(Radio Iowa) – In Iowa’s U.S. Senate race, Republican incumbent Joni Ernst and Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield frequently cite grim events in their past as examples of their grit. Greenfield speaks about being widowed at the age of 24. “After my first husband died and I got that first job, it was for $8 an hour and I worked my fingers to the bond to build my career and raise my boys,” Greenfield said on Iowa PBS. Ernst first spoke publicly in 2018 about being abused by her ex-husband and being raped by a college boyfriend and she’s referred to that in all three televised debates. “I am fighting for survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence because I’ve been there myself,” Ernst said on Iowa PBS. Both candidates say being open about these personal experiences leads to important conversations with voters.

Greenfield spoke with Radio Iowa recently in Buffalo Center, the town she was living in when she got the news her husband had died at work. “I know that when we tell our stories and when we take time to listen to stories it’s how we learn from people about what their priorities are,” Greenfield says. Ernst told Radio Iowa she sees a bit of herself in some of the women who talk to her about their own abuse. “Because I was exactly like this, when they come up and say something to me, it’s quite obvious that they haven’t shared that experience with anyone else,” Ernst said.

Iowa State University journalism professor Kelly Winfrey is the research coordinator at I-S-U’s Center for Women in Politics. She says it’s notable Ernst and Greenfield are talking openly about being fragile, yet resilient.”They’re showing their humanity and their experience as women in ways that we haven’t always seen women candidates do, because that was risky,” Winfrey says. Winfrey says it may be less risky in this race, though, because both candidates are women.

(Radio Iowa) -An online sports gambling company and two casinos have been fined by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission for violations. Racing and Gaming Commission administrator, Brian Ohorilko, says DraftKings was fined for a late download of new self-ban list information. He says an audit by the commission determined the list was not uploaded within the required seven days — and he says they did note that no one on the ban list signed up or played. He says this was the first violation for the company. “DraftKings agreed to a stipulated agreement in the amount of five to 20-thousand dollars. The Commission reviewed the facts and set the penalty at five-thousand dollars,” according to Ohorilko.

The Rhythm City Casino in Davenport was fined for a violation involving surveillance cameras. “There was an instance in November of 2018 — the facility started experiencing some surveillance system issues — there was a complete loss of coverage on January first of 2019. It did include critical areas of the facility,” Ohorilko says. He says the problem happened again. “There was a second situation in February where there was the intermittent loss of critical areas for approximately four-and-a- hours. In that particular situation, the commission and D-C-I were not notified,” he says.

Ohorilko says it was determined that some updates that were needed by the casino’s vendor did not happen and that contributed to the problem. Rhythm City was fined 75-hundred dollars. Ohorilko says the Diamond Jo Casino in Worth County had a similar issue. “There was an instance in November in 2019 where a series of camera outages occurred as a result of some upgrades that were being performed on the system. The facility was not aware those outages occurred and as such — it never really was reported,” Ohorilko explains. He says an investigation was conducted on the problems.

“It was determined that much like the Rhythm City situation — there was a series of updates that did not occur and that contributed to a loss of surveillance coverage in areas that normally would require dedicated surveillance coverage,” he says. Ohorilko says the owners of the casino has agreed to an upgrade of the overall system. “Approximate cost of the upgrade will be about 750-thousand dollars, and so that was one factor that went into the decision — specifically the fine. Diamond Jo Worth had agreed to a fine of up to 10-thousand dollars and they were fined 75-hundred dollars,” Ohorilko says.

The Racing and Gaming Commission took action on the fines at their recent meeting.

(Radio Iowa) – State officials have drafted a plan for distributing Covid-19 shots when a vaccine becomes available. Each state was to draw up a plan and submit it to the Centers for Disease Control. Iowa’s was released late Friday and says Iowa will follow federal guidelines unless needs in Iowa are substantially different. The state’s report does refer to long-term care facilities as a priority for the first wave of vaccinations, along with E-M-Ts, nurses, doctors and others who work in health care.

The Iowa Department of Public Health suggests it will likely require more than one dose, so officials are advising health care providers to be ready to notify patients they must schedule follow-up shots.

At least three area school district Boards of Education are set to meet during separate, regular meetings, Monday evening. First up, at 5:30-p.m., is the Griswold School Board. During their meeting in the Conference Room, Old Business includes: The Second Readings of 400-series Board Policies, and a COVID-19 update. New Business for the Griswold Board includes (but is not limited to:

• The possible approval of video streaming compensation.
• A request for Allowable Growth & Supplemental Aid for 2019-20, re: Special Education Deficit.
• Information with regard to the 2020-21 Certified Enrollment.
• Consider Activation Status of Early Retirement Policy
• Discussion on Camera/Security upgrades
• Consideration of Allocating funds for a Rolling Flag purchase.

