DES MOINES– The boil advisory issued on Oct. 7 for the communities of Greenfield, Fontanelle and Orient in Adair County has been lifted.

The advisory was issued following a water main break. Repairs have been completed, and the affected area has been disinfected and flushed. Water samples have tested negative for bacteria.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna is reminding residents of the county, and the general public, that the deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5-p.m. Monday, October 21st. That is also the voter pre-registration deadline. If you do not register to vote before October 21, 2024, you can register on Election Day or if you vote absentee in-person at the Auditor’s office.

You must provide proof of both your identity and residency. If your license has an old address on it, you can use the license as proof of identity and use one of the following as proof of residence if it contains your name and current address: Current residential lease, Property tax statement, Utility bill (including a cell phone bill), bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government documents (vehicle registration, tax assessment, etc.). If you do not have an Iowa driver’s license, you can provide another form of ID if it contains your photo, is current, valid, and hasn’t expired or lists “None” as the expiration date. Temporary paper licenses or IDs issued by the IDOT are acceptable.

Montgomery County Auditor’s Office hours & election notes:

Saturday, November 2, 2024 – Auditor’s office is open from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. for absentee voting and election business.
Monday, November 4, 2024 – Last day to vote an absentee ballot in-person at the Auditor’s office during regular office hours.
Tuesday, November 5, 2024, ELECTION DAY– Polls are open from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

If you have any questions, please contact the Montgomery County Auditor’s office at 712-623-5127, or the Auditor in your county.

(Radio Iowa) – FEMA plans to close the state’s last two Disaster Recovery Centers in Clay and Sioux County this Saturday at 5:30 p-m. FEMA spokesman Chad McCormick says there has been a lot of work done. “It’s been a significant year with tornadoes this year, flooding events across the Midwest, all the way down into Texas area, and then, as you see with the two current hurricanes that are coming in,” he says. Iowa residents still have until October 22nd to apply for federal disaster assistance.

McCormick says at one time there were almost 25 centers open to help Iowans. “We try to provide grants. Those are monies that do not have to be paid back. FEMA can’t come in and make you whole,” he says. “We can’t duplicate benefits relating to insurance. So, a lot of folks may receive a denial letter, and that’s usually because we’re waiting to see what the insurance is going to pay out.”

So far, FEMA has approved almost 70 million dollars in aid for about 85-hundred Iowa residents after tornadoes in Minden and Greenfield and historic flooding in northwest Iowa.

McCormick says that starting next week, flood victims in northwest Iowa will have access to long-term disaster recovery centers operated by the state, where residents can get help with FEMA applications and state and local aid. There is already one open in Pottawattamie County. McCormick says hurricanes Helene and Milton will create more calls and that could cause delays for people trying to contact FEMA’s call center.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce, in update to our story Wednesday, said a fire that destroyed a home early Wednesday morning, was caused by an electrical failure. Chief Bruce says the cause was determined through a joint investigation between his department and the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The fire at 104 B Street, in Red Oak, began on the front porch, in the area of an outlet where an extension cord was plugged in. From there, the fire grew in size due to combustible material located on the front porch, and progressed until it breached the front windows. Once the windows were broken, the flames made their way into and throughout the residence. The investigation into the incident is now complete.

No injuries were reported during the blaze. Residents of the home were being assisted by the Red Cross.

Atlantic, Iowa – SHIFT ATL, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, along with the Atlantic High School Cross Country team, will be hosting their sixth annual Turkey Trot in Atlantic on Thursday, November 28, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. This year’s event will have both an in-person and virtual option to participate. The in-person event will include a 5K route and 1-mile route option, both leaving from The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 102 Chestnut St, at 8:00 a.m. sharp! Attendees can grab some warm eats and drinks from inside the building post-race. The virtual event can take place at the registrant’s discretion.

Cost to register is $25, with the option to add on race-day gear, a t-shirt (race + shirt $40) or crewneck sweatshirt (race + sweatshirt $55). Orders including any of these items need to be submitted by Tuesday, November 12th in order to ensure items are here before race day. Registration for the race will continue until the day of the event. Proceeds from this year’s event will once again benefit the Atlantic Cross Country team as a “thank you” for their help in putting on this year’s Turkey Trot.

Shared Coach Ashley Mosier says “The proceeds from the 2023 Turkey Trot were a game-changer in enabling us to purchase wish-list items for our Cross Country program. Thanks to the participation of our community and avid “trotters”, we were able to invest in much-needed equipment like muscle rollers and pink out jerseys, which will be able to be worn every year at
our home meet in support of breast cancer awareness. These additions have significantly enhanced our athletes’ recovery and team spirit. We are excited to support this year’s Turkey
Trot, which allows us to continue building and improving the Atlantic Cross Country program.”

To get registered, visit getmeregistered.com/AtlanticTurkeyTrot or shiftatl.org/turkeytrot to view full event details! For more information about SHIFT ATL or the Turkey Trot, visit
facebook.com/shiftatl, www.shiftatl.org or email shiftatlantic@gmail.com.

(Radio Iowa) – Reports say at least three-million customers in central Florida are without power after Hurricane Milton slammed ashore last night, bringing heavy rain, flooding and multiple tornadoes. Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy has a 70-member disaster response crew in western North Carolina, which was hit by Hurricane Helene a few weeks ago. MidAmerican’s Tina Hoffman says the Iowa crew is working with Duke Energy to restore power in the Asheville area. “Duke has asked our crews to stay and continue,” Hoffman says, “and we expect them to be there assisting for at least a couple of more weeks. Of course, the conditions can change.”

Many thousands remain without power following Helene and until they’re reassigned, Hoffman says the Iowa team will stay put in the North Carolina mountains. She says Florida will be able to get help elsewhere. “We have a process that we call mutual assistance,” she says, “so when one utility has customers who are outaged by major incidents, like we’re seeing now, this system allows us to work together and share what needs they have.”

Iowa utility workers in North Carolina prepare for their day. (MidAmerican Energy photo)

Reports say some 90,000 homes in Georgia and North Carolina remain without power after the earlier storm.