Local News Headlines – Wednesday, June 16

 

MT LAKE CITY RESIDENTS ARE PREPARING TO HONOR A LOCAL RESIDENT.  ERIC-JOHN NISS de JESUS PASSED AWAY WHILE SERVING WITH THE U-S MARINES IN JAPAN.  DETAILS ARE BEING FINALIZED FOR HIS BODY TO BE RETURNED HOME.  A WELCOME HOME CEREMONY IS BEING PLANNED.  PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO TURN OUT ALONG THE STREETS AND DISPLAY THE AMERICAN FLAG.  PLANS CALL FOR TRIBUTES ON BRIDGES AND STREES IN ST. PETER, MANKATO, ST. JAMES AND MT LAKE.  THE MT LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT, AMBULANCE AND A MILITARY ESCORT WILL TAKE NISS deJESUS INTO MT LAKE AND PROCEED TO THE STURM FUNERAL HOME CHAPEL.  LISTEN FOR UPDATES; THE EXACT TIME AND DATE FOR THE TRIBUTE IS STILL BEING DETERMINED. 

 

THE WINDOM SCHOOL BOARD MET THIS WEEK.  THE BOARD VOTED TO RESCIND THE DISTRICT’S POLICY ON FACE COVERINGS.  THE BOARD APPROVED A FINAL PAYMENT OF DUES TO THE STATE HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE.  THE ANNUAL “Q-COMP” REPORT WAS PRESENTED AND APPROVED.  THE REPORT INCLUDES INFORMATION ON WHETHER THE DISTRICT MET ITS GOALS FOR EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT IN MATH, READING AND SCIENCE.   THE BOARD APPROVED ADDITIONAL CONTRACT TIME FOR SOCIAL WORKERS AND COUNSELING SERVICES FOR THIS SUMMER, USING STATE FUNDS.  THE BOARD REVIEWED THE PROCESS THEY WILL FOLLOW TO CONDUCT THE ANNUAL EVALUATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.   A PUBLIC HEARING WAS SCHEDULED ON AN APPLICATION FOR A RESIDENTIAL HOUSING TAX ABATEMENT.    

 

THE RED ROCK CENTRAL SCHOOL BOARD WILL HOLD A WORK-SESSION AT 5:00 THIS AFTERNOON AT THE HIGH SCHOOL IN LAMBERTON.   BOARD MEMBERS WILL MEET WITH THE KRAUS-ANDERSON CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT FIRM FOR A WORK-SESSION ON REFERENDUM PLANNING.  THE DISTRICT IS CONSIDERING OPTIONS FOR A NEW BULDING REFERENDUM TO ADDRESS DISTRICT FACILITY ISSUES.   FOLLOWING THE WORK-SESSION, THERE WILL BE A TIME FOR OPEN DISCUSSION.  

 

HERE’S AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINATIONS IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA.  IN THE STATE-WIDE TOTALS, AS OF LAST SATURDAY, JUST OVER 61% OF STATE RESIDENTS 16-AND-OLDER ARE FULLY VACCINATED.  JUST OVER 5.5-MILLION DOSES OF VACCINE HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED.  IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY, JUST UNDER 56% OF RESIDENTS 16-AND-OLDER ARE FULLY VACCINATED.  NOBLES COUNTY HAS 58% OF RESIDENTS 16-AND-OLDER FULLY VACCINATED.  THE RATE IS 55% IN WATONWAN COUNTY, 53% IN MARTIN COUNTY, 51% IN REDWOOD COUNTY AND MURRAY COUNTY, AND IN JACKSON COUNTY, 48% OF COUNTY RESIDENTS 16-AND-OLDER ARE NOW FULLY VACCINATED.   

 

A NEW PROGRAM IN MT LAKE IS OFFERING FREE PRODUCE TO OLDER ADULTS THIS SUMMER.   THE MT LAKE FARMERS MARKET IS WORKING WITH THE CARE AND SHARE SHOP AND THE “POWER OF PRODUCE” PROGRAM OFFERED THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION SERVICE.  ANY ADULT 60-OR-OLDER MAY RECEIVE UP TO $40 WORTH OF COUPONS THAT CAN BE USED TO PURCHASE PRODUCE FROM PARTICIPATING VENDORS AT THE MT LAKE FARMERS MARKET.  REGULAR HOURS FOR THE MARKET ARE SATURDAY MORNINGS FROM 8:30 UNTIL NOON AND WEDNESDAY FROM 4:00 TO 6:30PM.  SIGN UP AT THE CARE AND SHARE SHOP BY PROVIDING YOUR NAME AND AGE.  THE FIRST SESSION OF THE FARMERS MARKET MAY BE HELD THIS SATURDAY.   

 

THE DES MOINES VALLEY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY HOLDS A BOARD MEETING AT 1:30 THURSDAY AFTERNOON.   THE BOARD WILL MEET IN THE CAFETERIA AT THE JACKSON COUNTY GOVERNMENT EAST BUILDING.  THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL PRESENT A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE TEMPORARY PART-TIME POSITIONS FOR COVID COORDINATORS ON AN AS-NEEDED BASIS.  THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 CASES AND VACCINATIONS.  THE AGENCY WILL REVIEW AN AGREEMENT THAT WILL ALLOW THE AGENCY TO SERVE AS A FINGERPRINT LOCATION UNDER A STATE PARTNERSHIP.  THE BOARD WILL REVIEW AN EVALUATION FOR AN EMPLOYEE WHO HAS COMPLETED THEIR PROBATIONARY PERIOD.