Local News Headlines – Wednesday, February 3rd

WINDOM SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT WAYNE WORMSTADT IS A CANDIDATE FOR A NEW JOB IN IOWA.   WORMSTADT IS BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT’S JOB IN THE GILBERT, IOWA SCHOOL DISTRICT.  GILBERT IS LOCATED JUST NORTH OF AMES, IOWA.  THE DISTRICT HAS AN ENROLLMENT OF JUST OVER 1,500 STUDENTS.  THE GILBERT SCHOOL BOARD HAS BEEN CONDUCTING A SEARCH TO HIRE A NEW SUPERINTENDENT.  THEY RECEIVED 26 APPLICATIONS.  SIX CANDIDATES WENT THROUGH AN INITIAL INTERVIEW.  WAYNE WORMSTADT IS ONE OF THREE CANDIDATES WHO WERE INVITED FOR A SECOND INTERVIEW.  THOSE INTERVIEWS WILL BE HELD ON FEBRUARY 17TH, AND A JOB OFFER MAY BE EXTENDED AT THAT TIME. 

 

A MAN FROM SANBORN IS FACING FELONY CHARGES FOR CAUSING A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT THAT LEFT ONE PERSON PARALYZED.   51-YEAR-OLD VINCENT D. IRLBECK OF SANBORN APPEARED RECENTLY IN REDWOOD COUNTY DISTRICT COURT.  HE IS FACING A FELONY CHARGE OF CRIMINAL VEHICULAR OPERATION, ALONG WITH MISDEMEANOR CHARGES FOR RECKLESS DRIVING, CARELESS DRIVING, AND FAILURE TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN.  IN THE SPRING OF 2019, IRLBECK RAN A STOP SIGN AND COLLIDED WITH A VAN THAT WAS GOING EAST ON HIGHWAY 14.  THE VAN ROLLED OVER AND WENT INTO A DITCH.  BRUCE OLSON OF SANBORN WAS A PASSENGER IN THE VAN.  HE SUSTAINED SEVERE INJURIES TO HIS HEAD, NECK AND SPINAL CORD.   

 

THE MURRAY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WILL HOLD A SPECIAL MEETING AT 9:30 THIS MORNING.  BOARD MEMBERS WILL MEET AT THE COUNTY 4-H BULDING TO CONDUCT LABOR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THREE LOCAL BARGAINING UNITS.  NEGOTIATING SESSIONS WILL BE HELD WITH THE UNIONS THAT REPRESENT THE COUNTY JAILER-DISPATCHERS, THE JAIL ADMINISTRATOR, AND THE COUNTY DEPUTIES WITH THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT.  THE BOARD MAY GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS STRATEGY FOR LABOR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.   

 

THE HERON LAKE CITY COUNCIL MEETS AT 7:00 TONIGHT AT THE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.   THE COUNCIL WILL HEAR AN UPDATE ON WATER DAMAGE THAT WAS CAUSED TO THE FALCON HEIGHTS BUILDING.  THEY WILL CONSIDER UPDATING THE LEASE FOR FALCON HEIGHTS.  A NEW MEMBER MAY BE APPOINTED TO THE LIBRARY BOARD.  UPDATES WILL BE PRESENTED ON THE EMERGENCY PREPARDNESS PLAN.  THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE ON THE STORM SEWER PROJECT.  THE COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS UPDATING CITY ORDINANCES.  THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE UPDATES ON STREET WORK AND SEAL COATING.  OTHER REPORTS MAY BE PROVIDED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT. 

    

THE MONTHLY WEATHER STATISTICS HAVE BEEN REPORTED FOR THE CITY OF WINDOM IN JANUARY.   WINDOM RECEIVED 8.4” OF SNOW IN JANUARY.  FOR THE CURRENT WINTER SEASON, WINDOM HAS NOW RECEIVED 23.8” OF SNOWFALL – ABOUT 3” LESS THAN THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.  THE HIGH TEMPERATURE IN JANUARY WAS 52-DEGREES ON THE 14TH.  THE AVERAGE DAILY HIGH TEMP WAS 31.7-DEGREES – ABOUT 4 DEGREES WARMER THAN LAST YEAR.   THE LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 1-BELOW ZERO ON JANUARY 27TH.  THE AVERAGE DAILY LOW READING WAS 16-DEGREES – ABOUT 5 DEGREES WARMER THAN LAST YEAR.  LAST YEAR, WINDOM HAD 7 DAYS IN JANUARY WITH BELOW-ZERO TEMPERATURES.   

 

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE MT LAKE CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD THIS WEEK.    THERE WAS A REPORT FROM THE FIRE AND AMBULANCE DEPARTMENT BUILDING COMMITTEE.  THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN CONSIDERING OPTIONS FOR REMODELING OR REPLACING THE FIRE AND AMBULANCE HALL.   THE COUNCIL INDICATED THAT THEY FEEL THE COMMITTEE SHOULD FOCUS ON A NEW BUILDING TO PROVIDE MORE SPACE AND BETTER PARKING.   THE CITY ATTORNEY DISCUSSED PUBLIC NUISANCE VIOLATIONS.  THE COUNCIL APPOINTED THE HANSON INSURANCE AGENCY AS THE DESIGNATED INSURANCE AGENT FOR THE CITY FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.  THERE WAS A REPORT ON THE CITY’S BONDED DEBT.     THE COUNCIL HEARD A REPORT FROM THE STREET DEPARTMENT. 

 

THE WESTBROOK-WALNUT GROVE SCHOOL BOARD MET LAST WEEK.  ELECTION OF OFFICERS WAS HELD WITH MAYDRA MAAS ELECTED AS BOARD CHAIR.  BOARD COMPENSATION WAS SET.  THE BOARD VOTED TO WAIVE THE STUDENT FEES FOR STUDENTS IN THE BAND PROGRAM.  A CONTRACT WITH ANN WENDORFF FOR COUNSELING SERVICES WAS INCREASED TO SIX DAYS A MONTH.   THE BOARD REVIEWED MILAGE RATES AND EMPLOYEE REIMBURSEMENT.  A DISCUSSION WAS HELD ON THE SCHOOL CALENDAR.  IT APPEARS THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR WILL BEGIN AFTER LABOR DAY.  THE ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR REPORTED ON WINTER SPORTS AND MASK REQUIREMENTS.  THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL REPORTED ON THE LIVE-STREAMING OF SCHOOL ACTIVITIES.  THE BOARD DISCUSSED POSSIBLE USES FOR FEDERAL COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDS.