Thursday, April 19, 2012
Shredding important documents is one of the most effective ways of insuring that financial information doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.
Shredding important documents is one of the most effective ways of insuring that financial information doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. The following is a simple record retention guide that may help to eliminate some of the confusion over how long financial information should be retained (Source: www.bankrate.com): 45 Days Credit card receipts: Receipts that match up with monthly statements can be shredded, but statements should be kept for seven years if used as documentation on tax returns (see Tax Returns, below): One Year – Permanently Paycheck Stubs: Reconcile paycheck stubs with the W2 form. If there are no errors, pay stubs can be destroyed. Bills: Bills can be shredded once canceled checks are returned. For large purchases, bills…
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
A look back at Tuesday's Rice County Board of Commissioners meeting.
The Rice County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday set new salaries for the county's four elected officials—attorney, auditor/treasurer, recorder and sheriff. Each elected official received a retroactive .5-percent increase on their salary, effective Jan. 1, and will get another .5-percent increase July 1. Commissioners in December froze their salaries at $28,504, while keeping the board chair's salary at $29,359, according to county records. Other items from Tuesday's meeting included authorizing an advertisement for bids for a community corrections renovation project, a public hearing for grants for McCullough Park and awarding a contract for sealcoating projects. A full agenda is attached as a PDF. Be sure to follow Northfield Patch on …
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Be careful when it comes to the "grandparent scam."
The past few months we have seen a dramatic increase in what has been referred to as the “Emergency Scam” or the “Grandparent Scam.” Seniors—for the most part—are contacted, usually late at night, via telephone. Typically the caller starts the conversation by saying in a panicked tone of voice, “It’s Me.” The caller waits for the person who answered the phone to identify someone he or she knows, who is often a grandchild. The caller pretends to be the person who the “grandparent” identifies and proceeds to claim that they need money for an emergency situation. Reasons range from bail money, emergency medical care, car trouble or accident. The caller desperately claims that he or she needs the money wired immediately, and begs their “…
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Rice County Attorney Paul Beaumaster write abouts the details of synthetic drugs.
Parents and children need to talk about the dangers of synthetic drugs. Just because a product is sold at a store does not mean it is safe or harmless. The term “synthetic marijuana” fosters a misconception that these substances are comparable to marijuana. Nothing could be farther from the truth. People who tell you otherwise need to explain why those who use synthetic marijuana end up in the emergency room. Because the substances are often referred to as “fake pot,” they are considered less dangerous and are thought to be equivalent to marijuana in their effects. Due to inconsistencies in the way the drugs are manufactured, using synthetic drugs can result in paranoia, hallucinations, brain damage and death. Synthetic drug manufacturers …
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The most common ways in which identities are stolen are through a lost or stolen wallet or purse, mail theft, documents retrieved from the trash.
Tax fraud is becoming widespread and is a form of identity theft. With tax season upon us, it is a good idea to take special precautions. The most common tax fraud this time of year is committed by perpetrators who use stolen identities to file tax returns in the hopes of collecting tax refunds. However, not all identity thieves have financial motives in mind. Stolen Social Security numbers are also used by perpetrators or others with questionable backgrounds to get a job. Victims may not discover such theft until they see obvious wage discrepancies on their Social Security earnings statement, or they receive a letter from the IRS notifying them that more than one tax return was filed in their name. Stolen personal information such as a …
Friday, February 10, 2012
February 2012 has been proclaimed as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.
February 2012 has been proclaimed as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. This is especially fitting, since Valentine’s Day occurs in February—a day made for focusing on the relationships dearest to us. The call to awareness on the topic of teen dating violence needs to last and continue through February and beyond, just as we need to work on our most important relationships every day. One in three teenagers in the US is a victim of physical, emotional or sexual abuse by someone they are dating. Young women, ages 16-24, are three times more likely to experience abuse than the general public. These violent relationships have serious consequences for victims and for our community. Young people in abusive situations…
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Rice County Attorney Paul Beaumaster says scammers have been pretending to be officials with the Social Security Administration.
Recently our office has received complaints about a telephone scam where the person is claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. They are claiming they need to update their files and they will send you a new ID or a new medical card. These people are asking for your banking information and may even provide the banks routing number to you once you provide the name of the bank. These people are scammers! It is alright to hang up if you believe it is a scammer or you are uncomfortable with the conversation. Protect yourself by not providing your information over the telephone: Your social security number Your bank information- routing number or account Your credit card number or 3 digit PIN on your credit card Your PIN for any…
Sunday, January 15, 2012
As in golf, the lower the numbers the better you have done.
The numbers are in for 2011 traffic safety and Rice County achieved the lowest numbers in 20 years in all categories: Total Crashes: 653 Fatal crashes: 2 Serious Injury: 14 DWIs: 268 As in golf, the lower the numbers the better you have done. Two deaths are still two too many and our ultimate goal is zero deaths on our roadways. Recognizing the milestone requires reflection on the goal of zero deaths and the road traveled to date towards achieving that goal. Traffic crashes in Minnesota claimed the lives of 349 people in 2011, according to preliminary reports from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) Office of Traffic Safety. Those deaths from crashes on our roads in Minnesota denote an appalling number of lives lost due to …
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Northfield Patch recaps the happenings of the past week.
COMMUNITY • VIDEO: Haslett-Marroquin Family Benefit Concert • PHOTOS: Haslett-Marroquin Family Benefit Concert • POLL: Vote for Northfield Patch's Person of the Year • The Most Recent Homes Sold in Northfield—Dec. 17, 2011 • Northfield Historical Society's Winter Scream Back for More Screaming • POLL: What Restaurant Do You Want in Northfield? • Searching for Slopes: Ski Near the Twin Cities • Northfield CAC Makes Christmas a Little Merrier • The Most Recent Northfield Deaths—Dec. 14, 2011 • Northfield Parents Talk: Favorite Winter Activities • Dreaming of a Green Christmas • 620 Grill Closes Its Doors • Northfield Hospital Auxiliary Donates Funds to HealthFinders • Checking the Status of Social Media in Northfield • PHOTOS: Dickens' …
Thursday, December 15, 2011
G. Paul Beaumaster, Rice County Attorney, will lead the Minnesota County Attorneys Association over the next 12 months.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Thursday, December 15, 2011
G. Paul Beaumaster, Rice County Attorney, will lead the Minnesota County Attorneys Association over the next 12 months. Beaumaster was elected president during the Association’s annual meeting in Bloomington last week. Crow Wing County Attorney Don Ryan was elected president-elect of the Association. Otter Tail County Attorney David Hauser was named Secretary. Sherburne County Attorney Kathleen Heaney was elected Treasurer. “I look forward to leading the Association over the next 12 months focusing on three areas: implementing a process to help County Attorneys be proactive on emerging criminal justice issues; facilitating communications with elected officials; and continuing to look to the future with the increased use of technology.” …
Angela Lauterbach
1:51 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
DHI DR Horton Homes Inc. experienced a server attack sometime in the last few weeks. The server in question holds information for those buyers who pre-qualified during a home search through DHI. If this includes you, contact the offices of DR Horton in Lakeville. They will give you instructions on what to do to protect your data. more ›