Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers, Thursday, said “Due to health & safety concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clarinda Police Department WILL NOT be conducting the ‘Operation Blessing’ Program this year.” Brother said also, “This was a difficult decision to make, but the right one during this unprecedented situation.”

Operation Blessing was started in the mid 1980s by the Page County Reserve Deputies to ensure that every child in the rural areas of Page County has the opportunity to receive a gift at Christmas. It has continued every year since for over 30 years…until now. Last year,14 families signed-up for the program. Those 14 families equated to 38 children.

Here are some reminders from Montgomery County Auditor Stephanie Burke, with regard to the Nov. 3rd General Election:

• The Montgomery County Auditor’s office will be open Saturday, October 24 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday, October 31 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 24. It is also voter preregistration deadline. If you did not register to vote before October 24, 2020, you can register on Election Day or if you vote absentee in-person at the Auditor’s office. You must provide proof of both your identity and residency.
• Saturday, October 31, 2020 – Auditor’s office is open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. for absentee voting and election business.
• Monday, November 2, 2020 – Last day to vote an absentee ballot in-person at the Auditor’s office.
• Polls are open from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. on November 3, 2020 Election Day.

If you have an absentee ballot and are done voting, please send the ballot back to the Auditor’s office as soon as possible. You can mail, hand deliver it to the Auditor’s office or drop it off in the official county drop box located South of the Courthouse on Coolbaugh Street. Absentee ballots must be received no later than the close of the polls on Election Day. Mailed ballots returned by mail and received after Election Day must be postmarked on or before November 2 and received by November 9 to be counted. Absentee ballots are opened and counted on Election Day and is open to the public.

If you have any questions, please contact the Auditor’s office at 623-5127.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:00 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa plans to use millions of dollars in federal pandemic funds on a long-term plan to improve data management across state agencies, a second information technology project that may not fit the purpose of the aid. State and federal auditors this week told Iowa’s executive branch to return millions of dollars to the state’s $1.25 billion coronavirus relief fund that were spent on new accounting and human resources software. They determined the project wasn’t an appropriate expense. A state report shows the Office of the Chief Information Officer has been given $16.9 million in pandemic aid for a data collection initiative that was under discussion before the pandemic.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state is reporting another 15 people have died of the coronavirus in Iowa and there were more than 1,400 confirmed new cases of the virus. The state Department of Public Health reported Thursday that the 15 deaths in the past 24 hours brought the state’s total deaths from the virus to 1,594. About half of those who died were in long term care centers. There were 1,401 new confirmed positive cases reported for a total of 110,974. The state reported 530 people were being treated in Iowa hospitals for the virus, down slightly from the 535 people hospitalized Wednesday. The state’s 14-day average positivity rate was 9.7%

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are crediting a Mason City police dog with finding a 2-year-old boy who wandered with his dog from his family’s rural home and through a wooded are near a creek this week. The Globe Gazette reports that the incident happened Tuesday, when the boy’s family reported him and the dog missing. Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s deputies searched the property and called in a drone to help search for the boy, but it was Mason City K-9 Kilo who tracked the the boy along a creek to a neighbor’s property. The boy was found sitting on a cinder block with his dog by his side. Officers say he had taken off his wet shoes, socks and coat, but was not in need of medical attention.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The murder trial for a Sioux City man charged with killing his girlfriend’s 19-month-old daughter has been pushed back to next summer. The Sioux City Journal reports that a judge on Wednesday agreed to continue 24-year-old Tayvon Davis’ trial to July 13. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to the continuation. Davis’ trial had been set to start next week. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, child endangerment resulting in the death of a child and multiple acts of child endangerment in the 2018 death of the toddler. An autopsy showed the girl had several blunt force injuries to her head and a kidney and had suffered fractures to her vertebrae and ribs.

The Iowa State Patrol reports a man and woman were injured during a collision Thursday night in Pottawattamie County. Authorities say a 2004 Dodge pickup driven by 55-year old Brian Edward Colvin, of Oakland, was traveling east on I-80 near the Shelby exit, when at around 10:10-p.m., the pickup struck the rear of a 2014 Freightliner semi tractor trailer, driven by 42-year old Jagjit Singh Randhawa, of Brooklyn, New York.

The collision caused severe front end damage to the pickup. Colvin, and his passenger, 39-year old Brandy Faye Fidler, of Council Bluffs, both of whom were wearing their seat belts, were injured and transported by Shelby Rescue the hospital. Colvin went to Jenny Edmundson in Council Bluffs. Fidler was transported to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan. The accident remains under investigation.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Shelby Rescue.

