(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s Attorney General is joining others in nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force. A-G spokesman, Linn Hicks, says it allows them to combine their efforts into one. “We can work together to look at these reports that we’re getting of robocalls to investigate, to send out subpoenas in some cases, and also prosecute,” Hicks says. Hicks says they are trying to get to the source of the calls.

“So far the task force has issued subpoenas to 20 gateway providers — and these are the, these are the entities that are responsible for bringing foreign calls into the U-S telephone network,” he says. He says it’s their job to make sure that those calls are not illegal, and the Attorney’s General we don’t believe that they’re doing enough to stop the robo traffic.

“In some cases, you know, we’re concerned that they are turning a blind eye just to make sure that they continue to get revenue,” Hicks says. The calls can be annoying — but they also target people with scams — and Hicks says the task force is concerned about preventing that from happening.

“People fall for those robo calls and if they provide money or information, it’s very difficult to get that money back or to make things right, ” Hicks says. It’s estimated there are some 33 million robo calls nationwide. And those callers scam millions from Americans every year.

(Radio Iowa) – Both of Iowa’s Republican Senators are expressing support for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

Pelosi is the highest-ranking American lawmaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley are among more than two dozen Republicans in the Senate who signed onto a message, saying the California Democrat’s visit is consistent with U.S. policy on Taiwan.

Senator Grassley tweeted that he doesn’t agree with Pelosi much on domestic issues, but Grassley said he appreciates Pelosi for standing up to China.

China opposed Pelosi’s visit and the Chinese military started military drills around the island of Taiwan as Pelosi landed. Pelosi says her visit illustrates America’s unwavering support of Taiwan’s democracy.

(Radio Iowa) Afghan refugees in western Iowa can now take the state driver’s license exam in their own languages, as driving courses are now available in Pashto and Dari for Iowa’s latest arrivals. Ahmedullah Kohbandi passed his written exam last week and, speaking through a translator, says he’s excited to drive to places other than work or home, once he passes the road test.

Kohbandi says, “If I want to go visit my relatives and go to park with friends or buying grocery, going to the grocery shop, so yeah, of course, I’ll need car for that.” Refugee organizations are collaborating with the Iowa Department of Transportation to ensure the tests are available in Afghan languages.

The D-O-T currently offers the test in 21 languages, but not in Pashto or Dari. That’s why Lutheran Services of Iowa in Sioux City is offering twice monthly opportunities for the test to be translated and read aloud. L-S-I refugee coordinator Katie Hagen (HAY-gun) says it’s a means of empowering the Afghans to get to know their community.

“This allows them not only to go to the grocery store or get to work but it also allows them socialization,” Hagen says. “So now they can not only socialize with the guys that are living around their area, but all over town.” Hagen says it’s especially important given western Iowa’s lack of a robust public transit system. She says many of the recent arrivals have driven before and just need to overcome the test’s language barrier to get back on the road.

(reporting by Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)

DES MOINES, IA – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports 51-year-old Bradley Earl Ewart, of Wapello, was sentenced Monday, August 1, 2022, to 6 months in prison for failing to file income tax returns. Ewart pleaded guilty on March 24, 2022, to two counts of failure to file income tax returns, one for each of the calendar years 2016 and 2018. The Court imposed a three-month prison sentence on each count, to be served consecutively. Following completion of his prison term, Ewart will be on supervised release for one year. The Court imposed a $20,000 fine.

Since approximately 2004, Ewart has owned and operated Louisa County Millwright, LLC, a business that specializes in grain elevator work, material handling, steel building installation, and fabrication. Ewart failed to file federal income tax returns for the years 2004 to 2014. As part of his plea, Ewart admitted that he knowingly and willfully failed to file tax returns for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Ewart remains responsible for paying his tax liability in full.

“Mr. Ewart admitted that he repeatedly failed to file his federal income tax returns the majority of the time his business was in operation,” said Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – Criminal Investigations. “Earning prison time and a $20,000 fine for this offense sends a clear message that we all have the responsibility to file accurate returns on time and pay our fair share of taxes.”

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigations investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Kerndt.

Des Moines, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau report a Fort Dodge woman, 45-year-old Angelina Marie Majors, was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud – Presenting False Information (Class D Felony) following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau.

The charges against Majors stem from an investigation which began in April of 2022. According to criminal complaints filed by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau, Majors submitted a fraudulent document in connection with an auto insurance application.

Angelina Majors (Story County S/O photo)

On July 31, 2022, Majors turned herself into the Story County Sheriff’s Office after an arrest warrant was issued by the Story County District Court. Majors posted a $5,000 bond and was released. No additional information will be provided at this time.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-654-6556.

Note: A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Here’s the latest report from the Mills County Sheriff’s Office:

On Monday (Aug. 1), Deputies arrested 41-year-old Louis Hardrock Younger, of Bedford, for Pre-trial revocation. He was taken into custody at the Mills County Courthouse and held on a $20,000 bond.

On Sunday (July 31), 45-year-old Amanda Kay Berglund, of Glenwood, was arrested for violation of a No Contact Order. She was being held in the Mills County Jail without bond.

There were three arrests last Thursday (July 28) in Mills County:

• 34-year-old Cynthia Marie Griffin, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested for OWI/1st offense ($1,000 bond).
• 51-year-old Jeffrey Wade Massey, of Hamburg, was arrested at the Fremont County Jail on a Mills County warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance ($5,000 bond).
• and, 31-year-old Shaka Renee Gordon, of Omaha, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse, on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear on charges that include Poss. of a Controlled Substance & Poss. of paraphernalia (Bond $1,000).

