“I have heard from so many Iowans over the past few days who are rightfully concerned about the proposed location of Guantanamo Bay terrorist-detainees in our backyard,” he said.

U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, who has not said for sure whether he will support Latham’s bill, represents the portion of Iowa that is most near the Thomson Correctional Center, and he toured the facility with a federal task force on Monday. If the plan moves forward, the Federal Bureau of Prisons would purchase the now mostly-empty facility from Illinois and revamp it for use for roughly 100 terror suspects.

Following the facility tour, Braley, who was the only member of the Iowa delegation to participate, spoke about the experience:

“I wanted to be there on the ground myself to find out what types of security precautions are already in place,” he said during an Iowa Public Radio interview Monday afternoon. “I wanted to speak to representatives from the White House, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Prisons and Department of Defense about the security implications of this proposal and ask the tough questions that are important to my constituents in the First District of Iowa.”

“My whole point throughout this conversation has been, everyone needs to take a deep breath, listen to what the plan is, and make sure there’s an opportunity for public input so people have the chance to have their concerns addressed,” he said.

He is expected to further address the situation this afternoon on a conference call with reporters.

Latham, like most Republicans in Congress, is openly critical of the Obama administration’s proposed plans to move terror suspects from a military prison at Guantanamo Bay into the United States. The legislation proposed by Latham is one more attempt by the GOP to prohibit the suspects from being held in the country, and echoes the sentiments expressed by Republicans who represent Illinois.

In contrast, Illinois Democrats like U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Gov. Pat Quinn view the move as an opportunity to possibly provide economic revitalization to a hard-hit portion of the state. Jerry Hebeler, who serves as mayor for the neighboring town of Thomson is also in favor, stating that the detainees “can’t be any worse than any murderer” and that the maximum-security facility was built for such a purpose.

Boswell might be vulnerable to a strong Republican challenger, they note, but the results from 2008 prove that he’s on solid political footing. His district is now designated ’Safe Democratic.’

And of Latham, they say that he “has strong campaign skills, looks out for his constituents as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, and has a solid enough Republican base in the district’s many small cities and rural areas.” His district is now designated ‘Safe Republican.’

Congressional campaigns had to turn in their quarterly fundraising reports this week, documenting money raised and spent between July 1 and Sept. 30. Information about other elected officials and challengers is below.

Fourth District Rep. Tom Latham, R-Ames, is next on the list, raising $153,507 during the quarter. His campaign has nearly $420,000 cash on hand.

Third District Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, raised $104,132, bringing his cash-on-hand total to $343,215.

Second District Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Mt. Vernon, raised $101,200 and has $278,404 cash on hand.

Fifth District Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, raised $70,570 and has $173,833 cash on hand.

Several challengers also filed reports. Republican Dave Funk, who is running against Boswell, raised $16,477and ended the quarter with $6,226 cash on hand. Democrat Mike Denklau, who is running against King, raised $13,615 but has more than $10,000 in campaign debt.

“Latham has been taking the health insurers’ money and living it up at the same time he’s part of the Republican fight to stop health care reform in Congress,” Kiernan said in a statement. “He should be ashamed of himself – this is not what Iowans expect of their elected officials.”

The reaction comes on the heels of an Iowa Independent investigation, which found that nearly a quarter of the money raised by Latham’s leadership PAC, known as For America’s Republican Majority (FARM PAC), was spent on trips around the country touted as fundraisers, mostly to prestigious golf resorts. During the 2008 election cycle, a little more than 34 percent of the PAC’s money went to political contributions, a practice that is supposed to be the main focus of these types of organizations.

A recent joint report by the nonprofit site ProPublica, ABC News and the Washington Post found that a majority of the money raised by leadership PACs goes to entertainment, administrative costs, fundraising and other categories that “are so vague that it’s impossible to know for sure how the money was spent.”

However, of Iowa’s five members of Congress and two Senators, all of which have leadership PACs, Latham is the only one conducting this type of spending, which campaign finance watchdogs contend turns PACs into political slush funds that flout laws governing fundraising conduct.

