(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has issued what’s called a “stay” — so a district court judge’s recent ruling on absentee ballot request forms sent to voters in Woodbury, Linn and Johnson Counties is unlikely to into effect before the election.

On Monday, a district court judge issued a temporarily ruling that could have meant thousands of absentee ballot request forms in those three counties might have been valid for this year’s election. The Iowa Supreme Court’s action sets that ruling aside, but the court will consider responses through the close of business Thursday from the Democratic groups that filed that lawsuit. The auditors in Woodbury, Johnson and Linn Counties mailed forms that included the voter’s address and voter I-D number.

Other district court judges sided with Republican groups and ruled the forms sent by auditors in those three counties violated the Secretary of State’s order that only blank forms be mailed to voters. The auditors in Woodbury, Johnson and Linn Counties have been notifying voters to re-submit their absentee ballot requests if they used the forms that have been the subject of these lawsuits.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Tuesday of 28-year-old James R. Castillo of Clarinda on a charge of Driving While Barred. Castillo was taken into custody on 125th Street west of Highway 71 following a brief investigation. Castillo was booked in to the Montgomery County Jail and later released on bond.

Multiple fire departments are battling a field fire south of Oakland, in the area of 320th and Highway 6 in Pottawattamie County. A tractor and some small buildings have reportedly been destroyed by the flames. Additional fire fighting units are being called-in.

No other information is currently available.

The Harlan Police Department, Tuesday, issued a report on arrests that took place over the past week. On Tuesday (Oct. 6),  24-year old Ronald Kevin Vincent, of Council Bluffs, was arrested following a traffic stop in Harlan. Vincent was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with speed and driving while barred.

Last Saturday (Oct. 3), 37-year old Troy Dakota Weelborg, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant. Weelborg was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with violation of a no contact order. And, 41-year old Jennifer Lynn Clayton, of Harlan, was arrested following a call for service. Clayton was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with operating while intoxicated and unsafe backing.

On Friday, Oct. 2nd., Harlan Police cited 24-year old Zachary Thomas Scheffler, of Harlan, for possession of drug paraphernalia following a traffic stop. And, on Sept. 29th, 32-year old Tamara Leigh Dryer, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant. Dryer was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with violation of a no contact order.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a suburban Des Moines educator has died from complications of COVID-19, but it’s unclear if she contracted the virus at school or elsewhere. Shane Christensen, the principal of Indian Hills Junior High School, says special education assistant Jennifer Crawford, died Monday. The school is in West Des Moines.

Iowa has the fourth-highest coronavirus positivity rate in the nation. Only 10 of Iowa’s 99 counties are below the 5% threshold at which public health experts recommend measures to slow the spread of the virus, including mandatory masks and limits on gatherings.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 41-year old Tyler William Weaver, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested at around 8-p.m. Monday, on two counts of Theft in the 2nd, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bond was set at $10,000.

INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) — The father of a newborn who died in June now faces charges in the baby’s death, along with the infant’s mother. Television station WOI reports that 29-year-old Gregory Burton Rodee, of Indianola, has been charged with child endangerment resulting in death. The baby’s mother, 31-year-old Amber Nicole Phillips, faces the same charge. Authorities say the couple called 911 late on the night of June 14 to report that their baby — born just 20 minutes earlier at home — was not breathing.

Prosecutors say the couple refused medical treatment, but called 911 again about nine hours later when they woke and found the baby not breathing. An autopsy showed the child tested positive for methadone and buprenorphine.