The president of the Greater Iowa Better Business Bureau is urging Iowans to do their research before contributing to a charitable organization. Chris Coleman’s advice is in response to a federal lawsuit involving all 50 states against four phony cancer charities. The complaint states the organizations collected $187 million in donations over a five-year period and very little of the money actually went to help cancer victims.

Coleman said “It gives all of us real heartache because of all of us know family members or friends who are victims of cancer or have suffered through that disease.”  The defendants in the lawsuit include Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services, Children’s Cancer Fund of America, and the Breast Cancer Society. Most donors, upon hearing the charity’s name, probably felt comfortable making a donation. “They borrowed a name of a good charity, I’d say they hijacked it,” Coleman said. “They steal the good reputation of many charities.”

The complaint claims a large majority of the contributions to the sham charities benefited only the defendants, their families and friends, and professional fundraising groups.”If this causes consumers to do more research to verify the legitimacy of charities before they make a contribution, that will help all good charities and we feel confident about that,” Coleman said. “We want our information to spotlight the best charities so people know where to contribute and where their gift can make the most difference.”

Charities can be checked out at the Better Business Bureau’s “Wise Giving” site: www.give.org.

(Radio Iowa)

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy is joining with his Republican colleague Chuck Grassley of Iowa to back patent legislation designed to encourage developers of technologies for use in poor nations. This week’s bill introduction comes as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to consider broader patent legislation. Leahy and Grassley say the Patents for Humanity Improvement Act expands an existing program to encourage small businesses to participate.

The broader legislation also tries to crack down on patent trolls, who critics say shake down businesses by threatening them with lawsuits based on often spurious allegations of patent violations.

The trial in the case of a Pottawattamie County man who faces 10 felony counts of Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree in Cass County, has been delayed again.

Roger Allen Ericksen (booking photo courtesy Cass Co. Sheriff’s Dept.)

The trial for 55-year old Roger Allen Ericksen, of Underwood, was to have taken place in Cass County District Court on Wed., May 27th, but Judge James Heckerman on Friday, set the date as July 7th. A pre-trial conference, which was to have been held this Tuesday, has now been postponed until June 1st. It’s the third time the pre-trial conference has been delayed, and the second postponement of the trial.

Ericksen was arrested on February 23rd in connection with acts that allegedly happened with a minor child in 2011. He has entered a written plea of Not Guilty to the charges. Ericksen remains held in the Cass County Jail on $25,000 cash bond. On May 11th, Ericksen’s lawyer, Jay Mez, filed for a Waiver of Speedy Trial and a request for a continuance.

In December 2012, Ericksen, who resided in Lewis, pled guilty in a prior case in Cass County District Court to Sexual Abuse 3rd Degree.