Former Texas Congressman and current Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke will bring his campaign tour to southwest Iowa and Atlantic this weekend. O’Rourke is expected to arrive at Sunnyside Park’s Camblin Addition Shelter at 1:30-p.m. Sunday, May 5th, for a “Town Hall with Beto O’Rourke in Atlantic”. The event venue will be open at 1-p.m.

Former TX Congressman Beto O’Rourke

O’Rourke began his political career volunteering for several campaigns in Texas, before serving as a city councilman in his home town of El Paso, from 2005 to 2011. He then served three terms in the US House of Representatives until 2017, when he decided to run for the US Senate. He gained national attention during that election, when he set a record for most votes cast for a Democrat in Texas history.

O’Rourke is also a businessman and entrepreneur, having started his own internet services and software company, still run by his family in El Paso. His campaign has four main themes: immigration reform, health care, climate change, and fixing the political system.

O’Rourke and his wife Amy have three children, and reside in his home town of El Paso, TX.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports deputies responded at around 10:40-p.m. Friday, to a complaint of suspicious activity at a Page County Park known as Pierce Creek in the west camping area.  During an investigation, a 17-year old male juvenile was cited for Possession of Alcohol by persons under legal age (under 18 years old). The male was later released to his mother. 19-year old Gavin Allen Sickler, of Clarinda, was arrested and charged with Possession of a controlled substance, Possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of Alcohol by persons under legal age (18, 19, & 20 years old). Sickler was transported to the Page County Jail and later released on $1,300 bond, pending future court proceedings.

Authorities say two people were injured in a motorcycle vs. deer accident late Friday evening, about two-miles east of Harlan. The Harley Davidson motorcycle being driven by 51-year old Chad Petersen of rural Harlan, was westbound on Highway 44 when Petersen pulled out to pass a vehicle that was also westbound. His cycle struck a deer in the eastbound lane. Both occupants of the motorcycle were ejected from the vehicle. Petersen was transported to Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan for treatment of numerous serious injuries. His female passenger, 47-year old Jill Wensel, of Logan, was flown to an Omaha hospital by medical helicopter. The motorcycle was considered a total loss.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The governor has appointed judges to fill two openings on the Iowa Court of Appeals. A news release sent Monday from her office said Gov. Kim Reynolds selected Sharon Greer and Judge David May. Greer lives and practices law in Marshalltown and is a law college graduate from the University of Iowa. She replaces Christopher McDonald, whom the governor named to the Iowa Supreme Court earlier this year.

May, who lives in Polk City, received his law degree from Drake University. He’s a district court judge in District 5, which includes Polk County and Des Moines. He replaces Judge David Danilson, who retired.

One person was arrested following an investigation into an argument early this (Monday) morning, in Council Bluffs. Authorities say Roberto Daniel Gonzalez was arrested following a brief foot pursuit. Officers were dispatched to the 400 block of S. 1st Street at around 1:25-a.m., following a call about someone arguing. As they approached the scene, officers noticed a suspicious male and asked him about the disturbance. The suspect (Gonzalez) spoke with them briefly, before fleeing on foot.

As Officers pursued him, Gonzalez was allegedly reaching into his pocket. He was ordered numerous times to remove his hand from his pocket, but would not comply. Gonzalez was then tased by the officer and taken into custody without further incident. A bag he threw during the chase was recovered, and contained methamphetamine. Gonzalez was charged with Eluding, Possession of Meth with the intent to deliver, and interference with official acts.

In an update to our earlier reports, the National Weather Service in Valley, Nebraska, said today (Monday), that the Hancock Weather Transmitter (KZZ-52) will continue to be out of service for anywhere from 12-to 14-weeks, possibly longer, while they wait for repair crews to assess the damage to the Hancock Tower and related components that send out the Emergency Alert System tones your weather radio receives during times of severe weather or other emergencies. The facility was knocked-off the air this past winter due to icing. Officials say the stability of the tower must be assessed before they can look at other critical components. The transmitter covers parts of six area counties and all of Cass County.

That means unless you are signed-up for the Cass County Emergency Notification System, you will have to be extremely weather aware during this severe storm season. Signing-up is free and easy, and you can select the types of alert(s) you want to receive and how you want to receive them (voice, text or e-mail). You can select any or all communities in Cass County for your warning area, as well. And, you can indicate if anyone at your residence has special needs (Such as: Assistive devices, bedridden, blind/vision impaired, Deaf/hearing impaired, limited mobility/wheelchair user, and if the person uses an oxygen machine/cylinder).

