CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s elections office has accused county officials who tried to make it easier to vote by mail during the pandemic of illegally breaching voters’ personal information. The assertion by the office of Secretary of State Paul Pate is a boost for President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, which is suing three Iowa counties to invalidate at least 70,000 returned absentee ballot request forms. The claim comes ahead of a hearing Thursday in a lawsuit filed by the Trump campaign and state and national GOP groups against Linn County Auditor Joel Miller. The lawsuit seeks to invalidate about 50,000 requests for absentee ballots that have been returned since July, when Miller’s office sent forms with personal information to about 140,000 registered voters.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s secretary of state has issued instructions that counties cannot set up drop boxes to accept early ballots for this year’s general election. That comes despite not challenging the use of those boxes in more than a third of Iowa’s counties in previous elections. The Iowa Secretary of State’s Office recently told county auditors during training that Iowa law doesn’t allow the use of drop boxes for ballots. Scott County Auditor Roxanna Moritz told the Des Moines Register that 39 of Iowa’s 99 counties indicated to her in recent days that they have previously used a drop box system to collect ballots.

MOUNT PLEASANT – Tuesday night, the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility (MPCF) was notified that three COVID-19 tests they had submitted were positive for COVID-19. The facility has been implementing changes to operations since receiving this information, and have placed the facility on a restricted movement status as they work to mitigate further spread of the virus. Restricted movement status will be lifted as soon as staff are confident viral spread has been contained.

Working with the Iowa Dept. of Public Health and the State Hygienic Lab, MPCF is conducting additional testing at the facility to identify those that might be carrying the virus while asymptomatic.

The department has been preparing and dealing with the eventuality of COVID-19 in the prison system for months. An outline of the changes to DOC protocols can be found at doc.iowa.gov/department-corrections-steps, and more information related to COVID-19 in the DOC can be found at doc.iowa.gov/COVID19. For members of the public with questions about COVID-19 in the prison system, a hotline is available during business hours Monday-Friday by calling (515) 373-5457.

The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office has released the final list of candidates that have filed paperwork to be on the ballot for the November 3rd General Election.

Montgomery County Auditor (Vote for 1)
• Stephanie Burke (Rep)

Montgomery County Sheriff (Vote for 1)
• Jon Spunaugle (Rep)

Supervisor District #3 (Vote for 1)
• Randy Cooper (Rep)
• Bryant Amos (Nomination by Petition)

Supervisor District #5 (Vote for 1)
• Donna Robinson (Rep)

Hospital Trustee (Vote for 3)
• Sarah Wearin Smith
• Lorin Petersen
• James Norris
• Ann Carder

County Agricultural Extension Council (Vote for 4)
• Mike Thomas
• Kassandra Houdek
• Chad Jacobs
• Lucas Oster

Soil and Water Conservation Board (Vote for 3)
• David Carbaugh
• Fred Hossle
• Kent D. Swanson

Township Trustees (Vote for 2 per township)

Pilot Grove Township
• David W. Olson
• Ronald Adams
Lincoln Township
• Kirk Baird
• None Filed
West Township
• Edgar R. Wilkins Sr.
• David L. Gohlinghorst
Red Oak Township
• Donna DeVries
• None Filed
Sherman Township
• James Good
• Dan Phelps
Garfield Township
• John Willms
• Gary Querry
Grant Township
• John Sunberg
• Dennis Carlson
Frankfort Township
• Rodney Hart
• None Filed
Washington Township
• Mike Jackson
• None Filed

East Township, Douglas Township, and Scott Township are appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

The Adair County Auditor’s Office has released the final list of candidates that have filed papers to be on the ballot for the General Election on November 3rd; the deadline to file was Wednesday evening.

The General Election will be Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Voter pre-registration deadline is 5:00 p.m. Saturday, October 24, 2020. Pre-registered voters are required to provide an approved form of identification at the polling place before receiving and casting a regular ballot. Voters who are not pre-registered – such as voters registering to vote on election day – and voters changing precincts must also provide proof of residence. A voter who is unable to provide an approved form of identification (or prove residence if required) 1) may have the voter’s
identity/residence attested to by another registered voter in the precinct, 2) prove identity and residence using Election Day Registration documents, or 3) cast a provisional ballot and provide proof of identity/residence at the county auditor’s office by 12:00 p.m. (noon), November 10, 2020. Election Day Registrant attesters must provide an approved form of identification. For additional information about providing proof of identity and/or residence visit: https://sos.iowa.gov/voterid or phone (641) 743-2546. Voters may request an absentee ballot from the Auditor’s Office. Voters may vote in the office between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, beginning October 5, 2020 or they may request a ballot be mailed to them. The deadline to request an absentee ballot be mailed is 5:00 p.m. Saturday, October 24, 2020. The last day to vote absentee in the Auditor’s Office is Monday, November 2, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Polls will open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Election Day November 3, 2020.

Candidates who have filed papers for the General Election are as follows:

County Supervisor District #1 – Elect 1
Matt Wedemeyer (Rep)
County Supervisor District #3 – Elect 1
Jerry Walker (Rep)
County Supervisor District #5 – Elect 1
Thaddeus Hawley (Dem)
John A Twombly (Rep)
County Auditor – Elect 1
Mandy Berg (Rep)
County Sheriff – Elect 1
Jeffrey L Vandewater (Rep)
County Attorney – To Fill Vacancy – Elect 1
Melissa S Larson (Dem)
Richland Township Trustee – Elect 1
Roy Maeder
Washington Township Trustee – Elect 1
No Candidate Filed
County Hospital Trustee – Elect 3
Willard Olesen
Jimmy Freeland
Deb Tindle
County Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner – Elect 3
Randy Caviness
James Frederick
Daryl Nelson
County Agricultural Extension Council Member – Elect 4
Jessica Christensen
Matt Mensing
Trent Raasch
Karen Schulteis

Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh is reminding area residents of the upcoming drive-through mobile food pantry event on September 2nd from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Cass County Community Center.

