THE WINDOM VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT IS HOLDING ITS ANNUAL RAFFLE. DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, THE ANNUAL FIREMEN’S BENEFIT DANCE IS BEING POSTPONED AT THIS TIME. THE RAFFLE IS BEING HELD AND RAFFLE TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW. THE DANCE AND RAFFLE DRAWING ARE THE PRIMARY FUND-RAISING EVENTS FOR THE WINDOM FIRE DEPARTMENT. RAFFLE TICKETS ARE $20 EACH. THE DRAWING WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, APRIL 24TH. THERE ARE 30 PRIZES BEING AWARDED, INCLUDING A TORO ZERO-TURN LAWN MOWER, TWO FLAT-SCREEN T-V’s, TWO LAPTOP COMPUTERS, AND GIFT CARDS AND GIFT CERTIFICATES FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FROM ANY MEMBER OF THE WINDOM FIRE DEPARTMENT.
HERE IS AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINATION NUMBERS IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA. THROUGH LAST SATURDAY, IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY, 4,281 PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED A 1ST DOSE OF VACCINE – OR 48% OF ALL COUNTY RESIDENTS AGED 16 OR OLDER. 3,056 PEOPLE IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR VACCINATIONS. IN JACKSON COUNTY, 3,303 PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED A 1ST DOSE OF VACCINE – OR 41% OF COUNTY RESIDENTS 16-AND-OLDER. 2,179 PEOPLE HAVE COMPLETED THEIR VACCINATIONS. IN MURRAY COUNTY, 2,903 PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED A 1ST DOSE OF VACCINE – 43% OF RESIDENTS 16-AND-OLDER.2,077 PEOPLE IN MURRAY COUNTY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR VACCINATIONS.
THE DES MOINES VALLEY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY WILL HOLD A BOARD MEETING AT 9:00 THURSDAY MORNING. UNIT SUPERVISORS AND LEADS WILL PRESENT THE 2020 ANNUAL DATA REPORT FOR THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY. THE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICE WILL DISCUSS THE RE-CLASSIFICATION OF AN EMPLOYEE FROM NUTRITION EDUCATOR TO PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE. THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS AND VACCINATIONS. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WILL DISCUSS A CONTRACT FOR CONSULTING SERVICES. THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE ON A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS SEEKING RESPONSES FROM A BUSINESS ATTORNEY. THE BOARD WILL REVIEW A REVISED JOB DESCRIPTION FOR A PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE.
THE WINDOM CITY COUNCIL MET THIS WEEK. IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT WINDOM HAS RECEIVED A STATE GRANT OF MORE THAN $424-THOUSAND FOR THE CEMSTONE REDEVELOPMENT AREA. A PUBLIC HEARING WAS HELD AND THE COUNCIL APPROVED AN APPLICATION FOR A SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING TAX ABATEMENT. PUBLIC HEARINGS WERE SCHEDULED ON THREE NEW APPLICATIONS FOR HOUSING TAX ABATEMENTS FOR NEW HOUSING UNITS AT THE GOVE ACRES PROJECT. THE COUNCIL ACCEPTED A BID FOR A CRACK-SEALING PROJECT AT THE AIRPORT. A PROCLAMATION WAS ISSUED IN RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK. THE WINDOM PUBLIC LIBRARY IS HAVING A FINE-FREE MONTH IN APRIL. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE A BOOKMARK CONTEST AND TRIVA QUESTIONS ON THE LIBRARY FACEBOOK PAGE.
A REGULAR MEETING OF THE MT LAKE CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD THIS WEEK. A MOMENT OF SILENCE WAS HELD IN REMEMBRANCE OF RON MELSON. MELSON, THE CITY’S ELECTRIC SUPERINTENDENT, PASSED AWAY LAST WEEK. THE COUNCIL DECLARED SEVERAL ITEMS FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY AS SURPLUS. A POLICE DEPARTMENT VEHICLE WAS DECLARED AS SURPLUS. THE CITY ATTORNEY HAD AN UPDATE ON SOME PUBLIC NUISANCE VIOLATIONS. THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR HAD AN UPDATE ON THE NEW FEDERAL COVID-19 RELIEF BILL. THE CITY IS EXPECTED TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING. IN OTHER BUSINESS, THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW MEMBER FOR THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. THEY ACCEPTED A RESIGNATION FROM A MEMBER OF THE LIBRARY BOARD.
HERE IS AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINATION NUMBERS IN MINNESOTA. THROUGH LAST SATURDAY, STATEWIDE TOTALS SHOW JUST OVER 1-MILLION-808-THOUSAND PEOPLE – OR 41% OF ALL MINNESOTA RESIDENTS – HAVE RECEIVED A FIRST DOSE OF COVID-19 VACCINE. JUST OVER 26% OF STATE RESIDENTS HAVE COMPLETED THEIR VACCINATIONS. FOR OLDER MINNESOTANS, 82.5% OF STATE RESIDENTS IN THE 65-AND-OLDER AGE GROUP HAVE RECEIVED A 1ST DOSE OF VACCINE. FOR THE AGE RANGE OF PEOPLE FROM 50 TO 64-YEARS-OLD, 43% HAVE RECEIVED A FIRST DOSE. 51% OF MINNESOTA RESIDENTS HAVE RECEIVED THE PFIZER VACCINE; 46.2% HAVE RECEIVED THE MODERNA VACCINE; AND 2.9% OF STATE RESIDENTS HAVE RECEIVED THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE.
THE HARTBERG MEDICAL CLINIC IN WINDOM HAS ANNOUNCED SOME CHANGES. STARTING MONDAY, DR. STEVEN HARTBERG WILL JOIN SANFORD HEALTH AS A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN. DR. HARTBERG’S CLINIC WILL REMAIN AT THE SAME LOCATION, BUT WILL HAVE A NEW NAME – SANFORD CLINIC-WINDOM AREA HEALTH CAMPUS. DR. HARTBERG HAS SERVED THE WINDOM COMMUNITY AS A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN FOR 38 YEARS. NURSE-PRACTITIONER KAYLA PINEDA WILL BE JOINING DR. HARTBERG FULL-TIME. SHE HAS BEEN WORKING AT THE SANFORD HEALTH CLINIC IN WINDOM. PATIENTS OF DR. HARTBERG WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR MEDICAL RECORDS TRANSFERRED TO THE SANFORD HEALTH RECORDS SYSTEM. CLINIC HOURS WILL BE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM 8:00AM TO NOON AND 1:00 TO 5:00PM.
