RE: [FairfieldLife] June 2 Primary Election Info

[da...@astroview.com [FairfieldLife]]

Thank you, Dick…

 

Very helpful… wish I had this before I mailed my ballot last week.

 

I would have gone for Kimberly Graham instead of Theresa Greenfield.

 

DH

 



 

 

 




 

 

 

 

From: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com  
Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2020 7:03 AM
To: Dick Mays 
Subject: [FairfieldLife] June 2 Primary Election Info

 

  

Dear Friends,

 

Here’s a link to Jefferson County’s June 2 Primary information:

http://www.jeffersoncountyiowa.com/elections.htm 
<http://www.jeffersoncountyiowa..com/elections.htm> 

 

An engaged progressive friend sent me this analysis of the Democratic 
candidates.

 

Here is what I put together for the Democratic Primary Election, which ends 
June 2nd:

 

Dear Jefferson County Voter:

 

Only two seats are contested in the Democratic primary election — nominations 
for the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and for the Jefferson County 
Sheriff. This email contains information on those races.

 

NOTE: We will be voting my mail, which means that you must submit an absentee 
ballot to the County Auditor by June 2nd. If you want to mail it in, do that 
today. Otherwise, deliver it yourself to the Auditor at the County Courthouse.

 

Jefferson County Sheriff

 

Rob Nelson ( 
<https://eur06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FRobNelsonForJeffersonCountySheriff%2F=02%7C01%7C%7C664be96714e44e533f5208d7ff2d7ae7%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435%7C1%7C0%7C637258443103246612=uX8eaUAind0kuYfVm61L1rPG7KX0fQ7JgUqqattdZyw%3D=0>
 Facebook) A 49 year old former union ironworker who currently operates Nelson 
Rebar Inc.., Rob says he’s running for Sheriff because “I was told that if I 
“didn’t like the way the Sheriffs’ Department is being run, vote them out”. 
This is why I will be on the June 2nd Primary Ballot.” Rob’s roots here go back 
to the 1850s. Rob has no experience working in law enforcement but expresses a 
willingness to get the training if he’s elected. On his Facebook page, he 
describes himself: “Being a loyal employee and of recent, a successful and 
loyal business owner has adjusted my listening ability. I am approachable, 
trustworthy and honest and will be available to listen to your concerns.” His 
comment on the Sheriff’s Office makes clear his motivation for seeking the job 
of Sheriff: “The Sheriff's department has let the people down for too long by 
failing to properly investigate crimes, allowing the drug traffic to rise, 
letting criminals off easy, and favoring those close to them.” He wants to 
bring “new eyes” to the Sheriff’s Office.

 

Tracy Vance (no online presence as yet) In his 35 years of public service, 
Tracy has served as a firefighter, a school board member, a county supervisor 
and executive director of the Fort Madison and, subsequently, the Fairfield 
Chambers of Commerce. He also served as the Executive Director of the Fairfield 
Economic Development Association. He has been a Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff 
for the past 6-½ years. Building on the Sheriff’s Office motto “Protect and 
Serve,” Tracy says: “I believe law enforcement should interact with the 
community. The JCSO should and can be a partner in the economic and social 
wellbeing of our county by assuring our citizens’ safety and fair treatment.”

 

My Recommendation: I have to favor Tracy Vance for his experience in the 
Sheriff’s Office and an impressive background in the economic and educational 
life of Iowa communities. He knows how to take responsibility, to lead, to 
listen and to act fairly and sensibly.

 

U.S. Senator

 

An excellent forum with the candidates for Senate from SW Iowa Democrats 
(26-April-2020) is available  
<https://eur06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwatchparty%2F674475543328647%2F%3Fentry_source%3DGROUP_FEED=02%7C01%7C%7C664be96714e44e533f5208d7ff2d7ae7%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435%7C1%7C0%7C637258443103256603=OdSV%2FwshNBmwbdUTxGEaRsKV%2BgZdnhF%2BaAjcIaY5zF8%3D=0>
 here. There is another forum on Iowa Public Television. I believe that the 
info is on the “Jefferson County Democrats — Iowa” Facebook page.

