Search for Heils complicated by difficult conditions

More passengers have been recovered from the wreck of the Costa Concordia, which sank off the coast of Tuscany, Italy, earlier this month, but the parents of Hastings resident Sara Heil are still among the missing.

Crews working on Highway 61 bridge in Hastings are working to limit project delay

Crews working on the new Highway 61 bridge in Hastings are getting ever more optimistic that they will get the project completed by the late fall of 2013.

Remembering John Zgoda, who worked at the city since 1977

The death of longtime Hastings resident John Zgoda shocked many of those who knew and worked with him. His battle with esophageal cancer began just last May and claimed his life Jan. 10.

Two charged in robbery of employee’s keys

Two Twin Cities residents have been charged with simple robbery (aid and abet) after they allegedly stole a set of employee’s keys during the early morning hours of Jan. 17. That robbery also led to other charges being filed against the pair.

Hastings woman waits for news of missing parents after shipwreck

People across the country are waiting to hear news of an American couple from White Bear Lake that were on board a cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of Tuscany, Italy, Jan. 13. A Hastings woman is among them.

2,500 Hastings-area volunteers step up for Feed My Starving Children project here

A large group of volunteers will give their time for three days in early February to help starving children in another part of the world. The Feed My Starving Children MobilePack has filled all 2,500 volunteer slots for the upcoming Feb. 2-4 meal packing project at Hastings High School.

Police report preview - Jan. 10 to Jan. 16

Here is this week's police report preview. The complete preview can be found on Page 4A of the print edition.

Readers: Are you having trouble viewing stories? If so, let us know

Hello readers! It was about five weeks ago that we made a change to our website that prompted many of you to have to log in or confirm your account. While many of you have been successful at this, it appears as though there's a fair amount of readers out there who are having trouble accessing our stories. We want to fix that for you. E-mail editor Chad Richardson at crichardson@hastingsstargazette.com if you are having troubles.

Have a story idea? Think we should check on something? Send it to the Star Gazette here

If you have a story idea for the Hastings Star Gazette, or know of something that happened here that should be covered, please send us a note by clicking the contact form link below.

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Editorial: Feedback positive on policy change

Last week on these pages we wrote about our new policy when it comes to reporting on mental health crises and suicide. To summarize, our longstanding policy here was that we don’t report on suicides unless they happen in public.

Letter: Shame on the carpenters union

On Jan. 16 the Hastings Star Gazette reported on union picketers marching in opposition to Friedges Drywall working on the remodeling project at Hastings Family Service.

Letter: Let’s make it easier for seniors to stay at home

What can we do to make living easier for seniors at home? For example: My parents have care through a county program in Wisconsin. I called the nurse there to see if she could repair my mom's wheelchair. The screws fall out of the arm rests, and I didn't want them to fall off when my mom stood up.

Letter: Be heard at your precinct caucus

Feb. 7 is Caucus Night for Republicans in Minnesota. The future of our party and our state belongs to those who show up and participate. If you want to see a change in our party or our state's politics, precinct caucuses are your chance to stand up and be heard.

Letter: McNamara: We are going to reform

The 2012 Legislative Session will soon begin, and the good news is our top priority this session will not be eliminating a projected budget deficit. With a nearly $1 billion surplus, we are – by law – going to replenish our budget reserves and have it available in case we ever need to eliminate another budget deficit.

Editorial: An exercise in free speech

Downtown Hastings was a loud place to be this week. Union protesters marched outside a business here because they said the firm doing work inside didn’t pay its employees the area standard when it comes to wages.

Big meet, big finish: Boys placed third to lead charge for HHS

The Hastings combined alpine skiing teams placed sixth out of 21 teams at the annual Welch Village Invitational on Friday.

• Gabriella Sorg
• Stephen O’Connor
• Esther Susag

Slow start dooms Raiders

For the second game in a row, the Hastings boys basketball team dug itself a hole. Again this time, that slow start spelled trouble for the Raiders. On Friday at home against Forest Lake the Raiders fell behind right away, 10-2. Hastings ended up losing by 11 points, 60-49. Hastings is now 6-8 overall and 1-6 in the Suburban East Conference.

• Connor Raway
• Shane Monjeau

Soccer team earns national academic award

The Hastings boys soccer team fielded a very smart team this year, evidenced by a few big awards the team recently picked up.