(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa House have voted to ban drop boxes at county auditors’ offices for absentee ballots and to require that absentee ballots be in election offices the day before an election. For elections held in Iowa the past three years, absentee ballots were counted if the ballot was received by county auditors by the time polls closed. Representative Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton, says anyone can vote in the time frame outlined in the bill.

“Five hundred and four hours — that is how much time we have to vote here in Iowa,” Kaufmann said. House Democrats voted against the bill, which makes other changes, like requiring new absentee ballot envelopes. Representative Amy Nielsen is a Democrat from North Liberty. “We’re adding even more hoops for our voters to jump through, just for them to exercise their constitutional right to a vote,” Nielsen says.

Representative Austin Baeth, a Democrat from Des Moines, suggests the changes are fueled by paranoia. “I don’t know when this body is going to be satisfied that there is no organized conspiracy to tamper in our elections,” Baeth says. Representative Kaufmann, who has managed previous bills making election law changes, responded. “That extra envelope makes sure that ballot has not been tampered with,” Kaufmann says. “No one has said there’s a vast conspiracy here. I certainly have not.”

The bill now goes to the Iowa Senate for consideration.

(Radio Iowa) – University of Iowa researchers are studying the mental health and well-being of faculty and staff at college campuses across the state.

Barry Schreier, director of higher education programming at the UI’s Scanlan Center for School Mental Health, says the first phase of the survey was conducted last April in seven community colleges. When the second phase is launched next month, Schreier says it will broaden in scope.

“We are going to try to pick up as many schools as possible, which is going to expand out to additional community colleges,” Schreier says. “We will have at least over half the community colleges in the state, which is a pretty good sample, and we are expanding out to the private schools. There are 30 some in the state and we have picked up several of those, and then we will begin to sample the three regent universities as well.”

Student mental health is not the focus of this study, he says, as many others are already doing that.

“This is unique because it is sampling staff and faculty, which is not very typical,” Schreier says. “Most services and research about campus mental health and well-being are largely student-facing, and that certainly has been the case in Iowa. This is a first-of-its-kind survey of staff and faculty in higher education in the state of Iowa.”

One finding of the survey’s first phase was that nearly 75% of community college staff had referred students to mental health resources in the previous year, which he says was an unexpected and large percentage.

“Staff and faculty, whether they feel ready or not to assist students when they’re in distress, they’re doing it,” Schreier says. “Staff and faculty then apparently have a good understanding of what resources are on their campuses and are making those referrals, understanding that they are first-line responders.”

The survey also quizzed faculty and staff about whether they considered themselves “flourishing,” and most did, but 30% also reported feeling burned out.

“One of our recommendations that we think is a really critical finding of this study is that when campuses are talking, when the press is talking to campuses about campus mental health, it is critical that they talk about both sides of the coin,” Schreier says. “Folks are struggling, a percentage of folks certainly are struggling and living with mental health concerns, and at the same time, can also be flourishing.”

The Scanlan Center is considered the state’s hub for school-based mental health research, training, professional learning, and clinical services.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Officials with the Atlantic Police Department today (Tuesday), released a report on arrests that took place from February 14th through March 2nd.

• Tami Schulz, 52, of Atlantic, was arrested February 14th for Theft 1st and Counterfeiting/Forgery.
• Kalee Nolte, 30, of Atlantic, was arrested February 14th for Theft 1st.
• Sean Phillipson, 23, of Atlantic, was arrested February 15th for Theft 4th (Shoplifting).
• Taify Amumu, 28, of Atlantic, was arrested February 18th for Public Intoxication.
• Kevin Viether, 44, of Atlantic, was arrested February 18th for Operating While Under the Influence 1st offense.
• Donovan Brunning, 30, of Atlantic, was arrested February 19th for Driving While Barred.
• Sonia Jaramillo, 43, of Atlantic, was arrested February 20th for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marijuana), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug, and Gathering Where Marijuana is Used.
• Madleen Hadley, 41, of Atlantic, was arrested February 22nd for Operating While Under the Influence 2nd Offense and Child Endangerment.
• Anthony Germann, 42, of Shelby, was arrested February 26th for Threat of Terrorism, Interference with Official Acts, Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree and Domestic Abuse Assault.
• Taify Amumu, 28, of Atlantic, was arrested February 28th for Public Intoxication.
• Shaylee Riesgaard, 31, of Hamlin, was arrested March 2nd for Assault Causing Bodily Injury.

All individuals were taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in. Tami Schulz, 52, of Atlantic, was cited into court and released on February 23rd for Theft 5th. Charles Burns, 62, of Atlantic, was cited into court and released on February 27th for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marijuana), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Gathering Where Marijuana is Used.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, during their meeting today (Tuesday), set May 21st as the date for a Public Hearing on a Resolution to declare Emergency Medical Services to be an essential service. And, they set March 26th at the date for a Public Hearing on the proposed FY2025 Tax Levy. Auditor Kathy Somers explained the budget isn’t finished yet, but so far it seems the County is “in a good spot.”

A letter to property owners won’t be mailed-out until March 20th.

In other business, the Board authorize Chairman Steve Baier to sign a 28-E agreement with Juvenile Detention.

The agreement says the County will have to contribute about $6,700 less this year, which Baier says is a good deal, because there’s no way the County could handle those services with stand-alone funding. They also authorized a letter of response with regard to a jail and ICE Detainment Policy. Cass County Chief Deputy Sheriff John Westering said it’s essentially the same policy they’ve had for years. Their action was in response to an inquiry into the question of whether or not Cass County was a “Sanctuary City” for illegal immigrants.

Board Chair Steve Baier added…

And, the Board passed an amended Resolution allocating $10,000 in ARPA funds for the Atlantic Splash Pad Project. Supervisor Wendy Richter…

SplashPad Fundraising Committe Chair Jeremy Butler said the project is currently out for bids. Those bids are due by March 15th. The bids will be opened later this month and either accepted or rejected.

The Cass County Supervisors, today (Tuesday), heard from Craig Meyer, from Lewis, who attended the meeting to thank the Supervisors for approving during their last regular meeting, the powdercoating of benches at the Freedom Rock site, in Lewis. The benches are finished and returned to their places in the park.

In other business, Board approved the County’s contribution to Connections Area Agency on Aging, for FY 2025.