(Radio Iowa) – A large group of protesters is at the Iowa Capitol today (Tuesday), urging the legislature to ban pandemic-related mandates masks and vaccinations.

Speakers of the Informed Choice Iowa group say businesses should be barred from requiring workers get Covid shots. The group also opposes school district masking requirements for students and staff.

Republican legislative leaders have indicated its unlikely anything other than the redistricting plan will be up for a vote today (Tuesday).

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican, says he supports reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act — but without some of the gun restrictions that won House approval this spring. “I supported enactment of the original VAWA in 1994 and have voted to reauthorize and build the program many times,” he says.

Grassley says while he’s supported expanding rights for victims over the years, include gun restrictions for accused domestic abusers is a no go for him and other Republicans. The House-passed bill would bar people with temporary restraining orders and individuals convicted of stalking from owning or possessing a gun. “There’s no disagreement on the original Violence Against Women Act. It’s when you try to get guns involved and the Second Amendment issues involved,” Grassley says. “…There’s probably four or five things that people want to stick onto this that have some relation against the Violence Against Women Act, but it brings out a lot of partisanship.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing on the Violence Against Women Act this (Tuesday) morning. Grassley is the top Republican on the committee.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests. Last Friday morning, deputies arrested 41-year-old Timothy Joseph Asche, of Bennington, NE, for OWI/2nd offense. And, on Sept. 30th, 41-year-old Patrick Lynn Darrah, of Omaha, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. He was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail. The Sheriff’s Office says also, two people were injured during a collision Friday at the intersection of Highway 34 and Kidd Road.

Authorities say the collision occurred as a 2011 Dodge driven by 46-year-old Amy Graham, of Red Oak, was traveling west on Highway 34, and a 2018 Freightliner truck driven by 26-year-old Kyle Sawatzke, of Elk River, MN, was traveling north on Kidd Road, crossing the Highway 34 westbound lanes. Sawatzke failed to yield the right of way, causing the front of the Dodge to strike the rear of the semi. Graham and a passenger in her vehicle, 63-year-old Donna Graham, of Red Oak, were transported to Mercy Hospital for treatment of unknown/possible injuries.

(Anita, Iowa) – Patrons of the CAM Community School District have some very important meetings coming up, with regard to a $30.5-million bond issue that will be on the November 2^nd ballot. First-up, on Wednesday, Oct. 6^th, the Communication, Accountability, Transparency or (CAT) for Cougars Committee will hold a community awareness meeting in the Anita Community Center, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Organizers say the focus of the meeting is to hear the facts supporting voting NO on the bond issue.

The CAM District will hold CAM Bond Vote Community Informational Meetings 6:30p.m., on Wednesdays on the following dates: October 13^th, 20^th and 27^th.

• The meeting on the 13^th will be held in the CAM North Elementary Gym
• The Oct. 20^th meeting is in the Cumberland Community Room
• and the meeting on the 27^th is in the CAM South Elementary Gym.

The latter three meeting will be held in a hybrid format – that is both in-person and virtually via Zoom (see the Zoom Meeting ID’s and Passcodes at the end of this report).

CAM School District Superintendent Paul Croghan says there are two questions associated with the bond issue proposal, that will be on the ballot.

(The first is about the General Obligation Bond being $30.5-million. The bond would fund the construction, furnish and equip additions, remodel, repair, improve, provide and equip the existing South Elementary/Middle School building and Senior High building. The proposal would also improve the sites, transition to a single elementary site in Massena, a single Junior/Senior High site in Anita, and enhance athletic complexes and areas. )

The second question asks about the tax rate.

(It proposes an annual levy of a tax exceeding $2.75, but not to exceed $4.05, per thousand dollars of the assessed value of the taxable property within the CAM District to pay the principal of and interest on the bonded indebtedness of the school corporation.)

If approved, the proposition would not limit the source of payment of the bonds and interest but shall only operate to restrict the amount of bonds issued. Croghan said there will be time for additional presentations during the three mentioned District meetings, along with question and answer sessions, and a tour of the three buildings during the meeting at those separate facilities.

On the District’s website, in addition to links for facilities assessment information, is a link for you to calculate the impact on your property by the proposed $4.05 tax levy.

ZOOM meeting information: Anita meeting, ID 834 0700 7378, Passcode 92650; Cumberland meeting, ID 844 1056 5288, Passcode 259731; Massena meeting, ID 836 2470 4520, Passcode 555301.