BBB TO HOST FIRST FREE SHREDDING EVENT IN MINNESOTA

Secure Your ID Day comes to St. Cloud

Burnsville, Minnesota – April 3, 2013 – As part of Secure Your ID Day, the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) will host its first free shredding event in Minnesota on Saturday, April 20 in St. Cloud. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the St. Cloud State University Welcome Center, on 355 Fifth Ave. S., outside in the parking lot and inside the lobby.

Consumers and small businesses in the St. Cloud area are encouraged to “secure their ID” by bringing up to five boxes of unwanted documents for free and secure shredding. A large Shred Right truck will be available to collect items such as bank statements, tax documents, bills, cancelled checks, legal documents, personal medical information, investment statements, CDs, tapes, and credit card information for prompt and secure disposal.

The BBB, along with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Shred Right, have partnered for this event to help educate consumers about identity theft, which 12.6 million American adults were victims of in 2012, according to the latest Javelin Strategy and Research study. That’s one victim every three seconds.

Secure Your ID Day events have been held each spring and fall at locations nationwide for several years, with the BBB once again hosting events in Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota this spring along with AARP North Dakota and other local partners. Last fall, Jamestown, North Dakota, was also added to that list and will be the site of another Secure Your ID Day event on April 20. These events are all part of a series of free identity protection events held by Better Business Bureaus across the country that day. http://minnesota.bbb.org/secure-your-id/.

Free refreshments will be provided for consumers and business owners who visit the lobby of the Welcome Center. The BBB, Shred Right, and the SBDC will be on hand distributing information about their organizations and tips on how to avoid identity theft. There will also be a chance to win a free document shredder provided by the BBB.

 

BBB Secure Your ID Day Details

Who: The BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota along with local partners: Minnesota Small Business Development Center and Shred Right.

What: Free document shredding and distribution of tips and resources for protecting your identity.

When: Saturday, April 20, 2013, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Where: St. Cloud State University’s Welcome Center at 355 5^th Ave S.

For more information on Secure Your ID Day and identity theft prevention measures for both consumers and businesses, visit: http://www.bbb.org/us/secure-your-id/.

STATE REP. KIEL TO HOST ERSKINE AND ST. HILAIRE TOWN HALLS

St. Paul - State Representative Deb Kiel (R-Crookston) invites area residents to join her at town hall meetings in Erskine and St. Hilaire on Saturday, April 6, to discuss issues that are important to Northwestern Minnesota.

MEETING SCHEDULE

Erskine
9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Ness Cafe
103 Vance Ave. S.
Erskine, MN 56535

St. Hilaire
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
St. Hilaire Liquor Store Bar
215 Broadway Ave. N.
St. Hilaire, MN 56754

It’s an opportunity for Rep Kiel to speak one-on-one about the important issues for our region and District 1B. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend

Bemidji Downtow Development Authority Establishes Fund with NMF

Bemidji, MN – April 2, 2013 – In an effort to further enhance the strong business presence in downtown Bemidji, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has established a new fund with the Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF) that will offer loans up to $5,000. The mission of the revolving loan program is to assist businesses in either locat ing downtown or expanding their downtown business.

The loans are available to any business looking to locate or expand in downtown Bemidji. “This is an excellent opportunity to increase awareness about the Downtown Development Authority and our important work,” said DDA President Ken Cobb. “We already have a great downtown, and we are always working to make it even better. Our mission is to promote and enhance our vibrant downtown, and this loan program will encourage businesses to locate and expand here.”

Loans can be used for building improvements, equipment, inventory, supplies, and working capital. The business must maintain (DDA) membership throughout the term of the loan. “This is a great partnership opportunity with NMF and the DDA,” said Business Development Officer, Diane Morey. “In some cases, a DDA loan can be paired with a loan from our own in-house microloan program. This leveraging can bring more options and flexibility to the business owner, which was a priority in this partnership.”

The DDA Loan Committee will meet as needed to approve applications. Businesses must reflect and complement the character of downtown Bemidji, as interpreted by the committee. Applications can be found online at www.nwmf.org under Business Development on the Entrepreneur Development Program page.

Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge Seeks Input on Future Management

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be hosting two open house events to request input from the public in developing a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge located in Polk County, Minn.

The CCP will set wildlife, habitat, and public use priorities and guide management decisions on the refuge for the next 15 years. The open houses will give interested members of the public, tribes, agencies, neighbors, public interest groups, and local governments an opportunity to participate in this planning process from the very beginning. All aspects of the refuge will be addressed by the CCP, including important fish and wildlife habitats, public use and facilities, and current management activities. By law, six wildlife-dependent recreational uses receive a priority on National Wildlife Refuges: fishing, hunting, wildlife observation and photography, environmental education and interpretation.

The first open house will be on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at the Rydell Refuge headquarters. The headquarters is located at 17788 349^th Street SE, Erskine, Minnesota. A second open house is scheduled for Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at the Crookston Public Library, 110 North Ash Street, Crookston, Minnesota.

Both open houses will be held from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Interested citizens may stop by any time during the open houses, and stay as long as they wish, to speak with refuge staff or submit comments. Comment forms will be made available so that written comments can be submitted at the meeting or mailed in to the refuge later.

Comments may also be sent through the Service’s Planning website at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/GlacialRidge.