“Who’s contributing to Latham’s PAC so he can party like a rock star?” Kiernan’s news release said. “This should come as no surprise, it’s major health insurers.  Among the top ten for this year are Blue Cross Blue Shield and AFLAC.  Also on the list are Kirke Van Orsdel and USAA, both insurance providers. “

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, one of the largest donors to FARM PAC is Emergent BioSolutions, a multinational biopharmaceutical company that donated $5,000 in 2009. However, of the PAC’s top 20 contributors, only $5,500 comes from health insurers or health insurance executives.

“Latham will surely be a ‘no’ vote on any health reform package that emerges,” Kiernan said. “After all, it’s starting to get cold again in Iowa, and the beach calls.”

U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, R-Ames

Latham’s PAC, called For America’s Republican Majority (FARM PAC), raised $205,447 during the two-year campaign cycle that led up to the 2008 elections, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Of that total, nearly $52,000 was spent for trips advertised as fundraisers, mostly to well-known golf courses in California. The money paid for travel, hotel accommodations, meals and golf course fees.

That total represents only expenses associated with out-of-state travel and does not include fees paid to fundraising consultants or fundraisers held in the Washington, D.C., area. It also does not include other charges related to the trips, such as a $1,775 payment in August 2008 to Los Angeles-based Summit Limousine for transportation to a fundraising event.

When those expenses are factored in, the PAC spent $80,165 on entertainment and other fundraising costs, or nearly 40 percent of all money raised.

The PAC spent a little more than $70,000 on direct contributions to Republican candidates around the country, a practice that is supposed to be the main focus of these types of organizations, called “leadership PACs.”

Election reform advocates are highly critical of leadership PACs, saying they amount to little more than political slush funds designed to allow elected officials to skirt campaign finance laws. Two trips this year by Latham — a weekend in Atlantic City, N.J., and a golf outing at the prestigious Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia — have already drawn criticism.

Below is a list of expenses associated with out of state travel during the 2008 election cycle.

Trips taken in 2007 (dates reflect when payment was issued):

Boca Raton Resort in Boca Raton, Fla., in February

La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, Calif., in February

The St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point, Calif., in February

Boca Raton Resort in Boca Raton, Fla., in March

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., in May

Averills Lodge at Whitefish in Montana in August

The St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point, Calif., in August

Embassy Suites Omaha in August

Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md., in December

Trips made during 2008:

LaQuinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, Calif., in January

The Cliffs Hotel in Shell Beach, Calif., in June

Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, Calif., in August

Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs. W.V. in September

Hilton Hotel in Minneapolis, Minn., in September

The St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point, Calif in September

Disney Resort Grand Lake in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., in November

That’s because the trips were paid for by Latham’s political action committee and touted as fundraising events, a practice that is legal but that government reform advocates contend turns the PAC into little more than a slush fund designed to skirt campaign finance law.

U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, R-Ames.

And an Iowa Independent investigation found similar trips to prestigious golf resorts around the country throughout 2008, all paid for with PAC money.

These types of political action committees, known as “Leadership PACs,” are designed as a way for lawmakers to raise money to be passed along to other members of their party for their campaigns. By making donations to members of their party, lawmakers can use their leadership PACs to gain clout and boost their bids for leadership posts or committee chairmanships.

But a joint investigation by the nonprofit news site ProPublica, ABC News and the Washington Post found that a majority of the money raised by leadership PACs goes to entertainment, administrative costs, fundraising and other categories that “are so vague that it’s impossible to know for sure how the money was spent.”

ProPublica found lawmakers used money from their PACs to pay for trips to places like Churchill Downs, Disney World and the Country Music Hall of Fame. They found that Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., used nearly $65,000 to commission a portrait of himself.

All five of Iowa’s congressmen and both senators have leadership PACs (Sen. Tom Harkin has two). But Latham’s organization, dubbed For America’s Republican Majority (FARM PAC) is getting the lion’s share of attention.

Latham, along with House Minority Leader John Boehner, Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss and North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, held a golf outing touted as a fundraiser for their leadership PACs at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia in July.

