The Top 10 Local News Stories of 2018: #10 and #9

#10: Stop if you've heard this before--a disaster declaration was issued for Winneshiek County.  The area received heavy rains in June and July (http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2018/06/19554.html) which led Governor Kim Reynolds to apply in August for federal disaster relief--a request which was granted by President Trump on August 17th.

#9: In a sad and strange story, a St. Petersburg, Florida woman, 65-year-old Susan Ann Fechhelm, died in a drowning July 22nd on the Upper Iowa River.  (https://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2018/07/19879.html)  Fechhelm was by herself in a kayak and no witnesses observed her kayak capsizing.  She was wearing a life jacket when she left the canoe access.  The life jacket partially came off, but no one knew why.  An Autopsy by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner conducted later ruled the death accidental.