(A report by the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – The former Elgin city clerk, originally charged with theft in the alleged misuse of $131,213 in taxpayer money, has been fined $430 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor offense. In March 2023, former Elgin City Clerk Rhonda Dales was named in a state audit report that identified $131,213 in improper disbursements by the city and an additional $7,532 in disbursements for which there was no supporting documentation.

The questionable spending cited by the auditor included:

— Excess payroll payments to Dales: $60,726.

— Unauthorized comp time for Dales: $27,451

— Unauthorized paid time off for Dales: $9,863

— Improper reimbursement payments to Dales: $19,204

The report noted that much of the questionable spending was tied to pay and benefits collected by Dales in violation of city policies. However, the report also noted that regardless of the policy, city council members did not agree as to whether Dales, as a part-time employee, was entitled to such payments.

According to the auditor’s office, its investigation stemmed from a May 2021 Elgin City Council meeting at which Dales was informed she was being fired due to concerns with her job performance. Because of the concerns, city officials asked state auditors to review the city’s financial records from 2017 through June 2021. According to the auditor’s report, the findings of wrongdoing were based on the benefits being contrary to city policy. The report highlighted several deficiencies in financial oversight by the council, noting that the city didn’t follow its own personnel policies and, as a result, Dales “periodically paid herself” for more hours worked than the council had ever authorized.

Within days of the auditor’s report being released in 2023, Fayette County officials criminally charged Dales with felony first-degree theft. Dales pleaded not guilty, and the case was initially scheduled for trial in July 2023.

Court records show that over the next two-and-a-half years, judges granted 14 continuances in the case, and on Aug. 22, 2025, Fayette County prosecutor Jason Dunn reduced the charge from felony first-degree theft to misdemeanor fourth-degree theft, alleging Dales stole no more than $750 worth of property from the city.

Dales pleaded guilty to the charge and on Sept. 3, 2025, was fined $430 and placed on informal probation for one year. There was no restitution ordered in the case.

(Audubon, Iowa) – Officials in Audubon County have released a list of the candidates whose names will appear on the November 4th City and School election ballots.

Candidates for City Offices

City of Audubon

Mayor (vacancy term ending 2027)- (vote for no more than one)

Palle Lansman

City Council – (vote for no more than three)

Brooke Wegner

Bruce A. Christensen

Jeff Jacobsen

Rodney Benton

City of Brayton

Mayor – (vote for no more than one)

Cally Lee Christensen

City Council – (vote for no more than two)

David L. Hansen

Garrett Wilson

City of Exira

Mayor – (vote for no more than one)

Mike Huegerich

City Council – (vote for no more than two)

Dory Schrader

Christina Nelson

Matt Long

City of Gray

Mayor – (vote for no more than one)

NO Candidates Filed

City Council – (vote for no more than two)

NO Candidates Filed

City of Kimballton

Mayor – (vote for no more than one)

Ramadasa Jivatma

City Council – (vote for no more than three)

Sheila Partridge

Dirk Wasson

Peggy Mortensen

Thomas Lake

School Board candidates

Audubon School Board Member

(vote for no more than two)

Laurence H. Frakes Jr

Haillie Bruch

Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board Director

(vote for no more than three)

Anna Schleimer

Nick Fredericksen

Eric Konecne

Deborah King

Beth Larsen

Emily Paulsen

Abby Rasmussen

Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board Director

(vacancy term ending 2027)-(vote for no more than one)

Anthony L. Hough

Cally Lee Christensen

POLLING SITES

Audubon Agri Hall – 412 N Division St W (fairgrounds) Audubon: All Audubon County registered voters in the following townships: Lincoln-Cameron-Viola-Douglas-Leroy and Melville; IKM-Manilla & Coon Rapids Bayard voters will also vote HERE!

Exira Event Center – 106 N Jefferson: All Audubon County registered voters in the following Townships: Sharon-            Hamlin-Greeley-Oakfield-Exira and Audubon Twp.

Audubon School District voters in Sharon-Hamlin and Greeley will go to the Exira Event Center to vote, as do Guthrie Center-Adair-Casey- CAM and Atlantic Schools in Audubon County.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says President Trump made the right move in refusing to negotiate with Democratic congressional leaders over a looming federal government shutdown.

Last Friday, Hinson joined 216 other Republicans in the House to pass a spending bill to fund federal agencies for a seven weeks once the new federal fiscal year starts October 1st. Hinson says Senate Democrats are making wild partisan spending demands.

Democrats have been seeking an extension of the federal subsidies for insurance policies purchased on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Between 80-thousand and 130-thousand Iowans could be affected. Hinson says that’s not a real proposal that should be added to a stop-gap spending bill, and those subsidies should be considered inside regular budget bills.

Hinson, who is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, says congress needs to get back to passing the 12 budget bills that outline all federal spending for a 12-month fiscal year. Since 1977, that’s happened just four times.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s largest non-profit animal shelter tackled one of its biggest rescue efforts in years in northwest Iowa on Tuesday. The Animal Rescue League of Iowa rounded up and removed more than one-hundred dogs from a property in Plymouth County. K-C Routos, the A-R-L’s director of development and communications, says it was a major operation to safely house and transport so many animals almost four hours to the headquarters in Des Moines.

Members of the A-R-L’s trained medical staff are working to care for each dog, administer vaccinations, and get them healthy.

