Two white males who escaped from the Clarinda Academy early this (Monday) morning, have been apprehended. According to the Clarinda Police Department, the individuals, who left the facility on foot, were captured sometime around 2:30-a.m.  They were reported missing  about two-hours earlier.

The escape marked the second such incident at the residential foster care facility in less than two-weeks. The Clarinda Academy provides treatment and shelter care to at-risk and delinquent male and female youth from several states. 

On May 23rd, three students escaped from the Clarinda Academy. They were captured and returned to the facility less than two-hours later.

DES MOINES, Iowa – With the warmer weather that comes along with summer, so do the door-to-door solicitors. While many operate fairly and honestly, there are ways to spot those who are simply looking for a quick buck.

One red flag is the company that claims to have “extra” materials left over from another job nearby and can do the work right away at minimal cost. Don’t fall for it, said Dan Hendrickson, a communications coordinator for the Better Business Bureau, adding that professional contractors estimate the materials they’ll need for a project with great accuracy.

“If a company comes to your door and says, ‘Hey, we’ve got a bunch of leftover asphalt,’ chances are it’s a company that’s kind of flying by the seat of their pants, or maybe really doesn’t know what they’re doing,” Hendrickson said. “In many cases like this, we hear from customers who agree to work with them and then come back and say, ‘Well, the work is horrible. They charged me way more than they said they would – and now, I don’t know how to find them.’ ”

When dealing with a door-to-door solicitor, Hendrickson said, people always should ask for identification, verify the company and that the individual works for it, and inquire about his or her licensing.

He also cautioned people to be wary of high-pressure sales tactics, particularly in the wake of a storm that brings out bogus roofers and tree-removal companies, explaining that any paperwork that’s signed could be construed as a contract.

“Even if they just say, ‘Well, this will just kind of get us started to check out your roof,’ ” he said. “In some cases, we’ve had complaints where people say, ‘Well, now suddenly they’re (the contractor) saying it’s a contract’ – and in some cases, it actually is a contract. So, at that point, then people have a headache on their hands to try and straighten out.”

He also reminded people that it is, after all, their house – so if they don’t like where the sales pitch is going, they always can take a step back and close the door.

More information is online at bbb.org.

(Iowa News Service)

Police in Clarinda report there has been yet another escape from the Clarinda Academy. Officials said early this (Monday) morning, two white males left the facility on foot. One was wearing a white tee shirt. If located, do not approach the individuals. Instead, notify police immediately.

On May 23rd, three students escaped from the Clarinda Academy. They were captured and returned to the facility less than two-hours later.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

WESLEY, Iowa (AP) — Heavy rain fell on parts of north-central Iowa Sunday and several tornadoes were reported as storms moved across the mostly rural part of the state. The National Weather Service says tornadoes were reported in Kossuth, Worth and Cerro Gordo counties yesterday afternoon, but there wasn’t any damage reported immediately from those tornadoes. Forecasters warn that western and central Iowa may see severe thunderstorms overnight into Monday.

EXIRA, Iowa (AP) — Officials in western Iowa have set a nearly century-old elementary school on fire as they look to save money and offer training. About 100 firefighters from a dozen departments turned up yesterday in Exira to participate in the controlled burn. Most of the large brick building’s interior was burned within two hours. The building is located near the center of Exira, a small town about 60 miles west of Des Moines.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Cedar Falls police are investigating a shooting that left a 21-year-old man dead. Police say gunshots were reported around 1:30 a.m. yesterday. When officers arrived, they found Norman Gant of Waterloo laying in the yard with a fatal gunshot wound.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Tom Pernice Junior birdied the second hole of a playoff with Doug Garwood on Sunday to win the Champions Tour’s Principal Charity Classic. Pernice won for the third time on the 50-and-over tour, closing with a 3-under 69 to match Garwood at 12-under 204 at Wakonda Club.

WESLEY, Iowa (AP) – Heavy rain fell on parts of north-central Iowa Sunday and several tornadoes were reported as storms moved across the mostly rural part of the state. The National Weather Service says tornadoes were reported in Kossuth, Worth and Cerro Gordo counties Sunday afternoon, but there wasn’t any damage reported immediately from those tornadoes. The storms dumped more than 4 inches of rain on Kossuth County over a three-hour period Sunday.

That heavy rain prompted the weather service to issue flash flood warnings for Kossuth County and several other areas of northern Iowa. Forecasters warn that western and central Iowa may see severe thunderstorms Sunday evening and overnight into Monday.

EXIRA, Iowa (AP) — Officials in western Iowa have set a nearly century-old elementary school on fire as they look to save money and offer training. About 100 firefighters from a dozen departments turned up Sunday in Exira to participate in the controlled burn. Most of the large brick building’s interior was burned within two hours.

Dozens of residents gathered across the street to watch the blaze. Some called the burning bittersweet. Others said the building, which closed in 2011, needed to come down for safety reasons. The Exira Elk Horn-Kimballton Community School District says the controlled burn will save them up to $60,000 in demolition costs and offer critical training to area firefighters.

Police in Council Bluffs say one person was injured during a single-vehicle accident Thursday night. The Omaha World-Herald reports 39-year old Wayne A. Beberniss, of Council Bluffs, suffered a broken neck and several lacerations, after the car he was driving went out of control in the 3600 block of West Broadway Street and hit a raised median before it also slammed into a guardrail and bounced-off into the median. The accident happened at around 11-p.m.

Rescue personnel used a mechanical device to remove Beberniss, who was trapped in his 1989 Ford Mustang. He was transported to Creighton University Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries.
Police said speed and reckless driving were likely contributing factors in the crash.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad has vetoed tens of millions of dollars in state spending that legislators had approved, with some of the biggest cuts targeting environmental protection and recreation projects.

The Des Moines Register reports that Branstad trimmed state money for the Resource Enhancement and Protection fund, which helps pay for trails, parks and other outdoor recreation, to $16 million. The Legislature had approved $25 million.

Branstad also cut $18.6 million for construction at Iowa State University’s agricultural and biosystems engineering complex, $14 million for routine maintenance or major repairs of state buildings and $8 million for renovation of the University of Iowa’s dental science building. He also cut another $10 million for projects ranging from university buildings to radon testing at schools.