AMES, IA – Shelby County Extension Educator Mary Taggs was honored in October when she received the Iowa 4-H Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented to county staff members who have been in their positions between four and ten years and who have made a difference for the Iowa 4-H program.

The award ceremony was held October 30th in Ames, Iowa as a part of the annual YouthFest conference which brings together Iowa State University Extension and Outreach staff from all over the state to celebrate the work they are doing and participate in workshops and educational opportunities in the field of 4-H youth development.

“This event provides an opportunity for all of us to learn about significant impacts our
4-H staff are making in their local communities and to celebrate those accomplishments,” 4-H staff recognition committee chair Brenda Allen said.

Taggs was recognized in part for her work with the Maker Space program which helps 2nd -6th graders develop their problem-solving and cooperation skills.  Maker Space takes place on no school days in the Harlan school district.  Participants engage in challenges each day that encourage thought, design, creativity and a LOT of fun!  Taggs has been instrumental in acquiring grant funding to support the program.  The program began from a grant award from the STEM Scale-up Program sponsored by the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council.  The program continues due to the generous funding from Monogram Loves Kids.

“She encourages life-long learning as she provides youth opportunities to make their own decisions and be creative,” one nominator said.

To find out more about Taggs and the work she is doing for Iowa youth, contact the Shelby County ISU Extension and Outreach office by visiting the county webpage at www.extension.iastate.edu/shelby

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, reports an Adair County man was sentenced to three-years of supervised release for making a false statement in connection with federal crop insurance. A judge, Friday, also ordered 71-year old Carl Jeffrey Campbell, of Orient, to serve four months of home confinement, and pay a $5,000 fine, plus $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund, and $32,440 to the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) as restitution. Campbell was also ordered to serve 160 hours of community service.

Campbell pleaded guilty to the offense on July 6, 2018. In 2014, Campbell obtained crop insurance for two farms from an insurance company that was insured by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. The Federal Reinsured Crop Program is administered by the Risk Management Agency, which is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, which is a wholly-owned government corporation. The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation reimburses insurance companies for the indemnity payments made to policyholders under the Federal Reinsured Crop Program.

Crop shifting occurs when a farmer underreports production in a field in order to reach the percentage of loss required to receive an indemnity from their crop insurance policy. Campbell “shifted” production from one farm to another by reporting that several thousand bushels of grain were harvested from one farm when he knew that those bushels were in fact harvested from the other farm. By reporting the bushels of grain from the incorrect farm, or shifting the production, Campbell received insurance indemnities to which he was not entitled. He also “hid” production by not reporting to the USDA or Federal Crop Insurance Corporation several thousand bushels of corn sold in his son’s name.

By failing to report the bushels of grain sold in his son’s name, authorities say Campbell received insurance indemnities to which he was not entitled. The matter was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous recent arrests. On Friday, 50-year old Kenneth Lee Klindt, of Griswold, was arrested on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault 1st Offense. Klindt was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $1,000 bond. Also arrested Friday, was 36-year old Brandon Michael Crees, a homeless man, on a charge of Driving While Barred. Crees was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $2,000 bond.

Last Thursday, 45-year old Robert Joseph Dambra, of Atlantic, turned himself in at the Cass County Sheriff’s Office on a felony charge of Possession with Intent to Deliver/Meth. Dambra was booked at the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond. On November 14th, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 18-year old Devin Joel Hilliard, of Griswold, on charges of:felony Theft 2nd Degree – Motor Vehicle; Unauthorized Use of a Credit Card; and Theft 5th Degree. Additional charges of Conspiracy to Commit a Forcible Felony (a Class C Felony) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia were later added. Hilliard remains held at the Cass County Jail on $17,300 bond.

On November 6th, Deputies arrested 35-year old Matthew James Bruns, of Atlantic, on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Harassment 1st Degree. The following day, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office also charged Bruns with Possession of Marijuana 1st Offense, and Possession of Meth 1st Offense. Bruns was released the following day on $3,000 bond. On November 11th, Cass County Deputies arrested 38-year old Nicholas Gene Paulsen, of Atlantic, on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Sponsoring a Gathering where Controlled Substances are Used (a Class D Felony) and Prohibited Acts. Paulsen was taken to the Cass County Jail and released on November 14, 2018, on $7,000 bond.

(12:40-p.m. News)

(Radio Iowa) — The leader of the Iowa State University Police Department says they got a lot of calls from parents with safety concerns following the stabbing death of a student at a golf course right near campus. Chief Michael Newton gave a report to the Board of Regents on the ways his department has addressed safety issues since the death of 22-year-old Celia Barquin Arozamena September 17th. He says one of the changes involved adding more time for the Safe Ride Program. Newton says the program was on a nine p-m to 5:30 a-m schedule and after the death of Arozamena they got a lot of requests to bump the hours back to six a-m. He says they were able to find the funding to add that time to the program. Newton says they also have been able to add extra safety training for students. “We have a full time unit dedicated to educational efforts. After the death of Celia we saw a huge increase and spike for self defense training, we do a plethora of training,” Newton says. “It’s a really small unit, it was one full time person, it’s now two. Through a partnership this year with the senior vice president of international students and others, we were able to receive funding to fund a full time person who is working strictly with minority students and international students so that we can bridge that gap.”

