The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to encourage social distancing, so voters in Iowa are being asked to consider voting absentee by mail for the 2020 General Election on November 3, 2020. The Secretary of State, as he did for the Primary Election, has or shortly will be mailing absentee ballot request forms for the November 3, 2020 General Election.

The mailing will go to each active registered voter in Iowa, and the forms are pre-addressed for return mailing to County Auditors.

The Cass County Auditor recommends that the voters of Cass County take advantage of the right to vote early by mail.
You may apply for an absentee ballot now, but ballots will not be mailed until on or after October 5. Absentee ballot request forms are also available on the website of the Iowa Secretary of State
(https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/absenteeinfo.html) or you may contact the Cass County Auditor and have a form mailed or emailed to you. Phone: 712-243-4570.

The CDC also believes that people aged 65 years and older are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID- 19 and should stay home and avoid close contact. A majority of Iowa’s Precinct Election Officials (PEOs) are older than 65, and several PEOs, statewide, are declining to serve as PEOs for this General election. For this and other reasons, the majority of County Auditors in Iowa are combining precincts for the 2020 General Election.

The Cass County Auditor (Local Commissioner of Elections) has decided to combine the regular 13 Cass County voting precincts into 9 combined precincts and has chosen voting locations which he believes will best serve the voters of Cass County. Those combined precincts and voting locations are:

COMBINED PRECINCTS LISTING for CASS COUNTY, IOWA for GENERAL ELECTION on NOVEMBER 3, 2020
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
COMBINED PRECINCT 1 (AT1 / MR) Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th)
1 Atlantic 1st Ward &
8 Brighton Township, Grove Township, Pymosa Township, Washington Township / City of Marne
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
COMBINED PRECINCT 2 (AT2- 3) Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th)
2 Atlantic 2nd Ward &
3 Atlantic 3rd Ward;
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
COMBINED PRECINCT 3 (AT4- 5) Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th – South Entrance)
4 Atlantic 4th Ward &
5 Atlantic 5th Ward
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
COMBINED PRECINCT 4 (LW) Lewis Public Library (412 W Main St, Lewis)
6 Bear Grove Township, Cass Township / City of Lewis;
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
COMBINED PRECINCT 5 (GS) Griswold Community Building (601 2nd St)
11 Noble Township, Pleasant Township / City of Griswold
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
COMBINED PRECINCT 6 (ED / VI) Cumberland Community Building (200 W 2nd)
9 Edna Township, Victoria Township
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
COMBINED PRECINCT 7 (AN / WI) Anita Community Center (805 Main St)
7 Benton Township, Franklin Township / City of Wiota; &
10 Grant Township, Lincoln Township / City of Anita
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
COMBINED PRECINCT 8 (MS) Massena Public Library (122 Main St, Massena)
12 Massena Township / City of Massena
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
COMBINED PRECINCT 9 (CU / UN) Cumberland Community Building (200 W 2nd)
13 Union Township / City of Cumberland
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

No one was injured during a single vehicle accident in Page County on Wednesday night. At 7:30 p.m. Page County Deputies were dispatched to the accident in the 1400 block of 140th Street, approximately 6 miles east of Essex.

After investigation it was determined that 33-year-old Michael Jason Mann of Dallas, IA was operating a 2014 Ford Focus eastbound on 140th Street. Mann was the only person in the vehicle when he swerved to miss a deer, then over-corrected and struck a bridge rail. The vehicle came to rest on the east side of the bridge. Mann was uninjured by his vehicle sustained $5,000 damage and the bridge sustained $12,000 damage.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Essex Fire and Rescue. No charges were issued at the scene.

(Updated 1:00-p.m.) The State of Iowa’s Coronavirus website (The COVID-19 Dashboard) today (Thursday), indicated 21 more deaths have been associated with the virus, for a total of 1,081. Officials say 582 people who died at a Long Term Care Facility (LTC), are included in the total. The number of deaths associated with a person with pre-existing conditions amount to 757.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of 19-year-old Gabriella Skye Torres of Ada, MN on Wednesday at 1:39 p.m. on Interstate 29. Torres was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Concealed Weapons, and Illegal Possession of a Firearm. Torres was booked into the Mills County Jail on $3,000 bond.

By DAVID PITT Associated Press
JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered that all bars be closed in six of the state’s largest counties in response to surging numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases blamed in part on young people ignoring mask and social distancing recommendations in such establishments. Reynolds ordered the action in Black Hawk, Dallas, Linn, Johnson, Polk and Story counties effective at 5 p.m. Thursday on a day when the state saw nearly 1,500 confirmed cases, a new high that topped levels recorded in the spring. In the last 24 hours as of Thursday morning, Iowa recorded 1,475 confirmed cases, surpassing the April 25 total of 1,284. During that period, there were 18 more deaths for a total of 1,079.

The Creston Police Department reports the arrest at 10:40 a.m. Wednesday of 24-year-old Ryan Michael Johnson of Creston on a Polk County warrant for the charge of Violation of Probation. The probation stems from the original charges of Attempted Burglary 3rd degree and Criminal Mischief 3rd degree. He was arrested at his residence on S Birch Street and taken to the Union County Jail and then transferred to the custody of Polk County authorities.