Adams County will hold a special election on April 9, 2019 to fill the Supervisor District 5 seat vacated by Karl McCarty. The polls will be open from 7:00 AM until 9:00 PM on Election Day, April 9th. Voting is limited to those voters who reside in District 5-Prescott. Ballots will be printed and tested after the filing deadline of March 15. Absentee Ballots will be available at a future date after March 15 at the Auditor’s Office at the Courthouse at 500 9th Street, Corning, IA 50841. Ballots may be voted there 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday-Friday.

The Adams County Auditor’s Office has begun taking requests for those voters who wish to have an absentee ballot mailed to them. The request form can be found at www.adamscountyia.com or you can call the Auditor’s Office at 641-322-3340 to have a request form mailed to you. The deadline to request to have an absentee ballot mailed to you is Friday, March 29 at 5:00 PM. There will be no ballots mailed for any requests received after 5:00 PM on March 29.

Voters may submit a request for an absentee ballot by email or fax. However, the original signed copy must still be mailed to the Auditor’s Office with a postmark of March 29th or earlier and received by the time the polls close on election day. Overseas voters do not have to send their original requests. All electronic requests must include an image of the voter’s written signature. Pre-paid return postage is provided for all ballots returned by mail to the Election Office. A mailed ballot received after April 9th must be postmarked on or before April 8th, or it WILL NOT be counted. Postmarks are not always affixed by the Post Office, so mail your absentee ballot early enough so that it arrives by Election Day. Even if the ballot is postmarked on time, mailed ballots must also be received in the Auditor’s Office by noon on Monday, April 15th or they will not be counted. Due to the shortened timeline, it is important for voters to mail back their ballots ASAP.

Absentee ballots MAY NOT be turned in at a polling place except to be surrendered and voided, in which case the voter would vote in person at the polling place. Hand-delivered ballots need to be taken to the Auditor’s Office by 9:00 PM on Election Day, April 9. Voter Pre-Registration Deadline: The last day to pre-register at the Auditor’s Office for this election is Friday, March 29 before 5:00 PM. Voter registration forms may also be found at www.sos.iowa.gov. Following the deadline and on Election Day, any new voter and any voter who has moved from outside the county will be processed using the requirements of Election Day Registration and must provide proof of residence and identity.

Election Day Registration: A person who is eligible to register to vote may do so on Election Day at the polling place for the precinct in which the person lives. The person must complete a voter registration form, sign an oath, and provide acceptable proof of both identity and residence. The most common example of an acceptable form of identity and residence is an Iowa driver’s license that is not expired and shows the person’s address on Election Day. Other acceptable forms of identity may be found at www.sos.iowa.gov.

Voting at the Polls: All voters are required to provide an approved form of identification at the polling place before they may receive and cast a ballot. Voters who are not pre-registered or voters changing precincts must also provide proof of residence. Any voter who cannot show ID may have their identity attested to by another registered voter in the precinct who has proper ID. For more information about voter ID, visit http://sos.iowa.gov/voterid or call 641-322-3340.

Questions may be directed to the Adams County Auditor’s Office; the telephone number is 641-322-3340. Their email address is: acelect@adamscountyia.com . They’re located at 500 9th Street, in Corning.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports 28-year old Alex Richard Cunningham, of Creston, was arrested Saturday afternoon at 1850 150th Street. Cunningham faces charges that include assault on a police officer without injury, interference with official acts, and two counts of criminal mischief 4th degree. He was being held in the Union County Jail on $3,300 bond.

(Radio Iowa) — All the snow has been good for those who remove snow from driveways of homes across the state, but it’s not as good for those trying to sell homes. Iowa Association of Realtors president John Goede (GO-dee) says you can definitely tell the difference when the weather is cold and snowy. “I am looking at the five-year listings and it’s like clockwork — you can see the first quarter there’s not as many listings, not as many closings, etcetera. There is a seasonality to the business,” Goede says.

He says there are some parallels to Iowa’s ag industry. “In terms of July and August, it’s equivalent of harvest time. December, January and February, not as much,” according to Goede. “All we do is consistent prospecting actually. We’re doing really fine, but we’re doing consistent prospecting at an office level,” he says. That prospecting in the winter months means home sales don’t stop completely. Goede says there’s one key to being successful in showing a home and getting the sale in this weather. “Get good overshoes,” he says.

