Local News Headlines – Wednesday, September 29th

AN AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED THAT WILL ALLOW A NEW WIND FARM PROJECT TO BE LOCATED NEAR COMFREY AND THE JEFFERS PETROGLYPHS HISTORIC SITE.  THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY ALONG WITH THE UPPER SIOUX AND LOWER SIOUX INDIAN COMMUNITIES NEGOTIATED THE AGREEMENT WITH APEX CLEAN ENERGY, DEVELOPER OF THE BIG BEND WIND FARM.  THE PROJECT CALLS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE THAN 50 WIND TURBINES AND A LARGE SOLAR-ENERGY ARRAY.  UNDER THE AGREEMENT, THE WIND TOWERS WILL BE LOCATED AT LEAST 6 OR 7 MILES AWAY FROM THE PETROGLYPHS HISTORIC SITE.  AN EARLIER PLAN HAD THE TOWERS CLOSER TO THE PETROGLYPHS.  THE NEW TOWERS WILL BE TALLER THAN OTHER WIND TOWERS- UP TO 655 FEET HIGH.   

 

THE WINDOM SCHOOL BOARD HELD A WORK-SESSION THIS WEEK.   THE 2022 PRELIMINARY PROPERTY TAX LEVY LIMIT WAS SET AT THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ALLOWED UNDER STATE LAW.  THE LEVY COULD CHANGE IF DISTRICT RESIDENTS VOTE TO RENEW THE OPERATING LEVY OR VOTE TO APPROVE A NEW CAPITAL TECHNOLOGY LEVY IN NOVEMBER.  THE BOARD APPROVED A NEW TWO-YEAR MASTER CONTRACT AGREEMENT WITH THE DISTRICT TEACHERS’ UNION.  TOTAL COMPENSATION WILL INCREASE BY 6.7% OVER THE TWO YEARS.  THE BOARD ALSO APPROVED A MEMO OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE TEACHERS’ UNION.  TEACHERS WILL RECEIVE ONE-TIME CASH PAYMENTS IF THEY HAVE UNUSED PERSONAL DAYS.  THE BOARD APPROVED A CHANGE IN THE SPORTS-PAIRING AGREEMENT FOR GYMNASTICS TO ADD THE MT LAKE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL TO THE PAIRING. 

 

THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR WINDOM AREA HEALTH MET THIS WEEK.    THE AUGUST FINANCIAL REPORT SHOWED A NET INCREASE FOR THE MONTH OF JUST OVER $359-THOUSAND.  THROUGH THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WINDOM AREA HEALTH IS SHOWING A NET INCREASE OF $754-THOUSAND.  THERE WAS AN UPDATE ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.  WORK IS CONTINUING ON THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW AIR-HANDLING UNIT.  ONCE THAT PROJECT IS COMPLETED, WORK WILL BEGIN ON THE REMODELING OF THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.  THE WORK WILL BE DONE IN PHASES AND WILL TAKE FROM 6- TO 8-MONTHS TO COMPLETE.  THE BOARD AUTHORIZED AN OPENING TO BE POSTED FOR A NEW POSITION OF MEDICAL DIRECTOR.  THE DIRECTOR WILL HELP COORINDATE MEDICAL CARE AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES.  

 

THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS HAS VOTED TO CHANGE THE POSITION OF COUNTY RECORDER FROM AN ELECTED POSITION TO AN APPOINTED POSITION.  CURRENT RECORDER BECKY McCANN HAS INDICATED THAT SHE DOES NOT PLAN TO RUN FOR ANOTHER TERM.  AT A PREVIOUS MEETING, THE BOARD CALLED FOR A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER MAKING THE RECORDER AN APPOINTED POSITION.  THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD ALSO HEARD AN OPINION FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, WHO SAID HE BELIEVED THE RECORDER’S OFFICE SHOULD REMAIN AS AN ELECTED POSITION.  FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC HEARING AND DISCUSSION, THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD VOTED TO PROCEED WITH PLANS TO MAKE COUNTY RECORDER AN APPOINTED POSITION. 

THE HERON LAKE-OKABENA SCHOOL BOARD HELD A REGULAR MEETING LAST WEEK.   THE 2022 PRELIMINARY PROPERTY TAX LEVY LIMIT WAS SET AT THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ALLOWED UNDER STATE GUIDELINES.  THE LEVY CURRENTLY WOULD REPRESENT A REDUCTION OF ROUGHLY 7.6%.  THE BOARD APPROVED THE HIRING OF SAMANTHA BALOUN AS AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTRUCTOR.  A RESIGNATION WAS ACCEPTED FROM A BUS DRIVER.  THE BOARD ACCEPTED A $500 DONATION FROM THE YOUNG MEN’S CLUB.  THE BOARD APPROVED A LIST OF FUND-RAISING ACTIVITIES FOR VARIOUS GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS.  ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS WERE PRESENTED.  ENROLLMENT NUMBERS ARE UP SLIGHTLY.