OTOE COUNTY, Neb. — A southwest Iowa man who hit and killed a child in Nebraska City will serve time behind bars. KETV in Omaha reports 59-year-old Vernon Christiansen, of Percival, was sentenced to one year in jail for misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide for a July crash that killed a 6-year-old. Christiansen received credit for six days served and was fined $625, according to court documents.

The child died at the scene and officers said they found an open alcohol container in Christiansen’s truck. But they did not have evidence to charge him with a DUI.

Earlier this year, he pleaded no contest to several charges, including motor vehicle homicide and possession of an open alcohol container.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Officials with the Glenwood Police Department report two recent arrests:

37-year-old William Ross Cavalieri, Jr., of Glenwood, was arrested late Thursday morning for Driving While Barred. His bond was set at $2,000. And, 20-year-old D’Angelo Daniel Miguel, of Council Bluffs, was arrested today (Friday) in Glenwood, for Possession of Marijuana/1st offense, and OWI/1st offense. His bond was also set at $2,000.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Auditor Kathy Somers is notifying residents of Cass County, that forms to request an absentee ballot by mail for the November 4, 2025 City School Election may be submitted until October 20, 2025, at 5:00 PM. Voters may request a form by calling the auditor’s office at 712-243-4570, submitting a written request by mail to the auditor’s office at 5 W 7th St, Atlantic, IA 50022, or appearing in-person. The auditor’s office will mail ballots to voters with request forms on file beginning October 15, 2025. Voted ballots must be returned to the auditor’s office by mail, or in-person, by 8:00 PM on Election Day.
In-person absentee voting will be available in the auditor’s office between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM beginning October 15, 2025, until November 3, 2025.

For more information, contact the auditor’s office at 712-243-4570, or at the Cass County Courthouse.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Auditor’s Office reminds residents the Adair County City & School election will be held Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Ballot order for the candidates will be determined Monday, September 22 by drawing lots in the Adair County Auditor’s office. Tuesday the 23rd is the deadline for candidates to withdraw candidacy paperwork as well as the deadline to object to paperwork at 5:00 pm, with the Auditors office being open until that time. The last time to petition for a satellite voting location for this election is October 6th at 5:00 pm, in the Adair County Auditor’s office. The first day to vote in-person absentee at the auditor’s office is October 15th. This is also the first day our office is allowed to mail ballots to requested absentee voters. The last day to request a ballot to be mailed for absentee voting is October 20th. These requests must be received before 5:00 pm in the Auditor’s office (postmark dates do not apply). Monday, November 3, 2025, is the last day to vote in person absentee at the Adair County Auditor’s office.

The following candidates have filed paperwork in Adair County (Candidates are listed in no particular order):

City of Adair* – Mayor (Vote for 1) – Joanne Byars

City Council – Adair (Vote for 2) – Paul Gettler

City of Bridgewater* – Mayor (Vote for 1) – Roberta Carpenter

City Council – Bridgewater (Vote for 2) – Douglas Miller, Tyler Warrior, James C. McCall

City of Fontanelle* – Mayor (Vote for 1) – Dawn Brown

City Council – Fontanelle (Vote for 2) – Nancy Embree, Daniel Miller, Shawna Herr, Andrew Martin, Amando Guerrero

City of Greenfield*– Mayor (To Fill Vacancy) (Vote for 1) – Brian D. Fox

City Council – Greenfield (Vote for 3) – Jeff Clayton, Rita Eble, Carl Faust, Nathan Hubenka

City of Orient* – Mayor (Vote for 1) – Matthew Swanson

City Council – Orient (Vote for 3) – Justin Boswell, Bryan Rohwer, Travis Eggman

City of Stuart* – Mayor (Vote for 1) – John Gulbranson, Cory Kirkpatrick

City Council – Stuart (Vote for 3) – Zach Ingwers, Trevor Nelson, Alan L. Bovee, Kristina Renslow, Angela Capps

School Board candidates:

Adair Casey School District** – At-Large (Vote for 3) – Lindsay Dinkla, Blair Carney, Amanda Bireline

Nodaway Valley School District** – District 1 (Vote for 1) – Adam Woosley

At-Large – Nodaway Valley (Vote for 2) – Mary Dodson, Daniel Shilling, Kristen Jensen

Orient Macksburg School District** – At-Large (Vote for 2) – Bo Geidel, Alex Maeder

*Candidates can withdraw candidacy paperwork until Tuesday September 23, 5:00 pm

**Vacancies can arise and be added to the election until September 20th for schools

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors welcomed Elevate Cyber Solutions as a new Chamber member on Thursday, September 18th, 2025, visiting with co-owner Brady Woudstra to learn more about the business and the services they provide. Company officials say Elevate Cyber Solutions is dedicated to helping businesses strengthen their technology systems and protect against growing cyber threats. Elevate Cyber Solutions manage IT services, cybersecurity solutions, cloud management, and compliance support designed to keep organizations safe, efficient, and prepared for the future. Whether monitoring networks, securing sensitive data, or helping teams recover from IT challenges, Elevate Cyber Solutions focuses on practical solutions tailored to each client’s needs.

Ambassadors Pictured (Left to Right): Kelsey Beschorner, DeeDee Kalny, Kathie Hockenberry, Dolly Bergmann, Krysta Hanson, Brady Woudstra, Chris Parks, Alisha Wagner, Tori Gibson, Enrique Castillo, Amanda Christensen, Jenny Jessen, Sue Liston (Photo provided by the Chamber)

“Our goal is to create meaningful relationships with local businesses,” said owner Brady Woudstra. “By taking the time to understand their business model and processes, my business partner and I can provide solutions that truly fit their needs and support their long-term success.” By becoming a Chamber member, Elevate Cyber Solutions looks forward to connecting with area businesses and community leaders while offering trusted guidance on keeping digital operations safe. Their goal is not only to solve problems when they arise but also to prevent them through consistent monitoring, education, and partnership.

