Windom Police Department reported Tuesday Morning the 25th, a female from Windom came to the Law Enforcement Center lobby and reported she got into a physical altercation with her boyfriend. After further investigation, an arrest was made of a 20-year old Windom male for possible charges of Gross Misdemeanor (due to prior violent crime conviction) Domestic Assault, along with False Imprisonment. These charges are pending review by the County Attorney’s Office.
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Windom Area Hospital is making progress on their renovations of the Emergency Department. With progress there is always a little disruption. For this week only, DOOR B the (Rehabilitation/Wellness/Wound Entrance) is CLOSED due to the moving of the air handler and duct work. Patients must enter through the Main Hospital Entrance for the duration of this week. According to Emily Saffert, PR/Marketing Coordinator, the Rehabilitation/Wellness/Wound Entrance is only closed for this week. All will be back to normal on Monday, January 31st. All Emergency Room patients are to continue to use the same door/call vestibule to access Emergency care.
There will be wheelchairs and staff available to help all patients down to their respective appointments. To help limit parking issues, if drop-off and pick-up can be coordinated for appointments that would be appreciated. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate the understanding of all our staff, patients, and visitors while this portion of the remodel is worked on!
Saffert also stated that the conversion of the current Emergency room bays with curtains to private rooms was influenced by concerns through the years for privacy and through patient satisfaction comments. Saffert stated there has been an increase in volume lending to a need for more rooms along with an increase in mental health concerns with patients that has also had an impact on the remodel. Two bays are being remodeled to be safer for mental health patients that may need to stay in the Emergency Department for longer periods of time on holds or waiting to find placement in other facilities. Since November the Emergency Department services has been relocated to an inpatient wing in the original part of the hospital. WAH is hoping to have this project complete by May of this year. To see a layout of the new Emergency Room Plans you can go to Windom Area Health Webpage click on the About Us Tab and then Click on News.
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Mountain Lake Police Department reported from the 18th to the 23rd of January they have answered 7 calls. 1- lost keys call 3- Assists for Vehicles off the Road, Assisted another agency in a driving complaint of a semi traveling on Hwy 60 by the Fast Building towards Mt Lake from Windom with no tail-lights. An officer took a report of a 1986 Maroon Chrysler Fifth Avenue that received light damage in a hit and run. This is still under investigation. And Officers checked on a suspicious activity call in Mountain Lake. When investigating, officers found people walking around the backyard with headlamps.
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The Windom Area School Board met on Monday, an extensive discussion was held on the solar energy project that would affect The High School and Middle School, Elementary and Highland Buildings. A unanimous vote to move forward and submit an application was passed. At this time the Board is not committing to the project but are exploring all avenues of whether it would be a cost benefit for the school. There are two separate options of Purchasing or Leasing. If purchased it would take 10 years to see the gain and if leasing we would see the benefit right away but it would be a 20 year lease contract. Board Chairman Dustin Stevens stated that with the Grants being offered at this time it is a good time to take advantage of this project. Stevens went onto say that there is zero risk out front, we have to redo the roofs anyway and why it works is because of the Government Grants.
The Board approved Superintendent Wormstadt to post new job openings so that they can get ahead of the hiring schedule. Wormstadt will not be able to hire until the February 10th Meeting with Board Approval but they will at least have the job opportunities out to enhance qualified music teachers both choir and band to apply for Windom District. Wormstadt will be attending several Job Fairs in the next month including one at NDSU on February 9th.
Discussion was held on the Superintendent Hiring Process. Chairman Stevens stated that they want to be very transparent in the process. The seven member board will be the deciding factor on the hiring but they will have committees comprised of Staff, Administration and Community Members for input and there will be multi-tier levels of interviews. MSBA has been hired to help with Advise and guidance throughout the process. Mandy Miller will be the point of contact. Interview dates will be publicized once the hiring pool gets down to three finalist candidates. Stevens stated that the committee is hoping to have a 2- 2 1/2 month timeline and have someone hired by the end of March. The next meeting will be on January 27th at Noon in the Conference Room at the Elementary School.
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While there has been a significant and encouraging response to the dire need for blood across the nation, the American Red Cross needs more people to give in the weeks ahead to recover from its worst blood shortage in more than a decade. Since the Red Cross issued its first-ever blood crisis alert, severe winter weather has further complicated efforts to rebuild the blood supply. Hundreds of blood drives have been canceled across the country due to winter storms in January, forcing about 6,500 blood and platelet donations to go uncollected.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. A new Health insight for Donors- At a time when health information has never been more important, the Red Cross is screening all blood, platelet and plasma donations from self-identified African American donors for the sickle cell trait. This additional screening will provide Black donors with an additional health insight and help the Red Cross identify compatible blood types more quickly to help patients with sickle cell disease who require trait-negative blood. Blood transfusion is an essential treatment for those with sickle cell disease, and blood donations from individuals of the same race, ethnicity and blood type have a unique ability to help patients fighting sickle cell disease.
Donors can expect to receive sickle cell trait screening results, if applicable, within one to two weeks through the Red Cross Blood Donor App and the online donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.
Local Blood drives coming up in our listening area are as follows:
TODAY:
St Leo’s Catholic Church in Pipestone
First Presbyterian Church in Edgerton
Minneota High School in Minneota
The Community Center in Wood Lake
The Community Center in Milford IA
On Thursday January 27th
American Reformed Church in Worthington from 1-7pm
Christian Reformed Church in Ocheyedan IA from 1-7pm
And on February 7th in Morgan- Cedar Mountain High School
Please consider giving the gift of life especially in these desperate times.
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