(Area News) – While the focus of this Tuesday’s General Election nationwide will be on the Presidential race, and State/National Congressional and/or Legislative races, there are some local races to keep tabs on. In Cass County (IA), Republican incumbent Bernard Pettinger, of Anita, faces a challenge from Democrat Phyllis Stakey for the Board of Supervisors in District 5. Four candidates are in the running for three seats on the (non-partisan) Soil and Water Conservation District Board, including: Terry Langan, of Griswold; Curt Behrends, of Wiota; Chris P. Witzman, of Atlantic, and Chase Wheatley, of Massena.

There are no contested races in Adair and Montgomery Counties. There are two men running for the Adams County Board of Supervisors in District 5: Republicans Christopher Standley, and Karl McCarty. Adams County voters will also determine the fate of Public Measure AJ, which asks if the Board of Supervisors be reduced from five members to three, per Iowa Code.

In Audubon County, four people are hoping to fill two seats on the Board of Supervisors. The candidates include Republicans Kent Grabill and Donald J. Mosinski, Democrat Nathan Wahlert, and incumbent Douglas D. Sorensen. And, Republican incumbent Audubon County Auditor Lisa Frederiksen is facing a challenge from Christena Hemmingsen.

In Guthrie County, voters will choose whether or not to retain County Democrat incumbent Sheriff Marty Arganbright, or replace him with his Deputy, Republican Matt Harmann.

Pottawattamie County voters get to choose one of two candidates for County Auditor: Incumbent Republican Mary Ann Hanusa, or Free/Independent candidate Bryan Jack Holder. In Shelby County, there are six people running for four seats on the County Ag Extension Council. The candidates include: Connie Petersen; Michele Monson; Kathy Fara; Matthew Worthey; Kristi Travis, and Larry J. Wendt, Jr.

There are Public Measures in Cass County, with regard to: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the levy of a local option income surtax of 1% upon the Iowa Individual Income Tax for 15-years, beginning Dec. 31, 2025, plus, an Ad Valorem tax on property not to exceed 75-cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, beginning with the taxes collected June 30, 2026; There is also a $22.5-million General Obligation bond issuance in the CAM School District for building and site construction, improvements and/or repairs. CAM School District patrons in Adair, Adams and Audubon Counties will also have the Public Measure on their ballots. And, there is a $55-million General Obligation Bond Measure for 13 Counties (Including Cass), included in the Iowa Western Community College Merged Area 8, for similar infrastructure purposes.

All counties will have Constitutional Amendments on the ballot, with regard to the voting age and requirements, and authorizing the lieutenant governor to act as governor or lieutenant governor-elect to be the governor or governor-elect, if the governor is temporarily or permanently disabled, resigns or dies in office, thereby creating a vacancy in the office of Lt. Governor or Lt. Gov. elect, as appropriate.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report four arrests since the beginning of November. Most recently:

There were two arrests Sunday (Nov. 3rd) in Creston. 55-year-old David Wayne Kemp was arrested at the Casey’s store on N. Sumner Street at around 7-a.m.  Kemp – who has no known address – was charged with Possess Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of a Controlled Substance/2nd Offense. He was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on a $2,000 bond; And, at around 10-a.m. Sunday, Creston Police arrested 35-year-old Eric Daniel Batson, of Corning. Batson taken into custody under the authority of a Union County Warrant for Stalking. He was later released on a $10,000 bond.

At around 2:45-a.m. Saturday, Police in Creston arrested 23-year-old Meghan Ashley Mitchell, of Lorimor, for OWI/1st offense. She later posted a $2,000 bond and was released.

And, at about 11:30-p.m. Friday, Creston Police arrested 42-year-old Wendi Sue Pearson, of Creston, for OWI/1st Offense, and Child Endangerment. Pearson was taken to the Union County Jail where she later posted a $3,000 bond before being released.

