Social Security Offices

are closed

• All local Social Security offices are closed to the public for in-person service. This decision protects the population we serve-older Americans and people with underlying medical conditions-and our employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, we are still able to provide critical services.

Our secure and convenient online services remain available at www.socialsecurity.gov. Local offices will also continue to provide critical services over the phone. We are working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local governments, and other experts to monitor COVID-19 and will let you know as soon as we can resume in-person service.

If you need help from Social Security:

· First, use secure online services available at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices. You can apply for retirement, disability, and Medicare benefits online, check the status of an application or appeal, request a replacement Social Security card (in most areas), print a benefit verification letter, and much more – from anywhere and from any of your devices. We also have a wealth of information to answer most of your Social Security questions online, without having to speak with a Social Security representative in person or by phone. Please visit our online Frequently Asked Questions at www.socialsecurity.gov/ask.

· If you cannot conduct your Social Security business online, check our online field office locator for specific information about how to directly contact your local office. Your local office still will be able to provide critical services to help you apply for benefits, answer your questions, and provide other services over the phone.

· If you already have an in-office appointment scheduled, we will call you to handle your appointment over the phone instead. If you have a hearing scheduled, we will call you to discuss alternatives for continuing with your hearing, including offering a telephonic hearing. Our call may come from a PRIVATE number and not from a U.S. Government phone. Please remember that our employees will not threaten you or ask for any form of payment.

· If you cannot complete your Social Security business online, call the National 800 Number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Our National 800 Number has many automated service options you can use without waiting to speak with a telephone representative. A list of automated telephone services is available online at www.socialsecurity.gov/agency/contact/phone.html.

Food shelf open; outside

pickup service only

• United Community Action Partnership Kitchen Table Food Shelf announces outside pickup service only. The food shelf will be open during its regular days and hours, from 12:30-4:15 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Workers will do the shopping. Clients will be given a shopping list and a serving number. Clients should knock on the white door. People using public transportation should call ahead and a box will be ready upon arrival.

Head Start closing

classrooms

• A message from Head Start Director, Dr. Mary Lockhart-Findling in response to COVID-19. The United Community Action Partnership Head Start Program will be closing all classrooms in the nine-county service area, as well as discontinuing home visit services until March 30.

Museum is closed

In response to Governor Walz’s executive order on March 16, the Lyon County Museum, 301 W. Lyon St., Marshall, will be closed to the public until further notice. Email and phone messages will still be answered.

The March 21 Time Travelers Night at the Museum event is postponed to a later date.

The March 28 member/volunteer appreciation hot dish dinner is canceled.

Lakeview Schools

announces No adult

basketball today and Wednesday, March 25

American Red Cross

announces blood shortage, makes safety changes

• The American Red Cross now faces a severe blood shortage due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Healthy individuals are needed now to donate to help patients counting on lifesaving blood.

Individuals can schedule an appointment to give blood with the Red Cross by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

As the coronavirus pandemic has grown in the U.S., blood drive cancellations have grown at an alarming rate. To date, nearly 2,700 Red Cross blood drives have been canceled across the country because of concerns about congregating at workplaces, college campuses and schools amidst the coronavirus outbreak. These cancellations have resulted in some 86,000 fewer blood donations. More than 80% of the blood the Red Cross collects comes from drives held at locations of this type.

Here in the Minnesota-Dakotas Region, 80 blood drives have been canceled, resulting in 2,500 fewer blood donations. The Red Cross is adding appointment slots at donation centers and expanding capacity at many community blood drives across the country over the next few weeks to ensure ample opportunities for donors to give.

The Red Cross expects the number of cancellations to continue to increase, which is causing heightened concern for blood collection organizations and hospitals across the country. This blood shortage could impact patients who need surgery, victims of car accidents and other emergencies, or patients suffering from cancer.

The Red Cross has implemented new measures to ensure blood drives and donation centers are even safer for our donors and staff, including:

Checking the temperature of staff and donors before entering a drive to make sure they are healthy.

