DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, today (Tuesday), issued a statement with regard to “Non-Citizen” voting. Pate said “It is imperative that only eligible Iowa voters vote in Iowa elections. As part of our many safeguards in protecting Iowa elections, we conduct regular audits of our voter registration lists to maintain clean voter rolls and maintain compliance with state and constitutional voting requirements.

“Through this auditing process, we recently reviewed 2.3 million voter records. We have found 87 people who have self-reported they are not citizens, after they have voted. We found an additional 67 people who have self-reported that they are not citizens, after they have registered to vote – they have not voted. We are turning the names of these individuals over to the Iowa Attorney General and the Iowa Department of Public Safety for potential prosecution. We also came across 2,022 people who have self-reported they are not citizens and voted or registered to vote after self-reporting.”

Pate says he has directed county auditors to have their poll workers challenge the ballots of any of these individuals during the 2024 General Election. All these individuals, he said, will be able to vote by casting a provisional ballot. According to the Election Secretary, “We have run into roadblocks from the federal government, as have states across the country that are involved in lawsuits with the Department of Justice and federal government agencies. We will be working with both our Attorney General and Iowa’s Congressional Delegation to ensure the federal government gives us the tools to know with certainty before a non-citizen is able to register and vote in Iowa elections. Instead of identifying non-citizens after they have voted, we will work with the Iowa legislature to strengthen our laws.

“We will continue to audit our voter registration lists,” Pate says, “to ensure only eligible, U.S. citizens are registered to vote and participating in Iowa elections. It is absolutely critical that eligible citizens are able to vote and we are not disenfranchising any eligible voters. It is a felony for non-citizens to either vote or register to vote, and we will work with the authorities to ensure that those who break the law are prosecuted to the fullest extent.”

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber, today (Tuesday), issued a statement following the conviction Monday, on double murder charges, of 30-year-old Dequanta Roland Zachary, of Eunice, Louisiana. A jury only took about an hour to convict Zachary on two-counts of Murder in the 1st Degree, one count of Theft in the 1st Degree, and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Zachary faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole on the murder charges, and five-to 10-additional years on the Felon in Possession charge. His sentence hearing was scheduled for 9:30-a.m. December 5th, in Pott. County District Court.

An investigation into Dequanta Zachary’s actions began when a gunshot victim, 36-year-old Deonte Ivory, of Omaha), was found deceased near the Tyson Foods plant in Council Bluffs on April 28th, 2024. A second gunshot victim, 25-year-old Michael Anderson, of Omaha, was found later that same morning in the driveway of the Western Historic Trails Center. An abandoned, bullet-ridden car was found the next day in rural Glenwood. A partially burned shirt was hanging out of the gas tank.

A combination of cell phone records, social media and surveillance videos, witness statements, crime scene investigation, and an interview with Zachary, led to arrest warrants being issued May 3rd. A DNA test later found one of the victim’s blood on Zachary’s clothing. The case was tried by Pott. County Attorney Matt Wilber and Chief Deputy County Attorney Jon Jacobmeier. Matt Wilber says:

“The evidence in this case was overwhelming and this is due to the thorough and professional investigation by the Council Bluffs Police Department. There were approximately 7,000 pages in this investigation file, and bringing a double murder case from date of death to trial in less than six months is only possible with that level of dedication by our local law enforcement personnel. As is usually the case today, these murders were solved by dogged and persistent police work. I am grateful to the detectives for their efforts, particularly lead detective Taylor Coffey. Double murders do not generally happen in Council Bluffs – in fact, I think this is the only double homicide case I have tried in my 22 years as County Attorney. I am happy to bring some measure of comfort to the families of Deonte and Michael, and to have brought their killer to justice.”

The case against Dequanta Zachary was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department, with assistance from the FBI Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Iowa DCI Crime Laboratory.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Guthrie County report a man was injured during a tractor rollover accident last Friday afternoon off N. 6th Street Place, near Panora. Authorities say a small farm tractor with a front end loader attachment was hauling a large rock and attempting to move it. When the tractor backed across the roadway and onto some grass. Authorities believe the weight of the rock in the front loader caused the back tires to lose traction on the dry grass. The machine proceeded in reverse downhill, without the ability to stop.

The operator of the tractor, 65-year-old Howie Eugene Hockenberry, of Guthrie Center, took evasive action and spun the front tires around. His action, officials say, caused the tractor to overturn an unknown number of times. Hockenberry was pinned under the tractor, but managed to get himself removed through his own strength. He suffered significant injuries, though, and was transported to the Guthrie County Hospital helicopter landing zone by Panora EMS. From there, he was flown by helicopter to Iowa Methodist Medical Center, in Des Moines.

