Local News Headlines – Tuesday, August 10th

THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY HEARD THE 2020 CITY AUDIT REPORT.  DURING THE LAST YEAR, THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE INCREASED BY ROUGHLY $200-THOUSAND.  ALL MAJOR FUNDS, INCLUDING ELECTRIC, WATER, SEWER, LIQUOR STORE, TELE-COMM AND THE HOSPITAL REPORTED POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY’S OVERALL NET POSITION.  DURING 2020, WINDOM RECEIVED ROUGHLY $342-THOUSAND IN FEDERAL COVID-19 FUNDING.  AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THE CITY OF WINDOM HAD TOTAL OUTSTANDING LONG-TERM DEBT OF JUST OVER $46.3-MILLION.  TOTAL DEBT INCREASED DUE TO $4.5-MILLION IN CONSTRUCTION BONDS FOR A MAJOR STREET PROJECT.  $6.3-MILLION IN OLDER BONDS WERE RE-FINANCED TO SAVE MONEY THROUGH LOWER INTEREST RATES.   

 

THE WINDOM COMMUNITY CENTER COMMISSION MEETS AT 5:30 THIS AFTERNOON.  THE DIRECTOR’S REPORT WILL INCLUDE AN UPDATE ON PERSONNEL MATTERS.  THERE WILL BE REPORTS ON SEVERAL RECENT BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS PROJECTS INCLUDING WORK ON THE ROOF, THE PARKING LOT AND THE REPLACEMENT OF AIR-HANDLING UNITS.  THERE WILL BE A DISCUSSION ON FUTURE MAINTENANCE PROJECT.  A LIST OF SCHEDULED EVENTS WILL BE PRESENTED AND THE COMMISSION WILL REVIEW BUILDING USAGE.   THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT WILL BE PRESENTED. 

 

THE FEDERATED RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCATION RECENTLY HELD ITS ANNUAL MEETING.   MOST VOTING WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH MAIL-IN BALLOTS.  A FEW MEMBERS VOTED IN PERSON AT A DRIVE-THROUGH ANNUAL MEETING AT THE FAIRGROUNDS IN FAIRMONT.  BY A WIDE MARGIN, MEMBERS APPROVED AN AMENDMENT TO THE BYLAWS, ALLOWING ARBITRATION AS AN ALTERNATE METHOD TO RESOLVE DISPUTES.  IN ELECTIONS FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, DAVID MESCHKE OF WELCOME WAS ELECTED IN DISTRICT 5; BRUCE BROCKMAN OF GRANADA WAS ELECTED IN DISTRICT 6.  TIM MAILAHN OF FAIRMONT WAS ELECTED TO AN AT-LARGE POSITION ON THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE.  THERE WAS A VERY SHORT BUSINESS MEETING.      

 

THE 2021 COTTONWOOD COUNTY FAIR IS BEING HELD THIS WEEK.   TODAY IS AN ENTRY DAY.  4-H GENERAL JUDGING WILL BE HELD IN THE EXHIBIT BUILDING FROM 10:00 TO 3:00.  4-H LIVESTOCK INTERVIEWS WILL BE HELD IN THE COMMERCIAL EXHIBIT BUILDING FROM 10:00 TO 2:00.  FROM 6:00 TO 8:00 THIS EVENING, OPEN-CLASS ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR CANNING AND FLORAL PROJECTS.  ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR OPEN-CLASS EXHIBITS FOR VISUAL ARTS, CRAFTS AND PHOTOGRAPHY, CLOTHING, NEEDLEWORK AND CRAFTS.  FROM 7:00 TO 9:00 THIS EVENING, THERE WILL BE 4-H BEEF IDENTIFICATION AND WEIGH-IN INCLUDING COW-CALF, MARKET PEN OF THREE AND DAIRY STEERS.  ALL 4-H BEEF ENTRIES MUST BE IN PLACE BY 9:00 TONIGHT.    

                                                                  

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS CHANGING THE WAY IT WILL REPORT DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEVERE WEATHER.  STARTING THIS MONTH, SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WILL BE DIVIDED INTO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND LABELED ACCORDING TO THE THREAT OF DAMAGE THEY PRESENT.   UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM, THERE WILL BE THREE LEVELS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.   THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL TAG WARNINGS WITH A THREAT OF “CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE” IF THE STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND WINDS OF UP TO 70-MILES AN HOUR.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LABELED AS “DESTRUCTIVE” WHEN THE STORM PRESENTS A RISK OF BASEBALL-SIZED HAIL OR WINDS UP TO 80-MILES AN HOUR.  ON AVERAGE, ONLY ABOUT 10% OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS REACH THIS LEVEL.