10-07-2020 Story County SUN by GateHouse Media Iowa

• INSIDE: REALREAL ESTATE WEEKLY 29, 2020 OCTOBER 7, 2020 VOL. 13 NO. 26 STORYCOUNTYSUN.COM | INSIDE: ESTATE WEEKLY • VOL. 13, IS. 17 |• WEDNESDAY, JULY WEDNESDAY,

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TEEN MAZE, a Signature Project Disaster recovery center to of the Town and Country Kiwanis Club recently awarded a Silver prize open inwas Ames for limited timeby Kiwanis International Kiley Wellendorf

Ames Tribune

North River Valley Park — 725 E 13th St.

Each of theto Division’s experiences. in Ames — was set to open the public clubs contribute funds to The programatwas develture Project of the Town noon on Tuesday, according to a support this service projectis andIowans Countryseeking Kiwanisfederal Club disaster oped to serve news release from FEMA. The center as- seventhnine years, these recently was awardedthe a Aug. 10 graders in Story,open Boone 9 a.m. toIn6 the p.m. Monday through sistance following derecho clubs have contributed Silver prize by Kiwanis and Greene counties. This now have a place to submit documents Saturday. $52,000 and provided 8,600 International. age was selected for the in person. The club has presented reason it is a period of tran- hours of service. Aprogram disasteryearly recovery centersition located at See Page 2A The Town and Country this the past for teens who CENTER, often Kiwanis Club submitted nine years. It was developed are exposed to the use of this Teen Maze project for teen-agers with 10 other alcohol, other drugs and to Kiwanis International Kiwanis Clubs in District have self-esteem issues and acknowledging its success Eleven of the Nebraskasexual activity. is the result of the work Iowa District of Kiwanis. The project requires of many volunteers in The award was hundreds of volunteers the Clubs of the Kiwanis announced in the July 2020 and more than 2,500 hours Family and the participatNebraska-Iowa District yearly for planning, setup Newsletter. Teen Maze and leading teens through ing seventh-grade students was developed to provide the activity stations and through the years. Youth prevention services to evaluations. This Kiwanis and Shelter Services continyouth addressing relationFamily event is assisted by ues to furnish administraAKTION, Builders and Key tive services to support the ships, substance abuse, life Raymond A. Callahan Clubs in the local area. project. skills and mental health Town and Country Kiwanis Club a SignaUSATEEN TODAY MAZE, NETWORK

LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES

INSTALLED ACROSS STORY COUNTY

embers of the Town and Country Kiwanis Club assisted Raising Readers of Story County with the construction and installation of Little Free Libraries throughout Story County. The most recent installations are in Slater at Nelson Park and Kelly near the school bus stop. These Little Free Libraries are provided through the Community Betterment Grant received from the Prairie Meadows Foundation. Additional Little Free Libraries were donated to Raising Readers in recognition of their 20th Anniversary. The club will be constructing and installing more of these libraries in the coming months. "Raising Readers of Story County oﬀ ers research-based and age-appropriate programming for Story County families with children aged 0-8. Programs range from free books given out at well-child visits to dialogic reading with preschoolers to reading enrichment to early elementary school students." For more information, interested persons can contact Little Free Libraries in Story County at littlefreeliabaries@gmail.com.

P.E.O. STAR Scholarship presented to Ames High School’s Barkosky

Ames Golden K Kiwanis install new leaders From Staff Reports Ames Tribune USA TODAY NETWORK

