An elaborate scheme that netted him about $1.8 million in fraudulently obtained money could land a former Hutchinson man in prison for up to 30 years.

John M. Rubischko, 36, of Eagan and a 1989 graduate of Hutchinson High School, pleaded guilty June 27 in federal court in St. Paul to counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Sentencing by U.S. District Court Judge Donovan Frank will be at a future date. The potential maximum penalty is up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to the greater of $1 million or twice the amount of the gain or loss.

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Dan McElroy will present a legislative update next week in Redwood Falls and Fergus Falls on the state’s Jobs Opportunity Building Zone program.

JOBZ, which provides tax and other incentives to business to locate or expand in economically stressed portions of rural Minnesota, came under fire during the 2008 legislative session. It survived efforts from some lawmakers seeking its dismantling.

Excitement is building for New Century and New Discoveries charter schools staff and students as the completion date for their new facilities nears. After five months of construction, the site is shaping up to be a school, which has New Discoveries Director Dave Conrad floored.

“We’re still looking at an Aug. 1 completion date,” Conrad said.

From Diane Robinson
Hutchinson

I do not believe that providing more ball fields and building a water park is an essential service for the residents of Hutchinson, especially when we are paying close to $4 per gallon for gas! Citizens of Hutchinson and City Council members — it is time for a new fiscally conservative mentality toward spending our tax dollars!

From Mary-Anne Olmsted-Kohls
Hutchinson

It doesn’t matter whether “global warming” is fact or fiction, “living green” and trying to be eco-friendly should be everyone’s mantra whether liberal or conservative. God originally put us on this Earth to be caretakers of it. Sadly, because of original sin, we keep losing sight of this. We tend to be parasitic in our use of natural resources, devouring whatever is needed at the time, only until it is gone or close to it, do we decide maybe we better be less abusive.

From Rep. Ron Shimanski
R-Silver Lake, District 18A

We are well into our summer events. Some communities have already had celebrations and festivities such as the Hutchinson Water Carnival, Glencoe Days and Prairie Days as well as June Dairy Month activities. I try to meet as many people as I can at these events.

With the pain we’re experiencing at the gas pump, many people are reconsidering how far they travel. Fortunately we can enjoy numerous summertime activities without leaving our state.

Cheers to the Hutchinson Jaycees! We would like to commend the Jaycees for the outstanding effort in making the 2008 Water Carnival week very memorable for our family. Hutchinson should be so proud and thankful for how the Jaycees portray our city to the rest of the state. We are looking forward to a fun-filled summer.

Brockton Jordahl and family
Water Carnival Junior Commodore

Cheers to all who donated to our annual Water Carnival week food drive. We collected 414 pounds of food and $455 — all of which was delivered to the McLeod Emergency Food Shelf. Thanks also to the local businesses who helped make our food drive a success.

John Campbell, Hutchinson

Cheers to the entire Hutchinson Jaycee Water Carnival Committee and community volunteers for making the 66th annual celebration a success! It clearly shows you take great pride in our hometown. Cheers and thank you for your commitment and support. What a great festival celebrating our great community — hats off to all of you!

Anthony and Kristi Hanson, commodore and first mate, Hutchinson Jaycee Water Carnival

In McLeod County, we have no parades, fireworks or ceremonies recognizing Independence Day. That’s why it’s important that we write about it here.

Without our nation’s independence, there probably wouldn’t be any reason to celebrate the other patriotic holidays such as Memorial Day, Flag Day and Veterans Day. Instead, we’d likely be paying allegiance to the British monarchy.

But we do have our independence, and celebrating it should involve more than watching explosives decorate the sky or enjoying a barbecue with family and friends.

Hutchinson residents interested in serving their neighbors as a member of the City Council have one more week to file an affidavit of candidacy and pay a $20 filing fee. The two-week filing period ends at 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 15.

Three of the five positions are up for election this year. The races for two, four-year positions, Seat 3 filled by Kay Peterson and Seat 4 filled Casey Stotts, are wide open. Both announced they don’t plan to seek re-election. The other seat is that of Mayor Steve Cook, who has announced that he plans to seek his third two-year term.

Twelve leading Hutchinson residents came together in December 1961 to form Hutchinson Growth Inc., the forerunner of today’s Hutchinson Economic Development Authority. Their action spurred development of today’s almost-filled industrial park.

The two surviving members of that visionary dozen were honored June 25 during an open house and reception at Hutchinson City Center. Retired businessmen Emanuel Albrecht and Virgil Goebel received plaques at an open house and reception organized by EDA Director Miles Seppelt.

Hutchinson has filed a lawsuit with McLeod County District Court against the owners of property the city and the then city-owned Hutchinson Area Health Care sought two years ago for the future site of its senior housing campus.

In the complaint filed June 25 by City Attorney Marc Sebora, the city is seeking the return of $25,000 in earnest money paid to Hazel Sitz and the estate of her deceased husband, Donald. The city had approved in September 2006 spending $1.3 million to purchase 37 acres of land east of Menards and south of Edmonton Avenue.

Jerry Hansen, 85, of Minneapolis, and formerly of Hutchinson, died Tuesday, July 1, at the Minnesota Veteran’s Home in Minneapolis.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Monday, July 7, at Dobratz-Hantge Chapel in Hutchinson.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 6, and 8 a.m. to the time of service Monday at the Dobratz-Hantge Chapel.

Arrangements are with Dobratz-Hantge Funeral Chapel in Hutchinson. Online condolences may be directed to www.hantge.com.

