The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public to be aware of a new scam that has come to department’s attention. Officials say victims of the scam receive a call from a person claiming to be from Publisher’s Clearinghouse, and in order to receive money the victims have supposedly won, they are told they need to forward money to another location. Afterward, someone calls the victims and claims to be the County Sheriff verifying that the victims have won money. THIS IS A SCAM.

The Sheriff’s Office reminds citizens to NEVER send money to any party claiming that you must send money to receive money back.

A man from Elk Horn was injured during a motorcycle accident this (Wednesday) afternoon. The Iowa State Patrol says 50-year old Terry Lee Robertson was transported to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan by Elk Horn Rescue, after the 2004 Harley Davidson motorcycle he was driving crashed after coming upon an animal on the road. Robertson braked and then lost control of the cycle before it entered the north ditch and came to rest. The accident happened at around 12:15-p.m. on County Road F-58, about 2 & 1/2 miles west of Elk Horn.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa county will pay $685,000 in a settlement with a dispatcher who claimed she was groped and sexually harassed by the sheriff and fired after complaining. Madison County Sheriff Craig Busch also provided a letter of recommendation to Kathryn Frank under the settlement. In the letter, Busch says the 15-year employee who he fired in 2009 handled 911 calls with “the utmost expertise” and was praised by officers for her “excellent skills.” The settlement avoids a third trial in Frank’s lawsuit after the first two ended in hung juries. 

Frank claims that Busch harassed her for years before he became sheriff in 2008, leading to an earlier $60,000 settlement. She says Busch retaliated by firing her for bogus reasons. Busch said Wednesday he denies wrongdoing, but declined further comment.

An Atlantic man was arrested Tuesday on a Cass County warrant for Delivery of a Controlled Substance. The Atlantic Police Department reports 26-year old Levi Olsen was booked into the Cass County Jail.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) today (Wednesday) announced the first confirmed human case of West Nile virus disease in Iowa of 2013. The case is a male middle-aged adult (41 to 60 years of age) from Linn County, who is recovering. “This case is a reminder that West Nile virus is out there and Iowans should be taking proper precautions to protect against mosquito bites,” said IDPH Medical Director, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk. “Especially going into the holiday weekend when many of us will be spending time outdoors, it’s important to use mosquito repellant and to rid your yards of mosquito breeding areas.”

West Nile virus is transmitted through mosquito bites. The best way to prevent the virus is to eliminate mosquito breeding areas and to use insect repellent when outdoors. Iowans should take the following steps to reduce the risk of exposure to West Nile virus:

Use insect repellent with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Always read the repellent label and consult with a health care provider if you have questions when using these types of products on children. For example, DEET should not be used on infants less than 2 months old and oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under 3 years old.

Avoid outdoor activities at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.

Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, shoes, and socks whenever possible outdoors.

Eliminate standing water around the home because that’s where mosquitoes lay eggs. Empty water from buckets, cans, pool covers and pet water dishes. Change water in bird baths every three to four days.

Approximately 20 percent of people infected with West Nile virus will have mild to moderate symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches and vomiting. Less than one percent of people infected become seriously ill and rarely, someone dies.

Since West Nile virus first appeared in Iowa in 2002, it has been found in every county in Iowa, either in humans, horses, or birds. In 2012, there were 31 human cases of West Nile virus and no deaths.

For more information about West Nile virus, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/Cade/DiseaseIndex.aspx?disease=West Nile Virus.