The accident happened at around 12:10-p.m., Friday. Damage to the Ford 901 tractor was estimated at $1,500.  The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Guthrie Center Fire Department and Iowa State Patrol.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County, today (Tuesday), held a public hearing on upgrading 210th Street from a Level B (dirt) to a level A (gravel) road. County Engineer Karen Albert explained the reason for the needed upgrade.

Having heard no comments from the public, the Board voted to approve the upgrade as presented. A second public hearing was with regard to the upgrading of 150th Street between O Avenue and Pine Street, from a Class-B to a Class-A road, in anticipation of the eventual closing of Bridge PG-34/05 by 150th, west of Pine Avenue.

Albert said the most recent I-DOT traffic count shows an average of five vehicles crosses the bridge on a daily basis.

Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert. MCBOS meeting 10-22-24

She said the cost to upgrade the road (Labor and gravel) would be about $10,000. The bridge will stay open until such time as a consultant determines it needs to be closed, based on a future, more recent inspection. Two property owners were concerned about the County’s intent to close the bridge, but since that specific topic was not included on the agenda as an action item, the board voted to approve the upgrade as presented. Any further discussion with regard to the status of the bridge will be held at a later meeting. Property owner Harriett Olson said when it comes time for that decision, the bridge should also be considered for an upgrade, instead of being closed.

County Auditor Jill Ozuna called the question of whether the Public Notice that was posted and published was the same as the Resolution that was presented for a vote, due to the wording in the notice, but the Board did eventually approve the upgrade as presented and passed a resolution to that effect. In other business, the Montgomery County Supervisors passed a pledge that will be included in the County’s Safety Action Plan. District 4 Supervisors Mark Peterson…

In other business, the Board agreed to reschedule their regular, November 5th meeting, to November 6th at 8:30-a.m., due to the General Election being held on November 5th. They also scheduled a canvass of the election votes to Nov. 14th at 8:30-a.m.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Lions Club will hold their annual Pancake Supper this Thursday, Oct. 24^th, from 4:30-until 7-p.m., at the Atlantic Community Building next to the Cass County Fairgrounds. The cost is $10 per person. Those 12 and under eat for just $5.00. Carry out is available. There will also be homemade baked goods for sale. Proceeds benefit the Lions Club Charities (for example: paying for hearing aids and eye glasses when needed).

The Atlantic Lions Club will be celebrating 100^th Anniversary in four years. The Club was chartered in 1928. Club members Leon Hodges and Jim Nordskog spoke about their mission to serve. Jim Nordskog said some of the funds raised by Thursday’s pancake supper will go towards the Sunnyside Park Splash Pad features and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, as well as other local and state causes.

Leon Hodges said they test kids’ eyes at area schools, which isn’t cheap.

Since the eye testing program began about 20-years ago in Cass County, Hodges said they’ve tested about 3,800 kids.

Jim Nordskog said the Atlantic Lions Club is always looking for new members to share in the spirit of community service through their outreach programs.

Their meetings are held at the Farmers Walnut Street Diner, in Atlantic. Leon Hodges said it used to be a much larger club, but the numbers tend to shrink as their members get older and are unable to participate, or simply pass away. The hope is new members get involved in the club’s projects.

You can speak with club members, enjoy the pancake supper, and help out their causes, during the pancake supper this Thursday evening. For more information, or to purchase your ticket(s) in advance, contact any Atlantic Lions Club member, or call/text Deb Marcellus Schuler at 712-249-4321.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a Nebraska man was arrested Monday on a Mills County warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree. 56-year-old Kurt Christopher Krajicek, of Omaha, was arrested at the Saunders County, NE, jail. He was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – It wasn’t exactly a downpour but it was better than a sprinkle, as parts of Iowa saw measurable rainfall early this (Tuesday) morning for the first time in a long time. Meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff, at the National Weather Service, says some precipitation is better than none, especially with about three-quarters of the state in moderate to extreme drought. “It certainly won’t be a drought buster,” Hagenhoff says, “but any kind of rain that we can see here is certainly a welcome sight.” In most areas of Iowa, the rain came well before dawn and lasted less than a half hour in many locations.

Hagenhoff says, “It looks like things have been light, generally under a 10th of an inch for most of the area, from western into central Iowa.” If you were holding off on washing your car until after the rain, you might want to wait until Friday. “We are looking at another chance of rain coming up on Thursday afternoon, maybe into Thursday night as well,” she says. “The location is a little uncertain at the moment, but it does look like generally central to eastern Iowa will be the big winners on that.”

