The Mountain Lake Police Department is reporting a significant increase in activity during 2025 as they released their 2025 Annual Report. According to the department’s newly released annual report, officers responded to 1,250 calls for service, a 27 percent increase from 2024. Officers also completed 298 incident reports requiring investigation, up 19 percent from 2024 and 59 percent compared to 2022 and 2023. Traffic activity was also up. Mountain Lake Police conducted approximately 300 traffic stops, an increase of about 20 percent. Officers issued 64 citations, made five DWI arrests and were involved in two vehicle pursuits. Police also responded to 32 crashes, compared to 25 the previous year — an increase of about 28 percent. According to Administration, these numbers tell only part of the story. Among the more serious cases highlighted in the report was a DWI in which a vehicle crashed into three vehicles, a house and a trailer. Officers also recovered a loaded stolen handgun from underneath the driver’s seat during another investigation and one of the most extensive investigations involved a 13-year-old Mountain Lake girl who had been solicited online by a stranger and transported from Minnesota to the Memphis, Tennessee area. After several days of work involving multiple law enforcement agencies and members of the public, she was located five days after leaving Minnesota and eventually reunited with her family. The annual report also marks the retirement of K9 Bruno after seven years of service. During his career, Bruno was deployed 72 times and responded to 43 call-outs. To see the Mountain Lake Police Department’s 2025 Annual Report in full, visit the Mountain Lake Police Department Facebook page, or click link below.
2025 Final Annual Report-Mt Lake Police Department
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The Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office reported 66 calls in the Week of September 20th to September 26th. Deputies conducted 16 traffic stops, handled four warrants, responded to four medical calls, and assisted other agencies four times. The week also included four vehicle accidents one involving a car and animal, one hit-and-run, one with no injuries, and one accident with injuries. Other calls included a burglary, domestic assault, theft, trespassing complaint, two suspicious vehicle calls, two driving complaints, and two reports of unlawful garbage dumping. A full listing of all calls in the Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office Weekly Citizens Report is available by clicking the link below.
SO Weekly Citizen Report Sept 20th-26th
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Windom Area Schools is seeing some unexpected growth as the district settles into the new school year. Superintendent Jamie Frank talked about enrollment during a recent Kaleidoscope program on KDOM. While the state uses October 1st enrollment numbers for school programming, Frank says the district already has a pretty good picture of where things stand.
Those additional students are spread throughout the grade levels, rather than concentrated in one particular class. Frank says 15 of those 33 additional students are English language learners, and the district will be asking the School Board to add another EL teacher to help support those students. Frank says the district continually watches its data and adjusts staffing and instruction to meet the needs of students. She also noted that while she hears other superintendents around the region talking about declining enrollment, that has not been the case in Windom. But numbers weren’t the only thing Frank talked about. With another school year underway, Windom Area Schools is also putting an emphasis on what it means to be a Windom Eagle. Throughout the district, students are taught Eagle expectations, which center around two things respect and responsibility. At the elementary level, students actually go to different areas of the school and learn what being respectful and responsible looks like in the classroom, cafeteria, hallways, restrooms and even on the playground. Middle and high school students also go over those expectations with their principals at the beginning of the year and receive reminders when needed.
Frank says those lessons aren’t meant to stop when students walk out the school doors. Respect and responsibility are life skills and part of teaching students what it means to be a Windom Eagle.