 

Michael Franken ( 
<https://eur06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffrankenforiowa.org%2F=02%7C01%7C%7C664be96714e44e533f5208d7ff2d7ae7%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435%7C1%7C0%7C637258443103256603=MOrw%2FxgcWTAqH%2FWEtCzWGGYdRRPfWhXcg3kKcpssKaM%3D=0>
 Website;  
<https://eur06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FFrankenforIowa%2F=02%7C01%7C%7C664be96714e44e533f5208d7ff2d7ae7%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435%7C1%7C0%7C637258443103266596=J6PotoGIyPBENDClpRWhAtcJp5Q7xMH1vgb90pcaphA%3D=0>
 Facebook) Vice Admiral Franken points to “His rural upbringing, 37 years of 
military service, and proven track record of distinguished leadership [to] make 
him the Democrat to beat Joni Ernst.” His campaign emphasizes “Iowa needs 
someone in Washingt

[FairfieldLife] June 2 Primary Election Info

[Dick Mays dickm...@lisco.com [FairfieldLife]]

Dear Friends,

Here’s a link to Jefferson County’s June 2 Primary information:
http://www.jeffersoncountyiowa.com/elections.htm

An engaged progressive friend sent me this analysis of the Democratic 
candidates.

Here is what I put together for the Democratic Primary Election, which ends 
June 2nd:
 
Dear Jefferson County Voter:
 
Only two seats are contested in the Democratic primary election — nominations 
for the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and for the Jefferson County 
Sheriff. This email contains information on those races.
 
NOTE: We will be voting my mail, which means that you must submit an absentee 
ballot to the County Auditor by June 2nd. If you want to mail it in, do that 
today. Otherwise, deliver it yourself to the Auditor at the County Courthouse.
 
Jefferson County Sheriff
 
Rob Nelson (Facebook 
)
 A 49 year old former union ironworker who currently operates Nelson Rebar 
Inc., Rob says he’s running for Sheriff because “I was told that if I “didn’t 
like the way the Sheriffs’ Department is being run, vote them out”. This is why 
I will be on the June 2nd Primary Ballot.” Rob’s roots here go back to the 
1850s. Rob has no experience working in law enforcement but expresses a 
willingness to get the training if he’s elected. On his Facebook page, he 
describes himself: “Being a loyal employee and of recent, a successful and 
loyal business owner has adjusted my listening ability. I am approachable, 
trustworthy and honest and will be available to listen to your concerns.” His 
comment on the Sheriff’s Office makes clear his motivation for seeking the job 
of Sheriff: “The Sheriff's department has let the people down for too long by 
failing to properly investigate crimes, allowing the drug traffic to rise, 
letting criminals off easy, and favoring those close to them.” He wants to 
bring “new eyes” to the Sheriff’s Office.
 
Tracy Vance (no online presence as yet) In his 35 years of public service, 
Tracy has served as a firefighter, a school board member, a county supervisor 
and executive director of the Fort Madison and, subsequently, the Fairfield 
Chambers of Commerce. He also served as the Executive Director of the Fairfield 
Economic Development Association. He has been a Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff 
for the past 6-½ years. Building on the Sheriff’s Office motto “Protect and 
Serve,” Tracy says: “I believe law enforcement should interact with the 
community. The JCSO should and can be a partner in the economic and social 
wellbeing of our county by assuring our citizens’ safety and fair treatment.”
 
My Recommendation: I have to favor Tracy Vance for his experience in the 
Sheriff’s Office and an impressive background in the economic and educational 
life of Iowa communities. He knows how to take responsibility, to lead, to 
listen and to act fairly and sensibly.
 
U.S. Senator
 
An excellent forum with the candidates for Senate from SW Iowa Democrats 
(26-April-2020) is available here 
.
 There is another forum on Iowa Public Television. I believe that the info is 
on the “Jefferson County Democrats — Iowa” Facebook page.
 
Michael Franken (Website 
;
 Facebook 
)
 Vice Admiral Franken points to “His rural upbringing, 37 years of military 
service, and proven track record of distinguished leadership [to] make him the 
Democrat to beat Joni Ernst.” His campaign emphasizes “Iowa needs someone in 
Washington to make the right decisions, the many tough calls. We need a Senator 
who knows how to address the climate crisis, to bring about affordable 
healthcare, and take on special interests fueled by Wall Street greed. Now is 
the time when Iowans need a U.S. Senator who will go against the grain in 
Washington, not with shallow special interests, but for what’s right for Iowa’s 
bright future.” He says of Joni Ernst: “Her voting record screams special 
interests.” He assures 

[FairfieldLife] June

[srijau]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJLj5TKyIEo 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJLj5TKyIEo 

[FairfieldLife] June Newsletter from the David Lynch Foundation

[michael]

