10 Years Ago HASTINGS STAR-GAZETTE September 16, 2010 Hacked e-mail account created panic among Hovgaard’s friends Scammer sent out e-mail saying she had been robbed at gunpoint and needed money by Chad Robertson, Editor While Abra Hovgaard slept comfortably in her home early Tuesday morning, her friends received a frightening e-mail from her. She had been robbed at gunpoint, had her cash stole and credit cards stolen and was desperately seeking money so she could fly home.

It was all a hoax. Someone had taken control of her e-mail account and sent out the e-mail, hoping to find someone in the United States gullible enough to wire $2,450 to England, immediately.

“As far as I know, nobody sent money,” Hovgaard said…. Hovgaard changed the passwords on her accounts. She said she had been using the same password for many websites she visits. She now has unique passwords for the different sites she visits.

“It’s virtually impossible to catch the criminals in situations like this. The best way to ensure that scams like this don’t work is to always be skeptical,” Hovgaard said…

20 Years Ago

HASTINGS STAR-GAZETTE October 12, 2000

City’s comp plan to be revised Hastings’ comprehensive plan was submitted to the Met Council earlier this year.

By Jane Lightbourn, Staff Writer The city’s guide to the future is being revised in several areas more than six months after it was submitted to the Metropolitan for its review and approval.

The Hastings comprehensive plan for the next 20 years provides a framework for the future in the following areas: land use growth, transportation, sewer, housing, capital improvement, parks/recreation, economic development, and historic preservation.

“We are in the process of revising our plans in the area that they (the Metropolitan Council) has asked us to do,” Matt Weiland, city planner said. They (the Metropolitan Council) asked for some revisions in the sewer elements’ area.”

The Hastings plan has been accepted by the Metropolitan Council as “complete,” Weiland said.

The plan was submitted after years of work by city staff, commissions, City Council, and several paid consultants. A number of public meetings and a hearing were held to gain public input….”It is a very, very good plan,” Weiland said. “A lot of work and time went into it.”

The book will not gather moss, either. Some properties within the city must be rezoned to comply with the comprehensive Plan…(PLAN/2A) 40 Years Ago HASTINGS STAR October 16, 1980 Farmer has bumper crop by AL SHAFFER, staff writer Although no one has been predicting barn-buster yields there is at least one exception to that rule in this area.

Gary Fox, who farms 2 1/2 miles north of Miesville, has been having one of those bumper harvests in his corn fields, with truck load totals ranging over 200 bushels per acre wet and 170 to 180 dry.

“That’s the best crop we’ve ever harvested,” Gary stated.

Gary started picking his corn last Wednesday and contends that conditions couldn’t be better. His corn wasn’t lodged by the summer’s winds, the grain moisture ranged between 24 and 25 percent, and the weather was even fairly clear.

“It’s about perfect to start,” Gary added… 56 Years Ago HASTINGS GAZETTE Thursday, October 8, 1964 2 DROWN AS BOAT RAMS BARGE BROADSIDE Two St. Paul men were drowned in the Mississippi river last Thursday evening when the 18-foot aluminum runabout they were riding in struck the side of an oil barge and capsized.

The accident happened at about 6:30 p.m. near Point Douglas (about three-quarters of a mile downstream from the Hastings boat harbor).

Drowned were Sylvester (Sam) Noha, 38, and George Toetschinger, 68. Noha worked in the St. Paul post office and Toetschinger was a retired railroad worker…Rescued by deckhands from the tow Nelson M. Broadfoot were Reuben Hove, 46, and Edward Heroff, 73, also of St. Paul.

City Banks Feel Pangs of Nation-Wide Coin Shortage Like the rest of the nation, Hastings is feeling the pangs of the nation-wide coin shortage.

One local bank office told the Gazette that “We haven’t been able to get a shipment of 50-cent pieces from the Federal Reserve Bank for three months.

A call to the Federal bank confirmed the report—it doesn’t have a 50-cent piece in the place.

“And the more you talk about it,” the official continued, “the more people sit on their coins.”

A good example of just what causes the coin shortage can be seen with the Kennedy half dollar.

Although the U. S. mints are “printing them like crazy,” people still want to keep a ’64 Kennedy memorial coin. With approximately 80(?) million people in the U. S., thousands upon thousands of half dollars will never reach circulation because people throw them into bureau drawers…Two remedies, one immediate and the other long-term, will put an end to the problem, bankers believe. First, the people must dig into their piggy banks and bureau drawers and recirculate their find. Second, the U. S. mints will gradually lessen the problem as time wears on.

Hastings bankers make an urgent plea for local people to bring their coins to the local bank and start them circulating again.

‘Fire Prevention is Great Invention’ (photo) WINNING slogan in a local contest to pick a Fire Prevention Slogan was submitted by Marion Schommer, a fifth grader in the St. Boniface school, shown holding her prize—a bright red fire engine, miniature-size. Her slogan for Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4-10, is ‘” A Great Invention is Fire Prevention.” She competed with fifth graders from each of the Hastings schools. Sixth grade teachers from the various schools judged the entries. Pictured left to right are Sister Cyrita, fifth grade teacher at St. Boniface; Marion Schommer; Sister Mary Joseph, school principal; and fire chief Clarence “Doc” Latch. The miniature fire truck was donated by the Minnesota Fire Chiefs Association.

Century Mark Is Reached (photo) 100 YEARS and one day after the first services were held in St. Mary’s Episcopal church of Basswood Grove, a centennial celebration was held this past Sunday, bringing back former members from as far away as Maryland, Florida, and Oregon. One “oversight” was corrected last Friday, just in time for the celebration. It was discovered that Basswood Grove was without a single basswood tree, so Hastings nurseryman Keith Law set out two basswoods in the cemetery adjacent to the churchyard. Other pictures and a story of the celebration appear inside this week’s issue.

114 Years Ago CANNON FALLS BEACON October 12, 1906 School Notes: Ask Prof. Newman about the Senior Girl Syndicate and their noble purpose in life.

Although (Altho) some of the Sophomore boys are rather small, that is not the reason for not giving them room to grow in.

The Freshies’ long line of powerful looking boys are enough to make the other classes green with envy.

Ad from Henry Thompson: It’s time to talk and think about overshoes and I have something worth talking about in this line. Just look at these prices: The very best quality Ball Band Rolled Edge Arctics worth 1.75, now 1.45; First quality Plain Edge Arctics, worth $1.50, not $1.15; First quality Dress Arctics, now $1.25; Second Quality Dress Arctics, now $1.15; First quality Rolled Edge Arctics worth $1.65, now $1.35; First quality Dress storm overs, 90c to $1.00; Youth Arctics, worth $1.15, now 75c; Boys’ Arctics, worth $1.35, now $1.00.

157 Years Ago THE HASTINGS CONSERVER October 6, 1863 Important.—All school districts which fail to report the number of children within their precincts to the county auditor on or before the 15th of this month will forfeit their share of the public money for this year. This is an important matter, and should be promptly attended to.

September 29, 1863 Our Platform.

Resolved, That we, chosen to represent in convention the unconditional union men of Minnesota, grateful to Almighty God for the success which has hitherto crowned the arms of our country and for the prospect opened of a speedy, honorable, and lasting peace, do hereby, for ourselves and our constituents, reaffirm our determination to support our government by every means in our power in the vigorous prosecution of this war,–on our part, holy, just, and forced upon us by the criminal acts of others,–until not an enemy in arms shall be found within our borders. And to this we pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.