Don’t FORGET Tonight is the next Windom R & R from 5-7pm at the Windom Community Center located at 1750 Cottonwood Lake Drive. All Businesses and their employees are invited to attend for an evening of fun, cocktails, socialization and appetizers. This event is being sponsored by the Masonic Lodge of Windom. A cash bar will be open and available. Come out to the Windom Community Center relax and have some great social connections and fun!
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Windom Police reported two accidents. On the 10th a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of 3rd Ave and 14th Street. No injuries, light and moderate damage was reported. On the 8th officers took a report of a Hit and Run. Between the time of 6:45 to 7am in the 1500 block of 1st Ave, a Windom Male resident reported damage caused to his 2015 Ford F-150, causing more than $1,000 worth of damage.
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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is waiving vehicle permit fees at all 75 state parks and recreation areas on Monday, Jan. 15.
There are many winter park activities that don’t require snow or ice, such as birding, winter hiking, nature photography, and having a campfire with hot chocolate and s’mores. But with the recent snow visitors can partake in popular winter activities like sledding, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Most parks offer snowshoe rentals, and select parks offer ski rentals. Visitors looking for rental equipment or certain recreational opportunities can use the ParkFinder tool (mndnr.gov/parkfinder) to find the best park for their trip.
The DNR recommends visitors wear clothing appropriate for the weather, and bring water and snacks. If trails could be icy, traction devices for footwear are useful.
This “Free Park Day” is one of four days each year on which the DNR waives the requirement for a vehicle permit at state parks and recreation areas. There is one fee-free day for each season of the year, giving Minnesotans a free of charge opportunity to experience the parks and recreation areas at different times of the year.
Four free park days are scheduled for Minnesota state parks and recreation areas in 2024 including:
- Monday, Jan. 15
- Saturday, April 27
- Saturday, June 8
- Friday, Nov. 29
“Minnesota state parks and recreation areas are open 365 days per year but some visitors only visit in summer,” said Ann Pierce, director of the DNR Parks and Trails Division. “We hope having a free day in each season will encourage people to get out and visit a park at a time of year they might not normally visit.”
Visitors are advised to check for updates in the visitor alert section of individual park webpages (mndnr.gov/parks) before leaving home. Visitors may also download free maps from park webpages, which can be used in the free Avenza maps app, available in the Apple App Store or Google Play. Visitors who prefer a paper map can pick one up at the ranger station; look outside the station if it’s closed when you arrive.
The entrance fee waiver for fee-free days does not cover amenity or user fees for activities like camping or equipment rentals.
For more information, visit the DNR’s Free Park Days web page. (mndnr.gov/freeparkdays).
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More than 40% of Minnesota homes have dangerously high radon levels. That concerns health officials, because radon — an odorless, colorless radioactive gas — is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who have never smoked.
Together with public health organizations across the country, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the American Cancer Society, A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation and the American Lung Association urge homeowners and renters alike to test their home for radon in January, during National Radon Action Month.
“The only way to know if your home has high radon levels is to test, but only about 1% or 2% of Minnesota homes are tested annually,” said Dr. Brooke Cunningham, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health. “Another concern is that, although radon occurs throughout the state, there are notable disparities in where the testing and mitigation are taking place.”
MDH expects to send out more than 6,000 kits to health departments and other partners, who will distribute them statewide at low or no cost. Test kits also can be purchased at hardware and home improvement stores or ordered at mn.radon.com. Licensed professionals can conduct testing, too.
“Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in never-smokers,” said Nancy Torrison, executive director of A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation. “We will continue to educate the public about radon testing and mitigation in hopes that one day, Minnesota’s families and homes are safe from this naturally occurring deadly gas.”
In the winter, home heating systems tend to draw in radon gas from the soil, increasing radon levels inside the home. Many Minnesotans also use basements as living spaces, which can increase radon exposure. Renters, especially those in ground or garden level units, should test their homes or ask their landlords to test. Although testing can be done year-round, the best time to test is during the heating season.
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It’s FRIDAY!!! It’s Kiss a Ginger Day!!! That’s right time to share a little love and admiration of those with a carrot top! Ginger’s are truly unique. Did you know that being a true Ginger (not out of a bottle) only occurs in only 2% of the population? AND studies show that red hair is slowly disappearing around the world, so kiss a ginger while you still can! It’s also quitters’ day, it is always on the second Friday of January. The gig about quitters’ day is based on research that has shown that people quit their resolutions for the year by the second Friday of January!!! Whoa that is crazy!!! I mean people actually make it to the second Friday?!! I made it to January 3rd this year. I was feeling pretty good about myself because I made it one day longer than last year until I read that I REALLY FAILED because I didn’t make clear to today!! Next year GOALS for sure… I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that today is also National Pharmacist Day. Pharmacists truly are the heroes of all cures for illness. From Shots to dispensing the correct medications. Thank a pharmacist today!!!
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