The 2014 election season officially begins January 21st, as voters head to their party’s caucuses. Cass County Democratic Chair Sherry Toelle  says County Democrats will hold their caucus beginning at 7-p.m on Jan. 21^st. The caucus is an opportunity for local democrats to gather, discuss and adopt proposed resolutions to the county platform. They’ll also elect delegates and alternates to the County Convention, and elect Precinct Committee Persons to the County Central Committee.

Toelle says “This year, the Cass County Democratic Party will hold all caucuses for all Cass County precincts and wards in one location–at the Second Floor Court Room at the Cass County Court House in Atlantic.”

Participants must be in line or signed in by 7-p.m. Eligible voters who have not yet registered to vote or wish to change their voter affiliation can do so at the caucus. Teens who will be 18 years of age by November 4th, 2014, are also eligible to participate but must first register to vote. Teens from age 13 to 18 years of age can participate by signing up to be a youth delegate.

Police in Red Oak say no injuries were reported following a two-vehicle accident Monday afternoon, at the intersection of west Walnut and north Broadway Streets. Officials say vehicles driven by 17-year old Morgan Marie Wolford and 16-year old Chase Alan Rea, both of Red Oak, collided at around 2:45-p.m., when Rea failed to yield after stopping at the intersection and proceeding west on west Walnut. The 1990 Chevy pickup he was driving was hit by a 2011 Toyota RAV4 driven by Walford, as she was traveling south on north Broadway.

Damage from the crash amounted to $5,000. Rea was cited for Failure to Yield the right of way.

Authorities in Montgomery County report the arrest early this (Tuesday) morning, of a Clarinda woman. 27-year old Megan Diana Reynolds was taken into custody at around 1:30-a.m. on a valid warrant for Driving While Suspended. She was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and later released on $300 bond.

The Iowa Board of Education has authorized a task force to study how to beef up standards in the state’s teacher preparation programs. The department’s Lawrence Bice says they’re looking at tougher standards for professors in the teacher prep programs, and clearer rules for what student teaching should look like. “We’ve been charged by the state board of education to update the standards, to make sure they are rigorous, and that’s what we’re doing,” Bice says. ” Beefing up teacher prep is a high priority of the state board. ” Bice says state law already mandates what tests prospective teachers have to pass:

“We don’t have the authority to change legislation certainly, that’s what our legislators do. So what we’re doing is we’re lookint at what do we have control over — and we’re trying to, frankly we’re trying to make the requirements more rigorous,” Bice explains. That includes requiring the teacher preparation programs to report on what they’re doing to improve based on their last accreditation review.

(Radio Iowa)