Ames Golden K Kiwanis recently installed offi cers and board of directors who will serve from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021. Randy Griffi th, Kiwanis Division 11 Lt. Governor conducted the installation ceremony. Gina Spohnheimer, outgoing Golden K President shared remarks regarding key events during her tenure, as well as honoring Golden K members who passed away during the past year (Bob Farr, Glen Hillesland, John Johnson, Paul Mac Vey, Craig Fulton, Les Aaron Zilber left, with his grandfather, AdinPeterson Mann Jr. Aaron graduated Holland) andMann, recognizing members who J. Pete CONTRIBUTED PHOTO with a newly bachelor’s degree ininto engineering were inducted Golden from K Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, whichKent is the school his grandfather is a professor emeritus in chemical (Greg Dieter, Ziebell,where Sponsor, CONTRIBUTED PHOTO engineering. Mark Lohafer, Don Muff , Sponsor, Steve Maze, serving meals for the Ames School Enrichment Program and a host Johnson, Keith Folkmann, Sponsor). Gina also presented The Golden K Ki- of other activities. Pete is also incredibly wanian of the Year Award to Pete Peter- involved with his LEGO youth group, son. Since joining Golden K in 2012, Pete having coached teams that have comhas been involved in nearly every ser- peted at state level competitions. Pete is vice and fundraising activity of Golden indeed an outstanding individual in K. Pete has also served as President of promoting and serving Kiwanis and its motto, the world, one child Golden and Mann his most recentHe service Aaron’s grandfather, J. also received the "improving AaronK,Zilber and one community at a Jr., time". activities theofGoldenGlenn K ListenAdin Mann who got his Nicholls Character completed include his bachelor Mr.from Griffi theducation Installedat Iowa the following ers Program at Edwards TEEN Award State Uniof Distinction science in engineering at School,

Zilber shares college graduation with grandfather at Case Western Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He received the Craig J. Miller Memorial Award

Greek Life. Aaron is grateful for the excellent education he received in the Ames School

A “birds-eye view” of Teen Maze at the Boone Country Fairgrounds. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

versity: bachelor’s degree in chemical technology in 1954 and doctorate degree in physical chemistry in

The prestigious P.E.O. STAR Scholarship for the 20202021 academic year was recently presented to Vera Barkosky, a graduating senior at Ames High School. Vera is the daughter of Richard Barkosky and Anne Cooper, and was recommended for this scholarship by Chapter HO of Ames. Vera has been accepted and will attend the University of Iowa where she plans to double major in political science and sociology beginning this fall. The P.E.O. STAR Scholarship is a $2,500 scholarship based on excellence in leadership, extracurricular activities, community service, academics, and potential for future success.

Club members installing a Little Free Library in Slater. Left: Jennifer Gogerty, director of the Slater Public Library, and two young readers. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

The prestigious P.E.O. STAR Scholarship for the 2020-2021 academic year was recently presented to Vera Barkosky, a graduating senior at Ames High School. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Oﬃ cers and Board Members: President-Keith Folkmann, President Elect-Tom Baas, Vice PresidentKent Ziebell, Secretary-Larry Trede, Treasurer-Ron Skrdla, Webmaster-Joe

Traylor, Directors {term expires Sept. 30, 2022}-Larry Johnson, John Hill, Ron Juelfs. See KIWANIS, Page 2A

2A | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020 | STORY COUNTY SUN

Top Row, left to right: Leo Timms; Randy Griffith; Marilyn Johnson; and Don Beitz. Middle Row: Dean Howrath; Dan Franklin; Keith Bailey; and Stephanie Clark; Bottom Row: Mary Ann Lundy; Bob Jolly; and Shardy Grove. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Town and Country Kiwanis have new oﬃ cers, board Raymond A. Callahan Town and Country Kiwanis Club

Kiwanis Iowa-Nebraska Division 11 Lt. Governor Randy Griffi th recently installed the 2020/2021 offi cers and board Members at a recent virtual meeting of the Town and Country Kiwanis Club. The new offi cers installed are: Secretary; Don Beitz; Treasurer, Bob Jolly; President-Elect Leo Timms; Immediate Past President, Dan Franklin; and President, Dean Howrath. The Board Members installed are: Stephanie Clark; and Shardy Grove. Retiring Board Members thanked for their service are: Stan Carpenter and Jack Winkler. Marilyn Johnson was honored as the