In June, Latham hosted an Atlantic City weekend to benefit his PAC. Lodging at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort cost FARM PAC $1,377.36.

Disclosure reports filed in 2008 with the Federal Election Commission show FARM PAC paid for hotel accommodations at prestigious golf resorts around the country, including the Greenbriar Resort in September;  The St. Regis Hotel-Monarch Beach in Dana Point, Calif. in August; and the LaQuinta Resort & Club near Palm Springs, Calif., in January.

Since returning to the capitol from the August recess, Latham has held two D.C. fundraisers for FARM PAC, with a third scheduled for Oct. 27.

FARM PAC has raised more than $75,000 this year. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the largest donors to FARM PAC in 2009 include Altria Group (formerly Philip Morris), AT&T, California Dairies Inc. and Latham for Congress. The PAC raised $205,447 during the 2008 election cycle, with almost all of it coming from lobbyists, PACs and corporate leaders.

For some reason, ProPublica did not include Latham’s PAC in their breakdown of more than 400 leadership PACs. The site did, however, look at rest of Iowa’s congressional delegation and found that they have not followed down a similar path as Latham.

More than 80 percent of money spent during the 2008 election cycle by Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley’s leadership PAC, Bringing Leadership Back PAC, was spent on campaign contributions to fellow Democrats.

Republican Rep. Steve King’s Conservative Principals PAC spent nearly 50 percent of its money on what ProPublica classifies as “entertainment, events and travel,” mostly on payments to the fundraising telecommunications company Liberty Phone Center.

Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack’s I-PAC and Democratic Rep. Leonard Boswell’s BOSPAC spent almost all of the very small amount of money raised in 2008 on campaign contributions.

A little more than 70 percent of the money spent by Harkin’s Independent Action Inc. during the 2008 election cycle went for administrative costs. As for his To Organize a Majority PAC, more than 57 percent of its expenditures went to campaign contributions for Harkin’s senate colleagues, with 25 percent going to “fundraising consultants.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley’s Hawkeye PAC spent nearly 78 percent of its money on campaign contributions.

Responding to a request for comment, Latham’s spokesman, Fred Love, said in an e-mail to the Iowa Independent that the congressman’s official office does not work with or speak on behalf of any campaign committees. Phone calls to the number listed for the Alexandria, Va., offices of FARM PAC were not answered.

For more background on the controversy surrounding leadership PACs, read ProPublica’s report here.

HR 3221, also known as the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, would support early childhood education and provide for “green” school building renovations. The most contentious provision of the bill, however, would end government-subsidized loans in the private sector and replace them with direct government funding. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that removing the subsidies will save taxpayers $87 billion — monies that Democrats say can then be used to increase education grants to low- to moderate-income Americans.

According to U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Waterloo), the impact on Iowa will be enormous. His office estimates that the legislation will invest more than $726 million in Iowa over the next 10 years to increase the annual Pell Grant from $5,350 in 2009 to $5,500 in 2010 and then to $6,900 by 2019. The 1st District, which Braley represents, is estimated to receive $82.5 million.

“This bill makes federal grant money more accessible and reliable, and allows young people to graduate with less debt,” Braley said. “This is a huge step in the right direction to make higher education more affordable for Iowa families.”

Despite a highly-lauded and bipartisan amendment being attached to the legislation that removed federal funding for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), Republican support did not materialize for the full legislation. U.S. Rep. Tom Latham (D-Ames) and U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Kiron) both voted against the legislation, even while King issued a press release in favor of the ACORN attachment.

According to Latham, the bill represents “an unprecedented government power-grab.”

“College students and their families ought to have choices when looking for ways to fund a college education,” he said. “This bill virtually forces students to rely solely on the federal government for student loan options. It threatens choice of — and access to — higher education funding.”

