Larry Hunt, CAM PK-8 Principal, reports the CAM FFA and the CAM Middle School FFA along with the CAM Middle School are doing a joint community service project. The groups are working with a non-profit group called Meals for the Heartland, to package 30,000 meals to be donated to local food banks and other needy food banks, that send meals to areas around the world to help people in need. The chapter applied for a grant of $2,000 from the Farm Credit Services, in Harlan.

The Chapter also received a donation from the Anita Lions club to help pay for the products used in the meals. To meet the monetary needs Farm Credit Services gave an additional $700 to fund the project. On Jan. 10th members of both FFA groups along with 5th, 6th, 7th,and 8th graders will be set up in two groups to package the meals.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has asked the head of the Iowa Economic Development Authority to also take on top administrative duties of the troubled Iowa Finance Authority as she appoints new cabinet members. Debi Durham, who has led state economic development efforts for eight years, will also lead the IFA, which saw Director Dave Jamison fired last year by Reynolds for sexual misconduct. Another agency leader was fired and a third resigned after an independent audit indicated they were present at inappropriate events and didn’t report them.

Reynolds also announced several other cabinet appointments on Tuesday including naming former Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn to lead the Iowa Lottery and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephan Bayens to lead the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer today (Tuesday), released a report on recent arrests. Starmer says on Monday (1/7), 26-year old Benjamin Lee Petersen, of Audubon, was arrested for Forgery and Theft 5^th degree. And, 33-year old Jamie Carine Christianson, of Audubon, was arrested for Violation of No Contact Order. On Sunday, 30-year old Jessica Lynn Pedrin, of Audubon, was arrested for Theft 5^th and Driving with a Suspended License.

Last Saturday, 53-year old James Frederick Barratt, of Audubon, was arrested by Audubon Police, for OWI 3^rd offense and Failure to Maintain Control. And, 27-year old Tyler Lee Carter, of Audubon, was arrested on three counts of Counterfeit/Forgery and two counts of Theft in the 5^th degree. On Jan. 2nd, Audubon Police arrested 40-year old Joshua Robert Saunders, of Audubon, for Violation of No Contact Order.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa school principal suspended after concerns were raised about student-to-student bullying has resigned. Ames Community School District says Dan Fox will not return to his duties at Ames Middle School and will leave district employment effective June 30. Fox was suspended in late November. Concerns were raised by parents and students, and an online petition appeared that sought improved safety for LGBTQ students at the school. District officials have said the decision to suspend Fox wasn’t based off just one incident but rather was an effort to improve the school. He’d been hired in June last year.

Non-profit organizations in Cass and Audubon Counties are being reminded to submit their applications for funds from the separate Cass and Audubon County Community Foundations. In each county, approximately $115,000 in grant funds are available for nonprofit organizations that submit their respective county applications by no later than Feb. 1st. Only organizations providing charitable services in Cass County or Audubon County are eligible, in each respective county, only. They must be able to demonstrate broad community/county support, and be an IRS approved 501(c)(3) Public Charity or hosted by a fiscal sponsor. Requests for general operational funds will not be considered.

Detailed application procedures, fact sheets, and a link to the application form can be obtained online at http://omahafoundation.org/swiowa. Applications will only be accepted through the online system.

Contact any Cass or Audubon County Community Foundation board member in your respective county, for additional information. You may contact Stacey Goodman at 800-794-3458 or stacey@omahafoundation.org, or Denise Cardos at denise@omahafoundation.org, with grant application-specific questions. All completed applications will be considered at the March board meeting with notification of results in early April.

Board members of the Audubon County Community Foundation are Chair, Genelle Deist of Audubon; Vice Chair, Joel Hoegh of rural Brayton; Secretary/Treasurer, Barbara Johnson of Audubon; Bob Blomme of Audubon; Shelley Burr of Audubon; Steven B. Hansen of Audubon; and Joseph T. Rasmussen of Exira. Board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are Chair, Nicholas Hunt of rural Atlantic; Vice Chair, Gary Maas of Anita; Secretary/Treasurer, Roland K. Landsness, Esq. of Atlantic; Royal Bierbaum of Griswold; John Curry of Massena; and Mark D. Kyhnn, CPA of Atlantic.

January 8, 2019 – Consistently, leading off New Year Resolutions for Americans is weight loss. Year after year, we recommit to eating healthier, getting more exercise and dropping the pounds. Too often, however, it’s mostly our wallets that thin down. Scammers and schemers seem to make their own resolutions involving getting as much of our money as possible. Your Better Business Bureau (BBB) examines some of the weight loss pitfalls that consumers should be aware of as they try to honor their get-healthier resolutions. The temptation is strong to try some of the many “miracle” products that claim to help you shed those extra pounds without any physical effort. But the Federal Trade Commission says that year after year weight-loss products top all of their complaints from ripped off consumers. One of the favorite methods that scammers use is the “free trial offer.” Thousands of hopeful consumers find themselves suddenly in debt to unscrupulous companies that hooked them in with these offers.

