Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman has issued information with regard to the June 7th Primary Election. He reminds you the Primary Election is the electoral process used to choose who will run as EACH party’s (Republican or Democratic) candidate for a given office to be voted upon in the General Election, in November.  A voter must choose and may vote only one party’s ballot (Republican or Democratic).  The offices of President and Vice President are not on the Iowa Primary Election ballots.

The 2016 Primary Election will be Tuesday, June 7, 2016.  The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. If a person chooses to vote prior to June 7, that person may request and vote a ballot prior to election day (called Absentee Voting).  A signed absentee ballot request form may be mailed or delivered to the county auditor and an absentee ballot will be mailed to the prospective voter.  Or an absentee ballot may be requested in person at the office of the County Auditor and voted at the auditor’s office immediately on any day the office is open up through the day before election day.  Ballots may not be picked up and taken to a voter.  Absentee ballots must either be mailed to the requestor or the requester may personally appear at the auditor’s office and vote the ballot there.

IF VOTING BY MAIL: A written request on the State required form may be mailed or hand delivered to the County Auditor’s office.  Deadline to request that an absentee ballot be mailed is June 3, 2016 at 5 p.m.  (Absentee request forms are available at the auditor’s office and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.iowa.gov).  A ballot along with instructions on how to complete the ballot and a return postage paid envelope will be mailed to the requester.

For the ballot to be counted, the voted ballot sealed in the return envelope must be returned either by personal carrier to the office of County Auditor before the close of polls on election day or returned by mail postmarked no later than the day before the election.  EVERY ABSENTEE BALLOT MUST BE RETURNED even if the voter chose not to vote it.

IF VOTING AT THE COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE: Beginning Thursday, April 28th, the absentee voter may go to the CASS COUNTY COURTHOUSE during the regular office hours of 8 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday thru Friday, up through the day before the election and cast a ballot.  In addition to regular office hours, the office of Cass County Auditor will be open Saturday, May 28, 2016 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturday, June 4, 2016 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

A list of the County candidates for office along with State & Federal candidates, can be found on the pdf links below:

Cass County Candidates 2016

District #1:  Pymosa Township, Brighton Township, Marne, Washington Township, Grove Township (not including that part of Grove Township within the Atlantic city limits), and Atlantic First Ward.

District #4: Cass Township, Lewis, Bear Grove Township, Pleasant Township, Griswold, Noble Township, Edna Township, and Victoria Township.

District #5: Benton Township, Grant Township, Anita, Lincoln Township, Massena Township, Massena, Union Township, Cumberland, Franklin Township and Wiota.

Cass-Certified-StateFedCandidates-2016

Sheriff’s officials in Union County say a woman from Adair was arrested last Friday at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a warrant for Probation Violation.  41-year old Virginia Jean Keasey, was being held without bond for Union County, in the Ringgold County Jail, until she appears before a magistrate.

Police in Glenwood arrested a woman Sunday for unlawful possession of a prescription drug. 35-year old Crystal McCann, of Glenwood, was being held in the Mills County Jail on $1,000 bond.

Montgomery County Auditor Stephanie Burke says the Montgomery County Courthouse will be closing at 3-p.m. Wednesday, April 27th, for employee training in what to do in the event of an armed intruder. Staff will be experiencing the active shooter response training known as “A.L.I.C.E.” (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate). ALICE teaches individuals to participate in their own survival, while leading others to safety.

Burke notes also, that there is a possibility that there will be a quorum of Board of Supervisors on hand for the event.

Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren issued a statement this (Monday) morning specifically with regard to law enforcement’s battle with prescription drug abuse. McLaren said “When deputies and/or officers are making contact with people for driving infractions, arrests, or any other incident where law enforcement has a reason to search individuals–especially young people–we are finding prescription pills.

When asked about these drugs, the individuals DO NOT have prescriptions for them. They often claim that they are holding them for a friend or family member. The truth is they are abusing these drugs. These people are being arrested for possession of these prescription drugs and many times for operating a vehicle while impaired by these drugs.”

McLaren goes on to say “Through conversation with the young individuals we have arrested for prescription drug abuse, we have learned of a huge misconception many hold. Many people assume prescription drugs are not as dangerous as the street drugs and that the penalties for abusing them are not as high.

