Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports rules for the election of school board members changed July 1, 2019.  School Board elections changed from September to November.  On November 5, 2019, a county-wide election will be held at which both school board members and city officers will be elected.  New election rules require (1) that each voter will vote in his/her county of residence and (2) each voter is to vote at his/her voting precinct used in a GENERAL (Presidential, Primary or other county-wide) election (combining of precincts is permitted).  As a result, some polling places have changed.

This is a county-wide election and every voter in Cass County is eligible to vote.  Some will vote for both city and school offices/public measures (city residents); and rural voters will vote for school offices/public measures only.  Voting locations have changed for some voters. If you are unsure of your voting precinct for this election, please contact the Cass County Auditor or visit the county website – www.casscountyiowa.us

     The PRECINCTS to be used in CASS COUNTY at this COMBINED CITY & SCHOOL ELECTION which will be conducted on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 are as follows:

• Atlantic 1st Ward – Zion Lutheran Church (811 Oak St) (For voters in Atlantic Ward 1)
• Atlantic 2nd Ward – Atlantic Public Library (507 Poplar) (For voters in Atlantic Ward 2)
• Atlantic 3rd Ward – Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th) (For voters in Atlantic Ward 3)
• Atlantic 4th Ward – United Church of Christ (1607 Hazel) (For voters in Atlantic Ward 4)
• Atlantic 5th Ward – Heritage House (1200 Brookridge Circle) (For voters in Atlantic Ward 5)

City of Anita & Grant and Lincoln Townships – Anita Community Center (805 Main St) (For voters in Anita & voters residing in the CAM Community School District in the townships of Grant and Lincoln)

City of Cumberland & Union Township – Cumberland Community Building (200 W 2nd) (For voters in Cumberland & voters residing in the CAM Community School District in Union Township)

City of Griswold & Noble and Pleasant Townships – Griswold Community Building (601 2nd St) (For voters in Griswold & voters residing in the Griswold Community School District or the CAM Community School District in the townships of Noble and Pleasant)

City of Lewis & Cass and Bear Grove Townships – Lewis Public Library (412 W. Main St, Lewis) (For voters in Lewis & voters residing in the Atlantic Community School District, CAM Community School District or Griswold Community School District in the townships of Cass and Bear Grove)

City of Marne & Brighton, Grove, Pymosa and Washington Townships – Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th) (For voters in the City of Marne & voters residing in the Atlantic Community School District, AHSTW Community School District, Griswold Community School District or EEHK Community School District in the townships of Brighton, Grove, Pymosa and Washington)

City of Massena & Edna, Victoria and Massena Townships – Massena Public Library (122 Main St, Massena) (For voters in the City of Massena & voters residing in the CAM Community School District or Griswold Community School District in the townships of Massena, Edna and Victoria)

City of Wiota & Benton and Franklin Townships – Wiota City Hall (311 Center St) (For voters in Wiota & voters residing in the Atlantic Community School District, CAM Community School District, or EEHK Community School District in the townships of Benton and Franklin)

The Atlantic City Council will gather for a regularly scheduled session 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, at City Hall. During their meeting, Mayor Dave Jones is expected to announce Halloween Trick-or-Treating will be held in the city on Oct. 31st, from 5:30-to 7:30-p.m. Downtown Trick-or-Treating will be from 3:30-until 5-p.m., with the Atlantic News Telegraph Costume Contest registration at 3:45 and the contest at 4:10-p.m., Oct. 31st.

The Council will act on closing select streets on Oct. 12th, for the 6-p.m. Atlantic Fireman’s Parade. The route starts at E. 2nd and Chestnut Streets and proceeds south to E. 6th Street, before turning east onto E. 6th and north on Walnut to E. 2nd. Line-up for the parade will be on W. 2nd Street. In other business, the Council will act on an Order approving a contract with SWIPCO for Supplementary Services for the Planning & Zoning Commission.

City Administrator John Lund says serving as the Zoning Administrator for the past 8 1/2 years, he has observed several expensive infrastructure problems that could have been avoided with proper planning. Lund says “It is not the job of developers to look out for the broad picture of development of the community, that is the job of the Planning & Zoning Commission, but they are limited to the information provided to them by City staff.” Lund says the proposed contract with SWIPCO would provide the City with assistance from a professional planner on an as-needed basis at a rate of $50 per hour. SWIPCO’s Alexis Fleener would act as a consultant and provide an independent voice to the P&Z. Lund says based on an historic average of meetings with the Commission, he is forecasting a 10-year budgetary impact of $34,500. For the current fiscal year, he anticipates $3,000 in additional costs to the Finance and Administration Budget.

In his report to the Council, Lund will discusses a request for a Community Protection Meeting to address safety issues with downtown buildings. He’ll mention there was a second incident where parts of a downtown building have fallen off, this time with debris striking a local businesswoman. Lund says he’s concerned there is a risk to public safety that needs to be addressed. Last December, a section of brick facade on the north wall of a building at 500 Chestnut collapsed, showering bricks on the sidewalk. At the time, Police Chief Dave Erickson estimated two-to three tons of brick fell from a section of wall about 20-to 30-feet wide and about six-feet tall, near the top of the building. No injuries were reported during that incident, but three people who lived on the second floor of the building were evacuated for a time, and the street was cordoned-off while repairs could be made and the wall reinforced.

