(Radio Iowa) – This year’s race in Iowa’s first congressional district is a rematch between Democrat Christina Bohannan, a University of Iowa law professor, and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, an eye doctor who’s seeking a third term.

Christina Bohannan has made abortion a central issue and has focused on the “Life at Conception Act” Mariannette Miller-Meeks co-sponsored in congress. “She has now tried to back track from that, saying she supports exceptions and things,” Bohannan said. “It’s election time, so she’s trying to moderate that position.” Last week, Miller-Meeks said she does not expect federal legislation on abortion any time soon. “How do we work in a bipartisan manner to pass something that is good for women and good for our nation instead of continuing to have this as a political football?”

Miller-Meeks asked. Miller-Meeks has focused on immigration. She says the border has been out of control because President Biden undid Trump-era policies. “My opponent didn’t mention the border until it because a liability for her and her party,” Miller-Meeks said. Bohannan criticizes Miller-Meek and other Republicans for failing to pass a bipartisan plan to boost border security. “When it comes down to it, they don’t want to do anything about it because they want to keep playing politics with this issue,” Bohannan said.

On October 1st, about 37 percent of registered voters in the first congressional district were Republicans and 32 percent were Democrats.

(Iowa News Service) – People can enroll in Medicare or make changes to their supplemental and prescription drug coverage between now and December 7.  In Iowa, experts are also reminding people to check their options when signing up for health coverage through the federal marketplace.

Iowans on Medicare will have a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap on prescription drug costs starting next year. Prescription drug prices on insurance plans can change from year to year. The Iowa Insurance Division’s Director for the Senior Health Insurance Information Program, Kristin Griffith, said it’s important for Medicare enrollees to pay close attention to their drug plans and their supplemental or Medicare Advantage plans.

“One of the startling stats we hear is that only about 30% of people actually check their drug plan or their M.A. plan during open enrollment, which is what we have right now,” said Griffith. “For 2025, we’re seeing a lot of changes in networks that plans cover.”

About 660,000 Iowans are currently enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.  For other health insurance, the open enrollment period in the federal health-care marketplace runs from this Friday to January 15 of next year. Chief Medical Officer for UnitedHealthcare – Employer and Individual – Dr. Rhonda Randall said in addition to checking drug prices, co-pays and other costs, it’s important to see whether a plan’s overall benefits have changed.

“Are your current benefit plans still meeting your healthcare needs and your budget needs, and has anything changed with your plan?” said Randall. “For example, is your doctor still in the plan? Is the medication you take still covered by the plan?”

Randall and other providers reminded people to look for mental health coverage options in their insurance plan, too, and whether they meet the needs of an entire family.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Jill Ozuna, Montgomery County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Office, Sunday (Today) announced the successful completion of public testing for voting equipment ahead of the upcoming general election on November 05, 2024.

The testing event, held on October 24th and 25th at the Montgomery County Courthouse ensured that all voting systems function accurately and securely. Representatives from the public, media, and community organizations were invited to attend the event, observing firsthand how ballots are scanned, tabulated, and verified for accuracy. All equipment passed the testing process with no issues, confirming the readiness of our systems for election day.

“We take every measure to ensure the integrity of the election process,” said Jill Ozuna, Auditor and Commissioner of Elections, “The successful completion of public testing demonstrates our commitment to transparency, accuracy, and public trust in the voting process.”

Public testing is an essential part of election preparation, providing an opportunity for community members to witness how votes will be counted and verified. The process includes running sample ballots through the machines to confirm that all votes are recorded and reported correctly.

The Montgomery County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Office encourages all eligible voters to participate in the upcoming general election. For more information about voting locations, hours, or absentee ballots, please visit www.montgomerycountyia.gov or contact the election office at 712-623-5127.

Key Election Dates:

• General Election: Tuesday, November 05, 2024

• Early Voting: October 16– November 4th

**Auditor’s office will be open Saturday November 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.**

• Absentee Ballot Request Deadline: Ended October 21st

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County are set to meet at 8:30-a.m., Tuesday** On their agenda are two items that pertain to 220th Street. The first is action on approving the donation of a portion of Clark Subdivision road to be called 220th Street. The second is approving an aggregate agreement with Jeremy Clark for the upgrade of the portion of 220th Street donated to the county. (shown below or here:220th Street Map)

In other business, the Board will discuss the removal of a fence on the County Farm, with action as necessary.

