Local News Headlines – Thursday, January 21st

THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL MET THIS WEEK.   THE COUNCIL VOTED TO APPROVE THE FINAL STAGE PLAN FOR A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT AT THE SITE OF THE GUARDIAN INN PROPERTY.   T-&-M DEVELOPMENT WILL BE REMODELING THE MOTEL COMPLEX TO CREATE 37 MARKET-RATE APARTMENTS.  THE PLAN CALLS FOR THE PROPERTY TO BE LEASED TO HY LIFE FOODS FOR ONE YEAR.  THE REMODELING WORK WILL BEGIN EARLY IN 2022.  THE COUNCIL ACCEPTED A DONATION ON BEHALF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.  THE FIRE CHIEF REPORTED ON RECENT REPAIRS TO TWO FIRE TRUCKS.  FOUR NEW MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE CONTINUING THEIR TRAINING.   THE CITY ATTORNEY IS REVIEWING A PROPOSAL TO ADD CAMERAS TO THE CITY ARENA TO ALLOW HOCKEY GAMES TO BE SHOWN ON THE INTERNET.  

 

LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE RECEIVING THE COVID-19 VACCINE.  ACCORDING TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, AS OF LAST SATURDAY, IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY, 592 PEOPLE HAD RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSE OF VACCINE AND 189 PEOPLE HAD RECEIVED BOTH DOSES.  JUST OVER 5% OF COUNTY RESIDENTS HAD RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE.  IN JACKSON COUNTY, 373 PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSE AND 140 PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED BOTH DOSES.  IN WATONWAN COUNTY, 396 PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSE AND 72 PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED BOTH DOSES.  STATEWIDE, JUST OVER 46% OF DOSES RECEIVED BY THE STATE HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED.   

 

THE MT LAKE SCHOOL BOARD MET THIS WEEK.     CHAD PETERSON WAS RE-ELECTED AS THE BOARD CHAIR WITH TOM FAST AS VICE-CHAIR, JULIE BRUGMAN AS CLERK AND PAM HOEK AS TREASURER.   A NUMBER OF OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS AND DESIGNATIONS WERE APPROVED.   IN ACTION ITEMS, THE BOARD APPROVED A BOND RE-FINANCING PLAN.  THE DISTRICT WILL BE REFUNDING A BUILDING BOND, WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE DISTRICT SAVING UP TO $700-THOUSAND THROUGH LOWER INTEREST RATES.  THE BOARD APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF A 2020 TRANSIT VAN.  THEY APPROVED THE HIRING OF EMILY EMMONS AS A PARA-PROFESSIONAL.  A LIST OF VOLUNTEER COACHES WAS APPROVED FOR THE GIRLS BASKETBALL PROGRAM.   

 

AN AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE WAS HELD IN WINDOM EARLIER THIS MONTH.  THE DRIVE BROUGHT IN 62 DONORS AND RESULTED IN A TOTAL OF 71 UNITS OF BLOOD BEING COLLECTED.   13 OF THE DONORS PROVIDED A DOUBLE DONATION OF RED BLOOD CELLS.  THERE WERE FIVE FIRST-TIME DONORS.  SEVERAL DONORS REACHED MILESTONES FOR LIFETIME BLOOD DONATIONS, INCLUDING 9 GALLONS FOR SANDY ENGEN, 3 GALLONS FOR JAN VOIT, 2 GALLONS FOR LEAH GARMS AND 1 GALLON FOR MEGAN BRAMSTEDT.   JOHN ROLL AND AL SAFFERT HAD THEIR NAMES DRAWN AS THE WINNERS OF $25 HY VEE GIFT CARDS.   THE NEXT AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE IN WINDOM WILL BE HELD ON MAY 19TH.   DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, ALL DONORS MUST MAKE AN APPOINTMENT IN ADVANCE.