AMES, Iowa – November 8, 2022– The Iowa Department of Transportation is requesting public input for the proposed pavement replacement and levee construction on Iowa 333 from BNSF railroad to .6 miles east of I-29 in Fremont County. Construction of the project is expected to begin in the summer of 2023. Traffic will be maintained at all times during construction via I-29 and U.S. 275.

For general information regarding the project contact, Scott Suhr, Transportation Planner, Iowa DOT District 4 Office, 2210 E 7^th Street, Atlantic, Iowa 50022, phone 712-243-7627, email scott.suhr@iowadot.us.

Atlantic, Iowa – Cass County Public Health has earned a prestigious endorsement from Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc., as a Blue Ribbon Affiliate, making it one of the top- performing home visiting affiliates within Parents as Teachers’ international network. The official designation was made in October 2022. Being named a Blue Ribbon Affiliate affirms that Cass County Public Health is a high-quality member of the home visiting field, implementing the evidence-based Parents as Teachers model with fidelity. The program includes home visits, group connections, child screening, and connections to community resources. It equips parents with knowledge and resources to prepare their children for a stronger start in life and greater success in school.

PAT Coordinator Nancy Gibson says “Parents as Teachers’ rigorous endorsement process is a test of our program’s accountability and credibility, and this award validates the work we are doing for our community, supporters, and most importantly, the children, parents, and families we serve.”

(photo), left to right is Victoria Means and Nancy Gibson.

Cass County Parents as Teachers is a no-cost program for families who are expecting or have a child or children up to age 5, and it is funded by Boost for Families and Prevent Child Abuse Iowa. The program currently has openings for new families. For more information about PAT, please call 712-243-7475.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Firearms Coalition is calling for a formal investigation into allegations of voting improprieties at the Woodbury County Courthouse after receiving reports of a polling staffer providing false information about public measure 1 to voters prior to them casting their ballots. The issue also known as the “Freedom Amendment” will add the right to keep and bear arms to Iowa’s state constitution if approved by voters. Three voters told the I-F-C that they were told by a polling staff member that should they decide to vote “yes” for public measure 1, “it would allow felons to have guns.” The I-F-C says the information is incorrect and may have consequently influenced voters to vote “no” who had spoken with that staffer prior to casting a ballot. Woodbury County elections commissioner Pat Gill says he was made aware of the issue.

“I’m aware of the complaint, but obviously, I can’t comment on it because apparently there’s an ongoing investigation,” Gill says. At least one of the voters who has been in touch with I-F-C tells the organization they are in the process of filing a report over the incident with the Woodbury County Sheriff’s office. Gill says all of the poll workers are trained in what they can and cannot do while on the job: “I just want folks to know that precinct election officials are trained to do any electioneering and they are not supposed to answer any questions about candidates or public measures that are on the ballot,” Gill says.

It’s not known how many voters the staffer in question may have given an opinion on the ballot issue before they voted. I-F-C says they have reached out to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office and called for an immediate investigation into the allegations.

(Iowa Falls, Iowa) – A head-on crash Monday afternoon in northern Iowa’s Hardin County resulted in fatal injuries. The Iowa State Patrol says 83-year-old Philip J. Book, of Iowa Falls, was driving a 2018 Dodge RAM pickup southbound on County Road D-15 just before 2-p.m., Monday, when the vehicle crossed the center line of the road just west of Iowa Falls, and struck a northbound 2007 Dodge RAM pickup.  Book, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene.

The driver of the other pickup, 55-year-old Craig Bailey, of Alden, Iowa, was not injured. The crash remains under investigation. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Falls Fire and EMS, and Hardin County Emergency Squad.

(Radio Iowa) – Some Iowans are buying frozen turkeys now just to have them in the freezer and be prepared for the big Thanksgiving meal later this month. While some reports show grocery prices are up 13-percent this fall compared to last year, Morgan Pothoven at the Iowa Turkey Federation says many stores are selling turkeys as a loss-leader. “The grocers are buying turkey for probably higher than they’re selling it for, so you’re still going to be able to find those turkey deals and you can ensure that turkey is on sale,” Pothoven says. “I actually just drove by a Hy-Vee in Ames today and there’s a big sign on the side of their truck that says, ‘Buy a ham, get a turkey for free,’ so there’s still those Thanksgiving deals.”

