New WPD officer sworn in; Good Neighbor Award presented

From left, Waterloo City Clerk Barbara Pace performs the swearing in of Kelsey Hovorka as a new police officer as Waterloo Police Chief Jim Trantham looks on. (Corey Saathoff photo)

Monday night’s Waterloo City Council meeting featured the swearing in of a new police officer, the presentation of another Good Neighbor Award recipient and further complaints of flooding and drainage issues in the Westview Acres subdivision.

After the oath was read by Waterloo City Clerk Barbara Pace and repeated by Kelsey Hovorka, the Waterloo Police Department welcomed its 15th officer to the force.

Hovorka is originally from St. Louis. Family and friends of Hovorka were in attendance Monday night.

Waterloo Mayor Tom Smith presented the Good Neighbor Award to Jerry Dennison for “going above and beyond” to support the military by coordinating the delivery of care packages to troops deployed overseas.

“I’m just so glad I’m able to do it,” Dennison said. “It’s for the troops.”

A familiar face returned to address the council following an extended absence. Jim Duckwitz, who lives on Mockingbird Lane, said the heavy rain event earlier this month resulted in serious flooding and water run-off outside his home and in the streets.

This has been an ongoing issue in recent years, Duckwitz reminded the council, as he and other residents in his neighborhood have dealt with flooded basements.

“We know it’s designed improperly,” Duckwitz said of the development. “It’s not safe to drive through the streets when it floods.”

Duckwitz has taken steps to prevent his yard from flooding, with only slight improvements seen. He urged the council to

look into ways to fix the problem.

“It’s a collaborative effort,” Duckwitz said. “There are fixes out there.”

At center, Jerry Dennison receives the Good Neighbor Award from Waterloo Mayor Tom Smith and Alderman Russ Thomas Monday night at City Hall. (Corey Saathoff photo)

Smith told the Republic-Times on Tuesday that the city intends to address the matter.

“We will look at our options on how to fix the flooding out there,” he said.

Also on Monday, the city council approved an amended transportation service agreement for the rate schedule between the city and Mississippi River Transmission, which is the pipeline that transports the city’s natural gas.

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Corey Saathoff

Corey is the editor of the Republic-Times. He has worked at the newspaper since 2004, and currently resides in Columbia. He is also the principal singer-songwriter and plays guitar in St. Louis area country-rock band The Trophy Mules.
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