The area’s top news at 7:07-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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A reminder today from the office of Iowa Republican U-S Senator Joni Ernst, that the Senator will kick-off of her 99 county tour of Iowa for 2016, this Thursday morning (1/7). Ernst will return to the Montgomery County Courthouse in her hometown of Red Oak to host a town meeting that begins at 8-a.m.  The event is open to the public.

Officials with the Atlantic Community School District (ACSD) will hold an open session Wednesday afternoon. During the 4-p.m. meeting in the library at the Atlantic Middle School, the District’s Administration will receive the Non-Certified Collective Bargaining Unit’s initial proposal for 2016-17. No action will be taken. The District will present the Atlantic Education Association’s initial proposal at 5-p.m. Jan. 13th, in the Media Center at the Atlantic High School.

Former Senator and Republican Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum will be stopping in Atlantic this Saturday (Jan. 9th). Santorum will meet with the public at Noon, at the home of Paul & Sheryl Iekel, 56384 Highland Road (4 miles west of Atlantic on G-30). All who are interested are invited to attend.

During the event, Santorum will share his vision for America, and address the threat of ISIS and the Middle East.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) – U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa is the featured speaker at a fundraiser to benefit a veterans organization in Fayetteville. Ernest will speak Tuesday evening at the Airborne & Special Ops Museum Foundation. The event will feature a round table discussion with Ernst and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Ernst is the only female combat veteran to ever serve in the U.S. Senate and is a member of the Armed Services and Agriculture committees. Brown and Tillis are members of the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee.

The group Veterans Leadership Council-Cares says on its website that it provides temporary housing for at-risk veterans, health and wellness services, professional counseling, vocational education, mentoring and other services.

The Cass County Democratic Party hosted about 40 Democratic activists from several counties last Saturday (Jan. 2nd). Cass County Party Chair Sherry Toelle said those in attendance heard from keynote speaker and presidential candidate Martin O’Malley, as well as all three Congressional candidates (Desmund Adams, Jim Mowrer, and Mike Sherzan), two of three US Senate candidates (Tom Fiegen and Bob Krause) and Scott Heldt, candidate for the Iowa House District #20.

Candidates in photo: Desmund Adams, Tom Fiegen, Bob Krause, Martin O’Malley, Mike Sherzan, and Scott Heldt. Not included in the photo—Jim Mowrer. (Photo submitted by Sherry Toelle)

The event was a fundraiser for the Cass County Democrats with all monies collected going to the local party to offset expenses for the 2016 caucus and election season, including opening of the Party’s Headquarters in Atlantic later this year.

Each candidate outlined their policy positions, ranging from education to retirement security to infrastructure to water quality and to climate change. Governor Martin O’Malley was the keynote speaker for the event, outlining his goals of debt-free college, increasing the minimum wage, equal pay for equal work, stopping hunger in the United States, reducing the number of gun-related injuries and deaths, and developing a 100% clean electric grid by 2050.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors held their annual organizational meeting Monday morning, in Atlantic. During their session, the Board elected Gaylord Schelling as their Chairman for 2016. Last year’s Chairman, Frank Waters, was elected Vice-Chair for 2016.

In other business, the Supervisors agreed to continue with their regular meetings every Wednesday morning at 8:30, unless otherwise noted. The also approved the appointment of Board members to various County committees and boards, as well as the appointment of other individuals to various County Boards and Commissions.

The appointments include (but are not limited to):

CASS COUNTY FOOD POLICY COUNCIL terms ending 12/31/2018 – Gilbert Gillespie, Atlantic and revoke the appointment of Chelsea Amundsen Cousins, Griswold.