A man from Red Oak was arrested Thursday afternoon for Violation of a No Contact Order. According to Red Oak Police, 50-year old Richard Bryan Jenkins was taken into custody at around 4:15-p.m., in the 500 block of 4th Avenue. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa plans to use millions of dollars in federal pandemic funds on a long-term plan to improve data management across state agencies, a second information technology project that may not fit the purpose of the aid. State and federal auditors this week told Iowa’s executive branch to return millions of dollars to the state’s $1.25 billion coronavirus relief fund that were spent on new accounting and human resources software.

They determined the project wasn’t an appropriate expense. A state report shows the Office of the Chief Information Officer has been given $16.9 million in pandemic aid for a data collection initiative that was under discussion before the pandemic.

DENISON— Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources, today (Thursday) said late Wednesday afternoon, county officials notified the DNR of cloudy water in Willow Creek about four miles southwest of Denison. When DNR field staff investigated, they found that dairy farmer Harold Chapman had dumped about 400 gallons of milk on the ground after a cooler failed. The milk flowed about one-fourth mile before entering Willow Creek near the intersection of 220^th St. and Q Avenue.

When organic products like milk enter a stream, bacteria breaks them down — using up oxygen that fish and other aquatic animals depend upon. That can be deadly, especially in smaller streams. DNR staff checked the creek and collected water samples. Stream flows were high and they did not find any dead fish. DNR will consider appropriate enforcement action.

People with questions about waste disposal can contact a DNR field office for disposal suggestions and requirements.

(By FFA reporter Aspen Niklasen)- The Atlantic FFA chapter competed in the Southwest Iowa district Soils Judging Contest in Audubon on Monday October 19th. The team which consisted of Dylan Comes, Cooper Jipsen, Daniel Freund and Malena Woodward, got 5th place overall and earned a gold rating. There were 76 FFA members from 24 schools at the Contest. Cooper Jipsen placed 8th overall, Daniel Freund 13th, Dylan Comes 26th and Malena Woodward 28th. Team member Jipsen said “The pits were very hard to judge, because of the weather conditions, but we overcame the difficulties and rose to the occasion.”

Malena Woodward, Cooper Jipsen, Daniel Freund, Dylan Comes. (Photo & story submitted)

The Soils Judging Career Development Event is designed towards motivating students to gain knowledge on surface features, the soil profile, land capability and productivity, evaluation of land use and management practices, and suitability of soils for non-agricultural uses. Students also develop the ability to observe selected soil properties, and use these observations to interpret and evaluate these properties for recommendations for land use. “Soils judging has helped me learn more about what I should look for when Farming.” said Comes.

The day of the contest a sheet of snow started to cover the ground, and the temperature had dropped to the 30s. Team member Woodward said “there was 4 inches of snow covering the pits, the mud made it very slick, and the wind made the climate frigid. I was bundled up in layers to keep body heat.” Even with these non ideal weather conditions, the team trudged on.

After the contest took place, Mr. Miller, the Atlantic FFA advisor, felt good about the day’s competition. “I was impressed with the way our students performed. They made a lot of improvement in a very short amount of time.” Team members did not feel the same at first but changed their minds after they saw the results, Freund said “When we left we thought we did terrible, but when we heard the news we were excited. I am looking forward to judging soil from a different part of the state with my team.”

The Atlantic FFA chapter wanted to say thank you to Joe and Brittany Elmquist of Audubon County for hosting the event. Scott Hansen of Hansen Earthmoving who dug the soil pits, and Adam Hansen of Eagle Acres who provided tables.

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education held a Special Meeting in the High School Media Room late this (Thursday) morning, and approved a temporary mask mandate effective Friday, Oct. 23rd. Superintendent Steve Barber told KJAN News…

(The mask mandate is in effect for 30 days and offers parents the opportunity to implement remote learning if they so desire.)

You may recall a petition was circulated online asking the School Board to mandate a mask policy in order to alleviate the likelihood of any further students being quarantined. The Board also received a letter from the Cass County Board of Health, requesting the mandate be placed into effect immediately.

Barber said the Board took into consideration the increasing spread of the Coronavirus, even though the actual spread through the district has been low, coming in at around one-percent.

Face coverings are required in all buildings when social distancing is not possible. The board will reevaluate based on COVID-19 statistics in the district and Cass County. Superintendent Barber says it’s fortunate the District has been able to maintain a low number of the virus cases, considering how long school has been underway.

You can view the school board meeting in its entirety through this link.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The murder trial for a Sioux City man charged with killing his girlfriend’s 19-month-old daughter has been pushed back to next summer. The Sioux City Journal reports that a judge on Wednesday agreed to continue 24-year-old Tayvon Davis‘ trial to July 13. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to the continuation. Davis’ trial had been set to start next week. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, child endangerment resulting in the death of a child and multiple acts of child endangerment in the 2018 death of the toddler.

An autopsy showed the girl had several blunt force injuries to her head and a kidney and had suffered fractures to her vertebrae and ribs.