Center Continued from Page 1A

The center will be staﬀ ed with FEMA employees who can scan docu-

"Kiwanian of the Year" by the club. She has served the Club, with distinction, as Chair of the Community Service Committee and Club liaison with the Senior Variety Show. She also serves on the Club's Publicity Committee. Gerri Bugg presented a series of pictures showing the public projects and other events of the year 2019/2020, some providing funds for the club's foundation supporting the club with its public projects. Retiring President Dan Franklin summarized the 2019/2020 year. Despite the pandemic, the club has been able to accomplish an amazing amount of community service with much fellowship among members. Several long-

term projects were canceled including Teem Maze and Camp Hertko Hollow. Others were maintained with members using masks and social distancing including the Adopt-A-Highway project, Brookside Park Garden MICA Food Donations, Food at First, McFarland Park, Tedesco Environmental Learning Corridor and the construction and installation of Little Free Libraries in Story County. Incoming President Dean Howrath and President-Elect Leo Timms described a number of possible Club events and goals for the new year. They thanked President Dan Franklin for his extraordinary leadership during this trying year of the pandemic.

Marilyn Johnson has been named Kiwanian of the Year.

ments and answer questions pertaining to the disaster assistance programs. “Survivors who have already registered with FEMA and have been asked to provide additional documentation should read their FEMA letter carefully

and make sure they have everything they need when they arrive at the DRC,” according to the release. The center will not operate “in a traditional fashion,” the release states. It includes drive-thru service, and patrons are required to wear a mask and remain in their vehicles during the visit. In addition to submitting docu-

ments in person, they can also be mailed, faxed or submitted to FEMA online at disasterassistance.gov. The site will close permanently at 6 p.m. on Oct. 10, according to the release. More information on the Iowa disaster and recovery resources can be found online at disasterrecovery.iowa.gov.

Kiwanis Continued from Page 1A

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Mr. Folkmann delivered what he termed his "Keynote Speech-Having Fun in 2021" to the ZOOM assembled Golden K members and guests, sharing the opportunities that he sees for the next year: h Focus on adding new members, to replace the membership lost this year due to illness, death and other circumstances. Golden K will double their marketing/publicity/public relations eﬀ orts to continue reaching our friends, neighbors, and Ames community to create an interest in becoming a member of Golden K. h Fundraising is another challenge for the coming year, due mainly to the pandemic limiting Golden K fundraising opportunities and participation. Golden K's Fundraising Committee, co-chaired

Keith Folkmann

Gina Spohnheimer

by Norm Scott and Mr. Folkmann will be looking for events to add to what Golden K normally does and achieve a "new normal" in ﬁ nancially supporting the Ames/Central Iowa community. Golden K supported 16 agencies this past year for a total of $19,000 in donations. h 2021 will mark the 35th Anniversary of the forming of Ames Golden K. A special celebration will take place. For more information about Ames Golden K, please see their website www.amesgoldenk.org.

storycountysun.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020 | 3A

MEET THE CANDIDATES

Here is who is running for District 24 senator Danielle Gehr Ames Tribune USA TODAY NETWORK

Iowa Senate District 24 covers Boone, Green and Hamilton counties and parts of Story, Polk and Webster counties.

Jesse Green, Republican

Age:35 Place of birth:Fort Dodge Party:Republican Oﬃ ce sought:Iowa Senate District

Grew up: Harcourt Current home:Harcourt Political experience:Former Chairman and Treasurer of Dayton Rodeo and Celebration Committee Questions: What is your top issue should you be elected? Simplify tax code and change the way we spend education dollars. Education is well funded. We have the sixth highest-paid teachers in the nation and spend about $15,000 per student to educate them. I believe the only

way we can make the system better is to allow the dollars to follow the child to put more power and resources in the parents' hands. Also we need to simplify the tax Green code. Too much wealth is leaving the state especially in areas like Sioux City due to states like South Dakota having a better tax climate. What’s the number one thing theLegislature should do to address the eﬀ ects of the coronavirus pandemic inIowa? When dealing with an unknown pandemic there is not one singular piece of legislation that can address this disease. There will have to be a series of decisions that must take place as we learn more. My goal when addressing COVID in the future is making sure Iowa’s economy comes roaring back and that Iowan’s are staying healthy.

