Community News Stories

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Department of Justice
United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum
Southern District of Iowa
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Rachel J. Scherle
Wednesday, April 22, 2020 515-473-9300
http://www.justice.gov/usao/ias Rachel.Scherle@usdoj.gov
U.S. Attorney and IRS-CI Warn Taxpayers against Fraud Schemes
Related to COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments
DES MOINES, Iowa – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of
Iowa and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), St. Louis Field Office, are
warning taxpayers to be on the lookout for scam artists trying to use the COVID-19 economic
impact payments as cover for schemes to steal personal information and money.
United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum and Karl Stiften, Special Agent in Charge,
Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), St. Louis Field Office, made the
announcement today in an effort to prevent taxpayers from falling victim to criminals using the
recently approved economic impact payments as an opportunity to commit a crime.
Automatic COVID-19 economic impact payments started being deposited into taxpayers’
accounts on April 11. For most Americans, this will be a direct deposit into your bank account.
For the unbanked, retirees or other groups who have traditionally received tax refunds via paper
check, they will receive their economic impact payment in this manner as well. Scammers may try
to get you to sign over your check to them or use this as an opportunity to get you to “verify” your
filing information in order to receive your money, and then use your personal information at a
later date to file false tax returns in an identity theft scheme. Because of this, everyone receiving a
COVID-19 related economic impact payment from the government is at risk.
Karl Stiften, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI St. Louis Field Office warned “The
existence of a deadly national pandemic will not stop criminals seeking to capitalize on the fears
and difficulties faced by the public as they try to line their own pockets by stealing your money or
your personal information.”
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“Today, we need to be just as careful about our financial information as we are about our
health,” stated U.S. Attorney Krickbaum. “Don’t give out your financial or personal
information—or your money – over the phone, or in response to emails or texts. And look out for
your elderly neighbors, friends, and relatives to help prevent them from falling victim to
scammers.”
Special Agent in Charge Stiften offers the following information and tips to spot a scam
and understand how the COVID-19 related economic impact payments will be issued.
• The IRS will deposit your check into the direct deposit account you previously
provided on your tax return (or, in the alternative, send you a paper check).
• The IRS will not call and ask you to verify your payment details. Do not give out
your bank account or any other account information – even if someone claims it’s necessary to get
your check. It’s a scam.
• If you receive a call, don’t engage with scammers or thieves, even if you want to
tell them that you know it’s a scam, or you think that you can beat them. Just hang up.
• If you receive texts or emails claiming that you can get your money faster by
sending personal information or clicking on links, delete them. Don’t click on any links in those
emails or texts.
• Reports are also swirling about bogus checks. If you receive a check that requires
that you verify the check online or by calling a number, it’s a fraud.
In these uncertain and trying times, we need to stand together united with purpose. Don’t
become a victim by allowing criminals to exploit your emotions. Stay strong, tell your family,
friends and neighbors about these scams.
“IRS Criminal Investigation alongside the U.S. Department of Justice are prioritizing these
types of investigations to help protect taxpayers and the tax system, especially those looking to
prey on vulnerable taxpayers,” said Special Agent in Charge Stiften. “Remember, go directly
and solely to IRS.gov for official information.”
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For more information, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov/coronavirus. You can always
report scams to the IRS on the website at https://www.irs.gov/privacy-disclosure/report-phishing
# # # # #

April 22, 2020

For Immediate Release

Re: Winneshiek County Development Launches an Interactive List of Available Local, State and Federal Programs for Businesses and Individuals

Contact:

Stephanie Fromm, Winneshiek County Development and Tourism

563-382-6061

director@winneshiekdevelopment.org

Winneshiek County Development and Tourism (WCDT) launches a new Small Business Assistance Program Directory on the WCDT website, www.winneshiekdevelopment.org under the Services tab. The new Directory offers a searchable organized list of available local, state, federal, public and private programs, including grants. The search filter allows users to easily find and access programs and resources that specifically apply to them.

Stephanie Fromm, Executive Director for Winneshiek County Development and Tourism states, “We have new grant and program announcements and updates from state and federal partners almost daily. So many in fact that we were having trouble figuring out how to share the information with our business partners without overwhelming them. Not everyone will qualify for every program or grant but we don’t want anyone to miss out on an opportunity they do qualify for. So we thought, why not fix this and make it simple for everyone. We started working with Brad Crawford because he has developed unique interactive web platforms in the past. He has years of experience working on projects that maximize the interface between information technology and the social and physical conditions that influence human cognition and retention. As a result, the development of this new Directory provides a model that other communities in Iowa can learn from.”