(Radio Iowa) – Former Republican Congressman Rod Blum of Dubuque is campaigning to return to the U.S. House in 2027. Blum served two terms in the House, including the first two years of President Trump’s first term. Blum says he was proud to stand with Trump then and serve on the leadership team for Trump’s 2024 Iowa campaign. Blum, who’s a businessman, says congress needs more members who understand the business world and what it means to create jobs, balance budgets, and make tough decisions.

Blum owns a software company called Digital Canal and has announced he’s using 250-thousand dollars dollars of his own money to kick-start his 2026 campaign.

Two other Republicans and three Democrats have announced they’re running in Iowa’s second congressional district. Republican Ashley Hinson, who currently represents the district, is running for the U-S Senate. Blum was first elected to the U-S House in 2014 and re-elected in 2016 with 54 percent of the vote. He lost his 2018 bid for re-election to Democrat Abby Finkenauer.

(Radio Iowa) – The executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition says there needs to be more regulation on one of the hottest new type of bikes rolling around Iowa. Luke Hoffman says electric bikes and gravel road riding are the top two trends in the industry. “I do know that like probably the majority of bikes being sold right now are E makes and that’s something that presents both a challenge and an opportunity, right? Because E bikes can go really, really fast, and they tend to be heavier, so it’s important that we, you know, think about safety and how we regulate these things moving forward,” he says. E bikes are pedaled, but you can get an assist from the electric motor. Hoffman says there’s a problem as some of the models are E bikes in name only, and riders are causing problems by speeding past regular riders.

“Some of these E bikes that are the worst offenders. I would say in my experience and what I’ve been seeing, because I hear these stories all the time, is that they’re not necessarily E bikes per se, but they’re motorcycles disguised as E bikes by probably a manufacturer that’s not selling in good faith, probably direct to consumer on social media targeting young adults,” Hoffman says. Hoffman says some of them don’t even have working pedals. He says the riders of these fake E bikes can give the riders of the real thing a bad name. “So I would just caution that you know, it’s not always the E bikes that are the worst offenders,” he says, ” It’s really motorcycles that are sold as E bikes that we need to better regulate and kind of close the loophole is the way I see it.”

Hoffman says we’re all subject to the same rules of the road, and we all have a mutually important obligation to that for safety purposes.

(Radio Iowa) – As prices on so many products are going up lately, a new report finds Iowans are paying less to drive a car. Triple-A-Iowa spokeswoman Brynna Knapp says the annual study offers some positive insights into the expense of owning and driving a vehicle. “This year’s analysis is actually good news in the midst of many rising costs of living,” Knapp says. “The total cost of owning and operating a new vehicle is now $11,577, or around $968 a month, and that’s a $700-and-some-change decline from last year.” Knapp points to two primary reasons why the costs have fallen this year.”We know all cars depreciate in value and this year the average depreciation has actually decreased, so cars are losing less of their value than they were in previous years,” Knapp says.

(AAA photo)

“Financing costs are down around 15%, so if you do plan on financing a new vehicle, you’re seeing some cost savings there.” Knapp says average fuel costs dropped to 13 cents per mile from last year, which also helped to lower operating costs. She says Iowans need to keep all of these expenses in mind when they’re considering buying new wheels. “We definitely encourage you to find a local dealership that can share more about their offerings. Maybe they have financing deals going on where you can save long-term,” Knapp says, “and then also talking to a local insurance agent to find out which vehicles are maybe more expensive to insure, which one is safer for your family.”

The study finds pickups may be ideal for hauling and towing, but they cost more than 43-percent more per year to drive versus a small sedan.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a woman was arrested Thursday night on an assault charge. Authorities say 29-year-old Tori Shanelle Bergerson, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 9:45-p.m. in the 1800 block of Hickory Avenue, for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Bergerson was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, and held without bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Senator Chuck Grassley is calling on the U-S-D-A to issue a report that evaluates the impact of concentration in the fertilizer industry, “To shine a light on the market factors driving high the cost of fertilizer.” Grassley and Iowa’s other Republican Senator, Joni Ernst, are co-sponsoring a bill on the topic with Democratic senators from Wisconsin and Georgia.

“This bipartisan legislation will give farmers more transparency and certainty so they can better navigate production costs,” Grassley said. The bill would require the U-S-D-A to produce a report within a year and review all the factors that are influencing price spikes in fertilizer costs. Phosphate prices in August were 36 percent higher than in January and the price of potash, a key component in fertilizer, is rising as well. Trade disputes are influencing fertilizer costs as well. China quit exporting phosphate fertilizers in late 2021.

“President Trump campaigned on using tariffs to get better deals for the United States,” Grassley says. “…I’m a free trader. I’ve said it all along. I hope the president can successfully strike better trade deals as a result of trade negotiations. He’s proven time and again that he can.” Grassley cites deals that led to U.S. beef exports to Australia and rice exports to South Korea.

Senator Ernst, in a written statement, said the U-S-D-A report that’s called for in the bill would lead to a better understanding of the fertilizer industry and give farmers clarity as they plan to buy fertilizer. Many farmers apply nitrogen to fields after the fall harvest. This year, 36 percent of the operating costs for a traditional row-crop farm will be spent buying fertilizer according to U-S-D-A projections.