Sanborn County Sheriff Tom Fridley reported that the Sheriff’s Office is investigating two more cases where elderly residents of Sanborn County fell victim to telephone scams recently, losing significant amounts of money. Sheriff Fridley wants to inform everyone how they can protect themselves from these scams with the following information from the South Dakota Sheriff’s Association.

“We may have entered the digital age, but the telephone remains a key weapon in scammers’ arsenals. Once they get you on the line, phone scammers use false promises, aggressive sales pitches and phony threats to pry loose information they can use to steal your money or identity (or both).

Estimates show that some fifty-nine million Americans lost money to a phone scam in the previous 12 months. According to FTC data, the median loss in scams starting with a call is $1,200, higher than any other contact method.

Technology has made this illicit work easy. With auto-dialers, shady operators can blast out robocalls by the millions for just a few dollars daily. Readily available spoofing tools can trick your caller ID into displaying a genuine government or corporate number or one that appears to be local to increase your chances of answering.

Whether live or automated, scam callers often pose as representatives of government agencies or familiar tech, travel, retail or financial companies, supposedly calling with valuable information. It might be good news, such as a cash prize or discount. Or it might be bad news such as owing back taxes or a problem with your credit card. The topics used by scammers are endless.

…Read on in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!

The end of 2024 brought the end to Jeff Larson’s and Paul Larson’s careers in service to Sanborn County. Jeff Larson served the county as the State’s Attorney for 40 years. Paul Larson was employed with the Sanborn County Highway Department for 38 years and then served as a County Commissioner for an additional 12 years. Both men were recognized for their years of service at a recent County Commissioners’ meeting. 

Aaron Pilcher was elected as the new State’s Attorney for the county, and Earl Hinricher was elected to represent District 2 on the County Commission.

…See pictures of the retirees in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!

On Wednesday, Jan. 15, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) held an open, public meeting in Mitchell to allow all concerned citizens to have their chance to voice their opinion about a proposed CO2 pipeline to be constructed in southeast South Dakota, including the counties of Sanborn, Beadle and Davison. The meeting was the first of six scheduled by the PUC to allow for public input before they make a decision about the application submitted by Summit Carbon Solutions for a permit to construct a CO2 pipeline that will run through approximately 16.3 miles of the southeastern corner of Sanborn County.

Gary Hanson, Vice-Chairman of the PUC in South Dakota, spoke on behalf of the Commission. He opened the meeting and stated that, according to state law, the commissioners and their attorney are not allowed to discuss this matter outside of the open, public meeting, so if there is anyone who wants to say something about the subject, they have to say it at a public open forum, or they won’t be heard. 

Once all the legalities were read and explained, representatives for Summit Carbon Solutions (SCS) were given 20 minutes to explain their reason for submitting the application for the pipeline. JD Meyers, a farmer from Iowa who has worked with SCS, did most of the talking for the company as he explained the need for capturing CO2 and all the benefits it would have, not only for the farming community, but also for the entire state’s economy, as it will create jobs and help the ethanol industry expand and grow. Meyers stated that the most important factor to take into consideration is that the demand for ethanol is decreasing, so the ethanol industry is working on capturing CO2 through the pipelines to keep the need for the corn that farmers are growing for the industry. They are doing this to expand the industry and, thus, keep corn growers in business. 

Of course, the main concern most people who are against the pipeline have is the safety, or lack thereof, in having the pipeline constructed so close to people’s homes and fields where animals graze and live.

…Read on in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!