(Radio Iowa) – Advocates for Iowa’s 50-thousand blind and visually-impaired residents are asking state officials to let them vote by mail independently, using assistive technology for absentee ballots. Right now, blind Iowans are unable to vote from home without another person there to help. Jane Hudson, executive director of Disability Rights Iowa, says many people don’t want to go to the polls because of the coronavirus pandemic.  “So they can’t vote independently and privately. They have to depend on someone else and that’s not voting,” Hudson says. “Voting, you’re supposed to be able to do privately and secretly, and no one else knows what your vote is.”

The secretary of state’s office says the legislature has to change the law for this to happen, but lawmakers declined to do that earlier this year. Advocates disagree, pointing to recent changes that were made to election procedures without full legislative approval. Carrie Chapman, president of the Iowa Council of the United Blind, says she’s had someone help her fill out an absentee ballot, but she says blind Iowans have a right to vote privately and independently.  “There’s people that don’t have an option of having someone come and help them,” Chapman says, “and especially during the pandemic, they may be high risk, so having someone come into their home is a whole other ballgame in terms of that.”

Groups representing blind Iowans have been asking the secretary of state and lawmakers for more than a year to approve an accessible absentee ballot system. Then voters could use a computer program at home that would read the ballot out loud, allow them to mark the ballot, print it, and mail it to their county auditor.

(By Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Creston Police Department reports seven arrests took place over the weekend. Early Sunday morning, 27-year old Brandon Scott Lawrence, of Creston, was arrested at the intersection of Monroe/Maple St on a Union County Warrant for failure to appear original charge Theft 5th Degree. Lawrence was also charged with Possession of controlled substance 2nd offense and Possession of Paraphernalia. He is being held in the Union County Jail on $2.000 cash or surety bond. Sunday afternoon, 34-year old Skyler Lee Mcintosh, of Creston, was arrested at the intersection of Hwy 34/Osage during a traffic stop and charged with Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Controlled Substance 1st offense, and driving while barred. McIntosh was being held in the Union County Jail on $1,300 cash or surety bond.

Sunday morning, 35-year old Nicole Adrienne Sider, and 45-year old Harold Michael Roberts, both of Creston, were arrested on separate Domestic Abuse Assault charges. Sider was later released on $1,000 bond. Roberts was released on a $300 bond. 41-year old Justin Lawrence Moorhead, of Des Moines, was arrested Sunday afternoon for Public Intoxication. He was later released on a $300 bond.

And there were two arrests on Friday: 45-year old John Anthony Neely, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County warrant. He was taken into custody at the Union County Clerk of Court’s Office, and held in the Union County Jail on a $5,000 cash only bond. Friday night, 26-year old Andrew Thomas Palmer, of Creston, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He was later released on a $1,000 bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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A woman who swerved to miss a squirrel crashed her SUV into a parked pickup truck in Red Oak, Sunday afternoon. According to Red Oak Police, 73-year old Donna Margaret Lewis, of Red Oak, was driving a 2012 Jeep Compass northbound in the 1400 block of N. 6th Street at around 3:55-p.m., when she swerved and lost control of her SUV. The vehicle struck a parked 2015 Chevy Colorado pickup, registered to Norman Edward Thompson.

Lewis was transported by Red Oak EMS to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital. She was cited for Failure to Maintain Control. Damage from the collision amounted to $6,000 each.

The State of Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard, Monday, indicated (as of 10-a.m.), there were 432 new cases of COVID-19 since 10-a.m. Sunday, for a total of 100,052. There is one more positive case of the virus in Cass and Adair County, for a total of 235 & 99 respectively; 14 more cases in Harrison County; eight more in Guthrie County, and six more in Madison County. There are also five more positive cases of COVID-19 in Pottawattamie County, two more in Union County and one additional case in Montgomery County.

There have been four more deaths statewide since 10-a.m. Sunday, for a total of 1,464. The IDPH says of the reported deaths, 985 were related to a pre-existing medical condition. There have been a total of 864,455 Iowans tested for COVID-19 to-date, with 762,797 total Negative results. There have been 4,199 results received since 10-a.m. Sunday, with 3,619 of those Negative, and 571 Positive. Officials say 11.6% of persons tested had a positive test result.  Iowans who have recovered from the virus number 76,500.

Hospitalizations are up from Sunday’s 438, to 449 today. The IDPH says: 109 patients with COVID-19 are in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (compared to 100 Sunday); 53 people with COVID symptoms were admitted to a hospital (compared to 63 Sunday); and 39 patients are on a ventilator (1 less than Sunday). Western/Southwest Iowa hospitals report 24 people hospitalized (2 less than Sunday), eight are in an ICU (1 more than yesterday), one person was admitted, and no one was on a ventilator.

