Storm Clouds Around Oakland Last Night
June 26, 2014 Leave a comment
It thundered in Oakland last evening, but only a tenth of an inch of rain was in the rain gauge. Photo Credit/Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.
Former Oaklander Loses all in Tornado
June 26, 2014 Leave a comment
June 1
Destruction of the house and buildings outside of Val and Brian Baker’s in rural Wakefield. Photos Courtesy of Connie Peterson.
6th was a very frightening day for many people in Eastern Nebraska as meteorologists indicated there was a good chance of severe storms, and possibly tornadoes, in Eastern Nebraska. They weren’t wrong. Many areas in the state suffered loss of their homes, places of work, and their community they reside in.
A former Oakland resident and her husband fell victim to a tornado that day, losing her home of many years and most of their possessions.
Val (Carlson) Baker and her husband Brian of rural Wakefield, NE are among the many people to have endured such a tragedy that day. Val is formerly from Oakland, NE and is a 1972 graduate of Oakland-Craig High School. She is the sister of Connie Peterson of Oakland, NE. “Their home was located five miles south of Wakefield. If you are willing to donate gift cards please send them to me at 112 S. Fried Avenue in Oakland, Ne. 68045 and I will get them to Val and Brian” stated Connie. “If you have any questions, please contact me at 402-685-5115.”
If you want to send a check to the above address, please make the check out to Val and Brian Baker.
“Val and Brian appreciate everyone’s thoughts, prayers and assistance at such a terrible time for them,” Connie said.
Byway of Art Receives Grant
June 26, 2014 Leave a comment
| Today, the Center for Rural Affairs announced that the organization will receive one of 55 grants awarded by ArtPlace America in 2014 to support creative placemaking across the country. The $200,000 grant will support the cooperative creation of a public artwork in each of four neighboring towns, guidance from an established visiting artist, and celebration of the completed works with a tour in Autumn of 2015. “Investing in and supporting the arts have a profound impact on the social, physical, and economic futures of communities. Projects like these demonstrate how imaginative and committed people are when it comes to enhancing their communities with creative interventions and thoughtful practices.” ArtPlace Executive Director Jamie L. Bennett.
According to Adele Phillips with the Center for Rural Affairs, the 2014 ArtPlace awardees represent 4% of the 1,270 letters of inquiry ArtPlace received this year. This year, 31% of ArtPlace’s grants will go to projects working in rural communities, which compares with 17% last year.
“This is an unprecedented opportunity for the Center for Rural Affairs, and we are delighted to share this exciting news,” said Phillips. “Deploying the arts can transform communities, and receiving such generous support from ArtPlace validates both our past work and future vision.”
We are particularly proud to be part of the upswing in awards for art projects in rural and small town America. And we commend ArtPlace America for recognizing the potential for community art initiatives in so many rural places across the nation this year.
Jan Cline-Zimmerman, proprietor of Creative Connection Studio Gallery in Oakland, Nebraska, is excited to see the arts move forward in these small towns. “I have dedicated over 30 years to teaching students of all ages in the fine arts. This funding will allow many more opportunities to expand creativity within the region and encourage communication across multiple generations and cultures.”
Next steps in project implementation will include an Artist’s Talk on public art, and invitations to community members to join in on this exciting opportunity. The Center for Rural Affairs welcomes the citizens of Lyons, Decatur, Macy and Oakland, Nebraska, to celebrate the news of this exciting opportunity.
About ArtPlace America ArtPlace America (ArtPlace) advances the field of creative placemaking, in which art and culture plays an explicit and central role in shaping communities’ social, physical, and economic futures. To date, ArtPlace has awarded $56.8 million through 189 grants to projects serving 122 communities across 42 states and the District of Columbia.
ArtPlace is a collaboration among the Barr Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Ford Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The William Penn Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Rasmuson Foundation, The Surdna Foundation, and two anonymous donors.
ArtPlace seeks advice and counsel from its close working relationships with the following federal agencies: the National Endowment for the Arts, the US Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Education, and Transportation, along with leadership from the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Domestic Policy Council.
ArtPlace has additional partnership from six major financial institutions: Bank of America, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Chase, MetLife and Morgan Stanley.The deadline for submission for a 2015 grant application will be announced later this year. For more information or to join ArtPlace’s mailing list, visit www.artplaceamerica.org.
For additional information about ArtPlace contact: Bow Bridge Communications, LLC, New York City, Libby Mark, Managing Principal, 917- 968-5567, info@bow-bridge.com.
|
IRS Phone Scam Continues
June 25, 2014 1 Comment
Tax season may be over but that has not stopped scammers from continuing to pose as IRS officials and making calls threatening jail, deportation and loss of property. Thousands of calls have been made to individuals across the country including the Chicago and Northern Illinois area with total losses around one million dollars.
Callers to the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois say they have been left voicemail messages stating they need to contact the IRS immediately or they would face legal consequences. Other messages threatened arrest by U.S. Marshals for failure to pay the correct amount of taxes.
Hoffman Estates resident, Bert Adams says, “I had a phone message from Kelly Gray who said she worked for the IRS and that I was to call the IRS right away.” This call was less threatening and demanding than other calls as Adams noted her sign-off was “Good bye and take care.”
John Strandin, of Rockford, IL says that he and his wife received two calls from a man who claimed his wife had not correctly filed her returns for the last six years. Standin says, “we knew it was a scam because my wife has not filed an individual tax return in more than 10 years.”
All calls to Adams and Strandin came from the 202 area code which services the Washington D.C. area.
“It is a safe bet that the phone numbers that showed on their caller I.D. were “spoofed numbers,”” says Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois. “It is a common practice of scammers to hide their real phone number from their intended victim.” He added “in some cases they have even “spoofed” the IRS’s legitimate “800” customer service number.”
In addition to claiming to be from the IRS, other individuals say they have been called by people stating they were with the U.S. Treasury; although it is a different government agency, the scam remains the same.
Scott Smuck of Rockford says “I was told I did not file my 2010 taxes correctly and that I owed $1,000 and needed to pay it immediately or they would seize my property and bank account and I would be arrested by the U.S. Marshal.” Smuck was instructed not to hang up until he paid the money. “I was even told what store to go to and get a GreenDot card.” The call lasted one hour and 49 minutes.
According to the IRS, the agency never contacts taxpayers by phone asking for money. They also never contact taxpayers by email. If there is an issue with the IRS that requires your response, the contact would be made by U.S. mail.
If you receive one of these scam phone calls the BBB recommends:
- Hang up – Don’t provide any information over the phone. Call the IRS directly using the phone number found on their website or in the phone book.
- Protect personal information – In response to an incoming call, never give out any personal or financial information such as your Social Security number, mother’s maiden name or any passwords and other identifying information.
- Contact the FCC – Let the Federal Communications Commission know about ID spoofers by calling 1-888-CALL-FCC or file a complaint at www.fcc.gov/complaints
- Contact the FTC – File a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission atwww.ftc.gov/complaint. From the complaint homepage, select “Other” and then “Imposter Scams”. In the notes, include “IRS Telephone Scam”.
For more information on scams, visit www.bbb.org, like us on Facebook or follow us onTwitter.
Resources Available for Tornado Victims
June 25, 2014 Leave a comment
During the past eight days our office has been in contact with several agencies and individuals regarding much needed assistance following the tornadoes that devastated rural Wisner in District 16. Although progress has been made, after seeing the damage during onsite visits, there is much work ahead. Residents of Wisner, Pilger, and surrounding areas affected by the June 16 tornadoes who are in further need of assistance are encouraged to attend the special Multi Agency Resource Center (MARC) to be set up at the Wisner Fire Hall in Wisner.
The hours of operation are:
Wednesday, June 25, 8am-6pm (Red Cross caseworkers only);
Thursday, June 26, 10am-8pm;
Friday, June 27, 10am-8pm; and
Saturday, June 28, 9am-4pm.
The following resources will be available:
All Hands Volunteers;
American Red Cross;
Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (chaplains and mental health workers);
The League of Human Dignity;
USDA Office of Rural Development
The Salvation Army;
Veteran’s Services (available Thursday only);
Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District (NENEDD); and
Nebraska Health and Human Services Division (mornings, longer as needed).
Please contact Cindy Pfennig, Disaster Preparedness Specialist with the American Red Cross, at (402) 990-6893 with questions regarding the one-stop assistance services being offered on Thursday through Saturday.
Concrete Being Poured at Lutheran Church
June 25, 2014 Leave a comment
The parking lot being poured at the Lutheran Church in Oakland. All Photos Credit of Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.
Happenings at Oakland Heights
June 25, 2014 Leave a comment
Oakland Heights News
B
Oakland Heights employee Kim Schwetz hula hooping! Photo courtesy of Oakland Heights.
y Nancy Silvey Activity Director
We will be having our monthly Resident Council meeting on Monday June 30th at 2:30 pm., we start a new month next week, and on Tuesday July 1st Donna Denton and Christina Arnold will be serving out Root beer Floats for Residents at 2:30 pm to celebrate their Birthdays. Also Celebrating a Birthday next week is Kenny Thompson on July 5th, Happy Birthday to all. On Thursday July 3rd at 2:30 we will be having a Treats on the Patio in celebration of the fourth of July. Residents are invited to sit out in the parking lot at dusk to watch the Oakland Fireworks that evening also.
Church Service for Sunday June 29th at 2:30 pm will be given by the Craig/Alder Grove Church with refreshments served afterwards. On Wednesday July 2nd at 1:00 pm is communion with Pastor Hoden.
Activities for the week of June 30th to July 5th are as followed, , Reading with Marilyn, Game Day, Sing a Long, Crafts, Bingo w/WOW, Reading Group, Bible Fellowship, Saturday morning movie, and Lawrence Welk.
Volunteers signing in last week were; Judy Nelson, Mary Donovan, Seth Anderson, Dani Moseman, Anne Anderson, Betty Hanna, Patty Miller, Bonnie Fleischman, Pat Anderson, Nadine Anderson, and Sly Rouse.
Guest’s signing the Guest book this past week was, John and Rita Thrainer to see Leonard Bracht.
Ricketts Releases Fundraising Numbers
June 25, 2014 Leave a comment
Gothenburg, NE – Pete Ricketts announced today that he has raised more than $622,000.00 for the reporting period ending June 17. This brings the total raised for his campaign for governor to $3.3 million. The campaign ends the period with $533,685.47 cash on hand.
“In the wake of a very competitive primary election, I am humbled to have received such support from Nebraskans,” Ricketts said. “Our campaign will continue delivering a message of new growth, responsible reform, and a united Nebraska in every corner of the state.”
Land Gets Overflow of Bell Creek
June 24, 2014 Leave a comment
Bell Creek overflowed onto land and fields due to all of the rain the area has experienced. Photo Credit/Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.
Out For a Ride
June 24, 2014 Leave a comment
Thad Nelson, left, and his dad Dean stopped in for a visit one day while riding their mules. Photo Credit/Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.
Kat Country Hub 
Recent Comments