 























 
Nancy Spillane, founder and head of Lowell Whiteman Primary School, has devoted 
her professional life to “inspiring in each child a passion for learning.” In 
2007 she introduced the Quiet Time program with the Transcendental Meditation 
technique in her school.
Why did you choose the Quiet Time program?
Nancy: Since 9/11 I had been looking for ways to decrease stress at Lowell 
Whiteman. When I first saw the NBC program about kids meditating at an Iowa 
school, I thought if I didn’t look into this I might be doing a disservice to 
our children. I was intrigued because the program featured kids doing well with 
National Merit Scholarships, sports, and academics. The meditating children 
excelled on their ACT and SAT scores.
I was happy to learn that the main benefit of TM was stress reduction. With the 
pressure that kids put on themselves and what the parents put on them, there’s 
too much overload on the students’ nervous systems. If you watch the 
communications between kids these days, the rapid-fire cell phones and text 
messages, they are moving so fast that just to take a 10- minute rest twice a 
day is good for them. 
After two years of practicing the TM program, what results do you see?
Nancy: I am hearing great results from the parents and teachers. I recently met 
with parents of next year’s eighth graders. Every single parent said, “Please 
keep the Quiet Time program going in the school. Don’t ever get rid of it. As a 
parent I beg you to keep it in the school.” Not one parent said, “Why are you 
wasting your time?”
Parents are seeing less squabbling among siblings, and their children are more 
communicative. Grades have improved and kids are more focused in the classroom. 
Parents of adolescent girls see them riding that wave with more grace. As far 
as the school environment goes, there are fewer discipline issues. 
The teachers are finding that the kids have a greater level of concentration 
and a higher level of attention. The teachers’ ability to instruct and the 
children’s ability to learn have both benefited. 
How has meditation helped you personally?
Nancy: The calmness I gain from meditating helps me in so many situations. When 
I attend headmaster meetings in Colorado, people ask, “What are your tactics?” 
I tell them that I meditate. It’s such a wonderful tool. When I know I’m going 
to have a meeting with an upset parent, I try to meditate first. I’m not 
defensive. My calmness also calms the parent. That’s the best tool in my belt. 
The beauty of it is that I used to use a lot of energy, but now it takes no 
energy to remain calm. I’m able to focus entirely on the parent’s message. I 
can be a true giver, giving 100% of myself. Both of us are winners in those 
meetings. 


Support the
Quiet Time program
at Lowell Whiteman 
Primary School
The David Lynch Foundation is seeking sponsors to fund the TM-Quiet Time 
program at Lowell Whiteman Primary School for 2009-10 Only $25,000 a year 
covers all student and faculty instructions, follow-up, and administration of 
the program. You can help sponsor this school program, which has brought about 
such profound positive changes in students’ lives. Help ensure that it 
continues. 

What is your vision for the future?
Nancy: We hope that when people visit us, they will want the same results for 
their school. When visitors come they ask, “How do you do this?” We want to be 
that shining light in Northwest Colorado, an example of a harmonious school, 
with everyone working together as a team, and with students who are more 
peaceful, more focused, and happier.



 
Lowell Whiteman students speak on
the Transcendental Meditation program
“I noticed that I have greater control over myself. Meditation has improved my 
social skills and I am glad of that.” —Seventh grade student
“I was surprised at how easy it is. And when I play hockey or other sports I am 
more focused. Right now I am playing lacrosse and tennis, and I know I have 
improved in both a lot!” —Seventh grade student
“I like that TM is easy and relaxing. Thanks for teaching us!” —Fifth grade 
student
“I like Transcendental Meditation because it soothes me. I thought when it 
first started it was dumb, but now I think it’s cool.” —Fifth grade student
“When I am on a roll, doing TM twice a day, I feel both tranquil and energized. 
The day seems to have more hours for getting projects done and for visiting 
friends and family. I realize the many ways it enhances my being and doing.” 
—Pam Morgan, Spanish teacher 
Check out DLF.TV!
After three successful years of implementing the TM technique in schools, the 
David Lynch Foundation introduced DLF.TV, a new online TV channel that 
celebrates consciousness, creativity and bliss. DLF.TV is showcasing high 
quality video content from David Lynch Foundation events, compelling profiles 
and documentaries, exclusive contributions David Lynch, and a wide range of 
creative work. visit DLF.TV 
David Lynch 

[FairfieldLife] June 3 Vote's Supervisor Candidates

[Dick Mays]

http://www.fairfieldtoday.com/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=1453Itemid=54
June 3 Voters to Determine Supervisor Candidates

Voters in the primary election will determine the local candidates 
whose names will appear on the ballot in the general election in 
November. Polls will be open Tuesday, June 3, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.


