Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office reported on the 25th at 7:16am a deputy responded to the 2000 Block of County Road 7 in Walnut Grove for a report of theft that occurred during the night. The reporting party, a 48-year-old male reported tools and a shotgun were stolen. 5:15pm a deputy was dispatched to a single vehicle rollover with two passengers on County Road 46 in between County Road 13 and County Road 17. A 16-year-old female from Windom was driving a 2016 Black Cadillac SRX, hit loose gravel on the side of the road and lost control of the vehicle and landed on its side in the ditch. The passenger was an 18-year-old male also of Windom. Both parties were transported by Ambulance to the Windom Hospital. On the 26th an elderly couple from Storden met a deputy in the lobby of the Law Enforcement Center regarding a possible identity theft case.
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It’s a history lesson folks… Did you know there once stood a massive 900-acre lake with three islands rising from its waters, which the nearby village of Mountain Lake was fittingly named after? In 1905-06 the demand for more farmland led to the draining of lake. As history goes, the waves of blue were replaced with a sea of yellow with the encouragement of George Neufeld and Reinhold Rupp to plant Sunflowers. Now mind you I am giving you the condensed version here… There are a lot of history lessons and dates but long story shortened… Sunflowers were a huge hit and were immensely popular among Mt Lake Russian Immigrants and were harvested and roasted in the back of the Mt Lake Variety Store. The popularity of the seeds grew across to other states and the roaster shop operated with great success until Rupp was drafted for WWII in 1942 where he died shortly after. Legend has it that a bad crop then allowed the Fisher Nut Company to obtain George’s unique roasting methods before he was forced to close shop in 1945. Today the Sunflower not only symbolizes Mountain Lake’s early Russian Mennonite beginnings but also optimism, innovation and joy among the city’s ever growing diverse population… That’s the history in a nutshell, BUT if you want to learn more, and help celebrate you can by going to Mountain Lake this weekend for Sunflower Day! Saturday August 3rd from 10am to 6pm Sunflower Day will be celebrated in the City Park and Downtown Area. Car show till 1pm and sunflower crafts at the local library and an ice cream social at 4pm. There will be various vendors and activities at the park with food trucks on 3rd Ave. KDOM will be broadcasting live Friday Morning at various businesses to showcase all the unique and fun items that are being featured Friday and Saturday for Crazy Days Sales. Maynard’s Food Center and Peterson Drug will be putting on a feed Friday from 11am to 1pm. Burger Lunch for $5 and an ice-cream treat for $1. Listen in on Friday Morning as Zach takes the tour of a few businesses and highlights what you can expect to find! Friday and Saturday in Mountain Lake Crazy Days and Sunflower Day Celebration. It should be a good time.
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There is another opportunity to celebrate community and volunteerism down in the Windom Square. Night to Unite is coming Tuesday August 6th . According to Jenny Quade, of the Minnesota Department of Corrections we have seen so many different people jump into action this past month and we wanted to not only show our appreciation to everyone but to give an opportunity to showcase how many different organizations are within our community that could use volunteers. Quade has been an integral part of Night to Unite for many years and she is excited to pair up with the Windom Chamber of Commerce once again and bring the community together and celebrate. The Public is invited out for a fun night on the square with a vehicle fair on 4th Ave for kids and adults to enjoy, music and a community cook-out provided by HyVee and an ice-cream social. Come to the square and enjoy a night of unification and see how you can get involved and enjoy being a part of something greater. If you are an non-profit organization that would like to showcase what you do and what you have to offer AND how the community can become volunteers or become a part of your group, please call Quade at 507-831-2678. PLEASE leave a message and Jenny will get back to you as soon as possible! Night to Unite is going to be a good night to keep the wave of volunteerism going!
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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. There will be a Red Cross Blood Drive on Wednesday August 14th at the Heron Lake Community Center from Noon 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.