Local News Headlines – Friday, October 1

ANOTHER FALL HUNTING SEASON OPENS THIS WEEKEND.   THE MINNESOTA WILD TURKEY HUNTING SEASON OPENS THIS SATURDAY AND CONTINUES THROUGH SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31ST.  HUNTERS ARE ALLOWED TO TAKE ONE TURKEY OF EITHER SEX DURING THE FALL SEASON.  HUNTING IS ALLOWED IN ANY OPEN PERMIT AREA STATE-WIDE.  SHOOTING HOURS ARE FROM A HALF-HOUR BEFORE SUNRISE UNTIL SUNSET DAILY.  TURKEYS MUST BE REGISTERED WITHIN 24 HOURS.  REGISTRATION MAY BE DONE IN PERSON, ONLINE OR BY TELEPHONE.  FALL TURKEY HUNTERS MAY USE A CROSSBOW, FIREARMS OR ARCHERY EQUIPMENT.  FALL TURKEY LICENSES ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ONLINE OR IN PERSON AT A LICENSED D-N0R OUTLET INCLUDING MANY CONVENIENCE STORES.   

 

HERE’S AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINATIONS.  AS OF LAST SUNDAY, FOR MINNESOTA RESIDENTS 12-AND-OLDER, 72.2% HAVE RECEIVED ONE DOSE OF VACCINE AND 68.5% ARE FULLY VACCINATED. COMPARED TO THE TOTAL STATE POPULATION, 58% OF ALL MINNESOTA RESIDENTS ARE FULLY VACCINATED.  IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY, 58.5% OF RESIDENTS 12-AND-OLDER ARE FULLY VACCINATED.  COMPARED TO THE TOTAL COUNTY POPULATION, 48.8% OF COTTONWOOD COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE FULLY VACCINATED.  NOBLES COUNTY HAS THE HIGHEST VACCINATION RATE IN THE AREA, WITH 61.7% OF RESIDENTS 12-AND-OLDER HAVING BEEN FULLY VACCINATED.  IN JACKSON COUNTY, THE VACCINATION RATE IS 54.2% FOR RESIDENTS 12-AND-OLDER.   

 

NEXT WEEK IS HOMECOMING WEEK AT THE MT LAKE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL.  THE THEME IS “MLA AROUND THE WORLD.”  THE HOMECOMING CORONATION WILL BE HELD AT 7:00 SATURDAY EVENING AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM.  ADMISSION IS $3.  THE QUEEN CANDIDATES ARE OLIVIA KLASSEN, MIRIAM RETE, RILEY SCHROEDER AND JORDAN WRIGHT.  THE KING CANDIDATES ARE KOLBY KREMMIN, IAN PENNER, SAM STADE AND KADE WASSMAN.  NEXT WEEK THERE WILL BE DAILY DRESS-UP THEMES BASED ON THE IDEA OF TRAVEL.  THE HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME WILL BE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8TH AGAINST HILLS-BEAVER CREEK.  AFTER THE GAME, THERE WILL BE A HOMECOMING DANCE FOR STUDENTS IN THE 9TH THROUGH 12TH GRADES.  

 

THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MET LAST WEEK.   THE BOARD APPROVED THE CREATION OF A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER IN THE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE.  THE RESOURCE OFFICER WILL ROTATE BETWEEN THE JACKSON COUNTY CENTRAL AND HERON LAKE-OKABENA SCHOOLS.  THE BOARD APPROVED THE SALE OF JUST OVER $7.3-MILLION IN GENERAL OBLIGATION DRAINAGE BONDS.  THE BOARD ALSO APPROVED A PLAN TO RE-FINANCE JUST OVER $6-MILLION IN OLDER DRAINAGE BONDS TO SAVE MONEY THROUGH LOWER INTEREST RATES.  THE BOARD APPROVED THE PAYMENT OF A PROPERTY TAX REFUND TO NORTHERN NATURAL GAS.  THE PAYMENT WAS ORDERED FOLLOWING A HEARING BEFORE THE STATE TAX COURT.  THE 2022 PRELIMINARY PROPERTY TAX LEVY LIMIT WAS SET AT JUST OVER $11.4-MILLION, FOR AN INCREASE OF 3.64%.   

 

THE MURRAY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS OFFERING A CEMETERY TOUR.    A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF GRAVESTONES WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM OCTOBER 1ST THROUGH OCTOBER 11TH.  THE PROGRAM IS TITLED “EVERY STONE TELLS A STORY – THE 2ND ANNUAL MURRAY COUNTY CEMETERY TOUR.”  THIS YEAR’S TOUR WILL FEATURE THE ZION LUTHERAN CEMETERY AND THE SCANDIA FREE CEMETERY.  A 3RD CEMETERY MAY BE ADDED – CHECK THE MURRAY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY FACEBOOK PAGE FOR DETAILS.  FOR THE TOUR, SIGNS WILL BE POSTED NEXT TO SELECTED GRAVESTONES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BURIED AT THAT SITE.  MAPS AND GUIDEBOOKS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE COUNTY MUSEUM IN SLAYTON OR LINE ON THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY WEBSITE.