(Radio Iowa) – Finding a reliable, affordable used car online can be a hassle, especially with pre-owned vehicles in such short supply, and Iowans are being warned that scammers are aiming to take their hard-earned money. Lisa Schiller, at the Better Business Bureau, says the first warning sign is that the car is listed at a super-low price.  “When you contact the seller, you’ll then find out that the vehicle is actually located in another city,” Schiller says, “but luckily for you, the seller knows a transport company that can deliver the vehicle to you — and that is a red flag.” The crooks may try to get you to pay for the transportation with a money order or gift cards, and if you do that, the money is gone and so is the car.

She says, “Your vehicle will not actually be delivered because the sale was a scam and the con artist was in cahoots with the third party make-believe transport company.” Schiller says you should always insist on seeing the car in person and get it inspected before making any payments.  “If you get really vague answers, if the seller gets defensive or aggressive or if they can’t confirm their location or the location of the vehicle, you’re probably dealing with a scammer.”

Schiller also reminds people to insist on all of the paperwork to ensure the sale is legit.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is conducting a pilot study on the state’s gray fox population. Furbearer biologist, Vince Evelsizer, says the study comes as the number of animals is dropping. “This pilot project will be starting to get into figuring out more understanding and learning more about gray foxes and what the causes for the population decline is,” he says. Evelsizer says it’s puzzling because it’s not an issue in other areas of the country. “Their numbers are declining drastically, and we don’t fully understand why that is. And it’s also a trend going on in the Midwest, but it’s not going on in other parts of the U-S,” Evelsizer says.

He says for example, the gray fox population is doing great in the southeastern U-S. Evelsizer says they’ve gotten five g-p-s collars from Iowa State to use in the grey fox study. “And we’re asking private trappers to help with the project by trapping a grey fox with the trap type that will keep them in great shape alive and well, such as a foothold trap,” Evelsizer says. One a trapper has caught a fox, then the D-N-R will see if it can be a part of the pilot study. “Check it for any injuries — if it’s in great shape, then we will utilize that animal and put a collar on it — as well as getting some other measurements and tissue samples from it. And then we will track those foxes in and see what happens to them,” Everlsizer says. He says the information they gather from the tracking will hopefully confirm some of the thoughts they have on what may be happening.

“The hypotheses so to speak of what could be causing their population decline are habitat changes, or predators other predators such as coyotes and bobcats,” he says. “Or disease, such as distemper, or a combination of factors may be doing it as well, a combination of those factors and possibly others we don’t know about yet.” The D-N-R says the gray fox can be found statewide, but their core area is eastern and southern Iowa, in forested habitats, like cedar thickets, deciduous forests, the Driftless region, on old farms and overgrown pastures.

(Corning, Iowa) – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrest. A traffic stop in rural Adams County, Saturday, resulted in the arrest of the driver for OWI/1st offense. Edwin Scott Blazek, of Prescott, tested .175% for intoxication at the Adams County Jail. He later posted bond, and was released.

On Nov. 23rd, a traffic stop was conducted at 120th and Quince in Adams County, and resulted in the arrest of Carlos Miranda Gutierrez, of Creston. He was placed under arrest for Driving While Barred, and on an Adams County warrant for Failure to Appear. Gutierrez was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $2,900 cash-only bond.

And, on Nov. 1st, Adams County Deputies arrested 57-year-old Karen Anderson, of Nodaway. She was arrested on a warrant in connection with an accident that occurred Oct. 5th in Adams County. Anderson was charged with OWI/2nd offense, and was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

*Any potential criminal charges identified above are merely allegations, and any defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State University economist Peter Orazem says while there have been gains, the number of Iowans who are working continues to lag pre-pandemic levels. “If you look at Iowans under the age of 45, labor force participation rates actually went up. It’s Iowans over 45 where labor force participation rates went down and they really went down for people over 55,” Orazem says. “…We don’t think that they’re coming back and so that’s going to be holding back the Iowa economy in terms of its ability to make up for for its lost labor.”

