Mountain Lake Police Department reported 14 calls the week of April 10th to April 16th. Officers assisted Minnesota State Patrol with 6 separate vehicles off road, assisted another Agency with an accident on Hwy 60 at Mile marker 49 no injuries were reported, City workers were called out for a fallen light pole after being struck by a vehicle, an Officer arrested 46 year old male from Mountain Lake for violating a Domestic Abuse No Contact Order. Mt Lake Officers handled a dog at large and assisted Mt Lake Fire Department with a grass fire, took a report of a stolen vehicle, handled a reported ordinance violation and assisted parties with a civil standby.
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Jackson County Sheriff’s Office reported on the 17th at 8:54pm a deputy responded to a report of two suspicious vehicles with loud exhausts and driving around carelessly on the north side of Fish Lake. Two teenage males each driving vehicles that matched the descriptions given were located in the area. They were informed about the neighborhood complaints on their driving behavior and warned about exhibition driving. On the 18th a jailer transported a 25 year old male from the Watonwan County jail back to the Jackson County Jail for a Felony Motor Vehicle Theft warrant. The warrant involves the theft of a 2002 Chevy S10 from the Schwalbach Hardware parking lot in Jackson on Feb. 14th. The male is also being held on additional warrants from Scott and Ramsey County. Deputies assisted the Jackson Ambulance with two separate medical calls, responded to a landlord-tenant issue over personal property in Jackson and transferred a report of an injured Bald Eagle in Heron Lake Township to the Minnesota DNR
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Windom City Council met on Tuesday. The Annual Consumer Confidence Report was presented according to Councilwoman Jenny Quade, this is a yearly report of testing and looking at quarterly water samples. Quade went onto say that Windom has safe water and all levels were within the guidelines this year. The Council approved the State Airport Improvement Grant Agreement. This grant will be 70% funded by the State and 30% by the City estimated cost to update the airport zoning which was last done in the 1970’s is $48,000. Quade stated that Denis Quarberg, representing the MN Deer Hunters Association came to the Council for a letter of support in their efforts to apply for a Conservation Partners Legacy Grant to help the Windom Schools with the improvement and preservation of the environmental center that is across from the school. The school got a grant from Toro to help with outdoor classroom experience and replacing the old bridge. There is more to be done to preserve this area by cleaning out the old and dead trees, etc and then the Deer Hunters Association hopes to plant native grasses, flowers and shrubs in that area. This could be a 3-4 year project to prep this area and replant. The Council was in support and the Mayor will provide the letter of support to the MN Deer Hunters Association for this grant opportunity.
In New Business, Quade reported that an amendment for the BCA joint powers agreement was updated as Nick Anderson will no longer be providing the city legal services and Kristi Meyeraan will replace his name on the agreement. Quade also stated that the Council had a brief discussion on Hy-Life and the unknown future of the plant. The Mayor reported getting a call from MN Governor Walz this morning and talking with many different commissioners of different departments and agencies about the possible future of the Windom plant and potential buyers or any possible incentives that could be accessed to help keep the plant running. Hopefully we can all stay positive and will learn more updates in the near future on this large employer in our City.
Officer Devin Kopperud was promoted to the Windom Police Sergeant position. Kopperud has been with the Department for approximately 9 years and Mayor Jones appointed Joel LaCanne to the HRA
Councilwoman Jenny Quade will be on KDOM’s Kalediscope Program Friday April 21st to talk about Windom’s City Wide Cleanup day on May 20th. Clean up Day is taking on a new look this year and this interview will be a good one to tune into. You can catch the entire interview on Friday April 21st at 10am on 1580AM or 103.1FM. If you miss it, you will be able to catch it on our webpage at www.windomradio.com on our PODCAST Page.
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National Volunteer Recognition Week started on Sunday the 16th and runs through Saturday the 22nd. Volunteers are the backbone to any community. Volunteers whether they prefer to work behind the scenes or out in front for the world to see are such a valuable asset. I can’t think of anywhere that you don’t encounter a volunteer, there is just no way to truly state a volunteers financial worth. I would like to take a moment to shout out a salute to anyone and everyone that has ever or is still Volunteering YOU TRULY ARE THE HEART AND SOUL OF any Community, Organization, Board, Celebration, School, etc. THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS pulling through and making things just happen.
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