(Johnston, Iowa) — The Johnston Police Department is warning residents about a new imposter scam. The scammers are impersonating a member of the Johnston Police Department. While impersonating, the scammers will attempt to solicit payment. “Calls threatening you or asking for money are flat-out scams – don’t become a victim,” said Johnston Police Chief, Dennis McDaniel. “These scammers steal the names of real agency personnel solely to scare you into paying them. While the scammers may change up the phone numbers they are calling from; they are calling for one mission, to get you to share your account information, or send money.”

Tips to avoid scam calls:

• Don’t trust caller ID readings – scammers often spoof names and numbers to make them appear like a local caller.
• Let numbers you do not recognize go directly to voicemail. And do not call unknown numbers back.
• Hang up on anyone who threatens you with arrest, legal action, or seizure of your accounts.
• Do not converse with anyone online that you do not know, and certainly do not share any personal photos of yourself.
• Hang up if anyone directs you to pay using store gift cards, money wires, or mailed cash. These are often used because they are difficult to trace.

If you do receive a scam call, please contact the Johnston Police Department at 515-278-2345.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report five people were arrested, Thursday. Two of them, 20-year-old Emily Rae Marie Dohrn, and 36-year-old Christina Marie McDonald, both of Creston, were arrested at around 1:10-p.m. at 800 W. Taylor Street, on drug charges. Dohrn was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. McDonald was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine 1st Offense. Both women were was cited and released on a Promise to Appear.

A man and a woman from Creston were arrested at around 5:24-p.m. Thursday, in Creston, for Violating a No Contact/Protective Order – Contempt of Court. 37-year-old Douglas Edward Woodward III,and 33-year-old Rachel Marie Colburn, were arrested at 806 Laurel Street. They were being held without bond in the Union County Jail, until seen by a Magistrate.

And, at around 6:44-p.m. Thursday, Creston Police arrested 43-year-old Julio Cesar Villalpando Castro, of Creston, at 302 N. Pine Street. Villalpando Castro was charged with Burglary 3rd Degree. His cash or surety bond was set at $5,000.

(Radio Iowa) – If you fancy yourself a road trip this weekend, consider the 82nd annual Orange City Tulip Festival. This year’s Tulip Festival is currently under way. The event Queen is Amanda Hulstein, a senior at MOC/Floyd Valley High School. She says the excitement of being named Tulip Queen has been building since she was crowned last November. “Just through the day I was very excited and it just brought me memories from other tulip festivals that I’ve been involved in. And when we went back out on stage to find out who the Queen was, I was a little nervous but I was always so smiley. And then when Mayor de Haan read my name, I was almost in shock because I didn’t know that it would actually be me,” she says.

Hulstein rode the queen’s float Thursday afternoon as things got underway and says she learned something about the event as it took off. “One thing that I realized that many people don’t notice is all of the people that work behind the scenes and work year round to make these three days in may happen it’s just crazy how many people are involved and how much they do for our town,” Hulstein says.

The Orange City Tulip Court: Nevaeh Sampson, Kinzie Van Kekerix, Queen Amanda Hulstein, Elizabeth King, and Katelyn Huizenga. (OCTF photo)

Hulstein offers advice for people attending the Orange City Tulip Festival. “Get outside, get involved with anything that you can,” she says. “When the Dutch dancers asked for you to be pulled out into the crowd, definitely go out there. Make sure you get to all the different events like the Dutch dozen. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which is the night show this year. See all the tulips take lots of pictures and enjoy.”

Hulstein plans to attend Iowa State University when after graduation. The Orange City Tulip Festival runs through Saturday. Go to octulipfestival.com to see the full schedule of events.

(Radio Iowa) – Studies find ten-percent of us feel like we have -no- friends at work, while 70-percent say workplace friendships are crucial to their overall happiness. University of Iowa researchers are studying the importance of our work relationships and how to improve them, especially post-pandemic. Beth Livingston, a U-I professor of management and entrepreneurship, says we all feel the need to connect with others, particularly if we’re spending eight, ten or 12-hours a day at work. “When we don’t feel like we can connect with other people in our workplace, it leaves us with a kind of gaping hole in terms of our connection with other people,” Livingston says, “and that is especially true for people who may not have those extended connections outside of work, and so connecting with other people at work becomes increasingly important.”

These connections were key before COVID-19, but it’s even more vital now as so many people who began working from home during the pandemic have made the change permanent. “I have not run across a company yet who is not concerned about the wellbeing of their employees and the burnout that so many employees are talking about now,” Livingston says. “The social affiliation and connection can really fill your cup. It can make you feel more energized. It can provide you a sense of connection and meaning in the workplace.”

Workers who feel friendless and isolated may be more likely to quit, she says, further contributing to the continued plague of turnover. Livingston says Iowans can make it a goal to seek out new friendships at work. “You don’t have to wait and be passive recipients of connections. You can go out and say, ‘I’m going to ask people about their lives,'” Livingston says. “‘I’m going to take notes and remember things about them. I’m going to try to strike up conversations that demonstrate that I have an interest in who they are and what they’re doing.’ And you can practice those things. They are skills that you can do.”

Studies find people with plenty of friendly social connections at work tend to be more engaged, they’ll produce higher quality work, and they’re less likely to quit. Employers are taking note, she says, as the company can save money by not having to hire and train new people.  “A lot of times I think people feel like, ‘Well, I’m just not a good people person, I’m not someone who is naturally able to connect,’ and the good news is, those are absolutely things that you can practice and plan to do better.”

Livingston calls loneliness a “critical social issue,” as loneliness is linked to an increased likelihood of depression, it impacts mortality rates, and it can erode physical and mental well-being.