(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a man and woman from Council Bluffs were arrested early Sunday afternoon following a traffic stop on I-29 at mile marker 32. Authorities say 40-year-old Eric Ryan Shoemaker and 36-year-old Regina Lynn Shoemaker were each charged with Violation of a No Contact Order. They were being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – A 19-year-old northwest Iowa man who pleaded guilty to first degree willful injury has been been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for shooting and seriously wounding his father in early May. Caleb Crosby of Spirit Lake was scheduled to go on trial for attempted murder on October 15th, but he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of willful injury as well as first degree theft for stealing two vehicles as he fled after the shooting.

A judge has sentenced Crosby to two terms of 10 years each to be served consecutively. As a prisoner at the Dickinson County jail in June, Crosby slipped through an unlocked door and ran down the steps of the courthouse before being taken back into custody a minute later. He has also pleaded guilty to escaping, but will be sentenced on that charge later.

Before the shooting, Crosby was arrested in March after allegedly trying to interfere at the scene of a fire in the small, unincorporated community of Montgomery. That’s also where he shot his father in May and authorities issued a shelter in place advisory to residents in the area as they searched for Crosby.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Page County Attorney, Carl M. Sonksen, reports the following activities in the Iowa District Court for Page County for the week of October 14, 2024:

Stephen Doyle Hamilton Jr., age 38, of Clarinda, entered a plea of guilty to Operating While Intoxicated-1^st Offense. Hamilton, Jr., was sentenced to 30 days in jail, with all but 2 days suspended. He was placed on probation for 9 months and was ordered to complete a substance abuse evaluation and the drinking driver’s program as conditions of probation. Hamilton, Jr., was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,250, court costs and surcharges.

Sayj Martin, age 26, of Clarinda, was found in violation of her probation. Martin’s deferred judgment was revoked and she was found guilty of Driving While Revoked. She was sentenced to 20 days in jail, with credit for time served and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, court costs, surcharges, and court-appointed attorney fees.

Page County Courthouse, Clarinda, IA.

Sayj Martin, age 26, of Clarinda, entered a plea of guilty to Driving While Barred as a Habitual Violator. She was sentenced to 20 days in jail, with credit for time served and ordered to pay a fine of $855, court costs, surcharges, and court-appointed attorney fees.

Maria Jean Mullenberg, age 21, of Imogene, entered a plea of guilty to Operating While Intoxicated-1^st Offense. She was sentenced to 60 days in jail, with all but 7 days suspended. Mullenberg was placed on probation for 9 months and was ordered to complete a substance abuse evaluation and the drinking driver’s program as conditions of probation. She was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,250, court costs, and surcharges.

Max William Shafer IV, age 36, of Fairfax, Missouri, entered a plea of guilty to Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug and Possession of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail on each charge, suspended. Shafer was placed on probation for 9 months and ordered to complete a substance abuse evaluation. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $430 on each charge, court costs, surcharges, and court-appointed attorney fees.

The Honorable Eric J. Nelson, District Court Judge of the Fourth Judicial District presided.

All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports there were three recent, non-injury accidents. Most recently, at around 7:45-a.m. Sunday (Oct. 27), a semi pulling a grain hopper and driven by 38-year-old William A. Hike, of Grand Junction, was traveling south in the 1200 block of Justice Road, when the rig struck a black Angus cow on the road. The animal – owned by Steve Schwartz, of Bayard – died on impact. It was valued at $1,500. The 2004 Peterbilt semi sustained $1,500 (minor) damage.

A collision in Guthrie County at around 7:45-a.m. Friday, caused an estimated $11,500 damage. Authorities say a 2018 KIA Sportage SUV driven by 65-year-old Michael C. Kesselring, of Guthrie Center, was northbound on 7th Street in Guthrie Center, while a 2018 KIA Forte driven by 20-year-old Paxton Kay Schneider, of Adair, was traveling west on Prairie Street. Kesselring stopped at the controlled intersection and then proceed the intersection, where his vehicle struck Schneider’s car on the front driver’s side. Both vehicles came to rest in the intersection. Deputies cited Kesselring for Failure to Yield from a stop sign.

And, a rollover accident Oct. 24th in Guthrie County caused an estimated $10,000 damage to a 2013 Ford F-350 Super Duty pickup truck. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says the vehicle, driven by 33-year-old Scott R. Mills, of Adel, was turning left onto Highway 141 from Highway 44, when the full grain cart the vehicle was pulling, overturned. No citations were issued.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Engineer’s Office reports 300th Street (South of Bridgewater), will be closed at the bridge, from 10-a.m. until 5-p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31st and from 8-a.m. until 3-p.m. on Friday, November 1st, for a construction project.

