(Radio Iowa) – State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, is calling on the Republican leader of the Iowa House to apologize for accusing Sand and his staff of withholding information about funding issues in the Iowa court system. State Auditor Rob Sand says House Speaker Pat Grassley attacked his staff for partisan political reasons or, Sand says, “ignorance” about when a state fiscal year begins. Letter to Speaker Grassley 10.21.24

Sand’s office was notified during Fiscal Year 2023 about computer programming errors that were incorrectly distributing millions in court fines and fees. Last week, Grassley blasted Sand for failing to notify legislators or note the errors in audits. Sand says his staff hasn’t finished its audit of the state court system for the fiscal year in question — and state law prohibits his office from releasing allegations of non-compliance like the tip his office got about the court system errors.

A spokesperson for Speaker Grassley was not immediately available for comment. Sand is calling on the legislature to repeal the law that makes it illegal for his office to review computer programming infrastructure — like the coding issue that sent 26-and-a-half MILLION dollars worth of court fines and fees to the wrong accounts.

(Radio Iowa) – The Emerald ash borer is now confirmed in all 99 Iowa counties and the impact can be seen across the state. Entomologist Mike Kintner oversees the state Ag Department’s efforts to battle the invasive beetle and says ash trees make up half the trees in some communities.  “After emerald ash borer moves through a community, you can really see the impact it has, not only aesthetically, but also financially. It can kind of put a burden on municipalities with resources and also homeowners,” he says. Kintner says preventive insecticide treatment is an option for healthy ash trees. But once they show severe symptoms – like dead branches in the top third of the tree – recovery is less likely.

Kintner says the damage is easiest to spot in summer when healthy branches leaf out. “Even during the winter months you can still find E-A-B in trees even though the leaves are off, because what happens is the woodpeckers will come in if a tree’s infested,” Kintner says.

The woodpeckers dig into the tree bark to eat the larvae underneath. Infested ash trees tend to die within two to four years. As landowners and communities consider replacing these trees, Kintner [ recommends planting with diversity in mind.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak say no injuries were reported following an accident this (Monday) morning in the 300 block of E. Reed Street. Authorities say an SUV driven by Gary Walters, of Red Oak, backed out of a parking stall and proceeded west on E. Reed Street. At the same time, a car driven by Ramona Wright, of Villisca, backed out of a parking stall and struck the SUV on the rear, passenger side door.

The damage was estimated at $10,000 altogether. There were no citations issued.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office released a report on multiple arrests over the past week. Two people were arrested on separate warrants, two were arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order, four people were arrested on drug charges, and three were arrested for Assault.

The Sheriff’s Office says deputies arrested 40-year-old Kristin Nicole Ladd, of Greenfield, on Oct. 14th in Stuart, on four Adair County warrants for: Driving While License Denied or Revoked; Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree; OWI/1st offense, and Violation of Probation. She was being held in the Adair County Jail on $5,000 bond for one of the warrants, and without bond on the other three.  Also arrested on the 14th, was 62-year-old Nicholas Dave Allen, of Des Moines. He was picked-up at the Polk County Jail on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation, and was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

Those arrested for Assault include, on Oct. 19th: 21-year-old Wilyer Johan Velasquez-Bermudez, of Chicago, Il; 20-year-old Johan Angel Ramirez-Navas, of Gary, IN, and 26-year-old Yonder Eduardo Sanoja-Mosqueda, of Chicago.  All three were taken into custody by the Iowa State Patrol, following an incident at a motel in Adair. The three were later released on separate bonds.

Those arrested on drug charges include:

• 27-year-old Dante D. Ynoquio Chuqilin, of Hoffman Estates, IL, who was arrested Oct. 15th following a traffic stop on I-80 in Adair County. He was later released on a $7,000 bond.
• 36-year-old Heather Marie Santos, of Des Moines, was arrested on drug and weapon charges during a traffic stop Oct. 16th, on I-80 by Stuart Police. Her bond was set at $25,000; During that same traffic stop, 47-year-old Daniel Pavian-Ramos, of Des Moines, was arrested on drug charges. His bond was also set at $25,000; and, 31-year-old Maximino Mendez-Jarquin, of Des Moines, was arrested on drug, weapon and false ID charges. His bond was set at $25,000. Pavian-Ramos and Mendez-Jarquin were also being held on a detainer for an Immigration warrant through the Department of Homeland Security.
• 50-year-old Jason James Masolini, of Stuart, was arrested Oct. 14th by Stuart Police, on methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia charges. He was later released on a $25,000 bond.

Two men were arrested last week for Violation of No Contact Orders in Adair County:

• 30-year-old Jeffrey Dewayne Ott,of Des Moines, was arrested by Greenfield Police on Oct. 14th. He was later released on a $300 bond, and,
• 58-year-old Ronald Joseph Schaecher, of Greenfield, was arrested by the Greenfield Police at the Casey’s Store on Oct. 14th. He was later released on a $300 bond, also.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests took place last Thursday: 29-year-old Corey James Wentz, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. Wentz was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $5,000 bond; 73-year-0ld James Edward Pontow, of Malvern, was arrested Thursday for Arson in the 3rd Degree. His bond was set at $2,000; and, 48-year-old Lisa Marie Elliott, of Malvern, was arrested for Arson in the 3rd Degree and Public Intoxication. Her bond was set at $2,300. Pontow and Ellliott were arrested at around 5:25-p.m. Thursday, in the area of 8th Avenue in Malvern.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg today (Monday), announced $68 million for funding in Iowa as part of more than $4.2 billion in funding from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda through two major discretionary grant programs, the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) grant program and the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program, both of which have historic levels of funding thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

As a resultof today’s (Monday’s) round of selections, Iowa will be receiving $68,662,000 for the Southwest Mixmaster Interchange Reconstruction through the INFRA program. This project will improve the Interstates 80, 35, and 235 interchange. Officials say the reconstruction effort will increase capacity and improve interchange geometry to meet current standards, allowing for reliable speeds and reduced weaving, reducing crashes.

A total of 44 projects were selected nationwide in this round of funding, including projects that improve safety, mobility, and economic competitiveness, constructing major bridges, expanding port capacity, redesigning interchanges, and more.

To date, nearly $12.8 billion in funding through the INFRA and Mega programs has been announced for 140 projects across 42 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, including approximately:

• 35 large bridge projects
• 18 large port projects
• 20 rail projects
• 85 highway improvement projects

Approximately 53% of projects that have received funding to date are in rural communities, and about 42% of projects are located in disadvantaged communities.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Auditor Kathy Somers reminds residents that today, Monday, October 21, 2024, is the last day to request an absentee ballot to vote by mail in the November 5, 2024 General Election. To request an absentee ballot, voters must submit the official request form to the Cass County Auditor’s office by 5:00 PM this evening. The request form is available at the Auditor’s office, or at the Iowa Secretary of State’s website, sos.iowa.gov/elections. Those who have requested an absentee ballot may also confirm their ballot’s status on the Secretary of State’s website.

The post office has informed county auditors that election-related mail may take up to seven days to be delivered. Voters are strongly encouraged to return their ballots to the Auditor’s office as early as possible to ensure their ballot will arrive by 8:00 PM on election night.

In-person absentee voting is currently taking place at the Cass County Auditor’s office from 8:00 – 4:30, Monday – Friday, until the day before the election. The office will also be open on the Saturday before the election from 8:00 – 5:00.

For more information regarding the November 5, 2024 General Election, including polling locations and ballot content, view the Public Notice of General Election on the Cass County website at https://www.casscountyia.gov/.

(Radio Iowa) – Outdoor burning is now banned on 61 Iowa counties and fire departments in western, central and eastern Iowa have battled field fires in the past few days. Investigators have not determined the cause of a Thursday afternoon fire between Lake Park and Spirit Lake. Lake Park Fire Chief Brandon Ehret says luckily no homes or buildings caught fire. “When we got there…it had jumped the gravel road and was moving north at a high rate, probably burned about three-quarters of a mile north,” he says. “…Then we did some back burning to the grasslands to the south of it and basically got it stopped from going any farther north.”

The fire chief says the Little Sioux River was on the northeast side of the fire zone and the fire stopped at the river. “Three farmers had discs, got some fire lines to the north and on each side of it,” Ehret says, “so we were able to contain it that way as well.” The latest National Weather Service forecast indicates it will be dry, warm and breezy today (Monday) and there is a high or very high potential for grassland fires.

There is a chance for rain late this (Monday) afternoon and evening in some parts of the state.

(Radio Iowa) – The military has identified the remains of an Iowan who was reported missing in action during World War II. Nineteen-year-old Melvin Huff of Iowa Falls was a corporal in the U-S Army Air Force and was deployed to what is now New Guinea. He was the machine gunner in a bomber attacking Japanese positions that made two successful runs on January 20th, 1945, but the plane did not return to the air base and search missions could not find it. Sixty-six years later, an Australian military officer and a local guide reported seeing an aircraft crash site in a swamp.

Cpl. Melvin Huff (dpaa.mil photo)

In late 2022, an underwater team from the U-S military recovered possible human remains from the site that have recently been confirmed to be Huff’s. A rosette will be placed next to Huff’s name at the Walls of the Missing at the American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila to indicate his remains were found.

A news release from the U-S military indicates Huff will be buried in Iowa Falls, but no date has been set for the service.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors have a brief session scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 22nd. During their 9-a.m. session at the courthouse in Atlantic, the Board will act on approving a Class-B Retail Alcohol License for the 21st Century Cooperative, in Massena. They will also present their Supervisors and Committee reports.