Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office reported 48 calls in the week of October 19th to October 25th. Deputies conducted 12 Civil Processes, responded to 2 Concerns for Welfares, 1 Theft, 1 Tresspass, and 1 vandalism. Deputies Investigated 2 Suspicious Activities and conducted 4 Traffic Stops. A full listing of all calls in the Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office Weekly Citizens Report is available by clicking the link below.
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The Windom Police Department reported 147 calls in the week of October 19th to October 25th. Officers had 14 Directed Patrols, investigated 1 Theft, 2 Suspicious Activities, 2 Suspicious Vehicles, responded to 2 Verbal Disturbances, 2 Citizen Complaints, 1 Harassment and 2 Civil Disputes, and conducted 70 Traffic Stops. For a full listing of all calls in the Windom Police Department’s Weekly Citizens Report, click llink below.
Windom Police Dept Weekly Citizen Report
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The Windom Women of Today hosted a Red Cross Blood Drive on October 22nd. Chairperson Monica Muller reported 58 donors took part, with 56 units of blood collected just shy of the goal of 68 units. There were 14 no-shows, 3 walk-ins, and 7 deferrals. A special milestone was recognized as Gene Olsem reached his 15-gallon donation mark. Organizers expressed their thanks to all who donated, calling them true heroes for giving the gift of life. The next Windom Blood Drive is set for December 17th.
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The Windom City Council held a public hearing October 21st on the proposed 18th Avenue Storm Sewer Improvement Project. The project is being considered to help address long-term flooding problems in the 18th Avenue and Red Leaf Court area, which have flooded multiple times over the years most recently in 2024. Engineers from Johnson Engineering Group presented a feasibility study outlining the history of the drainage system and three potential options for improvements. Each option includes upgrades such as new storm sewer culverts, dike installation, and road surface replacement. Estimated costs range from about $87,000 to $615,000, depending on the option selected. Residents did show up to speak and give comment on the project. After the public meeting closed, and during discussion, Councilman Scott Benson raised questions about the proposed assessments, noting that one property owner could end up paying roughly 60 percent of the project cost because of the number of acres owned. Benson asked that the issue be sent back to the Street Department to see if there is another way to distribute the costs more evenly. Councilwoman Jenny Quade, who serves on the Street Committee, said after hearing public comments she would like to hear what other members of the committee think. Councilman Jayesun Sherman added that after hearing comments from residents, it appears there may be more options to explore both in terms of actual flood mitigation and assessment fairness. Following discussion, the Council agreed to send the matter back to the Street Committee for further review before taking any action. The Council then approved a variance request from Dustin and Ashly Harrold to allow construction of a front-yard fence on their property at 1605 Sixth Avenue. The Planning Commission had originally recommended denial of the request in September. However, after the Harrolds proposed a compromise location for the fence, the issue was sent back to the commission for further review. On October 14th, the Planning Commission reversed its earlier decision and recommended approval provided several conditions were met. Those include ensuring the fence does not block the vision triangle at the intersection or a neighbor’s driveway, that it lines up with the front of the neighbor’s garage, and that it does not extend farther toward Sixth Avenue than the back of the Harrolds’ home. The fence must also include a three-foot gate in a location approved by the Building Official. City staff said there is no fiscal impact to the city for approving the variance.