Today’s Meetings include:
- Windom Area Health Governing Board Meeting that will be held on Monday, July 22nd at 5:30pm in the Large Conference Room at the hospital.
- Windom Area School Board will be holding a work session meeting on July 22nd at 6:30pm in Windom City Hall Council Chambers. You can view the meeting live at Media SB22 on YouTube
- Jeffers City Council met in REGULAR session on Monday July 22nd at 7:00 p.m. at Jeffers City Hall.
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Every two seconds in America someone needs blood. Your blood donation can help save lives. Please consider giving the gift of life. Windom Women of Today will be a sponsoring a blood drive at the Windom Community Center, 1750 Cottonwood Lake Drive this Wednesday July 24th from 1pm to 6pm You can schedule an appointment by going to https://www.redcrossblood.org/ or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) Don’t forget to download the Blood Donor App Today. Get your digital donor card, schedule your next appointment, track your lifetime donations, view your blood pressure, and follow your donation on its way to a hospital. Help set a record for most units yet… Get out and be a hero and DONATE…
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Laws are changing for the Minnesota Child Passenger Safety Laws. New guidelines are going into effect on August 1st. According to Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Director Mike Hanson, the new law lays out best practices and will help parents make the best decision to protect their child. The new guidelines affect child seats, booster seats, seat belts and how children ride in a vehicle. The new laws state that every driver who travels with children under the age of 18 are required to have them restrained in a child safety seat or with a seat belt, which before in Minnesota the state law required car seats be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions on height and weight, but the changes to this law now specify ages for rear and forward-facing car seats, booster seats and seat belts. The Booster seat age requirement has been increased from eight to nine years old. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS), crashes are a leading cause of injury and death among children. From 2019 to 2023, preliminary figures show:
- Of the 12,827 children ages 0-7 properly restrained, 89 precent were not injured. Another 10 percent sustained only minor injuries;
- 20 children ages 0-7 were killed in motor vehicles. Of those, only 10 were known to be properly secured;
- Of the 81 children (ages 0-7) seriously injured in motor vehicles, only 44 percent were known to be properly secured.
The age guidelines include:
- Children, from birth to at least two years old, should be in a rear-facing infant or convertible child safety seat;
- Children that are at least two years old AND have outgrown the rear-facing seat with internal harness by height or weight should use a forward-facing seat with internal harness;
- Children that are at least four years old AND have outgrown the forward-facing seat with internal harness should use a belt-positioned booster seat using the lap and shoulder belt;
- Children that are nine years old OR have outgrown the booster seat AND the child can pass the five-step test that demonstrates how the seat belt fits correct can ride with just the secured lap and shoulder belt;
- Additionally, children under 13-year-old must sit in the back seat where possible.
According to the DPS, this new law is based on best practices, and mirrors the American Academy of Pediatrics child seat recommendations.
If a child falls into more than one category, then the child should be placed in the safer restraint for them. For example, a child who is two-and-a-half years old and weighs 35 pounds but has a car seat with a rear-facing limit of 40 pounds must stay rear-facing even though they are over 2 years old. It’s very important for parents and caregivers to always read their car seat and vehicle owners’ manuals for proper installation.
Resources
Find more information on installing a car seat online.
Download a child restraint guidance chart.
Learn more about the law from the Minnesota Safety Council.
View the law’s updated requirements online.
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Are you stretching your bellies out? Are you skipping a couple meals to prepare for HOT DOG NIGHT on the Square Thursday, July 25th? If not, get on it!!! This free event sponsored by the Windom Area Chamber is open to the public. Come stroll the square and taste several different ways to eat a hot dog! BUT remember… VOTE KDOM as your favorite and get registered for a Prize Pack to be awarded the following week. We will be back again with our Regular and “HOT” hotdog topping. We heard you last year when you told us “It could be Hotter!!!” come check us out at the BIG YELLOW Radio! You won’t regret it!!! We can’t wait to grill you up the dog of your dreams!!! Hot Dog Night on the square 5- 7pm its FREE it’s FUN!!!
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