NICE FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY COMING UP.
A JACKSON COUNTY MAN WAS KILLED IN AN EXPLOSION THAT LEVELED HIS
HOME TO THE GROUND AT JUST AFTER 4:30 THIS MORNING. THE JACKSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECEIVED A CALL AT 4:40 A.M. FROM PER MAR SECURITY REPORTING THE FIRE AND MOTION DETECTOR ALARMS IN MULTIPLE ZONES OF THE HOUSE. THE PER MAR CALL GAVE THE ADDRESS AS 2236 312TH AVENUE, JACKSON COUNTY. BOTH THE PRESTON AND
MILES FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE. UPON
ARRIVAL FIRMEN OBSERVED THE HOUSE HAD BEEN DESTROYED. WHILE
SHUTTING THE GAS OFF AT THE ADDRESS, DEPUTIES HEAR AN INVIVIDUAL
CALLING FOR HELP FROM THE BASEMENT FOUNDATION. JACKSON COUNTY
DEPUTY COREY KETTMAN AND PRESTON FIREMAN LUCAS SCHMIDT ENTERED THE BASEMENT AREA AND LOCATED THE OCCUPANT, STEPHEN WALTER BRANDENBURG, AGE 73, OF THAT ADDRESS. BRANDENBURG
WAS EXTRICATED FROM THE FOUNDATION BY MEMBERS OF THE PRESTON AND MILES FIRE DEPARMENT AND THEN TRANSPORTED BRANDENBURG TO T HE JACKSON COUNTY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER IN MAQUOKETA.
BRANDENBURG WS THEN AIRLIFTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS AND CLINIC WEHRE HE DIED FROM HIS INJURIES.
THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE IS INVESTIGATING AND THE OFFICIAL CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED, BUT BASED ON THE DAMAGE AND DEBRIS TRAIL,AN EXPLOSION IS RESPONSIBLE.
KMAQ EARLY THIS MORNING GOT A CALL FROM ROGER STEWART, A NEIGHBOR TO BRANDENBURG DRAINAGE, INC., STATING THAT HE HEARD A VERY LOUD EXPLOSION AND WHEN DRIVING BY THE BRANDENBURG HOME, SAW THAT THE HOUSE WAS COMPLETELY LEVELED.
ASSISTING AT THE SCENE WERE THE PRESTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE MILES FIRE DEPARTMENT, PRESTON AMBULANCE, JACKSON COUNTY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER AMBULANCE, THE JACKSON COUNTY
SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, JACKSON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE IOWA STATE FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE.
AGAIN....AUTHORITIES THURSDAY AFTERNOON ISSUED A RELEASE STATING THAT STEPHEN WALTER BRANDENBURG, AGE 73, OF RURAL PRESTON, IS THE MAN WHO DIED AS A RESULT OF THE EXPLOSION.
BELOW PHOTO, FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE, BY A DUBUQUE TH PHOTOGRAPHER.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN THE KMAQ LISTENING AREA CONTINUE
TO FALL FOR THE 2ND STRAIGHT MONTH. JACKSON COUNTY IN
MAY HAD A RATE OF 3.6%, DOWN FROM 4.0% IN APRIL AND DOWN
FROM 4.6% LAST MAY LAST YEAR.
SHARON ELLENZ, AGE 68, OF MAQUOKETA AND FORMERLY OF WINONA, MINNESTOA, DIED LAST WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17TH, AT UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITAL IN IOWA CITY. SHE IS SURVIVED BY HER HUSBAND, FRANK, WHO IS THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF MAQUOKETA. ALSO SURVIVING, TWO SONS AND ONE DAUGHTER AND 5 GRANDCHILDREN. THE FUNERAL WILL BE NEXT MONDAY AT THE BASILICA IN WINONA. VISITATION WILL BE THIS SUNDAY FROM 1 UNTIL 4 P.M. AT THE WATKOWSKI-MULYCK FUNERAL HOME IN WINONA AND BURIAL WILL BE IN ST. MARY'S CEMETERY AT WINONA. THREE YEARS AGO, WHEN SHE AND HER HUSBAND MOVED TO MAQUOKETA, SHE RETIRED FROM THE WINONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WHERE SHE WAS A DISPATACHER FOR 25 YEARS.
TAKE CARE UNTIL TOMORROW.
DENNIS VOY
