Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

(AP) – The first significant storm of the season was blanketing parts of the Midwest with a foot or more of snow, creating hazardous conditions as some travelers prepared to depart for the Thanksgiving holiday. Parts of South Dakota and Iowa had more than a foot on Friday. Des Moines had recorded 6 inches by late Friday and 4 inches had fallen at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, one of the world’s busiest. The front will head northeast to Canada late on Saturday and into Sunday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Republican Party of Iowa has canceled its plan to host a forum featuring presidential candidates that would have focused on minority communities. The party said Friday it canceled its Iowa Brown and Black Forum on December 3rd at Drake University due to “unresolved scheduling conflicts.” A similar forum by the Iowa Democratic Party is still scheduled on January 11th at Drake. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley are set to appear.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Dubuque officials have declined a request to regulate the use of speakers outside bars that some downtown residents say are too loud. The Telegraph-Herald reports Jonathan McCoy of the Old Main Neighborhood Association asked the city’s Planning Services Department in mid-August to reclassify outdoor speakers as “audible signs.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors are continuing to pursue criminal charges against top campaign advisers to 2012 presidential candidate Ron Paul. According to court documents filed Thursday, a grand jury in Des Moines indicted Jesse Benton, John Tate and Dimitri Kesari on conspiracy charges. They’re accused of covering up payments to former Iowa Senator Kent Sorenson, who endorsed Paul in December 2011.

A spot check by the state auditor’s office has led to changes in how staff at the Mental Health Institute in Cherokee handle prescription medications. The auditor’s review raised concerns about the inventory of prescription drugs kept at the Mental Health Institute in Cherokee. It cited a “lack of segregation.” Officials say the pharmacist and pharmacy technicians at the M-H-I were not routinely following established procedures, but now, one technician receives the prescription drugs and someone else logs it into the pharmacy’s inventory.

The auditor’s review also raised concerns about bookkeeping at the Mental Health Institute in Clarinda. Cash deposits were being made, but they were not within the 10-day window required by law. Staff in Clarinda started to make deposits once a week after the auditor flagged the problem. Governor Branstad closed the facility this summer.

(Radio Iowa)

A review from the state auditor’s office shows just how much the state has been spending to care for mentally ill patients who’ve been residents of the state-run hospitals in Clarinda, Cherokee, Independence and Mount Pleasant. Only two of those Mental Health Institutes are open today. Governor Branstad closed the M-H-Is in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant this summer.

According to the auditor’s calculations, it cost more than 160-thousand dollars a year to care for a resident in Mount Pleasant’s M-H-I. It cost about twice that much to care for a patient in the M-H-I in Clarinda. The state spent 440-thousand dollars per resident at the M-H-I in Independence. Cherokee’s costs were highest, at more than half a million dollars per patient.

However, the auditor’s report says that figure includes some of the out-patient services provided by Cherokee’s M-H-I, but the data wasn’t available to auditors to separate how much was spent on in-patient care and on out-patient care at Cherokee.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Auditor’s Office reports requests for Absentee Ballots in advance of the December 8th Special Election to fill a vacant Iowa State Representative District 21 Seat, may be sent or brought to the County Auditor’s office. Last day to request an absentee ballot to be voted by mail is December 4th, 2015.

An Absentee Ballot is one cast prior to ‘election day’ by mail or at the County Auditor’s office. If you need to vote by mail: A written request may be mailed or hand delivered to the County Auditor’s office. (Absentee request forms are available at the auditor’s office and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.state.ia.us). A ballot along with instructions on how to complete the ballot will be mailed to the requester.

For the ballot to be counted the completed ballot then must be returned either by personal carrier to the office of County Auditor before close of polls on December 8 or returned by mail postmarked no later than December 7. All ballots must be returned whether voted or not voted.

In order to vote in Iowa a person must be registered in the person’s current county of residence, under the person’s present name, and at the person’s current address. Registration forms are available at the county auditor’s office, many State of Iowa service offices and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.state.ia.us.

The county election commissioner recommends that persons not currently registered or who have moved since last registering and are planning to vote in the December Special General Election, pre-register in the office of the County Auditor as soon as possible. You may register or re-register and vote absentee on the same day. Last day to pre-register for this special election is Monday, November 30.

Persons choosing to vote at the Cass County Courthouse prior to December 8 may come to the Cass County Courthouse during the regular office hours of 8-a.m. and 4:30-p.m., Monday thru Friday, up through the day before the election, complete a request form, and then cast a ballot immediately. In addition to regular office hours, the office of Cass County Auditor will be open Monday, November 30, 2015 from 8-a.m. to 5-p.m., and Saturday, December 5, 2014 from 9-a.m. to 5-p.m.