WILLMAR — Members of the public, transportation stakeholders, local government officials and others are invited to discuss the updated state's long-range transportation plan.

Officials from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, including Commissioner Tom Sorel, Deputy Commissioner Khani Sahebjam and District Engineer Dave Trooien, will present the update to the state's 20-year transportation plan from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, July 10, at Kandiyohi County Health & Human Services, 2200 23rd St. N.E., Willmar.

Jean Ward and Casey Stotts of the Hutchinson Housing and Redevelopment Agency have been recognized with 2008 Minnesota Energy Challenge Energy Efficiency Awards for their efforts to educate Hutchinson residents about energy efficiency and conservation and lowering the carbon footprint of Minnesota.

The awards are presented by the Center for Energy and Environment, a nonprofit based in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Energy Challenge encourages businesses and residents to reduce their carbon footprints by taking simple, effective steps to become more energy efficient.

Small projects and fix-ups around the house seem to be never-ending. Sometimes we don’t have the time, money or even the skill to complete these projects. Richard Larson Builders Inc. has a solution: a professional handyman business, called Larson Home Solutions.

Larson Home Solutions is a separate division of Richard Larson Builders Inc. and provides a wide selection of services for people who may not have the ability or time to complete.

Doug Kephart, general manager, said it is important to “make ourselves available to the homeowner for any service.”

Lyle Boller, 73, of Hutchinson, died Monday, June 30, at Burns Manor Nursing Home in Hutchinson.

A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 3, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Acoma Township, rural Hutchinson. Interment will be in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the services Thursday at the church.

Arrangments are by Dobratz-Hantge Funeral Home in Hutchinson. Online condolences may be directed to www.hantge.com.

Do you want the maintenance-free look of vinyl or aluminum siding without the potential risk of the vinyl warping or the aluminum getting dimpled by hail or pulled up by high winds?

You can with CHIC Liquid Vinyl, a permanent co-polymer costing system developed in Canada 24 years ago and now available in the Hutchinson area, said Doug Peters, marketing director for the Fridley-based USVICO.

Hutchinson builders typically awaken in May from their winter-weather hibernation and hit their stride for the summer construction season. Not so in the doldrums of the 2008 housing market.

After taking out permits for four housing units in April, builders sought only two such permits from the city in May. An average of seven housing units had been started in May during the previous 10 years, with a high of 12 in both 2004 and 2000. You have to go back to 1995 to find the last time only two homes were started in May.

Robert J. ‘RJ’ Wennen, 66, of Hillsborough, N.C., and formerly of Hutchinson, died peacefully Sunday, June 29, at Rose Manor Healthcare Center, Durham, N.C.

A celebration of RJ’s life will be over the Labor Day weekend at the Wennen family cabin on Sand Lake in Britt.

From Joan Nott
Hutchinson

Have you stopped at a four-way stop lately? If you’re like me, it happens almost every day. Now there are definite rules of the road regarding these stops. The first one at the intersection has the right of way. If you arrive at the same time, the person at the right has the right of way. I tend to be an observer and find that many people are unsure or nervous about what to do at these corners.

Cheers for a real family life report by Eggerts revealing the presence and remainders of a one-time industry, a sorghum mill on their real estate, now the Heritage Center.

Norman K. Johnson
Hutchinson

From Dean Hurning
Hector

There is no reason why gas prices have to be so high. We’re assuming that it is the fault of the oil companies — but is it? Why don’t we ask our own government? To make the biggest impact, truckers need to strike immediately. Then maybe our government would do something. Think about it — when food, medicine and supplies do not reach their destination, yes, we’ll all feel the impact, but then maybe someone will do something.

Cheers to the Hutchinson Police Department for the senior fishing trip. You guys did a great job and it was appreciated. I had a fun day.

Al Barnes
Hutchinson

From Sandy Tracy
Darwin

Scott McClellan’s testimony before Congress revealed nothing new. We already knew about the run-up to war through the Downing Street memos. We already knew about the secret government of the Bush administration from John Dean’s “Worse Than Watergate.” We already knew about the Bush administration’s propensity to lie from lots of sources: the Scooter Libby trial, the politicization of the judiciary, and the invoking executive privilege to block investigation of California’s air pollution standards.

From Jeff Black
Maplewood

We admit it. We didn’t know all the city ordinances and state laws governing the use of bicycles on sidewalks when readers began debating the issue last week on hutchinsonleader.com. But we learned more, and now we have answers to share with you.

The debate arose last week when reader Shawn Smithers of Hutchinson wrote a letter to this page, urging cyclists to stay off sidewalks. Her point was well stated. Cyclists and pedestrians need to respect each other’s space and safety.

H. Lenard Christensen, 91, of Hutchinson, died Monday, June 30, at Burns Manor Nursing Home in Hutchinson.

A funeral service will be 11 a.m. Thursday, July 3, at Vineyard United Methodist Church in Hutchinson. Interment will be in Oakland Cemetery in Hutchinson.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 2, and from 8 to 9 a.m. Thursday at the Dobratz-Hantge Funeral Chapel in Hutchinson. Visitation will continue for one hour prior to the services Thursday at the church.

From John W. Korngiebel
Hutchinson

Thank you to the Hutchinson Leader and Mayor Cook for your efforts in supporting a design standards ordinance.

Tin sheds and pole buildings may be acceptable for the industrial park but not downtown, in our commercial districts or along the entrance corridors to our city.