(Radio Iowa) – The communications director for the Republican Party of Iowa says the party is aware of a gift card scam using the party chair Jeff Kaufman’s name, and they are working on filing a report with the proper federal authorities. Woodbury County Republican Party chairman, Bob Henderson says one of the central committee members was sent the fake email request. “This person used his name (Kaufman) to ask for funding, but the funding was requested in the form of gift cards,” Henderson says. He knew immediately the request was not from the G-O-P.

“I said right away, when they ask for funding in something other than normal currency — you can pretty well bet that it’s a scam,” Henderson says. “And especially if it happens to be the name of somebody that is known by you, more than somebody nationally.” Henderson says anyone who gets this type of email should immediately contact their local G-O-P chairman, or any member of the executive committee to confirm it.

(Radio Iowa) – A man who served as an interpreter for U-S troops in Afghanistan is hoping to have better luck in immigration court after being denied political asylum in the United States. Zalmay Niazy has lived in Iowa Falls since 2015. He has an appointment with an immigration judge in Omaha late this month. “I am crossing fingers,” he says, “and I am very hopeful that it goes the right direction and I get to stay.”

The U-S Department of Homeland Security cited involvement in a terrorist organization as the reason for denying him asylum and Niazy says that’s very frustrating since he worked with U-S soldiers to fight against terrorism in Afghanistan. Niazy says his life will be in danger if he is deported back to Afghanistan and immigration court is his last hope. “If I get a denial from the court, that will be a death sentence for me to go back home,” Niazy says.

Niazy made his comments on Iowa Public Radio’s River to River program. Niazy’s case drew national attention in 2017 when he went to one of U-S Senator Chuck Grassley’s town hall forums to ask for help. Niazy told Grassley he’d been shot twice and survived a roadside bombing during his work as an interpreter for U-S troops in Afghanistan.  “I already have a stamp on me and my family as a US spy back there,” Niazy told Grassley. “I have lost my uncle and I have went through a lot of bad situation.”

Grassley told Niazy he would help and two months later Niazy was interviewed by immigration officials. Niazy didn’t hear again about his case until he received a letter this past January, informing him his asylum request was denied.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Kasidy Arena)

The Iowa Department of Human Rights reports the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) eviction moratorium is set to expire on June 30, 2021. However, the Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program is still available to assist eligible households.  For details and eligibility, visit https://www.iowafinance.com/iowa-rent-and-utility-assistance-program/ or call the Housing Recovery Help Line 855-300-5885 or 515-348-8813.  There is information for both tenants and landlords.

Note: Polk County and the City of Des Moines will be administering the program locally. Therefore, Iowans residing in either Polk County or the City of Des Moines will be ineligible to apply for the Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program. More information on the program that may assist Polk County and City of Des Moines residents is available at IMPACT Community Action Partnership or call 515-518-4770 for rental assistance, housing, and other help.

Another resource is the Iowa Emergency Solutions Grant program that helps to prevent households from becoming homeless due to eviction, and assists Iowans experiencing homelessness to quickly regain rental housing.  For more information, call the Housing Recovery Help Line 855-300-5885 or 515-348-8813.

(Radio Iowa) – Dry weather is prompting advisories about water use in some Iowa communities. Sheldon Public Works Director Todd Uhl has been monitoring water levels in his city’s wells and just issued a “water watch” in Sheldon on Thursday. “Our usage has been creeping up lately and then this week it has absolutely skyrocketed to a point where we feel it’s time to start the ‘water watch’ and hopefully we can get some compliance and people will do some conservation,” he says, “and that will prevent us, hopefully, from having to go to mandatory restrictions.” At this point in May, residents in Sheldon used about 900-thousand gallons of water per day.

On Wednesday of this week, Uhl says more than one-and-a-half MILLION gallons of water were used. “The previous peak day that I had ever seen in Sheldon was just over 1.3 million so our usage has really jumped drastically in a very short amount of time,” Uhl says. Water use typically declines in the evening, but Uhl says this week it’s increased. “You ride around town and there’s a lot of lawn watering going on,” Uhl says. “I understand people would like to keep a green lawn and I know there was a lot of lawn loss last year with the drought and some winter kill, so people and keep them looking good.” Uhl says lawn and garden watering is still allowed in Sheldon, but with the recommendation that it happen after 8:30 p.m. Uhl says he’s hoping Sheldon residents take steps to limit or curtail all non-essential water usage, so restrictions won’t be necessary. Restaurants in Shelton are being encouraged to serve customers water only when requested and water should not be used to fill swimming pools or wash parking lots or driveways.

On Friday (June 11), the City of Harlan – which was on a Water Watch since April 26th – switched to a “Tier 1 – Water Warning,” where restrictions on how the water is used, is now mandatory until further notice.

(Radio Iowa) – A southeast Iowa woman is accused of threatening to place an explosive device in an attorney’s office. According to court records, 30-year-old Siearre Smith of Ottumwa entered the Wapello County Attorney’s Office on the afternoon of May 25th and yelled at employees in the lobby. While shouting, Smith said, quote “This place needs blown up and that’s exactly what I am going to do.”

A warrant was issued for Smith’s arrest on May 28th and she was taken into custody this past Wednesday. Smith has been charged with threat – explosive or incendiary device, a Class D felony and is currently free after posting bond. A preliminary court appearance has not been scheduled.