The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office is reminding Independent Candidates that you have until later this month to file nomination papers to run for Montgomery County Offices in the November General Election. The filing period for all counties began Monday August 4, 2014 and will run through August 27, 2014 at 5 P.M. Anyone with questions regarding the number of signatures necessary for each petition should contact the Montgomery County Auditor’s office 712-623-5127 or visit the Secretary of State website www.sos.iowa.gov

Saturday, October 25, 2014 is the Pre-Election VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE for election. There is Election Day registration, but specific documentation must be provided. If possible, register before Election Day. Friday, October 31, 2014 is the deadline to Request Absentee Ballot to be mailed.

On Tuesday, November 4, 2014 ELECTION DAY, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

In Montgomery County, your polling places include: The Red Oak Gold Fair Building; Red Oak Fire Station; Red Oak First Christian Church; Elliott Community Building; Stanton Fire Department; Grant Fire Department and at the Villisca Community Building

ABSENTEE BALLOTS WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER SEPTEMBER 25, 2014, AT THE AUDITOR’S OFFICE TO BE VOTED THROUGH MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2014. Those requesting by mail should send requests as soon as possible.

Three of Montgomery County’s incumbent office holders were unchallenged for Republican nominations in the June Primary—County Attorney Bruce Swanson, County Treasurer Carol Strovers and County Recorder Carleen Bruning. Three Supervisor Districts were challenged with Republican nominations in the June Primary—Supervisor District #1 Steven D. Ratcliff, Supervisor District #2 Joshua A. Wiig, Supervisor District #4 Mark L. Peterson. With no Democratic candidates running in the primary, these offices will be unchallenged in the November 4th election—unless independents step forward.

CANDIDATES FILED
County Offices…..Montgomery County Recorder, Carleen Bruning (Rep) – Incumbent; Montgomery County Treasurer, Carol Strovers (Rep) – Incumbent; Montgomery County Attorney, Bruce Swanson (Rep) – Incumbent; Supervisor District #1, Steven D. Ratcliff (Rep) – Incumbent; Supervisor District #2, Joshua A. Wiig (Rep); Supervisor District #4, Mark L. Peterson (Rep).

Interested candidates may also file petitions for the following offices: Township Trustees, Township Clerks, County Hospital Trustees, Soil and Water Conservation Board, and County Agricultural Extension. Voters in 12 County Townships will also vote in November on a referendum allowing the Township’s Trustees to be appointed by the County’s Supervisors, rather than elected as now.

The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. If anyone has questions about voter registration, absentee ballots, or voting, call the Auditor’s office—712-623-5127 or visit www.montgomerycountyiowa.com

Sheriff’s officials in Fremont County say a traffic stop last Friday on Highway 59 resulted in one person being arrested on drug charges, 22-year old Justin Wagner, of Farragut, was charged with Delivery of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver/Marijuana. Wagner was being held in the Fremont County Jail on $10,000 bond.

(12-p.m. News)

Governor Terry Branstad says it’s unlikely any laws will be changed as a result of the recent incident involving a “sexual predator” who walked away from a northwest Iowa treatment facility.  “This is a delicate area and it’s one the courts have really kind of spelled out what is possible,” Branstad says. In 2011 a court ruled 42-year-old Cory West was violent and likely to commit another sex crime, so West was sent to the Cherokee Mental Health Institute after his prison sentence expired, then last fall West became eligible for a transition program. He did not return from work early Sunday, August 3rd. West was captured four days later in Oklahoma.

The governor says there’s a “delicate balance” between protecting the constitutional rights of people like West and protecting the citizens of the state.  “I’m glad we have a law that permits us to hold these people that are dangerous and should not be released, but we also have to obviously make sure it’s done in the appropriate way,” Branstad says. “This would be an example of where the court should look at this and determine if this individual should be held longer in light of what just happened.”

West has had several convictions for sexual abuse. His latest was in 2008, when he pled guilty to assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. West was found in a Tulsa hotel last Thursday.

(Radio Iowa)

Two women from Nebraska were arrested early Saturday morning on drug charges, in Audubon County. The Sheriff’s Department says 21-year old Angellena Jo McDonald and 20-year old Morgan Kay Slusser, both of Omaha, were taken into custody at around 3-a.m. following a traffic stop in the 3100 block of Highway 71. McDonald faces Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charges. Slusser was charged with Possession of Marijuana/2nd offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The pair were later released after appearing before a magistrate. Their preliminary hearings were set for Aug. 28th.

And, a Kimballton woman was arrested at around 1-a.m. Sunday following an incident on Main Street in Kimballton. 40-year old Jennifer Ann Albert was charged with Public Intoxication and Interference with Official Acts. She later posted bond and was released, with orders to appear in court this Thursday.

