IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The state of Iowa has started mailing out 374,000 refund checks to residents who were tricked into signing up for buying club memberships, Attorney General Tom Miller said Friday. Miller said he wants people to know the refund checks are legitimate, and not a scam. He said the green checks are labeled a “State of Iowa Warrant” and signed by the director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services.

Miller released the statement Friday after some recipients contacted state agencies seeking to verify that the payments were legitimate. He said he applauds their skepticism, adding that the state is not collecting personal information or sending emails or making calls related to the refunds. It’s expected to take the state’s settlement administrator two months to mail out all the checks. Consumers were notified by a mailing in July that the refunds would be coming.

The refunds are going to residents who paid for memberships with Vertrue Incorporated and two other buying clubs over the last 25 years, as part of a $40 million legal settlement. Most of the refunds will range from $6 to $40, but some will be $1,000 or more.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Cedar Rapids police on Friday arrested a man on suspicion of shooting into a vehicle with two people inside. Eighteen-year-old Brandon Don Gordon of Marion, faces several charges including attempted murder and two counts of going armed with intent. Gordon is accused of firing multiple shots into a vehicle outside a gas station. Eighteen-year-old Kirsten Lee Meyer of Cedar Rapids was shot at least once and was taken to a local hospital. A second person in the car was not injured.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A third person has been arrested and charged with arson in a string of house fires in Sioux City. Eighteen-year-old Javen Mobley was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with arson and burglary connected to a fire on September 1st, the Sioux City Journal reports.

TOLEDO, Iowa (AP) — A December trial has been scheduled for an Iowa man charged with the murder of his wife in Tama. The Tama County trial for 39-year-old Dustin Jefferson, originally was set to begin on April 20th. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports he’s charged with the slaying of Kerry O’Clair-Jefferson on September 25th, 2013.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh searches for its first 4-0 start since 2000 when the Panthers host Iowa on Saturday. Iowa blew an early 11-point lead in a loss to Iowa State last week. The Hawkeyes are averaging a modest 21 points a game, 102nd in the country.

Officials with the Stuart Police Department posted a note on their social media page Friday afternoon warning residents of the community about a utility payment scam. Authorities there have been reports of someone going door to door claiming to be a Stuart City Worker collecting late utility payments. The city of Stuart does not send workers to your door to collect payments.

Officials say if you find yourself in that type of situation to immediately contact the Stuart P-D at 515-523-1896 or the Stuart City Hall at 515-523-1280. They need you to try and get the description of the person and any vehicles he/she may be in/with.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican David Young has canceled some television airtime reserved for advertisements in his bid for Iowa’s 3rd congressional district, according to documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission this week.

Young, a former chief of staff for Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, is running against Democrat Staci Appel in one of the nation’s closest congressional races. The seat is open because Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Latham is retiring in the district, which stretches from Des Moines to Council Bluffs.

Young’s campaign cancelled airtime scheduled from Sept. 16 through Sept. 22 on WHO-TV and KCCI-TV, according to contracts the stations provided to the FCC. Young spokesman Tim Albrecht declined comment.

The National Republican Congressional Committee is spending heavily on advertising in the race. Spokesman Tyler Houlton said he didn’t know why the ads were cancelled but expressed confidence about the race. “It definitely does not raise any questions about his abilities,” Houlton said. Isaac Baker, with the Democratic firm AKPD Message and Media, called the move a “very troubling sign for a candidate locked in a tight race this close to the election.”

Young had nearly $90,000 in his campaign account at the end of June. Appel, who didn’t face a competitive primary, had more than $725,000. Young finished fifth in a six-person primary, but won the nomination at a June 21 convention after five rounds of voting.