The Minnesota Department of Revenue is reminding parents to save receipts from school supply purchases this year. Doing so could qualify parents for tax credits or subtractions on 2008 state income tax returns.

By Nathan Winter, University of Minnesota Extension

This year the Minnesota State Master Gardener Conference will be in Hutchinson. This conference is a great opportunity for Master Gardeners to update their education on horticultural topics and for a chance to learn more about horticulture through tours.

McLeod County Republicans will provide legislators' stand on issues and refund information at the Republican Party booth during the McLeod County Fair Wednesday, Aug. 13 through Sunday, Aug. 17.
Drawings will take place for daily and weekly prizes for adults and children; and ice water will be offered at the booth.

These legislators will be available at the booth:
• Sen. Steve Dille: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15-17.

National Night Out, “America’s Night Out Against Crime,” which takes place Tuesday, Aug. 5, has grown from 400 cities in 23 states when it was born in 1984, to 11,300 communities in all 50 states and Canada.

Sixteen neighborhood cookouts are planned throughout Hutchinson next Tuesday, Aug. 5. Most will be attended by a member of the Hutchinson Police Department.

National Night Out is Tuesday, Aug. 5, and Hutchinson Police Services is seeking residents to help host block parties in their neighborhoods.

Anyone interested in being host or seeking more information about the event, may call Sgt. Eric Kilian at the police station, (320) 587-2242.

(Terry Davis is a Hutchinson Leader staff writer. E-mail him at davis@hutchinsonleader.com.)

Easements onto rail authority property requested by the cities of Hutchinson and Lester Prairie are the major agenda items for a meeting of the McLeod Regional Rail Authority planned at noon Tuesday, July 29.

Chairman Sheldon Nies also is expecting an update on progress in the preservation of the former Dakota Rail-Great Northern depot in Hutchinson.

The meeting takes place at the Hutchinson VFW Post, 247 First Ave. S.E.

(Terry Davis is a Hutchinson Leader staff writer. E-mail him at davis@hutchinsonleader.com.)

University of Minnesota Extension has received new funding from the Northwest Area Foundation to offer a successful poverty reduction program in up to fifteen additional communities. Informational sessions for eligible communities will be conducted from July 22-31.

People who want to teach but don’t have the full credentials will have an opportunity to become certified as short-call substitute teachers under the Minnesota Limited Short Call Substitute program.

A two-day program to prepare individuals to apply to become short-call substitute teachers and to register with school districts in the 9-county area will be Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 11 and 12.

McLeod County has been selected to participate in a food distribution program called Food Outreach available through Second Harvest Heartland.

The program, sponsored by Common Cup Ministry and McLeod County Emergency Food Shelf enables individuals and families who are at the 200 percent poverty level or below, or experiencing a crisis to receive food and other household products at no cost.

Heartland Community Action Agency is now offering foreclosure prevention counseling to anyone worried about keeping up with mortgage payments.

Rhonda Otteson, a foreclosure counselor with Heartland, said foreclosures across Minnesota nearly doubled from 2006 to 2007. Otteson said statewide foreclosures in 2006 totaled about 11,000. In 2007, there were about 20,000 foreclosures and 2008 will likely total 28,000. “My understanding is McLeod County is getting hit pretty hard,” she said.