Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate today (Monday), announced that his office is now accepting applications for people interested in participating in the Safe at Home program. Safe at Home is an address confidentiality program for survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, trafficking and stalking.

Pate says “This program is about helping victims of violence become survivors. My office has worked diligently to institute the Safe at Home program in Iowa and we are prepared for the full launch on January 1. I urge anyone who is looking for a way out of an abusive situation, so that they can move forward with their lives, to consider the Safe at Home program.”

Secretary Pate estimates around 150 applicants will sign up for the Safe at Home program within the first six months, and that number will grow to around 500 within the first two years. Pate’s office will work closely with the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault to institute and promote the program.

Iowa joins 33 other states across the country in adopting an address confidentiality program. The Safe at Home bill received unanimous support in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature, and was signed into law by Governor Terry Branstad in May.

To learn more about the Safe at Home program or to register, visit www.SafeatHome.iowa.gov. Applications are also available through state agencies across Iowa, victims’ advocacy groups across the state, and at law enforcement centers.

Governor Terry Branstad has issued an executive order that calls on state agencies to draft a “cyber security” strategy. In addition, the governor is asking his Homeland Security agency to update its emergency response plan to “deal with the physical consequences of a cyber attack on critical infrastructure” like the electrical grid, water supplies or transportation networks.

“It’s hard to predict what it could be or where it could come from,” Brasntad says. “But this is something that being prepared and being vigilant and trying to put in place as many safeguards as possible hopefully avoids these kind of things happening in our state.” Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds says a year ago the governor assembled a working group to discuss ways for state government and the private sector in Iowa to “prevent, detect, respond and recover” from a cyber attack.

“Every day we hear about new threats and successful and high-profile attacks and the serious consequences of those attacks,” Reynolds says. “It is a rapidly growing threat and we all know that we must be prepared to respond.” State officials say there is no “credible threat” they know of today, but they’re mum about whether previous threats have been thwarted.

In 2012, a hacker in another country tapped into South Carolina’s computer servers and got access to more than three-and-a-half million Society Security numbers belonging to South Carolina taxpayers. In the past few years there have been data breaches at Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa, but the governor’s executive order on cyber security does not apply to the three Regents universities.

Branstad’s order only applies to executive branch agencies. Branstad’s chief information officer will work with administrators from the Iowa National Guard, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the Iowa Communications Network and the state’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department to come up with a cyber security report by July 1st.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will act Wednesday morning on three resolutions to come before them. According to their agenda, the Board will act on approving a Resolution for Livestock Facility Construction Evaluation (otherwise known as the “Master Matrix”), a Resolution supporting the U-S Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), and a Resolution approving sponsorship of and a local match application to, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) High Quality Jobs Program for Farmers Energy Cardinal, LLC.

The meeting begins at 8:30-a.m. in the Supervisors’ Board Room at the Cass County Courthouse, in Atlantic.

In an update to our earlier reports, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources today (Monday),  released the names of a father and son who were rescued from icy water Sunday while deer hunting in Mills County. Officials say 49-year old Terry Garvey,  and his 13-year old son Montana, of Macedonia, were wading across Willow Slough one mile east of Hastings while deer hunting, breaking through thin ice as they walked. The water became progressively deeper until it was about waist deep causing the two to experience cramping and to call for help shortly before 9-a.m.

The father and son were pulled to shore by ropes and transported to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs where they were treated and released. DNR Conservation Officer Richard Price said “With the weather we have had, certainly ice cannot be trusted anywhere to support the weight of people.”  Even though the temperatures so far this winter have been much warmer than normal, Price said people need to be prepared for cold conditions.

Emergency rescue personnel from Hastings, Glenwood, Red Oak, Malvern, Emerson and the Mills County Sheriff’s Department also responded to the scene. Price said “We also had a lot of local volunteers show up to help assist with the rescue.”

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following a collision Saturday afternoon, southeast of Wiota. Officials say the crash happened at around 1:50-p.m., at the intersection of 690th Street and Hamburg Road.

