Iowans who use a popular social media website are being warned about a new scam that involves that missing passenger airliner, according to Jim Hegarty at the Better Business Bureau. Hegarty says, “If you’re on Facebook and a post catches your attention with the headline, ‘Video of Malaysia 370 plane found in Bermuda Triangle, Passengers Alive,’ it’s designed to trick you into clicking on the link that would lead you to the video that doesn’t exist or it’s a phony one.”

He says it would be a mistake to click on that link, even if it appears to be from a friend you trust.  “A pop-up may appear, prompting you to update your video player but when you click on that, what you’re doing is downloading malware into your computer that can do all sorts of bad things,” he says.

That malware may record your keystrokes to obtain passwords and access to your personal financial information. Hegarty says while you can trust your friends, you many not be able to trust their Facebook accounts as they can be hacked.  “Don’t click on these because lots of times people’s Facebook can get highjacked and folks will send you things that appear to be coming from them when in fact they’re coming from scammers,” Hegarty says. “These guys are trying to do whatever they can to get unsuspecting consumers to click on these links.”

Hegarty says stay away from links to video footage that claims to be “exclusive,” and he suggests you just hover your cursor over the link to see if it’s really going to the address it claims.

(Radio Iowa)

A 64-year old woman from rural Cass County is dead following a shooting stemming from a domestic situation early this morning in eastern Pottawattamie County. Sheriff Jeff Danker says authorities responded to 303 Brown Street in Oakland shortly after they received a 9-1-1 call at around 3-a.m. He says initially the suspect was uncooperative but they were able to take him into custody without further incident.

The 63-year old suspect owns the home and resides there with his wife. The Pottawattamie County Assessor’s Office says the home is owned by Robert A. Reynolds Jr. Two other people were in the home in addition to the victim. Danker said he believes the witnesses included an adult female and her daughter. The victim, he says, appears to have been a family friend or acquaintance.  A reason for the shooting remains under investigation.

The weapon used during the incident was said to have been a semi-automatic handgun.The suspect was taken to Council Bluffs to be interviewed. Danker says charges are pending completion of the investigation. The victim’s body remained in the home as of 8:30-a.m., while authorities were waiting for a search warrant to conduct a further investigation of the crime scene. No names have been released.

w/ Ric Hanson

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A judge has released from state custody a 25-year-old man suspected of shooting a foreign exchange student outside a Sioux City bar in 2012.  The Sioux City Journal says  Solomon Harris left jail on Monday. Judge Mary Sokolovske had said the state has no authority to civilly commit Harris, so it can’t keep holding him although it’s been determined that he’s a threat to public safety.

In October Harris was ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial in the shooting of 20-year-old Natacha Butera, who is from Rwanda. Police say Harris fired the gun while arguing with another man on Nov. 18, 2012.

Sokolovske says the U.S. Supreme Court has said that mentally incompetent defendants who aren’t expected to regain competency must be released if they cannot be committed civilly.

OAKLAND, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say one person has been killed and another arrested in   Oakland.  Officers were sent to a home on Brown Street around 3 a.m. today (Tuesday) after someone called 911 to report that a woman had been shot.  There was a brief standoff at the home, but a 63-year-old man who owns the home came out and surrendered without incident.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker says the 64-year-old woman who was killed was a visitor at the home. Authorities also say there were children inside the home, but the children were able to get out safely.

The names of those involved and other details haven’t been released.

w/ Ric Hanson

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A non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of child sexual abuse will present a workshop on the topic in Exira later this month. The Family Resource Center, Prevent Child Abuse Iowa  and Community Partnerships for Protecting Children are hosting the event created by the “Darkness to Light” organization. The workshop will be held April 22nd from 6:30-until 9-p.m., at the Exira Public Library. There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is requested by calling 712-792-6440 or 1-800-999-5101. The training is approved for credit for foster parents and child care providers.

The training is open to the public and should be of specific interest to parents, youth sports organizations/coaches/camp counselors, youth service organizations, teachers/school personnel and faith centers. The two and a-half hour workshop is designed to educate adults on how to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to the reality of child sex abuse.

OAKLAND, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say one person has been killed and another arrested in Oakland. Officers were sent to a home on Brown Street around 3 a.m. today (Tuesday) after someone called 911 to report that a woman had been shot. Officers later arrested a man outside the home.

Authorities also say there were children inside the home, but the children were able to get out safely.  The names of those involved and other details haven’t been released.

Large numbers of law enforcement members converged on Oakland early this morning to look for a suspect believed to have been involved in an earlier incident. Details are sketchy at this time, but a perimeter was being established near 303 Brown Street, at around 3:15-a.m.

By 3:40-a.m., the incident appeared to have concluded. We’ll have additional information as it becomes available.