(Radio Iowa) – Due to low runoff into the Missouri River basin, the U-S Army Corps of Engineers predicts power production from the six main stem dams will be about 77-percent of normal this year. Electricity from the dams is distributed through the Western Area Power Administration, where spokeswoman Lisa Meiman says despite the hydropower shortage, they will meet power demand. “Those long-term contracts with our power customers require us to provide up to a certain scheduled amount of energy each year,” Meiman says. “If we don’t have enough hydropower to meet those contractual obligations, we need to purchase power from other providers to make up the difference.”

Meiman says they normally need to add to their power portfolio, buying some power every year because the capacity doesn’t always meet customer needs. “There’s always some purchase power every year and in order to meet up with the demand for of our customers,” Meiman says. “This means we’re going to be probably purchasing more on the market than we would if we had an average hydropower year in order to make up the difference between our contractual amounts and what our customers are getting in terms of hydropower.”

Meiman says they supply power to many rural customers, serving primarily municipalities, rural electric co-ops, irrigation districts, Native American tribes and state and federal agencies. “One thing to note is that these are typically smaller customers,” she says. “They live in mostly rural areas, and they are a community-owned power, meaning, we’re not selling to investor-owned utilities. We sell to communities that run their own electric utilities or there are cooperatives who are a bunch of municipalities that have banded together to serve themselves collectively.”

The hydropower is supplied to Montana, North and South Dakota and parts of Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop at around 7:40-p.m. Monday, in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest on a warrant, of a man from Pottawattamie County. Red Oak Police report 50-year-old Brian John Beebe, of Carson, was taken into custody on an active Pott. County warrant for Theft in the 3rd Degree. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 cash bond, or extradition to the Pott. County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – New data shows slow but steady growth in the number of Iowans planning to buy products from Iowa’s medical cannabis dispensaries. About half a percent of Iowans who are 21 years of age or older had a state registration card and could buy medical cannabis products at the five state licensed dispensaries in April. A doctor, P-A or an advanced registered nurse practitioner has to recommend medical marijuana as treatment for an illness.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, nearly 97-hundred patients had state-issued cards in April. That’s a 36 percent increase since May of last year. About 26-hundred Iowa caregivers have registered to buy cannabis products for someone who is too young or too ill to buy it for themselves. That’s a 26 percent increase in caregiver registrations from a year ago.

Some Iowans are driving to Illinois, where businesses opened in 2020 to sell recreational marijuana. Illinois law requires purchasers to be 21 and to consume the marijuana products at an Illinois residence.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Auditor Sara Harris reports early (Absentee) voting for the June 7, 2022 Primary Election begins Wednesday, May 18th.  Voters may vote absentee in-person at the Cass County Auditor’s Office, 5 W 7th Street Atlantic, IA, during regular business hours through June 6, 2022. The Cass County Auditor’s Office will also be open for Primary Election business Saturday, June 4, 2022, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Voters may vote absentee by mail. Absentee ballot request forms may be requested from the Cass County Auditor’s Office by calling 712-243-4570 or by visiting https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/absenteeinfo.html. All absentee ballot request forms for a mailed ballot must be received in the Cass County Auditor’s Office before 5:00 p.m. on May 23, 2022. Requests received after that time will be rejected in accordance to state law.

Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. of the same day. Pre-registered voters are required to provide an approved form of identification at the polling place before receiving and casting a regular ballot. Voters who are not pre-registered – such as voters registering to vote on Election Day – and voters changing precincts must also provide proof of residence. A voter who is unable to provide an approved form of identification (or prove residence if required) 1) may have the voter’s identity/residence attested to by another registered voter in the precinct, 2) prove identity and residence using Election Day Registration documents, or 3) cast a provisional ballot and provide proof of identity/residence at the Cass County Auditor’s Office by June 14, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. (noon). Election Day Registrant attesters must provide an approved form of identification. For additional information about providing proof of identity and/or residence visit: https://sos.iowa.gov/voterid or phone 712-243-4570.

Absentee and special voter ballots will be counted at the Cass County Courthouse, 5 W 7th Street, Atlantic, Iowa 50022. Voting equipment will be used at the election. Public test of election equipment will be May 20, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. in the courthouse and continue until completion of the required test. Voters can find sample ballots on the Cass County Elections website: https://www.casscountyia.gov/county-government/elections/primary-elections/.

