(Radio Iowa) = With Halloween just ten days away, a pet expert suggests Iowans start preparing their dogs and cats now for the sights and sounds that will come with trick-or-treating season. Just like how fireworks on the 4th of July can be difficult for some animals, Brittany Baumann says Halloween can be a confusing, frightening time for pets, too, especially if they’re not used to droves of goblins at the door.

“Now might be a good time to try to desensitize your pets to all of that commotion, the doorbell ringing, people shouting ‘Trick or treat,’” Baumann says. “Practice in advance. Have maybe your neighbor come over and knock on the door and give your pet a treat.” When spooked, some pets may dart out the door and run off, so it could be a wise move to just keep them safe in an enclosed space for trick-or-treat night.

“Maybe you don’t have enough time between now and actual Halloween to practice,” she says. “Then maybe you need to come up with an alternative plan, and that would be putting that pet who is shy, fearful or barking a lot into maybe a more confined space in your home, a quiet room.” If you have a costume for your pet and plan to take the animal trick-or-treating, Baumann says it’d be a smart move to not spring it on them.

Keep close tabs on your tabby during trick-or-treat night (Radio Iowa photo)

“So what we don’t recommend is that people buy the costume and the first time that dog sees it or tries it on is on Halloween night,” she says. “You want to get them used to that and practice in advance and creating those positive associations with that costume.”

Baumann, spokeswoman for the Minnesota-based Animal Humane Society, says if you have a jack-o-lantern on the front porch, don’t assume the worst if your pooch takes a big bite out of it. “Pumpkin itself is actually like a low-calorie super food. It has lots of vitamins and nutrients. It has a high fiber content as well, which can be helpful for your pet,” she says, “but I also want to warn people, everything in moderation.”

A pumpkin can make a pet sick, especially if it’s been sitting outside for a few days and got moldy on the inside.

(Radio Iowa) – State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, is calling on the Republican leader of the Iowa House to apologize for accusing Sand and his staff of withholding information about funding issues in the Iowa court system. State Auditor Rob Sand says House Speaker Pat Grassley attacked his staff for partisan political reasons or, Sand says, “ignorance” about when a state fiscal year begins. Letter to Speaker Grassley 10.21.24

Sand’s office was notified during Fiscal Year 2023 about computer programming errors that were incorrectly distributing millions in court fines and fees. Last week, Grassley blasted Sand for failing to notify legislators or note the errors in audits. Sand says his staff hasn’t finished its audit of the state court system for the fiscal year in question — and state law prohibits his office from releasing allegations of non-compliance like the tip his office got about the court system errors.

A spokesperson for Speaker Grassley was not immediately available for comment. Sand is calling on the legislature to repeal the law that makes it illegal for his office to review computer programming infrastructure — like the coding issue that sent 26-and-a-half MILLION dollars worth of court fines and fees to the wrong accounts.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak say no injuries were reported following an accident this (Monday) morning in the 300 block of E. Reed Street. Authorities say an SUV driven by Gary Walters, of Red Oak, backed out of a parking stall and proceeded west on E. Reed Street. At the same time, a car driven by Ramona Wright, of Villisca, backed out of a parking stall and struck the SUV on the rear, passenger side door.

The damage was estimated at $10,000 altogether. There were no citations issued.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office released a report on multiple arrests over the past week. Two people were arrested on separate warrants, two were arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order, four people were arrested on drug charges, and three were arrested for Assault.

The Sheriff’s Office says deputies arrested 40-year-old Kristin Nicole Ladd, of Greenfield, on Oct. 14th in Stuart, on four Adair County warrants for: Driving While License Denied or Revoked; Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree; OWI/1st offense, and Violation of Probation. She was being held in the Adair County Jail on $5,000 bond for one of the warrants, and without bond on the other three.  Also arrested on the 14th, was 62-year-old Nicholas Dave Allen, of Des Moines. He was picked-up at the Polk County Jail on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation, and was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

Those arrested for Assault include, on Oct. 19th: 21-year-old Wilyer Johan Velasquez-Bermudez, of Chicago, Il; 20-year-old Johan Angel Ramirez-Navas, of Gary, IN, and 26-year-old Yonder Eduardo Sanoja-Mosqueda, of Chicago.  All three were taken into custody by the Iowa State Patrol, following an incident at a motel in Adair. The three were later released on separate bonds.

