The Mountain Lake Police Department reported 24 calls during the week of September 14th through September 20th. Among the calls, officers investigated a suspicious person that resulted in the arrest of a 34-year-old Mountain Lake man for alleged mail theft and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance. Police also investigated several reports of unlawful garbage dumping, including one that resulted in a citation and the individual being trespassed from a business. Other activity included welfare checks, a suspicious vehicle, harassment, a disturbance, a noise complaint, two traffic-related accidents and assistance to the Mountain Lake Fire Department for a possible carbon monoxide leak. A full listing of all calls for the Mountain Lake Police Department is available by clicking on the link below.
Mountain Lake Police Department September 14th to September 20th
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Windom Police Department reported 95 calls in the week of September 13th to September 19th. The week included 23 traffic stops, 15 directed patrols, a property damage accident, a computer or phone scam, theft, a missing person, and two juvenile runaway reports. Officers also responded to one report of a shooting in progress, one sex crime, five suspicious activity reports, 4 harassment complaints, 2 assaults and a verbal domestic. A full listing of all calls in the Windom Police Department Weekly Citizen Report is available by clicking the link below.
Windom Police Dept Weekly Citizen Reprt Sept 13th to 19th
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The City of Mountain Lake is moving forward with plans for its lead service line replacement project, with four contractors submitting bids for the work. According to information presented in the September 21 City Council packet, bids were opened September 17. Levanen Underground submitted the apparent low bid, with a base bid of $638,000 and an alternate of $21,800, bringing the total to $659,800. The other bids, including alternates, ranged from approximately $714,000 to just over $1 million. The project includes replacing lead water service lines at eligible properties within Mountain Lake. Engineering firm Bolton & Menk recommended awarding the project to Levanen Underground, contingent upon review and approval by the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority. The council packet states that a notice of award will not be issued until that approval is received. The project is part of Mountain Lake’s ongoing effort to address lead service lines within the city’s water system.
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The Windom City Council met in special session Tuesday evening, taking action on the city’s 2025 audit and approving the purchase agreement for the sale of WindomNet to Federated Rural Electric. Craig Popenhagen with CliftonLarsonAllen presented the city’s 2025 audit. Popenhagen said the city received a clean opinion on its financial statements with no Minnesota legal compliance findings. He noted two internal control findings that he described as process-related and said the city has a good, clean audit process overall. The council unanimously accepted the 2025 audit. The majority of the meeting focused on the purchase agreement between the City of Windom and Federated Rural Electric for WindomNet. City Administrator Steve Nasby reviewed the agreement on behalf of Acting City Attorney Ron Schrammel. Under the agreement, Federated will purchase WindomNet assets for $7.9 million, with payment due at closing. The tentative closing date is December 18th, pending required Public Utilities Commission and FCC approvals. The city will retain WindomNet’s cash, accounts receivable at closing, bond reserves and approximately three feet of rack space in the Network Operations Center for city equipment. The agreement also provides the City of Windom with free internet service for 10 years at 12 city locations of the city’s choosing. Windom will also have two representatives on Federated’s Broadband Advisory Committee. Mayor Hilary Mathis announced that she and Councilwoman Jenny Quade will serve in those positions. Employment for current WindomNet staff was also addressed. The purchase agreement states Federated will contact current employees and make employment offers, with employees hired at their current rates of pay. A Federated representative said the cooperative has hired an outside human resources firm to work directly with employees and said Federated intends to follow the employment provisions as written in the agreement. Council members also discussed the ongoing conversion of WindomNet telephone customers to Voice over Internet Protocol service. Nasby said about 103 lines had been converted, with work continuing and Federated offering assistance to help complete the transition before closing. The council approved the WindomNet purchase agreement on a 4-to-1 roll call vote. Council members James Nelson, Jenny Quade, Dennis Esplan and Scott Benson voted yes, with Jayesun Sherman voting no. Following the vote, Benson welcomed Federated to the community as the transition of WindomNet ownership moves toward the anticipated December closing.