Cynthia Paschen, Democrat Age:60

Place of birth:Chichi-jima, Bonin Islands, Japan Party:Democrat Oﬃ ce sought: Iowa Senate District 24 Grew up: Ames Current home: Jewell Questions: What is your top issue should you be elected? My top issue is rural issues. Since March, I've been talking to folks and they tell me that there's so much attention in the Legislature paid to the metropolitan areas. To the Quad Cities, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and if you look at the voices that are heard in Des Moines, it's the voices that are rich enough that they can hire a lobbyist or they're organized enough that they have all kinds of people around the state, like the Farm Bureau. And the Farm Bureau, they do some good things, but I don't believe they represent the average farmer in Iowa. They represent a farmer who has thousands of acres. They represent a farmer who could aﬀ ord to hire 20 people from Guatemala to pick

his corn in the fall. I think they are trying to protect the interests of the big farmers and I want to speak for the little farmers. What’s the number Paschen one thing theLegislature should do to address the eﬀ ects of the coronavirus pandemic inIowa? There are two things that I think are wrong with the governor's response to the pandemic. The ﬁ rst is that she's not listening to medical experts. She's not listening to science. She's responding to things that the president has said. She's saying things like, "Iowans will do the right thing." Well, the numbers would prove otherwise. We are not doing the right thing. The second thing, aside from not listening to experts is she's not modeling good behavior. We see her once in a great while with a mask, but by-andlarge the governor goes to these large gatherings of people indoors with no mask. That's wrong. That's not going to get us out of this. We have to model good behavior.

Here’s what you need to know to vote early in Iowa Stephen Gruber-Miller Des Moines Register USA TODAY NETWORK

A record number of Iowans are expected to take advantage of early voting in record numbers this year as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Early voting began Oct. 5, and Iowans have options for voting early either by mail or in person. Iowans also still have the option of voting in person at their regular polling place on Nov. 3. Here's what you need to know about the Nov. 3 election, getting registered and voting early:

First, make sure you're registered to vote Election offi cials are encouraging Iowans to register as soon as possible. You can fi nd out if you're registered to vote on the secretary of state's website. You can also register to vote online or print a form and mail it to your county auditor. If you change your name, address or political party affi liation you will need to update your voter registration. To register to vote in Iowa, you must: h Be a U.S. citizen h Be an Iowa resident

h Be at least 17 years old as long as you will turn 18 on or before Election Day h Not be judged mentally incompetent to vote by a court h Not claim the right to vote in any other place Iowa allows same-day voter registration, meaning you can get registered and vote on Nov. 3 if you wish. To do so, you must go to your polling place and be able to prove your identity and residency. Valid forms of ID include: h Iowa driver's license h Iowa non-driver ID card h Out-of-state driver's license or non-driver ID card h U.S. passport h U.S. military ID h ID card issued by employer h Student ID issued by Iowa high school or college h Tribal ID Any form of ID you provide must have an expiration date. Under an emergency election directive this year

due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Iowans will be allowed to use forms of identiﬁ cation that expired in 2020. If your ID doesn't contain your current address, you must provide another document that contains your name and address. Valid proof of residency includes: h Residential lease h Utility or cell phone bill h Bank statement h Paycheck h Government check or other government document If you are not able to prove your identity with any of See VOTE, Page 5A

4A | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020 | STORY COUNTY SUN

MEET THE CANDIDATES

Rep. Ross Wilburn running unopposed for District 46 representative Danielle Gehr Ames Tribune USA TODAY NETWORK

Iowa House District 46 covers north Ames and western Story County.

Rep. Ross Wilburn (D-Ames) Age: 56 years old Place of birth: Galesburg, Illinois Party: Democratic Oﬃ ce sought: Iowa House of Representatives, District 46 Grew up: Galesburg, Illinois/Davenport Current home: Ames Political experience: h Representative House District 46,

Wilburn

Iowa General Assembly, 2020. h Gubernatorial Candidate, State of Iowa, 2017-2018. h City Councilmember, City of Iowa City, Iowa 2000-2011 (3

terms). h Mayor, City of Iowa City, Iowa 2006-2007 (1 term). h Parks and Recreation Commissioner, City of Iowa City 1996-1999 (1 term appointment). Questions: What is your top issue should you be elected? Improve mental health services for adults and children because too many