(Radio Iowa) – State Climatologist Justin Glisan says forecasters are seeing a mixed bag of weather ahead in November and into the winter when it comes to the temperature and potential snowfall. “Temperature signal is still seeing warmer than average probabilities, but also a bull’s eye of above average potential on the precipitation side,” Glisan says. After a record dry September and below average rain in October, Glisan says things could turn around a bit. “Even with the short term outlooks trending slightly drier to near normal, getting into the middle of the month overall, it’s looking like a wetter potential as we move through November,” he says. Glisan says any rain we get could help replenish groundwater deficits.

“Definitely need it before we freeze up for in winter time get some moisture in the ground for the next growing season,” he says. Glisan says they are waiting on the formation of the La Nina weather pattern to see what happens.” If we look at the last three La Nina winters, which were three consecutive winters, 2020, through 2022, we trended on the dryer side,” Glisan says. “So we’ll just have to see once that La Nina forms. But overall, if we look at historical records, slightly more snow, but overall drier, trending drier in the wintertime.”

The projection right now is slightly more snowfall, four to six inches above our normal average for the state.

(Radio Iowa) – Many Iowans are bitterly divided over what results they’d like to see from tomorrow’s (Tuesday) presidential election, and it’s causing stress between some co-workers, friends and family members. Instead of bickering about politics, psychologist Shilagh Mirgain suggests Iowans try to zero in instead on the smaller picture. “I think when we focus on what we can control, taking positive action, that helps us control what we can control,” Mirgain says. “Put down the phone, maybe take a break from social media. Make sure you’re getting out and exercising, engaging in mindfulness, being in the here and now.”

Instead of “doom scrolling” tomorrow night, Mirgain recommends planning out a different sort of Election Day that can help to lower stress levels. “Start off the day with some yoga or practice some meditation. It’s not going to be helpful to just stay glued to the television all night, watching the results come in. Give yourself a break from the election coverage,” Mirgain says. “I think it’s a great day to have some form of distraction that would bring joy.” Mirgain says the chronic stress that comes along with a volatile national election can impact a person physically.

“We find that when our system sustains stress, that can impact overall physical health, mental health, it can impact sleep,” she says. “It can lower our immune system, it can impact our cardiovascular health, it can create a sense of despair or despondency.” Instead of being tempted to respond to internet trolls, Mirgain says to plan safe habits around social media, and try things like “forest bathing” by taking a walk in the woods to de-stress.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says a traffic stop at around 8-p.m. Friday in Villisca, resulted in an arrest. Authorities report 32-year-old Samantha McCuen, of Villisca, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond.

(Minneapolis, MN)- An investigation into the June 27, 1995 disappearance of Mason City (IA) TV News anchor Jodi Husentruit recently led to the search last month of a site just outside of the Twin Cities in Minnesota,

According to KTTC in Rochester, MN, investigators followed-up on tip to search the area of rural Winsted, MN with regard to Husentruit, who vanished from the parking lot of her residence as she was about to leave for work at KIMT-TV in Mason City, over 29 years ago.

Jodi Huisentruit (file photo)

According to the FindJodi, Iowa and Minnesota police had a large presence in Winsted near an apartment construction site which caught attention of residents in the area, prompting someone to reach out to the FindJodi organization to see if there’s a connection.

Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley released this statement to FindJodi:

“MCPD recently worked with Minnesota law enforcement officials to follow up on a lead in Winsted. MCPD continues to receive, evaluate, and follow up on information it receives related to Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance on a regular basis. Information gleaned from this effort will be used in the ongoing investigation. At this time, there is no additional information for public release. We do want to encourage anyone with information about Jodi’s disappearance to contact the MCPD or the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.”

Jeff Brinkley

Anyone who knows anything can reach out to Mason City Police at (641) 421-3636.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s two major political parties are emphasizing different metrics as Election Day draws near — the new “Iowa Poll” showing Democrat Kamala Harris with a narrow lead and early voting stats showing Iowa Republicans with an edge.  Governor Kim Reynolds has been asking Republicans a question: “How many in here have voted already?” Nearly every person at a recent gathering of central Iowa conservatives raised their hand. “Woohoo! That’s awesome,” Reynolds told the crowd. “Vote early. Bank that vote and then go get 10-12people to the polls…This is what I’m starting to see and the numbers are reflecting it.”