Far from a ‘drought buster,’ but parts of Iowa see soaking rainfall (RI photo)

The latest U-S Drought Monitor map shows more than 97-percent of the state with at least abnormally dry conditions or some level of drought, and less than two-and-a-half percent in the normal range.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the not-for-profit community development organization SHIFT ATL, say the group has donated $50,000 to Vision Atlantic’s transformative project, which will bring a housing development, new child development center, and YMCA expansion to the Atlantic community. In a press release, SHIFT ATL officials said “We are blessed that we are in a financial position to be able to support other economic and community development projects in Atlantic, while still maintaining the integrity and foundation of SHIFT ATL. Vision Atlantic’s mission and vision align with ours, but on a much larger scale, and we couldn’t be happier to donate toward the project(s) and watch the momentum continue to build.”

Vision Atlantic, through extensive research and surveying of the community and surrounding region, identified three areas that will help increase Atlantic’s population: expanded childcare, quality housing and quality of life amenities. Construction of the 144 mixed unit housing development, 300 capacity child development center and expansion of the current YMCA facility is slated to begin late spring of 2025.

Pictured Left to Right: Christina Bateman, Vision Atlantic; Mackenzie Bandow, SHIFT ATL; Jessie Shiels, SHIFT ATL; Emily Kennedy, SHIFT ATL and Melissa Ihnen, Vision Atlantic (photo submitted)

With substantial monetary support from the Charles E. Lakin Foundation and local donors, $18.4 million has been raised in the past 11 months, over 60% of a $30 million goal. Vision Atlantic’s Project Committee is actively working to secure the remaining $11.8 million needed to meet the fundraising goal. If you are interested in helping transform Atlantic, whether it’s through monetary donations or acts of volunteerism, please contact Vision Atlantic at visionatlanticiowa@gmail.com. Follow Vision Atlantic on Facebook for behind-the-scenes access to project updates or visit www.visionatlantic.org.

Vision Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to empower growth, enhance lives, and build a thriving community together through the economic development of Atlantic, Iowa.

(Red Oak, Iowa)  – Fire Oak firefighters were called to a residential structure fire early this (Tuesday) morning. According to Fire Chief John Bruce, the page went out at around 12:46-a.m. for the residence at 101 W. Reed Street, where a resident awoke to the smell of smoke, and located the front porch on fire. The home’s occupants used a fire extinguisher to diminish the fire until Red Oak Fire personnel could arrive on scene.

Chief Bruce said the Elliott and Stanton Fire Departments were also paged, but they were soon told to disregard, as first arriving Fire Dept personnel located a small fire contained to the front porch area. Firefighters verified that all occupants had been evacuated and the fire was quickly extinguished.

Fire damage, according to the Chief, was contained to the front porch area. He said that area is also where the occupants smoke. Discarded smoking materials were located in the immediate area, and the suspected cause of the fire is discarded smoking materials igniting dried vegetation under the front porch. The fire officially remains under investigation at this time. There were no injuries reported during the incident.

Photo from the Red Oak FD Facebook page.

Assisting Red Oak Fire at the scene, was: The Red Oak Police Department; The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office; and Montgomery County Communications Center. The property owner(s) were identified as: McIntyre Properties,LLC – Council Bluffs; M.D. Consier, Trustees – Portland, Oregon.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Lambda Legal and American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa have filed a new request for the courts to block Iowa’s law that bars certain books from school libraries. The two organizations are again challenging Senate File 496, the 2023 Iowa law that prohibits school libraries from having books containing sexually explicit material and limits instruction and materials involving gender and sexuality for K-6 students. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the organizations also filed suit last year against a law that requires schools to inform parents or guardians if a student requests the use of a different name or pronouns than what they were assigned at birth.

In January 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Locher blocked the law from enforcement. But that injunction was lifted in August, when a three-person panel of federal appeals court judges ruled that the previous decision was made using a “flawed analysis of the law.” The new court filing made Friday requests that the law be once again blocked from enforcement through a new, separate preliminary injunction. The basis for the renewed request cites a new U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the law using the “overbreadth doctrine.”

Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” was among more than two dozen books removed last month from a school library at Goddard, Kansas, following a challenge by a parent. The books have since been returned to the shelves. Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector (via the Iowa Capital Dispatch)

According to an analysis from the Des Moines Register, more than 1,000 books have been taken off of school shelves due to the law. However, there is ambiguity about whether some of the pulled books could remain at schools. Iowa Department of Education did not grant requests from educators in 2023 to clarify which materials would be considered “age-appropriate” under the law, saying instead the department would address allegations of noncompliance on a case-by-case basis. Classic literature including “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut and “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee have been removed from some Iowa school districts.

There were also changes made to the plaintiffs as part of the new injunction request. Two Iowa teachers affected by the bans were added to the lawsuit, while two students — one who graduated from high school, and another who transferred to a private school, left the case as they were no longer impacted by the law. Iowa Safe Schools remains a plaintiff in the case.