(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak have arrested a woman on a Theft charge. 35-year-old Brynn Elizabeth Hudson, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 10:30-a.m. Friday (today), in the 100 block of W. Coolbaugh Street. Hudson was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and charged with Theft in the 4th Degree/Theft from a building (a Serious Misdemeanor). Her bond was set at $1,000.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Auditor Kathy Somers has announced members of the Board of Supervisors may attend a special meeting Tuesday morning, at the invitation of the Charles E. Lakin Foundation and the Community Foundation for Western Iowa. A quorum of the Board may be present, but NO deliberations among the Board members, or action, will be taken. The meeting will take place at 10-a.m. at the Bluebird Hill Venue (56741 655th St.), in rural Atlantic.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors hosted a discussion with Erik Johnson, Cass County EMS, on Thursday, September 26th, to learn more about the proposed EMS Tax Levy to enhance emergency medical services. Johnson, who serves as the Program Coordinator for Iowa United First Aid, shared with the Ambassadors that by making EMS an essential service, taxes that are already being collected will be put into a new, separate EMS fund. EMS is not considered an essential service in Iowa, and with an Iowa law, passed 2021, county boards are allowed to ask county voters to voice their opinion on this issue.

The levy proposes an EMS levy that will allow up to 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to be set aside specifically for EMS. The county vote on November 5th must receive at least 60% to pass.

Pictured Left to Right: Krysta Hanson, Kelsey Beschorner, Ruth Sears, Colt Doherty, Jim Kickland, Dr. Keith Leonard, Lana Westphalen, Dolly Bergmann, Brett Altman, Erik Johnson, Tori Gibson, Chris Parks, Scott Bennett, Jeff Christensen, Sue Liston, Gabby Wahlert, BJ Hart

Erik shared that if the EMS levy does not pass this year, funding for additional EMTS, new equipment, supplies and training may not be available in a time of need.

For more information about the proposed EMS levy, follow Cass County IA EMS Essential Services on Facebook or contact your local County Supervisor.

(Atlantic, Iowa [Story by Atlantic FFA reporter Maddy Anderson]) – The Atlantic FFA chapter competed in the Southwest Iowa District Soils Judging Contest at the Armstrong Research Farm in Lewis, on Wednesday, September 25th. Atlantic FFA had 6 individuals compete in 2 teams. One team that place 9th, consisted of Lily Johnson, Frank Freund, and Hayden Kleen. Members of Team 2, consisting of Jarrett Hansen, Jacquie Freund and Rylie Vandevanter, placed 25th out of 47 teams.

The Soils Judging Career Development Event is designed towards motivating students to gain knowledge on surface features, the soil profile, land capability and productivity, evaluation of land use and management practices, and suitability of soils for non-agricultural uses. Students also develop the ability to observe selected soil properties, and use these observations to interpret and evaluate these properties for recommendations for land use.

Team members from left to right are: Jarett Hansen, Hayden Kleen, Frank Freund, Lily Johnson, Rylie Vandevanter, Jaquie Freund. (photo submitted)

After the contest took place, Lily Johnson said, “I enjoyed getting the opportunity to go study soil and learn about the different things that contribute to soils judging and was very pleased with how our team placed!”

(Radio Iowa) – A judge has ruled in favor of a state senator who was sued over a car he bought his daughter. State Senator Adrian Dickey of Packwood was sued by his daughter, his ex-wife and her husband. They claimed Dickey had placed a lien on the car without his daughter’s knowledge and his daughter needed the insurance money to buy a new car because the Toyota Dickey bought her had been totaled. The judge has ruled there’s no evidence Dickey defrauded or cheated his way into being the lien holder and the nearly 24-thousand dollar insurance payout will go to him. Dickey says the decision clears his name and shows the lawsuit lacked merit.

The judge also ruled on a counter-suit in which Dickey accused his daughter, his ex-wife and her husband of trying to injure his reputation. Dickey sought 120-thousand dollars in damages. The judge awarded him a dollar ($1). Dickey’s ex-wife and her husband told the Ottumwa Courier they would not appeal the decision and are happy to put this case and their interactions with the senator behind them.

Dickey says the court’s decision shows the lengths that some are willing to go to tarnish his reputation.

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst says she’s seeing increased support for a bill she introduced last year to reverse the inclusion of family farms and businesses as assets in the new federal student aid application. Ernst said the legislation is picking up steam in the wake of a Government Accountability Office report detailing decreases in completions of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) this year. The FAFSA was released to the public three months later than usual last year. After its launch, students, families and universities experienced technical issues and other problems that led many universities to push back their financial aid timelines by months.

