LINCOLN, Neb (AP) – Roughly one month after the federal government announced a new crackdown to keep e-cigarettes away from children, state lawmakers in Iowa and Nebraska are forging ahead with similar proposals of their own. Both states are considering new laws to raise the minimum age for vaping to 21 years old in addition to other measures to try to restrict the product.

An Iowa Senate Subcommittee advanced the measure earlier this month to raise that state’s legal age from 18 to eliminate the conflict with federal law. In Nebraska, a legislative committee will review its own bill on Tuesday.

The Cass County Democratic Party is ready for the 2020 Caucus, which will be held this Monday, February 3rd. Party Chair Sherry Toelle says “Caucuses are gatherings of neighbors where Democrats meet to organize their precinct for the upcoming election, discuss important issues; and declare their Presidential preference. In addition to electing delegates to the county convention, caucus goers address key issues that are important to their communities, and elect local party leadership.” Persons wanting to attend the Cass County’s Democratic Caucus must be registered by no later than 7-p.m., Monday. The doors will open at 6-p.m. In Cass County, you must attend the caucus at the caucus site for your precinct.

Democrat Caucus sites are as follows:

• Anita, Grant & Lincoln Townships—Anita High School
• All Atlantic wards—Atlantic High School;
• Benton & Franklin Townships—Wiota Community Building;
• City of Griswold, Pleasant & Noble Townships—Griswold High School;
• City of Lewis, Cass & Bear Grove Townships—Lewis Community Building;
• City of Marne, Brighton, Pymosa, Washington, & Grove Townships—Atlantic High School;
• City of Cumberland, & Union Townships, Edna & Victoria Townships,
• City of Massena, & Massena Township—CAM Middle School.

There are five main goals for the caucus: conduct party business, determine Presidential preferences, elect delegates to the county convention and committees, elect representatives to the Cass County Democratic Central Committee, and discuss resolutions to the Party platform.

Cass County Republicans will hold their caucus, also. Business at their sites include: Selecting persons to be the Precinct meeting chair and secretary; Holding the Presidential Poll; Selecting individuals to serve on the County Central Committee, Delegates and Junior Delegates to the County Convention on March 14th, and discussing amendments to the County Platform.

Republican Caucus Sites:
Precinct 1:  Atlantic Ward 1 – Atlantic Elks Lodge (411 Walnut St.)
Precinct 2:  Atlantic Ward 2 – Armory (2nd & Poplar)
Precinct 3:  Atlantic Ward 3 – Atlantic Public Library
Precinct 4:  Atlantic Ward 4 – Zion Lutheran Church (811 Oak St.)
Precinct 5:  Atlantic Ward 5 – Heritage House (1200 Brookridge Cir.)
Precinct 6:  Lewis; Cass & Bear Grove Townships – Lewis Fire Department Meeting Room (401 W. Main St.)
Precinct 7:  Wiota; Benton & Franklin Townships – Wiota Fire Department (311 Center St.)
Precinct 8:  Marne; Brighton, Pymosa, Washington & Grove Townships – Atlantic Airport (59706 Airport Road)
Precinct 9:  Edna/Victoria Townships – Massena Library (122 Main St.)
Precinct 10:  Anita; Grant & Lincoln Townships – Anita Community Center (805 Main St.)
Precinct 11:  Griswold; Pleasant & Noble Townships – Griswold Community Bldg. (601 2nd St.)
Precinct 12:  Massena City & Township) – Massena Library (122 Main St.)
Precinct 13:  Cumberland; Union Township – Cumberland Library (119 Main St.)

Red Oak Police arrested two people on separate charges early this (Sunday) morning. At around 12:35-a.m., officers arrested 46-year old Jody Lee Michaelsen, of Red Oak, for Simple Assault. Michaelsen was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 bond. And, at around 3:10-a.m., Red Oak Police arrested 25-year old Kalie Rose Baker, of Shenandoah, for OWI/1st offense. Baker was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.

A single-vehicle accident southwest of Cumberland early this (Sunday) morning, resulted in the 25-year old female driver of the vehicle suffering from head pain. The accident was reported at around 2:45-a.m., near 64666 Tucson Road. Cumberland Rescue, Medivac and the Cass County Office responded to the scene.

Additional information is currently not available.

The pursuit of a vehicle that began in Pottawattamie County early Sunday morning didn’t end until a little more than an hour later, in northern Guthrie County. According to dispatch reports during the pursuit, the suspect vehicle tried to elude a Pott. County Deputy at around 12:45-a.m., by driving through a cornfield and a barbed-wire fence before getting onto York Road and turning north onto Highway 59.

In Shelby County, the vehicle traveled at speeds of nearly 110 miles per hour, and blew through stop signs in Harlan before continuing north, and eventually turning east onto Highway 141 around 1:14-a.m.