Prior to adjourning for the evening, the Atlantic City Council will enter into a closed session to discuss legal matters, with regard to real estate, and a dilapidated property.

Cases of severe respiratory illnesses associated with vaping continue to be reported in Iowa and across the U.S.   The Iowa Dept. of Public Health says nationwide, there are now 805 reported cases and 12 deaths associated with the outbreak. In Iowa, there have been 23 cases and no deaths. Most cases continue to report vaping THC products; however, an exact cause is still unclear. IDPH continues to work with clinical and public health partners at the local, state and national levels to investigate cases. Youth should especially be discouraged from using vaping or e-cigarette products of any kind, as the long term effects of these products are not yet clear.

Anyone who has been vaping or using e-cigarette products and is having trouble breathing should seek medical care. Healthcare providers should ask patients about the use of vaping and e-cigarette products and report suspected cases of severe respiratory illness associated with these products to IDPH at 1-800-362-2736 (State Patrol after-hours: 515-323-4360).
For more information, visit idph.iowa.gov/ehi/lung-disease-vaping.

(Radio Iowa) — The impact of closing Charles City’s chicken manufacturing plant, called Simply Essentials, forced Floyd County’s unemployment rate to jump. Area Development Corporation director Tim Fox says the numbers from Iowa Workforce Development are troubling. “Our unemployment rate is now the third-highest in Iowa,” Fox says. “Clinton is at 4%, Wapello is at 4%, we’re at 3.9% and that was up from 2.8% the previous month. Of those people discharged from Simply Essentials, presumably 100 of them filed for unemployment.”

The company is owned by California-based Pittman Family Farms, which closed the plant in August, eliminating 513 jobs. Fox says they’re looking for potential buyers and the search has moved overseas.  “We’re looking for high-margin commodities to come out of this plant,” Fox says. “We cannot have market-rate poultry because the site isn’t big enough and it lacks economies of scale. We’re trying to target niche markets, especially in Asia.”

Other places like Mexico and Europe are suitable candidates for organic chicken production. According to Fox, the facility could be sold by the end of the year, but he says the willingness of the owners is a sticking point. “There needs to be a commitment to spend some marketing dollars on behalf of the owner,” Fox says. “That’s really where we’re at and it’s not an incredible amount of money to do a decent marketing blitz.” Fox says several factors are contributing to a slow resurgence of interest in the plant.  “One of the misconceptions of this Simply Essentials plant is that they weren’t paying very well,” Fox says. “Actually, they were paying in a range that would equate to nearly 100% of the average county wage for Floyd County.”

He says 80-percent of the workers at the plant worked more than 40 hours a week.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report a deputy dispatched at around 12:50-a.m. today (Monday) to a residence in Oakland, arrested 56-year old Jay Dee Hicks, of Oakland. Hicks was taken into custody for Assault with intent to commit Sexual Abuse. He was transported to the Pott. County Jail and held on a $2,000 bond. His alleged victim, a 43-year old female, was not injured.

Sunday evening, 46-year old Naomi Roberts, of Denver, Colorado, was arrested following a dispatch broadcast about an eastbound stolen vehicle at the I-80/680 split. Once the vehicle was stopped, Roberts was taken into custody for Theft in the 2nd Degree (Motor vehicle) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $5,300 altogether. Early Sunday morning, 28-year old Derek Carl Mullen, of Council Bluffs, was arrested following a traffic stop for failure to display rear license plates. Mullen was taken into custody for Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender. His bond was set at $2,000.

Late Saturday night, Pottawattamie County Deputies responding to a noise complaint in Walnut, arrested 37-year old Eric Michael Mertz for Disorderly Conduct by epithet or gesture, and Interference with Official Acts. A traffic stop on I-80 Saturday night in Council Bluffs, resulted in the arrest of 27-year old Trevor James Brickson, and 27-year old Brandi Jade Coronado. Both were wanted on Holds for other law enforcement agencies.

Saturday evening, 30-year old Brandon Russ was arrested following a traffic stop in the Crescent area. Russ was taken into custody for Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender. A little before 3-a.m. Saturday, 25-year old Carl Rowe was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following a traffic stop in Oakland, after his vehicle took off from a stop sign, sped-up abruptly and carelessly, while squealing its tires and fishtailing. And, 38-year old Colin J. Kingsley was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following a report of a possibly intoxicated driver.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A November trial has been scheduled for a Polk County man charged after authorities removed nearly 200 cats from his property, which also contained nearly 200 cat carcasses. Polk County court records say 66-year-old Dennis Carlson has pleaded not guilty to animal neglect causing death or serious injury. The records say he rejected a plea deal last week, and his trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 20.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa says 186 cats and 194 carcasses were found at the property, which sits a little more than a mile southeast of Madrid. Rescuers had to wear respirators and protective suits because of the garbage, cat feces, urine and carcasses inside the buildings.