(Radio Iowa) – It’s the season of giving, but it’s also the season of scams. On this Giving Tuesday, Iowans who plan to make a donation to their favorite charity need to make doubly sure where they’re sending their cash, check or credit card information. Ashlee Kieler, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Attorney General’s office, says one excellent place to confirm that a charity is legitimate is the Better Business Bureau’s “wise giving” website, give-dot-org.  “Give.org is great and there’s also the Charity Navigator, that’s another website that you can search for legit charities as well,” Kieler says. “You can do your own research, too. Google the name of the charity and then put words behind it like ‘review’ or ‘scam’ and see what other people are talking about.”

Making charitable contributions is a tradition for many Iowans during the holiday season, and she says there are scammers waiting to take advantage of that generosity.  “It would be someone who maybe calls a consumer or an Iowan and says, ‘You’ve donated to us before and we’re looking for your support this year,’ but it doesn’t really click with you,” Kieler says. “So make sure you go back to your records and check and make sure that they’re not trying to pressure you into something. That’s another big sign that there’s a scam.” Don’t let yourself be forced into making a quick decision, as a crook may claim a matching donation won’t apply if your donation isn’t made right away. Kieler encourages Iowans to continue giving, but also, to do their research first.

“If there’s a charity that you’ve worked with in the past and have supported, go back and find that contact information and reach out to them,” Kieler says. “Over the phone is wonderful but also online, check their website and make sure that you’re not finding anything different.” If you get an unsolicited call, don’t trust the Caller I-D. “They’ll call you and maybe the Caller ID says the name of a charity that you’re familiar with, but we know that there’s technologies out there that criminals use to spoof phone numbers,” Kieler says. “If they call you, maybe talk to them and if you feel like that’s the charity you want to support, hang up and then find the number and call them yourself.”

If you believe you’ve been scammed or you suspect a charity is acting fraudulently, contact local law enforcement or the Iowa Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. The Giving Tuesday organization reports 35-million adults contributed $2.7 billion during the movement last year.

(Radio Iowa) – The Logan-Magnolia school district is among 12 statewide to receive federal funding to purchase electric school buses. Superintendent Tom Ridder says they will buy five E-V buses to replace half of the district’s entire fleet to save on fuel. The longest bus route in the western Iowa district is 100 miles – which he says E-V buses will easily cover with charges in between runs.  “We run the morning route, plug it in, and then when that route’s done plug them in at 5:00, 5:30, whenever they get back. And then it will be fully charged for the next day,” Ridder says. He says the buses will sound different –but will look familiar to students and drivers.

“They are regular buses. The only thing different is they don’t have diesel engines. They have battery engines,” he says. Ridder says the buses shouldn’t take any adjustment for drivers.  “All the buses are brand new — all will have seat belts in them. So, the bus drivers I don’t think are going to have a problem with them because it’s like driving a regular school bus,” Ridder says. Ridder says federal rebates will likely cover the full cost of purchasing the buses, but the district must pay to install chargers.

The program was funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed last year. More than 11 million dollars was awarded to Iowa schools to purchase a total of 30 E-V buses. Logan-Magnolia can receive up to two million dollars for the new electric-powered buses.

(reporting by Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio)

(Area News) – Two stories we’re working on getting information about today include a reported shooting incident in Shelby County. Dispatch reports late Monday afternoon said a woman came home to a residence south of Elk Horn and found a man who was shot, but was breathing. Deputies from Shelby and Audubon County, along with rescue crews responded to the scene. Rescue was told to stage their vehicles and crew away from the scene until it could be secured. The Sheriff’s Office says it has concluded its investigation, but is not releasing additional information at this time.

And, Monday night, a domestic situation in Griswold involving a woman, a man and a juvenile, ended with a woman taking a vehicle and leading authorities on a chase that ended with a crash west of town in a field, just east of the Nishnabotna River. The woman was found unconscious in the vehicle. She was transported by Griswold Rescue to a hospital in Omaha. Additional information is currently not available.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – A semi tractor-trailer rollover accident in Adair County is blocking the right lane of travel this morning on Interstate 80 eastbound. The accident occurred at Exit 86 at around 5:17-a.m., according to dispatch reports. Unknown if there are any injuries at this time.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery County, assisted by Red Oak Police, were called to the 1700 block of 206th Street in Red Oak, at around 7:20-p.m., Monday, following a report of an alleged assault. Upon arrival and investigation, Deputies arrested 75-year-old Dennis Vanderhoof, for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. The man was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, and held without bond.