(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel reports the Annual Atlantic Fire Department awards banquet was held Saturday, January 29th. Cappel says the A-F-D and the Iowa Firefighters Association recognize those that have dedicated 20 years and over to fire service. Locally, the Atlantic Fire Department began recognizing those that have served for 5 years and over.

In 2011 the AFD began giving out the Firefighter of the Year Award. The award is given after several areas of service are considered. Chief Cappel says “It is mandatory that the person has successfully completed the Firefighter 1 class as given by a trained instructor through the training bureau. Other considerations are: calls to service, training hours and community service hours.” For 2021, Cole Lowary was awarded the Firefighter of the Year award.

Photo’s courtesy of AFD Chief Tom Cappel.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – February is the month of romance, but love and companionship may also involve a scam. Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division, says according to the FBI, romance or confidence scams were responsible for over 23,000 reported victims losing over $605 million in 2020, compared to 12,500 victims and $203 million in losses during 2015.

A romance scam is when a swindler uses a fake identity to gain a victim’s trust and affection.  The introduction of the new romantic interest or friendship may occur online, via a dating app, social media, random text message, phone call, or email.  Usually, the romantic interest never meets in person, though numerous plans for a gathering have been made and rescheduled with excuses.  The fake identity could be that of a member of the military, someone wealthy overseas, an overseas construction worker, or one of many other fake personas.

These professionals quickly gain a victim’s trust and express many commonalities with their victim.  As the relationship evolves the scammer will continue to reel their victim in with promises and gifts of love.  After trust is established, the romantic interest develops a story about a sick child, being stranded in a foreign country, legal fees, being held against their will, or other urgent situations where large amounts of money are needed quickly.  The scammer may also ask for personal information to steal the victim’s identity or assets, or ask the victim to launder money by transferring or moving money illegally for someone else, also known as a money mule.

Sonya Sellmeyer

The senior financial exploitation law recently enacted in Iowa allows brokerage institutions to temporarily freeze an account where they fear the owner may be the victim of a scam and authorizes the IID to investigate reports of suspected financial exploitation.

Avoid being a victim by following these simple rules:

• Stop. Think. Call.  Discuss non-traditional investments or the request for money with a trusted source.
• Double check before you invest. Ensure anyone trying to sell you an investment is properly licensed as well as the investment being sold.
• Be cautious posting on social media or dating sites, and beware of online investment solicitations.  Don’t click on links in emails or text messages.
• Never give out your personal banking information or send money to someone you don’t know, especially if you haven’t met in person.
• Research the online profile and picture to see if it has been used elsewhere or on multiple online profiles.
• Beware of someone trying to isolate you from your friends and family.
• If an investment pulls at your heartstrings, walk away.

The Iowa Fraud Fighter program is a source of information to shield your savings from scammers.  You can also increase your financial literacy with the Iowa Insurance Division (IID) Save4Later free educational website.

Anyone can be a victim, knowing how to protect yourself is the first step in prevention.

By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division

(Creston, Iowa) – Officers with the Creston Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, arrested a man for Failure To Appear, and on a Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charge. Authorities say 43-year-old Dennis Gerald Tyler, of Creston, was taken into custody at around 4:27-p.m.  at his residence. Tyler was taken to Union County Jail, where his cash-only bonds were set at $5,377 on the FTA charge, and $300 on the Possession charge.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – An accident Wednesday afternoon in Red Oak, caused about $1,000 damage to a SWITA bus and $2,500 to a car, but no injuries were reported. Authorities say a 2017 Ford El Dorado transit van owned by Southwest Iowa Transit and driven by Larry Bruce Anderson, of Red Oak, was traveling north in the 700 block of N. 6th Street at around 3:15-p.m. When van went around a legally parked 2011 Honda Accord owned by Nathan Lamb, of Rogers, Arkansas, the vehicle began to drift back into its correct lane of travel too soon. The result was the back right fender of the transit van coming into contact with the parked car.

No citations were issued.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – An incident Wednesday night in Red Oak resulted in an arrest. According to Red Oak Police, 43-year-old Joshua Duane Mohn, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 11:15-p.m. in the 1200 block of E. Summit Street. Mohn was taken into custody on a Red Oak P-D warrant for Eluding, and Driving While Barred. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $7,000 cash-only bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council on Wednesday voted 6-1, with Gerald Brink voting “no,” to hire a Summer manager for Sunnyside pool, in Atlantic. City Administrator John Lund noted that on January 22, the City’s Personnel and Finance Committee reviewed the job description and compensation proposal for the position and recommended the council approve both. Lund said also, having an on-site Pool Manager will go a long way in helping the Park Director’s attention on the entire Park system while allowing Sunnyside to have the supervision needed to operate safely and effectively.

Atlantic Parks and Rec. Director Bryant Rasmussen described what responsibilities the pool manager is expected to handle.

The person hired will be paid $14 per hour, or a maximum of $4,200 per year for the Summer pool season, only. The job will not be full-time, year around. Ramussen said they have at least one person who is interested in the position. Whomever is hired, they must be at least 18-years of age. Atlantic City Councilman Gerald Brink said he doesn’t think $14per hour is enough compensation for the position.

Rasmussen said they’ve been working with the American Red Cross to set-up lifeguard training, with the idea being the pool manager can then oversee the hiring of lifeguards who are ready to go when the pool opens for the season.