Goede runs a real estate business in Spencer. He says realtors are optimistic about the year ahead after a couple of consistent years in 2017 and 2018.

(Radio Iowa) — State Climatologist Justin Glisan says there’s a “moderate to major” risk of flooding as the snow that’s piled up in Iowa begins to melt. “If you look at the snow-water equivalent of the snow pack that we have right now there’s anywhere from two-to-four inches of water available once it all melts, so we don’t want it melting at one time,” Glisan says.  A rain storm would be most worrisome, according to Glisan, as the snow would melt and be swept into rivers and streams. The best scenario — in more ways than one — is warmer temperatures. “The short term outlooks are temperatures getting into the upper 30s and mid-40s during the daytime and then going back into below freezing at night,” Glisan says. “So that’s good for melting during the day and refreezing at night.”

And those 30- and 40-degree days are in the forecast for late this week. Iowa temperature and rainfall records date back to 1873. Snowfall measurements in Iowa data back to 1887. Glisan says like many meteorologists, he’s conflicted about this winter’s weather. As a scientist, he’s fascinated by the snowfall records, but personally the impact isn’t all that exciting. “As a kid, I loved snow. Snow days are fun. Playing in the snow is fun. As an adult, shoveling snow is not fun,” Glisan says. “As the state climatologist, looking at all the problems that snowfall portends for agriculture or livestock, since we’re in calving right now, I don’t enjoy those types of problems, but it is very interesting to see how the trends are shaking out and various records are being broken across the state.”

The forecast indicates there’s a chance for snow again on Thursday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A utility is demanding that a Des Moines zoo start paying its water and sewer bill but the foundation that runs the zoo says that could jeopardize programs such as free tickets for children. The Des Moines Register reports that the Des Moines Water Works board is willing to forgive most of the $5 million in water and sewer services that Blank Park Zoo hasn’t paid since 2003. The utility wants $74,000 for water used last year.

Zoo president Mark Vukovich says the Blank Park Zoo Foundation was told it wouldn’t have to pay utilities when it took over operations from the city in 2003. The utility says the free water deal should have ended then. City, utility and the zoo officials will meet this month to discuss the issue.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A Dubuque man and wife are awaiting sentencings for the robbery of the Dubuque restaurant where she worked. The Telegraph Herald reports that 41-year-old William Brown used a gun to rob the Hardee’s restaurant where his wife, 38-year-old Mary Brown, was working the morning of Oct. 11.

Court records say William Brown has pleaded guilty to robbery and child endangerment and is scheduled to be sentenced March 11. His wife pleaded guilty to child endangerment and theft. Her sentencing is set for April 8. Authorities say both were charged with child endangerment because their 7-year-old child was left home alone during the robbery.

***(UPDATE 3/6/19) – The event was postponed to March 26th, same time and place, due to impending weather March 7th***

Cass County Youth Coordinator Shelby Van Horn says “Cass County 4-H Clubs would like to invite the public to attend their annual 4-H Mardi Gras carnival on Sunday, March 10th. Mardi Gras includes fun, food, & carnival-type games for kids of all ages. The event is scheduled from 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic.” She says they are excited to offer many activities for families. Those activities this year include: Family Mardi Gras Photo Booth, Ring Toss, Dessert Walk, the ever popular Youth Council Mardi Gras Jail, boot toss and much more! Several clubs will also be selling snacks for attendees to enjoy, including a Walking Taco Stand and pop floats to go.

The Youth Action Committee and Youth Council are sponsoring this county-wide event and would like to invite all Cass County families to come out and join the fun. It is intended to be a low cost, family-friendly event for everyone in the county. Van Horn said “You don’t have to be in 4-H to attend. All are welcome!” Admission is free and tickets cost $.10 each. Each 4-H club determines how many tickets to charge to play their game. All proceeds from this event go to the 4-H clubs, Youth Council, and the Cass County 4-H Program.

