Jackson County Sheriff’s Office reported 32 calls from August 17th to August 23rd. Among the week’s calls, deputies responded after a semi drove away from a Jackson gas station with the fuel hose still attached, causing fuel to spray onto the parking lot. In another unusual call, a squirrel was electrocuted on a power pole, sparking a grass fire south of Highway 60. Deputies also investigated a Discord scam involving a request for gift cards, responded to two vehicle fires, and arrested a 57-year-old man following a domestic disturbance in rural Heron Lake. Two separate DUI arrests were also made over the weekend. A full listing of all calls for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department is available by clicking the link below.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Report August 17th to August 23rd
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Windom Police Department reported on the 22nd at approximately 9:38pm an officer observed a vehicle without rear lights and initiated a traffic stop. After investigation and performing Standardized Field Sobriety Tests an arrest was made of a 78-year-old Sun Lake AZ male for Gross Misdemeanor DWI- Test Refusal. On the 23rd at 11:06am an officer responed to the 1000 Block of 13th Street for a report of damage to property. The reporting showed the officer the house had been egged along with the trampoline and it appeared to be cut. Estimated damage ranges from $50-$200.
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A special Windom City Council meeting is being planned for Monday, August 31st at 5 p.m. as city leaders seek additional factual information surrounding the proposed sale of WindomNet to Federated Broadband. According to information posted publicly on Facebook, the special meeting is expected to include a question-and-answer session involving Federated Broadband and WindomNet. The meeting is expected to focus on factual information surrounding the proposed sale and the future of the city-owned telecommunications utility, including the financial, legal and operational considerations involved. The goal is to provide council members and the mayor with concrete information on the numbers and the short- and long-term implications of either selling WindomNet to Federated Broadband or keeping the utility under city ownership. The meeting is expected to be open to the public, but public comment will not be taken. Residents with unanswered questions are strongly encouraged to submit them ahead of Monday’s meeting for consideration during the question-and-answer session. Written questions may be submitted to City Hall, any City Council member or the mayor. City Hall told KDOM Tuesday afternoon that the official agenda is anticipated to be posted Wednesday. Once received, KDOM will post the official agenda on our Facebook page and at windomradio.com. The special meeting follows Mayor Hilary Mathis’ veto last week of Ordinance 211, which would authorize the sale of WindomNet to Federated Broadband. The ordinance had passed its second reading on a 3-to-2 vote by the City Council. KDOM has also asked City Hall for clarification on how the special meeting may affect the current veto and whether an override of the veto remains before the City Council at its September 1st meeting.
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The Windom-Mountain Lake-Mountain Lake Christian-Butterfield-Odin Cobras wrestling program is one step closer to having a home of its own. At Monday night’s Windom Area School Board meeting, Coach Nick Kulseth outlined the growing program and the challenges wrestlers and coaches have faced without a permanent practice facility. The varsity program had its largest turnout this past season with 52 athletes, including a growing number of girls. Kulseth said when around 50 wrestlers are practicing at once, the current space becomes extremely tight. Kulseth told the board the program has spent years moving between locations and repeatedly rolling out, cleaning and putting away wrestling mats. He said what the program has been looking for is simply a steady home where mats can remain down and practices, youth wrestling and offseason programs can take place. Superintendent Jamie Frank presented a possible solution leasing space at 1755 First Avenue in Windom, a building owned by Glen Francis. The proposed five-year lease would be $5,000 per month for an approximately 8,000-square-foot facility. Plans include space for three wrestling mats, workout equipment, ADA-compliant restrooms and showers, storage and seating for parents. The facility would be used for varsity and youth practices, offseason training and camps, but not competitions. The plan hit an unexpected hurdle when a fire heavily damaged the building’s attic and roof last Thursday. Francis told the board cleanup and repairs are moving forward, including replacement of the roof trusses. While the wrestling space had originally been expected to be ready by September 1st, Francis said the fire will likely delay completion by about a month, with hopes of having the facility ready around early October. The School Board unanimously approved an updated wrestling pairing agreement between Windom Area, Mountain Lake Area, Mountain Lake Christian and Butterfield-Odin. Under the agreement, the practice site moves from Mountain Lake to Windom. Windom Area Schools would hold the facility lease, with rent divided among the participating districts based on the number of wrestlers from each school. The actual lease will return to the Windom School Board for approval once it is finalized. Following the vote, Board President Angie Classen summed up the moment for the coaches and wrestlers: “There you go, boys, got your home.”
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