There remains 54 Long-Term Care (LTC) facility outbreaks in Iowa. There are 1,169 positive cases of COVID among patients and staff at those facilities, and there have been 739 deaths since the outbreak began. The IDPH reports 629 persons recovered from the virus at LTC’s.

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, 235 cases {+1}; 192 recovered; 2 deaths
• Adair, 99{+1}; 56; 1
• Adams, 55; 30; 0
• Audubon, 116; 44; 1
• Guthrie, 337 {+8); 200; 13
• Harrison County, 454 {+14}; 192; 5
• Madison County, 310 {+6}; 200; 2
• Mills County, 292; 148; 1
• Montgomery, 134 {+1}; 102; 5
• Pottawattamie County, 2,654 {+5}; 1,975; 43
• Shelby County, 310; 277; 1
• Union County,  189 {+2}; 120; 3

(Radio Iowa) – Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is back on the Iowa campaign trail. Branstad resigned as U.S. Ambassador to China. He and his wife, Chris, returned to Iowa LAST Monday after a little over three years and three months in the role. “Longer than the three previous ambassadors and frankly, we wanted to get back to Iowa,” Branstad says. “I wanted to get back to Iowa before it got too cold.” Branstad returned last Monday and his first campaign event was a rally with Joni Ernst in Carroll on Saturday. “I’m just really excited to be back and really proud to be part of the team,” Branstad said.

Branstad touted President Trump’s trade pact with China.  “It was a tough battle and it took a long time, but now we’re seeing record purchases of corn, pork, soybeans, beef,” Branstad said, “and that’s making a real difference.” The so-called “phase one” trade with was signed in January and, so far this year, China’s ag commodity purchases are about half of what China promised. During an interview with Radio Iowa and The Des Moines Register, Branstad discounted polls showing President Trump and Joe Biden tied in Iowa. “The only poll that counts is the one taken on Election Day. You’ve heard me say that before,” Branstad says. “The situation is a little different now because of so much early voting and all of that…I’m a big believer that you need to finish strong.”

Branstad’s oldest son, Eric, is senior advisor to Trump’s reelection campaign. Donald Trump, Junior is scheduled to campaign in Iowa Tuesday and President Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Des Moines on Wednesday. The Iowa Democratic Party’s chairman denounced the idea, saying it’ll be led by a person who may still be contagious and the event might end up being a “super spreader” of Covid.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Senator Joni Ernst hosted a motorcycle ride across the state this weekend, with rallies in five different cities. It started Saturday in Sioux City, then a stop in Carroll where many in the crowd were waving Trump flags. Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, made his first appearance after resigning as U.S. Ambassador to China. “Donald Trump, our great American president,” Branstad said, to cheers. “…I also want you to know that Joni Ernst was there to support the president all the way.” Ernst told reporter her fate isn’t tied to Trump’s and she’s running her own race. “I think we’re on a great path,” Ernst said. “I mean I feel the enthusiasm and the energy out there and that’s what’s going to take us over the finish line.”

On Sunday morning, seven-term Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and Ernst greeted several dozen motorcyclists before Ernst led the group to stops in Cedar Rapids and Davenport. Grassley criticized the money being spent by outside groups touting Ernst’s opponent. “Joni and I have been a team now for six years,” Grassley said. “…We’ve got to re-elect Joni to keep the team in place.”

Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield campaigned in northern Iowa this weekend, touring a farm near Buffalo Center and visiting with small groups at stops in Estherville and Lake Mills. “We’re working hard in our campaign to follow public health guidelines…and encourage people to mask up,” she told Radio Iowa. Greenfield raised nearly 29-million dollars in the third quarter — an all-time record for an Iowa senate campaign “There’s a lot of excitement in this campaign,” Greenfield says. “…I stay focused on the basic issues. The things that really affect people’s lives, in places like this.” November 3rd, Election Day, is 22 days away.

The Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency early this morning reports multiple trees, branches, power lines and other damage is being reported from strong winds that occurred Sunday night into early Monday morning. Officials advise you to “please use caution if you’re out driving and if you have damage on your property, ensure there is no power lines down amongst the tree damage.” In addition, the Iowa DOT reports IA Highway 48 NB/SB: Road blocked due to downed power lines from County Road J28 to County Road J20 (near Essex).

Photos via the Montgomery County EMA Facebook page

Cass County Communications reports (as of 12:19-a.m.) they have been informed by Alliant Energy, that power may be off until 2-a.m. in the City of Cumberland. Earlier, there was a report of a power outage in Lewis, as well.