The bill has also received opposition from banks and other private institutions such as Sallie Mae and Citigroup that currently serve as middle-men in government-subsidized student loans — an industry currently estimated at $92 billion. Although the companies work directly with students to provide school loans, the government guarantees up to 97 percent of the loans that are made under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program, which is slated for sunset under the new legislation. The lenders, who will now begin lobbying Senate members for alternative plans, warn that loss of the program will mean loss of jobs in their sector.

U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-Mount Vernon), who supported the bill, was instrumental in the inclusion of “green school” and workforce development initiatives into the bill. Loebsack believes the provisions will encoruage greater collaboration between industry, college and workers to strengthen overall workforce development.

“The workforce development provisions will help connect community colleges to industry leaders — so that our students are receiving the most up-to-date and highly in demand skill set and our businesses are getting new corps of workers equipped to meet their current needs. By bringing everyone together, these provisions can grow and save entire industries while empowering our workforce to advance into the 21st century,” Loebsack said.

The legislation passed the U.S. House on a predominately party-line vote of 253 to 171. Although Pres. Barack Obama has already signaled his approval, members of the U.S. Senate will still need to pass their own version of the legislation.

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Indianola), who now serves as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued a press release shortly after the House vote in praising the legislation. His intention is to present a similar bill this fall.

According to caller ID, they originate from (202) 461-3459 and are also identified with the words “Washington D.C.”

Latham, a Republican representing Iowa’s 4th District, responds when the call is answered and announces that he and King, a Republican representing Iowa’s 5th District, have a short survey regarding “the Pelosi-Obama health care plan.”

The first question, provided by Latham, asks if the person answering the call approves of “the Pelosi-Obama health care plan.”

The second and third questions, both asked by King, are a bit egregious. The second question reportedly asks if the respondent supports the “rationing” of health care that would occur under “the Pelosi-Obama health care plan,” and the third question measure’s the listener’s support for supposed tax increases that are included in the plan.

Democratic advocates of health reform dispute the notion that their plans would lead to rationing or significant tax increases.

According to information on the call it was paid for by For America’s Republican Majority (FARM), a political action committee affiliated with Latham.

U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa, listens to question at a town hall forum in Indianola.

Health care dominated Latham’s discussion with nearly 200 people at the Warren County Administration Building just south of Des Moines, and while he was quick to point out his opposition to many of the ideas being floated to fix the nation’s health care system, he was equally quick to dismiss untrue claims being spouted of late by reform opponents.

Despite the fact that many of his fellow Republicans say otherwise, including fellow Iowan and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, Latham said so-called “death panels” are not in the bill. The provision in question deals with funding for voluntary end-of-life planning, he said.

You also won’t find any mention of abortion, he said. An advertising campaign paid for by anti-abortion groups says a lack of specifics on abortion in the bill will end with taxpayer dollars being spent on abortions.

The bill that has been passed by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee stipulates that the only abortion services that could be paid for with government funds would be those in which the mother’s life was endangered or in cases of rape or incest.

“There is nothing in the bill one way or another,” Latham said, later adding that while there have been amendments in committee that would specifically prohibit it, those were voted down.

In contrast to the civil discourse inside the town hall meeting was this poster, taped to the side of a truck parked just outside.

There is no question something has to be done to fix America’s health care system, Latham said, because there are too many people without access to quality health insurance.

But because any health care reform will touch the lives of every citizen, it should not be “rushed through in the middle of the night” without giving lawmakers and the American people a chance to weigh its ramifications, he said.

He opposes any government-run option, but he does think there is a lot of room for improvement.

“We’ve got to step back and work together,” Latham said, later adding: “We should be careful when we label insurance companies as ‘bad guys.’ Des Moines is the second-largest insurance city in the country. We’re talking about Iowans here.”

Latham’s solution to health care would include setting a permanent floor for Medicare payments to eliminate geographic disparity for doctors in rural states; allowing small businesses to pool together across state lines to negotiate affordable health insurance with private providers; and allowing individuals to fully deduct the cost of insurance from their taxes, regardless of whether coverage is through an employer.

“We have got to have competition in the marketplace,” he said. “And there are a lot of things we can do to make things better.”