Reynolds helped raise the money for the state party’s plan to reach voters who asked for an absentee ballot, but haven’t cast it, or get infrequent voters to cast a ballot on Election Day.  “We have limited resources,” Reynolds says, “and we can use those resources more effectively to ballot chase or to get people that maybe don’t always go to the polls to get them to the polls.” By Friday night, Republicans had an early voting edge over Democrats of about one-and-a-half percent. It’s the first time since 2014 that Republicans have been ahead in early voting.

“It’s looking good,” Reynolds told Radio Iowa Friday night. “When you look at how close it is right now compared to where it was in 2022 and compared to where it was in previous elections, we’re in a really good place.” On Saturday night, Democrats began citing the Des Moines Register’s latest “Iowa Poll.” It found Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump by three points among Iowans who intend to vote or have already cast an early vote.

Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says it’s an exciting development, but she offered a word of caution to Democrats. “Remember, this is just a poll,” Hart said, “and what really matters is that Iowans show up and make their voices heard.” Hart gave a pep talk Saturday morning to a group Clinton County Democrats before they headed out to talk to voters. “I know it’s crazy, but there are some people out there that have not made up their minds yet,” Hart said. “Your phone call or your know on the door could make the difference.”

Former Governor Tom Vilsack cast his vote early late last week and then met with a group of local Democrats in the town square in Adel. “They weren’t honking because of traffic,” Vilsack said as a passing motorist honked. “They’re honking because they saw the signs. That is an indication that there’s something going on here.”

County election officials are urging Iowans who still have an absentee ballot to take it to their county auditor’s office, since absentee ballots have to be in the county auditor’s office by 8 p.m. Tuesday or they will not be counted. Voting at neighborhood precincts starts at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

(Radio Iowa) – A federal judge has rejected a bid to block Secretary of State Paul Pate’s order that election workers check the citizenship status of over two-thousand people who’ve registered to vote in Iowa. The judge said about 12 percent of people on Pate’s list apparently aren’t U-S citizens and it would be inappropriate to force election officials to let ineligible voters cast ballots. Pate says the ruling is a win for election integrity.

The ACLU of Iowa sued the state last week on behalf of four naturalized U-S citizens. The group’s legal counsel says they’re still concerned some Iowans who become citizens in the past several years will not be able to vote, but they’re glad Pate has now agreed that people on the list may present their naturalization papers at a polling place and cast a regular ballot.

Pate released the list two weeks ago and originally said people flagged as potential non-citizens had to cast a provisional ballot, then go to their county auditor AFTER Election Day to prove their citizenship.

(Iowa News Service) – Poll results indicate Iowa’s rural voters say the economy, jobs, and inflation top the list of critical issues for them in tomorrow’s election. Thirty-seven percent of Iowa’s population lives in rural areas. Nearly 400,000 Iowans have already cast ballots, and the rural vote could help determine the outcome of the presidential election in Iowa.

Rural Democracy Initiative’s Executive Director Sarah Jaynes said rural voters want elected leaders to make lowering costs and increasing wages for working people a priority – not reducing taxes for wealthy people or deregulating corporations. “They’re very focused on working people as kind of the heroes of the economy, and concerns that impact working-class people,” said Jaynes. “Rural people and smalltown folks are more likely to be working class. About 70% of rural folks are working class.”

USA Politics News Concept: US State Iowa Flag Wooden Fence

The Rural Democracy Initiative poll also found nearly eight in ten rural voters say they are against banning abortion – similar to numbers in March.

Jaynes said aside from high-profile issues like abortion and inflation, rural Iowa voters support candidates who will focus on policies that support local workers.

“People want to make sure that they have the tools and the opportunities to create a good life for themselves and their families,” said Jaynes. “And that shows up in their support for child care and health care.”

Other recent polls show Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump in a dead heat in the presidential race.