(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-O-T’s driver’s license center in Waterloo is closed today (Friday) and will reopen Tuesday in a new location. Darcy Doty, director of customer service for the Iowa D-O-T, says the new location is near the now-closed site inside Waterloo’s Crossroads Mall. “Being in the mall, we are required to follow the mall standard hours of operation,” Doty says, “so this gives us a little bit more flexibility in offering hours that are convenient for our customers.”

Doty says if the mall closed for any reason, the old driver’s license center had to close, too. The Iowa D-O-T operates 18 service centers in Iowa for driver’s license renewals, including Council Bluffs and Sioux City. “A lot of our moves are due to the lease in our current locations have ended and we’ve had an opportunity to look at some different locations that we feel are great for customer service and customer access,” Doty says, “good customer parking, that we have control over the opening of customer entrances, so that we can control those hours of operation.”

Late last month, the driver’s license center in Fort Dodge reopened in a new space. “Last year we were able to open a new facility in Mason City, just move from one location to the other with a new layout, look and feel,” Doty says. “…We are moving when it makes sense and also looking at our budget because we want to make sure that we are budget conscious as we look for new locations.”

Doty says 52 percent of Iowa driver’s license renewals are handled by an Iowa D-O-T service center. Iowans may renew their driver’s licenses at many county treasurer’s offices or at one of the D-O-T service centers. And some Iowans are able to renew online and those are processed by the D-O-T.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa is set to receive up to 170 million dollars from a lawsuit settlement with four companies accused of contributing to the nation’s opioid addiction and overdose crisis. The state’s share comes as part of a 26 billion dollar deal involving drug-maker Johnson and Johnson and three opioid distributors who admit no liability as part of the agreement. Attorney General Tom Miller says the money will be spent primarily on treatment and education. “One of the things I want to do is use the money if the most effective way to treat people but also make sure that the benefits, the treatment, are throughout the whole state,” Miller says.

Opioid-related deaths in Iowa increased more than 30 percent last year to 213. “It’s not going to be enough money to solve the whole problem. We’re not going to have money to throw around,” according to Miller. “But we think there’s going to be enough money, if we spend it wisely, to make a real dent in this problem and to really help.”

Miller says the money will be paid over a period of 17 years and the final amount will depend on how many Iowa counties sign on to the settlement. He says around two-thirds have signed up thus far. Iowa is also part of settlements with the consulting firm McKinsey and a pending bankruptcy settlement with Purdue Pharma. All told, the state could receive up to 200 million dollars through opioid litigation.

(By Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio)

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman says the last day to file nomination papers for city office to appear on the November 2, 2021 city election ballot is September 16, 2021. Nomination forms available from County Auditor, City Clerk or online. City Elections and School Board Elections are held on the same day: November 2, 2021. For the majority of voters, the voting site will be the site used for the “General Election.” There will be separate ballot styles for the city and rural voters since only city voters cast a ballot for city offices. [As changed in 2019: The City of Marne will vote at the Cass County Community Building in Atlantic.]

City Elections will take place on November 2, 2021. NOTE: This year nomination papers for elected city office positions must be filed with the county auditor rather than with the city clerk. Nomination papers may be filed with the county auditor from August 23, 2021 thru September 16, 2021.

Becoming a candidate for elective city office:

• Nominations – Nomination petitions for a city office must be filed with the County Auditor not more than 71 nor
  less than 47 days prior to the regular election. (In 2021, the first day to file papers is August 23.
• The last day to file papers is September 16. The process for filing nomination petitions is as follows:
  • Obtain an original nomination petition and candidate’s guide from the city clerk, county auditor or online from the Iowa Secretary of State ( www.sos.iowa.gov ).
  • Obtain the nomination signatures of the required number of eligible electors of the city or ward, as the case may be. The minimum number of signatures required is 10 for all positions except those positions in Atlantic.
  • Atlantic votes under the Runoff provision and the minimum signature requirement on nomination petitions is determined by number of persons who voted for a specific position/office in the last city election in which that position was on the ballot:
  • Mayor 22 signatures; Council At Large 21 signatures; Council Ward 2 and Ward 5 10 signatures; and Park and Recreation 21 signatures.
  • A person may sign nomination petitions for more than one candidate for the same office/position.
  • Attach a notarized affidavit acknowledging the candidate’s eligibility.
  • File the petition with the County Auditor prior to 5 p.m. on September 16, 2021.

Each candidate who successfully files a completed nomination petition is assured a place on the ballot.

In Cass County, Iowa the following offices will appear on the ballots for the respective cities on November 2, 2021:
Anita: Three at Large Council seats (4 year terms). Incumbents: appointee Simon Jensen, Ben Daughenbaugh and Tim Wheelock; Mayor (remainder 4 year term ending 2023). Incumbent: appointee John Knutson; One at Large Council seat (remainder 4 year term ending 2023). Incumbent: appointee Mark Harris.

Atlantic: MAYOR (4 year term). Incumbent: David Jones; Council Ward 2 (4 year term). Incumbent: Kathy Somers; Council Ward 5 (4 year term). Incumbent: Richard Casady; Council At Large (4 year term). Incumbent: Gerald Brink; One Atlantic Parks & Recreation Board (4 year term – term begins November 16). Incumbent: Stuart Dusenberry.

Cumberland: Mayor (2 year term). Incumbent: Nancy Virginia Coughlin; Three At Large Council (4 year term). Incumbents: Darrin Hardisty, Michael Martin and Mike Hill.

Griswold: Mayor (4 year term). Incumbent: Brad Rhine; Two At Large Council (4 year term). Incumbents: Julianne Adams and Carol Preston.

Lewis: Two At Large Council (4 year term). Incumbents: appointee Mary Neece and Ryan Archibald; One at Large Council seat (remainder 4 year term ending 2023). Incumbent: appointee Teresa Comer.

Marne: Two At Large Council (4 year term). Incumbents: Angela Redler and Aaron Williams.

Massena: Mayor (2 year term). Incumbent: Phil Przychodzin; Two At Large Council (4 year term). Incumbents: Jackson Bissell and Douglas Venteicher.

Wiota: Mayor (2 year term). Incumbent: Ford Lillard; Three At Large Council (4 year term). Incumbents: Jeff Lillard, Charles Bechtold and Lamar Spies.