Federal authorities say a Stillwater man abused his power of attorney to defraud an Iowa woman out of money to pay for the installation of a swimming pool and other home-improvement goods and services.

Hamilton Girard, 66, was sentenced last week in U.S. District Court in Sioux City, Iowa, to four months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud. He also was fined $10,000.

Girard admitted to authorities in February 2020 that he was designated as an agent and given power of attorney for the woman, who was diagnosed with early-onset dementia, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of Iowa. The woman, whose age was not listed, “was unable to manage her financial affairs due to her failing mental capacity,” according to court documents. The relationship between Girard and the woman was not disclosed.

With the power of attorney, Girard misappropriated about $149,000 of the victim’s funds, authorities said.

Girard “signed and issued unauthorized checks from the victim’s personal checking account to purchase items such as home improvement and home construction-related goods and services for his own benefit, including the installation of a pool,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of Iowa.

Girard was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to four months. In addition to his prison sentence and fine, Girard was ordered to pay $115,171.40 in restitution to the woman.

He also must serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Girard was released on a bond previously set and is to surrender to the U.S. Marshal at a date to be determined.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Timmons.

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It could have been worse for the Minnesota Wild, but not by much.

The Wild on Thursday will play their first game since last Saturday, and while it was a good opportunity to decompress from the stress of what essentially has been a series of must-win games this month, the team lost a lot of ground in the standings while sitting idle.

Minnesota will start Thursday’s 7 p.m. puck drop at Xcel Energy Center nine points out of the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff position with just 11 regular-season games left. It could have been 10, but Vegas lost to Nashville in overtime on Tuesday night, finishing 2-0-1 since Minnesota last played.

It’s a lot to overcome. In fact, the Wild would have to make history to do it.

Since the NHL moved to an 82-game schedule in 1974-75, no team has rallied to make the postseason after being as many as seven points back with at least 70 games played.

The Wild have improved substantially since John Hynes replaced Dean Evason as coach, going 29-18-4 since Nov. 28, but have been unable to overcome a 5-10-4 start.

“They came back to practice focused,” Hynes said after an hour-long practice at TRIA Rink on Wednesday. “I think both practices were good, had good details to them, I think the pace and execution was good, so we’re not overthinking what’s there. Coming off the break, what we could control were these two days, then making sure the mindset is right going into tomorrow. Then we take it from there.”

The last two wild cards remain in play for Minnesota, but it’s a longshot in either case.

If the Wild were to win out in their last 11 games, they could finish a point ahead of Vegas if the Knights earn no more than 12 of 20 possible points — say, 5-4-2 or 6-4-0 — leaving them with a maximum 98 points. Seventh-place Los Angeles, 10 points up on Minnesota, would have to earn no more than 11 of 22 possible points.

According to the NHL, the furthest back a team has come after 64 games is the 1985-86 Hartford Whalers, who were eight points back and fifth in the old Adams Division when the top four clubs in each division qualified for the playoffs. At 70 games, they were four points out.

The Wild have a couple of things going for them. First, it appears they’ll have center Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin back from lower-body injuries on Thursday.

“They had two full, really good real hockey practices,” Hynes said. “So, signs are pointing towards that.”

Another is scheduling. Three of the Wild’s last 11 regular-season games are against the Kings and Knights. If they stay in it, the Wild will have a big game at Los Angeles on April 18. Before that, they’ll see the Knights on Saturday at the X, then again on April 12 in Las Vegas.

“A bit of hope, I think. It’s a lot of points,” Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. “(Vegas is) a good team, too, right? Obviously. I don’t know. We’re going to try our best, try to win, see what happens.”

This scenario not only assumes Minnesota goes 11-0-0 the rest of the way, it assumes St. Louis — three points ahead of Minnesota in ninth place — stalls out over its next 10 games, as well.

This is why coach John Hynes has suggested his players ignore the standings down the stretch. Paying attention to what you can’t control, he has said this season, wastes mental energy that could be spent on a game.

This is the approach rookie defenseman Brock Faber took during the team’s four-day layoff. What other teams do, he said, won’t help the Wild “unless we win our games.”

Faber and his teammates know only one thing is certain.

“If we want to make the playoffs, we’ve got to win a lot of games coming up here,” he said.

LONG ODDS

The Wild are nine points out of a playoff spot with 71 games under their belts. Since the NHL moved to an 82-game schedule in 1974-75, only one team has rallied from as many as seven points down to make the postseason. Here are teams that made up the most ground:

Team             Season      GP      Pts.
Washington   2007-08      70       -7
Colorado       2018-19      71       -6
Washington  2007-08      70        -6
Islanders      1993-94      74        -6

Source: NHLstats

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Sarah Kuta | (TNS) TravelPulse

Thinking of cruising around French Polynesia with Windstar Cruises? Now, you can add on a stay at Marlon Brando’s private island after your sailing.

Windstar Cruises is launching a new offering in partnership with Pacific Beachcomber, a company that operates seven hotels in French Polynesia. One of those properties is The Brando, a private island eco-resort on the atoll of Tetiaroa with 35 private villas, white sand beaches and a 5-mile-wide lagoon.