Authorities say a 2015 Toyota Prius driven by 21-year old Nicholas Wayne Renner, of Huxley, attempted to turn north on Hamburg Road and was struck by a northbound 2016 Chevy Silverado owned and driven by 68-year old Joseph Lee Clinton, of Massena. Renner was cited for Failure to Yield, and for having an Expired Registration.

Damage from the crash amounted to $8,000.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Pottawattamie County was arrested last Friday on sex abuse charges. 21-year old Shawn Michael Williams, of Council Bluffs, was arrested as the result of an ongoing criminal investigation. Williams faces two charges of felony Sex Abuse 3rd Degree. He was taken to the Cass County Jail and released Saturday on $20,000 bond.

Also arrested Friday, was 38-year old Carrie Ann McKray, of Hancock. McKray was taken into custody on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Theft 4th Degree. She was later released on $1000 bond.

And on Saturday, Cass County deputies arrested 27-year old Andrew Gaston Nickum, of Atlantic, on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault. Nickum was later released on $2000 bond.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports ballots for the February 2nd, 2016 SPECIAL SCHOOL ELECTION for the CAM Community School District public measure are now available at the Cass County Auditor’s office. If you are a resident of the CAM Community School District and are unable to go to the voting center on February 2nd, 2016, you may vote by mail by sending a request for an absentee ballot to the Cass County Auditor’s office. Or, you may stop and vote at the County Auditor’s office during office hours: 8 a.m. thru 4:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday.

CAM School District Public Measure included on the ballot:

PUBLIC MEASURE A

” Shall the Board of Directors of the CAM Community School District in the Counties of Cass, Adair, Adams and Audubon, State of Iowa, be authorized for a period of ten (10) years, to levy annually, as determined by the Board, a voter-approved physical plant and equipment property tax not to exceed One Dollar and Thirty-four cents ($1.34) per One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) of the assessed valuation of the taxable property within the school district, to be used for the purchase and improvement of grounds; the construction of schoolhouses or buildings and opening roads to schoolhouses or buildings; the purchase, lease, or lease-purchase of a single unit of equipment or technology exceeding Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) in value per purchase, lease, or lease-purchase transaction; the payment of debts contracted for the erection or construction of schoolhouses or buildings, not including interest on bonds; procuring or acquisition of library facilities; repairing, remodeling, reconstructing, improving, or expanding the schoolhouses or buildings and additions to existing schoolhouses; expenditures for energy conservation; the rental of facilities under Chapter 28E; purchase of transportation equipment for transporting students; the purchase of buildings or lease-purchase option agreements for school buildings; equipment purchases for recreational purposes; payments to a municipality or other entity as required under section 403.19, subsection 2; demolition, cleanup, and other costs if such costs are necessitated by, and incurred within two years of a disaster as defined in section 29C.2, subsection 4 or any other purpose approved hereafter by law? ”

The CAM COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT consists of Cass, Adams, Adair and Audubon counties. The polls will open at NOON Feb. 2nd and close at 8:00 P.M. The election is “AT LARGE,” meaning that all residents of the entire school district may vote for all school offices and public measures.

ELECTION DAY VOTING CENTERS:

ANITA VOTING CENTER: Voters residing in that portion of the CAM Community School District residing in Grant, Benton, Franklin or Lincoln Township in Cass County or in Adair County or Audubon County will vote at the ANITA COMMUNITY CENTER (805 Main St., Anita).

CUMBERLAND VOTING CENTER: Voters residing in that portion of the CAM Community School District residing in Union, Bear Grove, Noble or Edna Township in Cass County or in Adams County will vote at the CUMBERLAND COMMUNITY BLDG (200 W 2nd, Cumberland).

MASSENA VOTING CENTER: Voters residing in that portion of the CAM Community School District residing in Massena or Victoria Township in Cass County or in Adams County will vote at the MASSENA PUBLIC LIBRARY in Massena (122 Main St., Massena).

And, the ABSENTEE Voting Center is the Cass County Auditor’s Office at the Cass County Courthouse, in Atlantic.