Thousands of Iowans had their identities put at risk with recent cyber attacks on J-P Morgan Chase, Home Depot and Target — and hackers are constantly trying to breach more computer servers. Doug Shade, with the A-A-R-P Fraud Watch Network, says scammers are also calling Iowans on the phone, trying to worm personal information, money or both out of you, by claiming to be from the county.

“They’re posing as being from the recorder’s office, saying, ‘How would you like a copy of your deed and property assessment?’ and for $83, they’ll give you a copy of the documents you can get for free if you went directly to the recorder’s office,” Shadel says, “or at least you could get them for the price of the copy.” Con artists are also posing as being from various Iowa utilities, calling and claiming you’ve missed a bill and need to pay up immediately or face having your power shut off. Shadel says the crooks are getting very sophisticated and can make it sound and appear like they’re legitimate.

“Caller ID doesn’t tell you where the person is calling from,” Shadel says. “It’s very easy to fake the Caller ID and have it show up as anything you want. So if somebody calls saying they’re from the police department or the IRS, hang up and call back directly to the local police and ask them and they’ll tell you if it’s a scam.” A recent survey found more than 21-percent of Americans don’t regularly shred documents that contain personal information, only 26-percent of people use distinctly different passwords on all of their online accounts, and only 40-percent of us use a locking mailbox.

“That’s a big problem because we’ve interviewed identity thieves who say the principal way they steal your identity is by stealing your mail,” Shadel says. “So, if 60% of Americans aren’t locking their mailbox, that makes it really easy for the identity thief.” About 20-percent of respondents admit they have left their wallet or purse in their locked car, which Shadel says is very dangerous. Also, he says 44-percent of those surveyed said they have not set up a passcode on their smart-phones. The organization’s free website enables Iowans to be alerted to scams that are surfacing in the region or in the state.

“What we’re trying to do with the Fraud Watch Network is to get people to sign up for these alerts no matter what age they are,” he says, “so they can see these malicious assaults coming from a distance.” The website also includes maps so people can get current details on what’s happening close to home. Nationwide last year, there was a new identity fraud victim every two seconds with total losses of around 18-billion dollars. Learn more at: www.aarp.org/FraudWatchNetwork

(Radio Iowa)

The two major party candidates seeking Iowa’s third congressional district seat met Monday evening in a second debate held at Simpson College in Indianola and carried on K-C-C-I television. The first question dealt with an issued raised in the first debate and whether Democrat Staci Appel would pull the passports of terrorists, as Appel’s statement saying she would not support pulling the passports is being used in a political ad. She was asked about her stance.

“Let me be absolutely clear, I do not support giving passports to terrorists, we have a State Department that takes care of these problems that has the ability to take passports away. So, making sure tonight, everybody knows, I do not support terrorists having passports,” Appel said. Young responded. “In that first debate you said you would not be advocating taking away the passports of terrorists. You can’t take these things back when you are a member of Congress, your vote is your vote. You need to be decisive,” Young said. “You said that, it was on the tape.” Appel again responded.

“Let me be absolutely clear one more time, I do not support giving terrorists passports,” Appel replied. “It’s absolutely absurd to think that a mom of six would think that it’s a good idea to let terrorists have passports. I will do everything possible to keep my family safe and your family safe.” Debate moderator, Kathy Obradovich asked Young if his standard for a member of Congress is there is no room for a misstatement or change of mind.

“I think when you vote for and elect a member of Congress you want to vote on their judgment most of all — there’s likability, philosophy — but judgment. Are they going to make the right call and stick to it, or are they going to flip-flop. I’ll stick to it,” Young replied. “So there’s no room for a misstatement or a change in your mind?,” Obradovich asked. “This was more than a misstatement I would say. She said she would not advocate taking away passports from terrorists. That’s pretty cut and dried,” Young said.

The candidates were next asked about a couple of issues the made news Monday. The U-S Supreme Court declined to take up challenges to gay marriage laws in five states and Appel was asked if Congress should step in and do something. “I think love is love…here in the state of Iowa we have same-sex marriage, I am supportive of it, and I think it should be decided at the state level,” Appel responded. Young was also asked if Congress should take some stance on same-sex marriage.

