Local News Headlines – Wednesday, October 20

A COMMITTEE OF THE MINNESOTA STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE VISITING SW MN THIS WEEK.   THE STATE HOUSE CAPITAL INVESTMENT COMMITTEE WILL BE VISITING LOCATIONS TO LEARN ABOUT LOCAL COMMUNITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.  THOSE PROJECTS HAVE REQUESTED ASSISTANCE WITH STATE FUNDING.  STATE REPRESENTATIVE ROD HAMILTON OF MT LAKE WILL BE PART OF THE TOUR.  ON WEDNESDAY, THE COMMISSION WILL HOLD A SESSION AT MINNESOTA WEST COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE IN WORTHINGTON.  THE GROUP WILL HEAR PRESENTATIONS ON LOCAL PROJECTS INCLUDING THE RED LEAF COURT STORM-SEWER PROJECT IN WINDOM, AND PROJECTS IN WILDER AND LAKEFIELD.   

 

AN AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE WAS HELD RECENTLY IN WINDOM.  THE DRIVE RESULTED IN 71 UNITS OF BLOOD BEING COLLECTED.  69 DONORS WERE SCREENED.  THERE WERE 8 DEFERRALS AND ONE INCOMPLETE DONATION.  11 PEOPLE GAVE A DOUBLE DONATION OF RED BLOOD CELLS.  A DRAWING WAS HELD, WITH DOOR PRIZES AWARDED TO TAMI VESEY AND ESTHER KALASH.  DONORS REACHING MILESTONES FOR LIFETIME BLOOD DONATIONS INCLUDES ESTHER KALASH AT 18 GALLONS; GENE OLSEM AND SHARON JENNIGES AT 14 GALLONS; AND JUDY MARKL REACHING 9 GALLONS FOR LIFETIME BLOOD DONATIONS. THE NEXT AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE IN WINDOM WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 5TH, 2022.   

 

SOUTHWESTERN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL BE CLOSING ITS OFFICES IN WINDOM AND JACKSON.   THE OFFICES IN WINDOM, JACKSON AND PIPESTONE WILL CLOSE ON OCTOBER 29TH.  THE OFFICES IN LUVERNE AND WORTHINGTON WILL REMAIN OPEN.  STARTING NOVEMBER 1ST, SOUTHWESTERN MENTAL HEALTH IS MOVING TO AN OUTPATIENT DELIVERY MODEL FOR ITS SERVICES.    THE AGENCY WILL PROVIDE SERVICE TO ALL CLIENTS IN THE FIVE-COUNTY REGION THROUGH TELE-MEDICINE AND IN-PERSON VISITS AT THE OFFICES IN LUVERNE AND WORTHINGTON.  AS PART OF THE CHANGES, SOUTHWESTERN MENTAL HEALTH WILL BE LAUNCHING A NEW WEBSITE. 

 

THE RED ROCK CENTRAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETS AT 5:00 THIS AFTERNOON AT THE HIGH SCHOOL IN LAMBERTON.  THE BOARD WILL REVIEW SENIORITY LISTS FOR CERTIFIED TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS.  THE BOARD WILL ADJUST THE MILAGE REIMBURSEMENT RATE TO MATCH STATE GUIDELINES.  A DISCUSSION WILL BE HELD ON INTERNET ACCESS.  REPORTS WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT, THE HIGH SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY PRINCIPALS AND THE BOARD COMMITTEES.  THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL BUSINESS WILL BE HANDLED.  THE BOARD WILL DISCUSS THE UPCOMING VOTE ON A BUILDING REFERENDUM.   

                                                                

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE MT LAKE CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD THIS WEEK.  THE COUNCIL CALLED FOR THE SALE OF $1.7-MILLION IN BONDS TO FINANCE THE PURCHASE OF A NEW GENERATOR FOR THE ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT.  THAT BOND SALE WILL BE COMBINED WITH THE RE-FINANCING OF ROUGHLY $2.9-MILLION IN EXISTING BONDS FOR A TOTAL BOND ISSUE OF ROUGHLY $4.7-MILLION.  WITH THE RE-FINANCING OF THE OLDER BONDS, THE CITY OF MT LAKE IS PROJECTED TO SAVE UP TO $245-THOUSAND THROUGH LOWER INTEREST RATES.  THE COUNCIL SCHEDULED A PUBLIC HEARING FOR NOVEMBER 1ST ON AN APPLICATION FOR A RESIDENTIAL HOUSING TAX ABATEMENT.  A REQUEST WAS APPROVED TO CLOSE A PORTION OF 5TH AVENUE ON HALLOWEEN FOR AN EVENT BEING HELD BY THE ALLIANCE MISSIONARY CHURCH.  

 

THE JEFFERS CITY COUNCIL HELD A REGULAR MEETING LAST WEEK.  THE COUNCIL VOTED TO APPROVE THE RENEWAL OF THE LIQUOR LICENSE FOR JEFFERS MAIN STREET LIQUOR.  A RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED TO APPROVE A FUND TRANSFER.  THE COUNCIL SET THE OFFICIAL TRICK-OR-TREAT HOURS FOR HALLOWEEN.  ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31ST, TRICK-OR-TREATING WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 4:00 UNTIL 7:00PM.  CHILDREN SHOULD ONLY STOP AT HOUSES THAT HAVE THEIR PORCH LIGHTS ON.  THE CITY OF JEFFERS HAS A HALLOWEEN CURFEW STARTING AT 11:00 HALLOWEEN NIGHT.  DISCUSSION WAS HELD ON THE PURCHASE OF A NEW TRAILER FOR THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT.