The 2018 PRIMARY ELECTION will be Tuesday, June 5, 2018.  The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. In Cass County, a voter must be registered at their current residential address in order to cast a ballot in an Iowa election.  The Cass County Auditor recommends that eligible voters in Cass County who are planning to vote June 5, 2018 and who have not yet registered to vote, or have moved since last registering, pre-register.  For the 2018 Primary, the close of pre-registration date is May 25, 2018.

EARLY VOTING: If a person chooses to vote prior to June 5, that person may request and vote a ballot prior to election day (called ABSENTEE VOTING).  A signed absentee ballot request form may be mailed or delivered to the county auditor and an absentee ballot will be mailed to the prospective voter.  The first day the county auditor may mail ballots for this election is May 7, 2018.  Or beginning May 7, 2018 an absentee ballot may be requested in person at the office of the county auditor and voted at the auditor’s office immediately on any day the office is open up through June 4, 2018.  Ballots may not be picked up and taken to a voter.  Absentee ballots must either be mailed to the requestor or the requester may personally appear at the auditor’s office and vote the ballot there.

IF VOTING BY MAIL: A written request on the State required form may be mailed or hand delivered to the county auditor’s office now.  Deadline to request that an absentee ballot be mailed is May 25, 2018 at 5 p.m.  (Absentee request forms are available at the auditor’s office and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.iowa.gov).  Beginning May 7, a ballot along with instructions on how to complete the ballot and a return postage paid envelope will be mailed to the requester.  For the ballot to be counted, the voted ballot sealed in the return envelope must be returned either by personal carrier to the office of county auditor before the close of polls on June 5, 2018 or returned by mail postmarked no later than June 4.  EVERY ABSENTEE BALLOT MUST BE RETURNED even if the voter chooses not to vote it.

IF VOTING AT THE COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE: Beginning Monday, May 7 an absentee voter may go to the CASS COUNTY COURTHOUSE during the regular office hours of 8 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday thru Friday, up through the day before the election and cast a ballot.  In addition to regular office hours, the office of Cass County Auditor will be open Friday, May 25, 2018 and Friday, June 1 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturday, June 2, 2018 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man from Iowa was arrested after deputies found marijuana in his car after stopping it along Interstate 80 near Lincoln, NE. The Lancaster County (NE) Sheriff’s Office says a deputy pulled over the car around 11 a.m. Friday after seeing the driver fail to signal a lane change near the U.S. Highway 77 exit.

The deputy reported smelling marijuana in the car, and a subsequent search turned up 114 pounds of pot and some cannabis edibles. The man, who lives in Sioux City, Iowa, was arrested on suspicion of possession for sale and suspicion of other crimes. His name was not immediately released.

Authorities say a man from Denison is in custody for allegedly threatening a Crawford County Assistant Attorney. 28-year-old Nicholas David Kirk was arrested last week on a search warrant. According to a complaint filed earlier this month, Kirk was overheard allegedly commenting while at the Crawford County Courthouse about looking up information online on how to make a bomb and use it against Assistant Crawford County Attorney Colin Johnson.

Kirk was charged with making terroristic threats, a Class D felony, and could face additional charges, including possession of drug paraphernalia and animal torture. He’s scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, May 1st.

Nicholas D. Kirk

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 63-year old Thomas Eddie Sawyer, of Glenwood, was arrested at around 11:30-p.m. Saturday after the sheriff’s office receive information a man was making threats to physically harm local law enforcement. A search warrant was executed at around 11:18-p.m. Saturday at 914 Green Street in Glenwood, during which Sawyer was arrested for Terroristic threats. Authorities also seized multiple firearms from the residence. Sawyer was transported to the Mills County Sheriff’s Office and held on a $5,000 bond. The Mills County K9 Unit and Glenwood Police assisted with the incident.

Friday afternoon, 23-year old Basil Percy Foote, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for Failure To Appear in court, for failure to provide proof of insurance/accident related, or other Violation. His bond was set at $1,000. Foote was arrested again just before 5-a.m. Sunday, for Driving Under Suspension. Bond was set at $300.

On Sunday, 25-year old Jonathan Thomas Carriger, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested following a traffic stop for speeding, at Highway 34 and 207th Street, for Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, No Valid Driver’s License and Speeding. The charges were assessed after the Mills County K9 Unit searched the vehicle and located meth as well as drug paraphernalia. Carriger’s bond was set at $1,300.

Today (Monday), 53-year old Walter Keith Grice, of Ware Shoals, SC, was arrested in Mills County for Possession of Controlled Substance. His bond was set at $1,000.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Taylor County was arrested this (Monday) morning, on a warrant out of Carroll County. 28-year old Cody Robert Cordell, of New Market, was arrested at the Page County Courthouse at around 11-a.m., on a warrant for Possession of a controlled substance – Methamphetamine. Cordell was unable to post the $5,000 bond. He was transported to the Page County Jail and was awaiting transportation to Carroll County.

Cody R. Cordell