Their next regular weekly meeting takes place Wednesday, Nov. 6th, at 8:30-a.m.

**Please note, this is a public meeting; however, it may be conducted via ZOOM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85039693411
Meeting ID: 850 3969 3411
Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 If you are calling in, Press *9 to raise your hand if you wish to speak.31

(Red Oak, Iowa) – No injuries were reported following a collision at around 12:40-p.m. Saturday, in Red Oak. Authorities say the accident happened in the 1700 block of N. Broadway Street, when a 2008 Pontiac Vibe traveling north on N. Broadway and driven by 61-year-old Aneta S. Parker-Housman, of Red Oak, turned to head east onto an unnamed road. Her vehicle was struck by a 1998 Ford Crown Victoria that was traveling north and driven by 20-year-old Owen Nathaniel Turnbull, of Red Oak.

The Ford struck the Pontiac on the front driver’s side. Damage amounted to $5,000 altogether. Red Oak Police cited Parker-Housman for Unsafe Turn or Failure to Give signal.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Red Oak Police report three recent arrests. At around 3:30-a.m. Sunday (Oct. 27th), Police in Red Oak arrested 50-year-old Shannon Ray Porter, of Red Oak, for one count of Trespassing/1st offense, and one count of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Porter was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

Saturday afternoon, Red Oak Police arrested 27-year-old Destiny Jill Anderson, of Red Oak, following a traffic stop at 2nd and Broadway. Anderson was taken into custody for Driving While Barred. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

And, Friday night, Red Oak Police officers arrested 31-year-old Steven Austin Ripley, of Red Oak, for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Ripley was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Ames, Iowa) – An Iowa State University researcher has received national support to take a deeper dive into a gene that helps plants thrive and survive in the face of environmental threats, with the goal of creating more resilient crops to feed the world. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, Michelle Guo, an assistant professor of genetics, development and cell biology at ISU, has spent almost 20 years researching a gene found in plants called Feronia, which impacts many different plant functions and processes. Now, with an almost $2 million grant, Guo and her fellow researchers are looking at the gene in different cell types to try and shut down certain functions while keeping others.

The gene has a hand in ensuring plants both grow well and can protect themselves from stress, Guo said. For example, removing or disrupting the gene creates what she called a “dwarf plant,” and the plant would also become more sensitive to things like salt, which would impact its growth.

Guo received a five-year, $1.8 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences in order to support her research. The grant, called Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award for Early Stage Investigators (MIRA), doesn’t fund a specific project or area of study, but rather funds Guo directly, so she can utilize the award however she needs.

Feronia has “been in the public eye” for about 20 years and Guo been researching it for nearly that long alongside other groups. Gua said she hopes other researchers are approaching the work from different angles so they could eventually inform other people’s research.

Iowa State University professor and researcher Michelle Guo is researching a specific plant gene in order to try and make plants more resilient under stress. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

With the effects of climate change becoming more and more apparent, Guo said it’s more important than ever that crops become able to produce large yields even when they’re in less-than-ideal conditions. Creating a more food-secure world is the ultimate goal behind this research, along with helping young scientists further their careers by completing and publishing their work on this important subject.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced Friday it had “depopulated” birds from Pure Prairie Poultry, Inc., which had previously informed the department it was unable to purchase feed for its broiler chickens and closed its processing plant in Charles City.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports, fearing animal welfare concerns, the department intervened Oct. 2  and took over the care, custody and control of the 1.3 million birds, located across 13 Iowa farms. The same day, Pure Prairie Poultry Inc. shuttered its Charles City processing plant and laid off its employees.

Pure Prairie Poultry received $45.6 million from U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2022 to expand the Charles City processing plant. Iowa’s USDA Rural Development office celebrated the expansion with a ribbon cutting in July 2024, just two months before it filed for bankruptcy.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the situation in a statement Friday, saying:

“This is an incredibly unfortunate situation and raises serious questions about USDA’s oversight of taxpayer dollars. Congress should exercise its oversight authority to ensure that something like this does not happen again and that those responsible are held accountable.”

A press release said the closure of the plant sent the department searching for a buyer and processor, which was difficult, “due to the structure of the broiler industry.”

