Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports absentee voting is available for the November 6th GENERAL ELECTION.  Absentee ballots may be voted in the Cass County Auditor’s office through Monday, November 5, 2018 at 5 pm. 

IF VOTING AT THE COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE: the absentee voter may come to the CASS COUNTY COURTHOUSE during the regular office hours of 8 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday thru Friday, up through the day before the election and cast a ballot.  In addition to regular office hours, the office of Cass County Auditor will be open Saturday, October 27, 2018 from 8 AM to 5 PM and Saturday, November 3, 2018 from 9 AM to 5 PM.  A voter may register and vote and an absentee ballot on the same day.

IF VOTING BY MAIL: A written request may be mailed or hand delivered to the County Auditor’s office.  (Absentee request forms are available at the auditor’s office and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.iowa.gov).  A ballot along with instructions on how to complete the ballot will be mailed to the requester.  For the ballot to be counted the completed ballot then must be returned either by personal carrier to the office of County Auditor before close of polls on November 6 or returned by mail postmarked no later than November 5.  Deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 PM on Saturday, October 27.  All BALLOTS ARE TO BE RETURNED whether they are voted or not voted.  A postage paid return envelope is provided with each absentee ballot mailed out. 

VOTER REGISTRATION: In order to vote in Iowa a person must be registered in the person’s current county of residence, under the person’s current name, and at the person’s current address.

      The county election commissioner recommends that persons not currently registered or who have moved since last registering and are planning to vote in the November GENERAL ELECTION, pre-register in the office of the County Auditor as soon as possible.  You may register or re-register and vote absentee on the same day.  Last day to pre-register in the office of the County Auditor is Saturday, October 27 2018.

The address for the Cass County Auditor / Election Commissioner is:

CASS COUNTY AUDITOR, COURTHOUSE, 5 W 7TH ST, ATLANTIC, IOWA 50022

(Phone:712-243-4570;   Email: auditor@casscoia.us)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A social worker has left the Iowa Department of Human Services months after a judge found she repeatedly gave false testimony against a mother and father who were unfairly stripped of their parental rights. Department spokesman Matt Highland says Chelsie Gray left the agency Sept. 23, two weeks after The Associated Press inquired about her status.

Highland said that Gray wasn’t fired or forced to resign, and the agency cannot disclose any information about her departure under Iowa law. The agency refused to release the findings from a review conducted of Gray’s cases after her false testimony came to light last spring.

A judge ruled in June that Gray delivered fabricated reports and trial testimony that helped convince a court to terminate the legal rights of a mother and father of four children in northern Iowa.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a Waterloo brother and sister set up a sham marriage so he wouldn’t have to leave the United States. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Selmir Salkanovic and his sister, Salena Dedic, were arrested Thursday and pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. Salkanovic also pleaded not guilty to marriage fraud.

Court records say Salkanovic is a Bosnian who overstayed his tourist visa. He’d promised to leave the country in June last year but instead, with his sister’s help, married a U.S. citizen after making a $5,000 deal with her. Federal law lets immigrants who marry U.S. citizens to receive conditional residency status, which can be upgraded to permanent residency after two years and then citizenship five years after that.

The records say Salkanovic and the woman never consummated the marriage and never lived together. It’s unclear whether the woman’s been charged.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports a Union County man was arrested Friday evening on an Adair County warrant. 36-year old Chad William Johnson, of Creston, was arrested on a warrant for Probation Violation. Johnson was released from custody a few hours later, on a $2,000 cash bond. Two other people were arrested in Adair County, and later released on citations to appear in court. 31-year old Curtis Clayton Roe, of Davenport, was arrested at around 11:17-p.m. Oct. 3rd on Interstate 80, for OWI/1st offense, after he was pulled over for excessive speed. He was released to his wife less than an hour later.

And, at around 4-p.m. Oct. 5th, 38-year old Brad Lee Lemon, of Creston, was arrested for Carrying Weapons (a pistol), following a traffic stop on Highway 25. Lemon said the gun was in his door before the traffic stop, but he moved it to between the front seats while pulling over. The pistol was loaded, with a round in the chamber. Authorities say Lemon does not have a permit to carry. He was released with a citation at the scene.