VALLEY BUSINESS PARK CORPORATION MEMBERS (2yr term ending 01/15/2017) – Cass Co. Supervisor Duane McFadden; Cass Co. At Large Don Sonntag

CASS COUNTY WEED COMMISSIONER (IA CODE 317.3) – Larry Randel, Atlantic (1 yr term ending 12/31/2016)

CASS COUNTY CIVIL SERVICE COUNTY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION (Ia Code 341A.2) – Kate Winston, Dem, Atlantic (6 yr term ending 12/31/2021)

CO. CONSERVATION BOARD (5 yr term 350.2) – Rich Govig, Lewis (ending 12/31/2020) (application on file)

CASS COUNTY ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT (5 yr term 335.11) – Roger Carter, Atlantic (ending 12/31/2020)

CASS COUNTY ZONING COMMISSION (5 yr term 335.8) – Ralph Simmons, Wiota (ending 12/31/2020)

CASS COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH (3 yr term to 12/31/2018, 137.4) – Dr. Gerald Wessels, Anita and Patricia Markham, Atlantic

CASS COUNTY HOUSING COMMISSION (1 yr term ending 12/31/2016) – Dick Bolton, Atlantic; Phyllis Stakey, Massena; and Charles Rieken, Griswold

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports one person was arrested on a drug charge, Monday night. 50-year old Rebecca Lynn Myers, of Clarinda, was taken into custody in the 1200 block of Highway 34 at around 11:20-p.m., for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Myers was cited into court and then released from the scene,

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials have launched an online voter registration system even though critics say it excludes tens of thousands of eligible voters who don’t have either a driver’s license or a state-issued ID card. Secretary of State Paul Pate says his office wants to address that gap when more funding is available to expand the online system.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Police are interviewing several adults and children about the shooting of a two-year-old boy in Dubuque but haven’t made any arrests. The boy was shot Sunday night at a Dubuque home and was later flown to an Iowa City hospital for treatment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The utility that provides water to 500,000 Des Moines customers says it’s set a record in 2015 for the number of days it operated equipment to remove nitrate from water. Des Moines Water Works said Monday its nitrate removal equipment ran 177 days last year, surpassing 106 days in 1999. Water Works CEO Bill Stowe says upstream farm drainage systems washing fertilizer from farm fields are the largest contributors to high nitrate levels.

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have recovered the body of a 17-year-old boy who was missing after his canoe capsized in eastern Iowa. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office says Tanner Wymer’s body was discovered Monday morning in Coralville Lake. Wymer and 51-year-old Michael Felton were in a canoe Sunday afternoon when the boat capsized. Felton was able to swim to shore. Officials say the boat may have capsized when either Felton or Wymer stood up to take a photo.

There are now seven ways to register to vote in Iowa. “It’s the new year. You want to start fresh and you want to extend to people one more opportunity.” That’s Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate. “Electronic registration” went live on January 1st and, so far, about 200 people have used this new online method. It’s located on the Iowa D-O-T’s website and the Iowa Secretary of State’s website has a link to it as well.

“There’ll be an area right on there for voter registration. You click on it and it’ll basically walk you through three or four basic steps to verify you are who you say you are and to let you indicate which political party you want to choose and we’ll get you registered and then you’ll get an email receipt showing that you’re registered,” Pate says. “…Within seven days your local county auditor will mail you your official voter registration card.”

Some of the people who’re planning to participate in the February 1st Iowa Caucuses may choose this quick, online tool to either register to vote for the first time — or to update other information. “It’s designed so that you can keep your drivers license information current as well as voter registration information current,” Pate says. “If you got married and want to change your name or if you moved…and if you want to change your political party, these are all reasons why you might want to go online and do it.”

For years, Iowans have been able to register to vote when they renew their drivers license and the D-O-T has been cross-checking government lists to ensure the person is a legal voter. Mark Lowe of the Iowa D-O-T says after his agency launched its online drivers license renewal process, it developed this new online voter registration system. “I suspect it’s something that other states will be interested in,” Lowe says. It appears no other state has this kind of 24/7 website that immediately confirms a voter has successfully completed the registration process.

Iowans can now register to vote online, if they have a driver’s license or a state-issued I-D. Iowans can still register to vote at a government office or through the mail. Iowa law also allows people to register on Election Day or at their precinct on Caucus Night.

(Radio Iowa)