Local Headline News

I guess it is Welcome back to reality! I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will bask in the Glory of the REAL REASON for the Celebration! It is now time to kick everything into turbo mode and get all those 2023 resolutions complete!!! OR perhaps if you are like me, start a new list of unrealistic expectations to ring the New Year in with!!! Whatever your style is. Go for it… Only 5 days till 2024!!!!

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Jackson County Sheriff’s Office reported 20 calls from December 20^th to the 24th. Deputies assisted other agencies with 8 transferred calls and accidents. They conducted 5 traffic stops and responded to a child harassment custody dispute in Jackson. After investigating, a 21-year-old male from Jackson who was involved was arrested on a Blue Earth County warrant for Fail To Appear – DUI. Deputies responded to 2 separate juvenile issues in Jackson and received a report of a spruce tree that was cut down and stolen, presumably for a Christmas tree, from the Hauge Lutheran Church Cemetery on US 71 north of Jackson. On the 24^th at approximately 8:15am The Lakefield Ambulance, Lakefield Fire Dept, MN State Patrol, and deputies responded to a fatal motorcycle accident on Okabena Road on the west edge of Lakefield. Sometime overnight a 2019 Indian FTR motorcycle left the roadway and struck an anhydrous tank. Keith Chaffey, age 42 from Lakefield, was pronounced dead at the scene. A full listing of Jackson County calls can be found by clicking link below

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office 12-20 to 12-24

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Every winter, hundreds of thousands of anglers head for the frozen water to fish. Most ice anglers clean up after themselves, but some don’t — and it’s their behavior that was the force behind a new litter-on-ice law the Minnesota Legislature passed earlier this year.

Ice conditions so far this season have been highly variable, and safety has to be anglers’ top priority. As anglers venture out, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds them that the new law requires people to secure their trash in a container such as a bucket, garbage bag or trash bin, and makes clear that depositing sewage — whether from animals or humans — on the ice is prohibited. The latter, particularly as it relates to human waste, has been an increasing problem in recent years, with some owners of deluxe fish houses (also known as wheelhouses) dumping their holding tanks on the ice before heading for shore.

The new law makes it easier for conservation officers and other law enforcement personnel to take enforcement action against people who leave trash and waste on the ice.

“Most anglers leave nothing more than an impression on the ice, and many of them actually take the time to clean up after others because they know trash and waste left on the ice is an eyesore and environmental and human health concern,” said Col. Rodmen Smith, director of the DNR Enforcement Division. “We certainly appreciate that mindset, but the reality is we expect all anglers to bring off the ice whatever they brought on. This law will help all of us ensure that happens.”

The new statute reads: “A person using a shelter, a motor vehicle, or any other conveyance on the ice of state waters may not deposit garbage, rubbish, cigarette filters, debris from fireworks, offal, the body of a dead animal, litter, sewage, or any other waste outside the shelter, motor vehicle, or conveyance, unless the material is: Placed in a container that is secured to the shelter, motor vehicle, or conveyance, and not placed directly on the ice or in state waters. For the purposes of this section, ‘sewage’ means excrementitious or other discharge from the bodies of human beings or animals, together with such other water as may be present.”

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Good Samaritan Society – Windom was recently named to the 2024 Best Nursing Homes list by U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in health care rankings and consumer advice.

Windom was recognized as high performing in long-term care.

Heather Herlyn, director of quality and safety for the Society said, “We applaud our locations recognized on this list. Across the Good Samaritan Society, our staff take the utmost pride in caring for our nation’s seniors. From the nurses and nurse aides to housekeeping and dietary, our team members go above and beyond every day to ensure residents receive the best quality of life. It’s that sense of calling and the family-like connection that makes our culture so unique and special.”