Time is running out to find the perfect gift for everyone on the “nice” list this year, but experts say it’s critical to protect yourself and your purchases in the midst of the last-minute rush.According to Michelle Corey of the Better Business Bureau, the recent data breach that affected an estimated 40 million Target customers should serve as a wake-up call for shoppers everywhere.

“If you’re using your credit card or your debit card on a regular basis during the holiday shopping season, go online to your bank and check your checking account statements or your credit card statements to see if there are unauthorized charges,” she suggested. Corey also recommended that at least once per quarter consumers check their credit reports with one of the three credit-reporting agencies to see if any unauthorized accounts have been opened or there’s any suspicious activity. 

Corey said many people look at gift cards as an easy option in these final shopping days, but she offered caution there too, as some gift cards come with transaction fees, processing fees, inactivity fees, or other issues. “Millions of gift cards every year, they go unused because people either lose them, they’re stolen, they forget about them or they just don’t want to do business at the stores,” she said.

Target data breach information is at tgt.biz/JMn9Td.

(Iowa News Service)

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a Glenwood man was cited Sunday night for driving with a suspended license. Nicholas Allen Hall was stopped at the Highway’s 71 and 34 interchange for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, it was determined Hall was operating a motor vehicle with a suspended driver’s license. Hall was cited for the offense and released on a citation, with instructions to appear in court at a later date.

Two Iowa deer hunters sustained non-life threatening injuries during the final weekend of the shotgun deer season. Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources officials say 50-year old Michael Otto, of Madrid, was treated after sustaining an injury to his elbow while deer hunting southwest of Madrid in Dallas County on Saturday. Otto was hit in the elbow by another hunter who was shooting at a running deer at approximately 11 a.m. Saturday. He was treated at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines.

21-year old Holden Hillegas, of Charles City, suffered a flesh wound to his upper back when he was struck by a deer slug fired from approximately 200 yards away by another hunter in his party shortly after 3 p.m. on Saturday while hunting near Floyd. He was treated at Floyd County Medical Center in Charles City.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Travel conditions are likely to remain hazardous in Iowa through Monday morning as strong winds create snow drifts and glazed roads. The latest road conditions are available online at http://511ia.org or by calling 511 when in Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines police officer is facing sanctions after department officials determined that he acted improperly when he shot out a van tire during an October pursuit. Sergeant Jason Halifax tells the Register that Sergeant Greg Wessels’ actions violated the department’s policy on using deadly force. Wessels remains on duty. His commanders will decide what punishment to impose.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two deer hunters have been injured during the last weekend of shotgun season. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said yesterday that a Madrid man was shot in his elbow by a hunter who was shooting at a deer in Dallas County on Saturday. Fifty-year-old Michael Otto was treated at a Des Moines hospital. Twenty-one-year-old Holden Hillegas of Charles City also was accidentally shot Saturday near Floyd.

HONOLULU (AP) — Georges Niang scored 22 points and Number 17 Iowa State beat George Mason 79-67 yesterday in the first round of the Diamond Head Classic. The Cyclones had their second-lowest scoring game of the season but still managed to extend their winning streak.

Police in Red Oak arrested a local man  Sunday after he allegedly used a vehicle to cause several thousand dollars worth of damage to a building. 23-year old Michael T. Archer, of Red Oak, was charged with Criminal Mischief in the 2nd degree.

Authorities say the charge stems from an incident at the office building of Dr. Wyatt at 1905 E. Summit in Red Oak, where a vehicle damaged a fence and wooden handicap ramp.

Archer was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 cash bond.

The Iowa State Patrol says a woman from California was injured during an accident Sunday morning on Interstate 80 in Pottawattamie County. Officials say 28-year old Dalia De La Cruz-Suarez, of Salinas, CA, suffered from neck pain, and was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, by Walnut Rescue.

De La Cruz-Suarez was traveling eastbound in the right lane of I-80 in a 2012 Chevy Cruze, as a 1999 Chevy S-10 pickup driven by Mark W. Nielsen, of Cedar Rapids, was traveling east in the left lane. As Nielsen made an abrupt lane change to exit onto a rest area off-ramp, he hit the left front side of De La Cruz’ vehicle. Both vehicles came to rest in the rest area parking lot. The accident happened near the 44-mile marker, at around 6:50-a.m.

Roads around western Iowa are reported to be completely covered with snow early this (Sunday) morning. The Iowa Dept. of Transportation’s website at 511ia.org, shows all roads south of Highway 30 and east of the Interstate 80/680 split, down to the Missouri border, are covered with snow. Blowing snow was also a factor in the morning commute to church or work. Towing services are prohibited today in Cass and Adair Counties…meaning if your vehicle goes into the ditch or median, towing companies are not allowed to pull you out until the weather improves.

Some roads in far western Pottawattamie County were partially covered with snow, including I-29 from the I-80 split, south, and portions of Highways 6 and 92. North of I-80 in far western and northwest Iowa, where there was less snow, the roads are in mostly normal driving condition.

Here in Atlantic, we had received 2.5-inches of snow, as of 6-a.m., and roads were 100-percent snow covered, with blowing and some drifting of snow.

Police in Red Oak report the arrest early Saturday  morning of 52-year old Jack Ray Steinspring, of Red Oak. Steinspring was taken into custody on a charge of Driving While Suspended, after his vehicle was pulled over at around 2:30-a.m. Saturday, at the intersection of Broadway and West Linden Streets, in Red Oak.

Steinspring was being held in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $300 bond.

Police in Council Bluffs are conducting an investigation into the death of a 15-year-old girl whose body was found Saturday in the back seat of a car in the parking lot at JC Penney in Council Bluffs. Sgt Chad Meyers with the Council Bluffs P-D, says officers were called at around 10:15-a.m., to 3333 Market Place Drive, where they found Mireya Mata-Alvarez, a former sophomore at Lewis Central High School.

A police investigation revealed Mata-Alvarez was out with two juvenile girls and five juvenile males.  Police believe alcohol or marijuana was used by the group. One of the girls called 911. Both were on scene when emergency crews arrived. Officials said the death did not appear suspicious and were awaiting autopsy and toxicology test results.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowans across much of the state were preparing for a wintery blast this weekend that’s expected to end taper off early this morning. Meteorologists on Saturday forecast light snow gradually getting heavier overnight until about 3 a.m. today. Temperatures are expected to drop to and remain in the single digits tomorrow.

CUMMING, Iowa (AP) — Interstate 35 at Cumming in south-central Iowa has been reopened after a bridge inspection team checked damage to an overpass. Des Moines television station KCCI reported yesterday that the bridge was damaged when a piece of construction equipment being hauled in the southbound lanes hit it Friday afternoon.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Education has found that the state-run Iowa Juvenile Home violated federal law when it denied youths educational services and transition planning to help them succeed in life. The Des Moines Register reports that the Education Department issued the ruling Friday following its investigation into a complaint filed by the nonprofit organization Disability Rights Iowa.

ROME, Ga. (AP) — Derek Fulton threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score to help Grand View win the NAIA championship in the Iowa school’s sixth year of football, 35-23 over the University of the Cumberlands on Saturday. Fulton, a sophomore, completed 19 of 39 passes for 300 yards and ran 13 times for 74 yards as second-ranked Grand View completed a 14-0 season at the expense of top ranked Cumberlands.