According to the Government Accountability Office report, FAFSA submissions from first-time applicants decreased by 9% this past cycle, as of late August, and the total number of applicants dropped by 3%. About 1.6 million students started but did not complete a FAFSA application this past cycle, according to the report. Data from the National College Attainment Network states that Iowa has seen an almost 10% decrease in FAFSA submissions from last year, as of mid-September. Lower-income students were impacted the most, according to the report. There was an 11% drop from dependent applicants in the $30,001-$48,000 income range and a 6% decrease from independent applicants with $30,000 or less in income.

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, left, spoke with higher education leaders and students March 25, 2024 at Graceland University in Lamoni. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

In a news release addressing the report, Ernst said the Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act has received the endorsement of 24 education and agriculture groups. The bill would once again make family farms and businesses exempt from the assets definition in the FAFSA.

(Des Moines, Iowa/KCCI-TV) — On the top of minds for school district leaders, law enforcement members, parents, students, and more across the country is school safety. This is especially heightened as hundreds of reports of threats have come in nationwide. On Thursday, an Iowa task force met to come up with recommendations to present to state leaders to improve infrastructural safety. The Governor’s School Safety Bureau met Thursday morning. More than a dozen school administrators, law enforcement officers, and more shared their thoughts and ideas of what’s working now and what can continue to be done. The goal is to come up with a recommendation by December 31 to present to state legislators.

Ideas stemmed from improving locks, identifying which school administrators would take on what roles if an emergency occurred, the use of the Safe and Sound reporting system, and more. In addition to utilizing a whiteboard to jot down ideas, the group also looked at some infrastructural moves made by other states’ school safety bureaus.

There are more meetings to come where other recommendations will be discussed before Dec. 31. The next meeting will be focused on what is the best way to spend funds school districts have available, what can can be done to fortify district buildings, along with what are the best practices to provide that school safety.”

(Johnston, Iowa/KCCI-TV) –  The Johnston Middle School was briefly placed on lockdown status on Thursday afternoon after a weapon was reported in a restroom in the building. According to the district, a student reported seeing a weapon in an upstairs restroom around 2:48 p.m., and the school was placed in lockdown. All students and staff were required to stay in their current locations until given the all-clear, which came 20 minutes later when students were dismissed at 3:08 p.m.

The District cancelled all evening activities while an investigation into the incident was being conducted. The Johnston Police Department says that after a “thorough search” of the school building, no weapon was found. A student was taken into custody.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is reminding every Iowa voter to have a plan in place to be successful in casting their ballot this election. Whether you plan to vote absentee by mail, early absentee in-person, or in person at the polls on Election Day, it’s never too early to make a plan. Those who plan to vote absentee by mail should be prepared to request their absentee ballot by October 21, 2024. Part of that plan should also include tracking your absentee ballot. Iowans can visit VoterReady.Iowa.Gov to track their ballot. This process allows Iowa voters to see if and when their local county auditor has received the absentee ballot request, the specific date that the ballot was mailed out, and the date the county auditor received the ballot back from the voter. Iowa law requires absentee ballots to be returned to the county auditor’s office by the time polls close at 8pm on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5.

In efforts to remind Iowans to head to the polls, political parties and candidates may send voters “absentee ballot request” mailings. In some instances, this may result in one voter receiving multiple mailings regarding absentee ballot requests. County auditors have a number of procedures in place to ensure that if multiple absentee ballot requests do come in from one voter, only one absentee ballot will be mailed out. Iowans are encouraged to call their county auditor if they have any specific questions regarding this process.

It is important that political parties and candidates that coordinate absentee ballot mailings to Iowa voters first and foremost ensure their processes follow Iowa law (Iowa Code Ch. 53) and secondly, verify with the post office that their mail pieces are in compliance with postal regulations. This due diligence should also include confirming the cost of return postage and who will bear this cost, and making sure an accurate return address is included in the event the mailing is undeliverable.

Iowa voters who plan to vote early absentee in-person can do so at their county auditor’s office or a special satellite location. Voters who plan to vote in-person at their polling site on Election Day can find their polling site at VoterReady.Iowa.Gov. Every voter who votes in person must present their voter ID (Iowa driver’s license, voter identification card, non-operator ID, military or veteran ID, passport, or tribal ID card/document).

Iowa’s election integrity approach requires multiple layers and following Iowa law and election procedures are critical to maintaining safe and secure elections. If Iowans are looking for additional information on this process and other voting processes, please visit VotingProcess.Iowa.Gov for a video series about different voting procedures and laws in Iowa.

DATES TO KNOW:

October 16: First day absentee ballots can be mailed; first day of in-person absentee voting
October 21: Voter pre-registration deadline; deadline to request an absentee ballot to be mailed; both by 5pm
November 4: Last day of in-person absentee voting
November 5: Election Day, polls open from 7am-8pm; absentee ballots must be received by county auditors by 8pm