Local News Headlines – Thursday, October 22nd

October 22, 2020 kdomadmin Local News 0

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE JEFFERS CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD LAST WEEK.    THE COUNCIL MET WITH A LOCAL RESIDENT TO DISCUSS ANIMAL CONTROL ISSUES.  A FINE OF $100 WAS SET FOR A SECOND OFFENSE OF HAVING A DOG RUNNING AT LARGE.  THE COUNCIL REVIEWED A PERSONNEL ISSUE.  A CHANGE WAS APPROVED IN THE NUMBERING OF AN ORDINANCE.  IT WAS REPORTED THAT BARGEN INCORPORATED WILL BE DOING STREET-SWEEPING THIS MONTH.  OFFICIAL HALLOWEEN HOURS WERE SET WITH TRICK-OR-TREATING FROM 4:00 TO 7:00PM ON THE 31ST.  THE CITY CLERK AND AUDITOR WILL MEET TO DISCUSS SOME FINANCIAL ISSUES INVOLVED WITH THE POSSIBLE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW FIRE HALL.  
 
THE MT LAKE CITY COUNCIL MET THIS WEEK.   A NUMBER OF BUILDING AND ZONING ISSUES WERE HANDLED.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED AN APPLICATION FOR A ZONING VARIANCE FOR A SIDE-YARD SETBACK ON A STORAGE SHED.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED AN APPLICATION FOR A HOME-BASED BUSINESS FOR ON-LINE SALES OF FIREARMS.  PUBLIC HEARINGS WERE HELD ON TWO RELATED APPLICATIONS.  THE COUNCIL VOTED TO APPROVE A PLAN TO DIVIDE A PARCEL OF PROPERTY, WITH NEW TWIN HOMES TO BE CONSTRUCTED ON EACH PARCEL.  THE MT LAKE CITY COUNCIL ALSO DISCUSSED THE USE OF REMAINING FEDERAL FUNDING UNDER THE ‘CARES’ ACT.  SOME MONEY COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO SMALL BUSINESSES.   
 
THE WINDOM AREA MIDDLE-HIGH SCHOOL HAS REPORTED A POSITIVE TEST FOR COVID-19.  THE DISTRICT WAS NOTIFIED OF A LAB-CONFIRMED CASE OF COVID-19 IN A MEMBER OF THE WINDOM MIDDLE-HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNITY, WITH A EXPOSURE DATE OF OCTOBER 19TH.  FOR PRIVACY REASONS, DETAILS CANNOT BE SHARED ON THE STATUS OF THE INFECTED PERSON.  THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO STAY HOME AND ISOLATE.  THE DISTRICT IS WORKING WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO IDENTIFY AND NOTIFY ANYONE WHO HAD CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE PERSON WHO TESTED POSITIVE.  IF ANYONE DEVELOPS SYMPTOMS, CONTACT YOUR HEALTH-CARE PROVIDER. 
 
THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL MET THIS WEEK.   THE COUNCIL REVIEWED AND APPROVED A GENERAL CONCEPT PLAN FOR A PROPOSED PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT IN THE 300 BLOCK OF 19TH STREET.  THE PLAN CALLS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOWNHOUSE UNITS AND 11 2-BEDROOM COTTAGES, WITH MAINTENANCE PROVIDED THROUGH A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.  THE COUNCIL HEARD AN UPDATE ON THE HIGHWAY 60 CORRIDOR STUDY.  MINN-DOT IS WORKING WITH AN ENGINEERING FIRM TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THE LONG-TERM FUTURE OF THE HIGHWAY 60 CORRIDOR THROUGH WINDOM.  SOME OF THE ALTERNATIVES INCLUDE THE USE OF A RAISED MEDIAN, ROUNDABOUTS OR “J-TURN” INTERSECTIONS.  A VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE IS PLANNED FOR NOVEMBER. 
 
RIVER BEND LIQUOR IN WINDOM IS TAKING PART IN A FOOD DRIVE THIS MONTH.  THIS IS THE 13TH ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE, CONDUCTED BY LOCAL LIQUOR STORES IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MINNESOTA MUNICIPAL BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION AND MILLER LITE.  RIVER BEND LIQUOR IS ACCEPTING DONATIONS OF NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS AND WILL ALSO ACCEPT CASH DONATIONS.  ALL DONATED FOOD ITEMS AND CASH WILL BE GIVEN TO THE WINDOM AREA SHARING CENTER.  THE LIQUOR STORE IN THE STATE THAT COLLECTS THE MOST DONATIONS – MEASURED BY WEIGHT – WILL RECEIVE A PRIZE OF $1,000 FOR THEIR LOCAL FOOD SHELF.  TEN STORES WILL RECEIVE DONATIONS OF $100 EACH, DETERMINED BY RANDOM DRAWING.   
 
THE WESTBROOK-WALNUT GROVE SCHOOL BOARD MET THIS WEEK.   THE BOARD APPROVED A TRANSFER INTO THE LEARNING READINESS FUND, AND A TRANSFER TO BALANCE THE ACCOUNT IN THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION FUND.  THE BOARD APPROVED A STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH VARIOUS STATE AND FEDERAL POLICIES.  THEY REVIEWED A BULDING SURVEY FOR THE WALNUT GROVE BUILDING.  SOME POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES WERE NOTED.  THE ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR REVIEWED A PROPOSED BASKETBALL SCHEDULE.  THE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL DISCUSSED FLU SHOTS AND PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES.    THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL DISCUSSED COVID-19 TESTING, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT TESTING AND HOMECOMING ACTIVITIES. 
 
A REGULAR MEETING OF THE MT LAKE SCHOOL BOARD WAS HELD THIS WEEK.  THE BOARD HANDLED A NUMBER OF PERSONNEL MATTERS, INCLUDING THE HIRING OF A NEW HEAD KNOWLEDGE BOWL COACH; HIRING A FULL-TIME CUSTODIAN; HIRING A PARA-PROFESSIONAL; AND HIRING A JUNIOR-HIGH FOOTBALL COACH.  THE BOARD APPROVED A LIST OF BOYS AND GIRLS BASKETBALL COACHES FOR THE 2020-21 SEASON.  THE BOARD APPROVED A NOTICE OF COMPLIANCE WITH ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICIES.  THE 2019 DISTRICT AUDIT REPORT WAS PRESENTED.  THE BOARD ACCEPTED SEVERAL DONATIONS TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT INCLUDING A DONATION OF $1,000 FOR THE GREENHOUSE.