Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports persons interested in running for various City offices in Cass County may circulate nomination papers now for those positions,, but your papers must be filed within a specified time period. Sunderman says serving as a city elected official is a challenging job that requires leadership, vision and dedication. An elected city official is entrusted with important responsibilities. The city clerk, the county auditor and Iowa Secretary of State can help candidates with basic information about running for a city office.

Any person who is a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or older, a resident of the respective city (or city ward, as the case may be) and is eligible to be registered to vote, may become a candidate for city office. Nomination petitions for a city office must be filed with the respective city clerk not more than 71 nor less than 47 days prior to the regular election. (In 2011, the first day to file papers is August 29. The last day to file papers is September 22.) The process for filing nomination petitions is as follows:

Obtain an original nomination petition and candidate’s guide from the city clerk, county auditor or online from the Iowa Secretary of State at www.sos.state.ia.us. You must obtain the nomination signatures of the required number of eligible electors of the city or ward, as the case may be. A person may sign nomination petitions for more than one candidate for the same office. In addition, you will need to attach a notarized affidavit acknowledging the you or your candidate’s eligibility, and file the petition with the city clerk prior to 5 p.m. on September 22nd, 2011. Each candidate who successfully files a completed nomination petition is assured a place on the ballot.

In Cass County, Iowa the following offices will appear on the ballots for the respective cities on November 8, 2011:

Anita

Mayor (4 yr term) – Incumbent: Mitch Holmes

Two At Large Council seats (4 yr terms) – Incumbents: Linda Firebaugh and Marcia Hockenberry

Atlantic

Council Ward 1 (4 yr term) – Incumbent: Kern Miller

Council Ward 3 (4 yr term) – Incumbent: Pat Simmons

Council Ward 4 (4 yr term) – Incumbent: Linda Hartkopf

Council At Large (4 yr term) – Incumbent: Dana Halder

Parks & Recreation Board (6 yr term – term begins November 16) – Incumbent: Mary Strong and Nancy Fredrickson

Cumberland

Mayor (2 yr term) – Incumbent: Virginia Coughlin

Two At Large Council (4 yr term) – Incumbents: Lela Mae Lank and Steve Porter

Griswold

Mayor (4 yr term) – Incumbent: Jerry Putnam

Three At Large Council (4 yr term) – Incumbents: Gary Bergstrom; Kevin Carlisle; and Philip Rink

Lewis

Mayor (4 yr term) – Incumbent: Don Cohrs

Three At Large Council (4 yr term) – Incumbents: Scott Anderson; Jon Mosier; and Traci Tyson-Steyer

Marne

Mayor (2 yr term) – Incumbent: Randall I. Baxter

Five At Large Council (2 yr term) – Incumbents: James Hoffman; Dennis Preister; Lanny Kite; Mark Opbroek and Angela Redler

Massena

Mayor (2 yr term) – Incumbent: Mike Cormack

Three At Large Council (4 yr term) – Incumbents: Lindsay Blaine; Bill Holaday; and Linda Reineke

Wiota

Mayor (2 yr term) – Incumbent: Ross Havens

Three At Large Council (4 yr term) – Incumbents: Kenneth Bishop and Lamar Spies

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports a Council Bluffs man was sentenced Thursday to more than 16-years in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine.  44-year old Scott Wendell Dilley, of Council Bluffs received the 200 month sentence from Judge John A. Jarvey, who also ordered Dilley to serve 10-years  in prison for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The terms will be served concurrently. In addition, Dilley will have to serve a five-year term of supervised release following his incarceration.

U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt says on March 3rd, 2011, Dilley entered guilty pleas to the two counts based on evidence that he was distributing methamphetamine, along with four other people, in the Council Bluffs area. On March 1st, 2010, law enforcement searched Dilley’s residence finding distribution quantities of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a loaded Colt .45 caliber pistol. Prior to March 1st, 2010, Dilley had been convicted of a felony drug offense.

The investigation which led to his arrest, was conducted by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A trial has been ordered in a lawsuit filed by an inmate who claims the state didn’t protect him from being assaulted by another prisoner. The Iowa Supreme Court today (Friday) rejected the state’s request to have the lawsuit filed by Kevin Walker dismissed. Walker was knocked unconscious and his jaw broken during an assault at the Clarinda Correctional facility in 2005.

He claims prison staff knew of threats against him and violated prison rules by not taking action to protect him. Walker’s attorney says his client suffered severe depression and post traumatic stress because of the assault.

Flooding along the Missouri River in western Iowa has created another problem. Officials with the Council Bluffs Health Department today (Friday) say tests on their sentinel chicken flocks have come up positive for the West Nile Virus. The virus is spread by mosquitoes, which typically breed in stagnant or slowly moving water.

In a report issued Thursday, the Iowa Department of Public Health said the virus was detected in four sentinel chickens located in Pottawattamie County. The State Hygienic Lab tests the blood drawn from chickens on a weekly basis, to determine whether they have been infected with the West Nile virus or other arboviruses.

Human cases of West Nile have been reported in Iowa every year, since 2002. Mosquitoes can get West Nile virus when feeding on infected birds. Mosquitoes can then spread the virus to people through a bite. West Nile virus cannot be spread by person-to-person contact such as kissing, touching, or caring for an infected person. West Nile virus can also rarely be transmitted to humans who receive infected organs by transplantation or who receive transfusions of infected blood or blood products.

The chance of a human getting infected with the virus if bitten by a mosquito is low. Even in areas where the virus is circulating, very few mosquitoes are infected with the virus and not all mosquitoes can successfully transmit the virus. Most people who become infected with West Nile virus following a mosquito bite do not develop any symptoms.

Most people who are infected with West Nile virus either have no symptoms or experience mild illness such as fever, headache, and body aches before fully recovering. Some persons may develop a skin rash and swollen lymph glands. In <1% of infections, particularly in those persons over age 50, West Nile virus can cause serious disease, such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord). These conditions may result in permanent brain damage, or on rare occasions, can be fatal. Symptoms of severe disease can include severe headache, high fever, stiff neck, confusion, loss of consciousness, tremors, muscle weakness, and paralysis.

For more information on the West Nile Virus and precautions you can take go to: http://www.idph.state.ia.us/Cade/WNV.aspx

Police in Atlantic report two residents were arrested Thursday on shoplifting charges. 34-year old Shauna Johnson and 32-year old David Hemmingsen were each charged with 5^th degree theft.

Johnson and Hemmingsen were booked into the Cass County Jail and held pending a court appearance.