Two Iowa political scientists say Iowa has “unique” split-ticket voting patterns. Iowa State University political science professor Dave Andersen says “I’m new to Iowa and I grew up in New Jersey and in the northeast, where I’m used to seeing states track to one party or the other,” Andersen says. “And Iowa is unique that you can have the same electorate look at the governor’s race and say by a 20-point margin, ‘We are going to keep our incumbent governor,’ and then look at the senate race and say , ‘We’re really not decided.'”

Whatever the outcome of Tuesday’s election, Anderson says Iowa will still be “purple all the way” and considered a toss-up for either party in the 2016 presidential election. “I think Iowans are able to uniquely able to kind of move back and forth between the parties, as an aggregate and I think they listen to both sides,” Andersen says. “Iowan voters, as a whole, I don’t think have chosen on party over another. I thik they are able to make a distinction race by race, candidate by candidate.” Loras College political science professor Christopher Budzisz agrees.

“It’s a competitive state,” Budzisz says. “…Senator Ernst, if you look at the polling averages, is up roughly two percent and then the same electorate is choosing Governor Branstad by 20 percent. There’s incumbency in that, but there is also an element to the state itself as a balanced state.” Budzisz and Andersen made their comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program that airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa Public Television.

(Radio Iowa)

A standoff in the northwest Iowa town of Cherokee ended early this (Friday) morning, after a man barricaded himself in a home late last night and threatened to kill himself. Police arrived at the home of 35-year-old Joshua Lee Allender and saw him inside the house, though he refused to come out. Police say Allender showed a gun from an upstairs window and fired several shots.

After several hours of negotiation, police fired tear gas into the house about 3:30 AM. Allender was apprehended with no injuries. He’s facing several charges, including: possession and control of firearm, reckless use of a firearm, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, assault while participating in a felony and assault on a police officer.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Three Iowa school districts have been notified they’ll receive grants from the state to boost the literacy skills of students who don’t speak English. The Denison, Des Moines and Postville districts will receive grants. The recipients were announced Friday by Iowa Department of Education Director Brad Buck. The Iowa Legislature approved the program, which provides $500,000 this year with the possibility of $1.5 million over three years.

More than 25,000 English Language Learners enrolled in Iowa’s public and nonpublic schools this year. Denison will focus on kindergarten through 12th grade while Des Moines will partner with the Diocese of Des Moines to pilot a program for Carver Elementary and Hiatt Middle School and six nonpublic Catholic schools. Postville will design a K-12 newcomer program.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors met this (Friday) morning, in Atlantic, for their regular, end-of-month session. During the meeting, the Board approved a motion pertaining to the filling of a vacancy in the Recorder’s Office, with the upcoming resignation (previously announced), of Joyce Jensen, who is retiring. Auditor Dale Sunderman said the Code of Iowa spells out how the position is to be filled, but there are exceptions.

The Code says a County office can be filled by the Board of Supervisors, which has already occurred in Cass County. The appointment in that case would be valid until the next pending election, which would be the General Election. Sunderman says it’s too late for the matter to be placed on the General Election ballot. The other option is to hold a special election to fill the office for the balance of the unexpired term.

He says as soon as the Recorder retires, the person she selected to replace her…in this case, Mary Ward, whose name is on the ballot…would automatically assume the office November 15th. If Jensen hadn’t have resigned, Sunderman says the position would be filled January 2nd.

Cass County Attorney Dan Feistner concurred with Sunderman’s assessment of how the position should be filled.

Cass County Engineer Charles Marker, today (Friday) discussed before the Board of Supervisors, the projects his crews have been working on, and those set to take place in the coming months. Marker said the Secondary Roads crews have completed all the Maintenance Pipe projects they had slated to complete this year, and including two in the southern part of the County that weren’t planned for, but found to be in need of replacement.

Marker said also there were three bridge projects that were set to begin this year, but delays due to wet weather meant putting the bid letting off until Oct. 20th. One of the projects for which bids have been received, is the Cass County Landfill road bridge. Marker says there were four bids for that project. The apparent low bidder was Cunningham-Reis out of Van Meter, at $565,461. Work on the bridge is expected to begin later this winter.

Another bridge project is on the Cass-Montgomery County line. It was let on Oct. 20th also, with six companies offering their bids. The apparent low bid was from A-M Cohron, for $360, 591. Montgomery County will reimburse Cass County one-half of the total cost of the project.

The third bridge project, that which is by the Griswold Golf Course, is currently near the end of the design process phase, and is set for bidding letting to occur in Feb. 2015. Another project under design, will utilize metal from an older bridge, during its construction.

The bridge will meet new, heavier standard truck limits on bridges that are coming down from the Feds and State, that could result in weight limits being lowered on bridges. While the weight limits are going up on the roads, the limits are being lowered for bridges, which means the heavier trucks can’t cross rural bridges in Cass and other Counties.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports all Iowa county auditors’ offices must be open for at least eight hours tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 1st) until at least 5 p.m., for absentee voting and other election business. The Cass County Auditor’s office will be open from 9 a.m. thru 5 p.m., Saturday.

Monday, November 3rd, 2014, is the last day to request and vote an absentee ballot in person at the county auditor’s office. The Cass County Auditor’s office will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Monday, November 3, 2014.