(Radio Iowa) — A documentary about barn quilts will be shown in Iowa for the first time this month. The colorful squares can be seen on the sides of barns everywhere, but few people know how the movement began. Sue Peyton, who farms with her husband in northwest Iowa’s Sac County, says the first quilt square was hung on a barn in Ohio in 2001 by a woman whose mom was a master quilter. Her initial goal was to simply spruce up an old barn.

“It was just an idea, just a creative idea that really caught on with barn lovers and quilt lovers everywhere,” Peyton says. “It’s pretty phenomenal how it spread so quickly all across the United States and even into Canada — and probably elsewhere that we don’t know about.” As part of a 4-H project, Peyton’s son, Kevin, launched a barn quilt trail in Sac County when he was a high school junior in 2005. Soon, barns all over the county were sporting the squares.

“We involved art classes and ag classes and 4H clubs and retirees and families,” Peyton says. “We figured before it was all said and done, there were probably over 1,200 volunteers involved here over two years period of time.” The documentary, “Pieced Together,” follows the story of the barn quilts, their origins, their popularity and the “trails” you can follow to see dozens of them. Parts of the film were shot in Iowa, including in Sac County.

The producer and director, Julianna Donofrio, will be coming to Iowa for two showings of the 53-minute movie. Donofrio will introduce the film and do a Q-and-A afterwards. Peyton says the first showing in Iowa will be at 7 P-M on September 24th at the First Christian Church in Sac City.  “I hope we get a sanctuary full,” Peyton says. “We do not have a theater in the county and our church has big-screen monitors up front so we’re using that to show the film.”

There’s room for about 300 in the pews. A second showing is scheduled for September 25th at the Iowa Theater in Winterset.
On the web at http://www.piecedtogetherdoc.com/
See the film trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVCjQhmr3aI

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman said Tuesday, that beginning with the Nov. 6th General Election, straight-ticket voting has been eliminated. Each position must be voted individually. Voters should anticipate it will take a little longer to mark a ballot.

Registered voters may request an absentee ballot to be sent to them in the mail. You can fill out an absentee ballot request form online from the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, or from the County Auditor, and return the original, signed form to your county auditor. The request form does not need to be witnessed or notarized.

The request form may be returned by mail, in-person, or by a representative of your choice. Ballots will be mailed to voters beginning Oct. 8, 2018. A return envelope is provided. Return postage is paid by the County.

Registered voters may cast their ballot at the office of the County Auditor, beginning Oct. 8th. The last day to vote in the Auditor’s Office, is Nov. 5th. A voter may register and vote absentee on the same day.

The Iowa State Patrol is investigating a chain-reaction accident involving half a dozen vehicles on Highway 18 in northwest Iowa Monday morning. Authorities report 68-year-old Robert Bringle, of Spirit Lake, failed to slow down or stop his van as he approached a group of vehicles that WERE stopped for road construction on the east edge of Sanborn.

Bringle’s van hit a minivan driven by 41-year old Sarah Pals, of Hartley. The minivan struck a 2017 Ford F-150 pick-up driven by 33-year old Ashley Sandersfeld, also of Hartley. Authorities say a total of six vehicles – the van, mini-van, pickup, a 2003 Freightliner truck, a 2017 GMC truck and a 2017 Jeep SUV, were involved in the wreck, which is still under investigation.

32-year old Colby Vetter, of Hartley, suffered minor injuries but did not require transport to the hospital. 66-year old Nancy Peck, of Burke, SD was also injured, and transported to the hospital. Peck was the driver of the Jeep, while Vetter was the driver of the GMC truck

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — University of Northern Iowa officials have released the name of an employee killed this week in a steam pipe leak. The Courier reports that 61-year-old Kevin Bley, a 10-year steamfitter at the university, died Monday morning after the incident in a dining hall.

Aaron Clingingsmith, interim director of university relations, says Bley was injured as he was testing the steam distribution service, which heats the water for the dining service. Bley says the system was being brought back online, when the accident happened.

