The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will release four trumpeter swans at Summit Lake, one mile west of Creston on Highway 25 at 10-a.m., on May 9th. The release site is the boat ramp on the south side of the road. The release is open to the public and will take place rain or shine. The event includes a 20-minute swan/wetland presentation, a unique opportunity to touch and view the swans up close, and a historic photo opportunity with the kids.

As the largest North American waterfowl, these magnificent all-white birds can weigh up to 32 pounds with an 8-foot wingspan.

Trumpeter swans were once common in Iowa, but were gone from the state by the late 1880s. By the early 1930s, only 69 trumpeter swans remained in the lower 48 states. The trumpeter swans being released are part of the DNR’s statewide trumpeter swan restoration effort.

If you’ve ever discovered that someone billed your credit card account for something that you didn’t order, the bad news is that you may have a little work to do to clear it up, but the good news is that at least you checked your monthly statement and you caught the problem. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller says the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) protects consumers from unfair and fraudulent charges on “open end” credit accounts, such as credit cards, and revolving charge accounts, such as retail store accounts. The law does not apply to debit cards or more traditional loans.

The FCBA gives you the right to dispute credit card charges that are incorrect; charges that you didn’t authorize; charges for goods or services that you didn’t receive or accept; and charges for goods or services that were not delivered as agreed or as promised (disputes about the quality of goods and services are not considered billing errors). You also have the right to dispute a failure to post payments and other credits (such as returns), and a failure to send bills to your current address.

Always check your monthly credit card and debit card statements, and dispute unauthorized or fraudulent charges as soon as possible.

Disputing an unauthorized credit card charge or billing error:
• Report the disputed charge immediately to your card issuer, especially if the issuer operates a 24-hour customer service number.
• Even if you reported the incident by phone or via the Internet, send a letter to the creditor (send it to the address for billing inquiries, not the payment processing address). Include your account number, your full name, mailing address, a description of your dispute and copies of relevant receipts or documentation. Make a copy of your letter. Save that copy and your original receipts and documents.
• Send your letter via certified mail, and request a return receipt. Make sure that the creditor receives your letter within 60 days after the first bill that included the unauthorized charge was mailed to you.
• Continue paying for any other charges on your bill that you don’t dispute (including finance charges on the undisputed amount), but you may withhold payment on the disputed charge and other charges related to the disputed amount.
• The creditor must acknowledge your complaint in writing within 30 days after receiving it. The creditor must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles of receiving your letter, or within 90 days.
• During the dispute, the creditor may not threaten your credit rating, report you as delinquent, or take legal or collection action against you.
• If there’s an error, the creditor must explain the error and remedy in writing, credit your account, and remove any fees or charges related to the error. If the creditor agrees the charge was unauthorized, you won’t have to pay more than $50.
• If there’s not an error, the creditor must explain it in writing. You will be responsible for the disputed charge, plus any finance charges. However, you still may file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office about the charge.

“Free trial” offers
Many “free trial” offers result in ongoing charges on your credit card bills because you didn’t realize that you had to cancel the offer within a certain number of days. And, in many cases, you may not have explicitly approved the charges or even provided a credit card number, which may have come from another company with which you did business.

If you discover you’re being charged for something you didn’t authorize, contact the company directly and ask that they remove any charges. Follow up with your credit card company to dispute the charges or to ensure that they’re removed.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department has released additional details about a chase that occurred Wednesday afternoon. Sheriff Joe Sampson said just before 4-p.m., a Montgomery County Deputy attempted to stop a vehicle that had run a stop sign at the intersection of 110th Street and D Avenue, but the suspect, later identified as 32-year old Jacob Cochran, of Council Bluffs (and formerly of Red Oak), began to flee.

The pursuit made its way throughout the northern portion of Montgomery County and lasted for about 50-minutes. Along the way Cochran made moves inside the vehicle that the pursuing deputy thought might have been an attempt to reach for a weapon. Just before the chase ended, an Iowa State Patrol Trooper laid down stop sticks, which Cochran’s vehicle ran over. The tires deflated and Cochran lost control of the vehicle in the 1100 block of F Avenue. After the vehicle entered a corn field it became disabled.

Cochran attempted to flee on foot but was captured immediately. Sheriff Sampson said a search of the vehicle revealed no weapon. He says Cochran faces charges that include eluding, along with numerous traffic violations. Cochran remained in the Montgomery County Jail, pending a court appearance.

Sheriff’s officials thank these law enforcement agencies for helping or offering to help in the apprehension of Cochran: The Montgomery County K-9 Unit; Red Oak Police Department; the Page, Cass, Pottawattamie and Mills County Sheriff’s Departments, and the Iowa State Patrol.

An Atlantic man was arrested Wednesday on multiple warrants issued out of six Iowa counties. The Atlantic Police Department reports 54-year old Timothy Campbell was wanted in Davis, Calhoun, Cedar and Jasper Counties, for Theft in the 2nd degree. He was also wanted in Hancock County for Failure to Appear on 2nd degree Theft charges, and in Polk County on warrants for 2nd and 3rd degree Theft. Campbell was being held in the Cass County Jail on behalf of those law enforcement agencies.

