Two white males who escaped from the Clarinda Academy early this (Monday) morning, have been apprehended. According to the Clarinda Police Department, the individuals, who left the facility on foot, were captured sometime around 2:30-a.m.  They were reported missing  about two-hours earlier.

The escape marked the second such incident at the residential foster care facility in less than two-weeks. The Clarinda Academy provides treatment and shelter care to at-risk and delinquent male and female youth from several states. 

On May 23rd, three students escaped from the Clarinda Academy. They were captured and returned to the facility less than two-hours later.

DES MOINES, Iowa – With the warmer weather that comes along with summer, so do the door-to-door solicitors. While many operate fairly and honestly, there are ways to spot those who are simply looking for a quick buck.

One red flag is the company that claims to have “extra” materials left over from another job nearby and can do the work right away at minimal cost. Don’t fall for it, said Dan Hendrickson, a communications coordinator for the Better Business Bureau, adding that professional contractors estimate the materials they’ll need for a project with great accuracy.

“If a company comes to your door and says, ‘Hey, we’ve got a bunch of leftover asphalt,’ chances are it’s a company that’s kind of flying by the seat of their pants, or maybe really doesn’t know what they’re doing,” Hendrickson said. “In many cases like this, we hear from customers who agree to work with them and then come back and say, ‘Well, the work is horrible. They charged me way more than they said they would – and now, I don’t know how to find them.’ ”

When dealing with a door-to-door solicitor, Hendrickson said, people always should ask for identification, verify the company and that the individual works for it, and inquire about his or her licensing.

He also cautioned people to be wary of high-pressure sales tactics, particularly in the wake of a storm that brings out bogus roofers and tree-removal companies, explaining that any paperwork that’s signed could be construed as a contract.

“Even if they just say, ‘Well, this will just kind of get us started to check out your roof,’ ” he said. “In some cases, we’ve had complaints where people say, ‘Well, now suddenly they’re (the contractor) saying it’s a contract’ – and in some cases, it actually is a contract. So, at that point, then people have a headache on their hands to try and straighten out.”

He also reminded people that it is, after all, their house – so if they don’t like where the sales pitch is going, they always can take a step back and close the door.

More information is online at bbb.org.

(Iowa News Service)

Police in Clarinda report there has been yet another escape from the Clarinda Academy. Officials said early this (Monday) morning, two white males left the facility on foot. One was wearing a white tee shirt. If located, do not approach the individuals. Instead, notify police immediately.

On May 23rd, three students escaped from the Clarinda Academy. They were captured and returned to the facility less than two-hours later.