GO TO COMMUNITY CALENDAR for Closings and Postponements
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The Minnesota State Patrol reported on the 21st At 12:14pm two vehicles collided on Highway 75, two miles south of Harwick in Rock County. A 2002 Ford Excursion driven by an 81 year old male from Luverne and his four passengers were northbound on Highway 75 when they collided with a semi 2024 Cascadia Semi that was also northbound on Highway 75. It was reported everyone was wearing seatbelts and one passenger was taken to Sioux Falls Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Outside agencies assisting were Luverne Fire Department, Hardwick Fire Department and Department of Transportation. Then at at 4:30pm MN State Patrol reported a 2020 Ford Fusion driven by a 49-year-old male from Worthington and a 2023 Peterbilt Semi driven by 41-year-old male from St Paul were both westbound on Minnesota Highway 60 at Milepost 55, in Cottonwood County when they collided. A passenger in the Ford a 61-year-old male from Worthington was the only one that sustained injury and was transported to the Windom hospital. All were reported to be wearing seatbelts. Outside agencies assisting were: Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Lake Police, and Windom Fire and Ambulance.
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The Windom City Council on Tuesday discussed and moved forward on a local option sales tax to help fund major capital improvement projects, approving a resolution supporting a request for legislative authorization. The proposed resolution asks the Minnesota Legislature to grant the city authority to impose a one percent local sales tax, with revenues dedicated to specific capital projects of regional significance. According to Steve Nasby, Windom City Administrator they identified the Windom Area Aquatic Center and flood mitigation improvements as the primary projects to be included in the request. Nasby explained that the action follows extensive prior discussion by the council and comes after a state-imposed moratorium on new local sales tax requests expired on May 31, 2025. Cities seeking authority must now submit resolutions and supporting documentation to state lawmakers by Jan. 31, 2026. Windom voters considered a local sales tax for flood mitigation during the 2024 general election, when the ballot question failed by a narrow margin of 12 votes. The current proposal broadens the scope to include the swimming pool, which council members noted serves residents from across the region. Under the plan discussed Tuesday, the one percent sales tax would be in place for up to 18 years and is estimated to generate approximately $500,000 annually, or about $10 million over the life of the tax. But there is flexibility on how long this would be implemented. Council members emphasized that Tuesday’s action does not enact the tax. Instead, it allows the city to request a special law from the Legislature. If legislative approval is granted, the proposal would still require voter approval at a general election, potentially as soon as November 2026. Separate ballot questions would be required for each project. Nasby stated, this is just the first step of many, stressing that additional public input and formal approvals would be required before any tax could take effect.
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So today is National Pie Day, not to be confused with Pi Day you know the whole 3.14 mathematical magic… THIS pie day is sponsored by the American Pie Council. Pie exists in some form all over the world, the United States has an unexplainable relationship with the flaky dessert. From Don McLeans epic song American Pie to expressions like as American as Apple Pie, our country embraces the pie… MAYBE just maybe this is what we need right now.. a chance for all to just sit down and discuss pie instead of all the other stuff going on right now. Let our brains have a rest. It is also measure your feet day, it is all about keeping your feet healthy and being aware of your feet instead of just actually measuring them!!! I did see something else that I just really can’t buy into. It is Snowplow Mailbox Hockey Day. This “day” is supposedly a token of appreciation by the local community towards the hardworking snow plowers who clear the streets, roads, and sidewalks every year in winter. Whereas I FULLY support these individuals and tip my hit to them and appreciate them I guarantee you that I really do not like it when they accidently knock over my mailbox… I can’t imagine a world where we celebrate them knocking them over on purpose! BUT then again there are a lot of things going on that are mind boggling right now!!!