The City of Lewis Special Election will be held in Cass County, IA on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Precinct and Polling Location: City of Lewis voters will vote at the Lewis Community Center, 400 W Main Street Lewis, IA 51544.

Office and Candidates on the Ballot:

City Council At-Large

• David J Raymond
• Russell Miller

Accessibility:

Any voter who is physically unable to enter a polling place has the right to vote in the voter’s vehicle. For further information, please contact the county auditor’s office at 712-243-4570, or email auditor@casscoia.us

Proof of Identification at the Polls:
• Pre-registered voters are required to provide an approved form of identification at the polling place before receiving and casting a regular ballot.
• Voters who are not pre-registered, such as voters registering to vote on election day, and voters changing precincts must also provide proof of residence. A voter who is unable to provide an approved form of identification (or prove residence if required) may:

1. Have the voter’s identity/residence attested to by another registered voter in the precinct, or
2. Prove identity and residence using Election Day Registration documents, or
3. Cast a provisional ballot and provide proof of identity/residence at the county auditor’s office by August 21, 2025, at
12:00 p.m. Election Day Registration attesters must provide an approved form of identification.

For additional information about providing proof of identity and/or residence, visit https://sos.iowa.gov/voterid, or phone 712-243-4570. Additional Election Day Registration information may be found at https://sos.iowa.gov/voters/election-day.

Absentee Voting:

• In-person-absentee voting will take place at the Cass County auditor’s office:
o 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. August 4 – August 18, 2025
o 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. August 15, 2025

• To vote by mail, submit an absentee ballot request form to the county auditor’s office by 5:00 p.m., August 4, 2025.
o Absentee ballot request forms are available at sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/absenteeinfo.html, or the county
auditor’s office. Request forms received after the deadline will be rejected in accordance with state law.

o Absentee ballots must be returned to the county auditor’s office by 8:00 p.m. on election night, August 19,2025.
• Absentee and special-voter ballots will be counted at the county auditor’s office on Election Day.

Election Security and Audit:
• Voting equipment will be used to tabulate the election results.
• The public test of election equipment will be held Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in the courthouse, and will
continue until the required test is completed.

Sample Ballot:
May be viewed on the County’s website: https://www.casscountyia.gov/county-government/elections/special-elections/

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says a northeast Iowa facility that produces kosher beef, chicken and turkey has agreed to pay a $50,000 penalty to settle a lawsuit over 60 wastewater violations.

The attorney general says Agri Star Meat and Poultry in Postville is responsible for toxic ammonia concentrations in nearby Hecker Creek and has failed to submit timely reports about wastewater problems. The company has a wastewater treatment system with lagoons that discharge about a million gallons each day into Hecker Creek, which flows to the Yellow River.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird (RI file photo)

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has cited Agri Star for having excessive amounts of ammonia as well as chloride, copper and other pollutants in that wastewater.

Agri Star has agreed to fully comply with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit by the end of next year.

(Radio Iowa) – The Board of Regents has approved a proposal from the University of Northern Iowa to charge in-state tuition rates for incoming freshmen or transfer students from the nearby states of Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. U-N-I president Mark Nook says the plan will help the Cedar Falls school and the state. “The data from neighboring states that have tuition reciprocity indicate that U-N-I will see a seven-fold increase in enrollment and graduates from the six neighboring states. Once this initiative is fully implemented, U-N-I should increase the number of workers placed into Iowa workforce annually by a little over 300,” he says. Nook says there are some start up costs when the program begins this fall.

“The first few years of this initiative will cost the university significantly. This fall we do not expect to see a significant increase in enrollment due to this initiative. However, there will be approximately 160 new entering students from six states who would have paid non-resident tuition,” Nook says. He says the school will absorb the cost of the higher out-of-state tuition for those students until they graduate. “The university needs approximately one-point five million (dollars) per year for the next few years to close this financial gap. After the initial start up period, enrollment should grow to the point that this new revenue will cover the financial gap and provide the resources necessary to cover the additional costs,” Nook says.

U-N-I will use funds from its foundation to finance the difference in cost for the current out-of-state students. Governor Kim Reynolds had recommended in January giving U-N-I three million dollars in state funds to support the initiative, but lawmakers only included half that amount in their budget plan and Reynolds vetoed the money.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is expressing frustration over one of President Trump’s social media posts. Trump says a tradition in the senate is keeping him from nominating highly-qualified judges and federal prosecutors. So-called “blue slip” objections let senators block nominees from their home state. Trump says Grassley — as chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee — could override those objections with a mere flick of his pen. “I was surprised to see President Trump on ‘Truth Social’ go after me and Senate Republicans,” Grassley said. Trump re-posted another person’s comment on Truth Social that referred to Grassley as sneaky and a “Republican In Name Only.” And Trump promoted another post that said it was time to dethrone the kings, like the 91-year-old Grassley.

