(Atlantic, Iowa) – Voters heading to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 2nd, may have some contested races for City and School Boards and/or public measures to decide on. In Cass County here are the candidates whose names are on the ballot for contested city offices (only) [I = incumbent]:

Atlantic City Council Ward 5 (select 1): Richard “Dick” Casady [I]; Dana D. Halder.

Mayor of Atlantic (select 1): Pat McCurdy; Grace N. Garrett; Kathy Somers; and Tim Teig.

Griswold City Council (Select 2): Jim Ridlen; Kirt Underwood; Doug Moore & Xavier Johnson.

Mayor of Griswold (select 1): Matt Shehan; & Brad Rhine (I).

Lewis City Council (Select 2): Ryan K. Archibald; Mary L. Neece; & Christopher Jahnke.

Cass County School Elections:

There are no Public Measures in the Atlantic School District, but three people running for two seats on the school board: Amanda Berg; and incumbents Josh McLaren along with Kristy Pellett.

CAM School District:

CAM Board Member – At Large (select 1): Christopher Spieker, & Cara Murphy.

Public Measure DI: Approving the issuance of $30.5-million in General Obligation bonds to pay for facilities construction and improvement, and the transition to a single Elementary site in Massena, and a single Junior/Senior High site in Anita.

Public Measure DJ: Authorizing the annual levy of a tax exceeding $2.70/$1,000 of assessed property value, but not to exceed $4.05/$1,000, to pay for the principal & interest on the bonds.

Griswold School District:

Public Measure DG: Authorize a change in the use of the 1% local sales and services tax (LOST), and use of the 1% tax, both effective July 1, 2022. If approved, the change would shift 100% of the proceeds to “Any legal purpose,” from the current 15% property tax relief, 30% capital improvements and community betterment, and 25% community protection.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Trial in the case of a Cass County woman charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment, continues 9-a.m. Monday, in Cass County District Court. Alison Dorsey, of Anita, is on-trial for the death of an infant who died while in her care a little more than two-years ago. She has pleaded not guilty.

According to court documents, Dorsey, who was 36-years old at the time, was managing a day care in Massena, when Nicholas Hodges dropped off his 11-week-old infant at 8 a.m. on Oct. 7, 2019. Around 11 a.m., Hodges reportedly received a call from Dorsey claiming his child was not breathing right and would not eat. When Hodges arrived at the day care, court documents say he found the child looking grey and not breathing. Hodges reportedly performed CPR and told Dorsey to call 911. The infant died the next day at a children’s hospital in Omaha.

Her trial began last Wednesday (Oct. 27) with opening statements from the Prosecution, represented by Assistant Attorney General Monty Platz, and the Defense, represented by DeShawne Lee Birdsell. Evidence presented from statements made by doctors at Children’s Hospital during the first day of testimony indicated the baby suffered from severe brain hemorrhages, retinal hemorrhages, and retinal tearing, conditions that are consistent with the shaken baby syndrome, from inflicted abusive head trauma. The doctors stated that the infant’s injuries were too severe to be caused by a fall off a table or another child.

Others who have testified since the opening day include: Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Ayers; a forensic pathologist and a doctor who spoke via Zoom. Both were called by the Defense in attempt to reject the possibility of Shaken Baby Syndrome and offer other possible reasons for how some of the injuries the baby suffered could have been made, including through medical treatment. The Defense will continue with the presentation of its case, Monday. The possibility of as many 50 character witnesses may be introduced during the trial this week, according to sources.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council is scheduled to meet 5:30-p.m. Wed., Nov. 3rd, in their Chambers at City Hall. On the agenda, is action on Orders to:

• Approve the Street Finance Report for Fiscal Year 2020-2021: City Administrator John Lund says the FY 21, Atlantic spent a little more than $3.5-million on street infrastructure and the equipment, vehicles, personnel and facilities to maintain the streets. The report shows also: $18,793 was invested into preventative street maintenance; $1.33-million was spent on paying off the principal borrowed for last decade’s street improvements, and an additional #+$126,764 was paid in interest. The remaining slightly more than $2-million was spent on labor, benefits, capital equipment, operating supplies, materials, profession and contractual services.
• And an Order to Approve the FY21 Urban Renewal Area Report, which allows the County Auditor to collect property tax revenues from the Urban Renewal Areas for the City’s TIF obligations.

The Council will hold the third and final reading of an Ordinance pertaining to the Fire Department and how volunteer personnel are appointed. That duty and evaluation of personnel will rightfully will fall under the direction of the Fire Chief.  The Atlantic City Council will also act on an Order to Appoint the Mayor’s nomination of Geoff Barrick to the Planning & Zoning Commission, for a term of five-years. If approved, Barrick would replace Rich Tupper, who is resigning from the seat on the Commission.

In other business, the Council, Wednesday, will act on passing a Resolution “Obligating funds from the Hotel Whitney Urban Renewal Area Revenue Fund for Appropriation to the Payment of Annual Appropriation Tax Increment Financed [TIF} obligations,” that are coming due in the next fiscal year. City Administrator John Lund notes this will be the fourth year the City is eligible to capture the taxes paid by the Whitney Group, using TIF. The appropriation will be an annual feature on Council’s agenda until the City pay’s-off the $750,000 maximum payment or 20-years, whichever comes first.

