Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports nomination papers may be circulated now in advance of the September 12th School Board elections. Nomination papers for offices to be filled in 2017 can be filed with the school board secretary anytime from July 10th through August 3rd, 2017. All offices are for four-year terms.

In Cass County, for the Atlantic Community School District, there are two At-Large local directors seats open on the School Board. Incumbents are Kristy Pellett and Josh E. McLaren, both of Atlantic.

In the CAM School District, there is an At-Large local director seat open, as well as a North District local director, and a South District local director. The incumbents include: Chuck Kinze, of Anita – North Director; Gary Dinkla, of Massena – South Director, and Nick Kaufman, of Adair – At Large.

And in the Griswold School District, there are two At-Large local director seats open, and one seat each in District 3 and District 4. Incumbents include: Scott C. Peterson of Elliott – District 3; Donald K. Smith – District 4; Steve Baier, of Griswold, and Robert Peterson, of Elliott – At Large.

Election information, including the candidate nomination form, is available online at the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, from the local school board secretary’s offices, and the Cass County Auditor’s Office. Check with your local school board secretary for local school board director district boundaries.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A state senator serving his first year in office says he’s running for governor. Nate Boulton announced Thursday that he’ll seek the Democratic nomination in 2018. He’s making a formal announcement in his hometown of Columbus and will embark on a six-day trip around the state.

He was elected to his first term last November. His District 16 includes Pleasant Hill and northeast Des Moines. Boulton told The Des Moines Register that he’d emphasize support for education and worker training to make the state more economically competitive.

He’s joining a crowded Democratic field. Former party chairwoman Andy McGuire announced her candidacy last month and state Rep. Todd Prichard has formed a fundraising committee. Polk County Conservation Director Rich Leopold and party activist Jon Neiderbach also say they’re running.

Authorities in Montgomery County say a Pottawattamie County man was arrested early this (Thursday) morning on an OWI charge. According to Red Oak Police, 54-year old David Lee Wettengel, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody at around 12:07-a.m. at the intersection of N. 4th Street and Senate Avenue. Wettengel was transported to the Montgomery County Jail on a charge of OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.

The jail inmate accused of killing a Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s deputy Monday was in a Douglas County, Nebraska courtroom Wednesday.  A judge set bond at $10 million for Wesley Correa-Carmenaty, who faces charges in Nebraska that include kidnapping, and is scheduled to appear in a Nebraska courtroom this afternoon (Thursday) for an extradition hearing.

Pottawattamie County Attorney, Matt Wilber, expects Correa-Carmenaty to come back to Iowa without a challenge. “I think he’s gonna waive, but if he decides to fight it, then we have to go through a long convoluted process of getting a governor’s warrant,” Wilber says. “Nobody ever successfully fights extradition, but it can delay us for a couple of months.”

Correa-Carmenaty is accused of killing Deputy Mark Burbridge, and shooting and injuring Deputy Pat Morgan during the escape, and then fleeing to Nebraska where he was caught. If the extradition proceeds without a challenge, then Wilbur says Nebraska will dismiss the charges there.

At his court hearing Wednesday in Nebraska, Correa-Carmenaty was surrounded by officers and wore handcuffs and ankle shackles that were connected to a chain at his waist. Douglas County, NE. Attorney Don Kleine said “We’ve got a person who has a history here that’s very dangerous, so the sheriff’s office and correctional facility will do everything they can to make sure everybody’s safe.”

The violence that took place Monday morning followed a sentencing hearing for Correa-Carmenaty. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison for a 2016 killing. He allegedly attacked the deputies as they were escorting him back into the jail, then took a transport van, shot another man in Council Bluffs in an attempt to take his pickup, and moments later carjacked a woman and let her go in front of a liquor store before he stole her vehicle and ended-up crashing during a pursuit into Nebraska.

Pott. County Attorney Matt Wilver says the next step is to find a place to hold Correa-Carmenaty once he’s extradited to Iowa.”I don’t think any of us think it is a great idea to put him in the Pott County jail again.  Not because we are worried about security — more because we are concerned about safety, liability —  if he gets a hangnail he is going to sue us saying retaliation,” Wilber says.

Wilber says finding the right place is an issue as most of the surrounding counties have smaller jails that raise security concerns for keeping such a dangerous prisoner.  Once Correa-Carmenaty is returned to the state, the warrant against him is read and formal charges are made. If he pleads not guilty, then Wilber says things could go to trial as quickly as 100 days. He says realistically he anticipate Correa-Carmenaty will get an attorney and the attorney will say he can’t be prepared in three months and will ask for a continuance, which could mean waiting up to one year before trial.

Wilber says his office would be ready to go in a a short time despite having three major crime scenes to deal with here and other crime scenes also in Nebraska.   “There’s a lot of information to get through.  I feel very good about where we are at,” Wilber says.  Correa-Carmenaty also could decide to plead guilty and that would speed up the process.  Wilber says he had a chance to visit deputy Morgan — and although he is in a lot of pain — he says Morgan is going to recover.

