Cass County Extension will host “Money Talk,” a 5 week financial course for women, starting in mid-September. The first session meets on September 15th, but the registration deadline is September 8th, to ensure materials will be available for first class, so call today to sign up!

“Women are often vulnerable when it comes to their financial future,” says Sandra McKinnon, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach family finance specialist. “Women tend to live longer than men, have lower wages, are more conservative in their investments and are in and out of the workforce.”

“This program is designed for women to improve their money management skills and level of financial knowledge. Participants develop confidence in decision making and gain control of their finances,” explains McKinnon.

The 5-session class meets on Thursdays from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, starting September 15, at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. Registration deadline is September 8.

Instructors include McKinnon, and local professionals on these topics:

September 15: Financial Basics – Sandra McKinnon
September 22: Insurance Essentials – Tammy Cullen

September 29: Investment Fundamentals – Jenny Johnson

October 6: Retirement Realities – Dan Mehmen

October 13: Legal Issues – Jennifer Plumb

The program is strictly educational and does not promote any company or product. The cost for the 5 week program is $25 per person. This includes all 5 sessions, handout materials and a 192-page workbook that participants will use to track their goals and progress. This program registration fee is below the usual course fee of $75 per person due to support from the Cass County Extension Council and local sponsors Cullen & Associates; Wiges & Johnson, Ameriprise Financial; Megan Roberts, State Farm; and Otto, Lorence & Wiederstein, PLLC.

(Press Release from ISU Ext./Cass County)

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley’s new T-V ad criticizes his opponent Patty Judge for not volunteering to take a pay cut during the recession when she was Iowa’s lieutenant governor. During a conference call with Iowa media, Grassley was asked if he’s ever taken a voluntary pay cut or refused his check during his four decades of public service in the Iowa legislature, the U-S House or the U-S Senate.

“Several times in the last five or six years, we’ve taken a pay cut because the automatic cost of living increase applies to members of Congress,” Grassley says. “We have voted as an institution and decided it wouldn’t be appropriate to take the pay increase.” Grassley, a Republican, says he opposes how he and his colleagues get pay hikes every year.

Grassley says, “I co-sponsored the Vitter amendment that would require a vote on any pay raise for Congress in the future instead of it being an automatic pay raise.” Grassley also harkened back to a vote in July of 1975, shortly after he was first sent to represent Iowa in Washington. House leaders were calling for a voice vote on a plan to set up automatic pay increases for members of Congress and Grassley says he’s on record opposing the idea.

“You will read there two words that Chuck Grassley said as a freshman member of Congress: ‘I object,'” Grassley says. “So, they had to have a roll call (vote) and everybody was on record and that record came out that it passed by about two votes to have the automatic pay raise that we have right now.” Grassley says he has “consistently voted for measures to deny all the congressional pay raises.” He says, when a raise can’t be justified, like when Americans face a dismal economy, “then the least we can do is not boost our own salary.”

(Radio Iowa)

A traffic stop in Exira at around 2-a.m. Sunday, resulted in the driver of the vehicle being arrested for OWI/1st offense. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office says 34-year old Arthur Dean Holle, of Guthrie Center, was taken into custody and brought to the Audubon County Jail. He was later released and is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 8th.

Police in Glenwood report two separate arrests over the holiday weekend. On Monday, 47-year old Brenda Foster, of Glenwood, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. Foster was being held in the Mills County Jail without bond until making an appearance before a magistrate judge. And, on Sunday, Glenwood Police arrested 48-year old Bryan Storm, of Glenwood, for OWI/2nd offense. His bond was set at $2,000.

Authorities in Union County say two men have entered guilty pleas in connection with the June 3rd 2016 robbery of a Casey’s Store at South Elm and Taylor Streets, in Creston. Last Friday, 19-year old Dyrrel Malik Thornton Culbertson plead guilty to the Armed Robbery, and, he was found guilty of Possession With Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, as a result of evidence discovered during the execution of a search warrant following the robbery.

During the course of that investigation, officers learned of additional information which linked Thornton-Culbertson to the Armed Robbery of the Creston Casey’s (at 200 S. Elm) on October 21st, 2015. Thornton-Culbertson plead guilty to that crime as well. Because he was on probation at the time he committed the crimes, the Court revoked his probation and ordered all of the sentences to be served consecutively. As a result, Thornton-Culbertson received an indeterminate sentence of 50-years in prison.

The case followed court proceedings on August 26th, 2016, involving a co-defendant, 20-year old Fransisco Martinez. Martinez plead guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery of the Creston Casey’s Store (at South Elm and Taylor) on June 3rd, 2016.

Fransisco Martinez

In connection with that incident, he was also found guilty of Possession of a Controlled Substance as a result of evidence discovered during the execution of a search warrant following the robbery. As a result, Martinez was sentenced to 11-years in prison.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer says two people were arrested on Theft charges late last month. In his report issued today (Tuesday), Starmer said 29-year old Tammy Jo Johnson, of Atlantic, was arrested Aug. 25th for Theft in the 5th Degree. Johnson appeared before the magistrate and pled guilty to the charge.

On Aug. 24th, 59-year old John Richard Anderson, of Hamlin, was arrested on charges that include 5th Degree Theft, Fraudulent Use of Registration, Operation Without Registration, Failure To Have a Valid Drivers License, and Failure To Display Registration Plate. Anderson was cited for the offensese and released at the scene. He later pled guilty to the charges.

And on Sunday (9/4), 28-year old Janae Nicole Anderson, of Audubon, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. She was subsequently cited, and released at the scene.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests occurred over the past few days. Early Monday morning, 26-year old Danielle Lee Sondag, of Portsmouth, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following a traffic stop on Railroad Highway.

Late Sunday morning, 42-year old Hamad Lotffi Houwari, of Dearborn, MI., was arrested for OWI/2nd offense, after his 2016 VW Passat allegedly struck a semi-tractor trailer on I-80 eastbound, near mile-marker30, and failed to stop.

A little after 6-p.m. Sunday, 35-year old Joni Lee Sands, of Underwood, was arrested following a disturbance at an apartment complex in the 200 block of Highway Street. Sands was charged with Simple assault after allegedly assaulting another woman and shoving her into a building.

Early Sunday morning, 25-year old Jacob Kyle Eric Caudill, of Council Bluffs, was arrested after he turned himself-in for Driving While Barred,  after he wrecked the 2005 Chrysler 300 he was driving on Highway 92, near Valley View Drive. Caudill had fled the scene and was located at CHI Creighton Hospital, in Omaha.

Early Saturday morning, 41-year old David Page Mace, Jr., of Underwood, was arrested following a traffic stop. A deputy noticed Mace’ pickup truck traveling with its hazard lights on. Upon further investigation, Mace was taken into custody and charged with OWI/1st offense, and two counts of Child Endangerment without injury, for having an 11-year old and 8-year old child in his vehicle.

And, early Saturday morning, 21-year old Anthony Michael McCoy, of Avoca, was arrested for Domestic Assault with Injury, in connection with an incident involving his wife that took place late Friday night.