The annual meeting of the Cass County Tourism Committee is set to take place 5:30-p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11th, in Atlantic. The event (originally set to be held in the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce’ meeting room), will instead be held at the American Legion Memorial Building, in Atlantic (The Armory at 2nd & Poplar).

The Cass County Tourism Council’s purpose is to promote area attractions, and to continually develop and market the culture, history and economic well-being of Cass County, Iowa. The 2018 Economic Impact Assessment of Travel in Iowa reports that domestic travelers generated a total of $517,500,000 in tax receipts in Iowa. Cass County’s piece of the pie came to $1.9 million in state tax receipts and $210,000 in local tax receipts. Domestic travel directly supports the payroll of food service, entertainment and recreation and lodging sectors.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, Saturday, investigated a complaint of Juveniles gathering at 1905 P Avenue in rural Page County using illegal substances. During the investigation six  male juveniles – ranging in age from 13 to 17 – were charged with drug offenses.

All were charged with Gatherings where controlled substances unlawfully used – Marijuana (serious misdemeanors), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (simple misdemeanor), and Possession of a controlled substance – Marijuana (serious misdemeanor). All were referred to Juvenile court and released to parents, guardians, or designated adults by parents consent.

The incident is still under investigation with charges possible on other individuals.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Bernie Sanders’ and Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaigns have filed requests for a partial recanvass of the results of Iowa’s Democratic caucuses. In its Monday filing, the Sanders campaign cited “mathematical errors and inconsistencies” in more than two dozen caucus locations that it says would change the results if amended. The Iowa Democratic Party says the Buttigieg campaign requested a check on results in 66 precincts.

Current results show Buttigieg with a razor-thin lead over Sanders in state delegate equivalents, and the party has awarded Buttigieg 14 delegates to Sanders’ 12. But the Sanders campaign believes correcting faulty math could swing the delegate allocation in Sanders’ favor.

(By The Associated Press) – On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, there is still no winner of last week’s Iowa caucuses. Final results of the Democratic caucus were released late Sunday, after the Iowa Democratic Party made a series of corrections to its tally. But Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign exercised its right Monday to ask the state party to take another look at its math. Amid the delays in getting the data and after observing irregularities in the results once they did arrive, The Associated Press says it cannot declare a winner in the first event to decide the Democratic Party’s nominee to challenge President Donald Trump.

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa governor and U.S. agriculture secretary has claimed a $150,000 Powerball prize. Tom Vilsack picked up winnings Monday at the Iowa Lottery’s headquarters in Clive. His ticket matched the Jan. 22nd Powerball number, and four of the remaining five numbers. He just missed out on the estimated $347 million jackpot.

He bought the ticket at a grocery store in Waukee, where he and his wife live. Vilsack is currently the president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. He told lottery officials his church and his children will share in his winnings.

A search warrant executed Sunday at a home in Shambaugh resulted in the arrest of man on a firearms-related charge. Deputies in Page County searched the home at 510 2nd Street, on a warrant allowing them to search for and seize as evidence, any firearms, firearm magazines, and ammunition. During the investigation 52-year old Gary Lynn Kent, of Clarinda, was arrested for being a Felon in control of a firearm.

Gary Lynn Kent

Kent was transported to the Page County Jail where he was being held on a $5,000 cash or surety bond. Numerous firearms, ammunition, and firearm magazines were seized during the search. More charges and arrests are pending at this time.

Nominations for the Iowa Beef Industry Council’s (IBC) and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association’s (ICA) Best Burger Contest are being taken now through 5-p.m. on March 10th. Officials say the contest is not only a great way to celebrate Iowa’s 25,000 beef farmers, it’s also a great way to increase business for participating restaurants and draw visitors to Iowa communities. The contest occurs in two phases. In the first phase, Iowans are encouraged to nominate their favorite burger, whether it’s gourmet or down-home style. Nominations will be accepted between now (February 10th) and March 10th, 2020.

This is the eleventh year for the contest, which unites beef lovers and beef farmers across the state. After the nomination period, 10 restaurants will be chosen as finalists and visited by a secret panel of judges, who will determine the ultimate winner. The 2020 Best Burger in Iowa will be announced on May 1, 2020 with the kick-off of May Beef Month in Iowa. Details about the contest, rules, and the voting form are available on the Iowa Beef Industry Council’s website, www.iabeef.org. Burger lovers can also find a link to the online nomination form at the Iowa Beef Council Facebook page; or by texting BEEF to 313131. Photos of your favorite burger can be shared socially using #IABestBurger.

To qualify to be named Iowa’s Best Burger, the burger must be a 100% real beef patty and be served on a bun or bread product. Restaurants can download a digital toolkit including promotional materials for the contest from IBIC’s website at www.iabeef.org, to promote the contest to their customers. The promotional materials can be used in restaurants, online, or on social media.

Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources invite you to join Springbrook State Park staff for two events, on Saturday, February 22nd. At 10 a.m., build “make and take” suet bird feeders at Springbrook’s For the Birds event. And, spend the afternoon on a hike using GPS technology to navigate geological and historical sites in the park at CSA 163 Discovering Prehistory, Geology and Fossils with GPS. More details can be found on the Parks 2020 calendar.

And, the Iowa DNR says for campers interested in spending Memorial Day weekend in a state park, the three-month window to reserve a campsite opens Saturday, February 22nd. Memorial Day weekend will be May 22 through May 25. Now is a good time to start planning an overnight stay to a state park this summer. Information on Iowa’s state parks is available online including the link to make reservations. Campers can also log on directly to the reservation site.

(Radio Iowa) — An Osceola native is taking over as the new Mission Support Group Commander of Sioux 185th Air National Guard Refueling Wing. Colonel Sonya Finch was sworn in Saturday to lead the largest of four groups that comprise the 185th. Colonel Finch has spent her entire military career in the Iowa National Guard since joining at age 17. She says giving back to the community was one of two reasons she joined the Iowa Guard. “I always wanted to fly, and at some point, I started to realize that, to fly I really wanted to let the military help me with that,” Finch explains.

Col. Sonya Finch, Mission Support Group Cmdr./185th ANG Refueling Wing.

The support services group she oversees does a lot of things to help 85th complete its mission of flying their refueling missions around the world. “The security forces, the contracting, it’s the engineers, the supply, the services, how we feed people, how we serve people, all the logistics of that. Paying people, personnel, and then, of course, environmental management, we’ve got firefighters on base,” Finch says, “everything that it takes for a base to support the ability to fly a tanker.”

Finch has more than two-thousand hours flying experience including more than 500 combat hours. She had her inaugural membership in the 185th as a K-C-135 pilot during the mid-2000’s and has been working in current operations at the 132nd Wing in Des Moines. “It’s been a little over six years since I’ve been here, so coming back and finding faces and finding people that I’ve know for years — it’s really nice to be able to have those contacts and to be able to come back,” Finch says.

Colonel Finch takes over for Colonel Stephany Samenus, who has been promoted to Vice Commander of the 185th.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – Deere & Co. plans to lay off 105 more workers in Dubuque. The company told workers Friday at the John Deere Dubuque Works that the layoffs will take effect April 6. It would be the third round of layoffs at the plant in the past few months. In October the company said more than 110 workers would be laid off by Nov. 18. In December the company announced that nearly 60 workers would be laid off effective Jan. 6. A company spokesman didn’t immediately return messages Monday from The Associated Press.