Latham also discussed nonprofit health care cooperatives, an idea making the rounds as a possible alternative to a new government insurance plans. Until he sees how they will be structured, Latham said he cannot give an informed opinion or say whether he would vote for or against bills that supported the idea. But he did say he is not comfortable with the idea of the government providing funding for the co-ops.

Cooperatives, which can be defined as private, nonprofit, consumer-owned providers of health care, have already been attempted in Iowa with no success. As the New York Times pointed out Tuesday, Iowa adopted a law to encourage the development of health care co-ops in the 1990s. However, the extreme competitive advantage insurance companies like Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield hold in the Midwest killed the only co-op ever created in Iowa, and to this day no one has established another.

There was very little of the contentiousness that lawmakers faced in other states, as the audience was polite and respectful. That is, until the final question, asked by a woman who said she has had problems holding down a job and maintaining insurance coverage because of chronic illnesses. Before she finished her question, several audience members shouted her down, with one telling her to “Shut up, get a trade and get a job.”

Latham, who had already announced that the forum was over, left after the yelling without addressing either party.

And thanks to promises from conservative groups to stack meetings with activists in order to disrupt health-care town halls and other events, when Congressmen return to their districts to meet with constituents they expect to receive a rowdy reception.

Iowa’s Congressional delegation is no different. All five Congressmen and both Senators will hold town hall forums across the state, many focused exclusively on health care. While several have not finalized their August schedule, all are aware of the publicity surrounding raucous meetings in other states.

On the conservative blog Iowa Defense Alliance, blogger Albert Bregar describes a town hall forum in Knoxville held by Rep. Leonard Boswell that became heated over energy policy.

Jane Slusark, Boswell’s press secretary, said that the congressman has had no problems at any forums held so far.

“Congressman [Boswell] is using his time in the district to engage with his constituents on the issues that matter to them most,” Slusark said. “We are fortunate that the people who have come out to listen and talk with the Congressman have been respectful and interested in having a constructive conversation.”

Democrats say conservative groups are engaging in “astroturfing,” or creating the appearance of grass roots opposition when none exist.

The Democratic National Committee produced a Web ad connecting the town hall disturbances with conspiracy theorists known as birthers and the TEA Party movement, a faux grassroots uprising sponsored by conservative organizations like former Republican U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks.

A leaked memo from Bob MacGuffie, a volunteer with the FreedomWorks Web site “Tea Party Patriots,” describes how members should infiltrate town hall meetings and harass and intimidate Democratic members of Congress:

Spread out in the hall and try to be in the front half. The objective is to put thle Rep on the defensive with your questions and follow-up … You need to rock-the-boat early in the Rep’s presentation. Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the Rep’s statements early. If he blames Bush for something or offers other excuses — call him on it, yell back and have someone else follow-up with a shout-out … The goal is to rattle him …”

In response, pro-reform groups have begun an effort of their own to get supporters to meetings. A strategy memo from the group Health Care for America Now encourages members to attend forums and advises activists on how to respond to an anti-reform disruption.

While several have not made their August schedule public, below is a list of what promises to be spirited forums being held by Iowa’s delegation this month:

Rep. Leonard Boswell (full August schedule not yet public)

Thursday, Aug. 13
2 to 3 p.m.
Sigourney Listening Post on Health Care
Sigourney Public Library
720 East Jackson St.
Sigourney, Iowa

Rep. Bruce Braley

Tuesday, Aug. 18
2 p.m.
Jackson County Regional Health Center
700 W. Grove Street
Maquoketa, Iowa

Wednesday, Aug. 19
10:00am
Fayette Congress on Your Corner (one-on-one meetings with Rep. Braley)
Upper Iowa University
Garbee Hall, Fayette/Upper Iowa Room
605 Washington St
Fayette, Iowa

1:30 p.m.
Buchanan County Healthcare Town Hall
Independence Library
805 1st Street E
Independence, Iowa

Wednesday, Aug. 26
1 p.m.
Butler County Healthcare Town Hall
Aplington-Parkersburg Middle School
215 10th Street
Aplington, Iowa

