Social media posts from residents in southwest Iowa in the recent weeks have been talking about odd encounters people have been having with persons involved in the possible sale of perfume. The events have reportedly taken place in Atlantic, Griswold, Stuart and Minden. In one post on Facebook, a woman from Harlan said her girlfriend had recently stopped at the Casey’s Store in Avoca after a late night in the office, and was approached in the parking lot by two men and a woman.

The woman reportedly asked the lady who was leaving the store, what the perfume was that she was wearing. She then asked her to sample some perfume they were selling at a discount. The men allegedly attempted to get behind the woman/possible victim. The unknown woman sprayed some perfume on her sleeve and attempted to get the other woman to smell it, but she refused. The report goes on to say one of the men came up from behind and got close to the woman before allegedly attempting to grab her. The potential victim pushed past the men and got in her car before leaving the scene.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green says a local woman who happens to work in law enforcement came into contact with persons with a similar approach, about two-days after the alleged incident in Avoca. He says a Cass County Sheriff’s dispatcher was approached by the individuals and things “didn’t seem on the up-and-up.” An officer was contacted who identified the persons. Afterward, authorities learned of the alleged incident in Avoca.

An investigation involving numerous law enforcement agencies in the area is underway to determine who the individuals are, and what their motive may be. The female and two males have been reported at times to be in a white truck and a white SUV. He says they are using a scenario of opening a perfume store in the area, but all indications are that their story is not true.

Green says after the alleged incident in Avoca, authorities are recommending persons avoid people matching the description of the persons selling perfume, who approach you in a parking lot, especially after hours, you should simply walk away and not interact with them. He doesn’t want to be alarmist, but if you encounter those individuals, Green advises you to return to the store, as those persons of interest are not likely to follow. If you are near your car and unlock it, that sets up the chance for you to be forced into your vehicle and then become a possible victim of crime.

Authorities are working on following up with the alleged victim in Avoca and corroborate her statement with a photo line-up of possible suspects. Green says right now, the only thing they can cite the individuals for is soliciting without a permit. He says the Atlantic Police Officer who made contact with the two men and one woman, advised them they needed to come to City Hall to obtain a permit, but they didn’t do so, and no further reports of them have been received in the immediate area. He says the suspected trio may have moved on to areas where their activity has not been reported yet.

Clarinda Chief of Police Keith Brothers reports this (Friday) morning, that the administrative phone number 712-542-2194 at the police department, is not working. Inbound calls to the number are not reaching the department. Brothers said he became aware of the problem at approximately 11-a.m. Thursday. He said that his phone system provider worked on the problem until around 10-p.m. Thursday, and that the problem does not appear to be in the department’s new phone system, but a problem with an outside phone line.

The Chief is presently working with Windstream Communications to resolve the problem. There’s no time table as to when the telephone number will be working again. Brothers stated the problem is vexing and frustrating, given the police department’s switch over to an auto attendant phone system just a little over a week ago.

He also reminds everyone that the Page County Dispatch Center can be reached at 712-542-1419 for non-emergency calls for the police department. Chief Brothers concludes by saying he is sorry for the inconvenience this phone problem has caused.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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A new report ranks the health of every one of Iowa’s 99 counties and it shows some dramatic differences between rural and urban counties. Katie Wehr, spokeswoman for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, says the annual County Health Rankings isn’t a contest but more of a tool or guidebook. “We collect a whole host of data, 30 factors in particular, to talk about how health is much more than what happens in the doctor’s office,” Wehr says. “It includes everything from public safety to education to poverty. That all helps shape how well and how long we live.”

The report shows rural counties have higher premature death rates compared to urban counties. Also, rural counties have higher rates of smoking, obesity, child poverty and teen births, and higher numbers of uninsured adults than their urban counterparts. Large urban counties have lower smoking and obesity rates, fewer injury deaths and more residents who attended college.

“Through the website, CountyHealthRankings.org, it enables communities to see the trends over time within their particular county and also enables them to identify where they’re doing particularly well and where there are additional areas for improvement,” Wehr says. “It also gives them the ability to understand how they’re doing compared to their neighbors so they can continue to learn from their neighbors about what’s working and what’s not.”

The report contains county-by-county breakdowns for all 50 states. Coincidentally, Iowa’s highest- and lowest-ranked counties are both on the western border and in close proximity to one another. “The healthiest county in Iowa is Sioux County and the least healthy or the lowest-ranked county is Monona County,” Wehr says. “What we recognize is the rankings are a starting point and not an ending point. It’s not even a race to the top because rankings vary every year depending on how well you are doing, or not, compared to your neighbor.”

Dallas County, in west central Iowa placed third in the Overall Health Outcomes category. Elsewhere in southwest and western Iowa, Taylor County has the best ranking in the Overall Health Outcomes category, coming in at number 19. Carroll County ranked 21st, Shelby County 28th, Adair County placed 39th in the ranking, while Audubon County was ranked 54th and Guthrie County 61st out of 99 counties in Iowa. Further down the list in 81st place was Cass County, while Adams County ranked in 83rd place.

