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
IT IS NOW 11:30 A.M.
KMAQ WENT ON-THE-AIR SHORTLY AFTER 9:30 A.M. AFTER POWER WAS RESTORED ON OUR SIDE OF THE BLOCK.
THE VOY THEATRE IS STILL WITHOUT POWER AND THE TEMPERATURE HAS DROPPED DOWN TO THE 40'S. IT IS STIL BELOW ZERO IN MAQUOKETA, WITH A NORTH WIND ABOUT 8-10 MILES PER HOUR. SO, THE THEATRE WILL NOT BE OPEN THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS EVENING. HOPEFULLY, ELECTRICITY WILL BE BACK ON TODAY SOMETIME AND THE THEATRE WILL BE OPEN TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
16 FIRE DEPARTMENS ARE ON THE SCENE AND AROUND 50 FIRE VEHICLES ARE EVERYWHERE. MOTORISTS ARE REMINDED TO STAY AWAY FROM THE DOWNTOWN CORE OF THE CITY. THE FAREWAY STORE, OSTERHAUS PHARMACY, AND SOME RESTAURANTS ARE OPEN. FOR FAREWAY AND OSTERHAUS PHARMACY, PARK AS CLOSE TO STORES AS YOU CAN GET AND WALK IN THE BACK DOOR. CAREFUL OF THE ICE AS THERE IS ICE ALL OVER FROM THE FIRE HOSES.
TWO FIREMEN SLIPPED ON THE ICE AND HAD TO BE TREATED AT THE HOSPITAL.
THE FIRE IS NOT OUT, BUT HOPEFULLY IS UNDER CONTROL. THEY ARE STILL SOAKING DOWN THE SMILES ON MAIN DENTAL CLINIC LARGE BUILDING THAT HOUSES FOUR BUSINESSES. BRICKS AND DEBRIS FROM THE HALLMARK STORE FELL ON THE DENTAL BUILDING, CAUSING A 30-FOOT WIDE GAP IN THE ROOF. SHERI MELVOLD JUST CAME IN TO MY OFFICE TO SAY THAT FIREMEN JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, WENT INTO THE BUILDING TO TAKE A LOOK, AND FOUND NO FLAMES. BUT, NO WORD YET ON WHAT DAMAGE IT HAS SUFFERED FROM WATER AND SMOKE. THE SUE'S HALLMARK STORE IS BEYOND REPAIR. THE TOP FLOOR IS COMPLETLY GONE. TO THE SOUTH OF IT, BREITBACH'S FLOOR COVERING BUILDING AND THE JACKSON COUNTY HOME FURNISHINGS BUILDING, ARE BOTH EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. AND THE LAST BUILDING TO GO INTO FLAMES IS THE ONE ON THE CORNER THAT WAS TO BE THE NEW PICKLE BARREL SUBS RESTAURANT. SMOKE WAS STILL POURING FROM IT AROUND A HALF-HOUR AGO. THE RED CROSS IS IN TOWN AND THEY INFORMED KMAQ THAT A LOT OF FOOD WAS BROUGHT TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER FOR FIREMEN AND THAT THEY NEED NO MORE. SUE, OWNER OF SUE'S HALLMARK SAID SHE STARTED HER STORE IN THE BUILDING IN 1980, PURCHASED IT IN 1985 AND REMODLED IT IN THE LATE 80'S WHEN MAQUOKETA HAD A MAIN STREET PROGRAM. SHE TOLD KMAQ NEWS THIS MORNING THAT SHE HAS NO IDEA WHAT SHE WILL DO WITH THE BUSINESS. THE BUILDING WAS ONE OF THE FIRST MAQUOKETA BUILDINGS TO BE REGISTERED AS A HISTORIC BUILDING. IT IS IRONIC THAT THE MAQUOKETA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LAST YEAR ESTABLISHED A DOWNTOWN COMMITTEE TO REVITALIZE MAIN STREET. THERE ARE SEVERAL VACANT STOREFRONTS DOWNTOWN AND NOW THIS FIRE WILL ADD TO THE
NEED FOR IDEAS AND ACTION. BUT, REBUILDING TAKES TIME. THE RAILROAD DEPOT FIRE WAS A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND THE BURNED-OUT STRUCTURE STILL STANDS ON EAST PLATT STREET. JUST HEARD THAT ANOTHER FIREMAN WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO. THAT IS IT FOR NOW. I'LL HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE SOMETIME THIS AFTERNOON.
DENNIS VOY
KMAQ WENT ON-THE-AIR SHORTLY AFTER 9:30 A.M. AFTER POWER WAS RESTORED ON OUR SIDE OF THE BLOCK.