The most actively contested positions in local government are the two 
open seats on the three-member County Board of Supervisors. Four 
Democratic candidates and three Republican candidates are vying for 
those two seats. In the June 3 primary election two Republicans and 
two Democrats will be chosen as candidates in the November election.


The County Board of Supervisors makes virtually all the decisions for 
Jefferson County. Some of their major decisions involve setting a 
county budget and overseeing the county offices, such as the County 
Engineer's office that oversees the county roads and bridges.


The County Board of Supervisors also promotes and facilitates 
cooperative efforts among various groups working for progress in the 
county. Its three members serve on about 42 boards and commissions 
that affect all aspects of the county. These boards deal with aging, 
physical and mental health, emergency services; drug and alcohol 
services; crime, detention, and correctional services; human 
resources, workforce development, and economic development; 
conservation, and other concerns.


Through their involvement with these 42 boards and commissions, the 
three county supervisors are in the position to take the pulse of the 
county-assessing its strengths and weaknesses, and to be pro-active, 
giving input, making proposals and calling for proposals from the 
community at large.


The four Democratic candidates for County Board of Supervisors are: 
William Thom Richards, Earl Shepard, Curtis D. Hanson, and Gail 
Miller. The Republican candidates are: incumbent Stephen Burgmeier, 
Lee Dimmit, and Richard J. Westhoff.


To vote in the primary election, you must declare a party affiliation 
with the same party as the candidates for whom you wish to vote. 
Party affiliation can be changed at the polls with a photo ID.


If you are not registered to vote, but are a resident of Jefferson 
County and a U.S. citizen, you can still register to vote at the 
polls on Election Day. However, you will need to show proof of 
identity and residence. The best form of ID is a valid Iowa driver's 
license with a current address.


Have you ever walked into the voting booth, looked over the ballot, 
and wished that you had other choices? The primary election is your 
chance to help put your favorite candidates on the ballot in 
November. Remember to vote June 3.



http://www.fairfieldtoday.com/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=1444Itemid=64
Questions to the Candidates for Supervisor- Be Informed  Vote on June 3!

To help inform Jefferson County voters about the environmental 
positions of candidates for Board of Supervisors, the Leopold Group 
Sierra Club sent the following questionnaire to all candidates. 
Candidate Lee Dimmitt and Richard Westhoff chose not to respond to 
the questionnaire.


1.   Do you think all Jefferson County streams should be swimmable 
and fishable?  If so, do you have ideas on how our water quality can 
be improved?


Stephen Burgmeier: Any streams that are on the impaired list from the 
EPA should be improved. The others should maintain their current 
status.


Curtis D. Hanson: Yes, first an educational program (public awareness 
and attention) campaign should be launched.  Secondly, demonstration 
areas must be developed and available for viewing. These 
demonstration areas must be readily accessible to land owners and be 
economically viable. Third, a carrot and stick approach should be 
sought for implementing the consensus of the people.


Gail Miller: It would be wonderful if all waters were swimmable and 
fishable, but I'm not sure that it could happen in Iowa for a number 
of years without very strict regulations on the use of herbicides, 
fertilizers, insecticides, etc. Even with restrictions, which 
probably are not feasible, it would take years to get the present 
levels of contaminants out of our groundwater.


William Thom Richards: Yes. Factory farms should be accountable for 
polluting waters.


Earl Shepard: All streams should be swimmable and fishable. Our water 
quality can be improved if we educate residents and create watchdog 
teams who report suspect waterways to the DNR, local authorities and 
news media. It is up to us to police our environment and demand 
enforcement!



2.   Do you support county-wide recycling pickup?

Burgmeier: Currently taking recyclables to the central location is 
the most sustainable solution.


Hanson: Yes; however, a door-to-door pickup in all rural areas is 
probably not financially feasible at this time.   

