Local News Headlines – Wednesday, April 28

A FEASIBILITY STUDY HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR THE WINDOM CITY LIQUOR STORE.  THE CURRENT RIVER BEND LIQUOR STORE HAS ROUGHLY 4,500 SQUARE FEET.  ISSUES INCLUDE NARROW AISLES AND A SHORTAGE OF STORAGE SPACE AND DISPLAY SPACE.  THREE OPTIONS WERE EXPLORED:  REMODELING OR ADDING ONTO THE CURRENT BUILDING; CONSTRUCTING A NEW BUILDING AT THE CURRENT LOCATION; OR REMODELING A PORTION OF THE FORMER SHOPKO BUILDING AS A SITE FOR A NEW LIQUOR STORE.  THE SHOPKO OPTION HAS THE LOWEST PROJECTED COST AT JUST OVER $1-MILLION.  THE OTHER OPTIONS WOULD RANGE IN COST FROM ROUGHLY $2.1-MILLION TO $2.6-MILLION.  THE INFORMATION WILL BE USED AS THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES THE FUTURE OF THE LIQUOR STORE.  

                                                                      

THE CITY OF MT LAKE WILL HOLD A CITY-WIDE CLEANUP PROGRAM THIS SATURDAY.   ITEMS TO BE PICKED UP MUST BE PLACED AT THE CURB BY 6:00 SATURDAY MORNING.  THIS IS FOR HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, INCLUDING FURNITURE, THAT ARE TOO LARGE TO BE PLACED IN A REGULAR GARBAGE BAG OR CONTAINER.  MATTRESSES AND BOX SPRINGS MAY BE RECYCLED AS PART OF THE CLEANUP.  THERE WILL BE A FEE OF $13 FOR EACH PIECE. RESIDENTS NEED TO GO TO THE MT LAKE CITY HALL TO PAY THE FEE AND HAVE THEIR NAMES PUT ON THE OFFICIAL LIST FOR PICKUP.  MATTRESSES AND BOX SPRINGS WILL BE PICKED UP ON FRIDAY AND SHOULD BE AT THE CURB BY 8:00 FRIDAY MORNING.  CHILDREN’S CAR SEATS MAY BE TAKEN TO CITY HALL FOR RECYCLING. 

 

THE WINDOM SCHOOL BOARD MET THIS WEEK. PUBLIC HEARINGS WERE HELD AND THE BOARD APPROVED THREE APPLICATIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL HOUSING TAX ABATEMENTS.  THE BOARD REVIEWED THE CURRENT YEAR’S BUDGET.  THEY REVIEWED A PRELIMINARY BUDGET FOR THE 2022 FISCAL YEAR.  THE BUDGET IS BASED ON A PROJECTED TOTAL ENROLLMENT OF 1,170.  IT INCLUDES THE ADDITION OF THREE FULL-TIME AND TWO PART-TIME TEACHING POSITIONS.   THE BOARD REVIEWED THE NEW CENSUS AND ENROLLMENT STUDY.  THE STUDY PROJECTS FUTURE ENROLLMENT GROWTH FOR THE DISTRICT.  THE BOARD DISCUSSED STAFFING NEEDS FOR NEXT YEAR.  THEY APPROVED THE ADDITION OF A FULL-TIME PRE-SCHOOL TEACHER AND AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING TEACHER.  

 

RIVER BEND LIQUOR IN WINDOM IS PARTICIPATING IN THE “HELP OUR LOCAL ANIMALS” SUPPLY DRIVE IN APRIL.  RIVER BEND LIQUOR IS COLLECTING DONATIONS OF PET SUPPLIES AND CASH TO SUPPORT COTTONWOOD COUNTY ANIMAL RESCUE.  THE STORE HAS A LIST OF ITEMS TO DONATE, INCLUDING CAT FOOD AND CAT LITTER.  CASH DONATIONS ARE ALSO ACCEPTED.  ALL OF THE PARTICIPATING LIQUOR STORES WILL BE ENTERED INTO A DRAWING, WITH ONE STORE WINNING $200 ON BEHALF OF THEIR LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER, COURTESY OF COORS LIGHT AND THE MINNESOTA MUNICIPAL BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION.  PEOPLE WHO ADOPT AN ANIMAL THROUGH COTTONWOOD COUNTY ANIMAL RESCUE MAY APPLY FOR A REBATE.    

 

THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MET LAST WEEK.   PUBLIC HEARINGS WERE HELD ON THREE APPLICATIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL HOUSING TAX ABATEMENTS.  THE BOARD VOTED TO APPROVE ALL THREE APPLICATIONS.  THERE WAS A PRESENTATION ON THE NEW WATER TREATMENT PLANT IN GREAT BEND TOWNSHIP FOR THE RED ROCK RURAL WATER SYSTEM.  COTTONWOOD COUNTY WILL SERVE AS THE LEAD COUNTY FOR A BOND ISSUE TO FINANCE THE PROJECT.  IN PERSONNEL BUSINESS, THE BOARD ACCEPTED A LETTER OF RETIREMENT FROM JAIL ADMINISTRATOR KRISTI SELL.  JASON RUPP WAS PROMOTED TO JAIL ADMINISTRATOR.  AN OPENING WILL BE POSTED FOR A NEW JAILER AND DISPATCHER SUPERVISOR. 

 

THE FEDERATED RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCATION IS HOSTING A CLEAN-UP DAY AT A LOCAL STATE PARK.  THE “GREEN TOUCH” DAY WILL BE HELD THIS SATURDAY AT KILEN WOODS STATE PARK NEAR LAKEFIELD.  ELECTRIC COOP EMPLOYEES, CUSTOMERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WILL DONATE THEIR TIME TO HELP CLEAN UP THE PARK.  THE CLEANUP WILL BE FROM 9:00AM TO NOON.  SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL BE OBSERVED AND FAMILIES WILL WORK IN ‘PODS.’  THE DAY WILL INCLUDE PAINTING SEATS, SIGN POSTS AND PICNIC TABLES, PICKING UP LITTER AND BRANCHES ON HIKING TRAILS, CLEANING PICNIC SHELTERS AND CAMP SITES.  VOLUNTEERS WILL RECEIVE A RESTAURANT GIFT CARD.  TO PARTICIPATE, CALL FEDERATED R-E-A BY NOON FRIDAY AT 847-3520.  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A FEDERATED R-E-A MEMBER TO PARTICIPATE.