MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa —

The Marshalltown City Council voted 4-3 to keep Oktemberfest in its planned north-side location despite a recommendation from the Marshall County Public Health department to move the event amid a Legionella outbreak.

Since August, there have been 71 confirmed cases, including two deaths, with cases clustered in northern Marshalltown. Mayor Joel Greer read a letter from the county public health department urging the city to relocate “out of an abundance of caution” while tests continue to determine whether a cooling tower in the city's downtown area is the outbreak's source.

Ward 1 council member Mike Ladehoff said recent cleanings likely eliminated the bacteria.

“They have shocked the water in the towers — all 12 of them. They have had them cleaned, had the owners

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