Warmer weather brings chirping birds, leaves to the trees, and in Council Bluffs, the scammers come out of hibernation. According to the Omaha World Herald, at least two separate scams have drawn the attention of local law officers over the past week.

Pottawattamie County Treasurer Judy Miller said she has received complaints from citizens about telephone calls demanding more property tax money. Miller said the callers identify themselves as working in the Treasurer’s Office and demand more money. She says at least two complaints have been received about the high pressure tactics.

In one instance, a male caller asks the victim to send the extra payment to a post office box. Miller said there are no male employees in her office, and the employees she has would always properly identify themselves over the telephone. They would also never ask for money to be sent to a post office box.

In a separate incident, a Council Bluffs man reported to police that he received a prize alert that purported to be from Reader’s Digest. Capt. Terry LeMaster said the man, who did not wish to be identified, received a notice claiming he had won $500 in a Reader’s Digest sweepstakes.

The letter also contained a check for $2,900 and asked that the man call a telephone number to receive instructions on getting his $500. LeMaster said the scam likely entailed cashing the check for $2,900, keeping $500 and wiring the remainder back to the “company.”

However, at some point the check would have been found to be a forgery and the victim required to refund the bank’s money that had already been wired. Luckily, the man emailed Reader’s Digest before acting on the letter, and the company told him it was a forgery, therefore, there was no victim.

Even so, LeMaster cautioned the public to be aware of those types of scams.

Carroll, IOWA — The Carroll Police Department and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are asking the public for help and additional information related to the disappearance of 50 year old Dawn Allen of Carroll, Iowa.

Allen was last seen at her home on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at approximately 8:30 PM.  Then on May 5th, her employer reported Allen missing to the Carroll Police Department.  On the morning of Thursday, May 5, 2011 Allen’s vehicle was recovered in the parking lot of the Piranha Club, located on the east edge of Carroll, Iowa.  No one has seen or heard from Allen since Wednesday night.  At that time she was wearing bright blue knit pants and a multi-colored shirt.  Allen is a 50 year old white female with short, blonde, spiked hair.

Carroll Police Chief Jeff Cayler asks citizens to call-in any information they may have related to Allen’s whereabouts, “We’d like to narrow our timeline.  If anyone saw Ms. Allen or talked to her after 8:30 PM on Wednesday, we should know so we can further focus our search efforts.”

If you have information related to the whereabouts of Dawn Allen, please call the Carroll Police Department at 712-792-3536.

Dawn Allen is listed on the Iowa Missing Person Information Clearinghouse:

http://www.iowaonline.state.ia.us/mpic/Controller.aspx?cmd=personDetailCommand&id=23842

Melanie Petty, Kristen Schuler, Liz Metheny, Laena Frederickson are shown

A question posed to students from Atlantic who had applied for the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund Scholarship asked “If you could financially support any charity which would it be and why? Their answers resulted in two seniors being awarded a $750 scholarship each, and two charitable organizations receiving donations of $200 each.

Melanie Petty, representative for the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund said after Liz Metheny and Kristen Schuler were each awarded scholarships at the A-H-S Class Night Wednesday evening, they were asked to remain standing as it was announced that Make-A-Wish Foundation and Project Harmony would each receive $200 as well.

While Kristen specifically noted Make-A-Wish, Project Harmony was selected by the Fund on behalf of Liz’s passion to end child abuse and neglect. Melanie Petty says “The donations weren’t part of the plan” when the committee added the question to the application. She says it was a recent idea, and that they hope it encourages Liz

and Kristen to continue to support the things that are meaningful to them..

The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund was established following the death of the 21-year old Atlantic native, who died in June 2009, during a house fire in Council Bluffs.

The fund raises money by hosting the annual T-Fred Memorial Golf Tournament. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, August 13, at Nishna Hills Golf Club in Atlantic. More information about the tournament and the Fund’s other activities can be found on the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund on Facebook.

Conceptual image of Walnut Splash Pad

The Walnut City Council had a discussion about chickens during their meeting Thursday evening. City Clerk Terri Abel says the Council tabled a decision on the matter until more information was available. Able says a woman living on Walnut’s “main drag” wants to raise chickens. They told her to check with her neighbors to see if they would object to having the fowl within the city limits, and report back next month.

Able says it’s not like the woman wanted to build a large egg laying facility or anything. She says she just wants to raise a few chickens for their eggs.

In other business, the Walnut City Council heard an update on the $200,000 splash pad project, the size and scope of which is expected to make the only one of its kind between Omaha and Des Moines. Abel says the project is nearing completion, and it’s hoped they’ll have it finished in time for the Memorial Day weekend. A special event is planned to celebrate the grand opening.

The public is invited to attend a free barbeque in the City Park, and the kids will be able to enjoy the new water attraction.

She says the project has been in the works for the past three-years, and was funded by local kids, grants and other efforts. And, the Walnut City Council, Thursday, discussed and approved a Law Enforcement Services Contract with Pottawattamie County. No changes were made to the contract, but Abel says they also talked about the possibility of sharing law enforcement services with the City of Avoca, however, no action was taken on that idea.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – President Barack Obama has issued a disaster declaration for six western Iowa counties damaged by tornadoes and other severe storms last month.

Republican Sen. Charles Grassley says Thursday that the declaration triggers the release of Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to help Iowa recover from the storms on April 9-10. FEMA will provide assistance to Buena Vista, Cherokee, Ida, Monona, Pocahontas and Sac counties.

The agency will help state and local governments, and certain nonprofits. The money could also be used to rebuild damaged roads and bridges and cover the cost of emergency work and debris removal.

Gov. Terry Branstad asked for declaration on April 26.

State officials say the Small Business Administration is offering low-interest loans to help homeowners, renters and businesses in 14 Iowa counties recover from a rash of tornadoes that hit the state last month. There were at least 18 twisters in Iowa on April 9, including one that slammed into Mapleton.

Gov. Terry Branstad’s office says Thursday that the SBA has declared a disaster following Branstad’s request, which was originally made for Monona and Pocahontas counties. The declaration also makes assistance available in 12 other counties – Buena Vista, Calhoun, Clay, Crawford, Harrison, Humboldt, Ida, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Sac, Webster and Woodbury.

Disaster loans up available to businesses and homeowners to repair or replace buildings, equipment and homes, and to homeowners and renters to replace personal property.