Today is Election Day
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa voters will head to more than 1,600 precincts to cast ballots in races for governor, Congress and other statewide offices.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., a 14-hour window that gives Iowa one of the longest voting periods in the nation.
Roughly half a million voters had already cast ballots before
Tuesday, taking advantage of the state’s relatively lenient early voting rules.
The governor’s race between incumbent Republican Kim Reynolds and Democrat Fred Hubbell has drawn the most attention leading up to Election Day. And there’s been interest in competitive congressional races, with Democrats optimistic about their chances in the 1st and 3rd districts.
Republicans maintain they can retain those seats.
Races also could be tight for secretary of state, auditor and
agriculture secretary.
Auditor Reminds Voters To Bring Photo I.D.
(Le Mars) — When you go to vote today, you will notice several positions that are unopposed. In Plymouth County all three county board of supervisor positions do not have any opposition. The same is true for many other northwest Iowa counties. Stacey Feldman serves as the Auditor for Plymouth County and says there are a few things voters need to remember about this
election.
Feldman says there were many people who took advantage of the early voting opportunity.
If you are still holding an absentee ballot, Feldman says those ballots need to be returned to the Plymouth County Courthouse by 9:00 p.m.
If you are interested in following the returns, and knowing the voting results, Feldman says you can log on to the Plymouth County website.
Voting is open until 9:00 p.m. this evening.
No County Board Of Supervisor Meeting Scheduled For Today
(Le Mars) — There isn’t any Plymouth County Board of Supervisor meeting scheduled for today, as there were not enough agenda items to warrant a meeting.
City Council To Decide On Offering Former Senior Center To Floyd Valley Healthcare
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars City Council will discuss the possibility of transferring the property that had been the Le Mars Senior Center over to Floyd Valley Healthcare. The Le Mars Senior Center is now located next to the city council chambers in what was formerly attorney Joe Flannery office.
The Senior Center was moved as a result of a fire that had occurred. The city council will also discuss holding a public hearing on property acquired by the city. An offer has been submitted to the city to acquire the property. The land in question is a ranch-style home located at 1964 Lincoln Avenue SW. The city council will award a contract for the Prairie View addition utility project. Two bids were received for consideration. The city council will consider extending the recreation trail along Key Avenue from 200th Street to County Road C-38. The Le Mars Main Street organization is requesting the city to approve the installation and placement of 12 tourism directional signs.
Gehlen Catholic Thanks Veterans During Program
(Le Mars) — Area veterans were thanked for their service during yesterday morning’s Gehlen Catholic annual Veterans Day Program. The program featured music from the Gehlen Catholic instrumental band, as well as singing from Gehlen students. Veterans stood when each military branch of service was
recognized and honored during the singing of the respective anthem, and the parading of the specific military banner. Members of the Wasmer Post #241 American Legion served as the color guard for today’s program, and they also demonstrated the proper method to fold an American flag, giving an explanation for what each of the 13 folds represent.
Mark Morehead presented a skit entitled “Why I choose to fly my flag.” Gehlen Catholic students read the names of those veterans with a Le Mars connection featured on the Wall of Honor. The American Legion Auxillary presented a certificate for the Poppy Poster contest winner, Braden Bollin. Commander of the Wasmer
Post #241 Dan Pleuger read the names of the top essays submitted for “What the flag means to me.” Kate Bonderson was the winner in the 6th grade division, and Elizabeth Hitchler’s essay was selected as the winning 5th grade entry. Here is Hitchler’s winning essay.
Veterans Day is scheduled for next Sunday, November 11th.
O’Brien County Man Given Probation Following ATV Accident That Killed Passenger
PRIMGHAR, Iowa (AP) – A man accused of driving recklessly has been given three years of probation in an all-terrain vehicle crash in northwest Iowa that killed his passenger.
O’Brien County court records say 28-year-old Garrett Crowl also was given a deferred judgment at his hearing Monday in Primghar. A deferred judgment allows his conviction to be removed from court records if he completes his probation terms. Crowl had pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after prosecutors lowered the charge from vehicular homicide
when driving while intoxicated.
Investigators say Crowl was driving the ATV recklessly while under the influence of marijuana on July 30, 2016, when he lost control of it in a recreation area near Sheldon and crashed into a tree. His passenger, 25-year-old Shaleah Donavon, died.
Northern Iowa Man Given Five Years In Prison For Spanking Child
GARNER, Iowa (AP) – A northern Iowa man has been given five years in prison for using a belt to spank a 4-year-old child.
Hancock County court records say 33-year-old Charles Pennington, of Mason City, was sentenced late last month after pleading guilty to felony child endangerment .
A criminal complaint says an investigation began in March after
officials were notified about severe bruising on the boy’s buttocks, lower back and upper legs. Other children in the household told Britt police the child was beaten with the belt for “getting in trouble.”
Single Mother Claims Powerball Jackpot
CLIVE, Iowa (AP) – A single mother from the small Iowa community of Redfield has claimed her share of a nearly $700 million Powerball prize.
Iowa Lottery officials confirmed Monday that Lerynne (lah-RINN) West was one of two winners of a $688 million jackpot drawn Oct. 27. She’ll share the prize with someone who bought the other winning ticket in New York City.
West opted for the cash option, which will pay her an immediate
$198.1 million, minus taxes.
West said she dreamed of winning a jackpot, but “once you have won, you realize the responsibility and the impact you can make, and all the frivolity goes out the window.”
The 51-year-old worked for a health insurance organization, but says she retired last week.
West overcame odds of 292.2 million to one to win.
