(Adel, Iowa) – A collision between a pickup and semi Friday morning in Dallas County, resulted in the death of the pickup’s driver. The Iowa State Patrol says 67-year-old David Lee Carscadden, of Adel, died when his 2001 GMC Sierra K1500 pickup pulled out from a private drive, entered Highway 6 and struck a 2018 Freightliner semi. The man was ejected from the pickup and died at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt.

The driver of the semi, 50-year-old Fredy Medrano, of San Antonio, Texas, was not injured. The crash occurred at around 10:13-a.m., on Highway 6 (Greene Street in Adel), between 5th and 7th Streets. The accident remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – The University of Iowa installed Barbara Wilson as the school’s president today (Friday). “I am so very honored to serve as the 22nd president of the University of Iowa — especially at the 175th anniversary,” Wilson said. Wilson was named president by the Board of Regents in April of 2021 and she began the job in July of 2021 to replace Bruce Harreld who retired. She had served as executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs for the University of Illinois System since 2016. During her installation address she reviewed the very beginnings of the school.

“Only 59 days after the state of Iowa itself was created — the Iowa Legislature founded the University of Iowa — with the mission to educate teachers for the state’s schools, as well as professionals for the state’s economic and cultural development,” Wilson says. She says the university has grown dramatically and in many ways since the very beginning and she wants to continue that growth.

“The future of the University of Iowa is bright. And my goal is to make sure the future shines as brightly as possible, ” according to Wilson. “I want to show what a public university can do and be in a state like Iowa.” Wilson says she wants to continue building on the school’s reputation outside the state’s borders.

“I also pledge to elevate Iowa’s excellence at the national level. We must be a magnet for talent for the best faculty and the best staff and the best students,” she says. “We must be known as a place where comprehensive excellence and creativity are encouraged, rewarded, and celebrated. And where people can achieve their best, regardless of background.” Wilson is the third woman president to lead the University of Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – A Marshalltown native and his family were forced to flee from Ukraine as Russia invaded the country. Burgis Barr moved from Marshalltown to Ukraine after marrying a girl from there he met online. His mom Carrie lives in Marshalltown and says it was not easy to get out of the country. She says they packed their bags and took their nine and eleven year old and bought seats on a bus.

“There is bumper to bumper barely moving traffic going out of Ukraine every direction. It was to be four hours and it took about nine hours. They arrived in a tiny village on the Romanian border,” she says. Barr says her son’s journey became even more interesting after his family finally arrived at the border as she had booked a place for them to stay.

“They couldn’t get there because they had to go through customs first and there were no customs open and no way to get there anyway. So, after this long day of leaving everything behind, they had nowhere to go,” Barr says. “And I have not heard from them as to how they solved that problem yet.” Barr says she received some positive news about her son’s precarious situation.

“We had a foreign exchange student through Rotary here in Marshalltown. And that gal has family in Romania, so we contacted her and she said ‘yes they can live with my grandmother, she has lots of room and my cousins will interpret for them. And if they can get across the border — we can take care of them,” Barr explains.

Barr says she’s hoping her son and his family will be able to eventually make it through customs so they can become firmly settled in Romania.

(Radio Iowa) – Lutheran Services in Iowa opened its new refugee resettlement office in Sioux City this week. In the past month, the organization resettled 14 Afghan refugees in the area, but they expect up to 150 refugees from many different countries. Kate Hagen, the resettlement coordinator, says she’s excited to see more refugees in Sioux City.

“I could only imagine how it feels to come to a new country, let alone a new city, where you don’t really know anyone,” Hagen says, “and so just being that familiar face, that friendly face for them to help them feel safe and welcomed here.” Hagen says local residents can help by donating home-goods or volunteering their time. Finding long-term housing remains an obstacle in the area, but she’s optimistic they can find a home for every arrival. Hagen says they expect a diverse set of refugees in March, new arrivals she says will enrich the community.

“I was sitting here and just thinking of all the places that make the Siouxland area, you think of all these different stores, and what it would be like if we didn’t have refugees or immigrants,” Hagen says. “There’s just so much that would not be here because of that.” Hagen says she hopes the Sioux City location can soon offer a wide range of services, like cultural orientation classes.

(Radio Iowa) [update] – Members of the Iowa Senate are typically elected to four year terms, but due to the once-a-decade redistricting process — some winning state senate candidates this November will be elected to two year terms.
General Elections are held every two years and half of the 50 seats in the Iowa Senate are always on the General Election ballot.

In 2022, candidates in the 25 districts labeled with odd numbers will be seeking four-year terms. Secretary of State Paul Pate has announced another NINE state senate races in even-numbered districts will be on the ballot, too, and the winners will serve just two years. This is because redistricting redraws the boundaries and renumbers senate districts and the terms for SOME incumbents don’t match the rotating election schedule for odd and even numbered districts.

Members of the Iowa House serve two-year terms, so all 100 House races are on the ballot every two years.

“It’s going to be a very interesting election year in Iowa, and my office will work with all 99 county auditors to ensure voters have the tools and knowledge they need to cast their ballots,” Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said. “I encourage every eligible Iowan to register to vote and participate.”

State senators who did not plan to serve in their current district beyond 2022 were required to submit a notice of resignation to the Iowa Secretary of State by January 16. Those who submitted notices were:

Senator Craig Williams, Carroll

Senator Craig Johnson, Independence

Senator Ken Rozenboom, Oskaloosa

Senator Tim Goodwin, Burlington

Along with 34 State Senate seats, all 100 Iowa House seats, all four of Iowa’s U.S. House seats, one of Iowa’s U.S. Senate seats, and all six statewide offices will be on the ballot in 2022. The candidate filing period for Iowa’s federal and state candidates begins Monday, February 28.