(Kimballton, Iowa) – Officials with the City of Kimballton report the water Boil Advisory issued Sunday, has been cancelled. Test results on a water sample sent to a lab in Ankeny came back clean, therefor the water is safe to drink and use once for other purposes, in Kimballton.

The City issued a Boil Advisory as a precaution, following issues with the water distribution system that potentially could have resulted in bacterial contamination to drinking water.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports many people are receiving text messages about their bank account having had unauthorized activity. The Sheriff’s Office warns you, “Do not call the number or click the link. It is a scam. If you question whether a text message or email is real or fake contact your local bank, by looking up the number yourself or stopping by in person.”

Never respond to any text where the sender is unknown or is not on your contact list. Follow these tips to help prevent you from becoming a victim of a text message scam:

1. Don’t reply directly to any spam text message – Directly replying to a spam text message lets a spammer know that your number is genuine. What happens next? They can sell your phone number to other spammers who might bombard you with promises of free gifts and product offers.

2. Do treat your personal information like it’s cash – Spam text messages may lure you into disclosing personal information like how much money you make, how much you owe the bank, your Social Security number, and credit card details. Most legitimate companies do not request personal information like passwords, account details, and other personal details via text messages. When in doubt, look up the company phone number, call them, and verify if a legitimate request was made. Don’t call the number sent in the text message.

3. Don’t click on any links in the text message – Clicking on a link in a spam text message could install malware that can collect information from your phone. It can take you to spoof sites that look real but are designed to steal your information. Malware can also slow down your cell phone’s performance by taking up space on your phone’s memory. Once the spammer has your information, it can be sold to marketers or, worse, identity thieves. It can also lead to unwanted charges on your cell phone bill. Your wireless carrier may charge you for receiving a text message, regardless of whether you requested it.

4. Do review your cell phone bill regularly – It’s smart to check your phone bill regularly to make sure it reflects the correct amount. If there are charges that don’t look right, call the phone company and find out if you’re receiving or sending spam messages from your phone.

5. Do check your phone’s settings – Your phone probably has built-in features to help block unwanted calls and text messages. Type in “block” using your device’s search function.

For Android phones, look for the three dots in the top right-hand corner of your text. Click on it and select “People” and “Options.” Next, select “Block” to stop receiving spam text messages from that number.; For iPhones, click on the “i” in the top right-hand corner of the spam text. Next, click on the number and select “Block.”

6. Do place your cell phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry – Wondering how to stop spam calls? Adding your phone number to the Federal Trade Commission’s National Do Not Call Registry lets you opt you out of receiving most telemarketing calls. If you receive an unwanted call after your number is on the registry for 31 days, you can report it to the FTC.

7. Do check to see if your carrier offers a call-blocking service – Most major carriers offer call-blocking services or plans that let you block phone numbers from unknown callers for a specific period of time. You can also see if one of the third-party call-blocking apps and services will work with your carrier’s wireless service.

8. Do report spam texts to your wireless carrier

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – A large tree fell on two, occupied vehicles this (Tuesday) morning, in Council Bluffs, but only minor injuries were reported. According to Council Bluffs Police, emergency personnel were dispatched at around 8:48-a.m., to the area of Stahl and Madison Avenue, for a tree that fallen on two occupied vehicles. One person was still pinned inside one of the vehicles.

Upon arrival, emergency crews found a large full size tree had split near the base and a large portion had fallen across Madison Ave. The tree landed on top of two passing vehicles, a sedan traveling south bound and a full size pickup traveling north bound. Four people (3 adults and 1 juvenile) were in the south bound sedan. They were able to get out of their vehicle sustaining minor injuries to one of the occupants.

The driver of the north bound pickup was pinned inside of the vehicle for approximately 30-to 40-minutes while rescue crews cut the tree off of the driver and vehicle. The driver of the pickup was conscious and talking throughout the incident. He was transported to the hospital by rescue squad with what is believed at this time to be non-life threatening injuries. During the course of the incident numerous departments with the city including Council Bluffs Fire, Council Bluffs Police, & Public Works were involved. Arrow Towing also brought in a in a large articulating boom tow truck to stabilize the tree and eventually lift the tree off of the pickup.

South 1st and Madison Ave had traffic rerouted for a couple hours while the scene was cleared. This is an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Traffic Unit. (712)328-4948

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Harlan Police Department reports three arrests:

On Sunday, 19-year-old Trent James Ring, of Minden, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Poss. of drug paraphernalia, & public intoxication.

Police arrested 38-year-old Troy Dakota Weelborg, of Harlan, on Saturday, for Violation of a No Contact Order.

And, on Friday, 30-year-old Crystal Jean Oliver, of Harlan, was arrested for a Controlled Substance Violation, Poss. of drug paraphernalia, prohibited acts, failure to affix a drug tax stamp, failure to obey a traffic control device, and open container.

Harlan Police said also, no injuries were reported, when a 2011 Chevy Impala driven by Glenn Euchner, of Harlan, accelerated forward from a parking space and struck an apartment building on Hawkeye Avenue. The incident took place Sunday. There were no injuries reported also, following a collision Monday, between a 2004 Pontiac Bonneville driven by Rylie Wohlhutter, of Harlan, and a 2017 Ford Explorer driven by Brooke Wilson, of Avoca. The accident happened at 9th & Pine, in Harlan, as the car was traveling north on 9th Street after stopping at the stop sign. The car struck the SUV, which was traveling west on Pine Street, and making a turn onto 9th Street.