(Radio Iowa) – Secretary of State Paul Pate says his office has been trying to debunk the myths and disinformation being posted on social media about voting in Iowa. “We’re reminding them we’re not hooked up to the internet and we remind them that we vote with those paper ballots,” Pate says. “And we’ve got poll workers out there to have eyes on the site at all times to make sure that everything’s on the up and up.” Pate says the vote tabulators are NOT connected to the internet and he’s been telling people there’s no way for the machines to be hacked.

“They’re getting these stories about other states and then they’re concerned that maybe — maybe — Iowa might have some of that,” Pate says, “so we have to spend a lot of extra time reminding them of all we’ve done to protect us.” Pate says county auditors report steady to strong turnout today (Tuesday) and there’s a chance more Iowans will vote in this year’s midterm election compared to 2018.

“We’ve had three straight years of records,” Pate says. “I don’t know if we’ll get another record this year, but I think it’s going to be a strong turnout.” Iowans have 13 hours to vote today (Tuesday) at their local precinct. The polls close at 8 p.m., but if there’s a line of people waiting to vote, Pate says there’s a process to ensure those people will get to cast a ballot.

“The precinct chair will go out at eight o’clock and determine where the end of the line is and they have a process in which they will identify that point, so those folks will be able to vote — even if it takes another half hour for them to get in, they will get to vote,” Pate says. “Now, if someone’s showing up at 8:15 or 8:10, they’re not going to have that opportunity.”

County auditors have received at least 370-thousand early votes via absentee ballot or in-person voting at county election offices. As of this (Tuesday) morning, nearly 13-thousand absentee ballots sent to Iowa voters had not been returned. Absentee ballots must be inside county auditors’ offices by 8 p.m. tonight (Tuesday) to be part of the vote count.  “I’d just remind any of those people who potentially might have an absentee ballot sitting at their house and, if they want to vote, don’t mail it in because it won’t get there to get counted,” Pate says.

Absentee ballots may be returned the county auditor’s office OR surrendered at a local precinct. The voter will be given a regular ballot to cast instead. Iowans have 13 hours to vote today — polls close at 8 p.m. As of the last report, the following is the number of outstanding absentee ballots in each Iowa congressional District:

• 3300 in the first district
• 3000 in the second district
• 4500 in the third district
• 2100 in the fourth district.

(Radio Iowa) – Thunderstorms, lightning and rain have caused a few problems with voting in western Iowa. Woodbury County Elections Commissioner, Pat Gill says the storms rolled through around noon, which was not good timing. “We could use the rain but unfortunately, it’s on election day,” Gill says. “A couple of the polling places have power knocked out of them. We hope to get that back soon. They’re able to continue to vote — but we don’t like to go without power for too long.” Gill says they didn’t have to make voters wait.

“They can continue to vote, our electronic poll books are working on battery power and the voting machines are working on battery power,” he says. Gill says they’ve also had some voters going to the wrong precinct following changes made by the redistricting. He says they have been able to get everyone redirected to the right polling place. The polls close at 8 p-m.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Harlan Police Department today (Tuesday), released a little more than a month’s worth of arrest information (Oct. 1-Nov. 2). From the latest to the earliest….

November 2, 2022: William Alva Eddington II, age 39, Dunlap, was arrested following a call for service. Eddington was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with public intoxication; Emily Emealia Fidone, age 26, was arrested following a call for service. Fidone was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with domestic abuse assault.

October 29, 2022: Megan Ericka Hunt, age 27, Harlan, was arrested following a call for service. Hunt was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with domestic abuse assault.

October 18, 2022: Christopher Daniel Ivey, age 40, Harlan, was arrested following a call for service. Ivey was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with domestic abuse assault.

October 15, 2022: David Allen Coenen, age 37, Lewis, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant. Coenen was transported to the Shelby County Jail; Kirby David Stoneking, age 38, Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Stoneking was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with possession of a controlled substance.

October 8, 2022: Carol Delisse Collins, age 73, Harlan, was arrested following a call for service. Collins was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with domestic abuse assault.

October 7, 2022: Lucas Charles Wolken, age 37, Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Wolken was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with operating while intoxicated.

October 5, 2022: Dory Kevin Nielsen, age 50, Harlan, was arrested following a call for service. Nielsen was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with assault.

October 4, 2022: Adam Tyrone Scheffler, age 29, Harlan, was arrested following a call for service. Scheffler was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with violation of a no contact order.

October 3, 2022: Mitchell Davis Cook, age 29, Harlan, was arrested following a call for service. Cook was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with domestic abuse assault.

October 1, 2022: Joan Renee Armentrout, age 49, Harlan, was arrested following a call for service. Armentrout was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with domestic abuse assault.

