An “anti-Trump” Republican plans to run for president as an independent — and he has until Friday, August 19th to collect enough qualifying petition signatures to get his name printed on Iowa’s General Election ballots. Forty-year-old Evan McMullin is a former C.I.A. counter-terrorism operative. He’s left his job as the chief policy director for Republicans in the U.S. House and is running as an independent candidate for president. He’s already missed the filing deadline in two dozen states.

To get his name on Iowa’s 2016 General Election ballot, McMullin and his supporters must do this: They have to circulate nominating petitions and get the signatures of at least 15-hundred Iowa registered voters — and Iowans from at least 10 counties must be represented on those petitions.

In 2004, Ralph Nader’s supporters had to collect petition signatures to get his name printed on the Iowa ballot. A John Kerry supporter challenged some of the signatures, but a three-member panel approved the petitions and Nader was listed as an independent candidate that year. In 1992, Ross Perot’s supporters completed a similar petition process and Perot was listed as the Reform Party candidate on Iowa ballots.

In 1980, former Republican Congressman John Anderson of Illinois ran for president as an independent in every state.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowans are being reminded to beware of phone calls from someone claiming to be with the Internal Revenue Service. One of the would-be scammers called a radio station in southwest Iowa recently and the entire call was recorded.  “Sir, the reason behind the call is to inform you there is a lawsuit filed against your name by the IRS regarding the tax evasion,” the caller said. “Are you aware about this lawsuit before?” When the radio station employee said no, the caller began with the scam.

“We came to know there were some miscalculations, some errors in your tax filing,” the caller said. “I’m not blaming on you that you’ve not paid your taxes. I know you pay your tax regularly, but the amount you’re filing as your tax was not correct. You were filing some of the wrong amounts which you actually have to pay to the government as your tax.” The caller didn’t like being questioned.

“I want to notify you that this line are being recorded and monitored by the IRS,” he said. “Please do not interrupt me and listen to me very carefully. Once I complete my part, after that, I will give you time to ask me the question, but until that time, you have to listen to me very carefully.” The scammer claimed the IRS was owed nearly 39-hundred dollars which needed to be paid immediately.

Upon being informed he’d called a radio station and that the conversation was being recorded, he hung up. Iowans are warned to not give this sort of caller any personal information and to just hang up. The I-R-S does not conduct business this sort of business on the phone. It’s done by mail.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa side of a pedestrian bridge that connects Omaha, Nebraska, to Council Bluffs has reopened. The Daily Nonpareil reports that the bridge reopened Tuesday morning after closing early Monday for construction work. The Iowa side of the bridge had been scheduled to remain closed until 6 p.m. Tuesday, but officials say work near the entrance at Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park in Council Bluffs was completed early.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say they’ve arrested a 30-year-old Des Moines mother after finding her toddler alone in his home’s backyard sucking on a frozen chicken breast. Television station KCCI reports that officers went to the home Monday and found the 2-year-old boy alone in a filthy diaper. A small dog was also in the backyard, trying to get the chicken from him. The mother was later arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and drug possession.

MONTROSE, Iowa (AP) — Voters in southeast Iowa’s Lee County will decide whether to end their unique status as the state’s only county with two functioning courthouses. The Hawk Eye in Burlington reports the Lee County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday morning to place a bond referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot seeking funding for a new courthouse estimated to cost $8.5 million. Officials haven’t determined where the courthouse would be located but Supervisor Don Hunold has suggested it be built in Montrose.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — The chief Wapello County prosecutor says two Ottumwa officers were justified in shooting an armed man. The officers were checking a report June 25 about a man shooting a rifle. Police have said the man wouldn’t put down his rifle and pointed it toward one of the officers before they fired, striking him twice.