Local News Headlines – Wednesday, February 24th

HY LIFE FOODS WILL BE LEASING A MOTEL IN NORTH MANKATO AS A TEMPORARY HOUSING OPTION FOR ITS EMPLOYEES.   THE NORWOOD INN- FORMERLY THE BEST WESTERN INN IN NORTH MANKATO – WILL REPORTEDLY HOLD APPROXIMATELY 150 TO 200 EMPLOYEES FROM THE WINDOM PLANT.  THE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF NORTH MANKATO CALLS FOR HY LIFE FOODS TO PAY A MONTHLY FEE IN LIEU OF TAXES.  AT THE END OF THE LEASE, THE PROPERTY WILL BE TURNED OVER TO THE NORTH MANKATO PORT AUTHORITY FOR REDEVELOPMENT.  THE HY LIFE EMPLOYEES STAYING AT THE MOTEL WILL BE BUSSES TO AND FROM THE WINDOM PLAN AND WILL BE PROVIDED FOOD SERVICE AT THE MOTEL.   

 

THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MET LAST WEEK.   THE BOARD ACCEPTED A PETITION SEEKING REPAIRS TO JUDICIAL DITCH #3 IN GREAT BEND TOWNSHIP NEAR THE AIRPORT.  A DISCUSSION WAS HELD ON THE COUNTY’S POLICY FOR TAX ABATEMENTS.  THE WINDOM E-D-A DIRECTOR PRESENTED PROPOSED GUIDELINES FOR A NEW PROGRAM THAT WOULD PROVIDE A TAX ABATEMENT FOR THE REMODELING OF EXISTING STRUCTURES TO CREATE NEW HOUSING UNITS.   THE BOARD VOTED TO APPROVE THE PLAN WITH SOME AMENDMENTS.  THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WAS AUTHORIZED TO TRY AND PURCHASE A USED SNOWBLOWER UNIT THROUGH AN ONLINE AUCTION.  AN ACCOUNT AT THE LANDFILL WILL BE WRITTEN OFF AS A BAD DEBT. 

 

THE WINDOM SCHOOL BOARD HELD A WORK-SESSION THIS WEEK.  PAYMENTS WERE APPROVED FOR CONTRACTORS’ BILLS FOR WORK ON THE VARIOUS BUILDING PROJECTS, WITH THE BILLS TOTALING JUST OVER $117-THOUSAND.  A BUILDING CHANGE ORDER WAS APPROVED FOR CARD READERS AND DOOR HOLDS TO BE INSTALLED ON SEVERAL DOORS AT A TOTAL OF JUST OVER $10-THOUSAND.  THE BOARD APPROVED A 2022 BUDGET FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT AND INTEGRATION PROGRAM.  TOTAL REVENUE IS ESTIMATED AT JUST OVER $156-THOUSAND.  MOST OF THE MONEY COVERS THE SERVICES FOR TWO FULL-TIME INTERVENTION TEACHERS.  THE BOARD APPROVED A PIE SALE FOR THE MIDDLE-SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.   

 

THE RED ROCK CENTRAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETS THIS AFTERNOON AT THE SCHOOL BUILDING IN LAMBERTON.  THE BOARD WILL BE GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION TO MEET WITH THE SCHOOL ATTORNEY.  THE DISTRICT IS CONSIDERING A POSSIBLE APPEAL TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.  WHEN RED ROCK CENTRAL HELD A RECENT BUILDING REFERENDUM, THE STATE GAVE THE DISTRICT’S PLAN AN “UNFAVORABLE” REVIEW AND COMMENT.  IF RED ROCK CENTRAL WANTS TO APPEAL THE STATE’S DECISION, THE APPEAL HAS BE TO FILED BY MARCH 5TH.  IN OTHER BUSINESS, THE RED ROCK CENTRAL SCHOOL BOARD WILL HOLD A WORK-SESSION FOR REFERENDUM PLANNING.  THE DISTRICT HAS STATED THAT IT WILL CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS TO PASS A REFERENDUM TO REPLACE THE CURRENT SCHOOL BUILDING. 

                                                                                          

THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR WINDOM AREA HEALTH HELD A REGULAR MEETING THIS WEEK.     THE REPORT OF PATIENT ACTIVITY FOR JANUARY WAS MIXED.  AREAS WITH ACTIVITY THAT WAS ABOVE BUDGET INCLUDED BIRTHS AND OUT-PATIENT PROCEDURES.  AREAS THAT WERE BELOW BUDGET INCLUDED SURGERIES AND EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS.  THE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR JANUARY SHOWED A NET INCREASE OF JUST OVER $205-THOUSAND.  THROUGH THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THE HOSPITAL IS SHOWING A NET INCREASE OF MORE THAN $1.9-MILLION.   THERE WAS AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINATIONS.  THIS WEEK, WINDOM AREA HEALTH WAS EXPECTED TO RECEIVE ROUGHLY 500 DOSES OF VACCINE.  PATIENTS ARE NOTIFIED WHEN VACCINE IS AVAILABLE. 

 

AREA RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE COVID-19 VACCINE.   AS OF LAST SATURDAY, OVER 1-MILLION-118-THOUSAND DOSES OF VACCINE HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED IN MINNESOTA.  13.7% OF STATE RESIDENTS HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSE OF VACCINE, AND 6.5% OF MINNESOTA RESIDENTS HAVE RECEIVED TWO DOSES.  LOCALLY, IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY, 15.8% OF COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE RECEIVED A FIRST DOSE OF VACCINE.  IN JACKSON COUNTY, 11.4% HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSE.  IN MURRAY COUNTY, 16.9% OF COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE RECEIVED A FIRST DOSE OF VACCINE.  IN WATONWAN COUNTY, 12.3% OF RESIDENTS HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSE OF VACCINE.  IN REDWOOD COUNTY, THE FIGURE IS 15.6%.