Monday, Sept. 6, 2010

Good morning from the KCCR Newsroom....

Power outage hits Pierre

A power outage left a good portion of central and western Pierre without power Monday morning.

Utilities Division Director Brad Palmer says the outage appears to have occurred in a circuit on the Pierre substation located in northwest Pierre. That substation is also used by the Western Area Power Administration, but Palmer says the outage was on the city’s side.

The outage was first reported at about 6:45 a.m.-7 a.m. and the power was restored in about two hours. Pierre Police Dispatch says it received calls of the outage from the northwest part of town such as River Rim Drive south to Missouri Avenue and then east as far as Ree Street.

Palmer says the malfunctioning circuit is likely one of those to be replaced when the city is scheduled to begins it transmission line upgrade project next year.

Truck destroyed by fire at grain elevator

There was no explosion Sunday afternoon when a fire of unknown origin destroyed a bulk fuel tanker truck at Midwest Cooperatives and the Pierre grain elevator.

Pierre Second Assistant Fire Chief Bill Newling says the 4,000-gallon truck contained 1,000 gallons of farm fuel in one tank and 200 gallons of gasoline in a rear compartment. Newling says the truck had not been used since noon Saturday.

The fire started in the truck’s cab and burned through the diesel tank. Newling says there was no explosion and firefighters used foam and water to douse the blaze. Newling says the gasoline was not damaged.

Newling says other fuel trucks were nearby, but Midwest Cooperatives staff moved those vehicles away from the fire. There were no injuries and the truck is considered a total loss.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 4 p.m. and were there for 90 minutes. The Pierre Police Department and the South Dakota Highway Patrol provided traffic control. American Medical Response ambulance also was on the scene.

Newling says firefighters also were called Saturday again to the rubble pile fire at the Pierre City Landfill. Newling says there did not appear to be a fire, but rather pockets of steam coming from the pile. The pile continues to be monitored in case there are any flare-ups from the fire that first occurred Wednesday.

Labor Day holiday today

Most people are getting a day off from their labors today in honor of Labor Day.

Schools, government offices and most businesses are closed for the holiday, which is also the traditional end of the summer.

The holiday also means the rescheduling of some meetings usually held on Monday nights. The Hughes County Commission and Fort Pierre City Council have moved their meetings to Tuesday. The Stanley County Commission and Pierre City Commission, both of which meet on Tuesdays, will also meet separately as well Tuesday.

As part of the Labor Day observance and each holiday, American flags and South Dakota flags have been posted in Hilger’s Gulch, along certain Pierre streets and on the Missouri River Bridge.

Public meeting on workforce housing

A public meeting is Tuesday night regarding the shortage of workforce housing in the city of Pierre.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the community room of the Pierre Chamber of Commerce.

Officials of the city of Pierre and the Pierre Economic Development Corporation will discuss the city’s overall housing issue. Midwest Construction and Development will be there to talk about its proposal to build such housing on 20 acres of land north of Garfield Avenue.

Pierre Mayor Laurie Gill, PEDCO executive director Jim Protexter and city community development director Scott Carbonneau will discuss the workforce issue during a live program to be aired on KCCR Radio at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

Pierre Social Security office closed Tuesday

Pierre’s Social Security Office, located in the Pierre Federal Building, will be closed Tuesday.

The office will reopen as scheduled Wednesday.

Smile Dental Bus in Fort Pierre this week

The South Dakota Smile Mobile Dental Bus will be in Fort Pierre this week at the Oahe Valley Community Center.

The bus provides dental care to eligible people, especially children. The bus will be at the center, located in the Teton Island area, Tuesday through Friday.

Some appointment times are still available. Call the center on Tuesday at 223-2200.

Wind advisory in effect until 10 p.m. CDT

Labor Day: Showers. High near 61. Windy, with a north northwest wind between 28 and 37 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 47. Windy, with a west northwest wind 29 to 32 mph decreasing to between 20 and 23 mph. Winds could gust as high as 47 mph.

End of KCCR/KLXS News for 9/6/10. Copyright 2010 - KCCR/KLXS