Des Moines, Iowa —The Iowa Department of Public Health today (Wednesday) released new data that indicated there have been 94 additional COVID-19 deaths. IDPH officials reported the 94 additional deaths happened between August 22nd and Oct. 7th. It brings the total number of deaths to 6,748 since the start of the pandemic. The number of positive tests in the last seven days continues to fall. IDPH reported 7,713 positive tests, down from 8,355 at last report on Monday. There have been 507,525 positive tests in Iowa since the start of the pandemic.

Iowa’s test positivity rate had been holding steady at 9.5% but has now dropped to 9.2%. Of those testing positive for the virus, 22% are under the age of 18. The next largest group are those between the ages of 30 and 39, at 18%. While positive test results are falling, hospitalizations are back up. IDPH reported 598 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Iowa, up from 566 at last report on Monday.

The health department reports 3,551,153 vaccine doses administered in Iowa. That means 66.8% of Iowans 18 and older are fully vaccinated, while 69.2% of all Iowans 12 and up have had at least one dose. IDPH reports 29 long-term care facility outbreaks, down from 30 on Monday.

The Iowa Department of Public Health releases COVID-19 data each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports absentee voting is available for the November 2, 2021 CITY / SCHOOL ELECTION.  Voters may vote an absentee ballot in the Cass County Auditor’s office during regular business hours (8:00 A.M. thru 4:30 P.M.) now thru Monday, November 1, 2021.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS:  Any eligible voter who so chooses may vote a ballot before November 2 (called ABSENTEE BALLOT).  This ballot may be applied for by mail or may be voted at the office of the County Auditor on any day the office is open up through November 1.

IF VOTING AT THE COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE: beginning now, the absentee voter may come to the CASS COUNTY COURTHOUSE during the regular office hours of 8 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday thru Friday, up through the day before the election and cast a ballot.  In addition to regular office hours, the office of Cass County Auditor will be open until 5 P.M. on Monday, October 18 and Friday, October 29.

IF VOTING BY MAIL: A written request may be mailed or hand delivered to the County Auditor’s office.  (Absentee request forms are available at the auditor’s office and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.iowa.gov).  A ballot along with instructions on how to complete the ballot will be mailed to the requester.  Deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 PM on Monday, October 18.  For the ballot to be counted, the completed ballot then must be returned either by personal carrier or by mail to the office of County Auditor before close of polls on November 2 (8:00 PM).  Ballots received after that date and time will not be tallied.  All BALLOTS ARE TO BE RETURNED whether they are voted or not voted.  A postage paid return envelope is provided with each absentee ballot mailed out.

VOTER REGISTRATION: In order to vote in Iowa a person must be registered in the person’s current county of residence, under the person’s current name, and at the person’s current address.  Registration forms are available at the county auditor’s office, many State of Iowa service offices and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.iowa.gov

The county election commissioner recommends that persons not currently registered or who have moved since last registering and are planning to vote in the November CITY / SCHOOL ELECTION, pre-register in the office of the County Auditor as soon as possible.  You may register or re-register and vote absentee on the same day.  Last day to pre-register in the office of the County Auditor is Monday, October 18, 2021.  Auditor’s office is open until 5:00 P.M. on October 18.

Reminder: You may also update your registration when you update your address for your driver’s license.  Since your Iowa driver’s license is often used as official identification, it is important that the data shown is accurate. Iowa law requires residents to notify the Department of Transportation within 30 days of an address change.  An easy method for changing your address is to visit an Iowa driver’s license station – in Cass County that station is in the Cass County Treasurer’s office, Courthouse, Atlantic, Iowa.

The address for the Cass County Auditor / Election Commissioner is: CASS COUNTY AUDITOR, COURTHOUSE, 5 W 7TH ST, ATLANTIC, IOWA 50022 ; (Phone:712-243-4570;   Email: auditor@casscoia.us)

NOTE: This is a COUNTY-WIDE election.  Every eligible voter in Cass County is eligible to vote in this election.  City residents will vote for both city and school candidates; and rural residents will vote for school candidates only.

