IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A proposed class-action lawsuit argues that thousands of lottery players who were allegedly cheated by an insider’s long-running scheme to rig jackpots should be reimbursed for their losing tickets.

Lawyers filed the fraud case Wednesday against the Multi-State Lottery Association, the Iowa-based nonprofit that helps administer games that are offered by state lotteries. It alleges the association failed to prevent games from being rigged and failed to operate them in accordance with their own rules.

The association’s former security director, Eddie Tipton, is charged with installing software on lotteries’ random number generators that allowed him to predict winning numbers on three days of the year. The scheme allegedly lasted for years.

The lawsuit says that anyone who played in drawings on those days should get their money back, plus interest.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports four people were arrested recently, on drug-related offenses. On Tuesday, Deputies arrested 32-year old Daniel Eugene Long, Sr., of Atlantic, on one Atlantic P-D warrant for Theft 3rd Degree, Sheriff’s Office warrants for Felony Possession Meth/3rd or Subsequent Offense, and Interference with Official Acts (Simple). Long, Sr. was also arrested on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. He was booked at the Cass County Jail and remains held on $12,300 bond.

26-year old Shari Lavon Lowe, of Lorimor, was arrested Tuesday on Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrants for Felony Possession Meth/3rd or Subsequent, and Interference with Official Acts (Simple). Lowe was taken to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $5,300 bond.

On Monday, Cass County Deputies arrested 27-year old Joshua Lee Jones,  of Creston, on a charge of Possession of Marijuana/2nd Offense, and 34-year old John Jacob Garcia, of Afton, on a charge of Possession of Marijuana/3rd or Subsequent Offense. Both men were taken to the Cass County Jail. Jones was released the following day on $1,000 bond; Garcia was released the following day on $2,000 bond.

Last Saturday, Cass County Deputies arrested 21-year old Bill Louis Stockwell, of Elk Horn, on a charge of OWI/2nd Offense. Stockwell was taken to the Cass County Jail and released on his own recognizance the following day. And, last Friday, 18-year old Drew Henry Miller, of Atlantic, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Miller was taken to the Cass County Jail and was later released following sentencing on the matter.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Democrat Rich Leopold, an ecologist and former director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says he plans to run for governor in 2018.  Leopold, who is 52, holds degrees in animal ecology, biology and natural resources technology. He made his announcement Wednesday in a live Facebook feed sitting next to his wife, Kathleen. They live in Des Moines.

Declaring himself a political outsider tired of divisive partisan politics, he says Iowans deserve a governor who has backbone and character and who will be candid, transparent and fair. Saying Iowa has “some of the filthiest water in the country,” Leopold criticized politicians for talking about the problem but doing little to fix it.

Leopold served as director of the Iowa DNR under Gov. Chet Culver from 2007 to 2010.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports their K9 “Axel” will receive a bullet and stab protective vest, thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Axel’s vest is sponsored by Laura and Joe Libby of Kent, WA and will be embroidered with the sentiment “This gift of protection provided by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc”. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.

K-9 Axel is a 2 year old Belgian Malinois, who was purchased in November of 2015 from Code2K9 in Omaha.

K9 Axel (from the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page)

Axel and his handler, Deputy Nathan Tibbets, certified in narcotics in December of 2015 and later certified in tracking and evidence recovery in early 2016. Axel and Deputy Tibbets will also soon be certified in handler protection. Axel and Deputy Tibbets have spent hundreds of hours training and have had several narcotic finds.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Department thanks Laura and Joe Libby for their generous donation and Vested Interest in K9s for providing the vest. The vest will be a great way to protect Axel when he is out working with the public.

About Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.:

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. is a 501c (3) charity located in East Taunton, MA whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The non-profit was established in 2009 to assist law enforcement agencies with this potentially lifesaving body armor for their four-legged K9 officers. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provided over 2,200 protective vests, in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over 1.9 million dollars. All vests are custom made in the USA by Armor Express in Central Lake, MI.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A February trial has been scheduled for a Council Bluffs woman accused of placing one of her infant son’s arms in a mug of coffee to prove to him it was hot. Court records say 36-year-old Rebecca Brahier entered a written plea of not guilty Tuesday to felony charges of willful injury and child endangerment. Her trial is set to begin Feb. 7.

Brahier told police the 10-month-old tried to touch the mug several times on Nov. 19 before she put his arm in the mug. Officers say she told them she was proving her point to the child: The coffee was hot. Doctors say the boy suffered second-degree burns. Police say the boy’s father didn’t know about the incident.

Three Iowa chapters of a breast cancer-fighting agency are joining forces. The affiliates are Susan G. Komen Iowa, Komen Quad Cities and Komen Siouxland. The merged affiliate, Komen Greater Iowa, will have its main office in Des Moines with offices and staff also in the Quad Cities and Siouxland. Komen Greater Iowa will serve all of Iowa’s 99 counties plus Henry, Mercy, Rock Island and Whiteside counties in Illinois; Dakota and Thurston counties in Nebraska; and Union County in South Dakota.

Susan G. Komen is known for its fight against breast cancer. The organization says the merger of the three affiliates will increase efficiency and stewardship by centralizing some functions, leveraging staff and volunteer leadership, and merging granting and funding relationships.

(Radio Iowa)

The Adair County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday morning in Greenfield, and elected Steve Shelley as their Board Chair. They also elected Jodie Hoadley as Vice-Chair.

In other business, the Board held a Public Hearing on a Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Amendment, during which Auditor Mindy Schaefer said there were no objections. One part of the amendment pertained to County Engineer Nick Kauffman and the Adair County Secondary Roads Department.

The Board approved a Resolution amending the budget as stated, along with a related Appropriations Resolution. And, Schaefer said the Board talked about salary increases for elected officials, but ended-up tabling action on the matter until later this week.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors passed the 2017 Master Matrix Resolution, as it pertains to the construction of new livestock confinement facilities.

Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst will visit parts of southwest Iowa Saturday, during her 99 County Tour of the State. Ernst, from Red Oak, will hold a Montgomery County Town Hall Meeting beginning at 9-a.m. Saturday, at the Montgomery County Family YMCA, in Red Oak.

Later that evening, beginning at 5:30, she’ll be in Page County visiting with students at the Clarinda Academy. Prior to her stop in Clarinda, though, Ernst will be in Winterset, for a “Coffee with Joni,” which takes place at the Northside Cafe (61 E. Jefferson St.), beginning at 2:30-p.m.

DURANGO, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have released the names of a man killed and another injured while repairing a tractor in Dubuque County. The Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office identified the dead man as 84-year-old Cletus Klein, who lived in Durango, and the injured man as his 53-year-old son, Randy Klein, also of Durango.

The accident occurred at a farm around 2 p.m. Monday. The Sheriff’s Office says the tractor slipped into gear during the repairs and ran over the two men.

Sheriff’s officials in Union County says 52-year old Robbie Allen Dohrn, of Creston, was arrested Dec. 29th at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County Warrant for probation violation.  Dohrn was being held in the Union County Jail on $4,000 bond.

The Sheriff’s office says also, three residents reported incidents of theft and/or vandalism. On Monday, a Lorimor woman told authorities someone had taken jewelry and cash from her home. The theft, which had occurred sometime over the previous 24-hours, resulted in a loss of about $615.  On Saturday, a Creston woman reported that sometime that evening, someone someone broke out the windshield of her vehicle while it was parked at the Chicken Inn, and took her purse along with a purse that belonged to another woman from Creston. Each purse was valued at $50. Damage to the vehicle windshield was estimated at $100.

And, last Friday, a man from Lorimor reported to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, that sometime since Dec. 28th, someone had entered his garage and took a Black & Decker jig saw, Snap-On tool box, and a router.  The estimated value of the stolen items was $220.