(LeMars) — The LeMars Police Department and the Plymouth County Sheriff’s office is investigating a scam ring leaving an elderly rural Plymouth County woman as a victim.
Apparently, the elderly woman was contacted by someone saying he was with the Internal Revenue Service and was collecting taxes on her winnings from a lottery based in Jamaica. The scam involved informing the woman she needed to purchase several Green-Dot debit cards and then share the numbers from the cards with the caller, which enabled them to transfer the money off the cards. In the process, the elderly woman lost approximately $15,000. The LeMars Police had also investigated two other complaints of the same nature where the victims in those cases have lost approximately $3,000. Officials advises the public, especially the elderly, to be aware of these types of scams. These scams are common by mail and by phone. Any suspicious activity needs to be reported to the local law enforcement authorities.
(LeMars) — LeMars Police are asking local neighborhoods to join with thousands of communities nationwide for the 28th annual National Night Out crime and drug prevention event. National Night Out is scheduled for August 2nd and it is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness… generate support for and participation in local anti-crime efforts… strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community relationships… and send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are fighting back.
Between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., residents are asked to lock their doors, turn on outside lights, and spend the evening outside with neighbors and police. The LeMars Police is urging neighborhoods to host block parties, cookouts, and visits from the police.
(Orange City) — Sioux County sheriff’s authorities have arrested a Hawarden man for identity theft and forgery. Valentin Hernandez-Trejo, age 24, was stopped for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation it was found that Hernandez-Trejo was using the identity of another person and presented a counterfeit social security card in order to gain employment at a dairy farm. Identity theft and forgery are considered class D felonies.
Man gets 60-year sentence for fatal Iowa shooting
(Information in the following story is from: WQAD-TV, https://www.wqad.com/)
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) A man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for a March killing in Davenport.
WQAD-TV reports Aki Malik Ross, of Davenport, was sentenced Friday for voluntary manslaughter and five counts of intimidation with a dangerous weapon.
Authorities have said Ross shot 19-year-old Joevante Howard, of Davenport, on March 30.
Man gets probation over gun used in double killing
(Information in the following story is from: KCCI-TV, https://www.kcci.com)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A man who admitted to supplying the gun used in a murder-suicide has been given two years’ probation.
KCCI-TV reports 40-year-old William Daniels the Second was sentenced Friday for lying to a gun dealer while buying a weapon. He’d earlier pleaded guilty and had faced up to 10 years in prison.
Prosecutors say Daniels bought a gun for to 25-year-old Robert Sears. In October, Sears used the gun to kill his former girlfriend, 24-year-old Carrie Russell of Des Moines, and himself. Sears also wounded another woman.
Cause of Iowa train derailment under investigation
(Information in the following story is from: The Daily Nonpareil, https://www.nonpareilonline.com)
LOGAN, Iowa (AP) The cause of a train derailment earlier this week in western Iowa remains under investigation.
Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis told the Council Bluffs Nonpareil that the Omaha-based railroad is still trying to determine whether problems with the tracks or human error led to 13 cars derailing Tuesday. The cars were part of a 138-car train traveling from Wyoming to Sergeant Bluff.
No injuries were reported in the derailment near the Harrison-Monona county line.
9 GOP candidates on ballot for Iowa Straw Poll
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The names of nine Republican presidential candidates will appear on the ballot for the 2011 Iowa Straw Poll.
The Iowa GOP State Central Committee announced Saturday that the six candidates who reserved space at the Aug. 13 event at Iowa State University in Ames were guaranteed ballot spots. They are Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Georgia businessman Herman Cain, Michigan Congressman Thaddeus McCotter, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.
The committee also selected three others for the ballot: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. There will also be a space for write-in candidates, such as former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer and Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Perry told Republicans in Aspen, Colorado Friday night that he’ll announce his decision on entering the presidential field within four weeks. Roemer announced his candidacy last week in New Hampshire.
Iowa insurers get more time on new health law
(Information in the following story is from: The Des Moines Register, https://www.desmoinesregister.com)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa has more time to comply with a new federal rule designed to curb health insurers’ profits.
The regulation unveiled last year by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department calls for insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of premiums on medical care and quality, starting in 2011. Insurers that fall short of the mark will have to issue their customers a rebate.
The Iowa Insurance Division had requested extra time to comply with the law. The Des Moines Register reports federal regulators told the state insurers have to reach that 80 percent mark in 2013 and must start working toward that.
Federal regulators say that had the law gone into effect this year, Iowa consumers would have received $6.5 million in rebates over three years.
Power failure at Iowa sewage plant leads to spill
DYSERVILLE, Iowa (AP) A power failure at a wastewater treatment plant in Dyersville has caused sewage to be dumped into the Maquoketa River.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the power at the plant went out Friday night but the sewage spill wasn’t discovered until 8 a.m. Saturday. Power at the plant was still out Saturday, and portable pumps have been installed to pump wastewater into a basin at the plant.
The department says some wastewater is still reaching the river’s north fork and it’s unknown how much has gotten into the water.
2 dams built to contain Iowa manure spill fail
BLAIRSTOWN, Iowa (AP) Two sand dams built to contain a manure spill into the Coon River have failed.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the dams were built Thursday to more than 100,000 gallons of manure released by Cedar Valley Farms dairy near Blairstown. They failed Friday morning.
The dams cannot be rebuilt because of muddy conditions. New sites are being scouted.
The department also says there have been reports of manure making its ways from the creek into the Iowa River but tests have shown known presence of ammonia in the water and no dead fish were found. The high water flow in the river may be diluting the manure.
South Tama QB Horbach to walk on for Cyclones
(Information in the following story is from: Times-Republican, https://www.timesrepublican.com)
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) Former South Tama quarterback Brandon Horbach has passed up a chance to play in the Iowa Conference for the opportunity to walk on at Iowa State.
Horbach discovered the Cyclones still had a preferred walk-on spot available for him just one week after letting Wartburg College know he was on his way to Waverly this season.
Horbach earned first-team all-Class 3A District 6 honors and graduated as class valedictorian. He tells the Marshalltown Times-Republican that the opportunity to study civil engineering at Iowa State and possibly play Big 12 football was too tough to ignore.
South Tama finished with a 3-6 record in 2010 but Horbach finished 13th in the state with 2,248 yards passing. Horbach completed 156 of 252 passes with 15 touchdowns and just four interceptions last season.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