3 p.m.
Bremer County Healthcare Town Hall
Waverly Health Center
Rooftop Garden
312 9th Street SW
Waverly, Iowa

Monday, Aug. 31
10 a.m.
Clinton County Healthcare Town Hall
Ashford University
Durgin Center
400 North Bluff Blvd.
Clinton, Iowa

Rep. Dave Loebsack

Saturday, Aug. 15
9:30 a.m.
Kirkwood Community College
6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Noon
Civic Center
307 East Monroe Street
Mount Pleasant, Iowa

2 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
811 Avenue E
Fort Madison, Iowa

3:30 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
400 Washington Street
Burlington, Iowa

Saturday, Aug. 22
10 a.m.
Public Library
123 S. Linn St.
Iowa City, Iowa

11:45 a.m.
Cedar County Extension
107 Cedar Street
Tipton, Iowa

2 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
215 Sycamore Street
Muscatine, Iowa

4 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
232 2nd Street
Columbus Junction, Iowa

Saturday, Aug. 29
10:30 a.m.
Public Library
120 East Main Street
Washington, Iowa

1 p.m.
Fairfield Public Library
104 W. Adams St.
Fairfield, Iowa

2:30 p.m.
Ottumwa Public Library
102 W. Fourth
Ottumwa, Iowa

4:15 p.m.
Bloomfield- Davis County Hospital
509 N. Madison
Bloomfield, Iowa

Rep. Tom Latham
August schedule not available.

Rep. Steve King
August schedule not available.

Sen. Tom Harkin (full schedule not finalized)

Saturday, Aug. 8
2 p.m.
Des Moines Primary Health Care
1200 University Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa

Monday, Aug. 10
9:15 a.m.
Peoples Community Health Center
905 Franklin St.
Waterloo, Iowa

11:30 a.m.
Linn Community Care Center
1201 3rd Ave. SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Tuesday, Aug. 11
9 a.m.
Scott Community College
500 Belmont Road
Bettendorf, Iowa

Wednesday, Aug. 12
1:30 p.m.
Ft. Dodge Community Health Center
126 N. 10th Street
Fort Dodge, Iowa

3:30 p.m.
Main Street Visit
602 Broad St.
Story City, Iowa

Thursday, Aug. 13
5:45 p.m.
Parker Opera House, Park Inn Hotel, & Lundberg Building
7 North Federal Ave
Mason City, Iowa

Sen. Chuck Grassley

Wednesday, Aug. 12
9:15 to 10:15 a.m.
Winterset Public Library
123 North 2nd St.
Winterset, Iowa

11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Afton City Hall Council Chambers
115 East Kansas St.
Afton, Iowa

2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Panora Community Center
115 West Main St.
Panora, Iowa

4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Adel Public Library
303 South 10th St.
Adel, Iowa

Monday, Aug. 24
9 to 10 a.m.
Rustix Restaurant
716 Sumner Ave.
Humbolt, Iowa

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Ruthven Social Center
1503 Rolling St.
Ruthven, Iowa

2 to 3 p.m.
Pocahontas Public Library
12 2nd Ave. NW
Pocahontas, Iowa

4:25 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Rockwell City Community Center on the Square
424 Main St.
Rockwell City, Iowa

Wednesday, Aug. 26
10:15 to 11:15 a.m.
Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor
14 5th Ave. NW
LeMars, Iowa

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Sanford Museum
116 E. Willow St.
Cherokee, Iowa

2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Ida County Community REC Center
311 Barnes St.
Ida Grove, Iowa

Thursday, Aug. 27
8 to 9 a.m.
Emmet County Farm Bureau
421 1st Ave. N
Estherville, Iowa

10 to 11 a.m.
Sami Bedell Center for the Performing Arts
612 28th St.
Spirit Lake, Iowa

Noon to 1 p.m.
Merry Lanes
945 3rd Ave.
Sibley, Iowa

1:45 to 2:45 p.m.
George North Community Room
115 S. Main St.
George, Iowa