THE VOTING CENTERS BEING USED FOR THIS ELECTION WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:

Atlantic 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Wards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th-main entrance)

Atlantic 4th and 5th Wards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th-south entrance)

City of Anita/ Grant, Lincoln Twp  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   Anita Community Center (805 Main St)

City of Cumberland/ Edna and Union Twp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cumberland Community Bldg. (200 W 2nd)

City of Griswold/ Noble and Pleasant Twp  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Griswold Community Bldg. (601 2nd St)

City of Lewis/ Bear Grove, Cass Twp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   Lewis Public Library (412 W. Main St, Lewis)

City of Marne/ Brighton, Grove, Pymosa, Washington Twp. .     Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th-main entrance)

City of Massena/ Massena and Victoria Twp  . . . . . . . . . . . . .    Massena Public Library (122 Main St, Massena)

City of Wiota/ Benton and Franklin Twp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wiota City Hall (311 Center St)

(Radio Iowa) – A jury in Sioux County District Court found 71-year-old Gregg Winterfeld of Spirit Lake guilty — for a second time — on a charge of second-degree murder.
The case started on May 9 of 2020, when Grant and Theresa Wilson of Cleghorn, Iowa, were visiting Winterfeld at a rural Ireton, Iowa, home. Grant Wilson and Winterfeld spent the day drinking alcohol, and at one point, Winterfeld locked Wilson out of the home, and armed himself. Winterfeld attempted to persuade Wilson to come back inside, but when he refused, Winterfeld shot him.

Winterfeld was charged with first-degree murder in March and was found guilty of second-degree murder at trial. Before sentencing however, the court noted a procedural mistake and ordered a new trial. The re-trial ended around 9:00 p.m. Tuesday with a second jury finding Winterfeld guilty of second-degree murder. A new sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

(Radio Iowa) – A new report finds about one in every six Iowa kids is obese, which is on par with national figures. Jamie Bussel is a senior program officer with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which released the annual State of Childhood Obesity report. That report studied obesity rates in children nationwide between the ages of ten and 17.  “For Iowa, it’s 16.9% and that’s in comparison to the national average which is 16.2%,” Bussel says, “so Iowa is essentially right at the national average.” Iowa ranks 18th in the nation on this report, a rise from 22nd place last year and a drop from 14th the year before. Bussel says we shouldn’t get too hung up on those national rankings.

“We’re not seeing any statistically significant changes from the year before,” Bussel says. “The most important message here is that childhood obesity rates are far too high across the nation and kids of color and those that live furthest from economic opportunity are at greatest risk.” The pandemic has forced many Iowa kids — and adults — to live a more sedentary lifestyle, and Bussel says it’s absolutely having an impact on our weight and our health.

“I have a feeling that we’re going to continue to see over the next couple of years impacts on obesity specifically related to COVID,” Bussel says. “The fact that kids are getting back into schools, have access to more secure meals at schools, more opportunities for physical activity, certainly those are great signs of hope.” The study suggests solutions which include making universal school meals permanent and broadening federal programs like WIC and others which are designed to pull families from poverty.

See the full report at: https://stateofchildhoodobesity.org/

(Audubon, Iowa) – Two US Senate candidates seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination in 2022 will be in Audubon this Sunday (Oct. 17, 2021) from 11:00 to 2:00. The event will be held at Albert the Bull Park rain or shine.

Abby Finkenauer

Abby Finkenauer served as the U.S. Representative for Iowa’s 1st congressional district from 2019 to 2021. Before being elected to Congress, Finkenauer served in the Iowa House of Representatives for the 99th district from 2015 to 2019. Her committee assignments included Economic Growth, Labor, Transportation, and Ways and Means. She was also a member of the Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee.