The site will be updated daily with new information and available grants and loans as the team finds them. Lora Friest, Project Coordinator for WCDT noted, “Stephanie, I, and our Small Business Consultants are constantly on the look-out for new grants and programs, as well as updates to existing opportunities. We always want our existing businesses and community members to have every opportunity to find and secure financial and technical assistance – even more so during this difficult time. Economic Development isn’t just about recruiting new businesses, it is also about helping the businesses we have when they need it. However, honestly, figuring out and keeping track of these programs can be daunting for small business owners and community members. I feel confident that this new Directory will help.”

The Winneshiek County Small Business Development Counselors have also been working with WCDT staff to help develop and update the on-going list of available grants, loans, and funds that support our local businesses. Josh Dansdill, SBDC Counselor, shared “There have been hundreds of phone calls from small business owners throughout the region taking advantage of our Helpline services to talk and get one-on-one assistance. This is just one more opportunity for those who want it to access information. Not everyone feels comfortable talking about financial issues over the phone. This new Directory will help them get updated information they need via the web.”

Fromm also noted that the Directory doesn’t preclude anyone from contacting her or one of the Small Business Counselors with questions and that the information on the Directory will be updated. “There are four of us taking questions and helping small businesses. We know that sometimes it just helps to talk with a person and many people prefer that. That won’t change. We’ll still be here. However, information changes so quickly, the Directory provides an opportunity for everyone to see updates and get additional information on-line. The site makes it so people don’t have to check multiple websites, multiple times a week. We specifically include additional programs and grant opportunities for certain areas of our workforce. Additional programs and funding opportunities are announced or re-opened every week, so we will update the Directory regularly.”

DATE:  April 21, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Decorah Parks and Recreation Virtual Race Series

PRESS CONTACT:  Erika Randall (563) 382-4158, parkrec@decorahia.org

Decorah Parks and Recreation invites runners (and walkers) of all ages, speeds and abilities to participate in a free Virtual Race Series!

The Virtual Race Series will include different race distances each week. Individuals may participate in one or all of the races. Participants should run (or walk) alone or with members of the same household. The race can take place anywhere a participant enjoys running or walking.

Participants may run or walk the required distance as many times as they want during the week, but participants should only submit their fastest completed race time. Times must be submitted by midnight on the final day of each designated race week.

Races are run on an honor system and the Decorah Parks and Recreation Department asks that participants be honest and accurate with the times they submit. Participants may contact the Decorah Park-Rec Office if they have questions or need assistance calculating the distance of a particular route.

Registration and race results should be submitted using the website link available at https://parks.decorahia.org/ for the corresponding race period. If a participant does not have internet access, results may be submitted by calling the Decorah Park-Rec Office at 563-382-4158.

Awards will be given to the top male and top female participant in each week’s race (5k, 5 mile and 10k). Weekly drawing prizes will be awarded to two randomly selected participants in the Kids 1-mile race and two randomly selected participants in each week’s respective race.

The Decorah Parks and Recreation Virtual Race Series Calendar

April 21 – April 27  (Open to submit results April 21 – April 27)

• 5k (awards to top overall male & female, all participants eligible for drawing prize)
• Kids 1 mile (all participants eligible for drawing prize)

April 28 – May 4  (Open to submit results April 28 – May 4)

• 5 mile (awards to top overall male & female, all participants eligible for drawing prize)
• Kids 1 mile (all participants eligible for drawing prize)

May 5 – May 11  (Open to submit results May 5–11)

• 10k (awards to top overall male & female, all participants eligible for drawing prize)
• Kids 1 mile (all participants eligible for drawing prize)

This is an official city press release.  Modifications of any kind are prohibited without express written consent of the author.  Any reprint or broadcast of this information must include this entire communication.

April 21, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Mary Marx, Director of Marketing & Communications

563-387-3020 ● marxm@winmedical.org

WMC announces cancellation of 2020 Grand Community Picnic

Winneshiek Medical Center has announced the Grand Community Picnic will not be held in 2020, due to COVID-19 precautions.  Typically, the picnic takes place the end of August.

“The Grand Community Picnic has been a fun tradition for many families as summer winds down each year.  We are saddened by the need to cancel the 2020 event, and look forward to the future when we can safely gather for the event again,” says Lisa Radtke, chief administrative officer, Winneshiek Medical Center.

The primary influencing factors in this decision were as follows:

• The amount of dedicated time, staff and dollars required to plan the picnic when energy is focused on the medical center’s COVID-19 response and recovery.
• Concern for our community’s safety at a large event, even if state guidelines have been lifted to allow for gatherings to resume.
• Our desire to respect other organizations that support WMC’s efforts in making the picnic successful when they are focusing time, energy and expense on their own COVID-19 responses.

Radtke says, “This decision was made with great discernment. We believe it is the best decision at this time so we may focus our efforts on caring for our patients, staff and communities during the height of the pandemic.”