It’s hoped some of the dogs will be well enough to be put up for adoption very soon. The shelter is appealing to Iowans for help, both through financial donations and encouraging people to become pet parents.

She notes, the A-R-L receives no state, federal, or United Way funding, so it relies heavily on community support.

https://ow.ly/LAp050X16Nv

Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says this (Wednesday) morning’s deadly shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Texas adds urgency to her call to toughen penalties for attacking ICE agents. The F-B-I says two people detained by ICE were killed, but the phrase “ANTI ICE” was written on one of the shooter’s shell casings. Hinson, a Republican from Marion, is co-sponsoring a bill that would double criminal penalties for assaulting, resisting, or impeding an ICE officer or employee.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law on Saturday to ban ICE agents from wearing masks during raids in California. The U-S Department of Homeland Security says the law is a publicity stunt and ICE agents will continue to wear face coverings during enforcement operations.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — An Iowa man is now facing charges for his role in a motorcycle crash that resulted in a teenager’s death. Kaelin Meinders, 23, of Albia, was the operator of a motorcycle Saturday night when the motorcycle crashed into a pedestrian in the 4900 block of NE 29th Street. The pedestrian was identified as Santiago “Santi” Rhone, 15, a Des Moines East High School sophomore.

Rhone was transported to a nearby hospital but died from his injuries.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday announced Meinders has been charged with multiple offenses. Meinders has been charged with reckless driving; driving while barred (habitual offender); and no insurance — causing an accident.

Authorities are still investigating the crash. Meinders was hospitalized following the wreck.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Neb. [KETV] — Officials with the Washington County, NE, Sheriff’s Office report a body was recovered from the Missouri River on Monday. The body, an unidentified man, was recovered near marker post 655 on the Missouri River, which is north of Blair, Nebraska, and west of Modale, Iowa.

Officials said Washington County is working with Nebraska Game and Parks, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the Monona County (Iowa) Sheriff’s Office to help identify the body.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said an autopsy is scheduled for today (Wednesday).

(Radio Iowa) – An eastern Iowa man is hospitalized in Minnesota after a close call while camping last (Tuesday) night. Radio Iowa’s Matt Kelley reports:

(as said) – The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, in northeastern Minnesota, got word of an S-O-S alert sent from deep inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Authorities say a man injured his leg with an axe and was using a tourniquet and bandages to stop the bleeding. Christopher Banfield, from the Davenport (Iowa) area, was rescued and transported to Cook Hospital for treatment. Sheriff’s officials urge anyone headed into the wilderness area to be prepared, like Banfield was, and to know how to administer first aid, because emergency help could be hours away.

ATLANTIC, IOWA (story by Atlantic FFA reporter Maddy Anderson) —FFA members from across Southwest Iowa gathered at the Cass County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, September 17th, to build leadership and critical thinking through hands-on experiences at the first annual Southwest District Career Development Day.

Livestock Judging

Foodstand Help (650 meals in 1.5-hours)

Six hundred and fifty high school students from 36 FFA chapters throughout Southwest Iowa attended the event. Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to compete in seven different contest areas. These areas included livestock judging, horse judging, farm business management, agronomy, meats judging, and floriculture. The Atlantic FFA chapter competed in five of the seven contests.

Atlantic had two agronomy teams. The first team received 5th out of 12 teams. Individual scores for team 1 were: Grant Christensen, 220 points (5th overall), Jackstin Lucas, 145 points, Grayson Mulgaard, 130 points, and Cedric Victor, 175 points. The second team placed 4th out of 12 teams. Individual scores from team 2 were: Dayton Thomas, 130 points, Walter Freund, 230 points (4th overall), Monty Smith, 185 points, and Hade DeVore, 105 points.

The Farm Business Management team placed 5th out of 12 teams. Lily Johnson scored 24 points for 7th place overall. Claire Schroeder and Grant Petty both scored 19 points.

The Floriculture team placed 11th out of 45 teams. Rylan Martin scored 128 points, Paislee Klever scored 95 points, and Jena Jensen scored 93 points.

Natalie Smith competed in the Milk Quality Judging contest, and she earned 5th place overall.

Two teams from Atlantic participated in the livestock judging competition. Team one placed 30th overall. Individual scores from team 1 were: Chloe Sonntag, 40th place, Mirayle Stuart, 107th place, Aly Dreager, 142nd place, and Tenley Cappel, 136th place. Team 2 placed 27th overall. Individual scores from team 2 were: Jovie Richter, 75th place, Maddy Anderson, 80th place, Addison Masker, 96th place, and Dylen Dreager, 150th place.

This Career Development Event (CDE) was a great way for students to connect the information they are learning in the classroom to future career opportunities.

The Atlantic FFA chapter would like to extend a special thanks to the following: Cass County Fairboard, Cass County Grounds Committee, Jeff Anderson and Darrin Petty with Stine Seed for grilling lunch, Atlantic Bottling for donating 30 cases of water, Hy-Vee for donating the food for lunch, Rolling Hills Bank for the tables, David Clausen from Hy-Vee Floral and Ann Johnk from Farmhouse Flowers for being Floriculture judges, John Johnson from Hiland Milk and Hy-Vee for providing milk for the milk quality judging, TJ and Jess Barber and Zak and Emily Kennedy for the use of their horses, as well as Chris and Jodi Scholl for providing the goats, Jeff and Tarah Anderson for providing sheep and Euken Pigs for providing the pigs for the livestock judging competition.