(Atlantic, Iowa) –  The Cass County Auditor’s Office is reminding voters that they will be open this Saturday, June 1, 2024, ahead of the June 4, 2024 Primary Election. The Auditor’s Office will be open on Saturday, June 1, 2024, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The office will be open for absentee voting and any other election business. The Auditor’s Office would also like to remind voters that they can vote absentee at the office during regular business hours through Monday, June 3, 2024, for the Primary Election.

The Auditor’s Office encourages those who have received mailed ballots to make arrangements to have them returned to the Cass County Auditor’s Office. Due to recent legislation, absentee ballots must be in the Auditor’s Office before polls close at 8:00 p.m. on June 4, 2024 to be counted.

Vote Early

For more information about the 2024 Primary Election contact the Cass County Auditor’s office at 712-243-4570. More information can be found on the Cass County elections website at https://www.casscountyia.gov/county-government/elections/primary-elections/.

FORT DODGE, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Corrections, Tuesday, reported 47-year-old Andrew James Nielsen, who was convicted in Webster County on charges of Burglary 1st Degree in Webster County, Prohibited Acts — Manufacture, Delivery, Possession in Fayette County, and Voluntary Absence (Escape) in Polk and Webster counties, failed to report back to the Fort Dodge Residential Center as required, Monday.

Nielsen is a 5-feet nine-inch tall, 172-pound white male. He was admitted to the work release facility on March 6, 2024. Persons with information on Nielsen’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Andrew J. Nielsen (Iowa DOC photo)

DES MOINES — U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) has announced the winners of the Iowa Third Congressional District Art Competition. The top three vote receivers from the public voting option will have their art on display in each of the Iowa Third Congressional District offices, and the winner selected by a panel of three art judges will have their art on display in the U.S. Capitol.  The Overall Winner was Blake Foster, with the Griswold High School, for his piece entitled “Through My Eyes,” which will be on display at the United States Capital. Griswold High School Student Kailey Swain was a People’s Choice Award recipient, for her piece entitled “A Walk Through Show Season,” which will be on display at Nunn’s Creston Field Office.

Through My Eyes (Blake Foster)

(Other Art Competition winners are listed below)

Rep. Nunn said “I’m so impressed by the talent displayed in this year’s art competition. In each of the more than sixty submissions, students showcased creativity and perspective. Thank you to every student who participated in this year’s competition. Iowa is a special place, and these amazing students are just some of the many reasons why.”

Other recipients:

Student: Addisyn Marvin 
School: Bondurant-Farrar 
Location of Display: Des Moines Field Office
Name of Artwork: “Iowa’s Daughters”

Student: Noelle Craver 
School: Centerville High School 
Location of Display: Ottumwa Field Office
Name of Artwork: “Circle of Life”

WASHINGTON — As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration today (Wednesday), said it will provide about 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses. The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, will give funds to school districts in 47 states and the District of Columbia to help them buy over 3,400 clean school buses. Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada are not part of this round of funding.

In Iowa, seven school districts requested a total of just over $3.17 million to replace a total of 18 buses, according to the White House. Locally, the Tri-Center Community School District is receiving $820,000 towards the purchase of four electric school buses.

Nearly all of the clean school buses purchased will be electric, at 92%, according to the administration. Low-income, rural and tribal communities — accounting for about 45% of the selected projects —  are slated to receive roughly 67% of the total funding, per the administration. The Clean School Bus Program has now collectively awarded nearly $3 billion to fund about 8,500 electric and alternative fuel buses for over 1,000 communities across the United States, according to the administration.

The program started through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden, which includes $5 billion over five years to transform the country’s existing school buses with “zero-emission and low-emission models,” per the EPA. Among many negative health and environmental effects, especially for communities of color, diesel exhaust exposure can lead to major health conditions such as asthma and respiratory illnesses, according to the EPA.

Exposure to diesel exhaust can also “worsen existing heart and lung disease, especially in children and the elderly,” the agency said.

(Radio Iowa) – Hundreds of Iowa high school theater students from dozens of schools are in central Iowa today (Wednesday), rehearsing on the big stage at the Des Moines Civic Center for tomorrow night’s final performance. The annual Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards Showcase is being hosted by Broadway actress Ryann Redmond. She says there will be production numbers, lots of singing and dancing, classic musicals and new pop rock musicals.

Organizers say the showcase celebrates the achievements of Iowa’s young musical theater artists, and creates visibility and support for high school musical theater programs. The showcase will begin at 7 P-M Thursday and it’ll be livestreamed online statewide through Iowa P-B-S.

(Radio Iowa) -The Ames Tribune reports court documents show Iowa’s attorney general is recommending that Iowa State University and the State of Iowa pay a three-and-a-half MILLION dollar settlement to the family of an I-S-U sophomore who died in a rowing accident. Two members of the Iowa State Crew Club died three years ago when their boat capsized during windy conditions on Little Wall Lake, which is about 18 miles north of Ames.

The parents of Yaakov Ben-David filed a wrongful death lawsuit and the proposed settlement must be approved by a three-member state panel. I-S-U freshman Derek Nanni was the other student who drowned in March of 2021 and the state paid a two MILLION dollar settlement to his parents two years ago.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Red Oak Police Department reports a man was arrested Tuesday night on Assault charges at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center (106 W. Coolbaugh St.). 32-year-old Justin L. Marsden, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 10:30-p.m.. He was charged with three counts of Assault on persons in certain occupations, following an assault on multiple law enforcement personnel in Red Oak. Marsden was being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bond.

Red Oak Police and the Iowa State Patrol assisted in handling the incident.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa [KETV] – A hidden sinkhole has force residents of an apartment building in Council  Bluffs to evacuate the premises. Some action has been taken by the city, but very little is known about the sinkhole just yet. City officials said one building at the Parkwild apartment complex has been posted, meaning there’s a notice to take action, and so far eight apartments have been fully evacuated and all utilities in the building have been shut down, but it’s something no resident ever expected to hear.

The city of Council Bluffs said they were first notified about a potential issue late Friday. On Tuesday morning crews found the sinkhole and immediately tagged the building. Officials said it’s unclear just how large the hole is, but from what they could see initially, it could be close to the size of two cars. The city said the sinkhole appears to run along the exterior of the building and underneath a portion of the ground level.

Residents weren’t testing their luck; however, some even used windows to evacuate. The city of Council Bluffs said that after their initial search of the property on Tuesday, no other buildings at the Parkwild apartment complex are currently in danger.

GREENFIELD, Iowa [KCCI] –  People gathered on the lawn in front of the Adair County Courthouse Tuesday night for a vigil one week after a deadly EF-4 tornado swept through Greenfield.

The event was organized by Greenfield Chamber Main Street and the Greater Greenfield Community Foundation. Community and faith leaders came together to lead the crowd in prayer. It was an opportunity for people to escape the chaos of cleanup and destruction seen around town.

A minute of silence was held to represent the minute that it took for the tornado to go through the city. In those 60 seconds, four people were killed, more than 35 people were injured, and many homes were destroyed. Pastor Steven Broers of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fontanelle read the names of the three men and a woman who were killed in Greenfield and a woman who was killed in Adams County out loud, during a prayer.

People held glow sticks to symbolize the light they continue to shine in the darkness and the strength they have. The Greater Greenfield Community Foundation said it has raised $380,000 from its tornado relief fund so far. The organization thanked everyone who donated time, money and resources in the days following the storm.