Officials with the Woodbine Community School District have announced their intentions to begin talks with officials from Boyer Valley about staff sharing options after having discussions with other area school districts. Superintendent Justin Wagner, who is working in Woodbine as part of a sharing agreement with Harlan, told The Daily NonPareil it’s important that Woodbine maximize the amount of sharing dollars it can receive from the state by exploring sharing for administrative and business office positions.

The flu isn’t the only nasty thing that’s spread across Iowa in recent weeks. Geoff Greenwood, a spokesman for the Iowa Attorney General, says phone scams continue to be a problem. “We’re getting calls, dozens of calls every day from people who are reporting some kind of impersonation or imposter scam,” Greenwood says. Greenwood says they are cold or random calls to people across the state.

“They pick up the phone, the person on the other end of the line says I’m with the I-R-S or I’m with the sheriff’s office or I’m with your energy company, you owe us money and you need to pay us right now or you risk getting arrested before the end of the day,” Greenwood explains. “They are threatening phone calls, they demand action now.” He says one of the keys that the calls are a scam is the caller is urgent that you pay immediately.

They want you to give them a credit card number or a debit card number, or a prepaid money card number, in some cases even wiring them money, and then they say you won’t get arrested. These are all scam calls, they are very effective calls,” Greenwood says. He says the calls may’ve picked up this time of year because they can catch people at home for the holidays. And he says technology has improved to allow the scammers to hide their identities.

“They’re able to mask their numbers through what they call spoofing. So, it may look on your caller I-D as if you really are getting a phone call from the I-R-S or from some number. But it’s really an overseas call, the number is made up and is certainly not their phone number,” according to Greenwood. “It adds to the scam, it makes it more believable, and unfortunately people are falling for it.” Greenwood says the high pressure tactics asking you to pay and the call itself are an indication the caller is running a scam.

“The I-R-S is not going to cold call you and tell you that you owe back taxes or penalties and that you need to pay now. The same goes for your the local sheriff’s office and any other governmental agency,” Greenwood says. “They are going to deal with you through the mail, if necessary certified mail. They are not going to call you at home or on your cellphone.”

(Radio Iowa)

351 AM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST SUNDAY FOR: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD COUNTIES.

MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM CST SUNDAY...

* TIMING…THIS EVENING INTO LATE TONIGHT.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS…1 TO 2 INCHES WITH SOME HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH SOME HIGHER GUSTS TO 40 MPH OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. VISIBILITIES MAY REDUCED TO ONE HALF MILE OR LESS AT TIMES IN THE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW OVERNIGHT.

* IMPACTS…HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR MIXED PRECIPITATION…SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW AS ICY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TONIGHT. BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILLS ARE ALSO EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW…OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BLOWING SNOW MEANS THAT VISIBILITIES WILL BE LIMITED DUE TO STRONG WINDS BLOWING SNOW AROUND. USE CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING…ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.

MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa (AP) — DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is reopening all public roads to allow ice fishing access on DeSoto Lake. When conditions permit, DeSoto Lake is open to ice fishing from Jan. 2 through the end of February each year – the time period between the fall and spring bird migrations. Anglers must determine for themselves whether the surface ice is thick enough for safe fishing. A general guideline is a minimum of 4 inches of clear and solid ice for foot travel and ice fishing.

If there are waterfowl using the lake in January and February, ice fishing may be barred from small areas of the lake. DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge sits 25 miles north of Omaha, Nebraska, on U.S. Highway 30, between Missouri Valley, Iowa, and Blair, Nebraska.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Organizers of the Midlands Humane Society have opened a new facility in Council Bluffs. The Daily Nonpareil reports the 11,591-square-foot building was designed with plenty of natural light. It has rooms designated for animal adoptions, animal control, and the treatment of sick animals. There also is an area that would allow for a future expansion of the building.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say a man who apparently tried to rob a bank was tackled by a customer and taken to a hospital. The Register reports the man entered a U.S. Bank in east Des Moines about noon Friday. He was armed with what looked like a handgun, though it may have been a BB gun or fake weapon. Police Sergeant Jason Halifax says a bank customer tackled the 48-year-old man and held him in a chokehold until an officer arrived.

MOVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities released on Friday the name of a 27-year-old man who was killed in a rollover crash near Moville in northwest Iowa. The accident that killed Joshua Worrell of Sioux City was reported around 10:50 a.m. Thursday but may have occurred early New Year’s Day.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) —The Volunteers scored on their first four possessions, and Tennessee beat Iowa 45-28 yesterday in the TaxSlayer Bowl. Hawkeyes sophomore quarterback C.J. Beathard finished with a 145 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in Jacksonville, Florida.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Organizers of the Midlands Humane Society have opened a new facility in Council Bluffs. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports the 11,591-square-foot building was designed with plenty of natural light. It has rooms designated for animal adoptions, animal control, and the treatment of sick animals. There also is an area that would allow for a future expansion of the building.

A board of directors has been working for eight years to open the facility in Council Bluffs. Board chair Leslie Southard says organizers are “thrilled to be a part of helping tails find happy endings.”

Officials with the Council Bluffs Fire Department Friday afternoon, released details pertaining to a fatal fire that occurred Friday morning. Authorities say that around 7:18-a.m., firefighters from Council Bluffs were dispatched to a one-story residential structure fire. The fire units to arrive on the scene found heavy smoke and fire emitting from the basement of the home.

When crews began to attack the flames and conduct a search for victims, they found a man in a bedroom. He was transported to Mercy Hospital and was reported to be in stable condition. A female resident in a basement bedroom was found deceased. Officials say she had no means of secondary egress from the basement. An additional male and female who were residing in the home managed to escape prior to the arrival of firefighters.

Crews quickly extinguished the flames, and no other properties were damaged. The damage was primarily confined to the basement, where the fire originated. The rest of the structure sustained only smoke damage.

An investigation was being conducted to determine the origin and cause of the fire. The names of the victims and other information is currently not available.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Powerball ticket bought at a Johnston convenience store on new Year’s Eve is worth $1 million. Iowa Lottery officials say the ticket was bought at a Casey’s General Store location and missed the $120 million jackpot by one number. The ticket matches the first five numbers but not the Powerball. It is one of five tickets across the country to hit the first five numbers and win $1 million prize.

The Powerball jackpot grows to $131 million for Saturday’s drawing. Lottery officials say five tickets bought in Iowa in 2014 won $1 million prizes.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors met Friday morning in Atlantic to take care of administrative and organizational matters for the new year. Following a vote, 2014 Board Chair Frank Water was re-elected as Chair for 2015. The votes for Vice-Chair went to Gaylor Schelling.

The Board then acted on approving the following recommended appointments: Bev Groves, office assistant for Cass County Attorney Dave Wiederstein; Marci Wallingford, as deputy in the Cass County Recorder’s Office. Bethany Nichols as Motor Vehicle Deputy, Julie Symonds as Driver License Deputy, Beth Marcsisak as Deputy, Kate Winston as assistant and Brandi Wittrock as Drive Examiner. All serve in the Cass County Treasurer’s Office.

In addition to various other administrative matters and appointments of Board members to various committees and boards, the Supervisors also agreed to continue to meet weekly on Wednesday’s, beginning at 8:30-a.m., unless otherwise noted. There next regular meeting will take place Jan. 7th.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Shenandoah man on charges associated with the theft of a vehicle that took place New Year’s Day. 21-year old Jacob Tacker faces charges that include Operating a motor vehicle without Owner’s Consent, Theft in the 2nd Degree, Trespassing, and Interference with Official Acts.

Tacker, who allegedly took a pickup from Green Plains Renewable Energy, was booked into the Fremont County Jail and later released on $7,600 bond. Deputies were assisted in their investigation by officers with the Shenandoah Police Department.