(Radio Iowa) — A member of the city council in Sioux City says it’s time to revisit parts of the Americans with Disabilities Act that exempt certain structures from accessibility requirements. Alex Watters says he never anticipated becoming an advocate for disabled people.”I actually had an accident 16 years, two weeks into my freshman year of college, where I dove into 18 inches of water, snapped my neck…had to do six months of rehabilitation at a hospital,” he says. “I had my whole life kind of turned upside down and had to find out how to navigate a body I no longer recognized.”

Watters returned to and graduated from Morningside College in Sioux City where he says school administrators worked with him to reschedule classes in historic structures on the campus that were not accessible to his wheelchair. Watters says others in his situation aren’t as lucky. “There are a lot of institutions or different areas, companies, whatever that have those historic structures that say: ‘Well, you know it is historic, so we don’t want to alter it. We don’t want to change that or weaken the integrity of the building,’ and so people are excluded from the conversation,” Watters says, “and I think that’s unfortunate.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act did not address access issues in commercial air travel, but a separate law forbids discrimination on passenger jets. Watters says there is a business opportunity for airlines that do more to expand accessibility.”If there were more abilities for me to utilize my wheelchair and drive into the plane and lock down safely, think about the brand loyalty,” Watters says. “…That brand loyalty will mean so much to those individuals with disabilities. We’re the largest minority group in the United States. Why wouldn’t you want to capitalize on that market?”

Watters says he has to be carried onto planes and that’s risky for him and the people who are carrying him. Watters made his comments during an Iowa P-B-S Special marking the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports an old phone scam is making the rounds again. It happens at least once a year The victim gets a call from someone posing as his or her grandchild. This person explains, in a frantic-sounding voice, that he or she is in trouble: There’s been an accident, or an arrest, or a robbery and they need money to be released from custody. To up the drama and urgency, the caller might claim to be hospitalized or stuck in a foreign country; to make the impersonation more convincing, he or she will throw in a few family particulars, gleaned from the actual grandchild’s social media activity.

The impostor offers just enough detail about where and how the emergency happened to make it seem plausible and perhaps turns the phone over to another scammer who pretends to be a doctor, police officer or lawyer and backs up the story. The “grandchild” implores the target to wire money immediately, adding an anxious plea: “Don’t tell Mom and Dad!” Fraudsters have also been known to ply this trick by email, text message and social media. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the FBI have warned of an uptick in grandparent scams as crooks play on emotional vulnerability and heightened fear about loved ones falling ill.

The person claiming to be your grandchild asks you to send money immediately and provides details on how — for example, via prepaid cards or to a particular Western Union office. Often times, the call will come late at night, because scammers figure an older person may get confused more easily if they call during those hours. Your best bet is to hang-up and contact the Cass County Sheriff’s Office or Atlantic Police. They can verify through their law enforcement sources, whether a person has been arrested, regardless of the jurisdiction.

Above all, DO NOT provide any information to these people and hang up immediately. If you would like more information on this scam and how you can avoid being tricked, check out this link from the AARP, which has the “Do’s” and “Don’ts,” when it comes to being scammed. You can also see the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) website for additional consumer information on these types of scams.

A 70-year old man who was serving a 25-year sentence out of Page County for Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree, has died in prison. The Iowa Dept. of Corrections reports Dennis Ray Meyer was pronounced dead Saturday at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center, in Coralville. Authorities say his death was due to a medical emergency, and not related to COVID-19.

Meyer’s sentence began on April 16, 2007.

Page County Sheriff’s Deputies, Sunday, arrest 22-year old Ethan Ray Rankin, of Macedonia.  Rankin was arrested at the Page County Jail, on a Page County warrant for Probation violation. His bond on the warrant was set at $5,000.00.

Three people were arrested recently, in Creston. At around 1-a.m. Sunday, 31-year old Chelsey Kile, of Des Moines, was arrested in Creston for Possession of Marijuana. She was cited and released from the scene on a promise to appear in court.

Saturday night, 83-year old Mary Laird, of Creston, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, after she struck a parked car on southbound McKinley Street, at around 10-p.m. Her vehicle then entered a ditch and struck 69-year old Jim Jay Giles and 69-year old Rhonda Sue Giles, both from Creston. The impact threw Rhonda Giles into a power pole, and Jim Jay Giles rolled over the top of the car. The car continued through the ditch, struck barrier poles and a cement barrier before hitting and snapping a power pole. The car came to rest in the ditch. The Giles’ suffered serious injuries and were transported to the hospital in Creston. Witnesses said Laird’s car was driving without its headlights on. Her vehicle was declared a total loss.

And, Friday afternoon, 50-year old Matthew Baudler, of Panora, was arrested at the Creston Wal-Mart, for Theft in the 5th Degree. Baudler was cited and released on a promise to appear.