(Radio Iowa) – A record number of women are running for the Iowa legislature this year. Karen Kedrowski, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University, says the “sheer number of women” on Iowa’s 2022 General Election ballot is “remarkable.” “Two as the party nominees for governor at the top of the ticket,” she says, “and then five out of the eight people who are running for U.S. congress are women.” The so-called “glass ceiling” in Iowa politics was broken when Joni Ernst won Iowa’s U.S. Senate in 2014. In the last 100 years, only half of the states have elected a woman as governor. Today, only nine states have female governors.

“Iowa has really come a long way in a fairly short amount of time in terms of seeing women pursuing and being elected to the highest offices in the state,” Kedrowski says. “When we look at county level offices, we see quite a large number of women who are serving in public life in Iowa.” Forty percent of the candidates for the Iowa House and Senate are women — a record. For the past two years, about 30% of state lawmakers have been women. Kedrowski says having women serving at all levels of elected leadership has changed campaigns.

“What that really means is that it kind of takes gender off the table,” Kedrowski says. “…Instead of talking about whether a woman can do a job or having any sort of veiled sex discrimination messages, what we really see are candidates that are focusing on the issues.” Women are more likely to vote than men, according to Kedrowski, who says women have been the majority of voters since the 1970s.

The first woman to serve in the Iowa legislature was elected in 1928 — two years after women were allowed to serve in the legislature.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will hold their Annual and Regular Meetings, Wednesday evening, both take place in the High School Media Center*. At 5:30, the Board will hold their Annual Meeting, featuring the 2021-22 Annual Report, and 2021-22 Depository Statement. Following action on those two items, the meeting will adjourn, and the Board’s Regular Meeting will convene.

During the Regular session, the Board will receive a Special Presentation with regard to the 3-year Old Preschool Program, along with regular reports from the District’s Principal’s, and Superintendent Steve Barber. Action items on their Consent Agenda include the resignations of: Lisa Andersen, Food Service; and Stacy Van Aernam, CCEOC Para-Educator. The Board will consider and act on Superintendent Barber’s contract recommendations for the following:

• Jacey Hoegh & Zach Christensen – Volunteer Boys Basketball Coaches.
• Mike Greving, Caleb Smith, Adam Smith and Dillon Cox – Vol. Wrestling Coaches.
• Todd Killion – MS Wrestling Coach.
• Kayla Mendenhall – Vol. Cheer Coach.
• Gary Miller – School Bus Driver.
• Donald Prall & Abby Lauritzen-Olson: Substitute car/suburban Drivers.
• Lizzie Walker – Early Learning Center Para.

Discussion is expected to take place, with regard to the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) Renewal Timeline. The schedule includes action on: Jan. 11, 2023 on approving a Resolution to Consider Participation & Set [the] Public Hearing; and on having Feb. 8, 2023 as the date for the Public Hearing, along with possible action on the Resolution. (The Board has 30 days from the date of the hearing to act on the matter) The maximum portion of the ISL cannot exceed 10% of regular program district cost. A portion of the amount is state aid, but the district has not received that portion for the past several years, according to Mr. Barber.

In other business, the Board will act on approving: SBRC Modified Allowable Growth (2021-22) LEP Allowable Costs, in the amount of $65,761.19; SBRC Modified Allowable Growth for Increased Enrollment ($192,960.90) (for spending authority); and SBRC Modified Allowable Growth – for LEP Instruction Beyond 5-years ($3,396.69).

*The meeting is viewable on You Tube through a link found HERE.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – This is Election Day. It is a General Election, where the candidates are those for County, State and Federal government positions. Some seats are for non-partisan positions, such as Ag Extension Council, Soil and Water Conservation, and Hospital Trustee. There is also a simple “yes” or “no” question in Iowa, about a Constitutional Amendment with regard to the “”Right to Keep and Bear Arms.” The Polls are open from 7:00-a.m. until 8-p.m.

