Craig Biz Buzz for Feb. 16, 2015: Owner of Craig’s RadioShack prepared for changes coming with national chain bankruptcy
Craig — On Feb. 5, electronics retailer RadioShack filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and while the fate of many stores bearing its name nationwide are uncertain, its Craig location likely won’t be shutting down, even if some changes will be coming.
“(The bankruptcy) will not affect us at all other than some time, the RadioShack name won’t be on our building,” said Derek Cleverly, owner of Jackson’s Office Supply, 106 W. Victory Way, which houses the local RadioShack franchise.
RadioShack has been in Craig since 1989.
“The franchise part of RadioShack is a little different, but right now we’re waiting to hear if the franchise side will be bought by another company or if it will go with the corporate side, we’re not sure yet,” Cleverly said.
Either way, Cleverly said he plans to sell the same products he has for years, with the exception that eventually RadioShack will no longer supply inventory, though the exact date when is unknown.
“We have other vendors we buy from, so they’ll be able to pick up the slack,” he said. “We appreciate our customers for years of support, and the only difference will be that it’s Jackson’s Office Supply and Electronics from here on out.”
Help on energy bills available
The Low-income Energy Assistance Program is a program of the Colorado Department of Human Services that helps eligible Coloradans from November through April with cash assistance for their home heating bills.
As of mid-January, LEAP had approved more than 50,000 benefits, and the average benefit was $458, according to a press release from the Colorado Office of Economic Security.
LEAP also offers the Crisis Intervention Program, which operates year-round and provides assistance with the repair or replacement of the home’s primary heating system, such as a furnace or wood-burning stove.
Households that qualify for LEAP and have a non-working heating system can call toll-free 1-855-4-MY-HEAT (1-855-469-4328) to request repair or replacement, as well as snow removal for fuel delivery in rural areas. The program does not provide regular maintenance and servicing of heating systems.
Additionally, the Weatherization Program from the Colorado Energy Office is designed to improve energy efficiency in homes throughout Colorado, thereby helping to reduce heating costs permanently. Improvements may include compact fluorescent light bulb retrofits, adding insulation, storm windows and furnace or refrigerator replacement. Coloradans who qualify for LEAP can also access the Weatherization Program.
Eligible Coloradans should contact their local weatherization agency for more information. Contact information for the state’s weatherization agencies is available at 1-800-462-0184 or the following website: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/GovEnergyOffice/CBON/1251599946156
People interested in applying for LEAP can call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435) to order a mailed application. Alternatively, applications are available at every county department of social or human services, most utility companies, and many community agencies, like Catholic Charities. Applications also can be downloaded from http://www.colorado.gov/cdhs/leap.
LEAP accepts applications until April 30.
Colorado also offers a rebate of property tax, rent and heat expenses to low-income seniors and disabled persons. Please visit the Colorado Department of Revenue’s website at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/tax/property-tax-rent-heat-credit-ptc-rebate-file for more information and the rebate application booklet.
Annual directory connects local agricultural producers to consumers
The 2015 Colorado Farm Fresh Directory is being organized and local agricultural producers are encouraged to submit their information for inclusion.
Published by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, Farm Fresh promotes Colorado farmers’ markets, roadside stands, u-picks, community supported agriculture (CSA) producers, agritourism activities and farms and ranches that sell direct to the public, according to a press release from the CDA.
More than 100,000 copies of the publication will be distributed to consumers in June through libraries, extension offices, farmers’ markets, welcome centers, chambers of commerce and other businesses. Farm Fresh will also be available as a mobile app for smartphones, and on the CDA website.
The fee to be included in the directory is $25 and the deadline is Feb. 28. For more information or to request a listing form, contact Loretta Lopez at (303) 869-9175, by email at loretta.lopez@state.co.us, or visit http://www.coloradoagriculture.com.
BBB warning: scammers already sending fake Anthem emails
Just a day after the announcement that as many as 80 million customers of Anthem could be victims of a data breach, scammers are sending out emails that very convincingly spoof Anthem’s logo and corporate look.
These emails are unrelated to the data breach itself. The emails claim to be from Anthem and to provide information about free credit monitoring. This is a scam. Better Business Bureau is offering the following advice:
• Whether you are an Anthem customer or not, do not click on links or open attachments in emails claiming to be from Anthem.
• If you are a current or past customer of Anthem, get your information only from Anthem. Go to anthem.com directly, not from a link in an email or other website, and click on the “Learn More” button. BBB recommends always going to the main corporate site first and click through from there to be certain you are not at a spoof website.
• Consider placing a free fraud alert on your credit reports now by contacting one of the three major credit bureaus below. Once you add a fraud alert to one, that company will notify the other two. A fraud alert flags your credit reports, alerting potential lenders to verify the identity of anyone attempting to open an account in your name.
- Equifax: 800-525-6285 or equifax.com
- Experian: 888-397-3742 or experian.com
- TransUnionCorp: 800-680-7289 or transunion.com
• For stronger protection at some inconvenience, consider a credit freeze with each of the credit bureaus. For information on how to freeze your credit, read the BBB blog post at http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/10/how-to-freeze-out-identity-theft/.
For more information about what to do after a data breach, go to bbb.org/breach.
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