Local News Headlines – Friday, September 24

HOMECOMING WEEK CONTINUES AT WESTBROOK-WALNUT GROVE HIGH SCHOOL.   HOMECOMING CORONATION WAS HELD MONDAY.  THE HOMECOMING KING IS COLE VAN DeWIELE AND THE HOMECOMING QUEEN IS ELIZABETH WIGGINS.  THE WEEK INCLUDED DAILY DRESS-UP THEMES.  FRIDAY IS ‘SCHOOL SPIRIT’ DAY.  ON FRIDAY, THE HOMECOMING PARADE WILL BE HELD AT 2:00PM.  THERE WILL BE A PEP FEST AT THE HIGH SCHOOL GYM AT 2:30.  THE WESTBROOK-WALNUT GROVE CHARGERS FOOTBALL TEAM WILL PLAY THE HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME AGAINST HILLS-BEAVER CREEK AT 7:00 FRIDAY NIGHT.  THERE WILL BE A DANCE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AFTER THE GAME.   IT’S ALSO HOMECOMING WEEK FOR FULDA HIGH SCHOOL.  RYDER HENNING IS THE HOMECOMING KING AND CHRISSY HERMELING IS THE QUEEN.  THE ‘RAIDER OLYMPICS’ WILL BE HELD TODAY.  THE H-L-O-F FOOTBALL TEAM PLAYS G-H-EC/T TONIGHT IN FULDA. 

 

A REGULAR MEETING OF THE MT LAKE SCHOOL BOARD WAS HELD THIS WEEK.  THE BOARD VOTED TO SET THE 2022 PRELIMINARY PROPERTY TAX LEVY LIMIT AT THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ALLOWED UNDER STATE GUIDELINES.  THE TRUTH-IN-TAXATION HEARING WILL BE HELD IN DECEMBER.  A DISCUSSION WAS HELD ON THE USE OF ABATEMENT AID.  THE BOARD VOTED TO APPROVE THE USE OF UP TO $15-THOUSAND FOR PARKING LOT PROJECTS, INCLUDING FOR SOIL SAMPLING AND AN ENGINEERING PLAN.  THE BOARD REVIEWED A BUDGET PLAN FOR THE USE OF FEDERAL COVID-19 FUNDING.  A SCHOOL SECURITY AND CRISIS PLAN WAS APPROVED FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR.  AN OPENING WAS POSTED FOR A TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR. 

 

THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL MET THIS WEEK.   THE COUNCIL VOTED TO SET LIQUOR LICENSE FEES FOR 2022.  THE FEES WILL BE RETURNED TO THEIR REGULAR AMOUNTS; FEES WERE REDUCED BY 50% FOR 2021 TO HELP BUSINESSES THAT WERE IMPACTED BY COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS.   THE COUNCIL REVIEWED A STATE GRANT AGREEMENT WITH MINN-DOT, PROVIDING FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS FOR A CRACK-SEAL PROJECT ON THE MAIN RUNWAY AT THE WINDOM AIRPORT.  THE COUNCIL DISCUSSED THE ROOF-REPAIR PROJECT AT THE WINDOM CITY ARENA.  THE CONTRACTOR PRESENTED A PROPOSAL TO ADD MORE INSULATION TO THE ROOF.  THE COUNCIL INSTRUCTED THE PROJECT ENGINEER TO SEE ADDITIONAL QUOTES FOR THE PROJECT. 

 

THE MT LAKE CITY COUNCIL MET EARLIER THIS WEEK.  THE S-E-H ENGINEERING FIRM WAS HIRED TO PROVIDE DESIGN SERVICES FOR A NEW FIRE HALL AND AMBULANCE BUILDING.  APPROVAL WAS GIVEN FOR THE CITY TO BID ON A PARCEL OF TAX-FORFEITED PROPERTY.  THE SITE WOULD BE USED TO STORE THE WEED HARVESTER UNIT.  THERE WAS AN UPDATE ON THE 2022 CITY BUDGET.  AT THIS POINT, THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS PROJECTED AT JUST OVER $2.8-MILLION.  THE PRELIMINARY 2022 PROPERTY TAX LEVY LIMIT WAS SET AT JUST OVER $900-THOUSAND.  THAT WOULD REPRESENT AN INCREASE OF 9% OVER THE CURRENT YEAR’S LEVY.  DISCUSSION WAS HELD ON A PUBLIC SURVEY TO GAUGE INTEREST IN A HOUSING REHAB PROGRAM. 

 

THE WATERFOWL HUNTING SEASON OPENS IN MINNESOTA THIS WEEKEND.   THE SEASON FOR DUCKS AND GEESE BEGINS THIS SATURDAY.  IN THE SOUTH ZONE OF MINNESOTA, THERE IS A SPLIT SEASON.  THE FIRST SEASON RUNS FROM SEPTEMBER 25TH THROUGH OCTOBER 3RD.  HUNTING RESUMES ON OCTOBER 9TH; THE DUCK SEASON CONTINUES THROUGH NOVEMBER 28TH AND THE GOOSE SEASON RUNS THROUGH DECEMBER 29TH.  THE DAILY LIMIT FOR DUCKS IS 6 WITH NO MORE THAN 4 MALLARDS.  THE DAILY LIMIT FOR CANADIAN GEESE IS 5.  HUNTERS WILL NEED TO HAVE A FEDERAL WATERFOWL STAMP AND A STATE WATERFOWL STAMP.  THIS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IS ‘TAKE A KID HUNTING’ WEEKEND.