One person was killed and another seriously injured in a two vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon near New London. According to the Iowa State Patrol Norman Hirschy of Mount Pleasant died when the pickup he was driving crossed the center line and struck pickup driven by Sheila Wilkerson of New London. Wilkerson was transported to University Hospitals by air. The crash occurred at about 3 pm of the 2500 block of 260th Street also known as Old Hwy 34 west of New London. This is the second fatal crash in a week and a half near New London. Two people were killed in a single vehicle accident southeast of New London on November 26.
Henry County Board of Supervisors Meeting Agenda
December 8, 2022
Approve Agenda
Approve Minutes
Approve Claims
9:00 Open Bids and Approve for Security, Fire and
Access Control Systems Installation & Monitoring Service
9:30 Approve Final Plat of John Clark Subdivision
Section 25 & 26-71-6
Other County Business as time allows
Supervisors Sub-Committee Updates
Patsy Joan Isle
Patsy Joan Isle, 86, of Winfield, formerly of Terre Haute, Indiana, died Tuesday, December 6, 2022 in Winfield. She was born July 11, 1936 in Casey, Illinois to Leo and Laura Michaels Cutright. She attended school in Casey, Illinois. On September 10, 1953, she married Robert Blunk in Mississippi; they divorced. She then married Glen Isle; he preceded her in death. Following his death thirty-five years ago, she moved to Winfield to be near family.
She worked as a CNA at Klein hospital in Burlington and as a personal home health care provider. She enjoyed gardening; playing cards with family and friends; enjoyed reading; was very close to her sisters; and always had a cat.
Survivors include two daughters, Tena (Roy) Dixon of Burlington and Lorie (Bill, Jr.) VanAmerongen of Winfield; one son Michael Blunk of Newton, Iowa; eleven grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren. Besides her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her son Anthony and daughter Anna; four sisters, Madge, LaVon, Deana and Linda; and three brothers, Jim, Terry and Bud.
According to her wishes, her body will be cremated and a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Elliott Chapel, New London, is assisting the family with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to your local fire department or animal shelter. Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.
James Steven Beger
James Steven Beger, 72, of rural Franklin, Iowa, passed away at 7:44 a.m. Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at his home.
He was born on July 7, 1950, in St. Charles, Missouri, the son of Harold and Elizabeth “Betty” Mae (Heye) Beger. On December 17, 1977, he married Judy Watkins at the Sharon Presbyterian Church in rural Farmington, Iowa.
Survivors include his wife: Judy; three brothers: Tom (Chris) Beger of Columbia, Missouri, Bob (Judy) Beger of High Ridge, Missouri, John (Cindy) Beger of Rolla, Missouri; step-daughter: Wendy (Loren) Caviness of Montrose, Iowa; two daughters: Louisa (Duane) Beger – McConnell of Fort Madison, Iowa, Katherine (Wade) Warner of Selah, Washington; six grandchildren: Ryan Caviness, Matthew Caviness, Shawn Caviness, Elijah McConnell, Olivia Warner and Katalina Warner. Also surviving are five nieces.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Jim was a graduate of the University of Missouri in Columbia. He served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He owned and operated Beger Lawn Spraying and sold Aflac Insurance. Jim was a member of Sharon Presbyterian Church and the Tri-State Gun Club. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, skeet shooting, watching wildlife, traveling and being outdoors.
His body has been entrusted to the crematory of Schmitz Funeral Home for cremation.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Burial will be at the Sharon Church Cemetery.
A memorial has been established in his memory for the Job’s Closet Food Pantry of Bonaparte.
Schmitz Funeral Home of Donnellson is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.
Consumer Connection: Discussing Scams and Fraud with Your Family Members over the Holidays
Consumer Connection: Discussing Scams and Fraud with Your Family Members over the Holidays
| By Sonya Sellmeyer, Consumer Advocacy Officer for the Iowa Insurance Division
This holiday season, Iowans will gather with loved ones making it a great time for discussions about financial fraud to help prevent those you care about from becoming victims. The Iowa Insurance Division’s Iowa Fraud Fighters program focuses on fraud against elder Iowans, but younger Iowans are also falling victim to scams at a higher rate than ever before. Fraud prevention firm SEON analyzed data collected in 2020 by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and found fraud complaints from consumers under the age of 20 had the largest increase in 2019 and 2020. Victims under 20 had collective losses of approximately $3,000 per person. The report also found that the older the victim, the more money they lost. This finding may be due to older Americans having more assets than our younger consumers. Fraudsters do not discriminate when it comes to age.