Pothoven says turkey prices might be up slightly in Iowa compared to a year ago, but she says it’s nothing substantial. “You can really use a turkey to feed your family, not only at Thanksgiving, but especially if you choose that whole bird, you can stretch your dollar between multiple meals,” Potthoven says. “Turkey is great for leftovers and soups and casseroles and so on, so it’s still probably the most economical choice for your Thanksgiving dinner.” There have been significant challenges to some poultry producers in Iowa this year.

“We have had avian influenza here that you’re probably thinking of and a lot of consumers think of, but we’ve really learned a lot from 2015 and into 2022,” Pothoven says. “U.S. production, it’s only about 3.5% of annual production that has been impacted, so a very small percentage.” Iowa has about 130 turkey farms statewide, with the majority comprised of second- and third-generation turkey farmers. The state ranks seventh in U-S turkey production, with approximately 12-million raised each year.

On the web at iowaturkey.org

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet 9-a.m. Wednesday in their Board Room at the Cass County Courthouse, in Atlantic. On their agenda is accepting the resignation of Conservation Board member Phil Pryzchodzin, and the appointment of Blaine Behnken as a replacement. The Board is also expected to act on approving the use of Opiod Recovery Funds in the amount $6,400, to host a mental health class for police and sheriff’s deparment personnel, in Atlantic. Last month, Atlantic Police Chief Devin Hogue said he would like to host the training in Atlantic, in March, 2023, for area law enforcement.

The training involves the use of tools and strategies for combating the inherent stress and traumatic events, that come with the law enforcement profession. Hogue said the training is aimed at how they identify issues not only on the street, but inside their office.

In other business, the Board will act on approving a Resolution to amend the Cass County Five-year Construction Program, and a Resolution to rescind a previous resolution that allocates payment of ARPA funds on November 15^th, and changing the date of payment to November 10^th, instead. They will also act on approving a Resolution setting appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022-23.

Discussion and likely action will also take place, with regard to bids submitted for real estate services associated with the sale of the county-owned farm.

The meeting will be held electronically, and by phone for those without the internet. Electronic sign-in information: Meeting ID: 289 919 5216      Passcode: 012064

By phone: 312-626-6799, press *9 to indicate you wish to speak.

Lottery officials have finally announced the winning numbers for the record-breaking Powerball drawing held Monday night.  The announcement was delayed because a participating lottery had issues processing sales, according to officials. In a statement from the Multi-State Lottery Association, officials explained “Powerball requires all 48 participating lotteries to submit their sales and play data prior to the winning numbers being selected. Once Powerball receives the outstanding submission, the drawing can proceed.”

The winning numbers are 10, 33, 41, 47, 56, with a red Powerball of 10. The estimated jackpot was at least $1.9 billion. A winner who chooses an annuity, paid annually over 29 years, would get the estimated $1.9 billion payout. Nearly all winners instead opt for cash, which for Monday’s drawing would be $929.1 million. Even as more people attracted by the giant prize drop $2 on a Powerball ticket, the game’s ultra-long odds of 1 in 292.2 million means there still is a good chance that another drawing will pass without anyone winning the grand prize. That would push the jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing to more than $2 billion.

(Radio Iowa) – A record number of women are running for the Iowa legislature this year. Karen Kedrowski, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University, says the “sheer number of women” on Iowa’s 2022 General Election ballot is “remarkable.” “Two as the party nominees for governor at the top of the ticket,” she says, “and then five out of the eight people who are running for U.S. congress are women.” The so-called “glass ceiling” in Iowa politics was broken when Joni Ernst won Iowa’s U.S. Senate in 2014. In the last 100 years, only half of the states have elected a woman as governor. Today, only nine states have female governors.

“Iowa has really come a long way in a fairly short amount of time in terms of seeing women pursuing and being elected to the highest offices in the state,” Kedrowski says. “When we look at county level offices, we see quite a large number of women who are serving in public life in Iowa.” Forty percent of the candidates for the Iowa House and Senate are women — a record. For the past two years, about 30% of state lawmakers have been women. Kedrowski says having women serving at all levels of elected leadership has changed campaigns.

“What that really means is that it kind of takes gender off the table,” Kedrowski says. “…Instead of talking about whether a woman can do a job or having any sort of veiled sex discrimination messages, what we really see are candidates that are focusing on the issues.” Women are more likely to vote than men, according to Kedrowski, who says women have been the majority of voters since the 1970s.

The first woman to serve in the Iowa legislature was elected in 1928 — two years after women were allowed to serve in the legislature.