COUNCIL BLUFFS –  The Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency reports it is gathering public data to pursue participation in flood buyout programs in the unincorporated areas of Northwest Pottawattamie County, the City of Oakland, and the City of Council Bluffs.  Doug Reed, Director of Emergency Management, said “a listing of known impacted areas and properties were provided to Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management to conduct a financial analysis on the maximum potential costs for a buyout program within the county. What we need to compile now is a list of property owners that are interested in participating in the program. A buyout program is completely voluntary on part of the property owner.” The list will be used to determine program eligibility, have a better understanding of what the actual costs could be, and assist the local jurisdictions in determining program priorities in order to submit the official applications for participation.

Pott. County EMA

Owners of residential, agricultural, or commercial properties located within a special flood hazard area and were impacted by the flooding of 2019 are asked to review general program information and submit an interest form online at https://sites.google.com/view/pottco2019flood/home. Once this list is compiled, the governing boards or councils of the respective jurisdictions will formally decide whether to participate in the program and if so, establish program priorities for potential buyout offers. Property owners meeting program criteria will be asked to submit a Statement of Voluntary Transaction which will then get their property listed on the official applications submitted to applicable state and federal program authorities.

Property owners must submit their information on the online registry no later than 3:00 p.m., on Thursday, October 31, 2019. Submission of information does not commit the property owner to selling their property and owners may elect to withdraw from the program at any point prior to final execution of property transaction agreements. Property owners submitting information on the interest registry will be contacted regarding their program status and next steps.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports two male students have absconded from the Clarinda Academy. Law enforcement & Clarinda Academy are looking for the students now. One student is a Native American, the other a white male. Notice of their departure from the facility was announced at 12:43-p.m.

The Clarinda Academy is a residential academic and behavioral health treatment facility for at-risk youth.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa social services worker has entered a guilty plea to perjury over her false testimony that helped convince a judge to remove four children from their parents.
Former Iowa Department of Human Services employee, 30-year old Chelsie Gray entered a written Alford plea to the felony charge last week under a proposed plea agreement with prosecutors. Such a plea is an acknowledgment that prosecutors may have enough evidence to prove her guilt at trial but that she maintains her innocence.

If accepted by a judge, prosecutors would dismiss two other perjury counts and she will be recommended for a deferred judgment. That means the charge would be wiped away from her record if she stays out of trouble. A judge has scheduled a plea and sentencing hearing for Dec. 3.  Gray was charged in April with making several false statements during a December 2017 hearing in which she recommended a judge terminate the parental rights of a mother and father.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A man has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he beat a pastor to death outside a central Iowa church. Webster County court records say 36-year-old Joshua Pendleton entered pleas Monday to charges of robbery and first-degree murder. His trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 10. Officers sent to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Dodge on Oct. 2 found the Rev. Allen Henderson lying unresponsive outside. Henderson was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Police say security footage shows a man who officers identified as Pendleton trying to get into the building. Police say Pendleton later acknowledged to investigators that he had fought with a man at the church. The 64-year-old Henderson was senior pastor at St. Paul and had served as a chaplain to area first responders.

The Iowa Department of Revenue has issued a Cybersecurity Awareness Month message about how you can protect yourself when using social networking. Never click and tell. Limit what information you post on social media, from personal addresses to where you like to grab coffee. What many people don’t realize is that these seemingly random details are all criminals need to know to target you, your loved ones, and your physical belongings, online and in the physical world.

• Think before your post.  What you publish online is widely accessible and will be around for a long time, so carefully consider the content before you publish
• Connect only with people you know and trust.  Don’t accept “friend” requests unless you know the person well
• Limit what you share.  Keep certain things private from everyone
• Backup your important data.  Ransomware won’t be nearly as devastating if your data is safely and securely backed up
• Limit personal info on social media.  Don’t include personal information such as birth date, home town or phone numbers.
• Enable privacy and security settings.  Review your social media policy settings as they occasionally change
• Limit social logins.  Many applications will suggest your Facebook or other social logon account as a single sign on for their application. This may be convenient for you but it is also easy for a cybercriminal to easily access all of your associated accounts using just that one social media account password.
• Change your passwords.  Your passwords should be regularly changed at least every nine months to one year.
• Manage your passwords securely.  Use a password manager application to store your account credentials.
• Never click and tell

Remember to keep Social Security numbers, account numbers, and passwords private, as well as specific information about yourself, such as your full name, address, birthday, and even vacation plans. Disable location services that allow anyone to see where you are – and where you aren’t – at any given time. Read the Social Media Cybersecurity Tip Sheet for more information.

Next week’s message will focus on password recommendations to protect your identity.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer today (Monday) released a report on recent arrests. On Saturday, 35-year old Ernest Kyle Sayler, of Allerton, was arrested at the Page County Sheriff’s Office on Page County Warrants for Violation of Probation ( Driving while barred habitual Offender) and Violation of Probation (Possession of a controlled substance – Methamphetamine 1st Offense). Sayler was being held in the Page County Jail on $6,000 bond.

On October 16th, 45-year old Heath Allen McClarnon, of rural Clarinda, arrested on a Page County Warrant for Failure to pay Child Support at his residence. He was transported to the Page County Jail and held without bond. And, 48-year old Christina Marie Shipley, of Clarinda, was arrested on a Page County Warrant at her residence for Failure to appear. She was also transported to the Page County Jail and held without bond.