Any voter who is physically unable to enter a polling place has the right to vote in the voter’s vehicle. For further information, please contact the County Auditor’s Office at the telephone number or e-mail address listed here: Telephone: 712-243-4570; E-mail address: auditor@casscoia.us

The public is hereby notified that the post-election audit for the 2022 Primary Election will take place on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 1:00pm in the Cass County Board of Supervisors Meeting Room. A listing of the candidates that will appear on the ballot are listed below. Please note that this is only one rotation and each precinct will have their corresponding ballot with their rotation posted as a sample ballot at the precinct. The list of candidates in the Cass County Primary can be found below:

LENEXA, KAN. (MAY 16, 2022) – The Biden administration, through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced that Council Bluffs, Iowa, was selected to receive $500,000 of the $254.5 million in Brownfields grants for 265 selected communities.  Council Bluffs was selected for cleanup of the Former Reliance Battery Site. These grants are supported by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides a total of $1.5 billion to advance environmental justice, spur economic revitalization, and create jobs by cleaning up contaminated, polluted, or hazardous brownfield properties. =Brownfield projects can range from cleaning up buildings with asbestos or lead contamination to assessing and cleaning up abandoned properties that once managed dangerous chemicals. Once cleaned up, former brownfield properties can be redeveloped into productive uses, such as grocery stores, affordable housing, health centers, museums, parks, and solar farms. 

The Brownfields program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40% of the benefits of certain government programs to disadvantaged communities. Approximately 86% of the communities selected to receive funding as part of today’s announcement have proposed projects in historically underserved areas.  “With today’s announcement, we’re turning blight into might for communities across America,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “EPA’s Brownfields program breathes new life into communities by helping to turn contaminated and potentially dangerous sites into productive economic contributors. Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are significantly ramping up our investments in communities, with the bulk of our funding going to places that have been overburdened and underserved for far too long.”

“EPA Region 7 is proud to announce the selection of the city of Council Bluffs for a Brownfields grant,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “The Brownfields program has a proven record of empowering communities through benefits ranging from local job creation to increased property values. This investment will uplift Council Bluffs and provide measurable and meaningful change to those who live in the community.” 

“The city of Council Bluffs is honored to be a recipient of an EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant,” said Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh. “This is a highly competitive, regional grant that we worked hard to obtain. This grant will have a positive impact on our community by transforming sites from hazardous to redevelopment assets that will enhance existing neighborhoods and improve the quality of life and attractiveness of Council Bluffs.” 

“A former battery plant site in Council Bluffs contaminated with lead and other hazardous materials will now be cleaned up with grant money I helped secure in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law late last year,” said U.S. Representative Cindy Axne (Iowa). “This kind of project to support redevelopment and clean up our environment at the same time is exactly why I was proud to vote for the infrastructure bill, and I am pleased to see this money continue to be used right here in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District.” 

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Rec Department is struggling to find life guards to serve at Sunnyside Pool during the upcoming season. Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen said during the Parks Board meeting Monday evening in the Rotary Shelter at the Schildberg Rec Area, the pool is nearly ready to go, as far as any potential leaks are concerned. Last year, he said, they had some major leaks to fix.

He says it probably won’t be until next Friday before they can begin filling the pool. Rasmussen said the kicker is, they still need lifeguards.

Bryant says they need four lifeguards, and if they only have two, there would be some changes in the how many people would be admitted.

The Parks and Rec Board previously approved an hourly rate of $11 for certified lifeguards, plus certification reimbursement and a $500 sign-on bonus if the guard stays the entire season. Rasmussen said there is a lot of competition for lifeguards in Iowa, with some pools staying closed because of a lack of staff, and/or, in the case of Harlan, water restrictions. Even Omaha is considering ways to deal with the lack of staff.

In other news, the Parks and Rec Summer Program guides have been delivered to the schools, with others set to be dropped-off elsewhere in the area. Rasmussen said it’s unclear at this time if slow-pitch softball will be offered at this point in time.

Summer Swim and tennis are currently underway. Something new that’s being offered this summer is the “Yard Olympics” on June 4th.

Bryant said the City of Atlantic’s Street Department will handle the mowing tasks around the Schildberg Rec Area campground. He said also, the fruit garden is in a Mollett Park (at the end of East 3rd Street Place), but with a few changes from the original plan.

Those trees are set up around the trail at Mollett Park.

Atlantic, IA – Cass County Auditor Sara Harris reminds voters that some polling places have changed due to recent redistricting across the state. Iowans whose polling place has changed should be on the lookout for a postcard in the mail informing them of the new location.

Cass County will work with the Iowa Secretary of State to send a postcard to every registered voter in the county starting May 18. Under Iowa law, notices are required to be sent to impacted voters between 20 days and seven days prior to the primary election and again prior to the general election.

“If your polling place changed due to redistricting, you’ll be getting a card in the mail informing you of the new location,” Secretary of State Paul Pate said. “We want all eligible Iowans to make their voices heard by voting this year, and it’s important to have a plan if you’re going to the polls on Election Day. Step one is registering to vote. Step two is making sure you know where your polling place is located.”