The Exira-Elk  Horn-Kimballton School Board meeting takes place 6-p.m. Monday, in the Conference Room at the Elk Horn Building. On their agenda, under “Recognition and Communication,” is:  1) the Iowa High School Athletic Association, and 2) the Matt Schmitz Family.  New Business includes: Certified County numbers; Administration Set Up for the rest of 20-21 and 21-22; the Certified Annual Report (CAR); Mask Options; Approval of a “Chain of Command” document; and Personnel matters, to include the resignations of: Susan Greving, Stephanie Kraus and Megan Petersen – Para educators, and Route Bus Driver Dave Anderson. New Hires will include: Tonia Lozano – Bus Driver, and Sam Muhr – Para educator.

And, the Audubon School Board will meet 7-p.m. Monday, in the High School Board Room. Action items on their agenda include (but are not limited to): Applications to the School Budget Review Committee (SBRC) for a Special Education Deficit (SPED), and Hazardous Material Mitigation. The Board will also act on approving: Virtual Snow Days; a change in the District Attorney; Mid-Year graduates; SAVE Bond refinancing (To include approval of a Bond Counsel agreement with Ahlers Cooney, approval of the Bond Sale amount, and a Resolution fixing the date for a hearing on the proposed issuance of approximately $4.2-million in School Infrastructure Sales, Services, Use Tax Revenue and Refunding Bonds).

The Board will also act on approving a Resolution setting the date for  Public Hearing and Special Board meeting, to review and approve the plans, specifications and form of contract for, and estimate the total cost of, the Middle School/High School HVAC Systems, Electrical Systems, and other architectural improvements throughout the facility, and authorize the fixing of a date, time and location for receiving and publicly opening bids for the project.  In other news, the Audubon School Board is expected to receive the district’s final enrollment numbers, and audit update, and regular reports from the Administration.

(Updated) DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two sisters died and three other people were injured Sunday when two vehicles collided in Des Moines. The crash happened around 5 a.m. Sunday after a northbound Toyota car crossed into the southbound lanes and collided with a Jeep SUV, Des Moines Police spokesman Paul Parizek said. About one inch of snow fell in the area overnight, and Parizek said the weather appears to have contributed to the crash. In addition to the two women who died in the crash, three other people were taken to hospitals for treatment. One is in critical condition, and the other two people have minor injuries.

The women killed were identified as 22-year-old Jazmin Alondra Avila-Arreola, and her sister, 18-year-old Daizy Sofia Arreola, both of Des Moines.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa reported nearly 1,000 more coronavirus cases Sunday, and the state’s rate of positive cases remains high. The state reported 915 new cases of COVID-19 and 2 new deaths as of Sunday mid-morning, to give Iowa 107,062 cases and 1,528 deaths since the pandemic began, according to Iowa’s online virus tracker. There were 19 new Positive cases in Cass County since Saturday (updated through 4:15-p.m. Sunday), for a total of 301. And, there was one more death being reported in Harrison County, where the total is 8 since the start of the pandemic. Other new, Positive COVID-19 cases in our area, include: 40 in Pottawattamie County; 14 in Harrison County; 11 in Mills County; five each in Guthrie and Shelby Counties; 4 more cases in Adams County; three in Adair and Union Counties, two in Madison County, and one in Audubon County.

The IDPH says there are: 34 people are in hospital across western/southwest Iowa, compared to 28 yesterday; eight people are being treated for COVID-19 in an ICU, compared to nine previously; five people have been admitted to a hospital (Compared to three Saturday), and one person remains on a ventilator.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases in each county, along with the 24-hour change in case numbers {+#}; the number of persons recovered, and the total number of [deaths] (if any), since the pandemic began,

• Cass, 301 cases {+19}; 222 recovered; 2 deaths
• Adair, 123 {+3}; 64; 1
• Adams, 67 {+4}; 35; 0
• Audubon, 128 {+1}; 59; 1
• Guthrie, 363 {+5); 223; 14
• Harrison County, 561 {+14}; 192; 8
• Madison County, 337 {+2}; 206; 2
• Mills County, 334 {+11}; 173; 1
• Montgomery, 152 {+2}; 125; 5
• Pottawattamie County, 2,940 {+40}; 2,144; 44
• Shelby County, 340 {+5}; 298; 1
• Union County,  208 {+3}; 175; 3

(Atlantic) – Cass County just got a treat for Halloween. On Saturday October 31, USDA Farmers to Families Food Boxes will be given away at the Cass County Community Center from 11:00 AM– 2:00 PM, or as supplies last. Anyone in need is welcome to visit the drive-through food box pick-up, and no documentation is required. Boxes containing 20-pounds of food in the form of: 10 lbs. produce; 5 lbs. of pre-cooked meat; 5 lbs. of dairy products, and a gallon of milk, will be given away at no cost.

