Above: Prisoners remove branches from the back yard of Eleanor Yager’s home.

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FEATURED STORY · February 03, 2010
Credit Coon Rapids Mayor Keith Dorpinghaus and city council member Jon Esdohr.
Dorpinghaus learned last Friday that a group of state prison inmates from the Rockwell City prison facility would be in Coon Rapids on Sunday to drag fallen tree limbs from residential yards to curbs. The effort is part of the state’s assistance to Carroll County following the January ice storm that caused so much damage to trees and electric poles.
Dorpinghaus cancelled his weekend plans. On Saturday he went driving around to assess the city and locate the worst areas for tree damage. He also noted where the elderly residents live who might have difficulty on their own with the clean up. Early Sunday morning, Dorpinghaus and Esdohr accompanied the dozen or so prisoners as they made their up and down city streets and alleys for seven hours.
“It was a great gesture from the prisoners to come to Coon Rapids and help out,” said Dorpinghaus. “Although we didn’t get to every one, hopefully we can get back to them later and finish the job.”
Beginning next week, the Coon Rapids Street Department and the Iowa DOT will begin picking up branches along the curbs (please cut them if they are over 10’ in length, if you can). The limbs will be taken to the old city dump east of town, where the city has a permit to burn them. Dorpinghaus reminded residents that the old city dump will remain open for an extended period of time for local residents to continue cleaning their yards of storm damage.

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