(Radio Iowa) – Shenandoah residents are mourning the passing of another local music legend. William Robert “Wil” Leacox died this week at his home in Stockton, California at the age of 74. Leacox was the drummer for the group America for 41 years. A 1965 Shenandoah High School graduate, Leacox honed his music skills playing for many local music groups. Leacox spoke about his background in a 2012 interview when America was recognized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Leacox says he was influenced by family as his dad, his uncle and an older cousin all played the drums. “So I kind of started learning from them — and then I went through the school system in Shenandoah with Doc Creighton, who was an amazing guy. By that time, I had been playing in–oh, I can’t even count–probably 10 different bands through high school. Then, of course, I went to Washburn to music college, and that was that,” he says. “It was a good place to learn to play in Shenandoah. It’s a very musical town–that may have had some influence.”

Three years after graduating from Washburn University, Leacox got a break and replaced David Atwood as America’s drummer in 1973. “After college, I found my way to the west coast,” Leacox said, “and started freelancing around L.A., and playing the club circuit, and a bunch of recording sessions during the day–and sometimes, at night, as well. I met an actor, and played drums on his recording. He knew that America was looking for a drummer, so I set up and audition, and got lucky, and got the gig.”

Leacox remained with the group until his retirement in 2014. He was asked whether there was any secret to the band’s longevity. “I’m not sure that we know,” Leacox said. “But, we love what we do. We’re like a family, so we’re just going to keep on until we can’t.”

Leacox was inducted into Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, and was added to Shenandoah’s Iowa Walk of Fame three years later. Hackett Livingston Funeral Home released a statement Wednesday indicating Leacox will be missed by his brother Jim Leacox, sister Janie Casteel, their spouses, plus his nieces and nephews, as well as his California friends and “his many friends and fans around the world.” Memorial services are pending at the Hackett Livingston Funeral Homes. Memorials can be sent to the Leacox Family Music Education Scholarship in care of the Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation, and the Greater Shenandoah Historical Society.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The 2022 Republican Party Precinct Caucuses will be held Monday, Feb. 7th, beginning at 7-p.m.  During the precinct caucuses, the following will take place:

• 2 Republican residents of the precinct will be elected to serve on the County Central Committee.
• Delegates and alternate delegates to the March 12th Cass County Republican Convention, will be elected (with the number of delegates to be elected at each caucus to be shown below).
• Participants will propose and vote on platform planks, and send those proposals on to County Convention.

Voter registration forms will be available, to register or update your information.

In Cass County, here are the precinct locations:

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Republicans are proposing a two-and-a-quarter percent increase in general state support of public schools. It’s slightly less than the two-and-a-half percent increase Governor Kim Reynolds has proposed. Public school advocates say neither figure provides enough to deal with the impact of inflation on expenses and to keep wages competitive for teachers and other school staff. Republican Senator Chris Cournoyer of Le Claire says the Senate G-O-P number is responsible.

“You know, it might not be the number that people are asking for,” she said, “but it’s a number that you’re getting in the first 30 days that you can count on.” Lawmakers are required to make this school funding decision 30 days after the legislature convenes. Democrats have called for a five percent increase in general state support of public school operations. Governor Reynolds says her recommendation, which is half that much, is reasonable and she says Iowa schools received a huge amount of federal pandemic relief money that’s not yet been spent.

“As of the end of December, districts were still sitting on — they hadn’t used $793 million,” Reynolds says. “…so I don’t think it’s a lack of funding that we’re providing for our K-12 education.” That federal money — approved by congress during the Trump and Biden Administrations — is to be used to ensure schools are operating safely and to address the impact the pandemic has had on students.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill designed to increase the availability AND sales of gasoline with a 15 percent ethanol blend has cleared the Iowa House. Governor Kim Reynolds proposed an IOWA Renewable Fuels Standard a year ago, but it stalled. House Speaker Pat Grassley spoke with reporters right after the revamped bill passed on an 82-to-10 vote.

“It’s very important for us here in Iowa to show the support for the renewable fuels industry and I think the House has done that today with a very strong, bipartisan vote,” Grassley says. “…We would love to see this get to the governor’s desk to send a very strong message to the federal government.” Uncertainty about the federal Renewable Fuels Standard spurred development of this state plan. Republican Representative Lee Hein of Monticello says much of Iowa’s corn crop is destined for ethanol.

“Moving biofuels forward and standing up to let the rest of the country that this is a good product and a good thing is huge for the Iowa ag economy,” Hein says. If the bill becomes law, stations installing new underground storage tanks after January 1st of next year would be required to sell E-15. The requirement to sell E-15 would go into effect for ALL stations in 2026. The bill does include mandatory waivers for small gas station owners who show they cannot afford the equipment upgrades required for higher ethanol blends. Representative Mary Wolfe, a Democrat from Clinton, says the waivers are key.

“It does both expand the ethanol market here in Iowa,” Wolfe says, “but it also does protect small town, smaller fuel retailers.” This was the first bill to be debated in the full House this year and House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst emphasizes it passed by a wide, bipartisan margin. “This is an issue that’s too important to us to let politics get in the way,” Konfrst says.

The bill also calls for tank upgrades to spur sales of B-20 — biodiesel with a higher percentage of a soybean-based additive. Marinas with just one fuel tank are exempt from the proposed requirements. The bill now goes to the Senate.