A reminder from the Page County Sheriff’s Office: From November 24th through December 20th 2017, the Page County Sheriff’s Office is taking gift requests for Operation Blessing. The Page County Sheriff’s Office program will cover children in the communities of Shambaugh, Braddyville, College Springs, Yorktown, Coin, Blanchard, Northboro, and Hepburn as well as the rural areas, of Page County. Ages of children covered by this program are Birth to 15 years of age. The requests must come from a parent or guardian of the child and can be called into the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-542-5193, or reported in person at the Page County Sheriff’s Office located at 323 N 15th Street in Clarinda. Each child will be given a first and second choice. It is suggested that a toy and clothing be requested.

Operation Blessing was started in the mid 1980s by the Page County Reserve Deputies to ensure that every child in the rural areas of Page County has the opportunity to receive a gift at Christmas. It has continued every year since for over 30 years. This year the Sheriff’s Office and Reserve program will continue this tradition of ensuring that children in Page County receive a gift for Christmas. Anyone wishing to donate to the Page County Sheriff’s Office Operation Blessing program can either stop by the Page County Sheriff’s Office or mail the monetary donation to the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 323 North 15th Clarinda, Iowa, 51632. Monetary donations are taken year round at the Office.

The Sheriff’s Office will again this year be delivering the gifts to the children. That will take place on December 21st, 22nd, & or 23rd. The date depends on staffing, call load, and of course weather. A message from Sheriff Palmer: ” I would like to thank everyone for their donations and support of the program throughout the years, for without monetary donations, this program would not be able to continue. I wish to also thank our staff at the Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in everything they do with this program. They go above and beyond with the call taking, shopping, wrapping and organization of this program. They along with the organizations, businesses, and individuals who donate make this program a success every year. THANK YOU!!! May everyone have a joy filled and safe Holiday season.”

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports an incident occurred at the jail in Clarinda earlier this past week.  Sheriff Lyle Palmer says at around 2:30-p.m. Wednesday (11/22), Page County Jailers separated a physical altercation in the Page County Jail. One male inmate was transported to the Clarinda Regional Health Center E-R for injuries. The incident remains under investigation and no further information will be released until the investigation is completed.

Dogs may be a man’s best friend but puppy sellers can be among our worst enemies. Iowans are being warned about a series of scams involving online dog sales. Jim Hegarty, with the Better Business Bureau in Omaha-Council Bluffs, says a three-month study of internet puppy ads brought very discouraging results.

Hegarty says, “Nearly 80% of the paid ads that you will see online if you do a Google search for a pet are believed to be fictitious and set up by fraudsters who primarily reside in Cameroon, West Africa.”

Still, the ads all claim they’re based in the U-S, often in Texas. Initially, Hegarty says customers are often asked for a deposit. Later, they’ll be notified the puppies are ready to be shipped and full up-front payment is needed, typically for several hundred dollars.

He says, “Normally, when these deals are being operated by scammers in Cameroon, they are advised to make their payments through wire transfers, usually at Western Union or Moneygram.”

Hegarty says customers are then told by an alleged shipping company that a special crate is needed, for an extra fee. They may also get a call from the airport, claiming the animal is in quarantine and requires a vet check prior to release, yet another scam. Omaha resident Judy Stroy says she and her husband wanted to buy a beagle puppy from a breeder in Texas and had to send 400-dollars via wire transfer, which they did.

“The next day, I received the shipping instructions for the puppy and they requested another $750 for pet insurance,” Stroy says. “I was like, whoa, red flag. This isn’t working. So, I refused to pay the pet insurance and the owner kept emailing me saying, ‘Please send this money,’ and I said, ‘No.'”

They lost the 400-dollar deposit and never got the dog.  (Radio Iowa)

https://www.bbb.org/

An effort to replace one of the famous covered bridges in Madison County is gaining momentum. The Cedar Bridge near Winterset was destroyed by arson back in April. Brenda Hollingsworth, with the Madison County Historic Preservation Association, says the fundraising goal for replacing the bridge is $550,000. “We are at $246,000 and we have made an application for A Great Places grant that would pay for the remainder of that,” Hollingsworth says.

The group should learn by December 15 if they’ll be getting the grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. “With this particular grant, we’d have a two year window to finish the project, so we wouldn’t have to complete the bridge until 2019 – which is a reasonable time frame to do that,” Hollingsworth says.

Cedar Bridge credit Sarah Boden IPR

If they don’t get the grant, Hollingsworth says they plan to stay on their proposed timeline of beginning construction in late 2018. The Cedar Bridge was featured on the cover of the best-selling novel “The Bridges of Madison County,” which was adapted into the 1995 movie starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. The bridge has been destroyed by fire twice.

It burned in 2002, when insurance helped fund a replacement. Premium rates increased and the insurance was dropped. Hollingsworth says that will never happen again and all six covered bridges in Madison County are now insured. Three people, between the ages of 17 and 19, were arrested and charged with setting the April 15 fire at the Cedar Bridge.

(Radio Iowa with Thanks to Michael Leland, Iowa Public Radio)

(CORALVILLE) Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections say s staff member was assaulted by a patient at the Iowa Medical Classification Center in Coralville, at approximately 10:00 a.m. Friday.

The staff member, a nurse, was working at her computer terminal when the patient entered the office and began hitting her multiple times with a closed fist. Correctional officers and other staff in the area responded and took control of the patient once they heard noises coming from the office.

The staff member was sent by ambulance to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic in Iowa City. They were released from the hospital to the care of family later the same day. The incident remains under investigation and no further information is available at this time.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A quirk in the mail delivery system is forcing some residents of rural northern Missouri to have Iowa mailing addresses, causing problems when they vote, pay taxes and even when they die.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill calls it “one of the dumbest things” she’s seen and has sent a letter to Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan, asking that issue be resolved. The agency says it’s working with the Missouri Democratic senator on the issue.

Local officials have been asking for help for years. In Missouri’s Clark County, residents launched a petition drive this summer to get address changed because a new 911 system will need accurate addresses.

The Iowa addresses aren’t recognized in Missouri’s voting system. And some affected residents have been asked to file taxes in the wrong state.