Local News Headlines – Wednesday, August 11

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.   

 

THE WINDOM SCHOOL BOARD MET THIS WEEK.   THE BOARD APPROVED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE I-S-G ENGINEERING FIRM TO HANDLE DESIGN WORK FOR A PROJECT TO REPLACE AIR-HANDLING EQUIPMENT AT THE MIDDLE-HIGH SCHOOL.  THE PLAN CALLS FOR 7 AIR-HANDLING UNITS TO BE REPLACED AND FOR THE ADDITION OF A POWDER-COATING PAINT BOOTH IN THE C-T-E AREA.  THE ENGINEERS WILL ALSO STUDY THE BENEFITS OF SWITCHING FROM STEAM HEAT TO HOT-WATER HEAT.  THE COST OF THE PROJECT WILL BE COVERED BY FEDERAL FUNDS AND RESERVE FUNDS FROM OTHER ACCOUNTS.  A NEW MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT HANDBOOK FOR THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR WAS APPROVED.  CHANGES INCLUDE AN UPDATED DISCIPLINE POLICY AND NEW LANGUAGE ON VAPING.   

 

THE 2021 COTTONWOOD COUNTY FAIR IS BEING HELD THIS WEEK.   AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS, COMMERCIAL EXHIBITS WILL OPEN AT 5:00 THIS AFTERNOON.  THE 4-H CAT, PET AND DOG SHOW WILL BE HELD AT 5:30 AT THE OLESON PAVILION.  FROM 5:00 TO 10:00 THIS EVENING, THERE WILL BE ‘PEOPLE’S CHOICE’ VOTING ON 4-H PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITS.  THE HOUSE CAT AND KITTEN SHOW WILL BE HELD IN THE OLESON PAVILION AT 6:30.  A FREE ENTERTAINMENT SHOW WILL BE HELD IN THE ARENA AT 7:00 TONIGHT WITH COUNTRY MUSIC FROM “PAPPA BEAR NORTON.”  THERE WILL BE INFLATABLES BY “GAMES GALORE” FROM 6:00 UNTIL 9:00PM TONIGHT, AND NOON UNTIL 9:00PM THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.  PASSES ARE AVAILABLE BY THE DAY OR FOR THE ENTIRE FAIR.   

 

THE WINDOM E-D-A MET THIS WEEK.    THERE WAS AN UPDATE ON THE POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW APARTMENT BUILDING ON NORTH REDDING AVENUE.  A CLOSED SESSION WAS HELD TO DISCUSS FINANCIAL INFORMATION.  THE DEVELOPERS MAY BE SUBMITTING A FORMAL PROPOSAL BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING.   THE E-D-A DISCUSSED THE CEMSTONE REDEVELOPMENT AREA.  THE E-D-A HAS RECEIVED A PROPOSAL FROM CEMSTONE FOR THE SALE OF THE PROPERTY.  A SPECIAL MEETING MAY BE HELD LATER THIS MONTH TO REVIEW A FINANCIAL PLAN FOR THE PROJECT, AND A PRESENTATION WILL BE MADE AT THE NEXT MEETING OF THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL.   IN ORDER FOR SITE WORK TO BEGIN IN 2022, BIDS FOR DEMOLITION, WATER/SEWER AND STREET WORK WOULD LIKELY HAVE TO GO OUT IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY.   

 

THE DES MOINES VALLEY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY WILL HOLD A BOARD MEETING AT 9:00 THURSDAY MORNING IN THE CAFETERIA AT THE JACKSON COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER EAST BUILDING.  STAFF REPORTS WILL BE PRESENTED ON CHILD AND TEEN CHECKUPS AND ON A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR COMMUNITY GARDENS.  THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL PRESENT AN EVALUATION OF THE ‘WIC’ PROGRAM.  A REPORT WILL BE PRESENTED ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.  THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 ISSUES.  THE BOARD MAY APPROVE AN AGREEMENT WITH A LAW FIRM TO ACT AS LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE AGENCY ON A SOCIAL SERVICES CASE.  THE FISCAL REPORT WILL INCLUDE A 2022 BUDGET REVIEW AND A REVIEW OF RESERVE ACCOUNTS.