The report includes a “tools” section that contains a database of approaches, personalized coaching and a range of other resources to help communities in their efforts to improve health.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN)

A reported fight in Villisca early this (Friday) morning, led to two arrests. Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say the Communications Center received a call from 100 E. 2nd Street in Villisca, at around 3:37-a.m., with regard to two males fighting. Deputies subsequently arrested 22-year old Trent Thomas Brammer, of Shenandoah, and 22-year old Ridge Reed Ballard, of Villisca, on charges of Public Intoxication. Both men were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond, each. Ballard was arrested Thursday for providing alcohol to a minor, and had been released on a citation prior to his arrest today.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports three people were arrested Thursday on alcohol-related charges. 22-year old Ridge Reed Ballard, of Villisca, was arrested for providing alcohol to a minor, and 20-year old Jennifer Le Ann Blackburn, of Clarinda, was arrested for Possession of Alcohol Under Legal Age. Both were subsequently released on a citation. 17-year old Dawson Allen Squires, of Shenandoah, was arrested for Possession of Alcohol Under Age, and was later released to a family member. The arrests stemmed from an investigation that took place in the 100 block of E. 2nd Street, in Villisca.

Red Oak Police report two arrests. 37-year old Helen Louise Malone, of Red Oak, was arrested Thursday afternoon on a Montgomery County warrant for Failure to Appear on Court on Snow Emergency and Illegal Parking citations. Her bond was set at $300. And, 85-year old Lois Marilyn Nelson, of Red Oak, was arrested a Montgomery County warrant for Assault. Nelson was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

Nelson was originally arrested March 9th, in connection with an incident which allegedly occurred at the Red Oak Post Office, where employees accused the woman of shoplifting. As an employee tried to recover the undisclosed item, Nelson allegedly hit the victim in the shoulder and spit on his face.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

HINTON, Iowa (AP) — Two people have been seriously injured in a northwest Iowa grain elevator explosion. The Sioux City Journal reports the explosion occurred just after 1 p.m. Thursday at Central Valley Ag in Hinton. Plymouth County Sheriff Mike Van Otterloo says two people were taken to a Sioux City hospital in serious condition.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Legislative leaders say new state revenue projections have adjusted how much they can legally spend for the upcoming fiscal year, and it will mean less money than what was budgeted by Governor Terry Branstad and Senate Democrats. The Republican-majority House released figures Thursday that calculate lawmakers cannot spend more than roughly $7.35 billion for the fiscal year that begins in July.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — A Johnston woman is leading an effort to rename a school building in honor of a local soldier who died while serving in the Middle East. The Des Moines Register reports that Elizabeth Van Gundy has launched an online petition asking the district to rename a building in honor of U.S. Army Captain Daniel Whitten, who was killed in a bomb attack in southern Afghanistan.

FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) — A former police chief in southeast Iowa has been acquitted of a domestic abuse assault charge. The Fort Madison Daily Democrat reports that a jury on Wednesday found 32-year-old William Sackett, the former Donnellson police chief, not guilty after he was arrested in May 2015 for allegedly assaulting his wife.

Republican State Senator Rick Bertrand of Sioux City has made it official. He is challenging fellow Republican Steve King in the June Primary in Iowa’s fourth congressional district. “Two weeks ago I floated the notion I was strongly considering a run for the fourth district and the response has been tremendous, ironically mostly from Republicans,” Bertrand says. “…I am a viable, credible candidate and would pose the greatest threat that Mr. King has ever faced in 14 years.”

King was first elected to congress in 2002. Bertrand, who is 46 years old, is a commercial developer from Sioux City who is in the middle of his second term in the Iowa Senate. Congressman King says Bertrand was recruited by “establishment figures” in the G-O-P who are “frustrated they can’t tell King what to do.”

“The people that are promoting this are angry,” King says. “They want a congressman that will do what they tell them to do rather than reflect the will of the people they represent.” King and Republican Governor Terry Branstad had a very public falling out right before the Iowa Caucuses. Branstad said he hoped Ted Cruz — the candidate King endorsed — would be defeated.

King accuses Eric Branstad, the governor’s son, of being involved in recruiting his primary opponent. “I will not, but I could name four others who turned down that opportunity even though they were offered a good number of funds to run their campaign for them,” King says. Eric Branstad says he had “zero involvement whatsoever” in recruiting Bertrand, but he says primaries are “very healthy” for the party. Bertrand says it is “comical” to suggest his candidacy is backed by the establishment and special interests in Des Moines.

“When I hear ‘special interests’ out of (King’s) mouth, I think of ethanol, corn growers, cattleman,” Bertrand says. “Those aren’t special interests. Those are Iowans.” And Bertrand says King will have to answer for supporting a presidential candidate who wants to get rid of the federal ethanol production mandate. King says he’s waiting to see if GOVERNOR Branstad endorses a candidate in this primary, “then we’ll know” whether the Branstads support him or Bertrand.

(Radio Iowa)

A 30-year-old man described as “severely mentally ill” is in custody for the stabbing deaths of his mother and grandmother in the home they shared in Council Bluffs. Rhonda Shouse says her friend, Jackie Dieckmann, had sought mental health care for her son for years. “This is not a woman who just didn’t know how to access the services,” Shouse says. “Jackie knew every service the state offered, inside and out, and the lack of services failed her.”

Shouse testified today (Thursday) before the Iowa Senate Government Oversight Committee. “I’m here today to implore you on behalf of Jackie and her son who can’t be here because they paid the ultimate prize for Iowa’s failure to provide services and a safety net,” Shouse said, her voice cracking with emotion. Shouse, who is from Marion, is an advocate for expanding the availability of mental health care services in Iowa and that’s how she met Jackie Dieckmann.

Michael Dieckmann is being held on two counts of murder in the deaths of his 63-year-old mother and his 91-year-old grandmother. Their bodies were found on Wednesday. Jackie Dieckmann had served on the Iowa Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council and was active in the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

Advocates like Shouse are telling legislators they’re worried the three private companies that will start managing care for Medicaid patients will restrict or deny critical mental health care services, as a way to make money.

(Radio Iowa)