Local News Headlines – Thursday, December 17th

THE DES MOINES VALLEY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY WILL HOLD A SPECIAL BOARD MEETING AT 8:00 THIS MORNING IN THE CAFETERIA AT THE JACKSON COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER EAST BUILDING.  THE BOARD WILL GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS STRATEGY FOR LABOR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.   AFTER RETURNING TO OPEN SESSION, THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER APPROVING A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH AN EMPLOYEE UNION FOR A TWO-YEAR PERIOD.  THE BOARD WILL ALSO CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION ON ITS INVESTMENT POLICY.  

 

A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE MURRAY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WILL TAKE PLACE AT 2:00 THIS AFTERNOON AT THE MURRAY COUNTY 4-H BUILDING.  THE BOARD WILL BE HOLDING LABOR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS EMPLOYEES IN THE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE.  DURING A PORTION OF THE MEETING, THE MURRAY COUNTY BOARD WILL BE GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS STRATEGY FOR LABOR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.   

 

THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL MET THIS WEEK.    THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE 2021 CITY BUDGET AND CERTIFIED THE 2021 PROPERTY TAX LEVY, WITH AN INCREASE OF 3.5%.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO GRANT A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AND A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT FOR A PROJECT THAT WOULD CONVERT THE GUARDIAN INN PROPERTY INTO 36 APARTMENT UNITS.   CONTRACTOR’S PAYMENTS WERE APPROVED FOR WORK ON THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY AND THE WINDOM STREET PROJECT.  THE COUNCIL VOTED TO APPROVE THE VACATION OF A UTILITY EASEMENT AT THE NWIP.   

 

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE WINDOM SCHOOL BOARD WAS HELD THIS WEEK.  THE BOARD APPROVED PAYMENT OF CONTRACTOR’S BILLS FOR WORK ON THE VARIOUS BUILDING PROJECTS.   A REPORT WAS PRESENTED ON THE WORLD’S BEST WORK-FORCE PROGRAM AND THE ACHIEVEMENT AND INTEGRATION PROGRAM.   THE REPORT WAS INCOMPLETE BECAUSE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT TESTS WERE NOT HELD LAST SPRING.   EARLY RESIGNATION AGREEMENTS WERE APPROVED WITH TWO TEACHERS.  LINDA EISENMENGER HAS WORKED FOR THE WINDOM SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR 22 YEARS.   1ST-GRADE TEACHER CARRIE ANDERSON HAS WORKED FOR THE WINDOM SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR 29 YEARS.   

 

  PUBLIC VOTING WILL BE ACCEPTED TODAY IN THE WINDOM HOLIDAY LIGHTING CONTEST.   THE CONTEST IS SPONSORED BY THE WINDOM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS’ BUREAU.  THERE ARE 18 BUSINESSES AND 48 RESIDENTIAL HOMES TAKING PART IN THE CONTEST.  A LIST OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND A MPA OF LOCATIONS MAY BE FOUND IN RECENT EDITIONS OF THE SHOPPER.  MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO VOTE FOR THEIR FAVORITE DISPLAYS TODAY.  GO TO THE WINDOM AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FACEBOOK PAGE AND LOOK FOR A LINK TO CAST YOUR VOTE.  WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK. 

 

A WINDOM MAN WAS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN COURT THIS WEEK ON CHARGES RELATED TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.   37-year-old WILLIAM R. BARLOW, Junior WAS CHARGED WITH FIVE COUNTS OF POSSESSION OF PORNOGRAPHIC WORKS – A FELONY.  ACCORDING TO THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT, THE STATE BUREAU OF CRIMINAL APPREHENSION NOTIFIED THE WINDOM POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT BARLOW HAD UPLOADED FILES CONTAINING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.  BARLOW’S PHONE WAS SEIZED.  INVESTIGATORS FOUND MORE THAN FIVE PORNOGRAPHIC IMAGES INVOLVING MINORS, AND INTERNET SEARCHES DEALING WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.