Consumers of all ages should know these tips to prevent being scammed:
What can you do if you suspect fraud: If a bank account or credit card is involved, notify the fraud department right away. Don’t engage or pay the scammer any money or provide them any personal information. Another good step to take is to freeze your credit. If you suspect a problem with your computer, update your computer’s security software and run a scan or take the computer to a local repair center. Report fraud to the appropriate authorities, and document what happened while it is still fresh in your mind. Insurance and investment fraud should be reported to the Iowa Insurance Division at 877-955-1212. Medicare scams may be reported to Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) at 800-351-4664. Consumer scams may be reported to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office at 888-777-4590. If money has been lost, file a report with local law enforcement too. Discuss these fraud prevention tips with all your family members this holiday season. If your loved ones need further guidance, the Iowa Insurance Division is here to help. Ensuring all Iowans aren’t alone when making decisions in this very serious area is one of the best gifts you can provide your loved ones this holiday season. ### |
ALERT: Text messages claiming locked EBT Cards are a scam
Iowans should never provide their EBT Card number or PIN to others
DES MOINES – The Iowa Attorney General’s office and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services warn Iowans to be on the lookout for spam text messages regarding EBT cards.
EBT cards are used to distribute government benefits like food assistance, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamps.
Both agencies have recently received reports from Iowans of text messages that indicate their EBT cards are locked. The message includes a phone number to call for assistance. Iowa HHS did not send these messages.
Iowans should never share their card number or PIN number with anyone. Government agencies will never request your personal information, EBT card number, or PIN by text message.
This scam is particularly serious because those who receive benefits rely on these funds to feed their families. However, benefits lost due to fraudulent or scam activity cannot be replaced. If you are the victim of an EBT scam, you should file a report with your local law enforcement agency.
Scammers send messages to thousands of random phone numbers at a time. There is no indication EBT or SNAP households are being targeted directly.
If you received a spam text message regarding a locked EBT card, please file a report with the Federal Trade Commission.
The AG’s Consumer Protection Division provides the following tips for Iowans regarding spam text messages:
- Do not reply or click on links to any unsolicited messages.
- Don’t respond to spam text messages, even to ask the sender to stop contacting you. Responding verifies that your phone number is active and that you are willing to open messages, which may lead to an increase in the unsolicited text messages you receive.
- Immediately delete text messages that ask you to confirm or provide personal information.
- If you think the message might be real, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real. Not the information in the text message.
The Federal Trade Commission provide additional tips on spotting and reporting spam text messages. Read them here.
Doris Jean Robbins
Doris Jean Robbins, 73, of Keosauqua, Iowa, passed away at 6:05 p.m. Monday, December 5, 2022, at the Van Buren County Hospital in Keosauqua, Iowa.
She was born on October 29, 1949, in Burlington, Iowa, the daughter of Ray and Viola (Brockway) Basquin. On January 5, 1978, she married Kenneth Robbins in Keosauqua, Iowa. He preceded her in death.
Survivors include her three sisters: Diana Boyd of Valley Falls, Kansas, Pat Bean of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Suzanne Downer of Sperry, Iowa and one brother: Kenneth Basquin of Allerton, Iowa. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband: Kenneth.
Doris was a graduate of Mediapolis High School. She worked at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, Hawkeye Steel and Siliconics in California. She enjoyed playing Bingo and mushroom hunting. Doris was always known for helping others.
Her body has been entrusted to the crematory of Schmitz Funeral Home for cremation.
A private graveside service will be held at a later date at the Harness Cemetery near Mt. Sterling, Iowa.
In lieu of flowers or memorials, the family asks that people do a kind deed for someone in her memory.
Schmitz Funeral Home of Farmington is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.
SFM Fairfield Honored with Iowa Venture Award
The Iowa Area Development Group (IADG) and its Rural Electric Cooperative partners honored seven distinguished Iowa companies with the Iowa Venture Award at a luncheon held in conjunction with the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives’ annual meeting. Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority, joined IADG as the presenter of the awards.
SFM Fairfield
Nominated by Access Energy Cooperative
Sun & Fun Motorsports (SFM) Fairfield opened their new showroom and parts center in the Fairfield Business & Industrial Park in August. SFM Fairfield offers ATVs, side-by-sides and motorcycles from a growing stable of brands, including Can-Am, CFMOTO, SSR and Benelli. They also offer parts and services for these brands and more.
SFM was formed in 2013 by Scott Goedken and is headquartered in Iowa City. After adding two additional dealerships in Iowa City, SFM searched for a location to better serve southeast Iowa and the surrounding border states. Fairfield was selected because of the available speculative building, location and local support.
Access Energy Cooperative and Northeast Power supported the development of the industrial park, the construction of the speculative building and the location of SFM to the park.
“The Iowa Venture Award provides an opportunity to recognize and thank companies that are innovating, creating jobs, and investing in Iowa,” said IADG President/CEO Bruce Nuzum. “IADG and its partners are proud to recognize SFM Fairfield for the contributions they are making in the community, state and beyond.”
About the Iowa Venture Award
This marks the 34th year that IADG has presented Iowa Venture Awards to individuals and organizations, both large and small, in recognition of their significant contributions to Iowa’s economy through entrepreneurial leadership, innovation, and the creation of job opportunities. Together they are helping to sustain and grow Iowa’s economy. The Iowa Venture Award Hall of Fame showcasing these 287 companies can be found at www.IADG.com/HallOfFame.