“Well Congress did, they tried to do this and the Defense of Marriage Act was passed in Congress and the Supreme Court essentially said there were problems with that and it was up to the states,” Young said. “But I am for traditional one-man, one-woman marriage. I just think in Iowa now we just need to make sure that religious institutions, churches, temples, that they are not forced to perform any kind of ceremony that is against their doctrine.” The two were also asked about the one-year anniversary of the federal government shutdown and whether they would vote to shut down the government if elected. Appel said no.

“What we need to do is elect folks who want to go and get the work done. I have the experience of doing that with the government reorganization in the state Senate,” Appel said. ” I worked with the Senate the House, Democrats, Republicans, department managers, employees, citizens, and we came up with great ideas because we worked together. Because we knew that Democrats don’t have all the right ideas, Republicans don’t have all the right ideas.” Young responded that while Appel claims to have worked with everyone, she voted 99-percent of the time with Democrats while in the state Senate.

“And also during the time in the state Senate you voted for the largest budget in Iowa’s history, hurling us into a Billion-dollar of red ink that had to be bailed out by Obama’s stimulus funds. You raided the Senior Living Trust Fund, the rainy day funds, and Governor Branstad came along and help bail us out. So, you have a record, and I think that’s one of the reasons you were voted out by your constituents,” Young said.

The two also disagreed over how to handle the terrorism in the Middle East. Young said the U-S doesn’t always have to wait for a coalition to take action. Appel said the U-S should work with a coalition of countries to address the problem. Appel made numerous mentions that she is the mother of six children. While Young said he will not run away from his years of experience working for U-S Senator Chuck Grassley, even though campaign ads try to label him as a “Washington insider.” The two candidates are seeking the seat currently held by retiring Republican Tom Latham.

(Radio Iowa)

The latest crop conditions report, released Monday by the USDA, shows only five-percent of Iowa’s corn has been harvested. That’s about three weeks behind the normal schedule. Cool weather and abundant rain in some areas put Iowa’s corn maturity about six days behind the five-year average.

Many growers are like Winnebago County’s Wayne Johnson, who reports corn kernels are retaining 25-percent moisture — about 10-percent more than can be stored without spoiling. Johnson says when he does begin harvesting, maybe in a week to 10-days, the corn must be dried using L-P gas. That takes extra work and money.

“It puts high demands on driers and so, instead of just harvesting it and dumping it in a bin — which is a wonderful way to harvest — you need to get it into a wet holding, then transfer it to a drier, then transfer it out of the drier to its final storage,” Johnson says. “So it takes a lot of extra work when you have to dry and a lot of extra gas to dry.”

The USDA report places 76-percent of Iowa’s corn crop in good to excellent condition. Iowa’s soybean harvest, at nine-percent complete, is the lowest percentage harvested by this date in over 30 years. Seventy-four-percent of the state’s soybean crop is listed in good to excellent condition.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

A southwest Iowa native is helping to train the crew of what’s touted to be one of the U-S Navy’s newest and most sophisticated warships. Chief Petty Officer Bobby Houseman of Winterset joined the Navy in 1997, in part, out of respect for his grandfather, who also served.

CPO Robert Houseman

The 35-year-old Houseman is stationed on a destroyer called the Zumwalt. It’s still being outfitted at the Bath Iron Works on the coast of Maine. While it’s 80 feet wide and more than two football fields long, the huge ship was built using the latest in stealth technology.

“It has reduced our radar signature down to approximately a fishing boat,” Houseman says. When at sea, he says the Zumwalt will perform a variety of missions, including attacking targets on land with gunfire and cruise missiles, hunting and tracking submarines, airspace surveillance and support to special operations forces. The ship’s two enormous main guns can hit targets at a great distance with incredible accuracy.

“They shoot a long-range rocketed projectile,” Houseman says.

The Zumwalt

“These projectiles can go approximately 63 nautical miles and really, if you threw a belt buckle out there, they’ll remove that belt buckle from the map.” The Zumwalt’s futuristic appearance and capabilities seems fitting — given the name of its commanding officer. Science fiction buffs know the commander of the starship Enterprise on “Star Trek” is Captain James Kirk, and his future birthplace is Riverside, Iowa. Like the science fiction hero, Houseman says this warship is commanded by a very-real person of the same name.

