The Union County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following accidents that took place Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. Authorities say 18-year old Kessler Allen Tomas, of Creston, was cited for Failure to Maintain Control, after he fell asleep at the wheel of the 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix he was driving at around 1-a.m. Sunday, in Afton. The car entered a ditch and struck a culvert, causing a total of $2,200 damage.

Friday afternoon, 31-year old Teresa Rosanna Sparks, of Villisca, was traveling west on Highway 34 and lost control of the 2005 Chevy Trailblazer she was driving, due to the icy road conditions. The SUV entered the north ditch and rolled onto the driver’s side. Damage amounted to $2,500. No citations were issued.

The Glenwood Police Department reports two people were arrested this (Monday) morning. 39-year old Ross Rogers, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance, the bond for which was set at $1,000. And, 36-year old Esther White, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Driving While Barred and Failure to have SR-22 Insurance. Her bond was set at $3,000.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An investigation by a state agency has concluded that Iowa’s professional licensing boards have become unaccountable to the citizens they are supposed to protect from misconduct. An Office of Ombudsman report released today (Monday), says the boards enjoy a culture of secrecy that produces “lackadaisical investigations, apathetic board members, poor documentation of deliberations, and questionable outcomes.”

The ombudsman is an independent agency that investigates complaints against state and local government. The report examined the system of 36 boards responsible for regulating trained workers, from doctors to barbers. The boards investigate complaints and can discipline or remove licensees for misconduct.

Investigators found that many boards dismiss complaints without explaining their findings or rationale, angering complainants and breeding distrust in the outcome. The report comes as lawmakers consider a bill to remove licensing requirements from several professions. The bill wouldn’t address the secrecy criticized by the report.

As tax filing deadlines approach, Iowans are being warned about a scam involving W-2 forms that targets businesses, school districts and non-profit groups. Dan Hendrickson, at the Better Business Bureau, says the criminals are disguising themselves as top executives through email, requesting information from various accounting and H-R departments.

“They’ll make a request like, ‘Hey, I need to see the W-2 forms for all of our employees. I’ll also need their Social Security numbers and their birthdates,’ and in some cases, we’ve seen people in these positions have turned over this information,” Hendrickson says. “They were thinking they were just following orders, but in fact, they were helping a scammer perpetrate a crime.”

Hendrickson says the W-2 scam first came to light in 2016. He says employers should warn members of their staff about this scam, especially since it may be taken to the next level as the presumed executive asks for a cash advance. “They have a procedure in place to verify all requests asking for sensitive information, especially wire transfers of money,” he says. “Obviously, with these kinds of things, you want to be absolutely sure they are legitimate.”

Hendrickson says criminals are focusing on consumers’ personal information because it has a potentially larger payout then credit card fraud.

(Radio Iowa)