(Radio Iowa) – The spokesperson for the Iowa Lottery says a winning ticket for last night’s record Powerball jackpot of more than two-BILLION dollars was sold in California. Mary Neubauer says the drawing was delayed due to verification issues. “Before every Powerball jackpot drawing occurs, all the lotteries in the game have to account for all of the plays that they’ve sold, because we certainly wouldn’t want anybody’s ticket to be left out of the mix so that they wouldn’t be in the run for the jackpot that night. And then they also have to balance the sales figures that they have,” Neubauer says. She says they have to be absolutely certain everything is ready before the numbers are drawn.

“There can just be discrepancies in there that the lottery has to spend some extra time looking into. And clearly, with a world record jackpot, we were in uncharted territory last night, “Neubauer says. “So, it just took longer last night for for those security procedures and those checks and balances to occur.” The jackpot estimate heading into the drawing was one-point-nine BILLION dollars, and with strong sales across the country, the final estimate is just more than two billion dollars. Neubauer says the vast amount of tickets sold was part of the delay. “It was frustrating. You know, folks, folks obviously wanted to know the winning numbers right away. But at the same time, we also know that they want us to be extremely careful and make sure that we’re following all of the security steps and that the integrity of the game is sound,” Neubauer says. She says Powerball is a nationwide game, but each state handles its own sales.

“The machines are not all linked together nationwide, every state’s machine machines are linked together, but only for that state,” according to Neubauer. “So, the individual lotteries in the game around the country all have to run their own checks of the tickets that they have.” Neubauer says there’s no way to just do one big nationwide search.

The jackpot ended up at two-point-zero-four BILLION dollars with a cash payout of nearly 997 million. The winning numbers in Monday’s drawing were: 10-33-41-47-56 and Powerball 10. The Power Play® number was 2. Four Iowa tickets were one number away from sharing in the jackpot. Two won 100-thousand dollars with the multiplier, while two won 50-thousand dollars.

[Noon News] (Glenwood, Iowa) – An attempted traffic stop late Monday night in Mills County resulted in a long chase and two arrests. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports at around 10:57-p.m., Monday, a Mills County Sheriff’s Deputy tried to stop a vehicle for an expired registration, at Highway 34 and 284th Street. The driver refused to yield and the vehicle fled westbound on Highway 34 in speeds exceeding 100 mph.

A Glenwood Police Office was able to deploy stop sticks at the Glenwood Exit off Highway 34. It resulted in one of the pursued vehicles’ tires deflated, but the suspect vehicle continued west to I-29, and then north. Speeds continued to be in excess of 100 mph until the vehicle reached Exit 42, where it turned-off and continued east on Bunge Avenue, and then north on Wabash Avenue.

Authorities say during the pursuit, the suspect vehicle attempted to strike oncoming vehicles head-on, in an apparent attempt to stop deputies from pursuing. Council Bluffs PD Officers and Pottawattamie County Deputies successfully deployed additional stop sticks just south of Highway 92, which caused two more tires to deflate. A Mills County Sheriff’s Deputy successfully conducted a PIT maneuver, which ended the chase at Highway 92 and Harry Langdon Blvd.

Photos from the Mills County S/O Facebook page

The driver – identified as Albert Bowen, and his passenger – Luz Montero, both from Omaha, bailed out of the vehicle and took off on foot. Montero was caught after a short foot chase. Bowen was tracked by a Mills County K9 with the help of Omaha Police helicopter “Able1.” The man was found in a creek. He was checked for possible hypothermia from being in the creek, but refused rescue.

During a search of the suspect vehicle, law enforcement located a firearm that had been reported stolen out of Pott. County, along with narcotics and drug paraphernalia. Bowen was charged with Felony Eluding, Possession of Meth, Poss. of a stolen firearm, use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of a crime, interference with official acts, and drug paraphernalia, and well as numerous traffic citations. Luz Montero was charged with Possession of Meth, interference with official acts, and poss. of drug paraphernalia.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Mills County K9 Unit, Glenwood Police Dept., Pott. County Sheriff’s Office, Council Bluffs P-D, Omaha P-D’s Able 1, and the Iowa State Patrol.

AMES, Iowa – November 8, 2022– The Iowa Department of Transportation is requesting public input for the proposed pavement replacement and levee construction on Iowa 333 from BNSF railroad to .6 miles east of I-29 in Fremont County. Construction of the project is expected to begin in the summer of 2023. Traffic will be maintained at all times during construction via I-29 and U.S. 275.

For general information regarding the project contact, Scott Suhr, Transportation Planner, Iowa DOT District 4 Office, 2210 E 7^th Street, Atlantic, Iowa 50022, phone 712-243-7627, email scott.suhr@iowadot.us.

