Sarah Shelander

As scams go, the one detailed recently in Brown County District Court begins with a sad but all-too-familiar tale of modern life: An 87-year-old woman, hoodwinked by computer and phone, sends $1,000 in gift cards to someone claiming to be with Microsoft.The case ventures off the beaten path from there, however, to $85,000 in gold bars changing hands in a Walmart parking lot, a traffic stop that turns priceless weeks after the fact, and the ultimate rarity in swindles of the elderly: a suspect’s name and a criminal charge.The events in New Ulm underscore the danger of scams in every community, particularly against seniors, and the ever-changing playbook of thieves.

For police, public education on the dangers of swindlers and scams is an endless task.Sleepy Eye Chief Matt Andres has written on the topic numerous times, and he and Investigator Shawn Bohnen have spoken to many groups over the years to try to help people avoid being taken for a loss.

Residents and their families will see a jump in rates this month at Sleepy Eye Assisted Living, with the price of rooms rising as much as 60 percent under the new owner of the facility, Monarch Healthcare Management.Monarch CEO Marc Halpert said the increases follow a six-month review of services, care and care packages after the company bought the assisted living community for seniors from the previous owner, Volunteers of America National Services, a nonprofit affordable housing developer and senior healthcare provider with operations nationwide.Monarch’s review found the assisted living facility “was quite below cost, causing major operational concern,” Halpert said in a statement that he gave last week to the Herald-Dispatch.

City Councilor Doug Pelzel was airlifted with critical injuries after he crashed his motorcycle with a passenger Saturday afternoon in rural Lake Crystal.The Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office released details of the accident on Tuesday.

The City Council on Tuesday approved a preliminary budget for 2025 that includes a 9.17 percent raise in local property taxes and levies, an increase of $155,443.Councilors cited the impact of inflation on the city’s bottom line and noted their action Tuesday still allows them to reduce that proposed tax increase when they approve a final budget in December, if current budget numbers trend better in the coming months.