Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 1 - 10 of 10
The text popped up on my phone on a Saturday morning. The message warned about unresolved traffic violations in my name and threatened a barrage of legal penalties and fines if I didn't reply within a specified time frame. Luckily, I didn't click on the link provided in the text. Unfortunately, it is likely that more than 1,000 individuals will click and make a payment. Scams like these generally originate from outside Nebraska, utilizing spoofed numbers, making it difficult to track down those...
Scammers continue to rely on familiar tactics to exploit fear, urgency, and trust-targeting people through tax threats, impersonation, personal relationships, and travel plans. While these schemes aren't new, they remain effective because they evolve just enough to catch people off guard. Recognizing the warning signs and knowing how to respond can help prevent financial loss and identity theft. Tax Season is Prime Time for IRS Impostor Scams: Tax season is stressful enough, and scammers take...
As the new year gets underway, consumers are encountering a rise in scams that exploit job seekers, financial pressures, and seasonal challenges. Fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to steal personal information and money. Here are some practical steps to help protect yourself and your loved ones from these growing threats. Fake Jobs, Real Losses: If your New Year’s resolutions include finding a new job, work-from-home opportunities may sound appealing. While many remote positions are legitimate, some aren’t what they app...
In the hours after federal immigration officers descended on Glenn Valley Foods, company officials and elected leaders made one point clear: Glenn Valley had worked to avoid the exact situation it found itself in. As proof, they pointed to the Omaha meatpacking plant’s use of E-Verify, a federal system meant to help employers confirm a person’s ability to work legally in the U.S. “We’ve done everything we’re supposed to do as a company,” Glenn Valley Foods President Chad Hartmann said at the time. A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enf...
Data breaches are on track for a record year in 2024 as cybercriminals increasingly hunt for valuable information. On average, a data breach exposing sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, has around 172,000 victims, according to a ConsumerAffairs analysis of the Identity Theft Resource Center's database from 2018 to the first quarter of 2024. These breaches cause headaches for consumers, who then need to check if their information is secure elsewhere because they are now more... Full story
An El Salvador citizen, who was convicted of driving with a totally obscured windshield, DUI, no license and possessing a fake ID for employment was sentenced last week. Pedro Vasquez Cruz, 66, of O’Neill faced the Honorable Mark Kozisec for sentencing in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill. Kozisec sentenced Vasquez Cruz to 30 days in the Holt County Jail, with credit for one day previously served, a $500 fine and one-year revocation of his driver’s license for driving under the influence of alcohol (greater than .15), a Class W mis...
An Inman couple will spend the next few years in prison. Austin T. Thyfault, 32, of Inman was sentenced by the Honorable Mark Kozisec in the Holt County district courtroom in O’Neill on Monday, to imprisonment under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Department of Corrections for thefts and possession of drugs found at an Inman residence. The sentences include not less than 120 months, nor more than 180 months, for each of two Class 2A felony convictions of theft by receiving stolen property, more than $5,000. The thefts included a 2004 C...
Several underage alcohol customers in the area either purchased or had plans to purchase alcoholic beverages using identification cards obtained over the internet. One of the young men appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday, March 2, to be sentenced on two counts, minor in possession of alcohol and misrepresenting age to obtain alcohol, while a second is scheduled for sentencing March 16. Jesse M. Green, 18, of Neligh was sentenced to a six-month term of probation, including $220 probation-related fees and a $250 fine...
Robert E. Wagle, 35, of Summerville, South Carolina, faced the Honorable Donna Taylor on Monday, Dec. 30, on three felony counts, theft by unlawful taking, more than $5,000, a Class 2A felony; first-degree false imprisonment, a Class 3A felony; and operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, a Class 4 felony, all alleged Dec. 5. Taylor set bond at $200,000, 10% cash, and set a preliminary hearing for Jan. 13. Antelope County public defender Patrick Carney of Norfolk was appointed Dec. 11 to...
21-5309 may belong to Jenny. 555-1212 offers all kinds of assistance. What does your phone number say about you? Plenty, according to tech writer Brian Chen of the New York Times. After reading one of his articles, I thought about the number of times an individual’s phone number is tied to us as a means of identification. Turns out, quite often. Chen says we’ve been “conditioned to share a piece of personal information without a moment’s hesitation: our phone number.” Sign up for an app? Supp...