Atlantic, Iowa – Cass County Public Health has earned a prestigious endorsement from Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc., as a Blue Ribbon Affiliate, making it one of the top- performing home visiting affiliates within Parents as Teachers’ international network. The official designation was made in October 2022. Being named a Blue Ribbon Affiliate affirms that Cass County Public Health is a high-quality member of the home visiting field, implementing the evidence-based Parents as Teachers model with fidelity. The program includes home visits, group connections, child screening, and connections to community resources. It equips parents with knowledge and resources to prepare their children for a stronger start in life and greater success in school.

PAT Coordinator Nancy Gibson says “Parents as Teachers’ rigorous endorsement process is a test of our program’s accountability and credibility, and this award validates the work we are doing for our community, supporters, and most importantly, the children, parents, and families we serve.”

(photo), left to right is Victoria Means and Nancy Gibson.

Cass County Parents as Teachers is a no-cost program for families who are expecting or have a child or children up to age 5, and it is funded by Boost for Families and Prevent Child Abuse Iowa. The program currently has openings for new families. For more information about PAT, please call 712-243-7475.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Firearms Coalition is calling for a formal investigation into allegations of voting improprieties at the Woodbury County Courthouse after receiving reports of a polling staffer providing false information about public measure 1 to voters prior to them casting their ballots. The issue also known as the “Freedom Amendment” will add the right to keep and bear arms to Iowa’s state constitution if approved by voters. Three voters told the I-F-C that they were told by a polling staff member that should they decide to vote “yes” for public measure 1, “it would allow felons to have guns.” The I-F-C says the information is incorrect and may have consequently influenced voters to vote “no” who had spoken with that staffer prior to casting a ballot. Woodbury County elections commissioner Pat Gill says he was made aware of the issue.

“I’m aware of the complaint, but obviously, I can’t comment on it because apparently there’s an ongoing investigation,” Gill says. At least one of the voters who has been in touch with I-F-C tells the organization they are in the process of filing a report over the incident with the Woodbury County Sheriff’s office. Gill says all of the poll workers are trained in what they can and cannot do while on the job: “I just want folks to know that precinct election officials are trained to do any electioneering and they are not supposed to answer any questions about candidates or public measures that are on the ballot,” Gill says.

It’s not known how many voters the staffer in question may have given an opinion on the ballot issue before they voted. I-F-C says they have reached out to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office and called for an immediate investigation into the allegations.

(Iowa Falls, Iowa) – A head-on crash Monday afternoon in northern Iowa’s Hardin County resulted in fatal injuries. The Iowa State Patrol says 83-year-old Philip J. Book, of Iowa Falls, was driving a 2018 Dodge RAM pickup southbound on County Road D-15 just before 2-p.m., Monday, when the vehicle crossed the center line of the road just west of Iowa Falls, and struck a northbound 2007 Dodge RAM pickup.  Book, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene.

The driver of the other pickup, 55-year-old Craig Bailey, of Alden, Iowa, was not injured. The crash remains under investigation. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Falls Fire and EMS, and Hardin County Emergency Squad.

(Radio Iowa) – Some Iowans are buying frozen turkeys now just to have them in the freezer and be prepared for the big Thanksgiving meal later this month. While some reports show grocery prices are up 13-percent this fall compared to last year, Morgan Pothoven at the Iowa Turkey Federation says many stores are selling turkeys as a loss-leader. “The grocers are buying turkey for probably higher than they’re selling it for, so you’re still going to be able to find those turkey deals and you can ensure that turkey is on sale,” Pothoven says. “I actually just drove by a Hy-Vee in Ames today and there’s a big sign on the side of their truck that says, ‘Buy a ham, get a turkey for free,’ so there’s still those Thanksgiving deals.”

Pothoven says turkey prices might be up slightly in Iowa compared to a year ago, but she says it’s nothing substantial. “You can really use a turkey to feed your family, not only at Thanksgiving, but especially if you choose that whole bird, you can stretch your dollar between multiple meals,” Potthoven says. “Turkey is great for leftovers and soups and casseroles and so on, so it’s still probably the most economical choice for your Thanksgiving dinner.” There have been significant challenges to some poultry producers in Iowa this year.

“We have had avian influenza here that you’re probably thinking of and a lot of consumers think of, but we’ve really learned a lot from 2015 and into 2022,” Pothoven says. “U.S. production, it’s only about 3.5% of annual production that has been impacted, so a very small percentage.” Iowa has about 130 turkey farms statewide, with the majority comprised of second- and third-generation turkey farmers. The state ranks seventh in U-S turkey production, with approximately 12-million raised each year.

On the web at iowaturkey.org