Local News Headlines – Wednesday, March 31

HERE IS AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINATIONS IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA WITH TOTALS REPORTED THROUGH SATURDAY, MARCH 27TH.  IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY, JUST OVER 3,800 PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED A 1ST DOSE OF VACCINE – OR 33.9% OF COUNTY RESIDENTS.  2,704 PEOPLE HAVE COMPLETED THEIR VACCINATIONS.   IN JACKSON COUNTY, 3,066 PEOPLE – OR 30.8% OF THE COUNTY – HAVE RECEIVED A FIRST DOSE OF VACCINE.  1,992 PEOPLE HAVE COMPLETED THEIR VACCINATIONS.   STATE-WIDE, JUST UNDER 29% OF MINNESOTA RESIDENTS HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF VACCINE, AND JUST UNDER 18% OF STATE RESIDENTS HAVE COMPLETED THEIR VACCINATIONS.   

 

THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY HAS ANNOUNCED THE RESULTS OF ITS ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST.   THIS YEAR’S THEME WAS “SIGNS.”  THERE WERE 20 ENTRIES IN THIS YEAR’S CONTEST.  MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO VIEWED THE EXHIBIT WERE ABLE TO VOTE FOR THEIR FAVORITE PHOTO.  THE TOP PHOTOGRAPH, BASED ON THE POPULAR VOTE, WAS “BRAMBLES AND BRIARS” BY CARMEN ELSTON.  2ND PLACE WENT TO A PHOTO TITLED “LIFE’S PATH,” SUBMITTED BY ASHLEY SOLETA.  3RD PLACE WENT TO A PHOTO FROM RODNEY NICKEL, TITLED “YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD PROFICIENT IN SIGN LANGUAGE.”  THE PHOTOS WILL BE COLLECTED IN A BOOK THAT WILL BE OFFERED FOR SALE LATER THIS YEAR.   

 

LOCAL AMATEUR WEATHER FORECASTER LEO BARTOSH OF RURAL DELFT IS EXPECTING SOME CLOUDY, DAMP WEATHER THIS SPRING.   EVERY YEAR, BARTOSH MAKES DETAILED WEATHER OBSERVATIONS DURING THE FIRST FOUR FULL DAYS OF SPRING.  HE USES THAT INFORMATION TO PREDICT WEATHER TRENDS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, WITH EACH DAY REPRESENTING ONE SEASON.  THIS YEAR, BARTOSH SAYS THE FIRST FOUR DAYS OF SPRING FEATURED A LOT OF CLOUDY SKIES, BREEZY CONDITIONS AND SOME RAIN.  AS A RESULT, BARTOSH SAYS HE IS EXPECTING A LOT OF CLOUDY, BREEZY DAYS THIS SPRING WITH A FAIR AMOUNT OF MOISTURE.  HE IS ALSO PREDICTING THAT THE FALL WIL BE CLOUDY, WET AND FOGGY.   

 

THE 2021 REPRESENTATIVES HAVE BEEN SELECTED FROM WINDOM AREA HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE BOYS STATE AND GIRLS STATE PROGRAMS.  BOYS AND GIRLS STATE REPRESENTATIVES ARE CHOSEN BY THE LOCAL AMERICAN LEGION POST AND LEGION AUXILIARY.  STUDENTS ARE NOMINATED BY TEACHERS BASED ON THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP ABILITIES.  THE 2021 BOYS STATE REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE SAM YUSUF, SON OF A-J AND FAITH YUSUF.  TWO GIRLS WERE CHOSEN TO REPRESENT WINDOM IN THE GIRLS STATE PROGRAM.  MICHELLE MACARIO RIOS IS THE DAUGHTER OF MOISES AND ALEJANDRA MACARIO RIOS.  KAYLAN DONCHEZ IS THE DAUGHTER OF JULIE SNELLING-DONCHEZ.  BOYS AND GIRLS STATE ARE YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS.