Iowans are being warned about pre-recorded calls that promise a free home security system in exchange for putting a sign in your yard. Consumer advocate Jerad Albrecht says the calls don’t appear to be from a real company and are very likely a scam. “These are unsolicited sales calls, they are illegal and from what we can tell, they’re not legitimate in any way,” Albrecht says. “If anyone gets these calls, you’re asked just to hang up.” The calls offer the option of pressing a button to talk to an operator or to be removed from the contact list, but Albrecht says both options are bad choices.

“You don’t really want to do either of those,” he says, “because either action, any key you press during the call, will tell the scammers that your number is active and it could lead to continued scam calls in the future.” The best option, he says, is to just hang up — and not to worry about offending anyone, since it’s just an automated call. Catching the crooks, Albrecht says, is no easy chore.

“Unfortunately, these calls are often made by autodial by computer, often from overseas,” he says. “It’s extremely difficult, certainly at a state level but even from the federal level, to attack it.” If you do decide to talk to an operator, Albrecht warns they’ll eventually get around to needing your personal information, banking information or some sort of downpayment for that “free” security system.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold their regular weekly meeting Thursday morning, in Atlantic, beginning at 8:30. The Board is set to act on a contract for the reconstruction of the lower floor at 707 Poplar Street, for use as a 9-1-1/Communications Center. They’ll also hear a report from County Environmental Health Dirctor Stephen Patterson, with regard to Radon rules.

At 9:30-a.m. Thursday, the Board will hear from Atlantic City Administrator Doug Harris, with regard to the City of Atlantic’s Animal Shelter, and possible participation by the County in funding the facility or billing the county for animals brought to Atlantic from other communities.

The issue of a County-wide animal shelter was discussed about seven-years ago, and was brought up again at a recent Atlantic City Council meeting, and is with regard to the number of abandoned or stray animals that end-up in Atlantic from other parts of the County.

The Harlan Community School Board of Directors held a public hearing on Tuesday, with regard to a proposed amendment to the 2013-2014 budget. After the hearing, during which there were no comments from the public, Superintendent Justin Wagner told the board there are two main items that caused the amendment.

“The two big reasons is because of the Merrill Field project. At the time we weren’t sure if it would take off, well it did. The vast majority is money outside the school district. The track will come out of the school dollars and some installation cost. So 90 percent or more is coming out of the Foundation but that has to go through the school district budget. The second reason is because of the air handlers. Those are also PPEL dollars, planned dollars. The bid came in about $100,000 under bid of what we had set aside but it has to be in the budget.”

The amended budget will be brought back at the next school board meeting on June 9th for final adoption. In other business, the school board had several resignations and employment of personnel. High School Social Studies teacher and coach of 9th grade football, middle school basketball and middle school track Dan Hoch resigned as well as middle school wrestling coach Mike Wiederin and High School Assistant Coach Curt Bladt. Bladt was then hired for the position of middle school wrestling coach. In the other employment items, Heath Stein will be a shared PE teacher with Shelby County Catholic School and Marcus Streit is taking the position of High School Assistant Wrestling coach.

After the meeting, Superintendent Justin Wagner spoke about the 2013-2014 Graduating class. If you recall, last year the Harlan Community School District Administrators challenged the graduating class to give back one final time. The seniors did just that by giving money to Wagner during the diploma ceremony with money going to the Wounded Warrior Project.

This year, Wagner says the students gave to a different cause. “They’re going to give to local families in need. There is a broad spectrum there and I think we get a good sense at the school of who needs it and when. That is a great resource available and we will give the money out until it is gone. And I thought the kids coming up with that idea to keep it local was a great idea. You know there are a lot of things we can give too outside the community but there are a lot of families in the area that need help. I was really proud of them.”

Wagner said this year’s senior class will double their donation money. “They doubled their amount of money that they gave by the way. Nine hundred thirty six dollars was the total given by the seniors and that will be matched twice by anonymous donors which is great.”

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) – Police in northwest Iowa say a Storm Lake mother faces a child endangerment charge after one of her young children fell into a campfire. Police tell Sioux City television station KTIV that the 37-year-old woman left her children unattended near a backyard campfire on Saturday night. That’s when a 4-year-old child fell into the fire and had to be pulled out by an older sibling.

The child is being treated at Children’s Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. There is no word on the child’s condition.

(9-a.m. News)