MEMPHIS, Mo.-  The Scotland County Nursing Home District recently announced their intention to place a general obligation bond issue on the August ballot.  The bonds would make up to $4.8 million dollars available to the district for the purpose of renovating the facility to an extent that it would be eligible to receive the Certificate of Need that is required as a major step in re-opening the facility.  Improvements that have been specified include a roof, HVAC system, bathroom and shower area remodels, insulation, doors, windows, lighting, entrances, floor coverings, parking lots, shipping and loading docks, infrastructure, phones, computers, paging system, fire alarms, and sprinklers.  Several other improvements are expected to be made as well.  Board chairperson Tara Shultz sat for an exclusive interview with KMEM News Director Corey Stott to discuss the ballot measure and the board's vision for attempting to re-open the facility.  In an attempt to give the board the maximum opportunity to explain their positions in-depth, this interview is being presented with the question that was asked being listed and the audio of the answer following.  Some answers were sparingly edited for brevity and clarity.

Who comprises the Scotland County Nursing Home District Board of Directors?

How does the steering committee function?

What is the board's vision for the project?

What is the current status of the original bond issue from 1970?

What will happen in regard to the current operating levy if the bond issue were to be defeated?

Besides servicing the old bond debt, where have the operating levy tax dollars been allocated?

Is it guaranteed that the facility will re-open if the bond issue passes?

What is the "Certificate of Need" that has been often referenced in these discussions?

What is the funding contingency for a situation where the bond passes and renovations are performed, but the state perhaps requires a change or addition after the work has been completed?

What is the significance of the nursing home and hospital being connected to each other?

How are residents allowed to move from the nursing home to the hospital and vice versa?

If the bond issue passes, what is the anticipated timeline for the re-opening process?

What types of care would be included in the re-opened facility?

Explain the difference between skilled nursing care and intermediate care.

When the facility closed down, some items were sold or discarded.  Some have asked if the board is now re-purchasing items that were previously sold or disposed.  Can you clarify what WAS sold and what was NOT sold?

What would passing this bond issue cost the taxpayer?

Will the hiring of staff be a barrier to the re-opening process?

The board has stated that it anticipates that the re-opening of the facility would create 60 jobs.  Is that still accurate?

What would be the total licensed capacity of the re-opened facility and what is the aniticipated level of full-time occupancy?

Does the board believe that they can consistently reach the goal of being near full-capacity?

With Covid mandates now a thing of the past, does the board feel that there is now an adequate talent pool available to fill all the positions that will need to be filled?

What is the idea behind the re-branding of the facility as Sigler Square?

What would you like to tell Scotland County residents in regard to this issue?

Have a significant number of families approached the board expressing their desire to bring loved ones back to the Memphis facility should it re-open?

LANCASTER, Mo.-  A pair of arrests have been made in connection to a recent rash of card skimmer devices that have been showing up in local gas pumps.  Both men, Yuniesky Rodriguez Hernandez, 28 of Barryton, Michigan, and Evier Carreto Yedra, 35 of Naples, Florida, were taken into custody on Wednesday evening.

Yuniesky Rodriguez Hernandez of Barryton, MI (left) and Evier Carreto Yedra of Naples, FL (right) were arrested Wednesday evening  in connection to a card skimmer device found in a fuel pump at the Lancaster Casey's

(Hernandez photo courtesy Schuyler County Sheriff's Department, Yedra photo courtesy of Clark County Sheriff's Department)

According to court documents, Schuyler County Sheriff Joe Wuebker responded to the Lancaster Casey’s location around 7:30 Sunday morning.  His office had been contacted by a store employee in reference to a possible card skimmer on pump #2 at that location.  The employee informed Sheriff Wuebker that they had contacted Casey’s corporate and had been instructed to wait for Casey’s maintenance staff to open the pump service access door on Monday.  The employee further stated that they believed the suspect vehicle was a white Ford pickup from what they could tell on the security cameras.  The sheriff was not allowed to view the security camera footage until it was authorized by someone from Casey’s corporate office.