Dr. Glenn Hurst chairs the Iowa Democratic Party’s Rural Caucus and the party’s 3rd District Central Committee. He served as a founding member of a branch of Indivisible, a progressive activist organization, in western Iowa. He operates a private medical practice in Minden that has convinced him that our Nation should have Medicare for All.

Abby Finkenauer, Glenn Hurst, and Dave Muhlbauer are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on June 7, 2022. The general election against Grassley will occur on November 8, 2022. Also appearing in Audubon at the event is Ross Wilburn, the chair of the Iowa Democratic Party. Wilburn was elected to Iowa House of Representatives from House District 46 in November 2018. Wilburn has served as chair of the Iowa Democratic Party since January 2021.

Dr. Glenn Hurst

The public is invited to meet Dr. Glenn Hurst, Abby Finkenauer and Chairman Wilburn on Sunday the 17th at Albert the Bull Park after church from 11-2.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday (today), approved an office new hire for the County Attorney Melissa Larson’s Office, and the transfer of another employee. Larsen said there was a good deal of interest in the position.

(She requested to hire Nellie Griffith as legal assistant, and move current employee Donnell Griffith to a paralegal position.)

Larson said the salary remains the same.

The question of nepotism was brought up. Larsen said Donnell Griffith – a Victim Witness Coordinator and Nellie Griffith, are sisters-in-law, related by marriage. Board Chair Steve Shelley asked what would happen in the event a case arises where someone involved happens to be related to either woman. Larson said it’s not an issue.

In other business, the Adair County Board of Supervisors acknowledged receipt of an Annual Report from County Conservation Director Dominic Johnson, who provided an update on the various county parks. One of which was the Mormon Trail Park, southeast of Bridgewater. Johnson said it will remain open for a few more weeks.

Johnson said if American Rescue Plan Act funds are used for recreation, it would be nice if those funds were used to fix park roads

Some figures he presented did not account for the cost of camper pads. No action was taken on assigning any funds at this time. And, the Supervisors in Adair County approved a low bid from Gus Construction for the Lakeview Drive Culvert project, in the amount of $467, 194.35.

Engineer Nick Kauffman said the bids were above the project engineer’s estimate of $334,000. The price reflects an increase in the cost of materials and grubbing (removal of trees) in the area. The trees will have to be hauled when removed. Excavation costs were also underestimated in the original assessment.

(Creston, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Union County report the arrest on Tuesday, of 44-year-old Shane Richard Hunter, from Afton. Hunter was being held in the Union County Jail without bond while awaiting a court appearance. He’s been charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense, and Interference with Offical Acts.

(Anita, Iowa) – Members of the CAM School District’s Board of Education, Monday evening approved a couple of resignations, and an SBRC Modified Supplemental Amount application for the Special Education Program Deficit. Shared CAM/Nodaway Valley Superintendent Paul Croghan said (as a fire drill was underway)…

As for the SBRC application…

Mr. Croghan wants to remind patrons of the CAM School District about upcoming informational meetings set to take place prior to the November elections.

He says there are many other ways to be an informed voter with regard to the bond election measure, as well.

(A reminder also, there is an informational meeting on the bond measure tonight (Oct. 13th), at the CAM North Elementary Gym, in Anita. The meeting starts at 6:30-p.m.)

More local and area News, from Ric Hanson.

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(Creston, Iowa) – A motorist distracted by their back seat dog, ran into the back of a car Tuesday evening. According to Creston Police, a 2011 Toyota Corolla driven by 33-year-old Rachel E. Campbell, of Creston, was traveling west on Highway 34 at around 6:20-p.m., and approaching an intersection controlled by stoplights. A 2015 Toyota Tacoma pickup driven by 75-year-old Minnie Marie Penno, of Creston, was also westbound on 34, when Penno was distracted by her dog.

When she failed to see the stopped car in front of her, Penno’s pickup struck the rear of the Toyota, causing significant front end damage to the pickup, which was towed from the scene. The car was able to be driven following the accident. No citations were issued.