Local News Headlines – Friday, June 18

THE 2021 MT LAKE POW-WOW CELEBRATION IS TAKING PLACE TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY.  TODAY, THERE WILL BE A BEER GARDEN AT THE DEN FROM 8:00PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT WITH LIVE MUSIC PROVIDED BY THE ‘SWEET SIREN’ BAND.  SATURDAY EVENTS WILL INCLUDE THE MAYOR’S BICYCLE TRAIL RIDE, GUIDED TOURS OF THE MT LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING. ALUMNI SOFTBALL AND BASEBALL GAMES AT MUNSON PARK, AND KARAOKE AT THE BEER GARDEN. 

 

THE WINDOM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MET THIS WEEK.  THERE WAS AN UPDATE ON THE PROPOSED APARTMENT BUILDING PROJECT ON THE SITE OF THE CURRENT ‘SPEC’ BUILDING.  THE DEVELOPER WHO WAS WORKING ON THE PROJECT HAS DECIDED NOT TO CONTINUE.  THE E-D-A IS WORKING WITH A SECOND DEVELOPER THAT HAS EXPRESSED INTEREST.  DISCUSSION WAS HELD ON A PROPOSAL FOR A WINDOM BUSINESS TO LEASE A PORTION OF THE ‘SPEC’ BUILDING ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS.  THE E-D-A DISCUSSED A PROPOSAL FOR A NEW CHILD-CARE CENTER IN THE ‘BARC’ BUILDING.  SOME REMODELING WORK WOULD NEED TO BE DONE AND THE E-D-A IS EXPLORING POSSIBLE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP COVER THE COST OF THE PROJECT. 

 

THE 2021 LAKEFIELD SUMMERFEST CELEBRATION IS BEING HELD THIS WEEK.   AMONG TODAY’S EVENTS, A FAMILY FUN NIGHT WILL BE HELD AT THE NORTH CITY PARK FROM 4:30 TO 7:00PM.  THE JACKSON COUNTY 4-H PROGRAM WILL SPONSOR A PORK FEED AT THE PARK AT 5:30.  THE LAKEFIELD HORNED FROGS WILL FACE THE MT LAKE LAKERS IN AN AMATEUR BASEBALL GAME AT 7:30.  THE V-F-W WILL HAVE A DANCE WITH LIVE MUSIC AT 8:00PM.  THERE WILL BE A STEAK AND SHRIMP FEED AT THE SHED.  THERE WILL ALSO BE LIVE MUSIC AT DUDLEY’S GARAGE.    

 

THE HERON LAKE-OKABENA SCHOOL BOARD MET THIS WEEK.  THE BOARD APPROVED A PRELIMINARY BUDGET FOR THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR.  THE BUDGET PROJECTS THAT THE DISTRICT WILL END THE YEAR WITH A DEFICIT.  A DISTRICT LITERACY PLAN WAS REVIEWED AND APPROVED.   SOME OLDER COMPUTER EQUIPMENT INCLUDING OLDER I-PADS WERE DECLARED TO BE SURPLUS PROPERTY AND WILL BE DESIGNATED FOR SALE OR DISPOSAL.  A NUMBER OF PERSONNEL ITEMS WERE HANDLED, INCLUDING HIRING KATHI HABERMAN AS A SCHOOL NURSE.  JASON FISHER WAS APPOINTED AS HIGH SCHOOL DEAN OF STUDENTS AND DIRECTOR OF THE WELLNESS CENTER.  NIKKI FISHER WAS APPOINTED AS A PART-TIME ELEMENTARY DEAN OF STUDENTS. 

 

A MINN-DOT PROJECT WILL RESULT IN SOME TRAFFIC LANES BEING TEMPORARILY CLOSED IN THE AREA.  STARTING MONDAY, NEW “ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS” ARE BEING INSTALLED AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS, INCLUDING HIGHWAY 60 NEAR MT LAKE, HIGHWAY 14 NEAR SPRINGFIELD, I-90 NEAR WELCOME AND HIGHWAY 30 NEAR MAPLETON.  FLAG PERSONS WILL BE USED TO DIRECT TRAFFIC AS NEEDED.  ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS ARE SENSORS THAT ARE USED TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON WEATHER CONDITIONS, PAVEMENT CONDITIONS AND VISIBILITY.  MINN-DOT WILL USE THE INFORMATION TO MAKE DECISIONS ON HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE.