In an update to our story over the weekend, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office said Monday night, 15-year-old MacKenzie Lyons, who reported as missing on Friday from the Adel area, had been located and is safe.

Mackenzie Lyons

On Saturday, authorities says the teen had last been seen at a residence southeast of Adel around 1:50 p.m., Friday, when she got into a black/dark blue mid-2000 four-door Honda Accord. She is on prescription meds that were not in her possession at the time she left.

Montgomery County Auditor Stephanie Burke reports that on Monday, November 2, 2020, the Montgomery County Auditor’s Office received a petition for a Special Election to be called to fill a vacancy of District One, Montgomery County Board of Supervisors.

According to Iowa Code, the Montgomery County Auditor, Recorder and Treasurer (Supervisor Appointing Committee) filled the vacancy by appointment on October 21, 2020. Charla Schmid was appointed and sworn in on October 27, 2020.

The citizens of Montgomery County, may request a special election to fill the vacancy by filing a petition with the Montgomery County Auditor containing 80 signatures of eligible electors within 14 days after the publication of notice or within 14 days after the appointment is made.

More information including the date of the special election, candidate filing requirements and deadlines will be announced in the near future.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:15 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Six years after Iowa voters overwhelmingly elected Joni Ernst to the U.S. Senate, the Republican is in a tight contest with Democrat Theresa Greenfield in one of the nation’s most expensive races. The two candidates had more than $170 million for spending on media as parties and interest groups poured money into the race. Greenfield has called for a more effective response to the coronavirus pandemic, emphasized health care and her support for expanding the Affordable Care Act and promised to protect Social Security. Ernst has pointed to her support of tax cuts enacted by Republicans and President Donald Trump and argued she’s willing to work with Democrats on issues such as infrastructure.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa voters are expected to cast ballots in record numbers for an election that will determine competitive races for president, U.S. Senate, U.S. House and state Legislature. Nearly a million people have cast absentee ballots, and it’s likely that more than half of the votes cast will have come before Election Day. Early voting has been gaining in popularity for years, and the movement was turbocharged this year by concerns about voting at polling places at a time when coronavirus cases continue to increase. Early voters broke earlier records a week before Election Day, with 64% of active Democratic voters and 42% of Republicans requesting an absentee ballot.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state panel on Monday approved a settlement between Iowa State University and a former Iowa 4-H director who was fired after a dispute over a proposed policy he supported that discouraged discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender. The settlement with John-Paul Chaisson-Cárdenas calls for the state to pay out $550,000. Of that money, $60,000 will go to Chaisson-Cárdenas, $270,000 into an annuity for his benefit and $220,000 to his lawyer. The settlement approved by the State Appeal Board also changes Chaisson-Cárdenas’ departure in university records from a termination to a voluntary resignation. Chaisson-Cárdenas was fired Aug. 2, 2018, months after conservative groups criticized and LGBT groups supported a suggested 4-H LGBTQ inclusion policy.

UNDATED (AP) — The number of people being treated for the coronavirus in Iowa hospitals continued to soar, prompting doctors and hospital officials to warn their facilities and staff could be overwhelmed without serious efforts to curtail the virus spread.. Data from the Iowa Department of Public Health indicated 1,469 new confirmed cases Monday and 17 additional deaths reported in the past 24 hours. That follows a weekend in which more than 2,800 new cases were reported each day. Iowa’s seven-day average rate of positive coronavirus tests is now third in the nation behind South Dakota and Wyoming. Health care professionals say increased hospitalizations typically follow higher positive case rates, an indication that Iowa hospitals could soon be overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.

Officials with the Atlantic Police Department, Monday (Today), said the Police and Police Reserve Christmas Programs will be held this year, as traditionally as possible. They will be designing and purchasing masks to be worn during the event. Organizers will ask all officers and participants to wear them during the programs, in order to keep everyone safe and healthy.

The APD Reserves will be holding their annual “Family Dreams Christmas” program on Saturday, December 19th. Applications for the program can be picked up at the APD, and will need to be turned back-in by 4-p.m. on December 9th, in order be considered.