Iowans can also look up their polling place online https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/pollingplace/search.aspx. To check your voter registration status, register to vote or update your information, visit VoterReady.Iowa.gov.

(Radio Iowa) – The jury took around three hours today (Monday) to reach a verdict in the trial of 42-year-old Michael Lang of Grundy Center. Lang was accused of shooting and killing Sergeant Jim Smith during a standoff last April. Judge Joel Dalrymple…

Lang was also convicted on two other charges for shooting at a police vehicle and for the assault on a Grundy Center Police officer which started the who chain of events.

Lang will be sentenced to life in prison and will be held without bail until sentencing. The proceedings ended soon after the verdicts were read.

The attorneys will discuss a sentencing date with the judge. The trial was held in Hamilton County at the courthouse in Webster City due to publicity about the case.

(Radio Iowa) – The jury is now deliberating the fate of Michael Lang — the Grundy Center man accused of shooting and killing State Trooper Jim Smith last April. Prosecutor Douglas Hammerand said in his closing that this is a straightforward case. “This wasn’t an accidental shooting folks this wasn’t the defendant tripped and the gun went off — this was an intentional shooting. You don’t shoot somebody where the defendant shot them with a loaded 12 gauge shotgun if it’s not intentional,” he says. Lang is charged with first-degree murder in Trooper Smith’s death. Hammerand told the jury the shooting was premeditated.

“If you take a loaded shotgun with a slug and you shoot somebody in the chest Look at that. Is that a fifth purpose or designed to do some physical harm to another? Absolutely,” Hammerand said. “This has malice all over it. The defendant had malice aforethought.” He says there is ample proof Lang shot Smith intending to kill him. “You not only have the location of the shot, but you also have the number of shots, and his actions afterward, and you consider all those circumstances clearly the defendant has a specific intent to kill,” he said. Defense attorney Aaron Hawbaker argued the killing does not rise to first-degree murder.

“To premeditate is to think or ponder on a matter before acting. In contrast, quick, reactive actions are not premeditated, quick reactions to a circumstance you did not anticipate is not deliberative,” Hawbaker said. He said Lang could have shot at officers many times during the standoff — but did not. )”People walking by the windows. It wasn’t until the first shot that there was a concern about being in harm’s way that way, because if Mr. Lang wanted to during that hour and a half, he could have shot out a door. He could have shot out a window at any one of those law enforcement officers are rounded but he didn’t,” he said. Hawbaker said Lang was expecting a dog to come into the kitchen where he sat and reacted by shooting when Sergeant Smith appeared with a gun.

“A spontaneous act, a reaction to a circumstance he did not anticipate because it wasn’t a dog — but the most serious thing you can do to an individual — and that’s to point of gun at them. That is not murder in the first degree,” Hawbaker says. Lang is also charged with an attempt to commit murder for firing at a police vehicle, and assault on a peace officer for an attack on a Grundy Center officer which started the series of events that led to Trooper Smith’s death

(Radio Iowa) – The invasive insect that kills ash trees has been detected in all but eight Iowa counties. State officials have confirmed the emerald ash borer has been found in Dickinson and Humboldt Counties for the first time. Mike Kintner is the emerald ash borer coordinator for the Iowa Department of Agriculture. Kintner says emerald ash borer larvae was found just outside of Arnolds Park after getting a tip from a professional who works in the landscaping industry.  “Basically what he saw and a lot people see this time of year is the woodpecker activity on the tree,” he says. “…There was some woodpecker flocking and mobbing where the woodpeckers will come and feed on the emerald ash borer that’s underneath the bark.”

The destructive beetles were also found outside of Dakota City. In addition to woodpecker activity, Kintner says a thinning leaf canopy at the top of an ash tree is a clue because the insects attack the top third of the tree first and then progress downward. “Bark splitting is one thing, too,” Kintner says. “There’s vertical splits on some of the larger branches and even smaller branches if you look up into the tree. That’s caused by the larvae feeding on the bark and sometimes the bark will split.”

Kintner says if you have an ash tree on your property and you live within 15 miles of a confirmed emerald ash borer infestation, now is the time to consider whether you’ll start treating the tree. “Preventative insecticides do work and those can either applied as a homeowner if the tree is under a certain amount of size,” he says, “…or basically you can go with a certified applicator, a professional method, too.”

The pest was first discovered in the United States in 2002, in southeast Michigan. It was confirmed in Iowa eight years later. The eight Iowa counties where emerald ash borer infestations have not yet been identified are Emmet, Kossuth, Mitchell, Monona, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth and Woodbury.