THE VOY THEATRE IS STILL WITHOUT POWER AND THE TEMPERATURE HAS DROPPED DOWN TO THE 40'S. IT IS STIL BELOW ZERO IN MAQUOKETA, WITH A NORTH WIND ABOUT 8-10 MILES PER HOUR. SO, THE THEATRE WILL NOT BE OPEN THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS EVENING. HOPEFULLY, ELECTRICITY WILL BE BACK ON TODAY SOMETIME AND THE THEATRE WILL BE OPEN TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
16 FIRE DEPARTMENS ARE ON THE SCENE AND AROUND 50 FIRE VEHICLES ARE EVERYWHERE. MOTORISTS ARE REMINDED TO STAY AWAY FROM THE DOWNTOWN CORE OF THE CITY. THE FAREWAY STORE, OSTERHAUS PHARMACY, AND SOME RESTAURANTS ARE OPEN. FOR FAREWAY AND OSTERHAUS PHARMACY, PARK AS CLOSE TO STORES AS YOU CAN GET AND WALK IN THE BACK DOOR. CAREFUL OF THE ICE AS THERE IS ICE ALL OVER FROM THE FIRE HOSES.
TWO FIREMEN SLIPPED ON THE ICE AND HAD TO BE TREATED AT THE HOSPITAL.
THE FIRE IS NOT OUT, BUT HOPEFULLY IS UNDER CONTROL. THEY ARE STILL SOAKING DOWN THE SMILES ON MAIN DENTAL CLINIC LARGE BUILDING THAT HOUSES FOUR BUSINESSES. BRICKS AND DEBRIS FROM THE HALLMARK STORE FELL ON THE DENTAL BUILDING, CAUSING A 30-FOOT WIDE GAP IN THE ROOF. SHERI MELVOLD JUST CAME IN TO MY OFFICE TO SAY THAT FIREMEN JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, WENT INTO THE BUILDING TO TAKE A LOOK, AND FOUND NO FLAMES. BUT, NO WORD YET ON WHAT DAMAGE IT HAS SUFFERED FROM WATER AND SMOKE. THE SUE'S HALLMARK STORE IS BEYOND REPAIR. THE TOP FLOOR IS COMPLETLY GONE. TO THE SOUTH OF IT, BREITBACH'S FLOOR COVERING BUILDING AND THE JACKSON COUNTY HOME FURNISHINGS BUILDING, ARE BOTH EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. AND THE LAST BUILDING TO GO INTO FLAMES IS THE ONE ON THE CORNER THAT WAS TO BE THE NEW PICKLE BARREL SUBS RESTAURANT. SMOKE WAS STILL POURING FROM IT AROUND A HALF-HOUR AGO. THE RED CROSS IS IN TOWN AND THEY INFORMED KMAQ THAT A LOT OF FOOD WAS BROUGHT TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER FOR FIREMEN AND THAT THEY NEED NO MORE. SUE, OWNER OF SUE'S HALLMARK SAID SHE STARTED HER STORE IN THE BUILDING IN 1980, PURCHASED IT IN 1985 AND REMODLED IT IN THE LATE 80'S WHEN MAQUOKETA HAD A MAIN STREET PROGRAM. SHE TOLD KMAQ NEWS THIS MORNING THAT SHE HAS NO IDEA WHAT SHE WILL DO WITH THE BUSINESS. THE BUILDING WAS ONE OF THE FIRST MAQUOKETA BUILDINGS TO BE REGISTERED AS A HISTORIC BUILDING. IT IS IRONIC THAT THE MAQUOKETA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LAST YEAR ESTABLISHED A DOWNTOWN COMMITTEE TO REVITALIZE MAIN STREET. THERE ARE SEVERAL VACANT STOREFRONTS DOWNTOWN AND NOW THIS FIRE WILL ADD TO THE
NEED FOR IDEAS AND ACTION. BUT, REBUILDING TAKES TIME. THE RAILROAD DEPOT FIRE WAS A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND THE BURNED-OUT STRUCTURE STILL STANDS ON EAST PLATT STREET. JUST HEARD THAT ANOTHER FIREMAN WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO. THAT IS IT FOR NOW. I'LL HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE SOMETIME THIS AFTERNOON.
DENNIS VOY
IT IS 8:45 A.M. AND I JUST RETURNED FROM DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA. THE FIRE IS NOT YET UNDER CONTROL. ONE OF THE NEW PHOTOS YOU WILL SEE HERE SHOWS THE SMOKE OVER THE PICKLE BARRELL SUB SANDWICH STORE WAS TAKEN JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO ..THE SMOKE BILLOWING FROM ROOF. THE WIND IS STARTING TO BE A CONCERN. IT IS 10 BELOW ZERO. THERE ARE 14 FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN TOWN RIGHT NOW, INCLUDING SOME FROM ILLINOIS. MOST ARE TANKERS HAULING WATER FROM THE MAQUOKETA RIVER, AS WATER IS STARTING TO BE A PROBLEM. THE WATER IS BEING PUT INTO A LARGE INFLATABLE TANK ON MAIN STREET. THE WORD NOW IS THAT THERE IS A 50-50 CHANCE OF SAVING THE NEW DENTAL BUILDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK. THE SUB SANDWICH STORE WILL DEFINITELY BE GONE.