The Cass County 4-H Endowment committee is hosting the annual 4-H Endowment Pancake Supper on Thursday, March 7 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. The Pancake Man will be dishing up fresh pancakes; 4-H members serve juice, coffee and more. Supporters can enjoy all you can eat pancakes for $6. Proceeds from the 4-H Pancake Supper directly benefit Cass County. The money raised goes to the Cass County 4-H Endowment, a fund to defray the 4-H Program Development Fee, support scholarships, and start up dollars for youth programs including Clover Kids and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

The 4-H Program Development Fee is $30, instead of having individual 4-H’ers and families take on that expense, the Cass County Extension Council, and the 4-H Endowment Committee pick up this expense. The Cass County 4-H Endowment also offers opportunities for youth to get involved in the 4-H program by attending camps and conferences and offering scholarships to graduating seniors. Shelby Van Horn, Cass County Youth Coordinator says “These opportunities are very important to the success of the 4-H program in Cass County. It certainly would not be possible without a great deal of support from the community.”

There is also a silent auction during the supper. The 12 4-H clubs in Cass County, as well as additional friends of 4-H and local business supporters donate items. “This is a great part of the pancake supper,” says Van Horn, “it will be exciting to see what items are up for auction this year!” If a community business is interested in supporting the Pancake Supper through the Silent Auction, please contact the Extension Office. For more information on the Pancake Supper, Endowment or 4-H contact Shelby Van Horn, Cass County Youth Coordinator, at 243-1132 or xcass@iastate.edu.

ATLANTIC – Officials with the Cass County Health System (CCHS) report a new lung cancer screening test is now available at CCHS. To detect potential lung cancers, patients can undergo a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan in the Diagnostic Imaging department. Carrie Schmitt, Director of Diagnostic Imaging at Cass County Health System, says “Much like a mammogram screens patients for breast cancer, we use a low-dose CT scan to check patients for lung cancer. The lower dose of radiation received during this annual screening makes it safer for the patient.”

Schmitt said also, “Everyone is exposed to natural radiation from the environment, and patients are exposed to small doses of radiation during some imaging tests like x-rays. By using a lower dose of radiation during the test, we’re exposing the patient to a smaller amount of radiation than during a typical CT procedure. This is good because we want to keep your lifetime exposure to radiation at the lowest level possible.”

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women. Every year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. For 2019, the American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates there will be about 228,150 new cases of lung cancer in men and women in the United States. Additionally, lung cancer was predicted to cause about 142,670 deaths nationwide. Schmitt says “This screening is particularly important for patients who smoke or smoked heavily.”

The lifetime risk of developing lung cancer is about 1 in 15 for men and about 1 in 17 for women; but for smokers, the risk is much higher. Patients should be between the ages of 55 and 77, have no symptoms of lung cancer, have no history of lung cancer, currently smoke or quit less than 15 years ago, and have a pack-year score of greater than 30. (Pack-years are calculated by multiplying the number of years smoked by the average number of packs smoked per day.) If patients think they may qualify for low-dose CT lung cancer screenings, they should talk to their primary care provider.

Officials with Dollar General Stores in Tennessee report the company’s newest store at 103 S. Fifth St. in Adair is now open. Dollar General will celebrate the store’s official grand opening on Saturday, March 9 at 8 a.m. with free prizes and special deals.  Additionally, the first 50 adult shoppers at the store will receive a $10 Dollar General gift card and the first 200 shoppers will receive a Dollar General tote bag with complimentary product samples, among other giveaways.

Officials say “Dollar General stores offer convenience and value to customers by providing a focused selection of national name brands and private brands of food, housewares, seasonal items, cleaning supplies, basic apparel and health/beauty products.  Additionally, the new store will provide customers with stylish, on-trend home décor and a party preparation selection, in addition to the same categories, brands and products customers trust Dollar General to carry. ”

Traditional Dollar General stores employ approximately six to 10 people, depending on the need.  Anyone interested in joining the Dollar General team may visit the Career section at www.dollargeneral.com. Dollar General says they are deeply involved in the communities it serves and is an ardent supporter of literacy and education. At the cash register of every Dollar General store, customers interested in learning how to read, speak English or prepare for their high school equivalency test can pick up a brochure with a postage-paid reply card that can be mailed in for a referral to a local organization that offers free literacy services. Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $160 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 10 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education.

For more information about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and its grant programs, visit www.dgliteracy.com.