National Elections

Bailout passes Senate, House foes soften (10/02/08)
WASHINGTON -- After one spectacular failure, the $700 billion financial industry bailout found a second life Wednesday, winning lopsided passage in the Senate and gaining ground in the House, where Republicans opposition softened. Senators loaded the economic rescue bill with tax breaks and other sweeteners before passing it by a wide margin, 74-25, a month before the presidential and congressional elections...

Obama, McCain argue over taxes, federal spending (09/27/08)
OXFORD, Miss. -- Barack Obama accused presidential rival John McCain of supporting Bush administration policies that produced the current economic crisis Friday night in their first debate of the campaign for the White House. Both men readily agreed Congress must act soon to prevent millions of Americans from losing their jobs and homes...

Bailout deal stalls as GOP lawmakers revolt (09/26/08)
WASHINGTON -- A Repub-lican revolt stalled urgent efforts to lash together a national economic rescue plan Thursday, a chaotic turnaround on a day that had seemed headed for a success that President Bush, both political parties and their presidential candidates could celebrate at an extraordinary White House meeting...

Voters can weigh in today (09/25/08)
From the township trustees to the President of the United States, voters in Iowa can start making their choices. Beginning Thursday, voters can pick up absentee ballots at county auditor offices around the state. Election officials are predicting a voter turnout that could reach 80 percent...

ILCC students aid in data collection (09/11/08)
Fairgoers will be able to offer their opinions on just how good the Clay County Fair is when they complete a survey at the fair this year. Iowa Lakes Community College, the Clay County Fair and the Clay County Auditor's office will be cooperating for the 11th year in a row to survey fairgoers about their opinions...

Voters mandate change on Spencer school board (09/10/08)
Spencer School Board Unofficial 2008 Election Results --- When the write-ins were officially counted by hand and reported by 8:50 p.m. Tuesday night, Spencer voters had made their intentions known: Todd Korbitz and write-in candidate Marti Bomgaars had both soundly defeated one-term incumbent board members Dean Mechler and Les Zobrist...

Vote Tuesday! (09/06/08)
Tuesday is school board election day. You don't have to serve on the board or run for school board, but you might think a bit harder about at least casting a ballot for your candidate or candidates of choice. Of the five surrounding school board elections, Spencer is hosting the only contested race. ...

Lawson: No impact on Spencer cameras (09/02/08)
DES MOINES (AP) -- The Iowa Supreme Court, in a split ruling on Friday, upheld the city of Davenport's use of traffic cameras to catch speeders and drivers who run red lights. The ruling involved the case of a man who challenged the city's ordinance, which authorized the use of cameras and sensors to catch motorists who violate traffic laws...

Sept. 9 election marks return of paper (08/30/08)
By Kris Todd Daily Reporter Staff When Clay County voters walk into their respective polling sites on election day, they'll register to vote the same way they have in the past. But the Sept. 9 school board election and the Nov. 4 general election will differ from recent years past in that voters will then be handed a paper ballot to vote on. ...

Obama sketches promise of America (08/29/08)
DENVER -- Barack Obama cast his presidential nomination as proof that no dreams are too high, savoring a historic moment for himself and the nation Thursday before setting out on a difficult struggle to break another barrier for a black American. Obama's success in obtaining the Democratic nomination was indeed a remarkable achievement, reached despite the misgivings of some Americans uncomfortable with electing the son of an African immigrant -- not "the typical pedigree," as he put it...

Dean's future comes one election at a time (08/28/08)
W. Chris Dean didn't expect an Indiana roadmap to come with the Cornell College degree he received in May. But a presidential candidate's campaign of "change" has thrown a few curve balls Dean's way this summer. The 2004 Spencer graduate was recently hired as a paid field organizer in northeast Indiana for the Barack Obama campaign. His three-county region includes the hometown of former Vice President Dan Quayle. Needless to say, the Democratic message isn't a automatically an easy sell...

Dems choose Obama in thunderous acclamation (08/28/08)
DENVER -- Barack Obama swept to the Democratic presidential nomination Wednesday night, a transforming triumph that made him the first black American to lead a major party into the fall campaign for the White House. Thousands of national convention delegates stood and cheered as they made history...

Biden no stranger to Spencer Democrats (08/26/08)
U.S. Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware hoped for the top spot on the ticket less than a year ago when he stopped at the Clay County Fair. Friday he was selected as presumptive nominee Barack Obama's running mate. Democrats hope Biden's expertise in foreign policy and his blue-collar appeal will be a draw for voters in the Nov. 4 general election...

Democrats rally local troops on eve of national convention (08/26/08)
Clay County Democrats gathered at the Oneota Park shelter house Sunday evening for their annual fundraising steak fry. The meeting, coming just a day after Barack Obama named Sen. Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate via a much hyped text message to supporters, had County chairman Bob Whittenburg's stressing organization to his fellow Democrats...