For more information on the Midwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service visit http://midwest.fws.gov.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

MN Stormwater Manual now available in Wiki format

St. Paul, Minn. -- Cities and developers that need to control urban stormwater to prevent pollution of lakes and streams have a new tool available as of today, when the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency launches a wiki version of the Minnesota Stormwater Manual.

The previous manual - at 850 pages and 25 megabytes online - offered a wealth of information, but was cumbersome to use. Thanks to Clean Water Legacy Act funding and a design team from public agencies and private firms, the manual is now available in a web-based format that can be rapidly updated with new developments.

The newly reformatted manual, which is built with the same software as Wikipedia, allows users to collaborate with each other and quickly locate the most recent stormwater information, offering a powerful tool for those who need to comply with stormwater regulations.

"There is a lot to like about the wiki platform, including powerful search capability and mobile phone accessibility," said Mike Trojan of the MPCA's municipal stormwater program. "But perhaps the most important feature is that we can update the manual on the fly. We anticipate the size of the manual will increase significantly as the state moves toward new performance goals for minimal impact designs in developing properties."

The updates are expected to double the size of the manual over the next year, so now was the right time to move to a wiki format.

"There is a great deal of stormwater research being conducted and it's critical to incorporate the latest information on topics such as BMP design, construction, maintenance, and pollutant removal," Trojan noted. "The wiki provides us with a mechanism to incorporate new information as it becomes available." Unlike typical wikis found on the Internet, the MPCA will control edits to the online Minnesota Stormwater Manual.

The new wiki manual can be accessed by visiting www.pca.state.mn.us and searching for "Minnesota Stormwater Manual."

APRIL IS NATIONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH

ST. PAUL - (April 2, 2013) – April is National Financial Literacy month and a great time to remind consumers of the importance of taking charge of their personal financial well-being. Among the important aspects Minnesota consumers should know is what to do if contacted by a debt collector about a delinquent or defaulted account.

“While no one really wants to get a call or letter telling them they owe money, consumers need to know they are not alone,” Minnesota Association of Collectors President Tom Gavinski said. “Each year, for many very legitimate and often unavoidable reasons, millions of consumers fall behind on payments and are contacted by a debt collector.”

The Minnesota Association of Collectors offers helpful tips for Minnesota consumers to help effectively manage contact from third-party debt collector should the need arise. A third-party debt collector is unique in that they are service provider hired by the owner of the debt (i.e., a creditor or debt buyer) to recover a rightfully owed debt on their behalf.

Know Your Rights. Consumers have important rights under federal and state law, and deserve to be treated respectfully. By law, consumers cannot be harassed, threatened or be subjected to profanity and vulgar language.

For more information about consumer rights in debt collection or to ask questions, visit http://www.askdoctordebt.org.

Communicate. If you hear from a debt collector, avoiding a letter or call won’t make the debt disappear. The reason for the contact cannot be resolved without the ability to communicate; whether it's to pay an owed debt, verify an alleged debt or confirm that the debt collector has reached the wrong person.

Ask for Identification. Debt collectors cannot call anonymously nor present themselves as being a representative of a government entity. When contacted, collectors must identify themselves and the name of the collection agency they represent.

Notify the Collection Agency if you Dispute the Validity of the Debt. By law, the collector must inform you of your right to dispute the debt and provide written verification if you dispute it in writing. All collection activity stops until this verification is provided.

Seek to Work Out Complaints with the Collection Agency. Third-party debt collectors sincerely want to work with consumers to resolve complaints. According to the Council of Better Business Bureaus, in 2012 collection agencies resolved 86 percent of the consumer complaints received.

Protect Your Identity. Do not confirm or provide sensitive personal information (e.g., Social Security number, credit card numbers, and bank accounts) until certain of the authenticity of the debt and the person seeking to collect. Check out whether the collector is a legitimate agency by using the Internet to search the company name or visit http://www.acainternational.org to see if they are a member. Monitor accounts and immediately report any suspicious or unauthorized purchases to your bank or credit card provider. Importantly, consumers should also monitor their credit report. If you believe your identity has been stolen, contact your local police department and visit http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft for information on what you should do.

The Minnesota Association of Collectors is a State Unit of ACA International (http://www.acainternational.org), the comprehensive, knowledge-based resource for the credit and collection industry. Founded in 1939, ACA brings together 5,000 members in the United States and abroad, and their more than 300,000 employees, representing third-party collection agencies, asset buyers, attorneys, creditors and vendor affiliates. ACA supports members through state and federal advocacy, training and resources.

UMC Fun Nite

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The annual University of Minnesota Crookston Teambackers Fun Nite promises to be the biggest one yet in the event's 18-year history. It all takes place on Friday, April 26, 2013, at the Crookston Eagles Club, and all proceeds are used to support athletic scholarships at the University of Minnesota Crookston. Tickets are $40 per person through Friday, April 5. Following that date, tickets will increase to $50 per person. To purchase tickets, contact Bill Tyrrell, director of athletic fundraising at 218-281-8436.

The evening begins with a social at 5:30 p.m. featuring hors d'oeuvres along with two drink tickets per person. Following the social at 7 p.m. are games, drawings for prizes, raffles, and both live and silent auctions with the final drawing for $1,000 taking place at 10:30 p.m. A framed Minnesota Wild jersey autographed by Zach Parise and donated by Invest Forward in Crookston will be one of the timed auction items. Dancing with Tommy Helgeson will follow the games.

To see learn more about Fun Nite activities, visit www.goldeneaglesports.com/funnite.