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Telehealth Options for Iowans
Issued 04/17/2020
Iowa health insurers and healthcare providers may have developed additional telehealth
capabilities, enabling their patients to be medically assessed remotely, without overwhelming
Iowa healthcare facilities.
Iowans can check their health insurance or healthcare provider’s website or call for guidance
on how to access their telehealth systems. Examples of known telehealth options include:
Wellmark Virtual Visits
https://www.wellmark.com/blue-at-work/tags/virtual-visits
Amerigroup Iowa 24/7 Nurse Help-Line
https://www.myamerigroup.com/ia/care/care-options.html
Iowa Total Care 24/7 Nurse Help-Line
https://www.mercyone.org/find-a-service-or-specialty/virtual-visits/
Unity Point Health Virtual Care
https://www.unitypoint.org/clinics/virtual-care.aspx
MercyOne Virtual Care
https://www.mercyone.org/find-a-service-or-specialty/virtual-visits/
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
https://medcom.uiowa.edu/theloop/news/video-visits-now-available-to-help-diagnose-flu-orcovid-19-concerns
The Iowa eClinic Virtual Care
https://www.iowaclinic.com/for-patients/eclinic/virtual-care/
CHI Health Virtual Care
https://www.chihealth.com/en/services/virtual-care.html
Medical Associates Information on Telehealth Visits and Nurse Help-Line
https://www.mahealthcare.com/insurance/member/telehealth-virtual-visits-for-members
Genesis Convenient CareNow Virtual Care
https://www.genesishealth.com/care-treatment/convenientcare-emergencyservices/convenient-care-/convenient-carenow-online/
Grand River Medical Group Acute Care Clinic – Virtual Visit
https://www.grandrivermedicalgroup.com/find-a-location/locations-profile/grmg-acuteclinic/?searchId=7b9839ea-c780-ea11-a82b-000d3a61151d&sort=13&page=1&pageSize=10
Physicians Clinics of Iowa Televisit
https://www.pcofiowa.com/patients-visitors/televisit/
Knoxville Hospital & Clinics Mobile Express Care

Home

Crescent Community Health Center
https://crescentchc.org/what-we-do/our-services/telehealth-services.html
Primary Health Care
https://phciowa.org/virtual-visits-at-primary-health-care/
Community Health Center
https://www.chcqca.org/chc-iconnect-virtual-care
Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa
http://chcsi.org/Locations/VirtualVisits.aspx
Peoples Community Health Clinic

Telehealth

For Immediate Release

Re: Winneshiek County Development Secures Federal Funding for Two New Projects

Contact:

Stephanie Fromm, Winneshiek County Development and Tourism

563-382-6061

director@winneshiekdevelopment.org

Winneshiek County Development and Tourism (WCDT) announced Friday that they had secured federal Rural Business Development Grants (RBDG) for two new projects. WCDT Executive Director Stephanie Fromm said that WCDT was awarded an RBDG grant from USDA Rural Development to provide technical assistance, including architectural services and planning, for a new Northeast Iowa Child Care and Discover Center. “The award will help us double our local contributions for the project and give us an opportunity to develop high quality plans for the proposed facility.”

Fromm said WCDT has been exploring the potential for development of the new facility for several months in response to the shortage of child care in Winneshiek County and Northeast Iowa. She noted that several factors influenced development of the project, among them reports from several local businesses and employers who are having difficulty recruiting workers because potential employees can’t find daycare. Daycares have reported long waiting lists and, as regulations have increased, several in-home daycares in the county have closed. Several local businesses provided letters of support for the project.

“We understand and support our existing child care facilities. In fact, development of the new facility is just one strategy we are working on to meet the need and strengthen our workforce. WCDT recognizes that we can’t solve every aspect of the problem, but we do believe that we can turn the challenges we have into opportunities. To do that we will implement a multi-faceted approach that considers children first, recognizes that different families will select different types of child care options for their children, and maximizes local resources to benefit as many children as possible.”

Fromm went on to note that WCDT’s goal is to build on existing nonprofit, private, and public facilities and programs while creating new spaces for child care, child discovery and creative play. WCDT has helped licensed child care facilities maximize their opportunities and secure funding for programming and facility upgrades. WCDT is seeking additional partnerships and funding to help unlicensed child care facilities become licensed if they desire and working with partners and legislators to increase awareness about child care costs, wage issues, and infrastructure needs.

The second RBDG was awarded to Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) to work with WCDT to conduct research and planning to explore the potential for the North Winneshiek School to be developed into a Business Enterprise Center. The application was completed as a joint effort between WCDT and RC&D. Fromm noted, “Although we could only apply for one RBDG a year, we felt strongly that the window of opportunity for the North Winn School to be developed into a Business Enterprise Center was something we didn’t want to miss. We didn’t want to have to pick between the two projects. Our partnership with the RC&D made it possible for us to make progress on both projects at the same time.”

