Gov. Kim Reynolds today (Tuesday) announced appointments to Iowa’s boards and commissions. The following area appointees are not paid and are not subject to Senate confirmation:

Judicial Nomination Commission, District 4: Kathleen Kohorst, of Harlan, and David Wiederstein, of Atlantic.

Judicial Nomination Commission, District 5A: Marlys Popma, of Kellogg.

Juvenile Justice Advisory Council: Olivia Tidwell, of Sioux City.

Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC): Shawn Shouse, of Atlantic.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports 40-year old Kevin Lee Hillgren Jr., of Thayer, was arrested at around 1:30-p.m. Monday at the Clarke County line, on a Union County warrant for assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Hillgren was later released from the Union County Jail on $2,000 bond. And a man in Lorimor reported to the Sheriff’s Office that sometime during the day on April 3rd, someone broke off the passenger side outside mirror and damaged the windshield of his Suburban. They also broke out a window on his house in Lorimor. There was no immediate dollar estimate of damage available.

The Institute for Supply Management, formerly the Purchasing Management Association, began formally surveying its membership in 1931 to gauge business conditions. The Creighton Economic Forecasting Group uses the same methodology as the national survey to consult supply managers and business leaders. Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss oversees the report. The overall index ranges between 0 and 100. Growth neutral is 50, and a figure greater than 50 indicates growth in that factor over the next three to six months.

Iowa’s overall index dipped to 63.9 in April, compared with 64.7 in March. Index components were new orders at 69.7, production or sales at 76.8, delivery lead time at 62.4, employment at 47.0 and inventories at 63.4. “Over the past 12 months, the Iowa economy has increased nonfarm jobs by 0.7 percent (below regional average), durable-goods manufacturing jobs by 6.6 percent (above regional average) and nondurable-goods manufacturing jobs by 1.5 percent (above regional average),” he said.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has amended his annual personal financial disclosure to list four private companies that were left off his initial filing. The Associated Press reported last month that a company Pate formed before the 2016 election had recently spent about $2 million purchasing a strip mall and developing a Cedar Rapids rental storage business. Yet he didn’t name the company, PRG Group LLC, when asked to list each business in which he was engaged during 2017.

Pate’s amended filing submitted Monday names the PRG Group and three other companies that hadn’t been mentioned on his April 11 disclosure. In a statement, Pate said he doesn’t believe he was required to list all of his business ventures on the form but was doing so because “transparency is a necessary component of good government.” He had previously attacked AP’s report on his undisclosed businesses as “fake news.”

Officials with the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) and Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC), have announced the winner of the “2018 Best Burger” contest. The winner is Café Beaudelaire, in Ames. Brooke German, Director of Marketing for IBIC said today (Tuesday) “We are excited to kick off May Beef Month by awarding Café Beaudelaire with the title of the Best Burger in Iowa. The Brazilian-inspired restaurant serves a hand-pattied burger, and the judges noted that the taste and quality of the burger is outstanding and worth a drive to have it again. ”

Café B, as it is called by locals in the area, is owned by Brazilian-born Claudio Gianello and his wife, Kellie, from Carroll. The restaurant is located in the heart of Iowa State University’s campus-town and serves food with a Latin flavor to Ames’ temporary student population and permanent residents. The restaurant has been in business for 28 years, and over that time, Gianello has tried several different renditions of his now-famous burger. He settled on a simple combination of salt, pepper and oregano on a hand-made patty of Certified Angus Beef. Together with a toasted bun and a variety of toppings, the result is nothing short of amazing.

The designation as Iowa’s Best Burger comes after a two-phase competition. The first phase is all based on votes from the public. For a month, burger lovers went online and voted for their favorite Iowa burger, submitting nearly 10,000 votes representing around 700 restaurants. At the end of the month, the ten restaurants with the most votes are declared the “Top 10.” From there, anonymous judges visited each of the restaurants, focusing on the burger patties and scoring them based on taste, doneness and presentation.

Café B joins previous winners including The Smokin’ Hereford BBQ of Storm Lake, which took home the title last year. Winners in previous years are: 2016 – The Chuckwagon Restaurant Adair; 2015 – The Cider House of Fairfield; 2014 – Brick City Grill in Ames; 2013 – 61 Chop House Grille in Mediapolis; 2012 – Coon Bowl III in Coon Rapids; 2011 – Rusty Duck in Dexter; and 2010 – Sac County Cattle Company of Sac City.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County say Deputies were dispatched to the 14 mile marker of I-80 late Monday evening, for a report of an assault. Upon completion of the investigation 55-year old Scott Brian Badour, of Huron, SD, was arrested for Serious Assault and Harassment in the 1st Degree. His victim was a 56-year old man driving a Trailways bus. Badour was being held in the Pott. County Jail on $1,000 bond.

And, a traffic stop Monday afternoon in Pottawattamie County, resulted in the driver of the vehicle being taken into custody for Driving While Barred. 43-year old Kathleen Marie Gearhart, of Carson, was arrested at around 3-p.m. near Highway 92 and Virginia Hills Road. Gearhart was transported to the Pott. County Jail.

The Adair County Auditor’s Office reports Absentee Ballots for the June 5th Primary Election, will be available Monday, May 7th.  Absentee Voting deadlines for the June 5th Primary Election are as follows:

May 25th – Last day to request an absentee ballot by mail, to allow timely delivery and return. Request must be received by 5:00 p.m. The Auditor’s Office will be opened from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

June 4th – Last day to vote absentee in person at the Auditor’s Office; All absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than June 4th.

Absentee voters have until 5:00 p.m. to fix incomplete affidavit envelopes.

June 5th – Last day to return absentee ballots to the Auditor’s office before the polls close at 9:00 p.m.