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October 27, 2015
Collecting toy tractors can be habit-forming
The farm show featured vendors of farm toys, trucks, cars and collectibles of all kinds. The show also featured a large outdoor display of classic farm tractors and equipment. Eclipse lawn mowers, manufactured in Prophetstown from 1904 to 1961, were also on display. Proceeds from the show went to the Prophetstown Elementary School playground equipment fund, organized by the Parents for Students group. “Vendors come here
and we are selling farm toys and other related stuff,” said Gerry Halpin, chairman of the farm toy show. “We started this 30 years ago and a lot of people were collecting farm toys back them. They were hard to find back in those days.” By coming to the farm toy show, Lauritzen said he is supporting his habit. He has been collecting toy farm equipment for more than 30 years, and he’s attended the Prophetstown show for 28 of its 30 years.
“When I started out, I went to almost 30 shows a year. Now, I only go to between eight and ten,” he said. “It was just a hobby that got out of hand.” He had toys of different sizes Sunday, such as tractors, grain carts and other pieces of farm machinery. Lauritzen gets the toys from auctions, other toy shows, even directly from various companies that sell the merchandise. “I have my own collection besides what I sell,” he said. “There are items that I had when I was a kid, and I still have. The income from these toys
goes to my own personal collection.” Lauritzen said the farm toy business is starting to taper down, but despite that, he plans to continue funding his habit. “There are not as many farm kids and there are fewer farmers,” he said. “When I got home from school as a little kid, I helped with my family farm. “Today, kids are on the computer or doing other things at the school.”
PROPHETSTOWN – Larry Lauritzen of Ohio might be 69 years old, but he still enjoys playing with toys. Lauritzen showed off his massive display of farm toys during the 30th annual Farm Toy Show
in Prophetstown, which was put on by The Coon Creek Men’s Club. “It’s hard to say how many toys I have,” Lauritzen, owner of Triple L Toys in Ohio, said with a laugh.
Inside were toy tractors, and outside, the real thing. Ken Huizenga of Morrison fires up his 1929 John Deere GP on Sunday afternoon while displaying it at the Farm Toy Show in Prophetstown. The show was a fundraiser for Prophetstown Elementary School playground equipment.
Feds: Woman charged with embezzling Indictment: Former bank V.P. funneled cash through her husband’s auto repair business STAFF REPORT news@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5501
POLO – Federal authorities say a Polo woman embezzled more than $59,000 from First State Bank over 4 years, funneling the money through her account and her husband’s auto repair business. Kayla Bergstrom, 46, was indicted Tuesday in Rockford. Bergstrom, a first vice president of the bank, handled all of its
Kayla Bergstrom
correspondent accounts, including one with U.S. Bank, the U.S. Attorney’s Northern District office said in a news release today. She had “the highest security level assigned” for the bank’s software program, with access to
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customer bank and general ledger accounts, and the ability to add new accounts, the release said. According to the indictment: From Feb. 23, 2010, to Feb. 3, 2014, Bergstrom embezzled money by creating cash advance tickets for the U.S. Bank correspondent account. She would credit the amounts of cash advance tickets to her personal account and the business account for Bergy’s Auto-
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motive, which is owned by her husband, Mark Bergstrom. She concealed her embezzlement by changing bank account statements, “manually cutting and pasting false account balances on the statements,” the indictment said. She has since repaid First State Bank, which has branches in Polo and Shannon, the release said. Bergstrom, who is free on her own recognizance, faces up to 30
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