Local News Headlines – Thursday, April 1

MORE INFORMATION HAS BEEN RELEASED ON A RECENT CRIMINAL CASE IN WINDOM.   44-YEAR-OLD MARCELO PEREZ HERNANDEZ OF WINDOM IS FACING MULTIPLE FELONY COUNTS OF CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT IN THE 1ST DEGREE AND A FELONY CHARGE INVOLVING THE DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.  THE CHARGES REPORTEDLY INVOLVE TWO DIFFERENT VICTIMS.  IN ONE CASE, A JUVENILE GIRL REPORTEDLY TOLD POLICE THAT HERNANDEZ HAD SEXUAL CONTACT WITH HER ON THREE OCCASIONS, STARTING WHEN THE GIRL WAS 6 YEARS OLD.   IN THE SECOND CASE, A JUVENILE GIRL TOLD AUTHORITIES THAT HERNANDEZ HAD SEXUAL CONTACT WITH HER OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS, STARTING WHEN THE GIRL WAS 5-YEARS-OLD.  HERNANDEZ WAS BEING HELD AT THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY JAIL.    

 

TWO STUDENTS AT WINDOM AREA HIGH SCHOOL ARE CONDUCTING A USED CLOTHING DRIVE.    JOELLE BAK AND RYAN FAUGLID ARE HOLDING THE CLOTHING DRIVE AS PART OF THEIR EAGLE ACHIEVEMENT PROJECT.  THEY ARE ACCEPTING DONATIONS OF ALL TYPES AND SIZES OF CLOTHING IN GOOD CONDITION.  THE CLOTHING DRIVE BEGAN ON MARCH 22ND AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH APRIL 5TH.  DONATION BOXES MAY BE FOUND AT THE FRONT ENTRANCES OF THE AMERICAN LUTHERAN CHURCH IN WINDOM, WINDOM AREA HEALTH, AND THE WINDOM HY VEE STORE.  ALL THE CLOTHING ITEMS COLLECTED WILL BE DONATED TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED.  THE STUDENTS ARE WORKING WITH THE BEDFORD BAPTIST CHURCH IN KENTUCKY ON THE PROJECT. 

 

HERE IS A STATE-WIDE UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINATIONS IN MINNESOTA.  AS OF LAST SATURDAY, THE STATE-WIDE NUMBERS SHOW THAT JUST OVER 1-MILLION-609-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF VACCINE – OR 28.9% OF ALL STATE RESIDENTS.  JUST OVER 990-THOUSAND-850 PEOPLE HAVE COMPLETED THEIR VACCINATION PROGRAMS – EQUALLYING 17.7% OF ALL STATE RESIDENTS.  FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE 65 AND OLDER, 80.8% OF PEOPLE IN THAT AGE GROUP HAVE NOW RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF VACCINE.  FOR PEOPLE IN THE AGE GROUP FROM 50- TO 64-YEARS-OLD, 35.9% HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF VACCINE.  JUST OVER 51% OF VACCINE RECIPIENTS HAVE RECEIVED THE PFIZER VACCINE, WITH 46.5% RECEIVING THE MODERNA VACCINE. 

 

THE WINDOM STATE THEATRE IS FEATURING ANOTHER ROUND OF FREE ‘MERCHANT MATINEE’ MOVIES THIS WEEKEND.    THE MOVIES ARE BEING SPONSORED BY A NUMBER OF LOCAL BUSINESSES.  DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, TICKETS ARE NOT BEING HANDED OUT IN ADVANCE.  THE MOVIES ARE BEING LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM AUDIENCE OF 50 PEOPLE AT A SHOWING.  DOORS WILL OPEN A HALF-HOUR BEFORE SHOWTIME.  THIS WEEKEND’S MOVIE IS “HOP.”  THERE WILL BE A SHOWING AT 4:00 FRIDAY AFTERNOON, AND SHOWINGS AT 1:00PM SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON.  MOVIES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.  UPDATES WILL BE POSTED ON THE WINDOM STATE THEATRE FACEBOOK PAGE.   

 

LOCAL CHURCHES WILL BE HOLDING SPECIAL SERVICES FOR THE EASTER WEEKEND.  MAUNDY THURSDAY SERVICES WILL BE HELD TODAY AT THE AMERICAN LUTHERAN CHURCH IN WINDOM, BETHANY LUTHERAN IN BERGEN, THE 1ST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH IN WINDOM, THE 1ST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN WINDOM, THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR IN WINDOM, SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH IN HERON LAKE AND ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CATHOLIC CHURCH IN WINDOM.   CHURCHES HOLDING GOOD FRIDAY SERVICES WILL INCLUDE THE EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH IN WINDOM, THE 1ST BAPTIST CHURCH IN WINDOM, AND THE SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH IN BREWSTER.