Enrollment is open for youngsters to join 4-H for the 2023-24 program year.  Cass County Iowa State University Extension 4-H Youth Coordinator Katie Bateman says 4-H is all about learning.

Cass County enrollment is free due to the money raised through different events, like the annual Fall Fest on October 8th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the fairgrounds.  Bateman says youngsters can choose a specific club.

She says enrollment is easy.

Cass County 4-H will host a new member information night on December 4th at 5:30 pm at the Cass County Community Building.

Nishna Valley Trails will host the third annual community bike event called “Tour de Parks”on Sunday, October first in Atlantic.  Group President Dave Chase said the afternoon event is made for everyone.

The free event will begin in the Atlantic City Park at 2:00 pm.

Chase says it’s not meant to be a race.

The Atlantic Kiwanis will provide a free meal for riders and entertainment will be provided.  Chase says the group wants to highlight area trails and the bike-ability of Atlantic.

Cass County Meals on Wheels will soon celebrate the 50th anniversary of delivering food to the home bound.  The first meals were delivered on October 15, 1973 in Griswold, Lewis, Anita and Atlantic.  It began as a county-wide service but each community now has it’s own version and the Cass County Meals on Wheels primarily serves Atlantic.  Group President Deb Lamb says most people think the Meals on Wheels program is just for the elderly, but other people will use the service as well.

Drivers are necessary to have a successful home bound meal service, and Lamb says they have been blessed with great volunteers.

Lamb says they will hold the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on October 11th at 6:00 pm at the Heritage House and any volunteers, past and present, are welcome.  If you would be interested in volunteering, contact Sue Moser at 712-250-0036.

Montgomery County Deputies stopped an ATV Friday in the 100 block of South 6th Street in Villisca.  36 year old Linda Hemminger of Villisca was taken into custody on a charge of driving while her license was suspended or revoked.  Hemminger was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held pending bond.

One person was killed and another injured in a traffic accident in Guthrie County Friday evening.  The Iowa State Patrol says 60 year old Kelly Jo Polson of Audubon died in the crash and 54 year old Andrew Leonard Knudsen of Sumter, South Carolina was taken by helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines with what were described as serious injuries.  According to the patrol report, Polson was westbound in her 2011 Ford Focus on Highway 44 west of Koala Avenue just before 10:00 pm and crossed the center line, stiking Knudsen’s 2023 Chevy Malibu head-on.  Polson was pronounced dead at the scene.  The crash is still under investigation.

Here is the full slate of candidates and public measures that will appear on the November 7, 2023 ballot in Shelby County:

City of Shelby-Mayor:  RON KROLL
City of Shelby Council– KAREN SCHLUETER
CITY OF TENNANT-MAYOR:   JAMES BRANTNER
CITY OF TENNANT-Council- MARK TEARNY,  PAULA CAMPBELL, TOM EWOLDT
CITY OF HARLAN-MAYOR:   JAY CHRISTENSEN
CITY OF HARLAN-Council-Ward 2:   RICHARD PETERSEN
CITY OF HARLAN-AT LARGE Lincoln- TROY SCHABEN, JAMES SHEEHAN
CITY OF HARLAN-Council-Ward 1- to fill a Vacancy:  KYLE LINDBERG
CITY OF IRWIN–MAYOR :  JAMES BORCHER
CITY OF IRWIN-COUNCIL MEMBER- RICHARD WIIG, JONNA WILLADSEN
CITY OF WESTPHALIA-MAYOR:  CHRISTOPHER G. VON AHSEN
CITY OF WESTPHALIA-Council- BRANDON ECK
CITY OF DEFIANCE-MAYOR:  MARY JO SCHABEN
CITY OF DEFIANCE-COUNCIL- MAX POWERS, BRIAN KLOEWER
CITY OF DEFIANCE COUNCIL TOFILL A VACANCY- BRUCE FESER
CITY OF PANAMA-MAYOR:  LARRY KEANE
CITY OF PANAMA-COUNCIL:  KATHLEEN ANN SCHAFER, LINDA COGDILL
CITY OF EARLING-MAYOR:  JANICE A GAUL
CITY OF EARLING-COUNCIL- BRANDON BOGER, JILL SCHILTZ
CITY OF ELK HORN-Mayor- STAN JENS
CITY OF ELK HORN-COUNCIL- RICK SLOTH, DANNY PETERSEN, KAYLA CREEK, KENDALL PETERSEN
CITY OF KIRKMAN-MAYOR- OPEN
CITY OF KIRKMAN-COUNCIL:  OPEN
CITY OF PORTSMOUTH-MAYOR:  DONALD KENKEL
CITY OF PORTSMOUTH-COUNCIL- LORETTA KLEFFMAN SWANSON, DARCI PAXTON
HARLAN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS DISTRICT 5 DIRECTOR:  JENNIFER ANDERSON
HARLAN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS DISTRICT 6 DIRECTOR:  JENNIFER ARKFELD
HARLAN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS DISTRICT 7 DIRECTOR:  ROGER KENKEL
IKM-MANNING-DIRECTOR AT LARGE- ZACHARY MEINERS, SARA FERNEDING, MIKE BLUM
IKM-MANNING-DIRECTOR DISTRICT-1A:  BRIDGET GORE, T.J. STERK
IKM-MANNING DIRECTOR DISTRICT 2A VOTE FOR ONE:  DAVID HELLER, EMMALIE RASMUSSEN
IKM-MANNING SCHOOLS-DIRECTOR AT LARGE TO FILL A VACANCY:  JEREMY PUCK

SHELBY COUNTYWIDE PUBLIC MEASURE TD

Shall the Shelby County Board of Supervisors, upon recommendation by the Shelby County EMS Advisory Council, for the purpose of funding Emergency Medical Services in Shelby County including, but not limited to, ambulance service, personnel, and equipment be authorized, for a period of fifteen (15) years, to (1) levy and impose a local option income surtax of One Percent (1.00%) upon the state individual income tax of each individual taxpayer who is a resident of Shelby County on December 31 for each calendar year commencing with the calendar year 2024, and (2) levy and impose an ad valorem tax not exceeding Seventy Five Cents ($.75) per One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) of assessed valuation on all taxable property within Shelby County commencing with the levy of property taxes for collection in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025? (END OF BALLOT LANGUAGE)

IKM MANNING COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLIC MEASURE TE

Shall the Board of Directors of the IKM-Manning Community School District in the Counties of Audubon, Carroll, Crawford, and Shelby, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $18,600,000 to provide funds to construct, furnish, and equip an addition for classrooms/support space, to the Middle/High School building; and to renovate, remodel, repair, improve, furnish and equip existing portions of the Middle/High School building?  (END OF BALLOT LANGUAGE)

TRI CENTER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PUBLIC MEASURE SB

To adopt a Revenue Purpose Statement specifying the use of revenues the Tri-Center Community School District will receive from the State of Iowa Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund.

In the Tri-Center Community School District, the following Revenue Purpose Statement which specifies the use of revenues the Tri-Center Community School District will receive from the State of Iowa Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund shall be adopted. To provide funds to acquire or install information technology infrastructure (including improving buildings or sites for the purpose of accessing broadband digital telecommunications) and school safety and security infrastructure. To provide funds to build and furnish a new school building or buildings; to build and furnish addition(s) to school buildings in the District; to remodel, reconstruct, repair, expand, and improve the school buildings in the District; to purchase and improve grounds; for demolition work; to furnish and equip district facilities. To provide funds for the purchase, lease or lease-purchase of buildings, equipment (including transportation and recreation equipment), or technology and to repair transportation equipment for transporting students as authorized by law, to implement energy conservation measures, sharing or rental of facilities including a joint infrastructure project for the purposes of offering classes under district-to-community college programs as authorized in Iowa Code Section 423F.3(3)(c), procuring or acquisition of libraries, or opening roads to schoolhouses or buildings. To provide funds to purchase land as part of start-up costs for new student construction program or if the sale of the previous student construction was insufficient to purchase land, and to purchase construction materials and supplies for a student-constructed building or shed intended to be retained by and used by the District.  To provide funds to make payments to a municipality or other entity as required under Iowa Code Section 403.19(2). To provide funds for demolition, cleanup, and other costs if such costs are necessitated by, and incurred within two years of, a disaster. To provide funds to establish and maintain public recreation places and playgrounds; provide for supervision and instruction for recreational activities; or for community education purposes. To provide funds for the payment of principal and interest or retirement of general obligation bonds issued for school infrastructure purposes, energy improvement loans, loan agreements authorized by Iowa Code Section 297.36, sales, service and use tax revenue bonds issued under Iowa Code Section 423E.5 or Iowa Code Section 423F.4.To provide funds for property tax relief; and To provide funds for other authorized expenditures and purposes as now or hereafter permitted by law and designated by the Tri-Center Community School District. It being understood that if this proposition should fail to be approved by the voters, such failure shall not be construed to terminate or restrict authority previously granted by the voters to expend receipts from the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund. If approved, this Revenue Purpose Statement shall remain in effect until replaced or amended by the Tri-Center Community School District.   (END OF BALLOT LANGUAGE)

