Taking a look at some of the candidates whose names are on the ballot Tuesday for office Adair, Adams and Montgomery Counties….

In Adair County, there are no contested races. In fact in Bridgewater, no one is running for Mayor or the three open city council seats. All will be decided by write-in vote.

The situation is a little different in Adams County, where two people are vying for the lone At-Large seat on the city council in Corning. They include incumbent Bert Peckham and challenger Ranae Nicholson. In Prescott, no one has filed papers to run for Mayor or the two city council seats. Only incumbent April Damewood is on the ballot for a seat on the council to fill a vacancy. The rest will be write-in’s.

In Montgomery County, the races we’ll be watching include those in Stanton and Grant. Four people are in the running for two seats on the city council in Stanton, including Incumbents James Cavner and Ray Guffey, and their challengers Eric L. Paulsen and Tysen Sederburg. Mayor Kirk Requist is unopposed. In Grant, incumbent Mayor Andrea J. Holldorf faces a challenge from Laurena Mifflin and Michael A. Ford. There are also 5 seats open on the city council, and six people in the running. They include incumbents Lyn Sliger, Jeff Brown, Nancy L. Taylor, and Michael B. Amos, along with Robert Scott Molnar and Steve Williams.

Information was released today (Monday) about a high-speed pursuit that spanned two southwest Iowa counties before the suspect vehicle crashed off a dead-end road. According to reports, an Iowa State Patrol Trooper tried to stop a car for speeding on the Stuart Road in northeastern Adair County, at around 8:45-p.m., October 25th.

As the Trooper tried to catch up to the vehicle, the driver, identified as 20-year old Nathan Paul Butler, of Des Moines, sped-up to 100-mph in a 55 zone. The chase continued from Adair County into Union County and into the Creston city limits before Butler crashed the vehicle.

He fled on foot but was quickly apprehended. Butler was subsequently booked into the Adair County Jail, where his bond was set at $2,000.

A woman from Glenwood was arrested Sunday, on an assault charge. Glenwood Police say 40-year old Renae Caver, was taken into custody for Domestic Abuse Assault. She was being held in the Mills County Jail without bond, pending an appearance before a magistrate.

And, 18-year old Denver Cook, of Glenwood, was arrested Sunday on a Theft charge.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Figures have plunged in a third straight monthly survey of supply managers in nine Midwest and Plains states, providing more evidence of a slowdown in the region’s economy. A report issued Monday says the overall Mid-American Business Conditions Index dropped to 41.9 last month, compared with 47.7 in September and 49.6 in August.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he again cites the strong U.S. dollar and global economic weakness among the reasons for the region’s economic slide. The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests economic growth. A score below that suggests decline.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Mike Hammond, who co-founded computer maker Gateway Inc. in a northwest Iowa farmhouse in 1985, has died at age 53. Korey Robinson, of the Meyer Brothers Funeral Home in Sioux City, Iowa, said Hammond died on Thursday.

Hammond started Gateway with brothers Ted and Norm Waitt, selling what became among most popular computers on the market. The firm grew quickly while shipping computers directly to consumers in boxes decorated with cow spots. Hammond helped manage the company’s operations in Iowa and South Dakota. After retiring from Gateway, he started Dakota Muscle to restore and repair classic cars.

Former Sioux City Mayor Jim Wharton worked with Hammond. Wharton told the Sioux City Journal that he thinks Hammond’s contributions were under appreciated at the company.

After walking across the stage in May, college graduates of the Class of 2015 have conquered many firsts – securing a college degree, landing a first job and finding affordable housing to name a few. Making their first student loan payments will soon be a new first for May grads to add to that list. November marks the end of student loan grace periods for borrowers who graduated this past spring and their Federal Direct Student Loans will soon enter repayment. The Iowa College Student Aid Commission (Iowa College Aid) offers the following advice to help borrowers manage their student loan payments and avoid default.

1. Know what you owe, and contact your servicers. One mistake graduates make is not staying in contact with their loan servicers and providing current contact information. Borrowers should contact their loan servicers prior to repayment so they know what to expect.

2. Choose a repayment plan that fits your budget. Programs such as “Pay As You Earn” and other income-driven repayment plans base monthly payments on a borrower’s income. But borrowers need to discuss options with their loan servicers. They won’t automatically be set up on an income-driven plan.

3. Look into forgiveness options. Debt can also be eliminated through federal and state student loan forgiveness programs for those working in fields such as nursing, public service, teaching and other high-need career fields.

4. Be strategic when paying off loans. There is no penalty to paying off student loans early. Even a few extra dollars per month can save borrowers a significant amount of money over the life of the loan.

One thing borrowers should not do is ignore their loans. Karen Misjak, Iowa College Aid Executive Director, says “Defaulting on student loans hurts borrowers in the short- and long-term. Default immediately impacts credit history, but can also increase the amount due on the original loan because of late fees, additional interest, court costs, collection fees and other costs associated with the collection process.”

Recent numbers from the U.S. Department of Education showed that, nationally, student loan default rates (meaning that a loan payment has not been made for 270 days) dropped to 11.8 percent from 13.7 percent in the most recent year’s numbers, equating to some 600,000 borrowers defaulting on their student loans within the first three years of graduation. Iowa has seen an even greater decline in default rates, dropping to 13.1 percent from 17.3 percent in the same time period.

For information about types of student loans, repayment plans and tips on managing debt, visit www.IowaCollegeAid.gov or contact Iowa College Aid at 877-272-4456.