Hoegh said, “The Foodbank for the Heartland Mobile Pantry is coming right up—Sept. 2, one week from today. We have ordered DOUBLE the food because we know folks are struggling. This is open to everyone in Cass County.”

Check out the graphic below for a reminder of available food assistance resources in Cass County. You can also follow the link below for the updated Cass County Community Resource Guide that has a wealth of information for area residents.

Comm. Resource Guide

AMES, Iowa – Aug. 26, 2020 – Gone are the days of going to an Iowa Department of Transportation driver’s license service center and waiting an unknown amount of time for your number to be called. Doing business at an Iowa DOT driver’s license service center can now be accomplished by appointment. We will no longer accept walk-in customers.

A pilot project of the appointment-only model began March 16 as a way to accomplish social distancing in response to the pandemic. Moving to an appointment-only model was something the Iowa DOT was already planning for, but when the pandemic hit, those plans were quickly put into motion.

“We needed a way to continue to serve customers, but also do so safely. By asking customers to schedule appointments, we were able to control the number of people in a service center at a given time and ensure adequate social distancing was in place,” said Melissa Gillett, Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division director.

The appointment-only model has offered many benefits beyond those related to the pandemic. “We’ve received an overwhelmingly positive response from our customers who are able to get in and out in a matter of minutes. In addition, our employees have reported positive changes in their work environment such as more pleasant customer interactions and reduced stress,” said Gillett.

While the appointment-only model brings with it many positives, Iowans will need to get used to planning ahead.

“We know our appointment times are booking up quickly because of the backlog we are currently working through due to the pandemic. We’d like Iowans to start thinking about their visit to a driver’s license service center as they would their routine healthcare visits and schedule an appointment several weeks in advance,” said Gillett. “The length of time until the next available appointment is averaging about three-to-four weeks out. However, we encourage Iowans to check back frequently as we are continually working to add new appointment times and, in some cases, extending service hours in recognition of the demand.”

During the early months of the pandemic service centers were operating at a lower capacity to accommodate social distancing. In addition, many customers delayed their driver’s license or ID renewal within the guidelines of Iowa’s emergency disaster proclamation. This has created a backlog of Iowans with expired licenses and other service needs. The Iowa DOT would like to prioritize service appointments for Iowans whose licenses have already expired.

As a reminder, the REAL ID deadline has been pushed back to Oct. 1, 2021. If you were planning a trip to a service center to only add a REAL ID Gold Star, we encourage you to wait a few months to schedule that appointment so we may serve those with immediate needs. When you do make your appointment, check for the gold star in the upper right corner of your license or ID. If you don’t have it, you can build a personalized checklist of the documents you’ll need to bring with you to your appointment to get your REAL ID gold star.

Many Iowans with expired licenses may be eligible to renew online, and we are also offering six-month extensions for those who need more time to renew. To determine your options use our service selector tool.  In-person driver’s license or ID services are available through any Iowa DOT service center as well as county treasurer’s offices. Location information can be found at https://iowadot.gov/mvd/iowa-dot-locations. You do not have to receive service from the location closest to you.

Bulbs bring spring color!  The Cass County Master Gardeners have taken on a new project this fall, with a bulb sale featuring tulip and narcissus bulb mixtures.  This sale is now open to the public for pre-order, with delivery by the end of October, in plenty of time for fall planting.  Order forms are available at the Cass County Extension office, or online at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

The bulbs will be freshly dug from the gardens of Van Engelen, Inc., in Connecticut, and shipped in bulk to the Cass County Master Gardeners.  The Master Gardeners have ordered 500 bulbs, which they hope to pre-sell by the end of September.  The bulbs are expected to arrive by the end of October, for packaging five bulbs to a bag, and each bag of tulip mixture or narcissus mixture will sell for only $ 5. Pre-payment is requested at the time of order to guarantee your bulbs.

The colorful Giant Darwin Hybrid Tulip Mixture includes:  Apricot Impression, Banja Luka (red and yellow), Big Love (pink), Cream Jewel (white), Daydream (apricot to yellow), Golden Parade, Pink Impression, Red Impression, Salmon Impression, White Cloud, and World’s Favorite (red), with plant heights from 20 to 24 inches. The Fragrant Narcissus Mixture features daffodils in colors from white to golden yellow, including:  Double Narcissi Bridal Crown, Cheerfulness and Yellow Cheerfulness; Tazetta Narcissi Geranium and Golden Dawn; Triandrus Narcissi Starlight Sensation, Sunlight Sensation and Thalia; Poeticus Narcissus Pheasant’s Eye; and Jonquilla Narcissi Pipit and Pueblo, ranging in height from 14 to 20 inches. Each bag of 5 will feature a random selection from the colors listed above.

Cass County Master Gardeners will also be holding their second annual Fall Plant Sale on Saturday, October 10, from 8 to 10 am or until sold out.  Bulb orders will be taken, if they are not already sold out, at this event.  Master Gardeners will bring bulbs and plants from their own gardens for this sale.  Donations of divided plants are welcome if you would like to donate perennials or bulbs from your garden. Please call in advance and make arrangements to drop off donated plants before the date of the plant sale!

For more information about these events and about Master Gardener activities in Cass County, please call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu.  In addition, you are invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners at their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG to keep up with local events and tips for gardening!

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Tuesday afternoon, of a woman from Red Oak. 47-year old Rondy Ruby Porter was arrested for Driving While License Denied or Revoked and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability. Her bond was set at $1,000.