Local News Headlines – Tuesday, February 9th

THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WILL HOLD A WORK-SESSION AT 9:00 THIS MORNING AT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER IN WINDOM.  THE BOARD WILL DISCUSS A NUMBER OF TOPICS INCLUDING:  FILLING VACANCIES IN THE AUDITOR-TREASURER’S OFFICE; SETTING RATES FOR THE COUNTY LANDFILL; DISCUSSION OF A NEW HOUSING TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM FOR REMODELING PROJECTS; AND THE BOARD WILL CONTINUE ITS DISCUSSION OF FINANCIAL PLANNING ISSUES.  NO ACTION IS EXPECTED.   

 

THE WINDOM FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED OUT FRIDAY NIGHT FOR A HOUSE FIRE IN WINDOM.   THE INITIAL CALL WAS RECEIVED AT 7:24 FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE HOME OF MIKE BOGEL.  BOGEL WAS HOME WHEN THE FIRE STARTED; HE WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE WITH NO INJURY.  WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, THE HOUSE WAS FULLY ENGULFED WITH FIRE COMING THROUGH THE ROOF.  MUTUAL AID WAS PROVIDED BY THE MT LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT.  AT ABOUT 10:15, AN EXCAVATOR UNIT WAS BROUGHT IN AND THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE HOUSE WAS REMOVED.  FIRE CREWS WERE ON THE SCENE UNTIL 2:30 SATURDAY MORNING, THEN BROUGHT BACK AT 6:30 TO PUT OUT SOME HOT SPOTS.   THE HOUSE APPEARS TO BE A TOTAL LOSS.  THE CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A CHIMNEY FIRE. 

 

ON FRIDAY, COTTONWOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTED THE DES MOINES VALLEY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY WITH A PUBLIC HEALTH COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINIC.    OVER 600 PEOPLE WERE VACCINATED AT THE WINDOM COMMUNITY CENTER.  VACCINATIONS WERE PROVIDED MAINLY TO SENIOR CITIZENS, TEACHERS AND SCHOOL STAFF MEMBERS FROM COTTONWOOD AND JACKSON COUNTY.  PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF MEMBERS WORKED WITH VOLUNTEERS FROM THE COMMUNITY CENTER, LOCAL DOCTORS, NURSES AND E-M-T’s.   SIMILAR CLINICS COULD BE HELD IN THE FUTURE AS MORE VACCINE BECOMES AVAILABLE.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE, FILL OUT A SURVEY ON THE DES MOINES VALLEY H-H-S WEBSITE.   

 

THE WINDOM CITY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETS AT 7:00 THIS EVENING AT THE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.   A NEW MEMBER WILL TAKE THE OATH OF OFFICE.  A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON A ZONING APPLICATION FROM KWIK TRIP, INC.  AN APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR A PROPOSED NEW CONVENIENCE STORE AND CAR WASH ON 1ST AVENUE.  THE SITE IS CURRENTLY OWNED BY COUNTRY PRIDE SERVICES COOPERATIVE.  THE COMMISSION MAY VOTE ON A RECOMMENDATION TO THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL.  IN OTHER BUSINESS, THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL REVIEW SECTIONS OF THE CITY CODE DEALING WITH LAND USAGE. 

 

A WINDOM BUSINESS HAS RECEIVED A STATE JOB CREATION GRANT.  ODDSON UNDERGROUND WILL RECEIVE $100-THOUSAND TO ASSIST WITH ITS EXPANSION PROJECT.   THE GRANT WAS PROVIDED BY THE “JOB CREATION FUND” THROUGH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.  ODDSON UNDERGROUND HAS EXPANDED ITS SERVICE TO INCLUDE WORK WITH FIBER OPTICS AND TELE-COMMUNICATIONS.  AS PART OF THE EXPANSION, ODDSON IS CONSTRUCTING A NEW OFFICE BUILDING.  THE TOTAL COST OF THE PROJECT WILL BE ROUGHLY $400-THOUSAND AND CREATE FIVE NEW JOBS.  BUSINESSES QUALIFY FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM BY MEETING CERTAIN GUIDELINES FOR JOB CREATION AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT.