Iowa state senator deploys to border for immigration enforcement

State Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, will join other state law enforcement officers in a deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas announced by Gov. Kim Reynolds in May.

Outside his Senate position, Dawson is a special agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation in the Major Crimes Unit. He will join around 30 other Department of Public Safety officials in the one-month deployment.

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The state officers will assist local law enforcement in investigations at the border during their time in Texas, according to a Senate Republicans spokesperson.

"It is an honor to continue serving my country, my state, and my community by helping our law enforcement officers at the border,” Dawson said. “I am looking forward to working with my colleagues and Texas law enforcement to try and address this crisis at the border and help protect our nation’s security.”

More than 100 Iowa National Guard soldiers were previously deployed to the border in support of Operation Lone Star, a Texas initiative to deter unlawful border crossings. Reynolds used federal pandemic relief funds to cover the costs, and her office said the deployment will protect the health of Iowans by deterring illegal drug trafficking.

Bird: Robocalls, phone scams top concern of Iowa State fairgoers

An influx of robocalls and phone scams topped the list of concerns Iowans shared with the Iowa Attorney General’s Office at the Iowa State Fair last month.

Iowans also expressed concerns and problems with elder financial abuse, social media accounts being hacked, credit reporting issues, construction and home improvement issues, and deceptive advertising.

Throughout the fair, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird met with Iowans at her office’s booth to answer questions and learn about issues that concern them. Iowans also wrote thank you notes to law enforcement.

The most common problem Iowans reported was receiving an influx of robocalls and scam calls, according to Bird. In May, Bird joined a lawsuit with other states against Avid Telecom, its owners and chief officers for alleged illegal robocalls. The lawsuit accuses the Arizona-based telecommunication business of facilitating billions of illegal robocalls to Americans in the past several years. Scammers have used fake or invalid caller IDs and impersonated law enforcement, according to Bird.

“All too often, scammers take advantage of 'Iowa nice' and manipulate people’s emotions for money,” Bird said in a news release. “We want to make sure Iowans know that we are here to help.”

The office’s Consumer Protection Division can be reached by email at consumer@ag.iowa.gov or by calling 888-777-4590.

Iowans can also find tips on how to avoid scams or fill out a complaint form online.

Reynolds appoints new district court judge

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed Burlington attorney Shane Wiley as a district judge in Judicial District 8B.

Wiley received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law. He fills a vacancy created by the retirement of District Judge Michael Schilling. The judicial district includes Des Moines, Henry and Lee counties.