TRI CENTER COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLIC MEASURE SC

Shall the Board of Directors of the Tri-Center Community School District, in the Counties of Pottawattamie, Harrison, and Shelby, State of Iowa, for the purpose of purchasing and improving grounds; constructing schoolhouses or buildings and opening roads to schoolhouses or buildings; purchasing of buildings; purchase, lease or lease-purchase of technology and equipment; paying debts contracted for the erection or construction of schoolhouses or buildings, not including interest on bonds; procuring or acquisition of libraries; repairing, remodeling, reconstructing, improving, or expanding the schoolhouses or buildings and additions to existing schoolhouses; expenditures for energy conservation; renting facilities under Iowa Code Chapter 28E; purchasing transportation equipment for transporting students; lease purchase option agreements for school buildings or equipment; purchasing equipment authorized by law; or for any purpose or purposes now or hereafter authorized by law, be authorized for a period of ten (10) years, to levy annually, a voter-approved physical plant and equipment property tax not to exceed One Dollar Thirty-Four Cents ($1.34) per One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) of the assessed valuation of the taxable property within the school district commencing with the levy for collection in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, or each year thereafter?

OTTUMWA, IOWA – The Ottumwa Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is seeking the public’s assistance in locating 63-year-old Gregory Allen Showalter Sr.  Showalter has an arrest warrant for Failure to Appear- Murder in the First Degree. The case was being held in Wapello County District Court. Showalter was not present when the jury found him guilty today, September 22, 2023, for the murder of his wife in August of 2021.

If you see Gregory Showalter Sr., or know of his whereabouts, please contact 911 or the Ottumwa Police Department at 641- 683-0661.

Showalter booking photo

Gregory Allen Showalter is 6-feet 2-inches tall. He weighs 160 lbs.  Showalter is considered armed and dangerous.

(Mills County, Iowa) – Officials with Glenwood Municipal Utilities (GMU), announced today (Friday), A BOIL WATER ORDER IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE for the entire City of Pacific Junction, and the following:

• 188th St.
• 190th St.
• 195th St.
• Hanna Ave
• Hemford
• Hyland Ave.
• I-29 Northbound and Southbound rest areas
• Ingraham Ave.
• Jesup Ave.
• Jinkins Ave.
• Kane Ave.
• Kelting Ave.

GMU said “We are working to make the water main repairs as quickly as possible. If you have been without water or are experiencing low pressure, we are working to restore your service. REMEMBER THE BOIL ORDER IS IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!!!! BOIL BOIL BOIL! Thank you to everyone for your patience and cooperation during this time.”

State officials are repairing an electric fish barrier in Lost Island Lake, which is near Ruthven in northwest Iowa. Mike Hawkins, a fisheries biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says the barrier is targeting a fish that’s considered a nuisance.

Lost Island Lake is just 16 feet deep. Hawkins says carp destroy native aquatic plants and increase sediment in the water by rooting around the bottom of a lake.

Over the past several years the D-N-R has stocked Lost Island Lake with walleye, northern pike and even large mouth bass.

But Hawkins says they’re incredibly effective and use a fairly low amount of electricity to create the electrical field in the water to keep the fish from swimming. Over time, though, the water causes erosion damage on the electrodes. Hawkins and his team began replacing those electrodes yesterday (Thursday).

(Radio Iowa) – A video appeared Thursday on Facebook of what appears to be a young bull moose crossing an empty field in northwest Iowa, and Sioux Center’s Police Chief issued a warning that the moose was near Dordt University this (Friday) morning. D-N-R Regional Conservation Officer John Sells hasn’t seen the moose in person, but has seen the photos.

Sells says moose sightings are not as unusual as you would think.

He says if moose come this far south, it’s usually because of one thing.

Moose in a field in Sioux County. (Sioux Center PD Facebook photo)

Sells says moose are a protected species in Iowa, you cannot shoot or hunt them, and if you see a moose, you should stay clear

Sells says moose can travel five to tens miles a day, and have been known to travel up to 100 miles a week. He says the moose’s trajectory is in a southeasterly direction, which could put it in the Orange City and Alton areas Saturday, unless it decides to turn around and go back home. Sioux County Conservation Board Biologist Sunday Ford says there’s been an increase of unusual wildlife recently spotted in the area. She cites a report of a wild bull Elk in Plymouth County this week, and an Armadillo near Hospers in August.