These “free” offers often have fine-print conditions that are overlooked – like the very short time period one has to return the product if not satisfied. Missing that deadline can cause you to owe over $100 to the company for a product that basically does nothing to help you lose weight. You may even have signed up for monthly shipments charged to your credit card without your knowledge. Social media has been particularly instrumental in the spreading of such scams.

Here is BBB’s advice regarding “miracle” weight loss products:

• The old saying is true: If it looks too good to be true it is. Beware of products with inflated, over-the-top claims about weight loss. Any product that claims to provide dramatic weight loss fast with little effort on your part is lying.
• Don’t fall for vague scientific claims. “Research shows” and “laboratory tested” are among these. If a study is not cited and a link provided to it, don’t believe the claim.
• Long lists of references are suspicious. They are counting on you not having the time or inclination to check out those references.
• Testimonials should be looked at skeptically. Sounds too good to be true? You know what to expect.
• Always take the time to do a search for the company online, with words like “complaints” and “reviews.”
• Check bbb.org to see if you or others have had issues with the company.

For more information about “miracle” products and free trial scams read BBB’s International Investigations Report “Subscription Traps and Deceptive Free Trials Scam Millions with Misleading Ads and Fake Celebrity Endorsements” at bbb.org/scamstudies.

PETERSBURG, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa man’s wedding ring missing since 1974 has been returned after turning up in an old car engine. Dubuque resident Will Frye told station KCRG that he bought the 1972 Oldsmobile for its engine because the one in his ’69 Olds had died. He says the diamond-studded ring fell into a pile of grease under the 1972 engine as he worked on it Dec. 30. He called the family he’d bought the old junker from, and the former owner’s daughter confirmed it was her dad’s.

Petersburg resident Ray Schmuecker says he’d bought the car to give his wife, Virgee, a smooth ride to and from her cancer chemotherapy appointments. Schmuecker says he thought he lost the ring in 1974 while helping a friend having car trouble along a roadway. Schmuecker’s wife went out and bought a replacement the next day. She died not long afterward. He can’t explain how the ring turned up in the engine of his old car, but he’s glad to have both rings and the memories the old car invoke.

(Radio Iowa) — The Mason City School Board last (Monday) night discussed the release of a special investigation by the state auditor showing more than two-point-two million dollars in improper spending over eight years. Board president Jodi Draper says with the report now public, it’s up to the county attorney to decide whether criminal charges should be filed.  “We are turning the corner. We do understand the anger. We can empathize with that anger. We understand,” Draper says. “We have turned it over to the authorities and it’s their job now to decide if it was criminal or non-criminal.”

Draper says the special investigation shows the business of the school district under the new superintendent is moving in the right direction. “You can put your trust in this board,” Draper says. “We worked hard, regardless of what was said in media and not understanding what was going on, we had to do what we had to do because we took our oath very seriously and we wanted to make sure this school district was operated in the best manner and the most transparent manner and doing what we could do for our students, for our teachers, and for the taxpayers.” Board member Brent Seaton says some comments made about the school board are out of line and people need to remember it was the school board that asked for the special investigation.”We’ve been referred to in the community as crooks. Some of us have had people come say that to our faces. It’s hurtful,” Seaton says. “It’s defamatory to refer to us as crooks and it is hurtful. It’s hard to respond to that in an unemotional way, especially when we’re doing the best job we can.”

The investigation found funds were not properly disbursed between July of 2009 and August of 2017 while Anita Micich was the district’s superintendent. The special investigation was requested by Draper after an August 2017 report showed the district improperly disbursed just over $109,000 between July 2014 and June 2015. The new report released on December 28th showed that $1.3 million was improperly disbursed as contract salary to 66 employees, which the report says exceeded the authorized salary calculated using the percentage increases approved by the board. The remaining amount was from various improper benefits disbursed. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is conducting a criminal investigation at the request of the Cerro Gordo County Attorney’s office to see if any charges should be filed.

The Iowa Insurance Division reports a Nebraska man, 34-year old Peere Shackelford, of Omaha, was faces Felony charges that include Conspiracy to Commit Insurance Fraud, Arson in the 2nd Degree, and Conspiracy to Commit a Non-Forcible Felony. The charges were filed following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau and the Council Bluffs Fire Department. The charges against Shackelford stem from an investigation that began in October of 2017.  It is alleged that Shackelford provided false information to his insurance carrier in support of an insurance claim following a vehicle fire.

Shackelford

On November 16, 2018, a State of Iowa warrant was issued for the arrest of Shackelford. On December 5, 2018, Shackelford was arrested by the Omaha Police Department and booked into the Douglas County Department of Corrections.  Shackelford was extradited to Iowa where he was released after posting bond on December 27th, 2018.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-242-5304.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say a head-on collision in northeast Lincoln, NE., killed a central Iowa man, and injured two Nebraska residents. The crash occurred around 7:40 p.m. Monday. Police say a northbound car driven by 28-year-old Jacob Stewart, of Altoona, IA, veered into a southbound lane, striking an oncoming vehicle being driven by 27-year-old Jessica Arias, of Omaha.
Police say Stewart died at the scene. Police also say Arias and her passenger, 35-year-old Lincoln resident Angel Meza, were taken to a Lincoln hospital.