Today's Feature

Sheriff Warns Against Scams.

A news release received late last week from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office warns citizens against phone scams after a senior citizen in the community recently fell prey to one such scam.

According to the release, the caller posed as a bank representative updating files and asked for account information. The Sheriff’s office reminds citizens that banks do not conduct this type of business over the phone and furthermore are already in possession of account numbers.

The Sheriff’s office instructs victims of a phone scam to immediately go to the bank and close their account. Time is critical in these matters. The bank should be able to properly assist when informed of the situation. If citizens are unable to drive themselves to the bank they are urged to have a friend or relative provide transportation.

Citizens with caller ID who are suspicious of a call are urged to check the phone book and verify that the bank number is the same as that on the ID. It is also perfectly acceptable to hang up on the caller.

In the recent case, the victim remembered to check the caller ID and the number showed 866-000-000.

Stench Report:
Friday,
2/17/06

Minor Stench Reported Thursday around Midnight.

I can remember gettin’ a pair of "engineer" boots as a kid. Wore ‘em ever’where. I soon learned, however, that my mother felt the same pride in the new couch. My boots, and especially the shiny buckle they bore, were expressly denied from bein’ worn while I was sittin’ on the couch watchin’ the Mickey Mouse Club. If I wanted to sit on the couch, I had ta take off the boots. I soon learned the advantages of stretchin’ out on the floor in front of the tv.

Like most kids, I prob’ly outgrew those boots ‘fore they wore out. I’d have ta guess there were a few times they made it on the upholstery after time and did some damage ‘cause I never got another set a footwear with buckles.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Repairing Small Cracks in Wall

Q: There are small cracks in the wall at the corners of some of my windows. They’re really tiny; should I be worried? And how do I fix them? -- Julie D., via e-mail

A: These are most likely stress cracks in the plaster or drywall surrounding the window frame, caused by the house settling or adjusting to seasonal temperature differences. They’re very common, but a little annoying, as they need to be filled in with plaster or spackling compound and repainted -- often.

One way to reduce the number of times you’ll have to touch up these spots is to cover the cracks with mesh wall tape (available at your home-improvement store). The tape can be painted to match the wall, and its flexibility will reduce the visible cracks in the corners of your windows.

After a few years, the tape might pop up -- clearly visible as it separates from the wall. Carefully peel away the old tape so that the paint in surrounding areas doesn’t pull up too. Inspect the cracks in the corners to see if they’ve gotten larger; you may want to spackle the wider cracks. Then apply new mesh tape and repaint.

Larger cracks extending from the corners of your windows -- especially those extending several inches outward or extending from the frame all the way to the ceiling -- need to be checked by a professional structural contractor. Most are also due to the settling of the house and foundation in older homes, but following major storms or other events, the stress can show up in newer ones. The faster these are addressed, the less costly the repair will be.

HOME TIP: To prevent plaster from spraying all over when drilling into a wall, tape a small paper bag beneath the drilling area to catch debris, and then place a piece of masking tape directly over the spot to be drilled.