Montgomery County conducted its second post-election audit Thursday, under a new law designed to monitor and protect election processes. According to Auditor Stephanie Burke, the audit was successful.

Iowa law allows the Secretary of State choose, at random, one precinct in each Iowa county to be audited. County auditors must then supervise a hand count of the ballots from that precinct and compare the results to the voting machine count from election night.

In Montgomery County, the Secretary of State chose Precinct 7, which votes at the Villisca Community Building. 161 ballots were cast on election night and the results matched to the hand count done on Thursday. Burke said “The hand count shows that our machines are accurately counting ballots. All voters deserve to have confidence that their vote has been counted properly.”

Two precinct election officials, representing the two major political parties, conducted the count under the supervision of Elections Clerk, Beth Peterson, and Auditor Stephanie Burke. As required in the law, the Auditor’s Office notified the county chairs of both of the two major political parties. The process was witnessed by a representative of the Montgomery County Democrats.

Questions about the post-election audit and other election matters may be directed to the Montgomery County Auditor’s office at 712-623-5127.

Officials with the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency said today (Thursday), clean-up crews continue to work at the site of Wednesday morning’s train derailment near the Boxelder Avenue bridge. Boxelder Ave is still closed and should be reopened early Friday morning. While the rail should be fixed and open for traffic yet tonight or early tomorrow, cleanup crews will still be at the site over the next several days or weeks to cleanup the remaining damaged cars and coal. Officials said approximately 20-to 30-coal BNSF cars derailed at around 4-a.m., Wednesday. No injuries were reported.

(Photos from the Montgomery County EMA Facebook page)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Officials say a gay pastor in Iowa City will request a leave of absence as part of a settlement of complaints that her sexual orientation violates United Methodist Church law. The Rev. Anna Blaedel had been director of the Wesley Center at the University of Iowa but stepped down in May because of a church complaint filed in 2018. She’s been the subject of three complaints since she publicly disclosed in 2016 that she was gay.

Blaedel has since been working 10-15 hours a week leading the center’s Table Tuesday program, in which college students gather to discuss spirituality and social justice. The Rev. Tyler Schwaller has been representing Blaedel, and he told The Gazette that Blaedel will retain her pastoral credentials. Blaedel has declined to comment. Delegates at a United Methodist Church conference in St. Louis voted in February to strengthen a ban on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report four recent arrests. On Wednesday, 25-year old Amber Nicole Ross, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a warrant for Violation for Probation. Her bond was set at $20,000. 45-year old Stacey Lynn Barrett, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving While Barred, Wednesday (bond set at $2,000), and 58-year old Darrell Adam Klahn, of Omaha, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, and Driving Under Suspension. His bond was set at $1,300.

On Tuesday, 36-year old William Joseph Bullock, of Omaha, was arrested in Mills County, for Eluding, Driving While Revoked, and preventing apprehension. His bond was set at $8,000.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation have issued a follow-up to an incident on May 30th, that damaged a bridge in downtown Sioux City. Following the initial analysis on the fire-damaged, northbound bridge over Perry Creek, the Iowa DOT has determined to establish two northbound Interstate 29 lanes through downtown. Much of the work to establish the two-lane configuration will occur during the weekend. The contractor will then work toward establishing two southbound lanes through the area with a target completion time of 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 22.

Earlier, the DOT said heat from fire that began in a homeless camp, damaged the bridge to the point where some of the concrete pulled away from the structure. Authorities said they believe the fire was likely started by people using propane.

Deputies in Page County conducted a traffic stop at around 12:20-a.m. Wednesday, in Clarinda, and arrested 30-year old Christian David Hull, of Clarinda. Hull was taken into custody for Driving Under Suspension. His bond at the Page County Jail was set at slightly more than $566, pending further court proceedings.

Officials with Guthrie County ISU Extension and Outreach report Guthrie County 4-H has been challenged to raise $50,000 to be used toward building a new 4-H STATIC building for the 2020 Guthrie County Fair. If you can help, consider giving your tax-deductible donation to the Guthrie County 4-H Foundation on Giving, Tuesday, December 3, 2019.

Donations can be made online at http://bit.ly/2oxM0DY (specify that your donation is for Guthrie County or by mail to: Guthrie County 4-H Foundation, 212 State Street, Guthrie Center, IA 50115.

The Union County Sheriff’s Department reports 21-year old Wade Dwight Hiatt, of Truro, was arrested Wednesday night, at the Marion County Jail. Hiatt was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for failure to appear on the original charge of criminal mischief 3rd degree. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) — A judge won’t consider written testimony from a man who claims he was unaware of his legal rights when he allegedly confessed to killing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts. Judge Joel Yates ruled today (Thursday), that he will not allow lawyers for Cristhian Bahena Rivera to submit a written affidavit from their client unless he agrees to submit to cross-examination by prosecutors.

Lawyers for Rivera, who is charged with murder, say they won’t allow him to testify. Yates rejected the affidavit. Yates is considering a defense motion to suppress statements Rivera made during an interrogation in August 2018 in which he implicated himself in Tibbetts’ death. She disappeared a month earlier while running.

Rivera says in the affidavit that he was unaware of certain rights and scared to invoke others.

(Radio Iowa) — A central Iowa man is jailed on charges he fatally stabbed his wife. The Story County Sheriff’s Office got a 911 call Wednesday evening from a Zearing resident who said a neighbor had just confessed to killing his wife after a domestic dispute. Deputies responded and found the body of 62-year-old Betty Jean Pillman outside the home. She had severe lacerations to her upper body.

Deputies also found 70-year-old Gary Pillman suffering from cuts on his arm. He was taken to the hospital for treatment, then arrested on a charge of second-degree murder.