“He’s tough, he was smiling, his brother was there and it meant a lot to me to be able to see Pat sitting up. Just the same Pat that I’ve know working for the county for years,” according to Wilber. “I  know he’s got a little bit of a road to recover ahead of him, but he’s doing amazingly well under the circumstances.”

(Reporting by Karla James & Pat Curtis w/Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Funeral arrangements have been announced for a western Iowa sheriff’s deputy who was shot to death during a jail break this week. The funeral for Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Burbridge will be 10 a.m. Monday at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It will be open to the public.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Jury deliberations have begun in a discrimination lawsuit filed by a former athletics administrator against the University of Iowa. Attorneys gave closing statements Wednesday in the suit filed by Jane Meyer. She sued after being transferred to another department following the firing of her partner, Iowa field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum. Meyer’s job was eliminated in 2016. Meyer alleges she suffered workplace discrimination as a gay woman in a relationship with a coach.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood are suing to block a measure set to be signed into Iowa law this week that would impose a three-day waiting period on women seeking abortions. The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Polk County District Court seeks an emergency injunction to block the waiting period that would go into effect immediately upon being signed by Gov. Terry Branstad. Branstad says he’ll sign it Friday morning.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has ordered all flags on the Capitol grounds to be flown at half-staff on Friday to observe the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony. During the ceremony, state leaders will honor four officers killed in the line of duty, including Urbandale Officer Justin Scott Martin and Des Moines Sgt. Anthony David Beminio, who were killed minutes apart on Nov. 2 in separate ambushes as they sat in their patrol cars.

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating the robbery of a payday loan/cash advance business. Authorities say just before 4-p.m. Wednesday, a man entered the Check into Cash store located at 3424 West Broadway. The subject approached an employee of the business, displayed a small handgun and demanded cash. The suspect left the store on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. The employee was uninjured.

As of 9-p.m. Wednesday, there were no surveillance photos of the suspect available. The suspect is described as a light skin black male wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to contact our Criminal Investigation Division at 712-328-4728 or CrimeStoppers at 712-328-STOP (7867)

Residents of Atlantic are being urged to clean-up their properties to make the City more presentable and encourage civic pride. Last month, Councilman Dana Halder pleaded with the community to get rid of junk around their properties such as old couches in alleys and yards, tires, and other trash.

During Wednesday night’s City Council meeting, Halder said the interest in following through on that request was so high, a City-Wide clean-up is tentatively planned to take place next month. Halder said the dates for the event are June 1st through the 3rd. He said “We’re asking the citizens of Atlantic to help us with this. We’re not really at this point planning on coming around and picking up everything out of your front yard. We’re asking you to bring it to a certain location (to be determined).

Halder said the frustration he expressed during the last meeting is being felt by many around the community, who are tired of seeing junky properties. He said “This is our way of helping you take some pride in Atlantic and clean things up and keep ’em cleaned up. We’re gonna give everybody a chance to get rid of this stuff.”

Anything recyclable will be recycled. There will be a charge to dispose of tires. Halder warned you shouldn’t miss out on this chance to get your property spruced up, because after this event, the Ordinance will be enforced. If the City has to come clean-up your property, there will be a $100 surcharge plus $75 per hour. “There are couches, beds, and mattresses in people’s yards. I am sorry it’s ridiculous. I go back to Atlantic pride, it has disappeared and we need to get it back.”

Halder said also they will be looking for volunteers to help out with the clean-up. More information will be available in the days ahead.

A woman from Atlantic appeared before the City Council Wednesday evening to ask that a portion of the City Ordinance pertaining to livestock within the City Limits, be amended to allow chickens. Jill Scarf, who lives in the 12th and Cedar Street area of Atlantic made the request. Under the current ordinance, poultry is listed as one of the types of animals not allowed in the City.

Scarf said there many benefits to having chickens, and they help to produce food security for lower income families. She said also their are health benefits to have chickens locally raised. Scarf addressed the issue of smell, by saying she doesn’t want to see large flocks in the city, just a few per family who want to raise them in a properly confined area.

Another concern is noise. She said chickens aren’t that noisy. “Most hens just cluck or feed quietly throughout the day, and then when it gets dusk, they go to sleep at night.” She said even if a rooster crowed at sunrise, it would not be as noisy as some dogs who bark in town. Scarf said many cities in Iowa and across the county are allowing chickens, while others are considering the matter.

According to a report in the Des Moines Register, the City of Des Moines allows up to 30 chickens on residential properties anywhere in the city with several conditions, including distance and cleanliness standards. Johnston allows two chickens on properties larger than a half-acre. Windsor Heights allows two chickens on any residential property. Ankeny, Altoona, Urbandale and Waukee do not allow chickens in residential neighborhoods.

The public’s interest in raising chickens saw an increase during the Bird Flu crisis, when prices for poultry and eggs spiked. The City Council didn’t seem to object to the idea of allowing chickens, and agreed to forward the matter to the Community Protection Committee for discussion and a recommendation.