A man who was reportedly homeless and living in a camp near the golf course where Arozamena was playing is accused of stabbing here to death. Newton says they have continued their efforts to work with the homeless around campus. “We were proactive in this area — we were out moving homeless encampments off campus — we were trying to get folks help, we were partnering with our emergency housing project. We had officers dedicated to that effort. Right after this homicide our partners in the city reached out to us to see kind of how we were doing things. They weren’t taking as proactive an approach, so we started to build that partnerships a little bit differently,” Newton says.

He says they continually survey lighting on campus and try to be sure areas are well lit. And they try to keep a high-profile themselves. “Regularly we are reassigning officers to bike and foot patrol. We’re trying to be more visible on campus, trying to be there so folks can see us,” according to Newton.”It’s hard though…there’s 40 of us. So to see us isn’t always a thing that happens for students faculty and staff.” Newton says they are working on a program called “CyWath”, which is a neighborhood watch type of program for the dorms.”We’re partnering with our department of residence on this project. They’re helping us craft it and mold it and we are going to pilot it in some of the residence halls and see kind of where that goes for us over the next year,” Newton explains.

Newton says they continue working on upgrading the security cameras and coverage on campus and are also working on an app that would allow students to have a guardian walk them home at night.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests and one, injury accident. 26-year old Daniel Joseph Polan, of Glenwood, was arrested at around 3:10-a.m. today (Monday), at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office. Polan was taken into custody on the warrant for Violation of Probation, and held on a $5,000 bond. At around 4-a.m. Sunday, 27-year old Jose Manuel Munoz-Baeza, of Omaha, was arrested following a traffic stop on I-29 in Mills County. Munoz-Baeza was charged with OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.And, at around 1:30-a.m. Saturday, 28-year old Nickolas Wade Pafford, of Glenwood, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. His bond was also set at $1,000.

And, a bicyclist was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center by Glenwood Rescue, after being clipped by a pickup truck Saturday afternoon. Officials say 41-year old Takeo Shilzuka, of Tokyo, Japan, was injured when a pickup driven by 93-year old John Dean, of Glenwood, tried to avoid striking the bicyclist by moving over on Highway 34 near Deacon Road, but the right front of the pickup struck Shilzuka. The accident happened at around 4:15-p.m., Saturday.

November 19, 2018—As Thanksgiving approaches, many holiday shoppers will be heading out the door or going to their computers for the biggest shopping weekend of the year. They will be bombarded with ads promising huge deals during Black Friday, November 23rd and the days leading up to it. Although Black Friday is still the busiest shopping day of the year for brick-and-mortar stores, over the past few years, Black Friday is no longer a single day event but lasts for a week. Retailers have been starting their Black Friday Sales on Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving Eve and as early as the Monday before Thanksgiving.

In 2017, according to stats from Adobe Analytics, shoppers spent a record $5 billion on Black Friday in brick-and-mortar stores – a 17% increase from 2016. Additionally, Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday drew $7.9 billion in online sales – an 18% increase from 2016. Forty percent of these purchases were done from mobile phones. For those shopping at brick-and-mortar stores, Better Business Bureau (BBB) has this advice to help you make the most of the sales:

• Don’t rely on ads alone. Do price comparisons, examine the fine print, research companies and compare prices before opening your wallet.
• Know store return policies. Check store or website policies on returns in advance. This can help you decide where to buy. Return policies may include restocking fees, shorter return deadlines and other terms and conditions. Also, keep your receipt in case you want to return the item.
• Ask for gift receipts. Gift receipts generally include a description of the item purchased but do not disclose the price paid. Without proof-of-purchase, the recipient may be turned down for returning or exchanging the item, or risk receiving an exchange at a lower value.
• Consider buying local on Small Business Saturday. Set aside some time to frequent small businesses in your community.  Local shops may be offering special bargains that day.

Many shoppers also participate in Cyber Monday because of the 24-hour convenience offered by online shopping. People are able to avoid the crowds on Black Friday, and they can take advantage of the sales and delivery specials that online retailers offer. Adobe Analytics reported that Cyber Monday brought in $6.59 billion last year, making it the largest online sales day in history, and it is predicted to increase this year. Adobe predicts that “Cyber Monday will set a new record as the largest and fastest growing online shopping day of the year with $7.7 billion in sales, a 17.6 percent increase year over year. Online sales between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Pacific Time on Cyber Monday is expected to drive more revenue than an average full day in 2018, with conversions hitting the highest rate of the year, 7.3 percent, during these golden hours of online retail.”