Miller: I think it's an idea with a lot of merit. If county residents 
could purchase this 

[FairfieldLife] June Discover Magazine on Light Body realization

[Vaj]

The June Discover Magazine had an interesting article on Body of  
Light (aka rainbow body) realization. The interesting thing is, now  
that they finally duplicated early 50's research on samadhi in  
advanced meditators, theorists Stuart Hameroff and Sir Roger Penrose  
have come up with a theory for the physical linkage between the  
physical structures of the brain, the fundamental luminosity of mind  
and Planck scale realities.


http://discovermagazine.com/2007/jun/soul-search

http://discovermagazine.com/2007/jun/soul-search/article_print

As Hameroff comments on his website (italics mine):

In a book titled The Quantum and the Lotus by Mathieu Ricard and  
Trinh Xuan Thuan (Crown Publishers, 2001), Ricard (a molecular  
biologist turned Buddhist meditator and co-author of the Lutz study)  
describes the Buddhist concept of three levels of consciousness,  
including the most important “fundamental luminosity of the mind”.  
This is a “state of pure awareness that transcends the perception of  
a subject/object duality and breaks free from the constraints and  
traps of discursive thought.” Moreover this form of consciousness,  
according to Mathieu Ricard, can exist independently of the brain,  
and in fact pervades the universe. Presumably, the meditative state  
marked by enhanced gamma synchrony represents an immersion of the  
subjects in this fundamental luminosity. (Such a connection may  
possibly be explained through the quantum approach to consciousness.  
For example the Penrose-Hameroff model suggests a connection between  
brain processes and a fundamental Platonic realm embedded in the  
space-time continuum.


Back to the brain. The enhanced gamma synchrony during the meditative  
state (as the authors tell us) is most likely due to a) an increase  
in the size of coherently responding neural assemblies, and/or b)  
increased precision in the coherence of responding neural assemblies.


Before addressing these possibilities, consider the origin of  
coherence. Even assuming that cortical neuronal assemblies  
interconnected by gap junctions (“hyper-neurons”) are the neural  
correlate of gamma synchrony, there are two possibilities for the  
coherence. One is that ascending or re-entrant thalamo-cortical  
inputs drive the cortical neuronal assemblies, like a piano player  
might rhythmically strike keys on a piano. The other is that the  
cortical neuronal assembly (hyper-neuron) itself is the source of  
coherence, due either to some internal reverberative feedback or  
common underlying mechanism in the extended membrane and/or cytoplasm/ 
cytoskeleton. There are arguments against the thalamo-cortical drive  
mechanism for coherence based on delays in chemical neurotransmission  
and the slightly varying lengths of thalamo-cortical axons required  
to reach appropriate regions of cortex. In addition, thalamo-cortical  
drive would mean that the thalamus (rather than cortex) was  
responsible for choosing areas of cortex for consciousness (though  
proponents of this view point to cortical-thalamic feedback). These  
are open questions, though the fact that meditators whose  
consciousness is devoid of sensory inputs from the external world  
exhibit more highly coherent cortical excitations suggests that  
thalamic inputs reduce, rather than promote, gamma synchrony. Thus  
both enhanced a) size and b) coherence precision of cortical  
assemblies seem likely.


Like most good research, this study raises more questions than it  
answers. How is the content—in this case the pure quale of compassion— 
represented? Is it in the specific coherent frequency? Is it in the  
specific neural regions entrained in the coherent process? Is it in  
some finer-grained process? Are the coherence, amplitude and/or  
frequency related to intensity of experience?


One could say (I would not) that the gamma synchrony/coherent 40 Hz  
corresponding with contentless meditation implied a blank slate,  
perhaps like a radio station carrier wave, that the coherent  
amplitude increase was due to lack of interference stemming from lack  
of cognitive processing. But the trained meditators were conscious— 
highly conscious—of the feeling of pure compassion. So my impression,  
as suggested above, is that their enhanced gamma synchrony reflected  
a release from external (e.g. thalamic) distractions, allowing pure  
qualia to fill consciousness. Why gamma synchrony (or any brain  
activity) should be conscious is, of course the ‘hard problem’. As  
those familiar with my views might suppose, my guess is that  
conscious experience derives from quantum mechanisms in cytoskeletal  
structures within coherently excited components of hyper-neurons.  
These in turn facilitate a more direct absorption in what Buddhists  
call fundamental luminosity. My guess is also that intensity of  
experience corresponds not only with coherence, but also frequency,  
that the 80 to 120 Hz coherence is present in the trained 

[FairfieldLife] 'June Monsoon causes floods, chaos in Britain'

[Robert Gimbel]

  
 From The Times


June 16, 2007

  
  Nowhere to go and no way to get there as the June monsoon causes chaos  
  Joanna Bale   


