5-3-23 Soil Temperatures are reported from the Southwest Research and Outreach Center in Lamberton.
Today’s soil temperatures at the 4 inch depth are: 56 degrees maximum and 42.8 degrees minimum temperature.
Soil Temperatures are brought to you by: MN Soybean Processors and Country Pride Cooperative Services
————————————————————————-
The Windom Police Department reported that in the month of April they had 477 total calls for service which included 14 Adult Arrests, 1 Juvenile Arrest, 4 warrants served, 6 accidents with 4 injuries, 3 DUI’s and 93 Traffic Violations or Warnings. There was 33 suspicious activity calls and 47 public assists. For a full listing of the Most Common Criminal Activities go to KDOM’s Website under Local Headline News.
Windom Police Department April Monthly Crime Report
————————————————————————–
Mountain Lake City Council met on Monday. The Council approved a purchase of the weed harvester that was recommended by the Lake Commission for $78,500 from Aquatic Weed Harvester Company. The price does not include freight to deliver, and a conveyor is not included. The Mt Lake City Attorney gave an update to the council regarding civil processes on various properties, public nuisances, current processes, court procedures, agreements, and plans. The City Administrator read the first reading on the proposed ordinance change regarding city park hours, parks would be open from 5:00am to 11:00pm, and shall be considered closed after 11:00pm. No person should be in any park between the hours of 11:00pm and 5:00am unless they have written permission from the City Administrator. The Council agreed to offer Alyssa Nesmoe the position of Deputy Clerk/Treasurer once current Clerk/Treasurer, Dawn Fast retires. The Council had a discussion on the sunflower on County State Aid Highway 27, the Cottonwood County Board of Commissioners did approve the repainting at their last meeting.
————————————————————————-
May 1st marked the start of the Toro Revitalization Project of the Environmental Center (the wooded area to the south of the Windom Area Middle/High School) This area will be closed until completion. The project includes a new bridge, brush clean-up, lights, an outdoor classroom, benches, and a couple of picnic tables. According to Windom Area Schools, Superintendent Jamie Frank, this grant to revitalize this area for school and community enjoyment is a project that the school is very grateful for.
—————————————————————————
Minnesota has started verifying eligibility for people in public health care programs. According to the MN Department of Human Services, notices went to about 100,000 people who have Medical Assistance this past month. By May 2024, state, county and Tribal workers will check eligibility requirements for 1.5 million people. The MN Dept of Human Services and its partners want people who qualify for the insurance to keep it. One in four Minnesotans has Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare. Losing insurance makes it harder to get health care and could worsen health disparities. People enrolled in Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare usually must have their eligibility reviewed once a year to see whether they remain eligible. This process is called a renewal. During the pandemic, renewals stopped which helped Minnesotans get health care, kept the uninsurance rate low and brought in billions of federal dollars to help the state cover health care costs and keep people insured. About 360,000 more people signed up for Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare, an increase of more than 30%.
Medical Assistance renewals will continue each month. People who have MinnesotaCare will receive notices in the fall.
The renewal forms will arrive by mail. Completing them and sending them back as soon as possible with any necessary documentation will help people stay covered. The state is also developing user-friendly ways to complete the process over the phone or by submitting documents online.
Find out more about renewals, including how to update contact information, at mn.gov/dhs/renewmycoverage
———————————————————————————————–
Motorists traveling on Minnesota roads this spring should watch for large farm equipment moving from farm to farm for planting season, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Since 2020, there were 391 crashes involving farm equipment in Minnesota, resulting in six deaths and 143 injuries. Inattentive driving and speed were the biggest contributing factors in those crashes.
“Farmers need our highways to access fields statewide, so motorists should prepare to encounter slow-moving farm vehicles; especially on rural, two-lane roads,” said Brian Sorenson, state traffic engineer.
Farm equipment is large and heavy, making it hard for operators to accelerate, slow down and stop. The equipment also makes wide turns and sometimes crosses over the center line. In addition, farm vehicles can create large blind spots, making it difficult for operators to see approaching vehicles.
Motorists should:
- Slow down and use caution when approaching farm equipment
- Watch for debris dropped by farm equipment
- Drive with headlights on at all times
- Wait for a safe place to pass
Farm equipment operators should:
- Use lights and flashers to make equipment more visible
- Use slow-moving vehicle emblems on equipment traveling less than 30 mph
- Consider using a follow vehicle when moving equipment, especially at night
————————————————————————–