(Radio Iowa) – Researchers, business executives and government officials from around the globe are in Iowa this week for the World Food Prize symposium. It’s an annual gathering to discuss food security and innovation. Geoffrey Hawtin and Cary Fowler are this year’s World Food Prize laureates. They were instrumental in establishing the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway two decades ago. Fowler says it’s a backup for seedbanks that could be hit by natural disasters, wars or a loss of funding.  “In a world of changes, we are all in this together,” Fowler said, “and a loss in any seed bank around the world is a loss for all of us.” Fowler is the current U-S Special Envoy for Global Food Security.

Hawtin, the other World Food Prize laureate for 2024, says the preservation of seeds is crucial to protect the diversity and resilience of crops. “We think of genebank as being a safe haven, but it’s only a safe haven as long as you can continue to pay for the electricity. If you can’t afford to pay for the electricity, and you have to switch it off, you risk losing your entire of collection,” he says. “That could be decades of work and thousands of samples.”

Hawtin and Fowler spoke last (Monday) night at Iowa State University. The Des Moines-based World Food Prize is hosting three days of events, culminating with a banquet and closing ceremony in the Iowa Capitol.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s two U-S senators are questioning why Pure Prairie Poultry, which recently declared bankruptcy, was given tens of millions of federal dollars. Senator Chuck Grassley says two years ago, the U-S-D-A handed the Minnesota-based company a near-seven-million dollar grant along with guaranteed loans of almost 39-million.  “We all know it’s very important for the USDA to support the farm economy, especially in today’s tough market,” Grassley says, “but companies don’t just fail out of the blue.” When the company’s plant in Charles City closed this month, it left around 50 farmers in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota without processing capacity or feed for more than two-million chickens. Plus, another 100 Iowans lost their jobs.

Grassley questions when it became apparent the company was going to fail. “This proposition raises questions about how well the Department of Agriculture is overseeing the federal funding it administers,” Grassley says. “For example, does the USDA have a process for vetting companies before it gives away taxpayer dollars? More importantly, are there other companies in a similar financial situation right now?” Senator Joni Ernst says “Pure Prairie Poultry’s abrupt closure shows the importance of proper vetting and oversight at USDA,” and says those funds need to help producers, “rather than being flushed down the drain and harming entire rural communities.” Grassley agrees.

Senator Grassley (file)

“Taxpayers have a right to know how the government is spending their money,” Grassley says. “We need to assist the workers and the farmers, and I’ll keep pushing for full enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act to create a better environment for small processors.” Grassley was asked if he thinks the owners or managers of Pure Prairie Poultry did something wrong, or whether they should pay the U-S-D-A back. “I don’t have any evidence they did anything illegally, but obviously bad management, I think without a doubt, you can say that,” Grassley says. “In the situation they’re in, they have no ability to pay the money back. If they did, I would expect them to, if there’s $1 left over, that ought to be paid back.”

Grassley says it’s the U-S-D-A that’s “responsible for keeping tabs on the taxpayer-funded grants it administers, but it clearly dropped the ball with Pure Prairie.” He’s asking the agency to explain to Congress and the public “what went wrong to help prevent a repeat scenario.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Vision Atlantic report Lloyd and Meredith has donated $150,000 to Vision Atlantic’s transformative project, which will bring a housing development, new childcare center, and YMCA expansion to Atlantic. Kyle Steffens, owner of Lloyd and Meredith said “Being on the YMCA board the past 10 years has given me a firsthand look at the greatest needs of our community. Top notch fitness facilities, expanded childcare, and a large assortment of housing will help make Atlantic continue to be southwest Iowa’s destination of choice. Lloyd and Meredith has been serving the Atlantic area for 142 years. My parents, Keith & Cindy, and I are happy to help contribute and ensure Atlantic can thrive for another 142.”

Vision Atlantic, through extensive research and surveying of the community and surrounding region, identified three areas that will help increase Atlantic’s population: expanded childcare, quality housing and quality of life amenities. Construction of the 144 mixed unit housing development, 300 capacity child development center and expansion of the current YMCA facility is slated to begin late spring of 2025.

(L-R) Vision Atlantic Vice President Nick Hunt; Lloyd & Meredith Owner Kyle Steffens; Vision Atlantic President Christina Bateman; Treasurer Debbie Waterbury and Secretary Melissa Ihnen.

