(Radio Iowa) – Secretary of State Paul Pate is being sued for directing election workers to challenge the ballots of over two-thousand people who he says got a driver’s license when they were legal residents, but may not be U-S citizens. The lawsuit has been filed in federal court on behalf of the League of United Latin American Citizens and a group of naturalized citizens. Orcun Selcuckor, a political science professor at Luther College in Decorah, is a native of Turkey. He became a U-S citizen in 2023 and then voted in two previous Iowa elections.

Selcuckor says he’s concerned about other Iowans who are new citizens and may not have the time to return to the county auditor’s office and prove they are citizens, as he did — or may be discouraged from voting altogether. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says she’ll defend the effort to ensure non-citizens do not vote.

The lawsuit alleges the secretary of state’s order discriminates against voters based on their natural origin and their status as naturalized citizens and violates a person’s constitutional right to vote. Secretary of State Pate says none of the people on his list are barred from voting since their voter registration has not been revoked and they will be able to vote if they show proof of citizenship.

(Radio Iowa) – The University of Iowa is seeking approval from the Board of Regents for a purchase that would give it full ownership of a downtown Iowa City mall. The purchase would cover 45 percent of Old Capitol Town Center, which the school does not own, at a cost of nearly 21 million dollars. The mall is two blocks from the center of the main the U-I campus. The university has been using the portion of the building it owns for what it calls a U-I student and staff transaction hub.

The information for next week’s board meeting says the school would continue developing the mall spaces to serve student and operational needs. the university plans to continue to maintain the retail space to help offset the costs.

(Radio Iowa) – A Grinnell-based insurance company is asking Iowa’s insurance commissioner to approve a restructuring plan so it can sell stock. The company was founded in 1909 in Greenfield as the Iowa Farmers Reinsurance Association, it moved to Grinnell in 1938 and has been called Grinnell Mutual for the past six decades. It’s currently owned by policyholders, but Grinnell Mutual is asking state regulators to allow it to reorganize as a company owned by shareholders.

Iowa’s Insurance Commissioner held a hearing on the request yesterday (Wednesday). The Des Moines Register reports the company’s surplus has declined 31 percent since 2021, due to escalating insurance claims related to severe weather events.

Grinnell Mutual operates in 17 states and had over 700 employees.

(Radio Iowa) – Businesses have begun reopening this month at the shopping mall in Spencer that was hit by flooding that rushed through the community in June. Southpark Mall manager Kathy Anderson says the Palms Movie Theaters will reopen tomorrow (Friday). “Hobby Lobby’s been open for a couple of weeks,” she says. “Dunham’s is open…JC Penney’s is planning to be open on Friday…so we’re getting back there.” Hours of operation vary from store to store.

“Each store will probably be doing things on their own right now until they get all back and settled in,” Anderson says.

Flood levels in the mall reached 16 inches four months ago. Anderson says new flooring is yet to be installed in some areas, but she expects those projects to be completed by December. In July, Spencer officials estimated that 80 percent of the homes, businesses and other structures in the city were hit by flooding or sewer backup.

Minden, Iowa – After being devastated by two tornadoes in a span of eleven days this spring, the City of Minden continues its recovery efforts. On Monday, November 4th, community leaders will host a visioning session to move the recovery efforts forward. Minden Mayor Kevin Zimmerman said “We’ve been doing a lot of work to address residents’ immediate needs, and we’ve also been laying the groundwork for our long-term recovery. A community’s recovery from a disaster like ours takes time. We understand this but are anxious to hear what the community wants to see in the future.”

As this long-term planning launches, the community also will have the opportunity to celebrate the re-opening of the Minden Bowl Café & Lounge. The community gathering hub was severely impacted by the April 26th tornado and has been closed since. Now, Minden Bowl leaders are thrilled to again be serving the community.

Minden Bowl owner Chad Heilig said “It’s been a long few months, so having the opportunity to celebrate our re-opening with the community is going to be pretty special. We’re excited to again be a regular part of so many people’s lives.”

Monday’s event will begin at 6:00 pm with the Minden Bowl ribbon cutting, followed by the community visioning session. For those unable to attend the event, an online survey will be available to share their ideas.