The vehicle continued eastbound and finally ended just west of Highway 4 (east of Bagley), at around 1:50-a.m.  Multiple law enforcement agencies took part in the attempt to stop the driver, who was said to have possibly been under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. At least two law enforcement agency vehicles were disabled during the chase, when they ran over stop sticks meant to disable the suspect vehicle. The suspect’s vehicle ran over the stop sticks at one point, but kept going until it was near Bagley. No injuries were reported.

It’s not clear what prompted the traffic stop. Additional details – including the driver’s name and charges – were not immediately available. Among the agencies we know of that participated in the effort to stop the driver, was: The Pottawattamie, Shelby, Guthrie, Crawford and Carroll County Sheriff’s Departments, the Iowa State Patrol, Harlan Police and others.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa caucus is just around the corner and candidates are heating up the criticism. Joe Biden didn’t name Bernie Sanders, but he told voters in Waterloo, Iowa, on Saturday that he wondered why some candidates don’t know how much their proposals will cost. The youngest of the Democrats, 38-year-old Pete Buttigieg, says this is no time for taking the risk of meeting a new challenge with a familiar playbook. Meanwhile, the Des Moines Register has decided to pull results of its final poll because of a problem with its survey questioning.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang says he will “shock” the nation with his performance in Monday night’s caucuses. He says one reason will be his support from Republicans, who he claims back him because he’s focused on the same issues as President Donald Trump. Speaking at a rally at a downtown Des Moines hotel Saturday night, Yang told a packed ballroom that he’s laser-focused on solving the same problems that Trump pointed out — but has actual solutions that people will see and feel.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign is showing signs of strength heading into Monday’s Iowa caucuses – and a source of tension at its heart. Sanders’ more strident supporters tend to demand that everyone unite behind the Vermont senator if he’s the Democratic nominee but are less forceful in pledging to back the nominee if it’s not him. Sanders himself is trying to tamp down that divide, insisting Saturday in Iowa that his campaign will support the nominee and that he expects others to do the same. If Sanders achieves unity by compromising on stands he has taken for decades in political office, he could disappoint supporters.

FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) — Some former Democratic presidential candidates could still win votes and make an impact on Iowa’s caucuses Monday. The caucuses essentially allow voters to express support for two candidates in two rounds of voting. During the first round, voters can show support for anyone they want, even if that person isn’t running for president. Some Iowa supporters of former candidates Cory Booker and Kamala Harris say they plan to support the senators during the first round of the caucuses, even though Booker and Harris have bowed out of the race. But they also say the gambit is an attempt to blunt Bernie Sanders’ momentum on the second round.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Des Moines Register, CNN and its polling partner have decided not release the final installment of its presidential preference poll, fearing its results may have been compromised. Carol Hunter, the executive editor of the Iowa newspaper, posted the announcement Saturday night at the same time the results of highly anticipated survey were supposed to be released.

She said that one of the poll respondents reported earlier in the day that a candidate’s name was omitted. While believed to be an isolated incident, the poll administrators could not be sure. Hunter wrote: “Therefore, the partners made the difficult decision to not to move forward with releasing the Iowa Poll.”

The Audubon Chamber of Commerce announced their annual awards at the banquet Saturday, February 1.

The newest award, Live Large Audubon award winners are the Lawrence and Doris Handlos family.  They developed Waspy’s, the Feed Mill restaurant and Blue Grass Inn.

The Junior Citizen of the Year is Madison Vorm.

The Citizen of the Year is Roger Griffith, known for his community work with veterans, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, city of Audubon committees and volunteer efforts.

A large crowd was treated to a show from Branson, Missouri performer and Audubon-native Delana Ditto.

Authorities in western Iowa say a pursuit Saturday afternoon in Pottawattamie County, ended with the arrest of a man wanted on a sex offender warrant out of Douglas County, Nebraska. WOWT-TV in Omaha reports Nicholas Harms was taken into custody after a Pott. County Sheriff’s Deputy performed a PIT maneuver at the corner of Pioneer Trail and Traceview Loop.

Authorities told the station the pursuit began when Harms refused to pull over for a traffic violation. During the chase, speeds reached in excess of 100-miles per hour, with some speeds in the rural southeast Council Bluffs area he was finally stopped at, ranging up to 115-mph. No injuries were reported.

Harms was being held Saturday in the Pottawattamie County jail. He faces eluding and other charges, in addition to being wanted on the NE warrant.

Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Public Safety report that at around 9:40-p.m. Friday (1/31), the Monona County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call in reference to a shooting that occurred in Mapleton.  Emergency personnel responding to the call located a deceased male subject at the scene. The victim and witnesses at the scene are minors, and their names are not being released at this time. Authorities say there is no threat to the public.

The shooting is being investigated by the Mapleton Police Department, Monona County Sheriff’s Department, Monona County Attorney’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The investigation is ongoing, and officials are not releasing additional details at this time.