People from surrounding towns and communities are welcome. Those picking up food boxes at the Community Center are asked to follow signage and volunteer directions to help the event run smoothly. Please don’t begin lining up before 10 AM.  For more information on local food, farmers markets, and food access, follow the Cass
County Local Food Policy Council’s Facebook page @CassCountyLocalFood.

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If you have any questions, please contact Questions: Contact Brigham Hoegh, Cass County Wellness Coordinator, (712)249-5870, bhoegh@iastate.edu.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa reported nearly 1,000 more coronavirus cases Sunday, and the state’s rate of positive cases remains high. The state reported 910 new cases of COVID-19 and 12 new deaths as of Sunday morning to give Iowa 107,057 cases and 1,538 deaths since the pandemic began, according to Iowa’s online virus tracker. An Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University showed that the state’s rate of new cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks registered at 456.16 and ranked eighth-highest among all the states on Saturday. The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Iowa rose to 25.65% on Saturday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new report says damage estimates from a rare wind storm that slammed Iowa and some other parts of the Midwest in August are growing. The total is now $7.5 billion. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the Aug. 10 storm is currently the second-costliest U.S. disaster so far in 2020, although cost estimates for the widespread wildfires along the West Coast aren’t yet available.

The August storm hit Iowa hard but also caused damage in Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota and Indiana. The most expensive disaster so far this year was Hurricane Laura, which caused $14 billion in damage along the Gulf Coast.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Parenting is not an easy task, and parenting teenagers comes with its own unique set of challenges. During National Teen Driver Safety Week, October 18-24, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau is teaming up with law enforcement across the state to help empower parents to discuss the importance of safe driving habits with their young drivers. This week and every week, parents should have conversations with their teens about the important rules they need to follow to stay safe behind the wheel. This week, or any time, is a perfect time to begin and continue the conversation, and to remind parents not to hand over the car keys until their teen knows the rules of the road.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens (15 to 18 years old) in the United States – ahead of all other types of injury, disease, or violence. In 2018, there were 2,121 people killed in crashes involving a teen driver (15 to 18 years old), of which 719 deaths were the teen driver.

•    Alcohol and Drugs: All teens are too young to legally buy, possess, or consume alcohol.  However, nationally in 2018, 16% of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes had alcohol in their system.  But alcohol isn’t the only substance that can keep teens from driving safely.  Like other drugs, marijuana affects a driver’s ability to react to their surroundings.  Remind teens that driving under the influence of any impairing substance could have deadly consequences.

•    Seat Belts: Wearing a seat belt is one of the simplest ways for teens to stay safe in a vehicle. Yet too many teens aren’t buckling up.  In 2018, almost half (45%) of the teen passenger vehicle drives who died were unbuckled.  Even more troubling, when the teen driver involved in the fatal crash was unbuckled, nine out of ten of the passengers who died were also unbuckled.

•    Distracted Driving: Distractions while driving are more than just risky—they can be deadly. In 2018, among teen drivers involved in fatal crashes, almost 10% were reported as distracted at the time of the crash.  The use of mobile devices while driving is a big problem, but there are other causes of teen distracted driving which pose dangers as well.  They include adjusting the radio, applying makeup, eating or drinking, or distractions from other passengers in the vehicle.

•    Speeding: In 2018, almost one-quarter (28%) of all teen passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash, and males were more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than females.

•    Passengers: Teen drivers transporting passengers can lead to disastrous results.  Research shows the risk of a fatal crash goes up in direct relation to the number of passengers in a car. The likelihood of teen drivers engaging in risky behavior triples when traveling with multiple passengers.

•    Drowsy Driving: Teens are busier than ever: studying, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and spending time with friends are among the long list of things they do to fill their time. However, with all of these activities, teens tend to compromise something very important—sleep. This is a dangerous habit that can lead to drowsy driving or falling asleep at the wheel.

In 2019, Iowa lost 39 young drivers between the ages of 14 – 20 in motor vehicle crashes. Seven of those drivers had a blood alcohol over the legal limit. The Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau encourages you to talk to your teen drivers about safe driving practices. Losing even one is one too many, don’t you think?

(Statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)