Sheriff Wuebker was notified at 7:00 Monday morning by a Casey’s maintenance worker that they had opened the pump and had indeed found a card skimmer installed.  Evidence was collected and the skimmer was seized.

Just before 5:30 Wednesday evening, Sheriff Wuebker received another call from the store employee stating that two male subjects had just broken into the pump.  The employee had managed to take pictures of the two pickup trucks that the men were driving before they left the premises.  Upon arrival at the scene, Sheriff Wuebker observed that the pump door was damaged and appeared to have been pried open. 

The photos showed that one of the trucks, a white Ford F250 driven by Yedra, was apparently being used to block the view of the pump activity from the south so that Hernandez, who was driving a gray GMC Denali HD that was parked on the other side of the pump, could access the inside of pump #2.  Both vehicles were parked in such a way that neither vehicle would have been able to pump fuel. 

The store employee stated that the trucks left and traveled westbound on Highway 136 before coming back and traveling eastbound.  The Denali was captured at 5:05 pm by a License Plate Reader camera operated by the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Department, while the F250 was captured by the same camera at 5:06 pm. 

Sheriff Wuebker then contacted the Scotland County Sheriff’s Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol to advise them of the situation and ask them to stop the vehicles if located.  A short time later, the F250 driven by Yedra was pulled over by a Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant in Kahoka and the Denali driven by Hernandez was stopped by Scotland County Deputy Sheriff Jason Moss in Scotland County.  Both men were taken into custody and placed on 24-hour investigative hold. 

A later search of the License Plate Reader camera system showed the Denali passing through Lancaster at 9:57 pm on Saturday night, placing the vehicle near the store in the time frame that the skimmer was placed on the pump. 

Hernandez and Yedra are both charged with a class E felony of 1^st Degree Property Damage, as well as class A misdemeanors of Tampering with Computer Equipment and Tampering with Computer Data.  Hernandez is being held in the Schuyler County Jail in lieu of $40,000 cash-only bond, while Yedra is being held in the Clark County Jail in lieu of $40,000 cash-only bond.  Physical damage to the fuel pump was estimated at $1600.

Sheriff Wuebker stated that the card skimmer device that was found in pump #3 at the Lancaster location on March 15th was sent off to the Department of Homeland Security for analysis.  In a coincidence of timing, the results of that analysis were received back to the Schuyler County Sheriff's Department on Wednesday morning.  The lab determined that there was no data on the device, which indicates that either no one had used the pump since the device was installed, or that more likely the device had been installed incorrectly and therefore was unable to steal customer data.

Sheriff Wuebker indicated that he believes that more severe charges will be filed upon completion of the current investigation.  There have been other skimmer devices found in our area recently and he believes that those incidents may be tied to these individuals as well.

MEMPHIS, Mo.-  A local business that was targeted by identity thieves this past spring has been hit once again. 

Scotland County Sheriff Bryan Whitney told KMEM News that early Wednesday morning the store manager of the Casey’s Convenience Store in Memphis discovered that one of their fuel pumps had a seal and locking mechanism that had both been tampered with.  Specifically, the pump seal was removed and the lock was punched out.  The manager immediately shut down the affected pump and contacted local law enforcement as well as Casey’s corporate service technicians.

Sheriff Whitney secured the scene until the technicians arrived, at which point they opened the pump together.  An active card skimmer device was found connected to the pump.  The skimmer was removed and is being held by the Sheriff’s department as evidence. 

Whitney said that he believes that the pump was tampered with sometime in the 36 hours prior to the Wednesday morning discovery.  He stated that he will be contacting other agencies to assist in the investigation. 

This is the second time that the Memphis Casey’s location has been targeted by identity thieves utilizing card skimmers on fuel pumps.  On March 15^th, a card skimmer was found inside a fuel pump with an active Bluetooth capability.  A similar device was also found in a pump at the Lancaster Casey’s location at that time.  Sheriff Whitney said that the technicians checked the Lancaster location after this latest incident, but all the pumps were found to be tamper-free.

The device found Wednesday at the Memphis location is identical to the device found in March, according to Sheriff Whitney.  He further added that the method of breaking into the pump was the same as the previous incident.  There was no video surveillance of the pumps available either time.