Iowa had one of the oldest labor forces in the country prior to the pandemic and Orazem says it appears many who opted to retire in the past 18 months are not going to return to the workforce.  “We’re lagging the rest of the U.S. in terms of recovery of employment and that’s holding back, actually, the Iowa economy,” Orazem says.” Ten days ago, the Iowa Workforce Development agency announced the state had added back all the jobs that were lost due to the pandemic.

Orazem says the total number of employed Iowans still remains about one percent below pre-pandemic levels — and the labor participation rate is about two percent below what it was in February of 2020. “We’ve had three straight quarters of negative Gross State Product, which would meet the classic definition of a recession,” Orazem says. Orazem made his comments during a weekend appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

(Leon, Iowa) – UPDATE by Iowa DCI:  On Saturday, November 26, 2022 at 4:28-p.m., the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a burnt vehicle with a deceased subject, nearby, in a field 3-to 4-miles east of Leon IA. The Decatur County Sheriff’s Office requested additional assistance from Iowa DCI, State Patrol and DNR. Neither the vehicle or the victim could be immediately identified. The Decatur County Sheriff’s Office has contacted surrounding area agencies inquiring about any missing person reports.

This case remains under investigation and is pending autopsy results. Law enforcement does not suspect any nefarious activity at this time. Further information will be released as it becomes available.

(Sioux City, Iowa) – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa reports a man from northwest Iowa, 46-year-old Justin Haubrich, of Milford, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine.

Haubrich pled guilty June 28, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from May 2018 through January 2019, Haubrich was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 2500 grams of methamphetamine. Haubrich was supplied methamphetamine from sources in Denison and Council Bluffs for further distribution in Northwest Iowa. During a traffic stop in January 2019, Haubrich was found in possession of a .45 caliber handgun and was known to keep and store firearms during his drug trafficking activities.

Haubrich was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of three years supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Haubrich remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal system.

(Henry County, Iowa) – Two people died and three others were hurt, during a single vehicle rollover accident Saturday afternoon southeast of New London, in southeast Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2014 Chrysler Town & Country van was traveling west on Highway 34 at around 4:10-p.m., when for reasons unknown, the vehicle went off the road to the south, at mile marker 246 (Racine Avenue).

The vehicle crossed the east lanes of traffic and entered the south ditch, where it struck a parked truck, and then rolled onto its side and came to rest. Two of passengers, 50-year-old Sherry L. Reid, of Stockport, Iowa, and 73-year-old Judith M. Ellis, of Ollie, Iowa, died in the crash. The driver, 48-year-old Sean M. Reid, of Stockton, and two other passengers, 55-year-old Carol R. Johnson, of Fairfield, and 48-year-old Tammi L. Ellis, of Ollie, were injured.

Sean Reid and Carol Johnson were transported by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Tammi Ellis went by Henry County Ambulance to the SE Iowa Regional Medical Center, in West Burlington.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Three people were injured during a single-vehicle rollover accident early this (Saturday) morning, in Mills County. The Iowa State Patrol says the crash happened on I29 northbound at around 4:30-a.m., when the driver of a 2003 Ford SUV, 28-year-old Iri Mendez Degante, of Omaha, fell asleep at the wheel near mile marker 32.

The SUV entered the east ditch. Degante over-corrected, sending the vehicle onto the traveled portion of the road. It slid across the road and into the median before rolling over several times and coming to rest on its top.

Degante, and his passengers: 23-year-old Valero Degante-Cruz, and 22-year-old Juan Degante-Cruz, both of Omaha, were injured. They were not wearing seat belts. Iri DeGante and Juan Degante-Cruz, were transported by Silver City Rescue to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs. Valero Degante-Cruz was transported by LifeNet to the Med Center in Omaha.

Mills and Fremont County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted at the scene.

(Anita, Iowa) – A 53-year-old man from Las Vegas, Nevada died early this (Saturday) morning, during a crash north of Anita, on Interstate 80. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 2020 Volvo semi was traveling east in the westbound lanes of the Interstate, when the vehicle struck the bridge pillar at Exit 70. The accident happened at around 12:30-a.m.

The unidentified driver who was wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene.

The Patrol was assisted at the crash site, by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and Cass EMS.