With substantial monetary support from the Charles E. Lakin Foundation and local donors, $18.6 million has been raised in the past 11 months, over 61% of a $30 million goal. Vision Atlantic’s Project Committee is actively working to secure the remaining $11.8 million needed to meet the fundraising goal. If you are interested in helping transform Atlantic, whether it’s through monetary donations or acts of volunteerism, please contact Vision Atlantic at visionatlanticiowa@gmail.com. Follow Vision Atlantic on Facebook for behind-the-scenes access to project updates or visit www.visionatlantic.org.

Vision Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to empower growth, enhance lives, and build a thriving community together through the economic development of Atlantic, Iowa.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County, Tuesday morning (Today), approved the donation of a portion of the Clark Subdivision Road to the County. The road – which was donated by Jeremy Clark – will be referred to as 220th Street. Clark said it’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Clark said the advantage to the County is getting more houses built in the area, which generates more tax revenue.

There are basically five lots for homes and two possibly for businesses. Clark said they’ve sold five lots already, and Supervisor Mike Olson agreed it would be easier to sell the lots if it was a county property with road maintenance. After approving the road subdivision, the Montgomery County Supervisors approved a related aggregate agreement for the upgrade of that portion of 220th Street that was donated to the County.

Montgomery County BOS mtg 10-29-24

Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert provided the Board with her weekly Secondary Roads report.

Board Chair Mike Olson mentioned several County gravel roads are extremely rutted and jarring. He asked Albert if anything can be done about them.

In other business, the Board discussed a request to remove a fence on the County Farm. Mike Olson…

The Board voted unanimously to approve the request. The next meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors is 8:30-a.m. November 6th.

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – With one week left until the Nov. 5 election, the Iowa Secretary of State’s office reported that more than 400,000 ballots have been received in the 2024 general election. In addition to the total 401,760 absentee ballots received as of Monday morning, 483,806 total ballots have been issued since the early and absentee voting period began Oct. 16. In that group, 82,046 ballots have been issued by state election officials that voters have yet to return.

Though the absentee voter participation is higher this year a week out from the election than in 2022, when 238,979 absentee ballots had been received by Iowa election officials a week prior to the midterms, the pace of early and absentee voting in the state is behind the previous two presidential election cycles. In 2016, 472,085 absentee ballots had been received a week before the election.

There’s a much larger gap between this year’s voting figures and 2020, when the state reported that 783,310 ballots were received by Oct. 27, a week prior to the election. However, more people voted absentee in 2020 than in typical election cycles due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate sent out absentee ballot request forms to voters statewide in the previous presidential election cycle, an action which is no longer allowed under state law. Iowans must now submit the request form to their local county auditor to receive an absentee ballot, or vote early in person at the county auditor’s office or a satellite voting location.

Nearly 46 million Americans have cast early votes in the 2024 election as of Monday according to the University of Florida’s election lab, with more than 23 million voting early in person and another 22 million returning their mail-in ballots. Democrats comprised 39.9% of the early votes cast, data from states that report party affiliations found, while 36.1% were registered Democrats and 24.1% voters were registered as third-party or with no affiliation.

Democrats are also slightly ahead of Republicans in Iowa absentee ballots received. A total of 167,734 ballots from registered Democrats had been received by elections officials as of Monday morning while 156,463 registered Republicans had returned their ballots across the state’s four congressional districts. Another 74,558 voters who have no party affiliation had early voted, as had 1,730 registered Libertarians and 275 voters registered as an “other” party.

The two U.S. House districts where races are marked as most competitive in the state are where Democrats have pulled ahead in early voting. In the 1st Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks faces Democrat Christian Bohannan. In the 3rd Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn faces Democrat Lanon Baccam. In the 3rd District, more than 9,000 more ballots have been returned by registered Democrats than from Republicans, and the gap grows above 11,000 for the 1st District. Democrats are ahead by a roughly 5,000-ballot margin in the 2nd Congressional District, where U.S. Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson faces Democratic challenger Sarah Corkery.

Republicans only outpace Democrats in early voting in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, long considered the state’s GOP stronghold. Registered Republicans have a 15,431 early vote advantage on Democrats in the northwest Iowa district, where Democrat Ryan Melton challenges U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra to a rematch.

The deadline has passed for Iowans to request an absentee ballot from their local county auditor. However, people who have received their absentee ballots in the mail still have time to return them. To be counted, ballots must be received by the county auditor’s office by the time polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5.

In-person early voting is also still available through Nov. 4 in the state. Interested voters can head to their county auditor’s office to cast their ballot, or visit satellite polling locations as designated by the county auditor. These addresses are available on local county auditors’ websites, and can be found through the Secretary of State’s website.