Debris from floodwaters adds new concerns in Iowa

Debris from floodwaters adds new concerns in Iowa

OAKVILLE, Iowa — The floodwaters that deluged much of Iowa have done more than knock out drinking water and destroy homes. They have also spread a noxious brew of sewage, farm chemicals and fuel that could sicken anyone who wades in.

On Monday, Bob Lanz used a 22-foot aluminum flatboat to navigate through downtown Oakville, where water reeked of pig feces and diesel fuel.

“You can hardly stand it,” Lanz said as he surveyed what remained of his family’s hog farm. “It’s strong.”

LeRoy Lippert, chairman of emergency management and homeland security in nearby Des Moines County, warned people to avoid the floodwaters: “If you drink this water and live, tell me about it. You have no idea. It is very, very wise to stay out of it. It’s as dangerous as anything.”

Taliban takes over villages

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Hundreds of Taliban fighters invaded villages just outside Afghanistan’s second-largest city Monday, forcing NATO and Afghan troops to rush in while frightened residents fled.

The Taliban assault on the outskirts of Kandahar is the latest display of prowess by the militants despite a record number of U.S. and NATO troops in the country.

The push into the Arghandab district — a lush region filled with grape and pomegranate groves that the Soviet army could never conquer — comes three days after a Taliban attack on Kandahar’s prison that freed 400 insurgent fighters.

11 cases of E. coli illness reported in central Ohio

COLUMBUS — Health officials say 11 cases of illness due to E. coli bacteria have been reported in central Ohio over the past two weeks.

Five of the reports are from Columbus, two from elsewhere in Franklin County, three from the east in Fairfield County and one from the north in Delaware County.

Columbus Public Health spokesman Jose Rodriguez says state DNA testing has linked three cases in the city and surrounding county, and that those cases likely have the same source.

He says Ohio Department of Health test results are not complete on the other cases. The illnesses were reported between June 2 and June 11.

Woman pleads innocent in Internet suicide case

LOS ANGELES — A Missouri woman pleaded innocent in Los Angeles federal court Monday to charges in an Internet hoax blamed for a 13-year-old girl’s suicide.

Forty-nine-year-old Lori Drew stood quietly beside her attorney Monday. She pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and accessing protected computers without authorization to get information used to inflict emotional distress. She is free on $20,000 bond.

The proceeding lasted only a few minutes. Drew and her lawyer declined to comment to reporters waiting outside the courtroom.

Flooding leaves more than 1 million homeless in China

FOSHAN, China — Weeks of rain pushed rivers over their banks in southern China, displacing more than 1.27 million people and forcing some to huddle on rooftops Monday as the region braced for more downpours.

The floods killed 112 people, collapsed tens of thousands of homes, damaged crops across more than 2.12 million acres and caused more than an estimated $1.5 billion in economic losses.

Banana trees were almost swallowed up by the muddy chocolate brown waters of the Xijiang River that overflowed its banks in Foshan, a city in prosperous Guangdong province. Farmers ditched their plows and waded into the neck-high waters with nets to catch fish.

Rice meets jointly with Israelis and Palestinians

JERUSALEM — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the Palestinian prime minister sat down for closed-door talks with Israel’s defense minister Monday, a day after she harshly criticized new Israeli construction planned for disputed land.

Rice’s joint meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad wrapped up a two-day peacemaking visit to the region.

The participants gave few details about the hour-long meeting. Rice departed for Lebanon after the talks.

In a short statement, Barak’s office said the three discussed Palestinian police operations in the West Bank and Israeli support for Palestinian economic projects.

Associated Press