Sheriff Whitney encourages anyone who has purchased fuel at the Memphis Casey’s location between Monday evening and Wednesday morning to closely monitor their debit and credit card accounts.  He said the best way for the public to protect themselves at the pump is to always check and make sure there is an intact and valid security seal sticker on the pump and that there are no signs of tampering prior to swiping your card. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Scotland County Sheriff’s Department at 660-465-2106.

BLOOMFIELD, Ia.- Agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere recently announced a round of upcoming layoffs that will affect around 610 production workers in plants located in Iowa and Illinois.  Those layoffs have been reported to be effective August 30^th.  This follows the news announced last month that the company would be shifting production of its skid steer loaders and compact track loaders from Dubuque to Mexico by the end of 2026.

During a stop in Bloomfield on Monday, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig reacted to the news.

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In a statement, the company cited rising manufacturing costs as a key factor.  Lower crop prices have also caused a slow down in new agricultural equipment sales.  Some forecasters have predicted a 25% decline in farm income this year over last.  Secretary Naig said that the agricultural economy in general is experiencing what he termed as “softness” due to a number of factors.

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Secretary Naig said that the economic effects aren’t just limited to the agricultural equipment sector.

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Secretary Naig said that it was imperative for the state to do everything it can to help agriculture and manufacturing continue to thrive as they are key economic drivers in the state.  His comments came as he was in Davis County to tour a local parts fabrication business on Monday.

BLOOMFIELD, Ia.- Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig recently made a swing through southeast Iowa as part of his annual visit to all 99 counties.  On Monday afternoon he stopped off in Davis County to tour M3 Fabrication in Bloomfield, a contract manufacturer that fabricates and powder coats parts for a variety of industries.  The business has been family-owned and operated since 2014 by brothers Tyler and Sam McClure.  Secretary Naig met the pair on stage in 2023 when they were one of six recipients of the Iowa Venture Award, presented by the Iowa Area Development Group.

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Secretary Naig toured the sprawling facility located in the Bloomfield Industrial Park and had the opportunity to learn how important the business is to the area economy, as well as the challenges they face.

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The visit also gave Secretary Naig an opportunity to hear first-hand from local business owners how they perceive the economy to be at this point.

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Another purpose for Secretary Naig’s visit was to spread the message about how important manufacturing and agriculture are to Iowa’s economy.

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Secretary Naig said that it was important for the state to do everything it can to make sure that those economic drivers are able to thrive and grow.

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Making sure that the state is also doing everything it can to address work force challenges should also be a high priority according to Secretary Naig.

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In addition to his stop in Davis County on Monday, Secretary Naig also visited Appanoose County’s Lake Rathbun to get updates on water quality and conservation efforts.  He wrapped up his trip in Wapello County to present the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to the Doug and Janet Brinegar family.

(L-R):  Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, Sam McClure, Tyler McClure and District 26 State Representative Austin Harris

KIRKSVILLE, Mo.- The Kirksville Police Department is investigating an armed robbery that occurred on Friday, June 28th.

Just after 11 pm, dispatch received a call of an armed robbery at the Xpress Mart at 1023 E. Jefferson St. Officers arrived and spoke with the clerk, who reported one male entered the store and demanded money while displaying a handgun. The male suspect was described as approximately 5-foot-11, of average build, wearing blue jeans, a dark-colored hoodie with a Gas Monkey Garage logo on the back, and a skull Halloween-style mask. The male suspect is believed to be white or light-skinned. The suspect stole an undisclosed amount of money from the register and fled the area on foot. 
 
At this time this incident is still under investigation. There were no reported injuries as a result of this incident. 

Anyone with information about this incident, or any suspicious activity is encouraged to contact the Kirksville Police Department at 660.785.6945, Central Dispatch at 660.665.5621, Adair County Sheriff’s Office at 660.665.4600, anonymously at 660.627.BUST (2878), or email police@kirksvillecity.com.

Kirksville Police are seeking information about the individual who committed an armed robbery on Friday, June 28th.

(Photo courtesy Kirksville Police Department)