Press Release: Fraud Alert for Thomas County Businesses!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 1, 2020
Contact: Vernon Hurd, Executive Director
Phone: 785-460-4511

FRAUD ALERT FOR THOMAS COUNTY BUSINESSES

Colby, Kansas -- Vernon Hurd, Executive Director of the Thomas County Economic Development Alliance has received reports from Thomas County business owners who have been contacted by individuals representing themselves as able to guarantee approval for U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans if they engage their services. “In each instance,” Hurd said “the businesses were guaranteed approval once they completed the application and provided their banking information. They were told the banking information was necessary for upfront payment of the application fee and then also to receive direct deposit of the loan amount.”
The SBA does not initiate contact for disaster loans or grants. If you are contacted by someone
promising to get approval of an SBA loan, but requires any payment up front or offers a high interest
bridge loan in the interim, suspect fraud. SBA limits the fees a broker can charge a borrower to 3% for loans $50,000 or less and 2% for loans $50,000 to $1,000,000 with an additional ¼% on amounts over $1,000,000. Any attempt to charge more than these fees is inappropriate.
Mr. Hurd stated, “If a business needs any assistance completing the application process for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan you should feel free to contact our office.” Mr. Hurd has completed training to provide technical assistance and receives regular updates about changes to the program. He may be reached at 785-460-4511.
Businesses are also cautioned to be aware of phishing scams. If you are in the process of applying for
an SBA loan and receive email correspondence asking for PII, ensure that the referenced application
number is consistent with the actual application number. Any email communication from SBA will come from accounts ending with sba.gov.
Look out for phishing attacks/scams utilizing the SBA logo. These may be attempts to obtain your
personally identifiable information (PII),to obtain personal banking access, or to install
ransomware/malware on your computer. The presence of an SBA logo on a webpage does not
guarantee the information is accurate or endorsed by SBA. Please cross-reference any information you receive with information available at www.sba.gov.
Report any suspected fraud to the SBA Office of the Inspector General’s Hotline at 800-767-0385.

Social Distancing Egg Hunt

Families and businesses are invited to decorate and hang paper eggs in your front windows by April 5th. During the week of April 5th to April 12th, walk or take a car ride and have kids keep track of how many eggs they find!

Department of Labor Information

DEPTARTMENT OF LABOR INFORMATION:

Individual Filing for Unemployment Insurance Benefits

Unemployment insurance benefits may be available to individuals who are involuntarily

unemployed as a result of COVID-19. The amount of the benefit will vary based upon

the amount of money that the individual has previously earned, but will be between

$122 and $488 per week. At this time, individuals can receive up to a maximum of

16 weeks of benefits.You can view video tutorials on the application process, what

to do after filing an initial claim, and more at www.dol.ks.gov/tutorials.

Notice from Citizens Health

CITIZENTS HEALTH UPDATE

New Update as of 3-27-2020

·

We have been informed of the first positive case of COVID-19 in Gove County. As a

response we are taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of our staff & patients.

Please see our updated procedures below:

Citizens Medical Center:

·    NO VISITORS

·    Exceptions (OB: 1 support person for duration of stay; Pediatric: 1 parent at

a time; Out-Patient Clinic: 1 visitor per visit if needed)

·

ALL PATIENTS & VISITORS WILL BE SCREENED

·    Valet Services Discontinued

Family Center for Health Care:

·    Routine visits will go to telehealth (patients will be notified)

·    The waiting room is now closed. While waiting for your visit, remain in your

vehicle & call (785) 462-6184 for assistance

·    Only 1 pediatric support person allowed

·    If you have any questions or concerns related to COVID19 including testing,

symptoms, or isolation please call our community COVID19 hotline at 785-462-6184

and press 3

Make a Goal to Stay Positive

News is always at our fingertips, and it moves quickly! With the amount of information being thrust at us, it's easy to become overwhelmed and drop into a negative mindset, especially if we're stuck at home. 
Behold! A list of ways to retain positivity:

• Look up uplifting and inspiring quotes
  -Bonus: Research the amazing people behind the quotes.
• Bake Something, bread or sweets, your family will thank you!
  -Try this amazing banana bread recipe.
• Go outside and breathe the fresh air. If it's too cold or hot, just open the windows for ten minutes to let it circulate!
• Drink Water. Seriously. Just do it. Dehydration causes anger, fear and fatigue.
• Push the STOP button when negative thoughts creep in- it's easy to fall down that rabbit hole and dwell. Recognize and stop those thoughts in their tracks and throw in a positive. It's amazing how many more will follow, unprovoked.
• Listen to music. Find the sounds that are so happy, you are unable to keep the negative mindset.
• Grab a coloring book and lose yourself in the sweet nothing of coloring. Then you have a pretty picture for your fridge!
• Exercise! Take a walk. It has an amazing ability to clear your mind. (Just practice social distancing)
• Take on a project- big or small- that's been weighing down your to-do list.
• Practice Gratitude. It's as easy as saying thank you.

Tips From Friends:

• Write Letters! Send a letter to your grandparents. Write a thank you card (even an old leftover valentines) to your teacher. Anyone! It will make their day.
• Clean or organize shelves, drawers, pantry, etc.- it's proven that cleaning up the clutter creates a positive attitude.
• Tap into your creativity- do a puzzle, journal, paint, draw... the options are endless.
• Read a book! Better yet, read to learn something new.

What are some of your favorite ways to stay positive? We can add it to the list! E-mail us at kyvzatwood@gmail.com. 
Remember, we aren't always able to spend this much time with family, so make sure you enjoy it to the fullest! Put down your phone once in awhile 😉. Stay positive, friends.

~Chelsea K

(Photo Credit: Courtney Kinnett)

Looking for Information about COVID-19?

CORONAVIRUS LINKS

CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/

KDHE - https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus

Thomas County Health Dept - https://www.thomascohealth.com/