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Baseball and All Star basketball cancelled- Page 6

Updates on Cowboy Poetry and State Parade- Page 6 Serving the Region Since 1907

NEW E DLIN t A E D a day i r F is . 4 p.m

Vol. 115 No. 21

$1.00

MAY 22, 2020

Stimulus checks and scams June primary ballots already

adding up in county, city races

The distribution of $1,200 stimulus checks to Americans has given rise to unprecedented online scams. The FTC has thus far received 18,235 reports of fraud costing victims $13.44 million; Google reported it is blocking 18 million scam emails every single day; and 150,000 fraudulent stimulus check sites have already launched. SocialCatfish.com recently released a report today on 5 Stimulus Check Online Scams to Avoid based on information from the FTC, FBI and IRS during the Coronavirus pandemic. 1) ROBOCALL CHECK SCAMS: The scammer will call pretending to be the IRS and ask for your personal financial information. They will claim they need this to deposit the stimulus check into your account and will also ask for a fee to deposit said check. In reality, they want your information so that they can pretend to be you, claim the check

Letter to the Editor........ 3 Classifieds.................4-5 Sports........................... 6 Cancellation Update.....6

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for themselves. They can also drain your bank account of your funds with this information and will keep the fee for themselves with no check, in return. How to Avoid: Do not give out any personal information. The government already has your information on file from when you filed your taxes. The stimulus check will either be automatically deposited into your account or you will get it mailed to your house. 2) EMAIL AND TEXT SCAMS: Scammers will pretend to be the IRS or federal government by emailing or texting you a link to click to receive your check. If you click on the link your electronic device will get plagued with malware and your information gets stolen. How to Avoid: Do not click on any links that are emailed or texted to you. Again, the government already has your information and checks are either directly deposited or mailed. 3) IDENTITY THEFT SCAMS: If you have not received your stimulus check yet and the official IRS website says otherwise, it could be possible that you are a victim of identity theft. This means that scammers has found a way to steal your information, like your SSN, and has claimed your stimulus check for themselves. How to Avoid: If you believe to have been a victim of this kind of fraud, you can report it here. 4) GOOGLE SEARCH SCAM: Scammers have created copies of the official IRS “Get My Payment” site and have up-

dated their search engine terms so that people conducting Google searches for information find these fake sites. Once a person finds their site, they think it is the official IRS website and will enter their information. How to Avoid: Do not go on any website to get your stimulus check unless it is an official .gov or .ca site and beware of being redirected to a website from a non-reputable news source. 5) THIRD-PARTY STIMULUS CHECK SCAMS: Scammers have come up with their own stimulus check programs claiming that they can give you additional money along with the government. They will send you letters in the mail, put pamphlets on your car, or send you an email or social media message trying to advertise their program. This happened to a man in Florida who claimed to have gotten an official-looking check of $3,000 mailed to him with a letter. Another example of this is a Costco relief program, claiming to help with groceries and money during this time. How to Avoid: Only believe in the stimulus check programs announced by the government reported by reputable news outlets. If you cannot find it reported by reputable news outlets, it is s scam. If people encounter a coronavirus scam, contact local law enforcement or file a complaint with the FTC. For more information on how to get a stimulus check and eligibility, visit the legit IRS website

By Brad Mosher

bmosher@countrymedia.net

It may be May, but voters in Bowman, both in the county as well as in the city, can already cast their vote in the June 9 primary. That also includes some people who reside in other communities like Rhame, Scranton and Marmarth but own property in the county. According to the Bowman County Auditor Sandra Tivis, the ballot drop box is already accepting completed ballots inside entrance B of the county building in Bowman. It will remain in that location through June 9, but those who mail in the ballot should make sure it is postmarked by June 8 at the latest. Sample ballots were sent out weeks ago to voters with current addresses, she said. The county offices are still under limited access, with access provided by appointment only since mid-March. In the primary, the voters will get their party affiliation list of candidates to choose from, the county auditor explained. On the Republican ballot, it will have the state’s only congressman, Kelly Armstrong, followed by a choice between Gov. Doug Burgum-Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford and challengers Michael Coachman-Joel H. Hylden for the top executive positions in the state. Also on the republican ballot for state auditor is Joshua C. Gallion,