The dining hall had been closed since Sept. 4 because of a prior steam leak. No one else was injured.

Members of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will meet in a regular session 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, in the High School Media Center. Among the items on their agenda is the election of a Board President and Vice President for the 2018-19 School Year, along with the appointment of Board Treasurer and Secretary, and other administrative matters.

The School Board will also hear a Special Presentation with regard to Girls Softball, and discuss a computer lab purchase for the Middle School Math Program. Last year, District Technology Director Roger Warne presented a plan for the MS to purchase Chromebooks as the District continues to look at integrating technology into instruction. Middle School Math Teacher Chelsey Lee would like to use an online resources for math, and with the request feels it’s a good way to pilot the Chromebooks. School officials say purchasing to fully equip a classroom with a set of 25 Chromebooks and related peripherals, would cost a little over $10,000.

The Board will also receive a facility planning update, and act on the first reading of revised, new and deleted Board Policies. The new policies include one that clarifies language related to the use of service animals, assistance animals, therapy animals and emotional support animals on District Property, by students, staff and community members. That includes service dogs and even miniature horses, so long as the animals are house broken, current on their vaccinations, and under control at all times. It also means those animals will not be allowed if they are deemed to pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others, if they are uncontrollable, and not house broken.

A revised rule on public participation in Board meetings, if approved, would require those wishing to comment to notify the Board Secretary prior to the meeting. It would also give the Board discretion on how much time to set aside for public participation, which is typically limited to three-minutes per person. The Board will not discuss or take action on any matter during a public comment period. Disruptive individuals may be asked to leave, and defamatory comments may be subject to legal action.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board is expected to act on approving an Athletic Training Services Agreement, with the Cass County Memorial Hospital providing an Athletic Trainer. The cost to the District would be $5,000 for the 2018-19 School Year. And, they’re expected to act on approving the Oct. 2018 FFA Leadership Conference in Indianapolis, IN., as well as a Summer 2020 Costa Rica Trip for certain Spanish students to enrich their learning opportunities.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of two individuals in connection to the distribution of methamphetamine to a minor in Sidney, Iowa. Deputies with the Fremont County K9 Unit, determined 28-year old Gabrielle Suppes,  of Dodson, Montana (and formally of Otoe, NE), and 44-year old Robert Powell, of Nebraska City, NE, distributed a substance containing methamphetamine to 16-year-old juvenile in the spring of 2018 at a residence in Sidney.

Powell

Suppes

Suppes was arrested by Minnesota authorities on a warrant out of Fremont County.  Powell was arrested by Nebraska authorities on a Fremont County warrant. Both are being charged with delivery of Amphetamine to Minor, a Class B Felony.  Powell is also charged with Child Endangerment, and Promoting a Drug Gathering, both Class D Felonies.

Suppes is being held at the Fremont County Jail on $25,000 cash bond.  Powell is being held without bond pending further court proceedings.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a woman died after one of two shootings in Waterloo. Police say the woman was struck inside a house around 9:45 p.m. Monday when someone outside began shooting into the home. She was pronounced dead later at Allen Hospital. Her name hasn’t been released. Residents about three blocks away also reported hearing gunshots. Police found two vehicles struck by bullets in the area. It’s unclear whether the shootings are related. No arrests have been reported.

SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man was hospitalized after an explosion rocked a plant in northwest Iowa, setting off a fire. Firetrucks were dispatched to the Polaris Industries plant in Spirit Lake around 9:30 p.m. Monday. Officials say the employees had been evacuated by the time firefighters arrived. The man taken to a hospital hasn’t been identified.

Spirit Lake Fire Chief Pat Daly says a blast in the plant’s paint room caused the fire. The damage was contained there. It’s unclear what caused the explosion. Polaris employs about 500 people at the plant, producing motorcycles under the Indian Motorcycles brand.