(Radio Iowa) – Secretary of State Paul Pate says he’s ready to work with legislators to ensure state law clearly requires Iowans who sign nominating papers for candidates include the date they signed the petition. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled last week errors in the dates next to three signatures on U.S. Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer’s nominating petitions were not grounds to disqualify Finkenauer from the June Primary ballot.

“I did have a different opinion on it. I felt that 200 candidates plus got it right and were able to get the dates and the signatures done correctly,” Pate says, “…but I do respect the fact that the Supreme Court took a different interpretation and my homework now is to work with the legislature so that we spell it out so that it’s much clearer in the future.” In its ruling, the Iowa Supreme Court said just last year the legislature passed a law outlining the specific reasons for rejecting signatures on nominating petitions, but that law did not address missing or incorrect dates on the signature line.

Pate does not expect the state legislature to pass a bill on the subject before it adjourns this year, but he says it’ll be a priority in 2023. Pate says that way the law is clear when 2024 candidates begin collecting signatures on nominating petitions. “Consistency is the first thing. If we’re going to put the date on the petitions, then it should be required,” Pate says. “I think there’s a good case to be made that the dates are important when you’re trying to interpret when they were signed, to verify if those people were actually legitimate voters at the time or eligible (voters), so I think there’s a reason for that.”

Pate made his comments during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass/Atlantic Development Corp. (CADCO) and Anita Development have partnered to address the housing need in Anita and Cass County. Jennifer McEntaffer, CADCO Executive Director, says “Housing shortages are an issue in most of rural Iowa. There is a need for new developments, rehab of existing homes and housing in infill lots around the County. With the influx of individuals looking to move back to the area, and even possibly work from home, the need continues to rise.”

The two organizations and the City of Anita have partnered with contractors Mike Baragary and Kirk Henningsen to construct a 1,277 square foot house on a vacant lot owned by Anita Development. The house will be a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, with an attached garage and unfinished basement. The location of the lot was chosen due to its close proximity to CAM Schools and the Anita Wellness Center.

“It is our hope that the home will be built, sold and we can continue to increase the housing stock, one infill house at a time, throughout Cass County,” McEntaffer said. To keep up with population growth, Iowa will need 47,000 more homes by 2030, according to the Iowa Finance Authority. Darrell Hockenberry, Anita Development Chairman, said  “The need for more housing exists throughout the State and specifically Cass County. We all need to work together to address this problem. Anita Development appreciates CADCO’s assistance and looks forward to working with CADCO on this project.”

CADCO is a 501c6 non-profit that serves as the Economic Development Authority for Cass County, Iowa. CADCO directs economic development initiatives, facilitates community cooperation, and assists organizations in their pursuit of local development efforts to enhance quality of life in Cass County. To learn more, visit their website at www.atlanticiowa.com/cadco.

April 22, 2022 (DES MOINES, IA) – The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board, today (Friday) approved awards for four Iowa companies, which will assist in the creation of 75 jobs and result in over $84 million in new capital investment for the state. The projects are located in Farley, Shenandoah, Templeton and Lee County. The board also provided final approval on two reinvestment district plans for Fort Dodge and Urbandale/Des Moines.

Green Plains constructs new technology plant in Shenandoah
A subsidiary of Iowa’s Green Plains, Inc., Green Plains Shenandoah, LLC is expanding its focus on value-add agricultural technology, and will create diverse, non-cyclical, high margin feed ingredients, specialty alcohols and renewable feedstocks for the renewable diesel industry. The company plans to construct its Clean Sugar Technology plant adjacent to its biorefinery in Shenandoah, which will produce low carbon dextrose. The board awarded this $50 million capital investment project a $250,000 forgivable loan and tax benefits through the HQJ program. It is expected to create 12 jobs incented at a qualifying wage of $21.78 per hour.

Templeton Rye Spirits to expand Templeton warehouse
Templeton Rye Spirits, LLC produces Templeton Rye whiskey. The company plans to expand its warehouse facilities in Templeton for long-term barreling. The project is expected to create three jobs, of which two are incented at a qualifying wage of $22.63 per hour. It was awarded tax benefits through the HQJ program and represents a capital investment of $13.6 million. 

Read more about the other projects HERE.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Officers with the Red Oak Police Department, today (Friday), arrested a man on a theft charge. Authorities allege 46-year-old Markus Eugene Johnson, of Red Oak, was found to be in possession of a utility trailer from the City Maintenance Facility. The trailer was located in the 300 block of 4th Avenue. It was stolen on Thursday. Johnson was taken into custody at around 11:30-a.m., for Theft in the 3rd Degree (an Aggravated Misdemeanor), and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where his cash bond was set at $2,000.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Kyler Morgan, Edward Jones, on Thursday, April 21st, 2022. The Ambassadors joined Kyler Morgan in celebrating the opening of his new location in Atlantic with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Kyler graduated from Grand View University with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. With a passion for teaching and serving others, his path eventually took him to Edward Jones. Kyler and his branch Office Administrator, Kristy Pitts, have had an office in Council Bluffs since March of 2014. Kyler was offered the opportunity to move his office to Atlantic when Brian Farley began his retirement transition.