And, On October 15th, Page County Sheriff’s deputies initiated a traffic stop for a traffic infraction near the intersection of Highway 71 and East Washington Street. During the traffic stop, 72-year old Michael Fredric Harvey, of Carson, was arrested for Driving under suspension. Harvey was transported to the Page County Jail,  later posted bond and was released pending future court proceedings.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports five recent arrests. Saturday afternoon. 34-year old Justine Banks, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a warrant for Child Endangerment, and Domestic Abuse Assault. Early Friday morning, 41-year old Kevin Raimund Kaspar, of Omaha, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance. Late Thursday night, 57-year old Robert Ryan Pond, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Mills County for Possession of Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Thursday afternoon, 22-year old Mallory Claire Carver, of Glenwood, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. And Thursday morning, 61-year old Wilbur Quinton Steede, of Omaha, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation.

An Iowa congresswoman has announced her engagement to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s political director in Iowa. Rep. Abby Finkenauer posted the news Sunday on her campaign Twitter page, saying she’d said “YES to forever” with Daniel Wasta. She retweeted Wasta’s post that it will take “a lifetime to fully express just how much she means to me.”
The tweets didn’t mention a wedding date.

Finkenauer, a Democrat, was elected in November to her first term representing northeast Iowa’s District 1. Wasta is an Iowa native who’s worked on several state and legislative campaigns.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced another opportunity for consumers to dispose of unneeded and expired prescription drugs, during the next DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, October 26, 2019, from 10 am to 2 pm. On Saturday, thousands of collection sites will be available across the country to accept unneeded and expired prescription drugs, including controlled substances, for safe and legal disposal. Since 2010, DEA has held 17 National Take-Back Days, and has collected and disposed of a total of 5,908.2 tons (11.8 million pounds) of these medications.

In addition to take-back day programs, there are many permanent disposal kiosks located throughout the country that can be used to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs at any time during the year. The NABP’s Drug Disposal Locator Tool, which is available on NABP’s new consumer website, www.safe.pharmacy, is continuously updated with new locations. By entering a zip code or city and state, consumers can find the nearest disposal sites on a map. More than 8,000 disposal sites nationwide can be found within the system.

Drop-off locations include Atlantic, and the following communities within 100 miles of Atlantic: Audubon, Red Oak, Council Bluffs, Glenwood, Sidney, and Mt. Ayr.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) has announced her office will be holding traveling office hours in every county in Iowa throughout October and November to provide assistance with casework for constituents. *Please Note: Senator Ernst will not be at the traveling office hours* Representatives from Senator Ernst’s office will be available in all 99 counties across the state to assist Iowans with casework involving Social Security, veterans’ benefits, military affairs, passports, immigration issues and other federal programs and to hear their concerns on policy issues important to them on behalf of the Senator.

Those who are seeking help with a federal agency but are unable to attend the traveling office hours, can contact one of the Senator’s offices directly, or submit a casework request online at www.Ernst.Senate.Gov.

A complete list of all upcoming area dates and locations can be found below (in alphabetical order).

• Adair County – Friday, October 25, 2019 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Adair County Courthouse Board of Supervisors Office, 400 Public Square Greenfield, IA
• Adams County – Thursday, October 24, 2019 9:45 AM – 10:45 AM Corning Public Library, 603 9th Street Corning, IA
• Audubon County – Tuesday, October 29, 2019 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Audubon Public Library, 401 North Park Place Audubon, IA
• Carroll County – Wednesday, October 23, 2019 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Manning Public Library, 310 Main Street, Manning, IA
• Cass County – Tuesday, October 29, 2019 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Atlantic Public Library, Meeting Room B, 507 Poplar Street, Atlantic, IA
• Crawford County – Wednesday, October 23, 2019 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Denison Norelius Community Library, 1403 1st Avenue South, Denison, IA
• Dallas County – Tuesday, October 29, 2019 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Dallas County Courthouse, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 801 Court Street, Adel, IA
• Fremont County – Thursday, October 24, 2019 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Sidney City Hall, 604 Clay Street, Sidney, IA
• Guthrie County – Tuesday, November 5, 2019 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Guthrie County Courthouse Public Meeting Room, 200 North 5th Street, Guthrie Center, IA
• Harrison County – Tuesday, October 29, 2019 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM Missouri Valley Public Library Fireside Room, 420 East Huron Street, Missouri Valley, IA
• Madison County -Tuesday, November 5, 2019 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Madison County Annex Public Meeting Room, 201 W Court Avenue, Winterset, IA
• Mills County – Tuesday, October 22, 20193:00 PM – 4:00 PM Glenwood City Hall, 5 North Vine Street, Glenwood, IA
• Monona County – Tuesday, October 22, 2019 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM Onawa Public Library, 707 Iowa Avenue, Onawa, IA
• Montgomery County – Tuesday, October 22, 2019 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Montgomery County Extension Office, 400 Bridge Street, Ste 2, Red Oak, IA
• Page County – Thursday, October 24, 2019 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Clarinda Public Library, 100 East Garfield Street, Clarinda, IA
• Pottawattamie County – Tuesday, October 22, 2019 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Walnut City Hall, 229 Antique City Drive, Walnut, IA
• Ringgold County – Thursday, October 24, 2019 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Ringgold County Courthouse Conference Room, 109 W Madison Street, Mount Ayr, IA
• Shelby County – Tuesday, October 29, 2019 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM Harlan Public Library, 718 Court Street, Harlan, IA
• Taylor County – Thursday, October 24, 2019 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Bedford Public Library, 507 Jefferson Street, Bedford, IA
• Union County – Wednesday, November 6, 2019 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Union County Courthouse, 300 N Pine Street, Creston, IA