Local News Headlines – Wednesday, November 3

THE DES MOINES VALLEY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY WILL HOLD A SPECIAL BOARD MEETING AT 8:00 THIS MORNING.     THE MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE CAFETERIA AT THE JACKSON COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER EAST BUILDING.  THE BOARD WILL BE MEETING IN CLOSED SESSION TO EVALUATE THE ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CRAIG MYERS.   

 

THE WINDOM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HELD THE ANNUAL CHAMBER GALA LAST WEEK.  AWARDS WERE PRESENTED IN FOUR CATEGORIES.  THE COMMUNITY CHAMPION AWARD WENT TO THE WINDOM LION’S CLUB.  THE EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WENT TO HY LIFE FOODS.  THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD WENT TO ‘WELLNESS & VITALITY CHIROPRACTIC.’  THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WENT TO MARY KLOSTERBUER.  THE GUEST SPEAKER FOR THE CHAMBER GALA WAS JOHN KRIESEL.  KRIESEL IS A MILITARY VETERAN WHO WAS INJURED WHILE SERVING IN IRAQ.  HIS BOOK “STILL STANDING” HAS RECEIVED MULTIPLE AWARDS.  HE IS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE MINNESOTA STATE LEGISLATURE. 

 

THE WINDOM SCHOOL DISTRICT HELD AN ELECTION ON TUESDAY TO DECIDE TWO BALLOT QUESTIONS.  THE FIRST QUESTION CALLED FOR THE DISTRICT TO RENEW ITS OPERATING LEVY FOR 7 YEARS AT THE SAME AMOUNT OF $613 PER STUDENT.   THE MEASURE PASSED WITH A VOTE OF 474 YES AND 286 NO, OR 62% IN FAVOR.   THE SECOND QUESTION CALLED FOR THE DISTRICT TO ADOPT A CAPITAL TECHNOLOGY LEVY IN THE AMOUNT OF $300-THOUSAND A YEAR FOR SEVEN YEARS.   THE MEASURE WAS DEFEATED WITH A VOTE OF 359 YES AND 400 NO, OR 47% IN FAVOR.   WITH THE DEFEAT OF THE MEASURE, DISTRICT TAXES SHOULD BE SLIGHTLY LOWER NEXT YEAR. 

 

THE RED ROCK CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT HELD A BUILDING REFERENDUM ON TUESDAY.   THE SINGLE BALLOT QUESTION CALLED FOR THE DISTRICT TO ISSUE UP TO $41-MILLION IN BONDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW K-12 SCHOOL BUILDING IN LAMBERTON.  THE MEASURE PASSED WITH 786 VOTING YES AND 582 VOTING NO, A MARGIN OF 57.4% IN FAVOR.  THIS WAS THE 3RD TIME RED ROCK CENTRAL HAS ATTEMPTED TO PASS A BUILDING REFERENDUM IN RECENT YEARS.  TWO EARLIER EFFORTS WERE DEFEATED.    

 

MT LAKE HELD A SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION ON TUESDAY.   THERE WERE THREE SEATS UP FOR ELECTION, BUT JUST TWO NAMES ON THE BALLOT.  INCUMENTS AUDI NICKEL AND MATT GOHR WERE RE-ELECTED FOR NEW 4-YEAR TERMS.  NICKLE RECEIVED 117 VOTES AND GOHR RECEIVED 112 VOTES.   THE THIRD SEAT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL BE FILLED BY A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE.   AS OF TUESDAY EVENING,  IT APPEARED THAT THE LEADING WRITE-IN CANDIDATE WAS CHAD EKEN WITH 39 VOTES.  EKEN WILL BE CONTACTED TO SEE IF HE IS WILLING TO SERVE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD.  IF HE DECLINES, THE MT LAKE SCHOOL BOARD COULD CHOOSE TO APPOINT SOMEONE TO FILL THE OPENING UNTIL THE NEXT REGULAR ELECTION. 

 

THE JEFFERS CITY COUNCIL HELD A REGULAR MEETING LAST WEEK.  THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT PRESENTED QUOTES FOR THE PURCHASE OF A CAMERA SYSTEM TO INSPECT UNDERGROUND PIPES INCLUDING WATER AND SEWER LINES.  THE COUNCIL VOTED TO APPROVE THE PURCHASE FOR $600.  THERE WAS AN UPDATE ON MAINTENANCE PROJECTS AT THE SEWER PONDS.  THE JEFFERS FIRE DEPARTMENT MADE A PRESENTATION. UNDER THE BY-LAWS, MEMBERS ARE REQUIRED TO BE PRESENT FOR AT LEAST HALF OF ALL MEETINGS AND RESPOND TO AT LEAST HALF OF ALL FIRE CALLS TO REMAIN AS MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING.  IT WAS NOTED THERE ARE SOME BUILDING REPAIR NEEDS AT THE FIRE HALL.