while both Daniel Johnston and Thomas Beadle are vying for state treasurer. Republicans will have one choice on the ballot for insurance commissioner (Jon Godfread) and public service commissioner (Brian Kroshua). On the Democratic-NPL ballot, Zach Rakernud and Roland Clifford Riemers will be vying to face Armstong on the November ballot. Shelley Lenz of Killdeer and Ben Vig are on the ballot for governor and lieutenant governor. Vig is a former state representative from District 23 and the Steele County community of Sharon. Also on the ballot are Patrick Hart (state auditor), Mark Haugen (state treasurer), Travisia Martin (insurance commissioner) and Casey D. Buchmann (public service commissioner). The Libertarian ballot will have just Steven James Peterson as the lone candidate for the congressional seat. DuWayne Hendrickson of Minot and Joshua Voytek of Fargo are on the Libertarian ballot for governor and lieutenant governor. No-Party In the no-party section of the primary ballot, State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler is fighting off challengers Brandt J. Dick and Charles J. Tuttle. Jon Jay Jensen is the only person on the ballot for justice of the state’s Supreme Court. In the Bowman area, there are three choices for three positions as County Commissioner at Large – Rick Braaten, Jerry Jeffers and Pine A. Abrahamson. Lyn James is unopposed as the commission president in Bowman, while Myron Vail and Ryan Shear will face off for the two commission positions in Bowman. Ed Kvaale is the only candidate on the ballot for Park Board Commissioner. The Bowman County school board ballot has Trevor Kulseth for the Bowman area, Andrea Bowman and Amy Fischer from the Rhame area. Bowman minutes The ballot also has two measures covering the publishing of

the minutes from the city meetings and the Bowman County School District in the county’s newspaper of record. Rhame general election The City of Rhame will also have its general election June 9, with four candidates vying for the three four-year seats on the city commission. Voters will have a choice between Alan Getz, Doyle Kruger, Helen Edwards and Shaun Bergquist. There are no candidates for the two Rhame Park District Commissioner, leaving it open to write-in candidates. There also is decision for voters to make on how to publish the City of Rhame minutes between in the official newspaper, mail to residents with monthly water bill, post minutes on the city website or not to publish or mail the minutes. Gascoyne ballot Dallas Whittet is the only candidate for the four-year city counsel term, while the Andrew Weiss is the only person on the ballot for city auditor. There also is a choice for voters as to whether the city can enter into contracts to provide water to the residents of Gascoyne. Scranton choices Robb Pierce is the only candidate on the ballot for the fouryear term of mayor of the city of Scranton. Jason Anderson and Jordan Fisher are the candidates for the two four-year terms as aldermen for the city. Voting requirements Voters will need to have ID and other documentation in order to vote, according to the county auditor. That means voters can use their North Dakota driver’s license or non-driver ID cards to qualify for voting. For those voters unable to update their ID before voting, a supplemental document listing the new address may be provided when voting. The documents that may be used are a current utility bill, a current bank statement, a check issued by a federal, state, local or tribal government, a paycheck or a federal, state, local or tribal government.

NDHSRA cancels state rodeo finals in Bowman FIND US!

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For up-to-the minute news visit bowmanextra.com

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Rhame’s McGee grabs two seconds in 2019 state rodeo finals.

The North Dakota High School Rodeo Association Board of Directors has decided to cancel the 2020 NDHSRA State Finals Rodeo, which was to be hosted in Bowman starting June 10. The uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic was cited as the cause for the decision in a release by the board of directors. “We have been working closely with the Bowman Chamber of Commerce for the past few weeks trying to make a plan for the finals that would satisfy the requirements of the State and Bowman County to ensure the safety of our members, their families, rodeo personnel, and the community of Bowman,” the release explained. “In the end, the financial, safety, legal and social risks, along with the difficulty of complying with and enforcing the requirements, compelled us to cancel the Finals. “I assure you that not one Board member wanted to

make this decision, and it personally broke my heart to end our season this way.’ The Bismarck High School Rodeo (May 30) was faced with the same requirements and risks as the State Finals, and it too has been canceled, the release concluded. The Bowman event was scheduled to run from June 10 to June 14, with the qualifiers moving on to the national high school finals in mid-July in Lincoln (Nebraska). The impact of the virus had already canceled competitions in West Fargo, Williston, Killdeer, Dickinson and New Salem, virtually wiping out the spring rodeo schedule. The first event in the fall high school rodeo schedule is set for Mandan in mid-August, for the present.

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