They will also act on a Resolution “Providing for [the] Reduction of [the] Interest Rate on [the] Taxable Sewer Revenue Bond.” John Lund says the City received word a few weeks ago from its creditor on the Wastewater Treatment Plant project [the State Revolving Fund] that they were reducing the interest rate from 3-percent to 1.75-percent for the remainder of the loan, thereby saving the City $922,300 over the next 16 years. In June, 2011, the City issued debt for the WTP project for slightly more than $11.7-million.

The Council is also expected to set the date for a public hearing on the sale of City-Owned real estate at 901 Birch Street. A local person looking to start a “House-flipping” business is interested in purchase the dilapidated home and giving it renewed life before selling it. In the past, Mayor Dave Jones has noted that the property should not be sold for rental housing. The interested party has proposed paying fair market value for property and investing a significant amount of money to properly restore the home. The individual’s credentials and presentation to the Personnel & Finance Committee, were impressive, according to John Lund.

Police in Red Oak, Saturday evening, arrested a woman on a charge of vandalism (a serious misdemeanor). Authorities say 41-year-old Christina Lyn Dalrymple, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 7:12-p.m.  She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

(Eddyville, Iowa) – An accident Saturday afternoon in Eddyville has claimed the life of a toddler. The Iowa State Patrol reports a pickup driven by 43-year-old David Eugene Gordon, of Eddyville, was backing north in a driveway at 7209 148th Street at around 1:24-p.m., when a one-year-old who resides at the residence, exited the home.

Gordon didn’t see the child approaching the backing pickup. The vehicle struck the toddler in the driveway. The child died at the scene. The State Patrol was assisted in its investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and DCI.

(DES MOINES, Iowa/KCCI) —Iowa Department of Public Health data released Friday shows positive COVID-19 tests are up slightly in the state, while hospitalizations have dipped below 500 for the first time in two months. On Friday, IDPH reported 6,484 positive tests in the last seven days, up from 6,340 at the last report on Monday. Iowa’s 14-day test positivity rate remains at 8%.

There are currently 494 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, down from 531 on Wednesday. Of those hospitalized with COVID-19, 68.5% are unvaccinated, while 82.8% of those listed in intensive care with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. The number of long-term care facilities with a virus outbreak in the state is now at 27, down from 30 on Wednesday.

There have been 3,690,242 COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Iowa, with 67.7% of those 18 and older fully vaccinated and 70.1% of those 12 and with at least one dose.

(Audubon, Iowa) – A Special Session of the Audubon School District’s Board of Education will be held 7-p.m. Monday (11/1), in the High School Board Room.

On the agenda is a review of the Oct. 20, 2021 bids received for the Audubon Middle School/High School Interior Renovation Re-bid, and approving the Issuance of Contracts for Bid Packages 1-through 4, with Alternates.

The Board may also take action on: “Approximately $7,600,000 [$7.6-million] School Infrastructure Sales, Services and Use Tax Revenue and Refunding Bond, Series 2021 – A Resolution to Authorize the Sale and Issuance of School Infrastructure Sales, Services and Use Tax Revenue and Refunding Bonds and Approving the Official Statement.”

(Radio Iowa) – This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of what came to be known as the 1991 Halloween Ice Storm in Iowa. National Weather Service Meteorologist Andrew Ansorge says the storm approached the state from the southwest and started as snow.

Very cold air poured into the state after the storm.

The storm knocked out power to about 80-thousand homes in Iowa and a state of emergency was issued for 52 of the state’s 99 counties.

(Radio Iowa) – The application period for the state’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) begins on Monday. Iowa Utilities Board spokesman, Donald Tormey, says the program provides a payment to help you with part of your heating bills.

Tormey says if you are behind on your bill, you should always reach out to the utility company.

He says you can sign up anywhere in Iowa.

There is also a weatherization program available. Iowa law protects those in the LIHEAP program who are the head of a household from being disconnected from natural gas or electric service from November 1st through April 1st.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s been an exceptionally rainy week in Iowa, with some communities reporting record precipitation, breaking rainfall records that have stood for more than a century. State climatologist Justin Glisan says the new U-S Drought Monitor map for Iowa shows improving conditions, with fewer counties indicated as being abnormally dry or in drought.

The entire southern tier of counties is in the clear, along with wide areas of western and southeast Iowa. The worst of the dry conditions, D-2 or severe drought, remain in central and north-central Iowa, with a small patch in the northwest.

This past Sunday’s rainfall set records in several Iowa cities, including Ottumwa, Waterloo, and Des Moines — where nearly three inches fell, breaking a record set in 1908. The new drought map was just released but it’s based on data that’s a few days old, so it’s not taking into account all the rain from Wednesday and Thursday, which was considerable.

October is wrapping up to be the wettest month of 2021, so far, and we’re heading into the driest months of the year. May is typically Iowa’s wettest month of the year while February is the driest.