(Radio Iowa) – The institution is fictional but the enthusiasm is genuine as the University of Okoboji Winter Games are underway this weekend in northwest Iowa. Kiley Zankowski, with the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, says thousands of people are expected through Sunday who will be competing in everything from ping-pong and pickleball to axe throwing and a human foosball tournament.

“We kick off the day Saturday with all sorts of different sporting events, like the broomball tournament, the softball tournament and so much more,” Zankowski says. “We look forward to those other signature events, like the Polar Plunge. It’ll be especially polar this year but it’s always a really fun one to watch.” In the plunge, about 150 people make donations to charity in order to jump into the frigid West Lake Okoboji, where heavy machinery has removed a section of ice. Other events include a chili cookoff, chocolate tasting, a cribbage tournament and a dog show. There’s also a kite festival.

“We’re really excited about all of the kite fliers that are coming from all across the nation and even a couple international,” Zankowski says. “We’re hoping for around 120 kites in the sky at a time, which will be bigger than ever before, and then really excited about the addition of a Night Kite show on Saturday.” The forecast indicates the possibility for moderate-to-heavy snowfall in the region this weekend, which she says adds to the fun.

Human Foosball (2022 University of Okoboji games photo)

“We’ve kind of got a record of snow this year already, just a ton of snow for snowmobilers, ATVs, UTVs and people to enjoy. It really adds to the Winter Games element and the different activities that we have going on,” Zankowski says. “We wish the temperatures were a little warmer but there’s so much to do inside and outside all weekend long, so we’re just excited for the games to be here.” The Winter Games are expected to have an economic impact of three-million dollars for the region.

See the full schedule of events at: uofowintergames.com.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Democratic Party’s governing board is scheduled to elect a new party chair tomorrow. The new leader will inherit a party reeling from 2022 election losses and dwindling finances. Former Congressman Dave Nagle of Cedar Falls served as party chairman 40 years ago. Nagle says the party’s next leader will also have to decide whether to fight to keep the Iowa Caucuses first in the nation. “Or we’re going to allow Washington, D.C. to tell us what we should do, when we can do it and how we can do it,” Nagle says.

National party leaders have said Iowa delegates may not participate in the 2024 Democratic National Convention if the Iowa Caucuses are held before presidential primaries in other states. Nagle says that’s not much of a threat. “It’s 50 Iowans that don’t have to go be stage props in August wherever they’re going to have the national convention,” Nagle said. “That’s a small price to pay.”

Dave Nagel. (RI photo)

The more than 60 members of the Iowa Democratic Party state central committee are scheduled to convene Saturday morning to conduct the election for a new party chair. The group will consider a proposal to create another smaller executive committee that would include the Democratic leaders in the legislature. Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls says it’s common for large boards to select a smaller group to address pressing issues. “I think that this will be a productive proposal that will help improve the governance of the party and leadership of the party,” Wahls says, “and I certainly strongly endorse it and hope that it passes.”

House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst says the proposed change in party structure would involve people like her and Wahls who are raising money and recruiting candidates for the legislature. “It’s a very reasonable and common sense approach as we try to modernize,” she says.

The Iowa Republican Party’s state central committee has 20 members. It met on January 14 and reelected Jeff Kaufmann as party chairman.

Shelby County (IA) Auditor Mark Maxwell reports Special Elections will be held on March 7th, for patrons of the IKM-Manning and Exira-EHK School Districts.

Polling Places in Shelby County will be:

For the SHELBY COUNTY and AUDUBON COUNTY residents in the IKM-Manning School District the polling place will be the Irwin Community Building at 404 Front St., Irwin.

For the SHELBY COUNTY only residents in the Exira-EHK School District the polling place will be at the Elk Horn City Hall at 4212 Main St., Elk Horn.

The polls will be open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on March 7, 2023.

Absentee Ballot Request Forms are being accepted at the Shelby County Auditor’s office. You may call 712-755-3831 extension 6, to ask for one absentee ballot request form for yourself. You may also print your own absentee ballot request form on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/absenteeinfo.html. Mail the completed request form to the Shelby County Auditor’s office at 612 Court Street, Harlan, Iowa, 51537.

The Absentee Ballot Request form must be received in the Auditor’s office by 5:00 PM on February 20, 2023 in order for a ballot to be mailed to you.

In-person absentee voting at the Shelby County Courthouse will begin February 15, 2023 and will continue until March 6, 2023.

If you have any questions please call the Auditor’s office at 712-755-3831 extension 6.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Auditor’s Office has released information with regard to Absentee voter registration and ballot deadlines, in advance of the March 7th Special Election of the Nodaway Valley Community School District. On the ballot is Public Measure AA (summarized below):

“Shall the Board of Directors of the Nodaway Valley Community School District, in the Counties of Adair and Madison, State of Iowa, be authorized for a period of ten (10) years, to levy annually, a voter-approved physical plant and equipment property tax not to exceed One Dollar Thirty-Four Cents ($1.34) per One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) of the assessed valuation of the taxable property within the school district commencing with the levy for collection in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, or each year thereafter?”

Screenshot of the March 7, 2023 Special Election ballot.

The Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. in the evening of the same day. There will be only one polling place for the Nodaway Valley CSD, and that is at the Adair County Health and Fitness Center (202 N Townline Rd, Greenfield, IA)

The schedule for Absentee voting is as follows:

• Wednesday, February 15: First day of absentee voting (by mail and in-person)
• Monday, February 20: Pre-registration deadline and mailed absentee ballot request deadline
• Monday, February 20: Auditor’s Office open from 8am until 5pm
• Friday, March 3: Auditor’s Office open until 5pm
• Monday, March 6: Last day to vote Absentee at the Auditor’s Office
• Tuesday, March 7: Election Day; Polls open from 7am to 8pm.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court is allowing statements made to police by a former Simpson College professor accused of killing her husband to be used in court. Gowun Park called West Des Moines Police to report her husband Sung Woo Nam was not breathing. She told the officers her husband had tied himself to a chair and she later found him unresponsive. It appeared to officers he had been strangled, and during questioning, they did not immediately reveal her husband had died. They also suggested she could tell them if this happened because she had been abused. The district court and Appeals Court ruled Park had not willingly waived her right to remain silent.

The Supreme Court ruling says although Park is from Korea, she is proficient in English and understood her rights. The High Court ruling says while some tactics used may have been distasteful, officers were only trying to find out what happened, and did not coerce a confession from Park.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Rescue crews with the Atlantic Fire Department and Cass EMS were dispatched to the scene of a rollover accident on the far southwest side of Atlantic this (Friday) morning. The call went out at around 11:30-a.m. about the accident south of 29th Street on Nishna Street. A female with a leg injury was said to have been trapped in the vehicle. A short time later, a second Cass EMS unit was called for, as a second accident victim was located.

Atlantic Fire and Rescue arrived on the scene at 11:35-a.m.

Additional details are currently not available.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports there were eight arrests from January 19th through the 25th.

On Wednesday, January 25th, 27-year-old Matthew Paulsen, of Adair, was arrested in Cass County on a warrant for Harassment 3rd Degree.  Paulsen was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

This past Tuesday, 57-year-old Michelle Evans, of Bridgewater, was arrested by Cass County Deputies, on a warrant for Failure to Appear.  Evans was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held.  That same day, 31-year-old Trevor Conklin, of Sioux Falls, SD, was arrested on warrants for Burglary 3rd Degree, Theft 3rd Degree and Criminal Mischief 4th Degree.  Conklin turned himself in and was booked into the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

There were three arrests in Cass County on January 23rd:

• 23-year-old Timothy Asmus, of Audubon, was arrested on a warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine.  Asmus was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.
• 58-year-old Donald Worth, of Lewis, was arrested on a warrant for Violation of Probation.  Worth turned himself in and was booked into the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.
• and, 30-year-old Michael Riley, of Lewis, was arrested on the charge of Domestic Abuse Assault – 2nd Offense.  Riley was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On January 21st, Sheriff’s Deputies in Cass County arrested 37-year-old Daniel Knight, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Violation of Probation.  Knight was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

And, on January 19th, 32-year-old Benjamin Barnes, of Griswold, was arrested on a charge for Sex Offender Registry Violation.  Barnes was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the pursuit of a vehicle allegedly used in an incident of theft ended in a crash Tuesday afternoon, and the apprehension of a man from Nebraska. Authorities say the Atlantic Police Department was called to Walmart for a reported theft, during which the suspect allegedly took items without paying, and left the store.

Officers and Cass County Deputies were given a description of the suspect’s vehicle that fled the scene.  A while later, a Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy located this vehicle on Interstate 80 traveling westbound.  Before attempting to stop this vehicle, the Deputy waited for additional law enforcement units to arrive.  Once additional law enforcement units were present, the Deputy stopped the vehicle at around 3:02-p.m.  The vehicle initially pulled over but during the course of the traffic stop, the vehicle fled and a pursuit ensued. 

Speeds exceeded 100 MPH and it was noted that the fleeing suspect and vehicle nearly ran several vehicles off of the roadway.  The pursuit continued west onto Interstate 880 in Pottawattamie County.  After exiting from the Interstate the vehicle wrecked at the intersection of L34 and Mahogany Rd, while attempting to swerve around law enforcement’s stop sticks.

Law Enforcement officials were able to take the operator into custody and he was identified as 37 year old Dale Saylors, of Papillion, NE.  Saylors was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was held on Theft charges.  Additional charges are pending in Pottawattamie County

(Radio Iowa) – House Republicans are considering new rules to determine which Iowans are eligible for government food assistance and medical coverage. Their bill would seek federal waivers to bar pop and candy purchases with food stamps and require that some Medicaid patients work. The bill also calls for considering the value of some household assets when calculating eligibility. Tyler Raygor, a lobbyist for Americans for Prosperity, is urging lawmakers to pass the bill. “We think it’s important to remember we’re dealing with finite taxpayer dollars,” Raygor says. “When you have folks on these programs who don’t need them, that puts these programs in jeopardy for folks who truly do need them.”

Advocates for low income Iowans say people who need help with food and medical care could lose their benefits if the bill becomes law. Cyndi Peterson, a lobbyist for the Iowa Food Bank Association, says the new eligibility checks would require a lot of more paperwork — and staff work.  “As you will recall, the State of Pennsylvania did an asset test limit for SNAP on a three year pilot,” Petersen says. “After three years, it reversed this decision because it brought a cost of $3.5 million administrative burden to the state.”

Other critics say the new asset rule means low income rural couples who work and have two vehicles would not qualify for government assistance.