Officials with Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU) reported today (Monday) they have been notified that some of their customers are still being contacted by someone claiming to be from AMU and that their account was past due. The caller indicates that their service would be disconnected shortly if payment was not made over the phone. The person IS NOT FROM AMU. Similar scams have been made across the country and have occurred locally in the past.

If your account is past due, you will be contacted by an individual who will provide their name and indicate that they are with Atlantic Municipal Utilities. You will not be required to make payment over the phone to prevent service from being disconnected. Additionally, prior to being disconnected for a delinquency, you would receive written notice in the mail from AMU and notice posted to your residence. Furthermore, AMU’s office hours are Monday through Friday from 7am-4pm. AMU will not contact you regarding delinquency or account balances outside of those hours.

A young man from Lenox was arrested early Sunday morning after he told officers responding to a call in the 100 block of east Kansas Street, that he was drunk.

Bryan Garcia

Officers agreed 19-year old Bryan Garcia was intoxicated and placed him under arrest for public intoxication and minor in possession of alcohol. Garcia was subsequently transported to the Taylor County Jail.

No injuries were reported following an accident Sunday night in Adams County. Sheriff’s Officials say 55-year old Michael Wayne Murren, of Creston, was driving a 2000 Ford F-250 pickup that hit a cow in the middle of the road, near Walnut Avenue and 140th Street. The accident happened at around 11:20-p.m.

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman was in Iowa over the weekend. He stopped at the Iowa State Fair to talk trade with cattle producers. Ambassador Froman says he’s cautiously optimistic about the T-P-P or Trans-Pacific Partnership, and about getting Japan to drop its tariffs to zero, although he is unsure about a specific timeline. “We’re deeply engaged with them on an ongoing basis,” Froman says. “We have reached an agreement with them that there would be no product area exclusions, so everything’s on the table, all product areas are to be covered and that’s a big deal.”

The T-P-P is a proposed regional free trade agreement being negotiated by the U-S, Canada and Mexico with several nations in the Asia-Pacific region, including: Australia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam. Iowa Cattlemen’s Association president Ed Greiman, of Garner, says they pushed the ambassador on further opening the market for beef in southeast Asia. “One of the biggest things we talked to him about was TPP, the Asian trade,” Greiman says. “We’ve got to get rid of those tariffs and the ban. The other thing I really pushed on him was China. We know if we ever opened up that door, I’d hate to speculate what the cattle market would do. I asked him if that was possible and he said it actually is.”

Froman also talked about the Russian ban of all U-S ag products and says the market impact is negligible.  “It’s unfortunate that they decided to go down this path,” Froman says. “It further isolates them internationally. It won’t affect us that much. It affects, we think, less than one-half of one-percent of our ag exports, but it’s already having an effect on prices in Russia. Prices are going up there. It’s going to damage the purchasing power of their own people.” He believes Russia is using the ban as an excuse as the U.S. has had ongoing issues with that nation, including the recent unrest in Ukraine.

(Radio Iowa)

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office has issued a report on recent arrests and accidents. Officials say 19-year old Alec James Kalkas, of Imogene, was arrested last Thursday for Driving While Suspended. On Aug. 5th, 28-year old Ronald Elroy Hankins, of Tabor, was arrested for Driving While Barred. And on Aug. 2nd, 48-year old Linda Rene Mees, of Riverton, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault and Interference with Official Acts.

Also arrested on an assault charge, was 26-year old Dustin James Howard, of Hamburg, who was taken into custody on a charge of Serious Assault, Aug. 1st. That same day, 24-yearold Kyle Matthew Geurtz, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Mills County warrant.

And Fremont County Sheriff’s officials say no injuries were reported following an accident Aug. 3rd, just off I-29 at Exit 10. A Missouri man was driving a 2009 van and exiting the interstate, when he hit another van driven by another man from Missouri. The vans collided near the stop sign at the end of the exit ramp.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors, on Tuesday, will officially receive correspondence from the Iowa DNR, with regard to the expansion of two swine facilities near Orient. According to the Board’s agenda, the DNR intends to issue construction permits for the “Circle G” and Geidel Pork sites.

In their meeting last month, the Supervisors had recommended the DNR not approve expansion plans by the Geidel family of their hog confinement operations, based on scoring of the Master Matrix. The Geidel brothers each want to double their hog operations from 2,500 head to 5,000.

In other business, the Board will hear from County Engineer Nick Kauffman, with regard to various road projects and related contracts.

The meeting begins at 9-a.m. at the courthouse, in Greenfield.