Local News Headlines – Friday, April 30

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD WAS HELD LAST WEEK.   THE BOARD VOTED TO TRANSFER THE DUTIES OF THE COUNTY COORDINATOR TO JANICE FRANSEN ON AN INTERIM BASIS, AS OF APRIL 27TH.  THE BOARD APPROVED THE USE OF A CREDIT CARD FOR JANICE FRANSEN.  THE COUNTY IS IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING A NEW COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.  THE BOARD APPROVED A 6-MONTH LIQUOR LICENSE FOR THE EASTSIDE ACRES CAMPGROUND.  A WAGE INCREASE WAS APPROVED FOR THE ASSISTANT HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR.  THE BOARD ACCEPTED QUOTES FOR THE PURCHASE OF ASPHALT AND AGGREGATE MATERIALS FOR UPCOMING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.   

 

HERE IS AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINATIONS IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA.  AS OF LAST SUNDAY, 56% OF ALL STATE RESIDENTS 16-AND-OLDER HAVE RECEIVED A 1ST DOSE OF VACCINE AND 41% ARE FULLY VACCINATED.  LOCALLY, IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY, 53% OF COUNTY RESIDENTS 16-AND-OLDER HAVE RECEIVED A 1ST DOSE AND JUST OVER 4,100 PEOPLE ARE FULLY VACCINATED.  IN JACKSON COUNTY, 45% OF RESIDENTS 16-AND-OLDER HAVE RECEIVED A 1ST DOSE AND JUST OVER 3,200 RESIDENTS ARE FULLY VACCINATED.  IN WATONWAN COUNTY, 52% OF RESIDENTS 16-AND-OLDER HAVE RECEIVED A 1ST DOSE AND JUST OVER 3,700 RESIDENTS ARE FULLY VACCINATED.   

 

THE JEFFERS CITY COUNCIL HELD A REGULAR MEETING THIS WEEK.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE TO SUPPORT THE CITY WATER METERS.  THE COUNCIL VOTED TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF ANNUAL BENEFITS PAID OUT FOR THE JEFFERS FIRE RELIEF ASSOCIATION FROM $625 TO $825 PER YEAR OF SERVICE.  THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT PRESENTED A ROUGH ESTIMATE FOR THE COST OF SEAL-COATING CITY STREETS.  A BUILDING PERMIT WAS APPROVED FOR THE ADDITION OF A RAMP TO AN EXISTING HOUSE.  IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE CITY HAS HIRED SOMEONE TO TRAP NUISANCE ANIMALS AT THE CITY TREATMENT PONDS.  THE REGULAR BILLS WERE APPROVED FOR PAYMENT. 

 

THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY WILL HOLD AN OPENING RECEPTION THIS WEEK FOR A NEW ART EXHIBIT IN THE REMICK GALLERY.  THE SHOW IS “TRADITIONAL BLACKSMITHING – ART IN EVERYDAY OBJECTS.”  IT WILL FEATURE OVER 25 ITEMS THAT WERE CREATED BY TOM SANDERS OF WINDOM.  A RECEPTION WILL BE HELD FROM 2:00 TO 4:00 SUNDAY AFTERNOON, WITH A TALK BY THE ARTIST AT 3:00PM.  ADMISSION IS FREE AND LIGHT REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED.  SANDERS WORKED AS A BLACKSMITH AT A HISTORIC SITE IN INDIANA, AND LATER BECAME THE LEAD BLACKSMITH AT HISTORIC FORT SNELLING IN THE TWIN CITIES.  HE SERVED AS THE SITE MANAGER AT THE JEFFERS PETROGLYPHS HISTORIC SITE FROM 1998 UNTIL 2016.  THE SHOW WILL BE ON DISPLAY THROUGH AUGUST 28TH.   

 

THE MURRAY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MET LAST WEEK.  THE BOARD VOTED TO OFFER A PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT OF 2020 LIQUOR LICENSE FEES TO COUNTY ESTABLISHMENTS, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF DAYS THEY WERE CLOSED UNDER THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE ORDERS.  THE BOARD APPROVED A ONE-TIME ALLOCATION TO LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES FOR THE PURCHASE OF NEW KITCHEN EQUIPMENT.  THE BOARD APPROVED THE HIRING OF JUSTINE WETTSCHRECK AS THE NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR ON A 30-HOUR WEEK, STARTING MAY 3RD.  A CONTRACT AGREEMENT WAS APPROVED WITH THE JAIL ADMINISTRATOR.  THE BOARD ATTENDED A LEGAL TRAINING SESSION ON THE STATE OPEN MEETING LAW. 

 

A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN WORTHINGTON WILL REQUIRE A DETOUR ON HIGHWAY 60.  DETOURS WILL GO INTO EFFECT ON MONDAY, WEATHER PERMITTING.  THE PROJECT INVOLVES THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THREE ROUNDABOUTS.  WORK WILL INCLUDE REPLACEMENT OF THE CENTER CURBS, TRUCK APRONS, PAVEMENT WORK AND RE-STRIPING.  THE PROJECT IS INTENDED TO IMPROVE DRIVER SAFETY AND BETTER ACCOMODATE LARGE TRUCKS.  THE ROUNDABOUTS ARE LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF HIGHWAY 60 WITH I-90, OXFORD STREET AND NOBLES COUNTY ROAD 35.  EACH ROUNDABOUT WILL BE DONE SEPARATELY.  HOFFMAN CONCRETE IS THE PRIMARY CONTRACTOR, WITH AN ESTIMATED COST OF $977-THOUSAND.