Absentee ballots now available for June primary election

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Absentee ballots are available from the Henry County Commissioner of Elections (in the auditor?s office) for the June 7 primary election in Iowa, Shelly Barber, county auditor, told the Henry County supervisors Thursday during the regular supervisors? meeting.

Barber said the ballots became available April 28 and noted there is some confusion among voters regarding the primary election. That?s probably because in a presidential year, Iowa selects its GOP and Democratic candidate through the caucus system.

That being said, the primary remains an important election as Republicans and Democrats choose their candidates that will appear on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

On the national and state levels, Democrats Thomas L. Fiegen, Robert M. Hogg, Patty Judge and Bob Krause are vying for the U.S. Senate nomination to oppose Republican Senator Charles Grassley in November.

Republicans Danny Graber and Ralph W. Holmstrom are vying for the nomination to oppose incumbent State Senator Rich Taylor in the Senate District 42 race.

Finally, Republican incumbent supervisors, Gary See and Greg Moeller, both of Mt. Pleasant, are joined on the ballot by Craig L. Stauffer, of Wayland, for the two slots in November.

Barber and Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee are running unopposed in the Republican primary and thus far, have no ballot opposition in the general election.

County department heads, Barber urged, needing budget amendments should advise the auditor as soon as possible. The latest the county can host a public hearing on an amendment to the fiscal 2016 budget is May 31, she added.

John Pullis, county conservation director, reported that all county campgrounds opened two weeks ago and were busy the first weekend they were opened but not nearly as busy last weekend due to rainfull.

He said conservation employees are busy removing silt and debris from the tubes of the dam. ?There is a lot of silt and debris in there,? he remarked.

Naturalist Cari Nicely and Ranger/Naturalist Trent Hoekstra have given over 100 program thus far this year, which Pullis said ?are way up from last year.?

Walt Jackson, county emergency management director, said he will be going to the national emergency management headquarters in Maryland in June with a Des Moines County group for training on a community disaster drill.

?Only 10 communities are taken per year,? Jackson said. ?A group from Des Moines County is going and they had an opening for another person. I am looking forward to it. Hopefully, I can bring back a lot of stuff that can be used here.?

Roger Pittsenbarger, county veterans affairs director, said there is a growing number of homeless veterans in Henry and Des Moines counties. ?I think a lot of them are transients, but it is something we should take a look at.?

Nathan Milks, deputy county assessor, said six property owners have filed protests on their property assessments and five have requested an oral hearing.

Supervisor Moeller said all interior doors at the courthouse will include a deadbolt lock soon and employees will receive a master key. The addition of the deadbolts was recommended by the courthouse security committee.

In the only other agenda item, supervisors approved a resolution to post a load limit on a secondary road bridge in Jackson County. The load limitation is dependent on the number of axles of the vehicle. The bridge is located just east of old Highway 218 and about a mile north of the Salem Stub.

County supervisors meet again in regular session on Tuesday, May 10, at 9 a.m. in the Henry County Courthouse