Pre-registered voters are required to provide an approved form of identification at the polling place before receiving and casting a regular ballot. Voters who are not pre-registered – such as voters registering to vote on Election Day – and voters changing precincts must also provide proof of residence. A voter who is unable to provide an approved form of identification (or prove residence if required, may: (1) may have the voter’s identity/residence attested to by another registered voter in the precinct, 2) prove identity and residence using Election Day Registration documents. Election Day Registrant attesters however, must provide an approved form of identification. 

CASS COUNTY POLLING PLACES
Precinct/Polling Location

• Atlantic Ward 1: Zion Lutheran Church, 811 Oak St, Atlantic
• Atlantic Ward 2: Atlantic Public Library, 507 Poplar St, Atlantic
• Atlantic Ward 3: Cass County Community Center, 805 W 10th St, Atlantic
• Atlantic Ward 4: United Church of Christ, 1607 Hazel St, Atlantic
• Atlantic Ward 5: Heritage House, 1200 Brookridge Circle, Atlantic
• Bear Grove Twp/Cass Twp/ City of Lewis*: Lewis Community Center 400 W Main St, Lewis
• Benton Twp/Franklin Twp/Grant Twp/ Lincoln Twp/City of Anita/City of Wiota*: Anita Community Center 805 Main St, Anita
• Brighton Twp/Grove Twp/Pymosa Twp/Washington Twp/City of Marne: Cass County Community Center 805 W 10th St, Atlantic
• Noble Twp/Pleasant Twp/City of Griswold: Griswold Community Building 601 2nd St, Griswold
• Union Twp/City of Cumberland: Cumberland Community Building 200 W 2nd St, Cumberland
• Edna Twp/Victoria Twp/ Easterly Portion of Massena Twp: Massena Public Library 122 Main St, Massena
• Westerly Portion of Massena Twp/City of Massena*: CAM Middle School 207 E 6th St, Massena
  *Notice of polling location change: the precincts noted are listed with their new permanent polling location, voters in those precincts will vote at the listed polling location.

For further information, please contact the Cass County Auditor’s Office at 712-243-4570. Or, outside of Cass County, contact your respective County Auditor if you are unsure of where you may cast your ballot.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports there were two separate accidents that took place on Oct. 29th:

• At approximately 3:44 PM the Page County Sheriff’s Office responded to a motor vehicle accident on A Avenue north of Shenandoah. A 16 year old male was the driver of the vehicle and only occupant of a 2009 Pontiac G6 owned by Stephanie Petersen of Shenandoah. The vehicle lost control on the gravel, entered the east ditch, flipped end over end, and reversed ends, prior to coming to rest. The male juvenile was transported to the Shenandoah Memorial Hospital by Shenandoah EMS service. He was issued a citation for Failure to maintain control of vehicle.
• And, a little after 12-p.m. on Oct. 29th, the Page County Sheriff’s Office responded to a motor vehicle accident with injuries in Coin. The investigation showed that 82-year-old Alice Faye Annan of Coin, was the operator and only occupant of a 2005 Ford F150 pickup. Annan was backing out of her driveway in Coin. Annan backed across first street, through a small retaining wall, across Broadway Street and then into a yard where it came to a stop on some rocks. Annan was transported to Shenandoah Medical Center by Shenandoah EMS with unknown injuries. Annan was issued a citation to for Failure to maintain control of a vehicle.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop in Red Oak a little after 2-a.m. today (Tuesday), resulted in the arrest of two men on drug charges. Officers conducted the traffic stop in the 100 block of W. Hammond Street and at around 2:30-p.m. arrested 47-year-old Markus Eugene Johnson, of Red Oak, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/2nd offense – Methamphetamine. His bond was set at $2,000.

Chad Michael Hill was arrested 20 minutes earlier at the scene of the incident. He was taken into custody for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and on two warrants:

1) A Montgomery County warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree – A Class D Felony.

2) An Adams County warrant for Contempt of Court/Failure to Appear.

Bond for Hill was set at $5,000. Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by the Montgomery County K9 Unit and K9 “Bane,” and Montgomery County 911.