Photo courtesy the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce

When ask about his favorite part of working in financial planning, Kyler shared working with clients on accumulating wealth, protecting wealth, and passing down generational wealth make him love his job. Kyler enjoys building relationships with clients and being able to offer advice and reassurance through celebratory moments, along with supporting individuals through the tough times as well.

Edward Jones, Kyler Morgan is located at 508 Poplar Street in Atlantic. Appointments can be made by stopping in or calling the office at 712-254-7647 or requesting an appointment at https://www.edwardjones.com/us-en/financial-advisor/kyler-morgan.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The bravery of American military members has been well-documented, often due to the unique reporting done by Iowa-based broadcasters on the scene. This Sunday afternoon in Atlantic, Jeff Stein, author, historian and documentary producer will tell how they did their jobs in WWII and later. His program is called “From the Battlefront to the Homefront: Iowa Broadcasters Go To War.” Stein says broadcasters of the day were accredited as “War Correspondents.”

Their reports were live via short-wave radio and Transatlantic Cable, back to Iowa, and make mention of the Iowans they encountered overseas.

Stein said he met a man from Ames who was part of those broadcasts.

Some of the audio clips be available for you to hear this Sunday, have not been heard since they first aired.

The program takes place beginning at 2-p.m. Sunday, at the American Legion Memorial Building, 201 Poplar Street, in Atlantic. It’s free and open to all interested persons. The building is handicapped accessible. The program is sponsored by Atlantic Rock Island Society Enterprise (ARISE) and supported by Atlantic Community Promotion Commission. Jeff Stein is provided through Humanities Iowa, a private, non-profit sate affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Jeff Stein

Jeff Stein is recognized as the foremost broadcast historian in Iowa. He currently is news and program director for KXEL based in Waterloo. His daily interview program can be heard weekday mornings. He also airs a daily radio feature on Iowa History, “Iowa Almanac” on 30 stations statewide. Stein taught at the university level for 25 years. He has written several books one of which “One Week in June: The Iowa Floods of 2008” was a best seller.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa legislature has passed a bill responding to the case of a Storm Lake man accused of forcing his wife to take medication to end two pregnancies. Tony Wangmeng Lee was convicted of assault and tampering with a witness, but in 2017 the Iowa Court of Appeals dismissed his conviction for terminating a pregnancy without consent. Lee’s wife told police her husband had forced her to take pills on five different occasions, ending two pregnancies.

Representative Sandy Salmon of Janesville described the case during House debate. “The court ruled that since it could not be proven she was pregnant at the time, therefore the crime of non-consensual abortion was not committed,” Salmon says. “This bill is designed to close that loophole.” The House unanimously endorsed the bill two months ago. It cleared the Senate this week on a 47-to-zero vote.

Senator Jeff Taylor of Sioux Center — the only Senator to speak about the bill — didn’t mention Lee’s case.”In addition to public safety in general, I think this specifically is a bill that will protect pregnant women and babies,” Taylor said, “and I think that is something that is very important.”

Lee was arrested in October of 2014, shortly after his wife filed for divorce and told police her estranged husband was threatening her and previously forced her to end two pregnancies. Court records show Lee went to Laos in 2010 to marry the woman and she could not read, write or speak English when she arrived in the U.S. in 2011. According to the Iowa Department of Corrections, Lee served two years in prison and was released in 2017, several months after the Court of Appeals ruling that reversed his felony conviction for non-consensual termination of a pregnancy.

(Corning, Iowa) – Sheriff’s Deputies in Adams County, earlier this week, arrested a man on Assault, Attempted Murder, Kidnapping and other charges. According to the Sheriff’s report,  37-year-old Ashley Joe Cornelius was arrested after deputies responded around 11:51-a.m. Tuesday, to conduct a welfare check in the 900 block of 10th Street in Corning. Their investigation resulted in Cornelius being taken into custody on charges that include: Attempted Murder; Kidnapping in the 3rd Degree; Domestic Abuse Assault with Strangulation, and Willful Injury. His bond at the Adams County Jail was set at $50,000.

The Sheriff’s Office reports also, that at around 11:30-a.m. Monday, 33-year-old Christopher John Hazen, of Corning, was arrested on an Adams County warrant for Failure to Appear (in court). He was being held without bond in the Adams County Jail. Last Sunday, 29-year-ol Devin Lee Heimke was arrested at around 4:20-a.m., for Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $300.

And, at around 3:53-a.m. Sunday, Adams County Deputies arrested 52-year-old Michael Edward Archer, following a traffic stop. Archer was charged with OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.