Providing hand sanitizer for use before the drive, as well as throughout the donation process.

Spacing beds, where possible, to follow social distancing practices between blood donors.

Increasing enhanced disinfecting of surfaces and equipment.

At each blood drive and donation center, Red Cross employees already follow thorough safety protocols to help prevent the spread of any type of infection, including:

Wearing gloves and changing gloves with each donor.

Routinely wiping down donor-touched areas.

Using sterile collection sets for every donation.

Preparing the arm for donation with an aseptic scrub.

There is no data or evidence that this coronavirus can be transmitted by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases of transfusion transmission for any respiratory virus including this coronavirus worldwide.

To donate blood, individuals need to bring a blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification that are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also must meet certain height and weight requirements.

Great Plains will not

disconnect customers for nonpayment

• As the situation with COVID-19 (coronavirus) continues to evolve, Great Plains Natural Gas has taken the following actions to help its customers: will not be disconnecting customers for nonpayment during this time. Has filed requests with regulatory commissions for a waiver that allows the company to waive late fees. Will continue to work with customers on payment plan options.

We have instituted certain measures to help protect our employees from exposure to COVID-19 and to curb the potential spread of the virus in customer homes and facilities. We are closely following recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This includes recommendations on social distancing.

For more information and to track updates on coronavirus related measures taken by Great Plains Natural Gas, visit www.gpng.com.

Murray County Museum Covid-19 Protocols

• The Murray County Museum, End O Line Park, and the Dinehart Holt House will be closed to public use starting at 10 a.m. today until further notice.

All planned events will be cancelled until further notice. This includes public speaking engagements, the Brownie Bake-Off, the 1920s Speak-Easy Dance, and the April Lunchbox lecture with Arn Kind. Events may be rescheduled at a later date as safety permits.

Staff will still be at worksites completing non-public projects.

Staff will work to do a complete surface cleaning of all non-porous surfaces during the first week of closure.

There will be no weekend staffing provided unless projects require it.

Researchers will be asked to send their research requests via phone or e-mail for staff to complete.

Donors of artifacts will be asked to postpone their donation visits until they can safely do so without risk.

All ACE volunteers and community volunteers (including Historical Society Board Members) will be asked to stay away until it is deemed safe to come back.

Messaging will be done through Facebook pages and Museum and End O Line Webpages and our E-newsletter and local radio.

Marshall Community

Transit making changes

• Marshall Transit is closing the office doors to the public and ramping up disinfecting of vehicles.

Staffing and service changes: Shortening runs with fewer passengers so drivers have more time to disinfect vehicles; Shorter shifts for dispatchers; A maximum of three staff working in any office; A maximum of three people in break rooms at one time; Cancelling dial-a-ride on weekends starting the weekend of March 28; Cancelling Volunteer Driver rides with the exception of dialysis and cancer treatments.

Marshall Transit is also looking at ways to partner with local food shelves and other community partners to make sure fewer people have to go out to receive the food and supplies they need to be healthy.

Avera Auxiliary Gift Shop and Thrift Store is closed

As a precautionary measure, the Avera Marshall Auxiliary Gift Shop and Thrift Store are closed today and will remain closed until further notice.

Patzer’s offering

drive-up service

In light of Covid-19 and in concern for social distancing Patzer’s Hardware Hank in is offering drive-up service as an option.

There is no need to stop into the store, simply call us at 507-532-4401; we’ll discuss what you need, pay with your credit card, drive up and we will put it in your vehicle for you.

Johnson Family Dental postpones appointments

The Minnesota Board of Dentistry has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation and has issued their guidance for dental clinics. We will be following their recommendations and postpone all dental appointments for 2 weeks. If you have an emergency please contact our office at 507-532-3104 as we will be checking our messages daily. If you have a dental appointment scheduled at our office before April 1st please do not come to your appointment. We are working on contacting all patients with appointments to get the rescheduled.