE ACCESS CHANNEL. IT LASTED ABOUT 20 MINUTES. SEVERAL TV STATIONS WERE THERE AND MAYOR MESSERLI ANSWERED MOST OF THE QUESTIONS, BUT ALSO ON HAND TO ANSWER SOME, THE CITY MANAGER BRIAN WAGNER, DOUG OWEN, MANAGER OF THE MAQUOKETA MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER.. POLICE CHIEF KORANDA AND OTHERS.
THE FIRE MARSHALL STILL HAS NOT DETERMINED WHAT STARTED THE FIRE AND IT IS ALSO NOT CERTAIN IN WHICH BUILDING IT STARTED, BUT EITHER THE FURNITURE STORE OR THE FLOOR COVERING STORE. THE FIRE IS STILL SMOLDERING AND THEY CONTINUE TO SPRAY WATER ON THE BUILDINGS WITH THE BIG AERIAL LADDER TRUCKS. MESSERLI SAID THEY WILL HAVE SOMEONE ON THE SCENE UNTIL DARK OR LONGER. OWEN SAID THEY WOULD START TO GET POWER LINES TO THOSE BUILDINGS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY BY LATE AFTERNOON. ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THE MANY APARTMENTS AT THE RECENTLY RESTORED HURST HOTEL AND NOW IN TEPORARY HOUSING UNTIL THE ELECTRICITY IS RESTORED.
THE THEATRE IS STILL WITHOUT POWER. SOME FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAVE LEFT FOR HOME, BUT OTHERS ARE STILL HAULING WATER. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL MEETING AND SOCIAL AT BROCK'S HALL SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT HAS BEEN POSTPONED. ICE IS STILL EVERYWHERE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA AS YOU WILL SEE ON THE PHOTOS YOU CAN CLICK TO HERE ON OUR WEB SITE.
SO, IN SUMMARY...THE WORST IF OVER...BUT THE FIREMEN ARE STILL AT IT.
STILL NO WORD ON HOW MUCH DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE INSIDE OF THE DENTAL BUILDING. THE DAMAGE WILL BE IN THE MILLIONS FOR SURE.
IF I HEAR ANYTHING NEW AND INTERESTING, I'LL BE BACK WITH ANOTHER REPORT LATER TODAY.
KEEP WARM.
WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL GUEST BOOK ENTRIES, SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
MIGHT ALSI BE SOME THINGS ALSO UP ON www.maquoketa.com
REMEMBER...JUST CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM.
DENNIS VOY