Local News Headlines – Tuesday, August 31

THE WINDOM SCHOOL BOARD HOLDS A SPECIAL MEETING THIS MORNING.    THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL MEET IN SPECIAL SESSION AT 7:00 THIS MORNING AT THE MIDDLE-HIGH SCHOOL CONFERENCE ROOM.  THERE WILL BE TWO ITEMS OF BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA.  THE BOARD IS SCHEDULED TO ACCEPT THE RESIGNATION OF HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AND GOLF COACH TIM MELLSTROM.  THE BOARD WILL THEN ACT TO APPROVE A CONTRACT FOR JACOB OLSON AS A FULL-TIME SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER.   

                                                       

THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY BOARD AND THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD WILL EACH HOLD BUDGET WORK-SESSIONS THIS MORNING.    COTTONWOOD COUNTY WILL HOLD A BUDGET WORK-SESSION AT 8:30 TUESDAY MORNING AT THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER IN WINDOM.  THE COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF WILL BE REVIEWING THE PROPOSED 2022 COUNTY BUDGET.  THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD WILL HOLD A WORK-SESSION AT 8:30 TUESDAY MORNING IN THE CAFETERIA AT THE JACKSON COUNTY RESOURCE CENTER.  THE BOARD WILL BE REVIEWING AND DISCUSSING THE PROPOSED 2022 JACKSON COUNTY BUDGET AND TAX LEVY.   

 

THE MURRAY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WILL HOLD A SPECIAL MEETING THIS MORNING.   THE BOARD WILL MEET AT 8:30 TUESDAY MORNING AT THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER IN SLAYTON.  THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER APPROVING A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A PROGRAM TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS.  THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE ON THE FUTURE OF THE LOCAL DRIVERS’ LICENSE EXAM AND TESTING STATIONS.  THE MURRAY COUNTY BOARD WILL HOLD A BUDGET DISCUSSION. INFORMATION WILL BE PRESENTED ON THE PROPOSED 2022 COUNTY BUDGET AND PRELIMINARY PROPERTY TAX LEVY. 

 

A WINDOM MAN IS FACING CHARGES OF 2ND-DEGREE MURDER STEMMING FROM A FIGHT AT A LOCAL BAR THAT LED TO A DEATH.  57-YEAR-OLD RALPH L. APMANN APPEARED IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY DISTRICT COURT ON FRIDAY.  HE IS BEING CHARGED WITH MURDER IN THE 2ND DEGREE WITHOUT INTENT, WHILE COMMITTING A FELONY.  THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE EARLY THURSDAY MORNING OUTSIDE THE PHAT PHEASANT PUB.  APMANN TOLD AUTHORITIES HE HAD BEEN PLAYING POOL WITH THE VICTIM.  THE TWO MEN WENT OUTSIDE TO SMOKE.  APMANN SAID THE VICTIM PUNCHED HIM, SO APMANN PUT THE VICTIM IN A CHOKE-HOLD. APMANN CLAIMED THE VICTIM WAS UNCONCIOUS BUT ALIVE WHEN APMANN LEFT THE SCENE.  THE VICTIM WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT WINDOM AREA HEALTH.  AN AUTOPSY RULED THE DEATH WAS A HOMICIDE.  

 

AREA RESIDENTS SPENT SUNDAY CLEANING UP DAMAGE FROM A ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER SATURDAY EVENING.  A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH THE AREA.  THERE WERE MULTIPLE REPORTS OF HAIL, INCLUDING HAILSTONES IN MURRAY COUNTY OVER 3” IN DIAMETER.  LARGE TREES WERE REPORTED DOWN NEAR HILLS AND A POWER LINE WENT DOWN. TREES AND BRANCHES WERE DOWN NEAR PIPESTONE, ADRIAN, CHANDLER, IONA, SLAYTON, AVOCA, WESTBROOK, STORDEN AND JEFFERS.  REPORTS WERE RECEIVED OF DAMAGE TO FARM BUILDINGS INCLUDING A MACHINE SHED NEAR AVOCA, A GRAIN BIN AND AN OLDER BARN SOUTH OF WESTBROOK, AND A GRAIN BIN SOUTH OF STORDEN.  NUMBEROUS TREES WERE DOWN IN THE WESTBROOK AREA, BLOCKING SOME STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. 

 

THE WINDOM POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THAT A MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED AND IS FACING CHARGES INCLUDING POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.     THE INVESTIGATION BEGAN LAST DECECEMBER WITH A CYBER TIP FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN.  FOLLOWING AN INVESTIGATION, ON AUGUST 26TH, THE WINDOM POLICE DEPARTMENT ARRESTED A 48-YEAR-OLD MAN FROM WINDOM.  HE IS FACING TWO COUNTS OF POSSESSION OF PORNOGRAPHIC WORKS INVOLVING SUBJECTS UNDER THE AGE OF 13, AND TWO COUNTS OF POSSESSION OF PORNOGRAPHIC WORKS ON A COMPUTER. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SUSPECT PROVIDED A FALSE NAME TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.  AUTHORITIES ARE ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE HIS TRUE INDENTITY.                                                                      

 

THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR THE DES MOINES VALLEY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY WILL HOLD A WORK-SESSION AT 9:30 WEDNESDAY MORNING.   THE BOARD WILL MEET IN THE CAFETERIA AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER EAST BUILDING IN JACKSON.  BOARD MEMBERS WILL BE REVIEWING THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE AGENCY.  AREAS TO BE DISCUSSED INCLUDE VALUES, STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, PRIORITIES AND GOALS.  THE BOARD WILL ALSO DISCUSS THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR THE AGENCY. 

 

THE WINDOM SCHOOL DISTRICT IS HOLDING A PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY.   MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO VISIT THE NEW WINDOM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE ‘CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION’ CENTER AT THE MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING.  TOURS OF BOTH BUILDINGS WILL BE PROVIDED FROM 5:00 TO 7:00 WEDNESDAY EVENING.  ICE CREAM WILL BE SERVED.  THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BUILDING AND THE C-T-E CENTER OPENED LAST YEAR, BUT TOURS COULD NOT BE HELD AT THAT TIME DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS.  THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HOLDS ALL STUDENTS FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THE 5TH GRADE.  THE C-T-E CENTER INCLUDED AN ADDITION OF 5,000 SQUARE FEED AND A REMODELING OF THE EXISTING SHOP SPACE.