The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says a resident of the County has reported an attempted “Grandparent scam.”  That’s when someone calls and pretends to the potential victims’ grandchild, who is supposedly in legal trouble, or injured, and needs money immediately. Another scam asks for money to be sent so the scammer can come to America and live with the victim. And, the Sheriff’s Office reports a scam against an elderly person from a person, a stranger to the victim,  who claims she is from another part of Iowa and needs money sent to her to escape an abusive relationship and move back here to live with the elderly person.

Never give those individuals access to your funds or identification information without confirming the validity of their claims. Make sure an elderly family member is aware of these types of scams.  If in doubt about the validity of such calls, check with the grandchild’s parents, and/or the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. They can contact the agency responsible for detaining the person (if it is real), and verify the charges or situation is accurate.

For more information on grandparent/elderly scams, go to: https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/grandparent.html

A West Central Valley Community School District bus sustained minor damage, but no students were injured during a collision at around 4:05-p.m., Friday. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports a 2012 Thomas School Bus with 15 students on-board, driven by 52-year old Christine Damstrom, of Dexter, was traveling north in the 3300 block of Wagon Road, just outside the northern city limits of Stuart, and stopped to make a legal discharge of a student at a driveway. The stop lights were activated, and stop sign arm engaged in the extended position. Once the student cleared the bus, the vehicle proceeded to the next stop a short distance away,

A 1994 Ford Ranger pickup was behind the bus. The driver, 24-year old Ryan Gross, of Linden, saw the first student being dropped off, and stopped. When he failed to see the bus stopped for the next student, the pickup struck the rear of the bus, causing a total of $4,000 damage. Gross told authorities he didn’t see the bus brake lights due to sun glare. He also admitted he was traveling too close behind the bus to see the flashing stop lights illuminated.

Gross was cited for Following too close.

Atlantic School District Superintendent Steve Barber, Monday, said they received great news last week, that all individuals working with the district’s children will be eligible for vaccinations in the 1b Phase rollout, which begins on February 1, 2021.  “In Atlantic schools,” Barber said, “we are fortunate to have four health service providers who were eligible in the 1a rollout phase and some employees who are also volunteer firefighters and paramedics that have had the chance at being one of the first groups to get vaccinated.”

Mr. Barber added, “Obviously, this will add to our already effective mitigation  efforts and get us one step closer to the new normal. Throughout the holiday break we keep our weekly COVID numbers.  Our number of positive cases are down along with the number we require to quarantine.  The last few days our County has seen lower positivity rates and I hope that continues as we continue to fight COVID in our community.”

The following are the numbers from the past month:

Barber concluded by saysing “It is my hope that we continue to see small numbers affecting staff and students and that they all experience a fast recovery!”

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests over the past few days. Late Sunday night, 28-year old Ryan D. Edward Todd, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pott. County Jail on two valid warrants. Todd was brought-in to the facility by several bondsmen. He booked-into the jail on warrants for Possession of a controlled substance/marijuana-1st offense, and Violation of Probation. Bond was set at $1,000. That same night, 22-year old Elijah Emmanuel Bennett was arrested near Crescent, for Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender.

Sunday evening, 43-year old Kaylynn Lynn Hirsh, of Omaha, was arrested for Theft in the 1st Degree/Possession of Stolen Property. Her bond was set at $10,000. Hirsh was taken into custody after deputies were advised a stolen vehicle was traveling east on I-680 from 34th Street, in Council Bluffs. The vehicle was located on I-29. And, Friday evening, 63-year old James W. Creason was arrested near Carson following a single vehicle, property damage accident in the vicinity of Highway 92 and 350th Street.  Creason was charged with OWI/1st offense.

Officers with the Creston Police Department arrested four individuals over the weekend. Sunday night, 26-year old Matt Hamm, of Creston, was arrested on a simple misdemeanor charge of Domestic Assault and Interference with Official Acts. Hamm was being held in the Union County Jail while awaiting a bond hearing. At around 2:30-a.m. Sunday, 29-year old James Hamill, of Lubbock, TX, was arrested in Creston for Reckless Driving. Hamill was cited and released from the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a Summons to Appear.

Saturday evening, 19-year old Jessie Martin, of Creston, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Paraphernalia. She was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1300 bond. And, at around 2:40-a.m. Saturday, Cedric Sanders, of Rockford, IL, was arrested in Creston on a simple misdemeanor charge of Domestic Assault. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.

The Shenandoah Police Department reports two people from Nebraska face weapons charges following their arrest during a traffic stop in Shenandoah early today (Monday). A vehicle was pulled over at around 12:30 a.m. For having no license plates. The K-9 “Remmi” was deployed and alerted to the odor of narcotics.

As the result of an investigation, officers arrested 25-year-old Michael Reis on a charge of possession of a weapon by a felon. A passenger in the vehicle — 20-year-old Aaliyah Vaughan-McGee — was charged with carrying weapons.  Both suspects are from Omaha. They were taken to the Page County Jail., where Reis was being held on $5,000 bond, and Vaughan-McGee’s bond was set at $2,000. Authorities say additional charges are pending in the case.