The A-PD reports also the arrest on Wednesday of 51-year old Milton Milligan of Atlantic. He was taken into custody on a Cass County warrant for Delivery of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine.  And, 34-year old Shannon Wojciechowshi, of Atlantic, was arrested Wednesday on a Cass County warrant for Theft in the 5th degree. Both men were booked into the Cass County Jail.

The Atlantic Area Chamber Ambassadors visited Atlantic Locker Service recently, to learn more about the services and products being offered to Atlantic Area customers and state wide customers. “We ship locally raised beef and pork all over the United States, Chicago, Colorado, all over,” owner/operator Dale Haupert said. Their best sellers include jerky, Windsor chops and specialty cheeses from Wisconsin.

Pictured:
Lana Westphalen, Sue Muri, Jan Myers, Cheri Hunt, Patty Maas, Haley Kickland, Janet Cappel, Dr. Keith Leonard, Rachael Johnson, Kevin Wieser, Arlene Drennan, Gerhard Marburg, Tammy Waters, Lucas Mosier, Melanie Petty, Josh Dvorak, Dave Schwab, Tyler Mosier, Bill Saluk, Jim Kickland, Renea Steffens, JoAnn Runyan, Doreen Ellsbury, Debbie Leistad, Darrell Hockenberry, Steve Andersen, Kathy Sweeney, Pat McCurdy, Gerald Brink, Russ Joyce, Sherri Sansgaard and Karl Aldag.

Atlantic Locker Service continues community outreach through the H.U.S.H Program (Help Us Stop Hungry). H.U.S.H is a cooperative effort among deer hunters, the Food Bank of Iowa, local meat lockers and the Iowa DNR. Atlantic Locker Service ranked 6th in the state of Iowa providing high quality meat to help feed the hungry. “Moving to a bigger location has allowed us to continue to serve the community well and to expand the business,“ Haupert said.

A website and mobile application that provide an interactive map of bike trails in central Iowa is being released today (Thursday). The free app is being released by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) and spokesperson Hannah Inman says it’ll be expanded statewide in time for RAGBRAI in July. Inman says “This app is pretty neat because it’ll have all 1,800 miles of trails in the State of Iowa on it,” Inman says. “You’ll be able to geo-locate yourself and follow yourself on the trail, keeping track of your mileage, how fast you’re going, and what trails you’ve completed.”

The I-N-H-F is also working with local communities across the state to build “points of interest” into the app.  “As we do that, you’ll be able to find the hidden gems, the great businesses along the trails, as well some cultural, historical, and natural resource information that are unique to the trails,” Inman says. Private donations and grants have helped pay for the development of the “Iowa By Trail” mobile app and website. Inman says it’s cost about $200,000 and there’s more to raise.

“We have fundraised for the marketing, the content creation, the Apple, and the website version. Now, all we’re doing is fundraising for the Android version and we’re hoping that will be completed and out this fall,” Inman says. The West Des Moines-based company Shift Interactive created the “Iowa By Trail” app.

(more info. at www.inhf.org/iowabytrail.cfm)   (Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Senate, after working all night to finish the 2014 legislative session, must return for one more day after a dispute developed involving subpoena powers. Senate Democrats intend to pass a resolution granting subpoena power to the Senate oversight committee, but Republicans are resisting. The panel has been looking into allegations involving payments given to fired state employees and other matters.

The House adjourned just before 6 a.m. Thursday but senators remained to pass the resolution, which lets the oversight committee to subpoena witnesses and put them under oath to testify.

Because Republicans object to the plan, a Senate rule prevents the resolution from being debated today (Thursday). Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal adjourned the session until 8 a.m. Friday, when a vote will be held and the session adjourned.

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Jefferson Construction Office reports work to replace the bridge carrying Iowa 141 over the Middle Raccoon River one-half mile east of Coon Rapids, will require closing the bridge and detouring traffic beginning at 7 a.m. Monday, May 5th, and lasting until the end of September.

During the project, Iowa 141 will be closed and traffic will follow the signed detour through Coon Rapids using Carroll County Road N-44 (Velvet Avenue), West Street, Elm Street, Sumpter Street, Carroll/Greene County Road E-63 (Bridge Street), and Iowa 25. Access to local traffic will be maintained along the route.

w/ Ric Hanson

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Argosy riverboat casino on Sioux City has sent layoff notices to all of its more than 300 workers. The notices were sent Wednesday in accordance with a federal law that requires employers with more than 100 employees to provide at least 60 days’ notice of a workplace closing or mass layoff. But Argosy’s parent company, Penn National Gaming Co., says it is not ending its fight to keep open the casino.

The Argosy’s pending closure stems from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s decision to allow a land-based casino in downtown Sioux City to replace the Argosy. Penn National lost its bid to operate the land-based casino to Sioux City Entertainment, which is building and will operate a Hard Rock Casino.