COVID cons

THUMBS DOWN:There is no national crisis so dire, no tragedy so hopeless, that someone doesn’t try to make a quick buck off of it. COVID-19 is no different. Early on, it was the gougers who went around buying up all the hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes they could find, then selling them on eBay for $20 bucks a bottle.

This week, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is going after a new scam, the sale of fake COVID CDC vaccination cards. These look like the cards you get when you complete your vaccination. They certify you are vaccinated for purposes of travel, gaining access to certain businesses or attneding events.

It is sad, first of all, that someone would try to sell these, but sadder that some people might buy them. While posing as a vaccinated person, they could catch or spread the disease to others who are waiting for their vaccination appointment. Ellison is joining the AGs from 45 states in sending a letter to the CEOs of Twitter, eBay and Shopify to stop the sale of fraudulent CDC cards on their platforms.

SESM success

THUMBS UP: It was pretty special last week when the Sleepy Eye St.Mary’s basketball teams — girls and boys — won their respective Region 2A championships and earned a trip to the state tournament.

The success continues. Both squads won their opening round games in Mankato — the girls defeating Mayer Lutheran and the boys beating Central Minnesota Christian. The girls play Tuesday, and the boys play Wednesday, both at Target Center in Minneapolis.