For information about dates and deadlines for voting in Iowa’s June primary and November general election, visit VoterReady.Iowa.gov.

You can view maps of all 50 Iowa Senate districts at this link.

You can view maps of all 100 Iowa House districts at this link.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – In an update to our prior report, the Cass County Auditor’s Office, Friday, said that the Secretary of State’s Office “Has given advice that anyone running for office of supervisor in the Primary Election in Plan III counties should get 100 signatures.  This is  a significant raise from how many signatures we originally calculated.” (See the latest information in the 2022 Primary Election box below)

A reminder also, that the first date to file is March 7^th with the last day being March 25^th. Nomination papers may be circulated prior to first date for filing as well as during the filing period. Nomination papers and candidate information are available at the office of the county auditor and from the secretary of state: www.sos.iowa.gov

The county positions to appear on the Cass County ballot for the 2022 PRIMARY ELECTION are:

• Attorney (incumbent: Vanessa Strazdas, Republican)
• Recorder (incumbent: Mary Ward, Republican)
• Treasurer (incumbent: Tracey Marshall, Republican)
• District 2 Supervisor (incumbent: Mark O’Brien, Republican)
• District 3 Supervisor (incumbent: John Hartkopf, Republican)

Nomination papers may be circulated now. Nomination petitions and other election forms (including a Candidate’s Guide to the General Election) are available at the office of the County Auditor, and also from the Iowa Secretary of State (sos.iowa.gov) via the internet.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: The Cass County Auditor, Courthouse 5 W 7th St, Atlantic, IA 50022
Phone: 712-243-4570 and Fax: 712-243-4572. Email: auditor@casscoia.us

GENERAL ELECTION (Tuesday, November 8, 2022) INFORMATION:

The filing periods for the November 8, 2022, General Election are:

• U.S. Senate, U.S. Representative and State Office: February 28 – March 18, 2022 (5:00 p.m.)
• County Office: March 7 – March 25, 2022 (5:00 p.m.)
• Ag Extension, Soil & Water Conservation District, Hospital Trustee: Anytime up until August 31, 2022

List of current position holders for non-partisan offices that will appear on General Election Ballot:

Agricultural Extension Council: David York; Bradley J Pellett; Kristi Plagman; Chad Becker and Todd Weppler.

Soil & Water Conservation District: John J Hansen (Grove Township) and Greg Zellmer (Pymosa Township)

Hospital Board of Trustees: Jody Lorence; Julie Pollock; and Michael Klocke; Roger Herring.

Edna Township; Kevin Stender-Trustee; Patrick Erickson-Trustee; Travis Erickson-Clerk:

Union Township: Richard Hoffman-Trustee; Daryl Schrier-Trustee; Cheryl Christensen-Clerk.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Michelle Anderson, Director of the Atlantic Public Library, on Thursday, February 24th, to learn about the new resources that have been made available through different grant programs.

The library has applied and received a few different grants in the last year that has allowed all six libraries in Cass County to receive new resources for all ages. With the help of an ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) grant and Public Library Collaborative Grant, the library was able to purchase 6 unique tablets along with a self-serving kiosk. The tablets have three different types of user profiles which is chosen based on the user’s needs. The tablets can be used anywhere in the library, and once they are returned to the kiosk, they begin charging and all information is erased from the device. The tablets allow users to access an endless number of resources including mental health resources, which was identified as a top need in the Health Needs Assessment that was completed in 2021 by Healthy Cass County.

In addition to the tablets, the grant also allowed all six Cass County Libraries to purchase 8 children books, 13 teen books, 14 adult books, 4 documentaries, 2 faith-based book kits, card games, a children’s yoga kit, and meditation chimes. The remainder of the grant funding has allowed the addition of programs such as suicide prevention trainings, therapy FAQ sessions, author presentation, and faith-based book discussion groups.

The library has been added as a Dolly Parton Imagination Library in the last year, which allows children under the age of 5 to sign up to receive one free book a month in the mail. The Dolly Parton program covers the overhead cost of ordering and selecting the books, and the remainder of the cost is covered by individual or business sponsors. Currently, the Cass County Program has 235 children registered and the cost to the library is about $25 per child per year. Sponsors are continually needed to fund the program. If you or someone you know would like to learn more about sponsoring, please reach out to Michelle, Atlantic Library Director.

Atlantic Public Library is located at 507 Poplar Street. For more information about programs and resources, contact 712-243-5466 or visit http://www.atlantic.lib.ia.us/

(Radio Iowa) – Both of Iowa’s U.S. Senators serve on the committee that will hold the confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee. Senator Chuck Grassley is the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In a written statement, Grassley congratulated Judge Jackson on her nomination and he said it is critical that all nominees to the nation’s highest court receive a most thorough and rigorous vetting in the committee.

Republican Senator Joni Ernst, a member of the Judiciary Committee since 2019, said justices must be impartial and must not bend to the political winds of the moment. Both Ernst and Grassley said they are committed to a fair and respectful review of Judge Jackson’s qualifications.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court rules a former massage therapist who was convicted of third-degree sexual abuse of a client should get a new trial because of improper use of evidence. The client filed a complaint against Kevin Thoren in 2019 after she says he inappropriately touched her chest and between her legs during a massage session. Thoren denied touching her — and presented evidence that some clients experience phantom touching with the technique he used.

The Supreme Court ruled said the testimony of five other clients who claimed Thoren abused them prejudiced the jury. It also says allowing testimony that Thoren gave up his license to the Board of Massage Therapy after the investigation of a complaint could have created prejudice by making the jury believe it was an official, state-sanctioned finding under the law — when in reality it was the result of a settlement.