IF ANYONE NEEDS TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT HERE, CALL 563-593-0915 AND IT WILL BE POSTED ON THIS SITE. WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE MAQUOKETA
STATE BANK MAIN OFFICE IS CLOSED .. NO ELECTRICITY LIKE KMAQ ..BUT THAT THE
WEST SIDE DRIVE-UP LANES ONLY ARE OPEN...NO WALK-INS THERE, JUST DRIVE-UP
WINDOWS. OSTERHAUS PHARMACY IS OPEN. PEOPLE CITY-WIDE ARE BEING ASKED TO USE WATER SPARINGLY...PASS THE WORD. NO INJURIES AS OF THIS TIME.
CHECK PHOTOS HERE AND ALSO ON THE FLICKER PAGE. I'LL HAVE FURTHER REPORTS
DURING THE DAY, SO CHECK BACK.
DENNIS VOY
IF ANYONE NEEDS TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT HERE, CALL 563-593-0915 AND IT WILL BE POSTED ON THIS SITE. WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE MAQUOKETA
STATE BANK MAIN OFFICE IS CLOSED .. NO ELECTRICITY LIKE KMAQ ..BUT THAT THE
WEST SIDE DRIVE-UP LANES ONLY ARE OPEN...NO WALK-INS THERE, JUST DRIVE-UP
WINDOWS. OSTERHAUS PHARMACY IS OPEN. PEOPLE CITY-WIDE ARE BEING ASKED TO USE WATER SPARINGLY...PASS THE WORD. NO INJURIES AS OF THIS TIME.
CHECK PHOTOS HERE AND ALSO ON THE FLICKER PAGE. I'LL HAVE FURTHER REPORTS
DURING THE DAY, SO CHECK BACK.
DENNIS VOY
A MAJOR FIRE IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA...MAY BE THE WORST IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY, IS BEING FOUGHT RIGHT NOW BY FIREMEN FROM AROUND THE AREA. IT STARTED AT ABOUT 2 THIS MORNING IN EITHER THE BREITBACH FLOOR COVERING STORE OR JACKSON COUNTY HOME FURNISHINGS STORE. THE SUE'S HALLMARK STORE IS GONE.
BREITBACH'S FLOOR COVERING STORE IS GONE. JACKSON COUNTY HOME FURNISHINGS STORE IS GONE. THE ROOF HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED AT THE NEW DENTIST BUILDING, BUT AT THIS TIME, NO FLAMES THERE. I AM NOT SURE AT THIS TIME IF
THE NEW SUB SANDWICH STORE WILL BE SAVED. IT WAS ABOUT TO OPEN SOON.
IT IS VERY VERY COLD FOR FIGHTERS...AROUND 5 BELOW OR MORE. THE MAQUOKETA COMMUNITY CENTER IS BEING USED AS A WARMING PLACE FOR FIRE FIGHTERS FROM MAQUOKETA, BELLEVUE, DELMAR, CHARLOTTE, CLINTON AND OTHERS. ELECTRICITY IS OFF ON THE EAST SIDE OF MAIN STREET AND THEREFORE KMAQ IS NOT ON THE AIR YET.
KEEP CHECKING THIS DAILY REPORT FOR FURTHER NEWS.
DENNIS VOY
BREITBACH'S FLOOR COVERING STORE IS GONE. JACKSON COUNTY HOME FURNISHINGS STORE IS GONE. THE ROOF HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED AT THE NEW DENTIST BUILDING, BUT AT THIS TIME, NO FLAMES THERE. I AM NOT SURE AT THIS TIME IF
THE NEW SUB SANDWICH STORE WILL BE SAVED. IT WAS ABOUT TO OPEN SOON.
IT IS VERY VERY COLD FOR FIGHTERS...AROUND 5 BELOW OR MORE. THE MAQUOKETA COMMUNITY CENTER IS BEING USED AS A WARMING PLACE FOR FIRE FIGHTERS FROM MAQUOKETA, BELLEVUE, DELMAR, CHARLOTTE, CLINTON AND OTHERS. ELECTRICITY IS OFF ON THE EAST SIDE OF MAIN STREET AND THEREFORE KMAQ IS NOT ON THE AIR YET.
KEEP CHECKING THIS DAILY REPORT FOR FURTHER NEWS.
DENNIS VOY