According to court filings in the Third Judicial District Court of Iowa located in Sioux County, IDALS reached an agreement with Tyson Foods. It stipulated that IDALS would cover care costs for the chicken until they reached market weight, then Tyson would handle catching, loading and transportation of the birds to a processing plant. The filings state Tyson would have purchased the birds for 50 cents per bird, which was half of the company’s original offer.

Some of the growers contracted by Pure Prairie Poultry indicated they would argue their lien rights on the birds, which the court filings said, “caused Tyson to reconsider the agreement for fear of future litigation” and eventually rescinded its offer.

With mounting costs of caring for the 1.3 million birds, IDALS asked the court to authorize the department to pursue depopulation, or culling the birds. Culling of the birds began Oct. 17 by licensed veterinarians employed by the department and concluded Oct. 25th.  The department has spent over $1 million in dealing with the birds so far, but Don McDowell, IDALS communications director, said the anticipated figure is over $2 million, as many of the expenses have yet to be paid. These costs include feed, farmer contracts, depopulation, disposal, personnel expenses, and mileage.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna reminds persons wanting to vote in the November 5th General election, the deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 p.m. on Monday, October 21st. This is also voter pre-
registration deadline.

If you do not register to vote before October 21, 2024, you can register on Election Day or if you vote absentee in-person at the Auditor’s office. You must provide proof of both your identity and residency. If your license has an old address on it, you can use the license as proof of identity and use one of the following as proof of residence if it contains your name and current address: Current residential lease, Property tax statement, Utility bill (including a cell phone bill), bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government documents (vehicle registration, tax assessment, etc.).

If you do not have an Iowa driver’s license, you can provide another form of ID if it contains your photo, is current, valid, and hasn’t expired or lists “None” as the expiration date. Temporary paper licenses or IDs issued by the IDOT are acceptable.
Saturday, November 2, 2024 – Auditor’s office is open from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. for absentee voting and election
business.

• Monday, November 4, 2024 – Last day to vote an absentee ballot in-person at the Auditor’s office during regular office hours.
• Tuesday, November 5, 2024, ELECTION DAY– Polls are open from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

If you have any questions, please contact the Auditor’s office at 712-623-5127.

***************

List of Candidates for Montgomery County:

CANDIDATES FILED

General Election November 5, 2024

County Offices ONLY

Supervisor District #3 (Vote for 1)

• Bryant Amos (Rep) – Winner from Primary

Supervisor District #5 (Vote for 1)

• Alex Burton (Rep) – Winner from Primary

Montgomery County Auditor (Vote for 1)

• Jill Ozuna (Rep) – Winner from Primary

Montgomery County Sheriff (Vote for 1)

• Jon Spunaugle (Rep) – Winner from Primary

Hospital Trustee (Vote for 3) – No candidates have filed (NCF)

County Agricultural Extension Council (Vote for 4) – NCF

Soil and Water Conservation Board (Vote for 3) – NCF

Township Clerks and Trustees

Lincoln Township Trustee (Vote for 2) – NCF

Garfield Township Trustee (Vote for 2) – NCF

West Township Trustee (Vote for 2) – NCF

Sherman Township Trustee (Vote for 2)  – NCF

Red Oak Township Trustee (Vote for 2) – NCF

Grant Township Trustee (Vote for 2)  – NCF

Pilot Grove Township Clerk – TFV (Vote for 1) Two-year term – NCF

Pilot Grove Township Trustee (Vote for 2) – NCF

Frankfort Township Trustee (Vote for 2) – NCF

Washington Township Trustee (Vote for 2) – NCF

East, Douglas, and Scott Townships are appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

(Radio Iowa) – The Hy-Vee supermarket chain is removing self checkout stations from some stores. A spokesperson for Hy-Vee say they have started removing the self checkouts from some stores, but they do not have a final number. The spokesperson says they “want to provide a better customer experience in several of our stores by bringing back the face-to-face interaction with our employees that we had pre-COVID.”

A clerk in a central Iowa store told Radio Iowa the self checkouts were being removed over concerns about theft.

The Hy-Vee spokesperson would not confirm that, saying there have been national stories about retailers doing this, however, she says their main focus is to provide them the best service possible.