  Torrential rain caused severe flooding across many parts of Britain 
yesterday. Thousands of people were affected as homes, workplaces and schools 
were evacuated. 
  Trains were cancelled and motorists were stranded when railway lines and 
roads were submerged, causing rush-hour chaos. 
  The worst-affected areas were the Midlands, Yorkshire and Northern Ireland. 
The Environment Agency issued 42 flood warnings, including three severe ones — 
the most serious category, which indicates extreme danger to life and property 
— for Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. 
  The Met Office said that the wet weather would continue into the beginning of 
next week, with some very heavy and thundery outbreaks likely again today. 
   function pictureGalleryPopup(pubUrl,articleId) {  var newWin = 
window.open(pubUrl+'template/2.0-0/element/pictureGalleryPopup.jsp?id='+articleId+'offset=0sectionName=Weather','mywindow','menubar=0,resizable=0,width=615,height=655');
  }  A teenage soldier was feared drowned after he tried to cross a 
swollen river during a training exercise and more than 100 people were trapped 
in a factory when a river burst its banks. 

  A search was launched after the soldier, 17, was washed away after being hit 
by a surge of water as he waded across Risedale Beck on Hipswell Moor, North 
Yorkshire, with two other recruits. 
  The three had their arms linked but the force of the water knocked them off 
their feet near Catterick Garrison. Two were rescued, but the third was still 
missing last night. Police, a fell rescue team and an RAF helicopter were 
called in. 
  Staff at the WH Smith and Sons toolmakers in Minworth, near Sutton Coldfield, 
Warwickshire, were penned in by 6ft of water after the River Tame burst its 
banks. 
  Fire crews managed to rescue some of the employees but 42 remained huddled 
upstairs in the restaurant for much of the day. Jean Owen, one of the trapped 
workers, said: “The flood started at about 8am and I’d already been in work for 
30 minutes. It was scary stuff — lots of us were forced to flee upstairs 
because there was about six feet of water ringing the factory. Water started to 
come in from everywhere. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was like a 
disaster movie.” 
  Emergency crews throughout the Midlands and Yorkshire were stretched to the 
limit throughout much of Thursday night and yesterday. 
  Rail commuters were also brought to a standstill. Rail services in Yorkshire 
and the Midlands were particularly affected, with the Birmingham to Euston 
service subject to delays. 
  Thousands of schoolchildren were sent home after their buildings flooded, 
including children at Langley Secondary school in Solihull and several schools 
in Sheffield. 
  North Yorkshire Police said that two people were pulled out uninjured from a 
car that was almost completely covered by a landslip on the A59. Police later 
closed the A1 southbound and one lane northbound, near Catterick, due to severe 
flooding. 
  Craig Stenton, 41, described how he waded into a swollen stream in Sheffield 
and grabbed a teenager who had fallen in. The 14-year-old boy had fallen into a 
swollen beck in the Chapeltown area of Sheffield, at midday. 
  He said: “I could see a kid swirling around in the water. I grabbed a clothes 
prop to try and hook him out but it was no use. I ran further along and saw he 
had got stuck on a branch. I waded in and dragged him out. He had hit his head 
on a bridge and had taken in a lot of dirty water but he was OK. 
  “We sat him down in a garden, wrapped him in blankets and waited for the 
ambulance to come. I think he was OK, but he has been taken to hospital for a 
check-up.” 
  One of the areas most heavily affected was Edgbaston, Birmingham, where more 
than 3.4in (86mm) of rain fell in 24 hours. The average for the entire month is 
usually 60mm. 
  Firefighters in the city had to pump water out of 200 homes after the River 
Tame burst its banks. West Midlands fire service said water levels reached five 
feet in the Brookvale area of Aston, West Midlands. 
  Bingley, near Bradford, was deluged with 2.8in of rain in 24 hours. Coleshill 
in Warwickshire also suffered 1.9in of rain in the same space of time. 
  In South Yorkshire, two teenagers were taken to hospital with suspected 
hypothermia after being swept down a dyke near Barnsley. 
  Police said that the youths were swept hundreds of yards by the water, before 
coming to rest on a piece of raised ground, where they were rescued by 
firefighters. 
  Flooding in the East Riding of Yorkshire forced police out of their Hull 
headquarters. A spokesman for Humberside Police said that a two square mile 
area of Hessle, west of Hull, was worst affected. 
  Helicopter crews helping with the various rescue operations said that weather 
conditions had hampered