“I was offended by what the president said and I’m disappointed that it would result in personal insults,” Grassley said. Trump, in his own Truth Social post, said he got Grassley reelected in 2022 by endorsing Grassley when he was down by a lot. And Trump said Democrats were laughing at Grassley’s decision to abide by an ancient senate custom. Other Republicans in the senate have joined Grassley in defending it.  “The people in ‘Real America’ don’t care about what the ‘blue slip’ is,” Grassley said, “but in fact it impacts in their states the district judges who serve their communities and the U.S. attorneys who ensure the law and order is enforced.”

Last (Wednesday) night, a spokesman for Grassley said the input from home state senators is part of what other senators consider when voting on federal district court judges and U.S. Attorneys.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Officials with the Glenwood Police Department report a Glenwood man was arrested Wednesday night on charges that include 3 counts of Child Endangerment, and Domestic Abuse Assault-Impeding air/blood flow. 39-year-old Daniel John Vornbrock, was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

And, 26-year-old Gabriel Lynn Mathews, of Glenwood, was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Glenwood, for Driving While License is suspended. Bond was set at $300.

(DES MOINES) – Officials with the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) and Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) have announced the newly designated 2026 Iowa Thriving Communities: Clear Lake, Ottumwa, Sioux Center, Urbandale and Waukon.

Now in its third year, the Iowa Thriving Communities initiative recognizes forward-thinking communities that are proactively addressing workforce housing needs. Designated communities complete a highly competitive application process, including a live pitch from teams of local partners to a panel from IEDA and IFA.

Selected communities demonstrate best practices in planning, financial support, targeted development, leadership and employer engagement. They also invest in broader community assets like public health and the arts. Communities previously recognized through the initiative are already seeing strong results, with increased developer interest and significant public and private investments in housing.

In addition to valuable scoring advantages for the Federal Housing Tax Credit and Workforce Housing Tax Credits, HOME and Community Catalyst programs (effective through 2026), designated communities will gain statewide and national visibility as models for successful housing strategies.

The 2026 Iowa Thriving Communities will be recognized at the HousingIowa Conference in Cedar Rapids, Sept. 2-4. A free Iowa Thriving Communities Reception will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Learn more at housingiowaconference.com and iowafinance.com.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston, Wednesday afternoon, arrested a man on three charges. Authorities say 29-year-old Carlos Ivan Cortez, of Creston, was arrested for two-counts of Probation Violation, and Harassment in the 1st Degree. Cortez was being held without bond in the Union County Jail.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn announced legislation Wednesday to assist communities with the replacement of lead service lines, including the more than 20,000 lines in Des Moines. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Nunn made the announcement during a news conference at Des Moines Water Works in his home district. The city’s utility also announced the start of its lead service line replacement program, the first phase of which will tackle connections at about 400 homes in the Drake neighborhood. Nunn’s bill aims to make previously allocated funding for lead service line replacement more accessible to communities in need. Newly appointed CEO of Des Moines Water Works Amy Kahler said this will make it “easier to replace these lines with fewer financial impacts to customers.”

Kahler said without federal support, it would cost Des Moines Water Works an estimated $200 million to replace all of the lead service lines in the metro, which would increase utility rates for customers by around 30%. The Biden administration dedicated $15 billion to replacing lead service lines via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In October 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule that required drinking water systems to identify and replace all lead pipes within a 10-year span.

U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn announces a bill to help remove lead pipes from residences. He was joined by Des Moines Mayor Connie Boesen (left) and Des Moines Water Works CEO Amy Kahler (right). (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

The funds were allocated to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund from which states, with a 20% match, would receive a 30-year loan to replace the lead service lines. Disadvantaged communities would have 40 years to repay the loans, according to information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Nunn’s bill would allocate these funds to disadvantaged census tracts via grants or forgivable loans and without some of the required local matches. Nunn introduced a similar bill last year, also in collaboration with Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes from Ohio, which did not advance.

Across the U.S., there are an estimated 9.2 million lead service lines. According to a 2023 EPA report, Iowa has an estimated 90,000 service lines with lead in them. Exposure to lead in drinking water is especially harmful to children and infants, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and can lead to decreased cognitive performance or developmental issues. Service lines connect from water mains to an individual property. These lines are not owned by the city or utilities, which means property owners are usually responsible for the often costly burden of replacing the pipes.

Nunn also commented on the recent attention to high concentrations of nitrate in the water supplies in Iowa and said it is important to not put the “blame just on ag.”