A Faribault man was sentenced yesterday after pleading guilty to 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct. 40 year old Ryan Sheridan Fuller was placed under arrest in early January charged with 1st degree criminal sexual conduct after a complaint accusing him of molesting a girl under 13. The heavily redacted complaint states that Fuller was extremely intoxicated and the child had been sleeping in a bed in the home when he laid down with her. She kicked and screamed as he assaulted her, then called her mother to pick her up. There were others in the home at the time. Fuller’s blood alcohol level was .30, nearly 4 times the legal amount. With previous convictions for
dui, stalking and domestic assault, he received 74 months. Rice County attorney John Fossum said he will then be under 10 years of supervision upon release. He‘s being transferred to St. Cloud State prison from the Rice County jail where he’s spent the last 204 days. He must register as a predatory offender.
Raise the levy, lower the taxes? “Once in a lifetime”
Dundas officially set their preliminary levy this week. Administrator John McCarthy said the Council set the levy at 20{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9}, 
primarily based on the Capital Improvement Plan they have for next year. Because of the increase in tax base and decertification of TIF districts, McCarthy says, “the city anticipates that the tax rate, which is what taxes are based on, will decrease by about 15{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9}”. He estimates that a $250,000 home will see a DEcrease in property taxes by about $200. For a business valued at $400,000, taxes will decrease by about $600 a year. He called it a “once in a lifetime opportunity to both raise taxes to improve the City and reduce the taxes”. He said it’s, “basically the foresight of city councils in the past that took a risk in offering some development opportunities”. McCarthy said there was a cost but the investment is paying off now. The final levy will be set in December. The final inspections for Aldi Market have been completed and the keys should be turned over to the Aldi corporation shortly. They generally take about 3 weeks to get the store ready for shoppers. McCarthy anticipates an opening in mid-October.
NH&C to offer “today care”
After 2 years of discussion, Sterling Drug and Northfield Hospital and Clinics will open an Express Clinic in downtown Northfield. NH&C President, Steve Underdahl, said this facility won’t have all the services of their Lakeville Urgent Care, it will provide a space for a “today care”. For example, someone has an earache and will be flying in a couple of days; the express clinic will allow them to come in, get diagnosed and start treatment right away. Underdahl said the clinic, which will be in the Sterling Drug location at 700 Division St, will be open later in the day and on weekends. Sterling will be doing renovations with a projected plan of opening for business in the first quarter of 2018. Healthfinders is also partnering with them to utilize the facility.
School referendum presentation set for Monday
High quality, early learning is important to Northfield Schools Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann. So is getting a high school for modern learning. The school referendum on November 7th includes an operating levy of nearly $2 mil and a bond referendum for $109 million for a high school and an elementary school on the Greenvale Park campus. Dr. Hillmann will give a presentation on Monday evening, the 18th, at 7 o’clock at the High School auditorium.