Iowans can’t access services. One way to improve access is to ensure payment parity between telehealth and in-person services. Once the Governor’s Public Heath Disaster Declaration expires, telehealth could be reimbursed at a lower rate. Ensure mental health providers are reimbursed at adequate rates by the Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCO’s). The federal CARES Act provided money to help with pandemic costs, but we should develop a sustainable and predictable state funding stream for mental health services that impacts one in ﬁ ve adults in Iowa alone. What’s the number one thing the Legislature should do to address the eﬀ ects of the coronavirus pandemic in Iowa?:

Provide oversight of the Governor’s COVID-19 recovery actions in public health, mental health care, and economic recovery. The oversight committees should evaluate the appropriateness and eff ectiveness of her emergency declarations. The focus should be on policy direction and budgetary decisions for eff ective and equitable recovery. One example, expanding broadband eff orts should be emphasized to better prepare Iowa for the future because it is necessary to conduct business, ensure equitable access to education, and telehealth. We can increase incentives for companies to ensure every Iowan is connected by broadband, as well as aff ordable for homes, schools, and businesses.

Here is who is running for District 45 representative Danielle Gehr Ames Tribune USA TODAY NETWORK

Iowa House District 45 covers Ames and parts of central Story County.

Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D-Ames) Age: 60 Place of birth: Ames Party: Democrat Oﬃ ce sought: State Representative District 45 Grew up: Ames Current home: Ames

Political experience: State Representative since 2005 Questions: What is your top issue should you be elected? WesselThe acute challenges Kroeschell of our times demand restoration of our commitment to justice, education, health care, public health, soil, air, and water preservation. In the past, Iowa was a leader in these issues (No. 1 in education) but no more. We no longer trust our public health department to give us accurate informa-

tion. Mental health care is underfunded. Iowa had a hard-fought bipartisan collective bargaining system, until 4 years ago. I will work to restore trust in our system. The pandemic exposed weaknesses in all of our systems which must be addressed. What’s the number one thing the Legislature should do to address the eﬀ ects of the coronavirus pandemic in Iowa? Iowans need to trust that the information they receive during a pandemic is based on public interest and not political ideology. Our systems need to be prepared for an emergency. Workforce

development was unprepared to serve the needs of the unemployed. The education department had not worked with schools to create emergency education protocol. Public health has antiquated information technology and changed the deﬁ nitions and data analysis on a continuing basis. I will work to modernize our systems and insist that information we provide Iowans is based on peer-reviewed scientiﬁ c research.

Eric Cooper, libertarian Eric Cooper did not respond to the questionnaire

Candidates running for District 49 representative Danielle Gehr Ames Tribune USA TODAY NETWORK

House District 49 covers much of eastern Story County including Story City and Nevada, and southern Hardin County.

Sheldon Spencer, Democrat Age: 72 Place of birth: Freeport, Illinois Party: Democrat Oﬃ ce sought: State Representative for House District 49 Grew up: Alton, Illinois and Cleveland Heights, Ohio Current home: Huxley, Iowa Political experience: Ran for Congress in 2006, ran for state representative in 2010. Elected to Story County Soil/Water Commission 2014 and 2018. Questions:

What is your top issue should you be elected? As a doctor in Iowa for the past 30 years, I have seen the struggles that doctors and patients face Spencer with the cost and availability of health care. The aff ordability of tests, medications, hospitalizations, unfortunately, leads to poor clinical outcomes for many. Iowa has embraced the Aff ordable Care Act to some degree but building and expanding on this model would be useful in reducing the aff ordability/accessibility issues. The privatization of Medicaid has not worked as intended. The state has not saved money but rather is paying out extra to have substandard reimbursement protocols. The issue of aff ordable/ accessible healthcare for all Iowans is not going away. What’s the number one thing the

Legislature should do to address the eff ects of the coronavirus pandemic in Iowa? The number one thing the Iowa Legislature should do to address the eff ects of the coronavirus pandemic in Iowa would be to improve our public health services. We are still dealing with coronavirus and funding more robust testing and better contact tracing would improve our control of this current infection and provide the resources and standards for future infections. It is not a cost but having the Iowa Legislature requesting a face mask mandate and social distancing would be a responsible way of reducing the current coronavirus spread and establishing guidance for future infections. Improving our current control of this coronavirus outbreak will mitigate its economic eff ects.

