Daughter helps family evacuate from Clinton apartment fire

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013, 10:58am

One person was treated for smoke inhalation after fire that started in a bedroom forced residents to evacuate an apartment in Clinton, Iowa.

The fire was reported just before 1:30 a.m. Thursday, May 23, 2013 at the Hawthorne Woods Apartments in a building in the 1200 block of Gateway.

Firefighters said they found a smoldering mattress in a lower-level apartment bedroom when they arrived.

“The family was alerted by a daughter that awoke to the smoke in the apartment and she was able to wake her family and all occupants were able to get out unharmed,” according to a statement from the Clinton Fire Department.

One person was treated at the scene of the fire for possible smoke inhalation.

Damage was contained to a single apartment.

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Local School Feels Prepared if Tornado Comes

Submitted by WQAD Web Staff

Tuesday, May 21st, 2013, 5:12pm

Dewitt Central Middle and Intermediate School Principal Jim Wichman says he can’t help but see his own students when he looks at the damage at Briarwood Elementary in Oklahoma.

Wichman says Dewitt Central is as safe as it can be and has various tornado safe locations. They practice using them in drills 4 times a year and the students seem to be paying attention.

“If a tornado hit, I would feel safe because we take tornado drills very seriously,” 8^th grader Hannah Butler tells us.

“Parents should feel confident that as safe as their kids can possibly be, they will be here at Central,” Wichman adds.

Parent, Kerri Olson seems to agree.

“They practice the drills on a regular basis so I think my child would be safe in the event of a tornado,” Olson says.

Principal Wichman says he has the teachers to thank for the students safety and the parents’ confidence in his school.

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Power outages in the Quad City area

Submitted by WQAD Web Staff

Sunday, May 19th, 2013, 8:57pm

According to MidAmerican Energy, thousands were without power before 9 p.m. on Sunday, May 19, 2013. By 10:10 p.m. many homes had power restored.

On the Illinois side of the river, about 700 in Coal Valley, less than 300 in Henry County, almost 100 in Moline, and about 250 people in Rock Island County are without power.

On the Iowa side, power outages in Davenport are down to about 45 from 1800 earlier in the evening.

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News 8 viewers storm-spotting

Submitted by WQAD Web Staff

Sunday, May 19th, 2013, 6:00pm

A whirl of severe weather moved generally north along the Mississippi River on Sunday, May 19, 2013. News 8 viewers kept us posted with what was going on outside their windows.

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A picture of storm clouds rolling in over Moline, Thursday May 19th, 2013 at 5:30pm.

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Tornado watch issued for Quad City area counties

Submitted by WQAD Web Staff

Sunday, May 19th, 2013, 3:54pm

Updated on May 19 at 5:09 p.m.- A News 8 viewer in Burlington, Iowa reported a thunderstorm and dime-sized hail that started around 5 p.m.

Original story published at 3:55 p.m. on May 19, 2013- According to StormTrack 8, a tornado watch has been issued for some Quad City area counties.

Illinois: Hancock, Henderson, Mercer, Rock Island.

Iowa: Cedar, Clinton, Des Moines, Henry, Jackson, Iowa, Jefferson, Johnson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Muscatine, Scott, Van Buren, Washington,

The watch is in effect until 10 p.m. Sunday, May 20.

StormTrack 8 also is forecasting a potential for showers and thunderstorms later in the day that have the potential to bring strong winds and hail.

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Quad Cities drivers seeing a spike in gas prices

Submitted by WQAD Web Staff

Friday, May 17th, 2013, 10:29am

As Memorial Day approaches, drivers are seeing a spike in gas prices.

Gas prices are rising because two large refineries near Chicago have been shut down for maintenance. It is expected they will be back up and running after Memorial Day, according to a report by the Times-Republican.

According to AAA, Iowa drivers are paying about $3.67 per gallon of regular gas.

The average for Illinois drivers is $3.99 per gallon.

The national average is $3.61.

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First Day of the IAHSAA Track & Field State Meet

Submitted by WQAD Web Staff

Friday, May 17th, 2013, 1:35am

Iowa high schools met at Drake University in Des Moines for day one of the IAHSAA state track meet.

According to IAHSAA’s results website, Pleasant Valley senior, Chloe Miller took third place in the Class 4A discus. Miller threw 41.51-meters.

Freshman, Kelli DeGeorge from Pleasant Valley won the Class 4A high jump clearing 5-feet, 4-inches.

The Class 4A girls’ 4×100-meter relay took second place, about 4-seconds behind the first place team from Waukee.

Quad City area girls took over the Class 4A 400 meter dash. From Davenport North, senior Alisha Jones took first with a time of 55.90 seconds. Sophomore Kaley Ciluffo from Pleasant Valley, senior Mahnee Watts from Bettendorf, and Larkin Chapman from Muscatine took second, third, and fourth respectively.

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