Official Statement from the Platte Chamber of Commerce: 

We want to assure you that we take the health and well-being of our community and visitors very seriously. Like you, we’ve been closely monitoring the quickly developing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we will be postponing the 24th Annual Fishing Tournament. We did not come to this decision easily and hope you will understand.

We will miss seeing you in May but we will reschedule. We will be working with GF&P to find a new date as soon as possible.

We are all in this together and are thankful for your support of the Platte Area. We will be offering full refunds or you can choose to apply it to the new tournament date this year.

Thank you again for being a part of this tournament.

Sincerely,

Kelsey Lyndoe
Platte Area Chamber of Commerce
plattechamber@midstatesd.net
1-605-337-2275

The Winner School District regular board meeting scheduled for tonight, April 13, 2020, will be conducted virtually at 7:00 PM. Board members and administration will connect via a two-way audio/video. Patrons may dial into the conference and listen to the audio of the meeting and/or be recognized to speak during the public input time. The phone number and pin to dial in are: 1-502-617-0845 PIN: ‪691 862 922#

The Gregory/Dallas Chamber of Commerce is hosting another Cruise Night event this weekend in Dallas, South Dakota.  It will be Saturday, April 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  Cruisers are encouraged to decorate their vehicles, cruise around the water tower and honk and wave with fellow cruisers.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Winner Dental Clinic will be temporarily shifting their focus to providing emergency dental care.  They apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to resuming normal operations soon. One can call 842-1792 for emergency dental care only.

Harry K Napa in Winner is now open Saturdays to pick up client orders.  They are asking clients to call ahead at 842-2507.  Harry K Napa is also able to deliver clients’ parts as well.  The store is located at 1489 West, US-18 in Winner, South Dakota.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, so does uncertainty and fear: two elements that con artists thrive on. During these stressful times, BBB recommends consumers to be especially alert to avoid falling for a scam. Below are the top six coronavirus scams along with as tips to help identify and avoid them.

1. Phony Cures and Fake Masks
BBB Scam Tracker has received numerous reports of people receiving emails and messages claiming that, for a price, they can buy products the government is supposedly keeping secret – ways to prevent or cure coronavirus. Medical experts are working hard to find a coronavirus vaccine, but none currently exists.

2. Economic Impact Payment (Stimulus Check) Scams
As soon as stimulus packages are announced and approved, scammers quickly get to work sending out fake economic impact checks and asking consumers to pay fees to get their money earlier than what the IRS has promised. These claims are false and open consumers to the risk of identity theft and outright theft of the funds in their bank account.

3. Phishing Scams
Several people are now working from home and con artists have stepped up their phishing scams. They may claim to be from an official department of the employer to offer IT support or claim the company issued computer has a virus. They may use scare tactics, stating the computer will crash if you don’t act immediately, all in an attempt to gain access to your computer remotely, or to your personal or company’s information.

4. Government Impersonation
Another common phishing scam brought on by the coronavirus pandemic is fake emails and text messages claiming the government needs you to take an “online coronavirus test” by clicking a link they provide. No such test currently exists but if you click on the link, scammers can download malware onto your computer and gain access to your sensitive personal information.

5. Employment Scams
Many people are looking for work online in the wake of coronavirus shutdowns. Fraudsters find ways to take advantage of this by posting phony work-from-home jobs promising remote work with good pay and no interview required. These cons often use real company names and can be very convincing.

After you are “hired,” the company may charge you upfront for “training.” You may need to provide your personal and banking information to run a credit check or set up direct deposit. You may be “accidentally” overpaid with a fake check and asked to deposit the check and wire back the difference. Or, you are asked to buy expensive equipment and supplies to work at home.

6. Shortage Scams (Price Gouging)
Supplies such as hand sanitizer, face masks, and toilet paper are selling out in stores across the U.S. and Canada. Scammers take advantage of this situation and stockpile items in high demand. Then, they seek out potential clients, online and in person, and sell the products at extremely high prices. Price gouging is illegal and high demands for products can lead to con artists selling products that are used, defective, or otherwise mishandled. In some cases, scammers will con people out of their money by accepting payments for products that don’t exist.