Amtrak death ruled accidental
The death of a Burlington teen struck by an Amtrak train was ruled accidental.
Louis Trumbull, 17, died Feb. 9 after being hit by the westbound train near Gulfport.
Video from the front of the train shows a warning whistle and horn were activated for several hundred yards before Trumbull was hit.
The Henderson County Coroner said Trumbull was wearing noise-cancelling headphones at the time and it doesn’t appear he was aware of the oncoming train.
Community garden coming to Galesburg
The Galesburg City Council approved $25,000 urban agriculture grant for a local foundation to start a community garden.
The Galesburg-based Lipanda Foundation was founded to support French-speaking minorities who are integrating into the United States.
The community garden will be on three city-owned lots at Avenue B and West First Street in southwest Galesburg.
The original proposed location on East Main Street near Interstate 74 was shot down by the council over parking and traffic concerns.
High tunnels will be put up at the garden site and members of the community will be able to rent plots for $20 a month.
$200K needed to finish Burlington park upgrade
Fundraising for upgrades to Burlington’s Dankwardt Park are in the final stage.
The goal is to create a destination playground that is safe, challenging, and fun for youth of all ages and abilities in southeast Iowa and the surrounding area.
New playground equipment has been installed and much of the site work has been completed. Work completed thus far is already funded.
An additional $200,000 is needed to finish components including benches, trash receptacles, bike racks, landscaping, sidewalk connections, and additional accessible parking.
There are multiple options for donating to the project, including pledges, a GoFundMe, donations through the Friends of Burlington Parks (501c3), and directly to the City of Burlington Parks Department. Contact the Parks & Recreation Department for additional information on the playground project at: ph. (319) 753-8158 or email parks@burlingtoniowa.org.
Ft. Madison seeks historical planning committee members
The city of Fort Madison is looking for community members interested in the history of the community to serve on a planning committee.
The committee will work on a long-term plan for historic preservation.
Those interested can join Council Member Rusty Andrews at the Old Fort in Riverview Park at 5:15 p.m. Monday, March 18. The rain location is Riverview Pavilion, 902 Riverview Drive.
If interested in being on a planning committee but are unable to attend, please contact the City Clerk at cityclerk@fortmadison-ia.com or call City Hall at (319) 372-7700.
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