AMES, Iowa (AP) – An Ames pediatrician has entered the Democratic race to oppose U.S. Rep. Steve King in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District. John Paschen announced his candidacy Tuesday, saying that lawmakers should put aside politics “to pass bills and solve real problems.” He says that if he were elected to the U.S. House, he’d focus on fixing the broken health care system, bringing new jobs to the 4th District and reforming immigration laws.

Paschen has been president of the Child Abuse Prevention & Education Council and is chairman of the Story County Board of Health. The three other Democrats who have entered the race are bus driver Paul Dahl, of Webster City, Spencer councilwoman Leann Jacobsen and former baseball player J.D. Scholten, of Sioux City.

The 4th District covers northwest and north-central Iowa.

An Iowa City man had a decision to make after winning the “Lucky for Life” drawing. Chuck Svatos won the drawing on September 25th that comes with a prize of 25-thousand dollars each year for the rest of his life. There’s a guarantee of a minimum of 20 years of payments, and there’s also a cash option of 390-thousand dollars. Svatos is 92 years old — he chose the cash option — after taxes he nets 273-thousand dollars. Svatos says he’s been trying a long time to win at any lottery game and the most he’d ever won was around four dollars. He plans to use the money to do some traveling, possibly to Hawaii or Switzerland.

(Radio Iowa)

Schools in Algona are closed today (Wednesday) after a threat was made against the district late last night. Local law enforcement notified school officials around 10:15 PM Tuesday about a threat that had been made against the Algona District. Since the credibility of the threat could not be determined prior to the start of classes today, law enforcement and school officials decided to cancel classes for the Algona district. Police and school officials are continuing to work to determine the credibility of the threat which comes a day after classes were canceled in Johnston after a threat was made late Monday night.

(Radio Iowa)

Red Oak Police say no injuries were reported following a collision early Tuesday afternoon, between a pickup truck and an SUV. The accident happened at around 1:33-p.m., at the intersection of N. 8th and E. Coolbaugh Streets. Authorities say a 2013 Ford Edge driven by 60-year old Steven Wayne Hoppock, of Coffeyville, KS., was traveling north on 8th Street, and was at the intersection of E. Coolbaugh Street. Hoppock didn’t realize that Coolbaugh was a one-way Street, west of 8th. He turned left and ran into the left front corner of a 1999 Dodge RAM 1500 pickup registered to Tracy Brian Schooling, and driven by 16-year old Kristian Kelly Schooling, of Red Oak. The accident happened as Schooling was traveling south on 8th Street.

Hoppock was cited for Failing to Yield upon left turn.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) – A suburban Des Moines district plans a late start to school Wednesday so buildings can be checked. Johnston Community School District officials decided Monday night to cancel classes for Tuesday because of anonymous and threatening texts parents and others received around 8 p.m. Monday. Johnston Police Chief Dennis McDaniel said at a news conference Tuesday that federal, state and local investigators couldn’t substantiate “any credible or imminent threat.”

The district says the two-hour delay means secondary students will start at 9:45 a.m. and elementary students will start at 10:35 a.m. Classes will be dismissed at a normal time – not the Wednesday early release time. Extra officers will be stationed at the schools. The closure affected about 7,200 students and 1,000 employees.

The Adair County Auditor’s Office report Absentee Ballots are now available in the Auditor’s Office, for the Cities of Adair, Bridgewater, Fontanelle, Greenfield, Orient, and Stuart.  Voters may vote in the Auditor’s Office between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or they may request a ballot be mailed to them.  The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 3, 2017.  The last day to vote absentee in the Auditor’s Office is Tuesday, November 7, 2017 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Absentee Ballot request forms are available in the Auditor’s Office or they can be downloaded at the Secretary of State’s website at http://www.sos.state.ia.us.