Prescription drug abuse is growing rapidly because of accessibility. Our youth can find these drugs in their own medicine cabinets, and if not there, in the medicine cabinet of a family member. Parents, grandparents, and other family members must be aware of the temptations that exist in their medicine cabinets and be responsible for the prescription itself. That involves taking the drug in its entirety or responsibly ridding of the excess pills.”

The Sheriff says “Our youth know that more often than not, adults will not notice a missing pill or even an old bottle of pills from the cabinet. We have also become aware of the troubling fact that drug dealers are approaching our youth and offering them money to steal a family member’s prescription drugs. Drug dealers and drug seekers are often willing to pay a very large sum of money which is very tempting for young people not to pass up. Drug dealers are aware of people in the community who have recently had surgery, been ill, or take medication for sleeping, anxiety, or attention disorders.”

McLaren says “The drugs we most commonly see abused are painkillers such as Oxycodone or Hydrocodone, stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin, and depressants such as Xanax or Valium.” He added that “The numbers in Cass County reflect the growing problem we are facing. Our officer with specific drug impairment training identified 17 drug-impaired drivers in 2010. That number has consistently increased over the past five years. In 2015, that officer identified 43 drug-impaired drivers. While that number does include drivers impaired by meth and marijuana, since 2010, 204 people have been arrested for drug impaired driving. Forty-four of those drivers were impaired by prescription drugs.”

Sheriff McLaren says “A rural location such as Cass County should not have a deputy with drug impaired OWI statistics higher than large cities such as Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, or other college towns in the state.” He said he issued the statement “To alert parents and grandparents, and to motivate you to take notice. Take inventory and monitor the prescription drugs in your homes. Store the drugs in a place where they are not easily accessed. Dispose of your expired or unused prescriptions. The Atlantic Police Department has a box located in its lobby where you can dispose of your prescriptions safely.”

McLaren says “This is a problem in Cass County. Please do your part to minimize it.”

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & funeral report, 4/25/2016

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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KINGSLEY, Iowa (AP) – A northwest Iowa church is selling its old next-door parsonage for $1, but the buyer has to move it. Sioux City television station KTIV reports that parish leaders decided two years ago that a new parsonage would be bought, so the building that’s housed pastors since 1923 will be sold. It cost $11,000 to build.

Parish leaders say they just want the house to go to people who will love it as parish members have. The parish has received a couple of offers, but nothing is set yet.

A traffic stop early this (Monday) morning, in Council Bluffs, resulted in a chase, brief foot pursuit, and arrest. Authorities say just before 12:30-a.m., a Council Bluffs Police Officer observed a gray Hyundai Tiburon run a red light at a high rate of speed with its headlights off at S. 24th St and I-80. The officer initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle, but the driver refused to yield. The car continued east on Interstate 80 to Madison Ave.

Andre Shupe

Officers were advised the same vehicle had eluded the Nebraska State Patrol a short time prior to being spotted in Council Bluffs. Police were able to deploy stop sticks at S. 1st St and Pierce St causing the driver’s side tires to deflate. The vehicle then turned west onto Kanesville Blvd and continued west to 17th St and W. Broadway where it tried to turn south and became high centered on the curb.

The suspect driver, later identified as 28-year old Andre Shupe, of Council Bluffs, then ran south before being caught by officers. Shupe was transported to Pottawattamie County Jail where he was charged with Reckless Driving, Operating While Intoxicated, Possession of a Controlled Substance and numerous other traffic offenses.

Three people were arrested Sunday night in Montgomery County, on Theft-related charges. Red Oak Police arrested 24-year old Kristopher James Koon, of Red Oak, at around 10:05-p.m. on a Montgomery County warrant for Contempt of Court, on an original charge of Theft in the 5th Degree. Koon was being held at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $300 bond.

And, Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery County arrested 37-year old Joanie Lynn Mohn, of Red Oak, and 31-year old Tyanna Karee Monrreal Robles, of Bellevue, NE., at around 8:30-p.m. Sunday, for Theft in the 4th Degree. Their arrests were the result of an investigation into alleged shoplifting at the Red Oak K-Mart Store. Red Oak Police assisted in making the arrests.