Des Moines, IA – United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Leemkuil will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Leemkuil has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Southern District of Iowa, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Richard Westphal said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combating discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Ryan Leemkuil will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 515-473-9300.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 515-223-4278 (Des Moines).

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
United States Attorney Westphal said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

(Radio Iowa) -Iowa is the only state without a compassionate release program for prison inmates, ranking Iowa at the very bottom of a new report comparing state programs. They allow inmates, generally near the end of their lives, to apply for release due to factors like debilitating illnesses, injuries or age-related chronic conditions. Mary Price is general counsel for FAMM, a criminal justice reform advocacy group that issued the report. Price says keeping someone who is sick and near death in prison is not only costly for the state, but also can cause excessive suffering. Price says, “It means that people in Iowa will die in prison after incarceration has lost any meaning for them or for the people of Iowa.” Price says programs vary widely between states, but if it’s wanted, Iowa is well-positioned to build a program from the ground up and include a range of stakeholders.

Alison Guernsey directs the University of Iowa’s Federal Criminal Defense Clinic. Guernsey says one of the reasons it’s disappointing there’s no compassionate release program here is that it’s a poor reflection of Iowa’s justice system. “I think that mercy and second chances are really important philosophical things for us to embed in our judicial and legal systems,” Guernsey says, “and so it seems quite behind the times not to have a mechanism for just the mercy purposes.”

Two neighboring states received high marks in the report. Illinois earned an A, and Minnesota received a B-minus. Iowa’s other neighbors also failed, but scored more points than Iowa’s zero.

(reporting by Catherine Wheeler, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – Just before today’s strike deadline, members of the Teamsters Union have approved a new, three-year contract for about 200 workers at the Archer Daniels Midland plant in Cedar Rapids.

According to Jesse Case, the Secretary-Treasurer of Teamster Local 238, the deal includes a $5000 ratification bonus and an immediate 6% across the board raise in the first year. In a statement posted on Facebook, Case said ADM’s “multi-billion dollar profit margin exists” because of “the labor and sweat of its workers: and the union would like to see higher wages for everyone in the industry.

In a written statement, an ADM spokesperson described the contract as “extremely competitive.” ADM’s plant in Cedar Rapids breaks corn kernels down into corn oil, corn starch and other byproducts.

(Radio Iowa) – Powerball tickets are a hot ticket in Iowa lately. There are about three-point-two million people living in Iowa, and the Iowa Lottery says the latest Powerball drawing saw two-point-six million dollars in sales, just within the state. That includes more than two-point-one million dollars in Iowa sales just on Monday.

The average spent per person was around six dollars, or three plays, which lottery officials say demonstrates people didn’t go overboard. 

There was no jackpot winner Monday night, so (as of Noon Tuesday) the big prize for Wednesday’s drawing is forecast to grow to one-point-two billion dollars, the game’s second-highest jackpot.

(Radio Iowa) – Ankeny-based Casey’s General Stores has more than doubled the number of electric vehicle charging stations at its retail locations this year and the company plans to add more in 2023. According to a company news release, Casey’s has 134 electric vehicle charging stations at 28 different locations in the Midwest and South. The C-E-O of Casey’s says the company is exploring a number of ways to provide guests with more lower carbon options, including biofuels and E-V charging stations.

Casey’s currently has charging stations at eight of its Iowa stores — in the cites of Altoona, Ankeny, Avoca, Carroll, Clarinda, Early, Emmetsburg and Sioux City.

According to the D-O-T, there are 270 public E-V charging spots in the state of Iowa and Casey’s accounts for eight percent of them.

(Lewis, Iowa) – It’s that time of year once again, for the Cass County Conservation Board to ask “When do you think the first Trumpeter Swan will arrive at the Schildberg Quarry?” Please call in your prediction (by November 22nd) to the Conservation Board at 712-769-2372, leave a message and return phone number if they are not in. Duplicate dates will not be allowed. For example, if a caller predicts November 25th, no one else will be allowed to predict that arrival date. So, call anytime until November 22nd to make your prediction! One prediction per family, please.

The sponsors of this contest will determine the official arrival of more than 6 trumpeter swans to Lake 4, and if they arrive before Nov. 22nd no more dates will be taken. The winner will receive a Trumpeter Swan Prize from the Cass County Conservation Board. Sorry, this contest is only for residents of Cass County.

Fun fact: Trumpeter Swans have visited the Schildberg Quarry for, at least, Twenty-three out of the last twenty-four winters. Arrival and departure dates of the swans have been as follows:

1997/1998 December 18 – January 2

1998/1999 Nothing on record

1999/2000 December 25 – February 15

2000/2001 November 23 – March 6

2001/2002 December 25 – February 24

2002/2003 November 23 – March 15

2003/2004 November 26 – March 21

2004/2005 November 25 – March 18

2005/2006 November 17 – March 5

2006/2007 October 30 – March 9

2007/2008 November 22- February 14

2008/2009 November 18- March 12

2009-2010 November 19 – January 5

2010-2011 November 5 – February 10

2011/2012 November 17 – February 21

2012/2013 November 24– March 4

2013/2014 November 12- April 7

2014/2015 November 11- April 6

2015/2016 November 22- March 24

2016/2017 November 19- March 9

2017/2018 November 9- March 20

2018/2019 November 11- January 23

2019/2020 November 8- March 3

2020/2021 November 30- February 13

2021/2022 November 22- February 28

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Rising, in partnership with Hy-Vee, will continue to lead the Christmas Box Program this holiday season. The program was originally started by West Central Community Action over 20 years ago. The Jaycees took the program over soon after it started and then passed the program to Atlantic Rising in 2018. Kelsey Beschorner, Programs Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce said “This program helps families and individuals in need of a Christmas dinner. Atlantic Rising members, along with community volunteers, delivered boxes to 165 individuals and families last year. With today’s continued challenges, we expect to see a continued increase in nominations this year.”

