(Red Oak, Iowa) –  The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests: At around 12:10-a.m. today (Thursday, June 2nd), Deputies conducted a traffic stop at 110th and G Avenue, and as a result, arrested 51-year-old Martha Anngeline Oltmanns, of Council Bluffs. She was taken into custody for Driving While Barred, and held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

And, on Tuesday, Deputies in Montgomery County arrested 30-year-old Jesse Allen Luft, of Villisca, for Violation of a No Contact Order. Luft was being held on a $300 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Two Republicans are listed on this year’s Primary ballot for state auditor and the winner will face Rob Sand, the Democratic incumbent, in the General Election. Mary Ann Hanusa, who has been endorsed by Governor Reynolds, managed the White House Office of Correspondence for President George W. Bush. She was more recently elected to five terms in the Iowa House, representing her hometown of Council Bluffs for 10 years.

“I served as Government Oversight chair in the House when I was in the legislature,” Hanusa says, “I brought in front of the committee heads of state agencies, asking tough questions, making sure the Iowa taxpayers’ dollars were being spent appropriately.” Hanusa says Sand, the current state auditor, was wrong to audit and question how Governor Reynolds spent federal pandemic relief money on staff salaries and computer software.

“I believe that for the last four years our state auditor’s office has been politicized,” Hanusa says, “and there just isn’t any room for politics in this office.” Todd Halbur, of Clive, is the other G-O-P candidate for state auditor. Halbur sued the state in 2018, alleging he was fired from his job as chief financial officer the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division after he questioned some transactions. A spokesperson for the agency has said Halbur’s allegations are untrue. Halbur says if he’s elected state auditor, he’ll educate state employees on how to spot waste, fraud and abuse.

“The eyes and ears of all employees know what’s right and wrong,” he says. Halbur, who is a realtor, also owns a school supply business. He’s previously worked for three different banks and is taking the test to become a certified audit examiner. “I believe that Iowa needs an auditor that has the financial background and the qualifications that I have as a prior banker and the CFO of a large state agency of Iowa,” he says.

Sand, the Democrat who is Iowa’s current state auditor, is seeking a second term. The Democratic and Republican Primary Elections are next Tuesday, June 7th.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett, Wednesday evening, administered the Oath of Office to a member of the Atlantic Police Force, who was recently promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Before she did so, Mayor Garrett read from Caleb Smith’s bio, and explained his duties, past and present.

A graduate of the Red Oak High School, Sgt. Smith received an Associates of Science Degree in Criminal Justice in 2008 from Iowa Central Community College in Ft. Dodge. He and his wife have lived in Atlantic for 12-years.

Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett congratulates Sgt. Caleb Smith.

In report to the Council and citizens of Atlantic, Mayor Garrett said the City’s Code Enforcement Officer conducted 31 inspections today (Wednesday), that were in response to citizen complaints about properties. During the inspections, 12 additional violations were found.

Garrett said citizens are free to submit a complaint or concern, with the understanding there is a process that the City must work through, with regard to ordinances. Some of those processes are being tweaked to further resolve complaints.

She issued a “Thank you,” to those who are maintaining their property. If you are being a good neighbor, offer to help your neighbor with lawn mowing and sidewalk shoveling during the winter. If you truly need the help, the Mayor said, please allow someone to help you so the City doesn’t have to bill you to get the job done. In other business, City Administrator John Lund proposed having the Independence Day celebration for three days: July 2nd, 3rd and 4th (Saturday, Sunday, Monday). The hours will be the same as last year, from Noon until 11-p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and Midnight on July 4th. The Council was in agreement on the dates and times. The City of Atlantic’s fireworks display will take place the night of July 4th.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston, today (Wednesday) cited a man for Reckless Driving, following an investigation into a property damage accident that occurred a little after 1-p.m. Wednesday. Authorities say 18-year-old Marcus Eugene Carney, of Creston, was driving a 1999 Toyota Avalon westbound on the Spillway Road, and traveling approximately 50-mph in a 15 mph zone.

The vehicle went out of control on a slight curve in the road just before the campground, and began to fishtail. The car left the road and entered the campground, where it struck a legally parked, and unoccupied 2016 JayFlight camper. The vehicle then struck a water hydrant in the campground, causing it to bend.

Carney was not injured. Damage to the car, camper and City of Creston hydrant, amounted to $8,200 altogether.

(Radio Iowa) – A monthly survey shows the economic pictures for Iowa and the Midwest are darkening, with a few sunny breaks in the clouds. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the overall figures for Iowa sank during May, as did the numbers for the nine-state region. Goss says the survey of business leaders and supply managers showed hiring slowed during the past month.

“Regional employment still remains well below pre-pandemic levels, about 1.4% below pre-pandemic levels,” Goss says. “We’re still moving. We’re crawling out of this economic downturn, but we’re doing somewhat better, and we’ll see how that trends out in the weeks and months ahead.” According to the survey, the greatest economic threats for the rest of 2022 include supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures, higher interest rates and labor shortages.

“Inflation will remain high for the rest of the year, but I expect it to come down a bit,” Goss says. “There’s some indicators that inflation is declining. Economic growth will likewise slow for the rest of the year but we’re still in the positive range right now. Supply chain disruptions and delays will lengthen, but I think even there, we’ll see some improvements.” The inflation index for May rose to 91.7 on a scale of zero to 100, that’s up from 89.7 during April. The survey asked supply managers how much more they expect prices to rise during the second half of the year.

“For the next six months, they expect 8.7% growth. Of course, you double that and annualize it, that’s 17.4% in the wholesale price index. So that’s some big, big time numbers in terms of growth and wholesale prices,” Goss says. “So of course, that will spill over into consumer prices in the weeks and months ahead.” Again, using the zero to 100 scale, Iowa’s overall economic index for May fell to 59.6, dropping significantly from 69.8 in April. Despite that, Goss says: “Both durable and non-durable goods manufacturers in the state are growing at a solid pace with companies linked to the farm economy expanding at a healthy rate.

The state’s leisure and hospitality industry has benefited from this healthy growth, but employment in this industry remains 8,300 jobs (5.7%) below pre-pandemic levels.”