Those arrested on drug charges include:

• 27-year-old Dante D. Ynoquio Chuqilin, of Hoffman Estates, IL, who was arrested Oct. 15th following a traffic stop on I-80 in Adair County. He was later released on a $7,000 bond.
• 36-year-old Heather Marie Santos, of Des Moines, was arrested on drug and weapon charges during a traffic stop Oct. 16th, on I-80 by Stuart Police. Her bond was set at $25,000; During that same traffic stop, 47-year-old Daniel Pavian-Ramos, of Des Moines, was arrested on drug charges. His bond was also set at $25,000; and, 31-year-old Maximino Mendez-Jarquin, of Des Moines, was arrested on drug, weapon and false ID charges. His bond was set at $25,000. Pavian-Ramos and Mendez-Jarquin were also being held on a detainer for an Immigration warrant through the Department of Homeland Security.
• 50-year-old Jason James Masolini, of Stuart, was arrested Oct. 14th by Stuart Police, on methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia charges. He was later released on a $25,000 bond.

Two men were arrested last week for Violation of No Contact Orders in Adair County:

• 30-year-old Jeffrey Dewayne Ott,of Des Moines, was arrested by Greenfield Police on Oct. 14th. He was later released on a $300 bond, and,
• 58-year-old Ronald Joseph Schaecher, of Greenfield, was arrested by the Greenfield Police at the Casey’s Store on Oct. 14th. He was later released on a $300 bond, also.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests took place last Thursday: 29-year-old Corey James Wentz, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. Wentz was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $5,000 bond; 73-year-0ld James Edward Pontow, of Malvern, was arrested Thursday for Arson in the 3rd Degree. His bond was set at $2,000; and, 48-year-old Lisa Marie Elliott, of Malvern, was arrested for Arson in the 3rd Degree and Public Intoxication. Her bond was set at $2,300. Pontow and Ellliott were arrested at around 5:25-p.m. Thursday, in the area of 8th Avenue in Malvern.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg today (Monday), announced $68 million for funding in Iowa as part of more than $4.2 billion in funding from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda through two major discretionary grant programs, the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) grant program and the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program, both of which have historic levels of funding thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

As a resultof today’s (Monday’s) round of selections, Iowa will be receiving $68,662,000 for the Southwest Mixmaster Interchange Reconstruction through the INFRA program. This project will improve the Interstates 80, 35, and 235 interchange. Officials say the reconstruction effort will increase capacity and improve interchange geometry to meet current standards, allowing for reliable speeds and reduced weaving, reducing crashes.

A total of 44 projects were selected nationwide in this round of funding, including projects that improve safety, mobility, and economic competitiveness, constructing major bridges, expanding port capacity, redesigning interchanges, and more.

To date, nearly $12.8 billion in funding through the INFRA and Mega programs has been announced for 140 projects across 42 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, including approximately:

• 35 large bridge projects
• 18 large port projects
• 20 rail projects
• 85 highway improvement projects

Approximately 53% of projects that have received funding to date are in rural communities, and about 42% of projects are located in disadvantaged communities.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Auditor Kathy Somers reminds residents that today, Monday, October 21, 2024, is the last day to request an absentee ballot to vote by mail in the November 5, 2024 General Election. To request an absentee ballot, voters must submit the official request form to the Cass County Auditor’s office by 5:00 PM this evening. The request form is available at the Auditor’s office, or at the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, sos.iowa.gov/elections. Those who have requested an absentee ballot may also confirm their ballot’s status on the Secretary of State’s website.

The post office has informed county auditors that election-related mail may take up to seven days to be delivered. Voters are strongly encouraged to return their ballots to the Auditor’s office as early as possible to ensure their ballot will arrive by 8:00 PM on election night.

In-person absentee voting is currently taking place at the Cass County Auditor’s office from 8:00 – 4:30, Monday – Friday, until the day before the election. The office will also be open on the Saturday before the election from 8:00 – 5:00.

For more information regarding the November 5, 2024 General Election, including polling locations and ballot content, view the Public Notice of General Election on the Cass County website at https://www.casscountyia.gov/.