Official: Obama picks Biden for veep (08/23/08)

McCain has invite to Clay County Fair (08/14/08)
State Rep. Mike May, a Spirit Lake Republican, said he has been in contact with the John McCain campaign and hopes the likely Republican nominee will include Spencer's biggest event in a post-convention victory tour. The 2008 Republican National Convention will take place Sept. 1-4 in Minneapolis. The 2008 edition of the Clay County Fair is Sept. 6-14. Along with timing, crowd numbers can't hurt the odds of a Spencer visit -- the fair drew more than 319,000 visitors in 2007...

Obama reopens Spencer office tonight (08/12/08)
Likely Democratic nominee Barack Obama will once again have a presence in Clay County. The campaign has announced a Spencer Obama Office-opening Kick-off at 6 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, Aug. 12) at 301 Grand Avenue. The event is open to everyone. Food and refreshments will be provided...

Harkin 'dismayed' by McCain's Paris Hilton ad (08/08/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff Large infrastructure projects and energy cost concerns were part of the discussion as U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin held a "Moving Iowa Forward" café stop Thursday morning at the Family Table Restaurant in Spencer. Along with local concerns, he also talked about national politics as the national nominating conventions approach for the major parties...

Harkin in Spencer Thursday (08/06/08)
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa has included Spencer in a series of stops in northwest Iowa during the August recess. The Cumm-ing Democrat will host a "Moving Iowa Forward-Cafe Stop" at 8:15 a.m., Thursday at Family Table restaurant in Spencer. The public is invited to attend...

Ideas offered to trim district's transportation budget (07/25/08)
The Spencer school district's new transportation director presented several recommendations Thursday night aimed at trimming the district's transportation budget and combating high fuel prices. As Julie Nemmers reported to board members that Spencer's in-town bus system is often referred to locally as "a glorified taxi service," she then encouraged eliminating 16 of the over 140 bus stops within city limits...

Iowans protest at Terrace Hill (07/22/08)
As the election season heats up in Iowa, more than 200 Iowans gathered at Terrace Hill Saturday to rally, protest and deliver a letter to Gov. Culver, telling him to: "End his vacation and get to work on critical issues affecting thousands of everyday Iowans."...

2008 iowa primary elections (06/04/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff The Nov. 4 general election ballot began to take shape Tuesday night, when Joe Skow and incumbent Del Brockshus, both of Spencer, received Republican Party nominations for spots on the Clay County Board of Supervisors...

Obama proclaims himself the Democratic nominee (06/04/08)
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Barack Obama claimed the Democratic presidential nomination in a long-time-coming victory speech Tuesday that taunted Republicans on their own turf and reached out to heal Democratic wounds with lofty praise for his rival. "Let us begin the work together," Obama exhorted thousands of cheering supporters in a packed sports arena. "Let us unite in common effort to chart a new course for America."...

2008 Iowa Primary Elections (06/03/08)
DES MOINES -- Three Republicans are competing to be the most conservative alternative to U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, arguing that energizing the party's base is the only way to oust a Democrat who is seeking his fifth term in the Senate. The candidates in the June 3 primary are:...

Supervisors race features six candidates (05/31/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff Republicans have a choice on the ballot as the party tries to find two nominees for a pair of available seats on the Clay County Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Del Brockshus of Spencer is near the end of his fourth term. He has filed to run again...

Castillo-Alvarez files appeal (05/16/08)
Juan Humberto Castillo-Alvarez wants the Iowa Supreme Court to take a fresh look at convictions stemming from his involvement in the death of an Estherville teenager 11 years ago. Judge Don Courtney found the former Estherville restaurant owner guilty of second-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony Jan. 25 at the Palo Alto County Courthouse in Emmetsburg. The guilty verdict came after a trial that spanned parts of three days in September...

Spencer school retirees to be honored Wednesday (05/13/08)
Twelve Spencer school representatives have chosen to take an early-retirement option offered by district officials this year. Together, _Joe Enderlin, Penny Goedicke, Jan Johnson, Jo Ann Merrill, Pat Morisch, Macrina Tesch, Betty Brennan, Becky Dettmer, Noreen Meyer, Mick Ketchum, Maggie Nicks and Alan Pierce_ represent 301 years of service within the school district...

Briefs 04-26 (04/26/08)
Lutheran World Relief Rummage Sale Bethany Lutheran Church will host a rummage sale to benefit Lutheran World Relief from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. today in the church basement dining room. Celiac Sprue group to meet today The Northwest Iowa Celiac Sprue support group will have a general meeting from 2-4 p.m. today in the Cedar Room at Spencer Hospital...

Support staff negotiations under way in district (03/19/08)
By Kris Todd Daily Reporter Staff Negotiations between the Spencer school district and the non-certified support staff union got under way Tuesday afternoon for the 2008-09 school year. Jack Lasiter, a representative for the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, presented the union's initial proposal...