WCDT and the RC&D will use the grant funding and local matching dollars to conduct a site assessment, feasibility study, develop a business plan, and work with local entrepreneurs, businesses, and partners to develop a plan for how to move forward with use of the North Winn School as an Enterprise Center will foster business development far into the future. Josh Dansdill, RC&D Grants Specialist and Business Development Planner, worked with the WCDT team to develop the application from the RC&D. He said, “When Lora Friest, Stephanie Fromm, and I toured the building with Mark Lane, Superintendent of Decorah School District, we could see the potential immediately. I have visited and studied enterprise centers throughout the Midwest and am excited to have the opportunity to be part of the project.”

Fromm noted that several citizens from the northern part of the county had contacted her asking for help to consider uses for the vacant facility and that during development of the grant, several entrepreneurs and small business owners provided letters of support. “We know there is support for the project and that the RC&D will be a wonderful partner. They have a great deal of experience with business planning, feasibility studies and working with entrepreneurs. They have also completed extensive research on enterprise centers, so we are very excited to work with them to complete this project over the next year,” said Fromm.

Fromm noted that local contributions made to WCDT or the RC&D for either project will be tax deductible and will be doubled through the grants. “These federal dollars give people a chance to double our local investment in our children and grandchildren, as well as to foster business development in Winneshiek County through an exciting new venture”.

The Professional Beauty Association is offering a COVID-19 Relief Fund to help support licensed beauty professionals who have not been able to work or are experiencing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This fund will provide $500 for short-term immediate needs such as food and bills. Applications will be reviewed on a daily basis Monday through Friday, and they will be funded using a lottery system as donations are received so that all eligible applicants have an equal chance of receiving aid. Eligible licensure types include cosmetologist, barber, hair, esthetics, instructor, make-up, massage therapy, nail tech, and specialty. Learn more and apply here: https://www.probeauty.org/covid-relief-fund-application

In light of the recent freeze on new applications for the PPP & EIDL, and with very few successful State grant awardees, we wanted to share some other resources that may be of interest to you.  We have compiled the full list on our website

http://www.howard-county.com/iowa/covid19-information.html

Press Release:  April 18, 2020

Contact:  Brenda Pohlman bpohlman@co.fillmore.mn.us

Fillmore County Still Seeking Donations for COVID-19 Response

Fillmore County Public Health is still accepting sewn masks, sewn gowns, and sewing materials to address COVID-19 response needs.  The goal is to obtain 5,000 sewn masks and 500 sewn gowns.  As of April 18, 617 masks and 11 gowns have been donated and distributed to areas of community need.  Sewing materials accepted include cotton cloth and elastic.  See the Fillmore County Public Health website for a pattern and instructions for making twenty-four masks at a time.  Gown patterns are now available onsite from Fillmore County Public Health.

Materials are welcome Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM.  Place donations and forms in the gray tote outside of the upper level of the Fillmore County Office Building located at 902 Houston Street NW, Preston, MN  55965.  Please call 507-765-2642 with questions.  Thanks for your help and support!

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 17, 2020

Contact: Erin Berns at Veterans Memorial Hospital 568-3411

Public Health Proclamation Tightens Restrictions for Allamakee County Residents

Governor Reynolds issued a proclamation April 16, 2020, tightening restrictions for Allamakee County residents to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the county and the state.

“Our region of the state has reached the threshold for which extra measures are needed,” said Allamakee County Public Health Director Lisa Moose. “This threshold includes regional measures of the rate of COVID-19 illness and hospitalization, long-term care outbreaks and the percentage of the population age 65 and older.”

In addition to Allamakee County, the affected region includes Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Grundy, Howard, Jones, Linn and Winneshiek counties.

The proclamation is in effect until April 30:

• Weddings, funerals, and other spiritual and religious gatherings may be held ONLY if there are 10 or fewer people AND all people stay at least 6 feet away from each other.
• All other social, community, recreational, leisure and sporting gatherings of any size with people outside of the same household are prohibited.
• Any person leaving their home must stay at least 6 feet away from anyone who does not live in their household whenever possible.
• Employers must evaluate if employees can work from home, and take steps to enable work from home for those who can.
• All businesses who remain open must take reasonable measures to protect employees and the public, including employee screening, social distancing and increased cleaning.

These restrictions apply to anyone in the affected counties, whether they live there, work there (and live in another country), or are visiting.

To read the governor’s proclamations, visit http://coronavirus.iowa.gov/. The Allamakee County Health Department continues to work closely with IDPH, and other state and local partners to respond to this ongoing pandemic.