Atlantic Rising is preparing for the 5th Annual Trivia Night that will take place this Saturday, November 5th at the Venue. The event will include eight rounds of ten questions each. Categories range from math to music to Saturday Night Live and everything in between. There is a prize awarded to the winning team. Teams are also encouraged to create team themes to add to the fun of the evening.

Beschorner says “Trivia Night is the organization’s main fundraising event for Christmas Boxes, and year after year participants enjoy a fun night while raising money for an impactful project. With the projected numbers of families served, we will also be reaching out to businesses and community members asking for donations and volunteers to help serve as many families as possible. Any time our community needs us, we are there to put in the work.”

On December 15th, members of Atlantic Rising and local volunteers will fill and deliver boxes of food items to families and individuals who can then use them to cook Christmas dinner. “Atlantic Rising is proud to carry on this tradition of the Christmas Box program, and we are thankful that we are able to partner with HyVee and give back to the community in such a great way,” Beschorner said.

To nominate a family or individual, or if you are interested in volunteering, contact Atlantic Rising at 712.243.3017 or chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors held their regular weekly meeting this (Tuesday) morning. The Board heard a brief report from Engineer Karen Albert.

The Commercial rezoning she spoke of pertains to U Avenue in Villisca. A report was also received from County Veteran’s Affairs Executive Director Curtis White, who spoke on all the activities his department has been involved in helping.

White said also, he’s spent several hours both on-and-offline, in various training courses over the past six months. Director White said one of the things that has been drawing increased traffic into his office, is questions and claims pertaining to the PACT ACT, which was signed into law in August 2022.

This issue is separate from the lawsuit over contaminated ground/drinking water in Camp Lejeune that you may heard so much about. White said in the third-quarter, Montgomery County received more than $8-million in total compensation for Veteran’s Compensation and Pension, Medical, Education and Insurance. He mentioned also, a spaghetti feed will be held from 5-until 7-p.m.on Veterans Day (Nov. 11), at the Eagles Club in Red Oak. There is no charge for Veterans to partake in the dinner.

The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors discussed, but took no action on the proposed Summit Pipeline Ordinance, because it’s under review by the County Attorney.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Police Chief Devin Hogue and his staff, report nine arrests took place from Oct. 17th through the 31st. In reverse order:

On Monday, Oct. 31….48-year-old Dan Christensen, of Atlantic, was arrested for Assault causing bodily injury, and for Possession of a controlled substance/marijuana. And, 42-year-old Albert Kintin, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public intoxication and consumption of alcohol in a public place.

On Oct. 24th...29-year-old Jason Mark, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear. And, 27-year-old Sakios Yleiza, of Atlantic, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault/2nd offense, and Violation of a No Contact Order.

On the 22nd, of October….22-year-old BJ Taun, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public Intoxication, and, 38-year-old Fernando Villa-Diaz, of Atlantic, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault & Child Endangerment.

There were two arrests Oct. 21st in Atlantic….30-year-old Casey Manzanares, of Atlantic, was arrested for Violation of Probation. And, 54-year-old Honey Kelver, of Atlantic, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault.

And, on Oct. 17th, Atlantic Police arrested 32-year-old Tyler Mills, of Atlantic, for Harassment in the 3rd Degree and two counts Violation of a No Contact Order.

All nine subjects were transported to the Cass County (IA) Jail, booked in and held. As of today (November 1st) these individuals remain in the Jail: BJ Taun; Sakios Yleiza; Dan Christensen, & Albert Kintin.

Des Moines, Iowa – State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald is recognizing Veteran’s Day by spreading the word about lost and forgotten war memorabilia turned over to the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt. “Safe deposit boxes are often used to keep important documents and items secure,” said Fitzgerald. “If the boxes go three years with no activity, the contents are turned over to my office as unclaimed property. Some items we find while inventorying the contents are Purple Hearts, other medals and honorable discharge papers.”

Reuniting Iowans and veterans with their lost treasures has always been a mission for Fitzgerald. “We work year-round to reunite these items with the owners of the safe deposit box,” continued Fitzgerald. “Utilizing Veteran’s Day to emphasize our efforts, I have put together a list of individuals who have military-related items currently being held in my office. Keep in mind some of these items may have been passed over multiple generations or between loved ones, so the name listed does not necessarily mean the item was theirs.”

• Ruth Manhood: Robert Mahood military discharge papers
• Norman Stroink: Good Conduct medal dated July 24, 1943
• Martha Celia Stehn: World War II medal
• Jack and Penny Harker: National Defense medal
• Bruce Hutchison: military medals and French War Medal letter
• Bruce Vierling: Good Conduct medal and pins
• Christopher Garmon: Army training documents
• Jaret Goforth: Army discharge papers
• Lois Priebe: Honorable Discharge papers
• Mary Creech: military pins

If you are on this list or recognize a name, search at GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov or contact Fitzgerald’s claims team, at FoundIt@tos.iowa.gov or (515) 281-5367.”

Every year, millions of dollars in abandoned property are turned over to the State Treasurer’s Office as unclaimed property, which refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions, businesses and organizations that have lost contact with the owner for a specific period of time. In addition to abandoned safe deposit box contents, other common forms of unclaimed property include dormant checking and saving accounts, uncashed checks, lost stocks, life insurance policies and utility deposits.