With online sales taking a bigger piece of the holiday shopping pie, BBB wants to remind you to be mindful of your online transactions and to know your rights. According to the FTC, orders made online should be shipped by the date promised or, if no delivery time was stated, within 30 days.If the goods cannot be shipped on time, the shopper must be notified of the right to cancel and receive a refund. Consumers also have the right to reject merchandise if it’s defective or misrepresented; otherwise, it’s the company’s policies that determine whether the shopper can cancel the purchase and receive a refund or credit.

Pay with a credit card. Using a credit card is recommended because the shopper can dispute the charges if the item is not received. Shoppers also have dispute rights if there are unauthorized charges on their credit card, and some card issuers have “zero liability” policies under which the cardholder pays nothing if someone steals the credit card number and uses it. Keep documentation of your order. After completing the online order process, there may be a final confirmation page or the shopper might receive confirmation by e-mail. Save a copy of the web page and any e-mails for future reference and as a record of the purchase.

Watch for phishing emails: With all the promotional emails received during the holidays, scammers will be out in full force. It’s best not to click on links from senders you don’t recognize. You can also hover your mouse over links without clicking to see if the address is really taking you to where it says it is. Also, check the reply email address. The address should be on a company domain. Watch for look-alike domains.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Only about 325 of Iowa’s 7,000 doctors have certified people for the state’s new medical marijuana program, in part because many are uneasy about their role in the system. The Des Moines Register reports that doctors certify that patients have qualifying medical conditions but don’t prescribe medical marijuana products. Instead, five dispensaries will sell to patients who have obtained specials state cards for having conditions such as intractable pain, cancer or epilepsy. Fewer than 600 patients have been approved to participate in the program to launch Dec. 1.

Des Moines oncologist Richard Deming is the director of Mercy Medical Center’s cancer center. He says he’s uncomfortable with the program because the products haven’t been proven safe and effective. Deming says he’s also concerned that there aren’t scientifically established dosing levels.

A Council Bluffs man held in the Pottawattamie County Jail faces an additional, Violation of Parole, charge.Sheriff’s officials say 22-year old Jerran Lee Baker, Jr., was presented with the warrant Friday afternoon and returned to the custody of jail staff. Baker was being held in the jail without bond. A traffic stop Saturday afternoon in Pottawattamie County resulted in the arrest of 30-year old Travis Johnathan Humbert, of Underwood. Humbert was taken into custody for Driving While Barred. And, a man being held in the Pott. County Jail for a probation violation, was served with an extraditable warrant out of Idaho. The warrant for 36-year old Jerrod Mitchell Escritt, of Council Bluffs, was for being a Fugitive from Justice. Escritt was being held in the jail without bond, pending extradition.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A Davenport man whose wife’s intellectually disabled daughter was always locked in a bedroom has been given 10 years in prison. The Quad-City Times reports that 56-year-old Eugene Harris was sentenced Friday. He’d been convicted of neglect of a dependent person, but the jury couldn’t reach an agreement on a charge of dependent adult abuse. It’s since been dropped.
Harris’ wife, 48-year-old Kimberly Williams, has pleaded not guilty to the same charges. Her trial is scheduled to begin March 4.

Authorities say officers sent to the home May 22 to check a report about a domestic disturbance were led by Harris to a bedroom locked from the outside. That’s where they found Williams’ daughter. Nearby were soiled adult diapers, a mattress on the floor and a few other items.

Police in Council Bluffs report a man was arrested Friday on kidnapping and other charges, following an incident whereby he allegedly assaulted a woman from Audubon. 44-year old Michael G. Bland, of Council Bluffs faces charges that include: Kidnapping in the 1st Degree; Sexual Abuse in the 3rd Degree; Domestic Abuse; and Violation of a Protective Order.His bond was set at $500,000.

Michael G. Bland

Officers were called to a hospital in Council Bluffs Friday evening to meet with a 32 year old female who reported that she had been assaulted by a former boyfriend (Michael Bland). The woman told officers that she had gone with Bland to his home in Council Bluffs on November 12th. Shortly after arriving at his house, an argument took place and Bland allegedly assaulted the woman by strangling her to the point she lost consciousness. The woman reported to officers that over the course of the following three days, Bland refused to let her leave his home, and repeatedly assaulted her.

The female victim said she was able to escape from Bland’s home Friday, after he became intoxicated to the point of passing out. As the female was being picked up by a friend, at a nearby park, Bland reportedly arrived and began another disturbance. When the victim’s friend displayed a handgun to Bland, he backed off enough for them to leave the area. After all the involved parties were interviewed by detectives, Bland was then transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail.