Local News Headlines – Wednesday, April 21

THE PRAIRIE ARTS CONTINUUM IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ITS ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.   SCHOLARSHIPS ARE OFFERED TO STUDENTS WHO PLAN TO PURSUE A COLLEGE DEGREE IN A FIELD RELATED TO THE ARTS.  STUDENTS MUST LIVE IN THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL DISTRICTS – WINDOM, HERON LAKE-OKABENA, JACKSON COUNTY CENTRAL, MT LAKE AND RED ROCK CENTRAL.  APPLICATIONS FORMS ARE AVAILABLE FROM ‘PAC’ OR FROM LOCAL SCHOOL COUNSELORS.  APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY THIS THURSDAY.  THE PRAIRIE ARTS CONTINUUM IS A NON-PROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATION SERVING SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA.  DONATIONS TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE.   

 

THE MT LAKE SCHOOL BOARD MET THIS WEEK.    THE BOARD APPROVED A FUND TRANSFER INTO THE LONG-TERM FACILITY MAINTENANCE FUND.  THE BOARD VOTED TO CHANGE THE SCHOOL CALENDAR.  THE LAST DAY OF CLASS WILL NOW BE ON JUNE 4TH.  THE FINAL STAFF DAY WILL BE JUNE 8TH.  THE BOARD ACCEPTED A RETIREMENT AND POSTED AN OPENING FOR AN ENGLISH TEACHER.  THEY APPROVED THE HIRING OF BRANDON HENNING AS THE NEW ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL AND EMILY INGLETT AS THE NEW SCHOOL COUNSELOR.  THE BOARD VOTED TO PAY ADDITIONAL MEMBERSHIP FEES OF $2,204 TO THE MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE.  A TENTATIVE SCHOOL CALENDAR WAS APPROVED FOR THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR. 

 

THE WINDOM CITY PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETS AT 5:30 THIS AFTERNOON AT THE WINDOM CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.    THE COMMISSION WILL DISCUSS PLANS FOR A CONCERT IN A CITY PARK.  THE PARK CLOSING HOURS MAY BE EXTENDED FOR THAT EVENT.  THE COMMISSION WILL DISCUSS A RESPONSE FROM THE WINDOM BASEBALL ASSOCIATION ABOUT THE ‘PIRATE SHIP’ AT ISLAND PARK.  THE CITY HAS REQUESTED THAT THE SHIP BE MOVED TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION.  THE BASEBALL ASSOCIATION IS PROPOSING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SHIP INSTEAD OF MOVING IT.  THE RECREATION DIRECTOR WILL HAVE AN UPDATE ON A FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT WITH THE CONTRACTOR THAT PUT IN THE NEW ICE RINK.  

  

A TREE-PLANTING EVENT IS BEING HELD ON THURSDAY.   THE HERON LAKE-OKABENA F-F-A PROGRAM IS TEAMING UP WITH THE MINNESOTA F-F-A FOUNDATION AND NEXT ERA ENERGY FOR THE EVENT.  AT 2:00 THURSDAY AFTERNOON, THE F-F-A STUDENTS WILL BE PLANTING TREES AT THE HERON LAKE BALL FIELDS TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY.  THE F-F-A CHAPTER OFFICERS WILL BE AMONG THE PARTICIPATING STUDENTS.  NEXT ERA ENERGY WILL ALSO BE TAKING PART IN THE EVENT AND WILL BE TALKING TO THE STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR WIND-ENERGY PROJECTS.   

 

THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND THE D-N-R ARE OFFERING AN A-T-V SAFETY TRAINING CLASS IN WINDOM.  THE IN-PERSON CLASS WILL TAKE PLACE THIS SATURDAY AT 9:00AM WITH THE CLASSROOM PORTION HELD ATTHE COTTONWOOD COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER.  THE SKILLS PORTION OF THE CLASS WILL BE HELD AT ISLAND PARK.  THIS IS OPEN TO BOYS AND GIRLS FROM 10-TO-15-YEARS-OLD.  PARTICIPANTS MUST HAVE FIRST COMPLETED AN ONLINE RIDER’S SAFETY CLASS, WHICH DOES REQUIRE A FEE.   AFTER COMPLETING THE ONLINE CLASS AND THE IN-PERSON CLASS, STUDENTS WILL NEED TO PAY A FEE TO THE D-N-R TO RECEIVE THEIR A-T-V SAFETY CERTIFICATE.  TO SIGN UP, CALL JAYD SODERHOLM AT 822-5993.   

 

THE STATE CLASS ‘A’ SPEECH CONTEST WILL BE HELD THIS SATURDAY.    STUDENTS QUALIFIED FOR STATE BY PLACING IN THE TOP 3 IN THEIR CATEGORIES AT THE SECTION CONTEST.   LOCAL QUALIFIERS INCLUDE – FROM WINDOM: ALLISON LETCHER AND McKENNA McNAMARA IN ORIGINAL ORATORY, PARKER ALVSTAD IN CREATIVE EXPRESSION, AND DORA LARSON IN INFORMATIVE SPEAKING.  FROM WWG-RRC:  ELIZABETH WIGGINS IN DRAMA AND JADEN SCHOLL IN POETRY.   FROM FULDA:  SIMON SPITTLE IN STORYTELLING.  DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, SPEECH CONTESTS ARE BEING HELD IN A VIRTUAL FORMAT THIS YEAR.