Rep. Dave Deyoe (R-Nevada)

Age: 59 Place of birth: Manhattan, Kansas Party: Republican Oﬃ ce sought: Iowa House District

Grew up: Nevada, Iowa Current home: Rural Nevada Political experience: State House Representative (2007-present) Questions: What is your top issue should you be elected? Iowa historically has had a tax system that is not competitive with our

neighboring states and often has ranked near the bottom when compared to all states nationally. This has hurt our ability to grow and attract jobs. Deyoe We have made some progress in recent years and we need to continue working on it. We can do this responsibly by passing phased-in reforms that still provide enough state revenue to continue funding priorities in the state budget. What’s the number one thing the Legislature should do to address the eﬀ ects of the coronavirus pandemic in Iowa? Iowa recently received some positive reviews in a national study that looked at the revenue shortfalls in all 50 states and how each state was prepared to weather the shock that occurred to each state’s budget because of coronavirus. The bottom line was that Iowa ranked at the top in both categories. Our state budget is projected to have revenue declines less than half our neighbors. And, because we entered this year with our reserves full, and a budget that was sustainable, we are weathering this without having to make cuts to our local schools or healthcare as other states are going to have to do. It is very important this coming year for the Legislature to continue to budget responsibly so that we can be prepared for whatever next year may bring.

storycountysun.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020 | 5A

Kiwanis host Cy-Hawk challenge Raymond A. Callahan Town and Country Kiwanis Club

Leo Timms and Stan Carpenter, members of the Town and Country Kiwanis Club, formerly announced the continuation of the Cy-Hawk Challenge to the members and guests at a recent virtual meeting of the club. The 2020 challenge is being developed between the club and the members of the Old Capital Kiwanis Club in Iowa City. The challenge is tied to the annual football game between the ISU Cyclones and the IU Hawks. The challenge is a two-part fundraiser with the ﬁ rst part allowing members and others to pledge funds and designate their favorite teams. This part will be played until Oct. 10. The pledged funds will be tabulated with the designated funds remaining in Ames or Iowa City. These pledges will provide a solid base for each club's funding its next signature public projects. The second part of the challenge will follow providing additional opportunities for contributing money in the proposed Cardinal and Black Bowl. The bowl will be played in four quarters, one quarter each succeeding Saturday. The winners will be the raised funds for each club will be announced weekly. Each club's project(s) will receive the funds. The Town and Country's raised funds will be used

Vote Continued from Page 3A

those documents, a registered voter in your precinct can attest who you are. Both you and the attester will need to sign an oath that what you say is true. Falsely attesting or being attested for is a felony punishable by up to ﬁ ve years in prison.

To vote by mail, request a ballot Iowans have been inundated with ballot request forms this year as the Iowa Secretary of State's offi ce, local election offi cials, political parties and outside groups urge voters to cast their ballots by mail during the coronavirus pandemic. Voters only need to fi ll out one ballot request form to receive a ballot, and they will only receive one ballot no matter how many forms they mail in. Absentee ballot request forms require the voter's name; date of birth; Iowa residential address; either an Iowa driver's license number, non-operator ID number, or four-digit voter PIN;

the name or date of the election for which you are requesting an absentee ballot and a signature. A voter PIN is not necessary if you enter your Iowa driver's license number. Iowans' voter PIN is not the same as their Social Security number. Iowans can request a voter PIN number by contacting their county auditor.

You can track your absentee ballot online Once a voter has made a request, the Iowa Secretary of State's website allows them to track the status of their absentee ballot at sos.iowa.gov/ elections/absenteeballot status. To do so, Iowans must enter their full name and date of birth and the website will tell them the status of their absentee ballot. If you believe you have submitted an absentee ballot request form but it isn't showing up through the search, you can contact your county auditor.

