Iowa Democrat Senator Tom Harkin Tuesday, announced that the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development Program has approved a 3.375-percent 40 year loan of $21-million to the Manning Regional Healthcare Center. The funds will be used to construct a replacement hospital of the current facility that was built in 1927.  The new, seventeen bed critical access facility will be approximately 61,900 square feet, and will include a physician clinic and a recovery center that will provide substance abuse treatment services for sixteen patients in a partial residential setting.  Senator Harkin is a senior member of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds the USDA and the Rural Development Program.

In the race for a seat on the Iowa Legislature here in western Iowa, there was at least one close contest. Republican candidate Mark Segebart, a farmer from Vail and member of the Crawford County Board of Supervisor, edged out his GOP challengers Matthew Biede and Carroll Mayor Adam Schweers, and moves on to face Democrat Mary C. Bruner, in November to determine the winner of the seat for the Senate, in District 6. Segebart garnered 1, 251 votes in the Primary election (46.665), while Schweers had 1,077 votes (40.17%), and Biede had only 350 votes.

In Senate District 10, Republican Jake Chapman beat challenger Matthew T. Mardesen by more than 850 votes. There is currently no Democrat slated to run against him in November.

And, in the race for State Representative in the newly formed 22nd District, Greg Forristall defeated his GOP challenger Clint Fichter, by more than 900 votes (2,526 to 1,611).

The unofficial results are in from Tuesday’s Primary Election. Here’s a look at some of the area Counties where there were locally contested races….

In Pottawattamie County: incumbent Republican Sheriff Jeff Danker easily won re-election to his job by obtaining 4,399 (nearly 63%) of the votes. His his GOP challenger John Hitchcock, received 2,609 votes (just over 37%). Incumbent auditor Marilyn Jo Drake easily beat her Republican opponent, Gary Herman, by garnering nearly 69% of the vote. In the race for State Representative, District 22, Greg Forristall was the winner, beating his GOP challenger Clint Fichter, by a little more than 900 votes.

In Audubon County: incumbent Board of Supervisor Todd Nelson and fellow Republican Duane Diest fended-off challenges by Monte Dreher and Roger Merk, to try and fill one of two seats on the board this Fall. Democrat Jerry Carter was unopposed in his bid for the nomination.

In Guthrie County: Jerome Caraher defeated his GOP challenger John Milhollin in the District 1 Supervisor’s race, by just 36 votes. Democrat James Carroll was unopposed in the election. In the District 5 Supervisor’s race, Republican Mike Dickson beat his challenger Robert Schemmel with his 71 votes to Schemmel’s 28. Dickson will face Democrat David Guisinger in November’s General Election.

In Montgomery County: incumbent Republican Sheriff Joe Sampson easily defeated his GOP challenger Chris Stephens for the job, by receiving 73%, or 920 more votes than Stephens.

In Shelby County: incumbent Republican Sheriff Mark Hervey easily won the nomination over his GOP challenger Nathan Christensen. Hervey picked up over 1,100 more votes than Christensen to keep his job secure. There are no democratic challengers for him to face this Fall. In the Supervisor’s race, Delbert Hull, who was seeking re-election to the Board, garnered just a little more than 9% of the vote. Of the six Republicans vying for the Board, Steve Kenkel had the most votes (33.57%), followed by Charles Parkhurst (18.93%), and Randy Nelson (17.86%).  Among the three democrats, Jerry Henscheid received 292 (or, 37.92%) votes, Lavon Christensen had 273 (or, 34.45%) votes, and Herb Christensen received 177 (or, 22.99%) votes.

You can find a clickable link to each of the County, State and Federal Primary election results through the Iowa Secretary of State’s website,  on the front page at www.kjan.com.

For the latest election results from around the State of Iowa, click on the link below to the Secretary of State’s website. From there, you can click on your County, and see the results of both local and District races.

http://www.electionresults.sos.iowa.gov/resultsCountyList.aspx?type=CTYSPEC&map=CTY

Cass County Election Results:

Cass County, Page 2

Cass County, Page 1

Another possible child enticement case is under investigation in southwest Iowa’s Union County. Sheriff Rick Piel says the latest incident occurred yesterday (Monday) in the town of Lorimor. “There were a couple of kids (who) reported a white van…and as they walked by, the person supposedly asked if they would like to buy a puppy or see a puppy,” Piel said. The children refused and reported the matter to their parents who called police. A similar incident was reported in the nearby town of Afton last week.

In that case, Piel said a 10-year-old boy reported a man in white van stopped and asked the child to get in and help him look for a puppy. Piel said no one has been charged in the case, but deputies have a potential suspect. “We’ve located the van and we’ve talked to the driver, but he denies everything,” Piel said. Both cases remain under investigation.

(Radio Iowa)