Through the collaboration, Windstar guests can now book a two-night stay at The Brando after sailing aboard the Star Breeze, which recently replaced Wind Spirit and doubled the small-ship line’s capacity in the region.

The luxury post-cruise add-on will be available for booking starting May 1. It’s only open to guests staying in Star Breeze’s top suites: the owner’s suites, as well as the Broadmoor and Sea Island suites.

After sailing around French Polynesia with Windstar, guests will disembark the ship in Papeete. Then, they’ll board a small plane for the 20-minute flight to The Brando. While there, they’ll enjoy daily excursions, spa treatments, beach equipment and more. Then, they’ll be flown back to Papeete. Rates start at $6,900 per person based on double occupancy.

“This collaboration not only further enhances our commitment to providing unparalleled luxury and most romantic experiences for our guests in French Polynesia, but also allows us to extend the Windstar experience seamlessly from sea to land, providing our guests with exceptional hospitality throughout their journey,” says Christopher Prelog, president of Windstar Cruises.

The late American actor first purchased the atoll in the 1960s. In 1999, he asked his friend Richard Bailey, chairman of Pacific Beachcomber, to help him develop the property into a resort. Together, the two men began drawing up plans for a luxurious but environmentally friendly haven.

Brando died in 2004, but his family gave Bailey permission to carry the late actor’s vision forward. In 2014, that plan finally came to fruition when The Brando opened to the public. Since then, it’s been a hot spot for celebrities, with guests ranging from Barack and Michelle Obama to Britney Spears and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Since February, Windstar has offered Pacific Beachcomber’s InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa in Papeete for pre- and post-cruise stays. During their sailing, Windstar guests can also book a one-night stay in an overwater bungalow at Pacific Beachcomber’s Intercontinental Bora Bora Le Moana as a shore excursion.

“We are delighted to extend a warm invitation to Windstar Cruises’ guests to discover our secluded island havens, including The Brando, an eco-resort unlike any other nestled in the heart of French Polynesia,” says Bailey. “Together, we aim to deeply immerse our guests in the vibrant Polynesian culture and the untouched splendor of our natural surroundings.”

_________

©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Brentt Michalek, city administrator in Park Falls, Wis., has been hired to be city administrator in Hudson, Wis.

Michalek, 52, will start June 3.

Brentt Michalek (Courtesy photo)

Michalek said he was excited to help the Hudson City Council achieve its goals. “The city has a lot of immediate activities happening with the pressures of the urbanizing area,” he said. “I work at the will of the council.”

Michalek said he plans to help the council set a strategic plan for the city as soon as he starts on the job. “I think that will help the city look toward the future a good 10 to 20 years and see where they want to go,” he said. “It gives direction and priority to the city’s spending and things like that.”

Michalek has been city administrator of Park Falls, about three hours northeast of Hudson, since 2019. He also has been a member of the Chequamegon School Board since 2021; his term expires in April.

“I was asked to run for school board three years ago,” he said. “It was a discussion I had with my board and our city attorney, who drafted an opinion. The council unanimously approved on the condition that on issues where the city and school board would be in negotiations, I could not partake in school board activities.”

Grew up in Green Bay

Prior to taking the job in Park Falls, Michalek worked as the permitting manager for Network Real Estate in Green Bay, Wis., and director of conservation, planning and zoning for Sauk County, Wis. He also served as director of planning, zoning and construction resources for Emmet County, Mich.

Michalek, who grew up in Green Bay, has a master’s degree in environmental science and policy from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and a bachelor’s degree in regional analysis (urban and regional economic theory) planning, with a minor in mathematics, from the same school. He also has achieved all but dissertation status toward his doctorate in geography from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; his thesis was on the urbanizing of land and its effect on groundwater, he said.

Michalek and his wife, Sara, have two children: Lauren, 16, and Derek, 13.

More than 35 candidates applied to be city administrator. The four other finalists were:

Kristina Handt, interim city administrator in Forest Lake and former city administrator in Lake Elmo and Scandia and former village administrator of Village of Luck, Wis.
Renae Fry, former city administrator in North Branch, and former administrative coordinator in Sauk County, Wis.
Ryan Heise, city manager in Saugatuck, Mich., and former village administrator in Egg Harbor and former director of operations in Lakewood Ranch
William McCabe, city administrator in St. Augusta, Minn., and former city administrator of St. Charles, Minn., and former city administrator of Red Lake Falls.

Former city administrator Aaron Reeves left in November to be deputy director of public works in Boulder County, Colo. Reeves had served as city administrator since September 2019.

Mike Johnson, who serves as assistant city administrator and community development director, has been serving as interim administrator since Reeve’s departure.

Is he spelling his name right?

Now, what’s the deal with the spelling of Michalek’s first name, Brentt?

“I think it’s the correct way to spell it,” he said. “It was my parents’ choice. … My mother just liked the way it balanced out. She always thought it should have two ‘t’s.

“It happens all the time that people leave the ‘t’ off. When I respond, I just accidentally leave out the last letter of their name.”

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