Local News Headlines – Thursday, October 7

THE MONTHLY WEATHER STATISTICS HAVE BEEN REPORTED FOR THE CITY OF WINDOM IN SEPTEMBER.   TOTAL RAINFALL FOR THE MONTH CAME TO 2.95”.  FOR THE YEAR TO DATE, WINDOM HAS NOW RECEIVED 22.42” OF TOTAL PRECIPITATION – ABOUT 1.3” MORE THAN AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.  THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 90-DEGREES ON SEPTEMBER 17TH AND THE 20TH.  FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, WINDOM HAS RECORDED 25 DAYS WITH HIGHS IN THE 90’s, COMPARED TO 18 DAYS ALL OF LAST YEAR.  THE AVERAGE DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE IN SEPTEMBER WAS 77.7 DEGREES – 4 DEGREES WARMER THAN LAST YEAR.  THE LOW TEMP IN SEPTEMBER WAS 42-DEGREES ON TWO DAYS, WITH AN AVERAGE DAILY LOW TEMP OF 53.3-DEGREES. 

 

THE MT LAKE POW-WOW CELEBRATION WILL NOT BE CHANGING ITS NAME.    THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE MT LAKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE NAME “POW-WOW” WILL CONTINUE TO BE USED FOR THE 2022 EVENT.  A TASK FORCE WAS FORMED LAST YEAR TO CONSIDER QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THE NAME WAS APPROPRIATE.  AFTER SEVERAL MEETINGS, IT WAS DECIDED TO HOLD A PUBLIC SURVEY.  OVER 1,000 SURVEY FORMS WERE DISTRIBUTED, AND 251 COMPLETED SURVEYS WERE RETURNED.  THE RESULTS HAD 203 PEOPLE INDICATING THEY WANTED TO KEEP THE NAME “POW-WOW” AND 48 PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO SEE THE NAME CHANGED.  AFTER REVIEWING THE RESPONSES, THE MT LAKE CHAMBER BOARD MET AND VOTED TO KEEP “POW-WOW” AS THE NAME OF THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION FOR 2022. 

 

THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL MET THIS WEEK.  THE COUNCIL VOTED TO ACCEPT A BID TO HAVE AN UNDERGROUND FUEL STORAGE TANK REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A SMALLER ABOVE-GROUND TANK.  THERE WAS AN UPDATE ON THE HIGHWAY 60 CORRIDOR STUDY.  THE COUNCIL SET A DATE OF NOVEMBER 16TH FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON 2021 SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS, TOTALING JUST OVER $18-THOUSAND-500.  THE COUNCIL AUTHORIZED THE STREET DEPARTMENT TO PURCHASE A NEW UTILITY TRAILER.  THE COUNCIL VOTED TO HIRE AN AUDITING FIRM FROM ST. CLOUD TO HANDLE THE CITY’S FINANCIAL AUDIT REPORT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.  THE COUNCIL VOTED TO OFFER A HIGHER STARTING WAGE FOR THE POSITION OF STREET DEPARTMENT FOREMAN. 

 

THE MT LAKE CITY COUNCIL MET THIS WEEK.  MUCH OF THE MEETING INVOLVED A DISCUSSION OF ISSUES WITH PUBLIC NUISANCE VIOLATIONS INCLUDING JUNK CARS AND HOUSES THAT ARE NOT BEING MAINTAINED.  THE POLICE CHIEF AND CITY ATTORNEY REVIEWED HOW THE CITY DEALS WITH COMPLAINTS.  THE CITY OF MT LAKE WILL BE PURSUING CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST CERTAIN PEOPLE FOR ORDINANCE VIOLATIONS.  OTHER CASES WILL BE HANDLED THROUGH A CIVIL PROCESS IN DISTRICT COURT. IN OTHER BUSINESS, THERE WAS A REPORT FROM THE STREET DEPARTMENT.  THE COUNCIL APPROVED ALEX SCHULTZ AND JOEY MOREY AS NEW MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE NEW CITY ADMINISTRATOR WILL BEGIN HIS DUTIES IN EARLY NOVEMBER.   

                                                 

HERE’S AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINATIONS IN SW MINNESOTA.   AS OF LAST SUNDAY, 68.9% OF MINNESOTA RESIDENTS 12-AND-OLDER ARE FULLY VACCINATED.  OVER 100-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE NOW RECEIVED A 3RD DOSE OR BOOSTER SHOT OF VACCINE.  IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY, 58.5% OF RESIDENTS 12-AND-OLDER ARE FULLY VACCINATED.  NOBLES COUNTY CONTINUES TO HAVE THE HIGHEST VACCINATION RATE, WITH 61.9% OF COUNTY RESIDENTS 12-AND-OLDER HAVING BEEN FULLY VACCINATED.  VACCINATION RATES IN OTHER COUNTIES, FOR RESIDENTS 12-AND-OLDER, INCLUDE WATONWAN COUNTY, 58.7%; MURRAY COUNTY 57.6%; MARTIN COUNTY 56.5%; JACKSON COUNTY 54.4% AND REDWOOD COUNTY 53.4% OF RESIDENTS 12-AND-OLDER ARE FULLY VACCINATED. 

 

HOMECOMING ACTIVITIES CONTINUE AT THREE AREA HIGH SCHOOLS.    AT WINDOM AREA HIGH SCHOOL, THE HOMECOMING KING IS ZACH SQUIRES AND THE QUEEN IS ERIKA LOPEZ.  THE HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME FRIDAY NIGHT HAS WINDOM FACING REDWOOD VALLEY.  A DANCE WILL BE HELD SATURDAY EVENING IN THE GOLD GYM.  AT THE MT LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL, THE HOMECOMING KING IS KOLBY KREMMIN AND THE QUEEN IS OLIVIA KLASSEN.  MT LAKE AREA WILL FACE HILLS-BEAVER CREEK IN THE FOOTBALL GAME FRIDAY NIGHT.  THERE WILL BE A DANCE AT THE SCHOOL AFTER THE GAME.   AT RED ROCK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, THE HOMECOMING KING IS MASON STROM AND THE QUEEN IS KARLI ARKELL.  R-R-C WILL PLAY WESTBROOK-WALNUT GROVE IN FRIDAY’S FOOTBALL GAME.  A DANCE WILL BE HELD AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AFTER THE GAME.