What's the deadline to request a ballot? In order to receive an absentee ballot, voters

Stan Carpenter, left and Leo Timms announce 2020 Cy-Hawk Challenge. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

in its "nourishing children - nourishes the community" signature project. It will help fund several local charities involved in child nutrition and wellness. Old Capital has several similar charitable entities for its

funds raised by the challenge. Leo Timms encourages the club's members to get "ﬁ red up for nourishing our children with the October Cy-Hawk Challenge."

must make sure their county auditor receives their request by 5 p.m. on Oct. 24, 10 days before the election. But election oﬃ cials are encouraging Iowans to ask for a ballot as soon as possible if they plan to vote by mail, so that election oﬃ ces have more time to process the requests and get ballots to voters more quickly.

through the mail have the option of bringing it to their county auditor's ofﬁ ce and hand-delivering it. Some auditors are also allowing voters to deposit their ballots in no-contact drop boxes located at county buildings.

"spoiling" mailed absentee ballots and obtaining a replacement.

Avoid this common error: Failing to sign the outer envelope

Return your ballot in time for it to be counted

The number one error voters make on their absentee ballots is failing to sign the outer aﬃ davit envelope that is used to mail the ballot, said Kevin Hall, a spokesperson for the Iowa Secretary of State's oﬃ ce. Failure to do so will cause the ballot to be rejected.

Beginning Oct. 5, county auditors began offering in-person early voting at the county courthouse or election ofﬁ ce. Some auditors will also choose to set up satellite early voting locations, often at churches or local government buildings like libraries. The schedules and availability of these locations will vary by county. To look up when and where in-person early voting will be oﬀ ered in your county, call your county auditor or go to their website. Iowa also has curbside voting that allows voters

To be counted, an absentee ballot must be received by the county auditor by the time polls close on Election Day or be postmarked by the day before the election and received by the auditor by noon on the Monday following the election. Election night results are not oﬃ cial until a canvass is conducted the week after the election. Again, election oﬃ cials are encouraging Iowans to return their ballots as soon as they make up their minds about who to vote for. Iowans who request an absentee ballot but do not want to return it

What happens if you lose your absentee ballot or make a mistake? If an Iowan requests an absentee ballot but makes a mistake in ﬁ lling it out, or if they request a ballot but it is lost or damaged, the secretary of state's oﬃ ce encourages them to contact their county auditor. Iowa law contains procedures for

You can vote early in-person at your county auditor's office or a satellite location

to cast their ballot from their car if they are unable to enter the polling place due to a disability. In that case, two precinct election oﬃ cials, one from each of the two major parties, will bring a ballot to the voter's car and allow them to ﬁ ll it out there.

6A | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020 | STORY COUNTY SUN

On behalf of the Senior Variety Show, President Pat Meek thanks the Greater Iowa Credit Union for its community grant of $500. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Senior Variety Show gets community grant Contributed news Special to Ames Tribune USA TODAY NETWORK

This summer the Senior Variety Show of Story County (SVS) was awarded a $500 community grant from the Greater Iowa Credit Union. It was not possible to hold the traditional senior show at the Ames City Auditorium this past August due to the pandemic. But because of social isola-

tion and extreme health concerns for seniors, the Senior Variety Show Committee has continued to pursue the performing arts, albeit in a virtual setting. In order to promote a connection to the community as well as provide a sense of accomplishment and an outlet for imagination and fun, the committee uses its Facebook page (Senior Variety Show Story County) to weekly

Scott Zahnle, CEO of the Greater Iowa Credit Union, displays a $500 check to the Senior Variety Show as part of its community grant program.

post either a recent recording or a favorite act from past senior shows. It encourages seniors to dust oﬀ their old talents or create new ones, and be an encouragement to others. It also invites the community to check in each Saturday on its Facebook page for

these new oﬀ erings of joy from senior performers. If you would like to be placed on the weekly SVS newsletter list or submit a recording of a talent you are rehearsing, please contact Julie Minot at storycountysvs@gmail.com.