Three California companies suspected of attempting to scam Iowa libraries are now barred from doing business in Iowa. Those companies are accused of billing libraries and other business in Iowa for exorbitant prices for printer toner, even though the toner had not been ordered. Steve St. Clair works in the consumer protection division at Iowa Attorney General’s office. He says this type of scam used to be much more common.

“I had thought that it was mostly a scheme of the past,” St. Clair says. “Clearly this is a reminder that we need to remain vigilant and keep our eyes open for other instances in which somebody’s kind of recycling that used to be prominent and now has become much less so. ” The companies are Central Supply Center of Orange and owner Sandra Steinmetz; Elite Supplies of Irvine, and owner Krystle Lester; and Central Supply Solutions of Orange, and owner Brittany Hertsch. The three owners are related-Steinmetz is an aunt of Lester and Hertsch, who are half-sisters. This settlement bars the women from marketing office supplies in Iowa.

“So if these operators were to violate that by trying to pull a toner scheme again in Iowa, then we would have criminal sanctions available for contempt of court,” according to St. Clair. It’s unknown if any of the offices contacted actually paid the fake invoices. The settlement requires Hertsch, Lester and Steinmetz to refund any Iowan who did pay one of the fake invoices.

(Radio Iowa)

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests took place recently. 39-year old Larry Eugene Burns, of McClave, CO, was arrested on a warrant out of Harrison County for Failure To Appear in court. His bond was set at $2,000.

39-year old Edward Allan Blough, of Henderson, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. Blough was being held in the Mills County Jail without bond.

And, 34-year old Joseph David Morrison, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. His bond was set at $2,000.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers says the administrative phone systems at both the Clarinda Police Department (712-542-2194) and the City of Clarinda Department of Administrative Services (712-542-2136) are once again operational. The lines had been down for a little more than an hour this morning.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports a porta-potty was stolen from the Farmer’s Co-op, in Arispe. The Kybo was taken sometime between 10:30-a.m. Monday and Noon on Tuesday. The loss was estimated at $700.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers says the administrative telephone system at the Clarinda Police Department is currently not working (712-542-2194) .  The Chief says they are waiting on  technicians to repair the problem. It is unknown how long the administrative telephone system will be down. (Update 11:02-a.m.):

Brothers has learned also, that the City of Clarinda Department of Administrative Services (City Hall) phone system is down as well. (712-542-2136).  Technicians are working on the problem now.