To sign-up, go to the Cass County Emergency Management page  http://www.atlanticiowa.com/county/county-departments/emergency-management/ and click on the Alert Iowa! link. If you have any questions or need help, call Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon at 712-254-1500,

The Cass County Board of Supervisors are set to act on approving a joint agreement between Cass and Montgomery Counties, with regard to Cass Co. Engineer Charles Bechtold. Last week, the Board tabled action of Bechtold serving as the Interim Engineer in Montgomery County because he was out of town and not able to discuss the proposal. Bechtold would continue to serve as the full-time Cass County Engineer if the agreement is approved. He would only serve Montgomery County until they are able to hire a full-time person for the position.

In other business, the Board will act on approving the first amendment to the Child Support Staffing Contract (Child Support Recovery Office serving seven counties), incorporating the program budget for State Fiscal Year 2020. The Board meeting takes place 9-a.m. Tuesday (April 30), in the Supervisor’s Board Room at the Cass County Courthouse.

(Radio Iowa) — An Iowa State University study explores the changing attitudes of Iowa voters in recent presidential elections. Ann Oberhauser, an I-S-U professor of sociology and director of Women’s and Gender Studies, says there was a big shift between the majority of Iowa voters picking Democrat Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 to backing Republican Donald Trump in 2016. “We’re interested in more local and county level aspects of that,” Oberhauser says. “We tuned in on morality as an explanatory factor. Race, ethnicity is also explanatory and some other social indicators, such as education.”

The study found white, rural voters without a college education were more likely to switch from voting Democrat to Republican. There were some researchers who suggested economic factors may have played a larger role in the decision, but she says that does not appear to have been the case. Oberhauser says it will be interesting to see how Iowans vote in 2020 with the Caucuses and the general election. “That makes it really exciting, right? It keeps us in business,” Oberhauser says. “With all of this and Iowa being the first primary caucus, for the last 30-40 years even, it’s been a focus. Some people have issues with that but that’s the way our system works.”

The study found Iowa had more counties flip from Democrat to Republican than any other state in the last presidential election. Oberhauser says it’s curious when so many rural, predominantly white counties that supported Obama for two straight election cycles made a dramatic shift to get behind Trump.  “Iowa is becoming much more diverse in its population, particularly in urban areas and larger populated areas, but also in some of these rural areas,” Oberhauser says. “As the demographics change in this state, we might begin to see more shifts in some of these attitudes and in looking ahead to 2020.”

The study is being published in The Sociological Quarterly.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a deputy dispatched late Sunday night to the Hitchcock Nature Area for possible narcotics use, located a vehicle and arrested the passenger. 41-year old Jeffrey Clarke Blue, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Violation of a No Contact/Protective order at around 2-a.m., following an investigation into the incident. His bond was set at $300. At around 9:12-p.m. Sunday, a deputy in Council Bluffs observed a vehicle driven by 39-year old Robert Matthew Justice, operating without headlights. Justice tried to flee from law enforcement and was eventually stopped at West Graham and Fairmount Avenue. A license check revealed he was a barred driver in Iowa. The vehicle he was driving had a stolen registration plate sticker on it. Justice was arrested for Eluding, Driving While Barred and Theft in the 5th degree.

At around 11:30-a.m. Sunday, 51-year old Terri Virginia Hansen was arrested for Driving While Barred/Habitual offender, following an accident at Leisure Avenue and Old Lincoln Highway, near Honey Creek. And, at around 12:40-a.m. Sunday, 32-year old Christopher James Watson was arrested for OWI/1st offense, after the pickup he was driving was stopped in Avoca for having an excessively loud exhaust. Upon contact, authorities say Watson displayed signs of being impaired.

Friday afternoon, 25-year old Henry Thomas Beadle, of Omaha, turned himself-in to the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested on a Pott. County warrant for Harassment in the 3rd degree and transported to the jail, where he was being held on a $300 bond. Friday morning, 26-year old Ishmal Alie Jordan, an inmate at the jail, was presented with a Pott. County warrant for False Reporting. He was then returned to the custody of Corrections Staff. And, a Centerville man, 49-year old Jason Leroy Hogg, was transported from the Appanoose County Jail to the Pottawattamie County Jail, Thursday. Hogg was wanted for Contempt of Court on a 30-day mittimus through the State of Iowa. He was booked into the Pott. County Jail without incident.

MANCHESTER, Iowa (AP) — A trial is scheduled to begin June 5 for an eastern Iowa woman accused of fraudulently collecting more than $8,400 in unemployment benefits. Delaware County court records say 29-year-old Laura Heims, of Edgewood, has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of fraudulent practice. Court documents say Heims received benefits between March 18 and Aug. 25, 2018, despite being employed by Dolgencorp LLC, which operates Dollar General stores.