“When I heard that the captain of the USS Zumwalt would be Captain James Kirk, I really thought the person telling me was joking with me,” Houseman says. “I had to do some research to find out exactly what he was talking about and ensure that this individual wasn’t pulling my leg.” He says the real Captain Kirk is, much like the fictional version, a fine leader. “He’s very motivated, very inspiring,” Houseman says. “He keeps the crew on task and very focused, working toward getting that ship ready to go and get it away from the pier.”

The Zumwalt was named in honor of Admiral Elmo “Bud” Zumwalt Junior, who served as Chief of Naval Operations, the Navy’s most senior uniformed officer, from 1970-1974. The ship should be commissioned and set sail next year.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

Police in Harlan say two people were transported to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan following an accident this (Monday) morning. Authorities say 54-year old Gary Lemons and 80-year old Christian Blum, both of Harlan, were injured after their vehicles collided on westbound Highway 44 near Chatburn Avenue, at around 7:45-a.m.

The accident happened as a 2012 Lincoln MKZ driven by Lemon was stopped waiting for on-coming traffic, as he prepared to make a left turn. Blum, driving a 2006 Dodge Ram truck, failed to see Lemon stopped in front of him. His truck hit the rear of the car.

Lemon was transported by Medivac ambulance to the hospital, while Blum went by personal vehicle. Blum was later cited for Failure to come to a stop in an assured clear distance. Damage from the crash amounted to $10,000.

Jolene Smith, a member of Royal Neighbors Chapter 1373, from Atlantic, and a member of the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Board of Directors, was honored recently with the 2014 Iowa Fraternalist of the Year for her volunteerism within her community.  The award was presented during the Annual Iowa Fraternal Alliance meeting in Ankeny.

Jolene Smith, a member of Royal Neighbors of America Chapter 1373, Atlantic, IA, at right, was presented a plaque from Sarah Reemtsma on behalf of the Iowa Fraternal
Alliance. In recognition of her volunteer efforts in the community, Jolene was honored as a 2014 Iowa fraternalist of the Year. (Photo provided)

Smith’s volunteer efforts include working with Heads at Ease, the Allen House Retirement Home, the Cass County Memorial Hospital, Festival of Trees, and Hitchcock House. According to her fellow Royal Neighbors members, “Jolene is the life blood of our chapter.”

Royal Neighbors of America, one of the nation’s largest women-led life insurance organizations, empowers women to meet the needs of their families with annuities and life insurance products such as whole life, term, final expense, and universal life. Royal Neighbors’ philanthropic efforts are dedicated to changing women’s lives through its national programs, including the Nation of NeighborsSM Program, and through the Royal Neighbors Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity.

For more information, visit www.royalneighbors.org or call (800) 627-4762.

A Shenandoah man was transported to Creighton Hospital in Omaha by Malvern Rescue Thursday night, after the motorcycle he was driving hit a deer. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says the accident happened near the intersection of Noyes Avenue and 290th Street, at around 11:40-p.m.

Authorities say David Long, of Shenandoah, was driving a 2001 Honda eastbound on Noyes Ave a deer ran out in front of him and his cycle struck the animal. Long hit his handlebars hard upon impact. His injuries were reduced because he was wearing a helmet and protective leather riding gear. He was sitting in a motorist’s vehicle when the deputy arrived.

The deer was found dead in a ditch.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report the arrest on Sunday of two people on theft charges. 42-year old Brian Keith Floyd, of Council Bluffs, and 48-year old Jessie William Jackson, of Omaha, were taken into custody at around 9:07-a.m. in the vicinity of 190th Street and Highway 34. Both face charges of Theft/Stolen Property. Their bonds were set at $5,000 each.

And on Friday, 45-year old John Ray Nolan, Jr, of  Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for Theft in the 2nd degree. Bond was set at $5,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa State Bar Association says all 72 judges on the November ballot should be retained. The association Monday released the results of a member survey that found all 72 were well qualified, receiving high marks for their professionalism and demeanor.

More than 1,100 lawyers statewide answered questions about judges. They ranked them from very poor to excellent on questions such as their knowledge of the law and the promptness of their rulings. A vast majority of respondents said all 70 district judges and two appeals court judges should stay in office.

More than 70 percent of the 40 lawyers who ranked Judge Emily Dean said she should be retained. The Iowa Supreme Court last month suspended her for 30 days showing up drunk to the job in 2012.