THE JEFFERS CITY COUNCIL HELD A REGULAR MEETING LAST WEEK. THE COUNCIL REVIEWED AND APPROVED A BUILDING PERMIT FOR A NEW CEMENT DRIVEWAY, PENDING APPROVAL BY THE MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR. A DISCUSSION WAS HELD ON STREET-SWEEPING SERVICES. IT WAS REPORTED THAT A NEW “WELCOME TO JEFFERS” SIGN HAS BEEN ORDERED. IT WAS REPORTED THAT SOME WORK WILL BE DONE ON THE CITY WATER TOWER IN SEPTEMBER TO SWITCH THE METER-READING SYSTEM ONTO NEW COMPUTER SOFTWARE. THE JEFFERS CITY COUNCIL REVIEWED THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT. REGULAR BILLS WERE APPROVED FOR PAYMENT.
THE WINDOM SCHOOL DISTRICT IS PREPARING FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR. THE WINDOM SCHOOL BUS PROGRAM IS RETURNING TO FULL CAPACITY ON BUSES, BUT FACE COVERINGS MUST BE WORN. ANY FAMILIES WHO ARE NEW TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR HAVE CHANGED THEIR ADDRESS SHOULD CONTACT THE TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WITH THE NEW INFORMATION. AT THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, CHILDREN SHOULD TRY TO BE AT THEIR BUS STOP AHEAD OF TIME. TIMES MAY RUN A LITTLE BEHIND SCHEDULE TO BEGIN THE YEAR AS DRIVERS GET USED TO THE ROUTES AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS ON THE CORRECT BUS. THIS YEAR, WINDOM WILL ALSO BE PROVIDING IN-TOWN BUSING FOR 3- AND 4-YEAR-OLDS IN THE BRIDGES PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM.
THE MONTHLY WEATHER STATISTICS HAVE BEEN REPORTED FOR THE CITY OF WINDOM IN AUGUST. TOTAL RAINFALL FOR THE MONTH CAME TO 6.42” – MAKING AUGUST THE WETTEST MONTH IN WINDOM SINCE MAY OF 2019. FOR THE YEAR TO DATE, WINDOM HAS NOW RECEIVED 19.47” OF TOTAL PRECIPITATION – ABOUT 1” LESS THAN THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR. 2021 IS STILL A DRY YEAR – THE LAST YEAR THAT SAW LESS PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE MONTH OF AUGUST WAS 2009. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 92-DEGREES ON THE 20TH. WINDOM HAS NOW RECORDED 23 DAYS THIS YEAR WITH HIGHS IN THE 90’s. THE LOW TEMP IN AUGUST WAS 54-DEGREES. SEVERE WEATHER HIT THE AREA ON AUGUST 28TH WITH THE AIRPORT MEASURING A WIND GUST OF 66-MILES-AN-HOUR.
HERE’S AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINATIONS. IN THE STATE-WIDE TOTALS, AS OF LAST SUNDAY, 66.2% OF MINNESOTA RESIDENTS AGED 12-AND-OLDER ARE FULLY VACCINATED. COMPARED TO THE TOTAL STATE POPULATION, 55.9% OF ALL MINNESOTA RESIDENTS ARE NOW VACCINATED. THAT INCLUDES 42% VACCINATION RATE FOR CHILDREN FROM 12-TO-15 YEARS OLD AND 52% FOR CHILDREN FROM 16-TO-17 YEARS OLD. LOCALLY, NOBLES COUNTY STILL LEADS WITH A VACCINATION RATE OF 58.9% FOR PEOPLE 12-AND-OLDER. IN COTTONWOOD COUNTY, THE VACCINATION RATE IS 57.1% AMONG RESIDENTS 12-AND-OLDER. THE VACCINATION RATE IN OTHER COUNTIES INCLUDES WATONWAN COUNTY, 57.2%; MURRAY COUNTY 56.1%; MARTIN COUNTY 54.8%; JACKSON COUNTY 52.9% AND REDWOOD COUNTY 52%.
THE COTTONWOOD COUNTY “COATS FOR KIDS” PROGRAM IS ACCEPTING DONATIONS. THE PROGRAM COLLECTS GOOD-QUALITY USED CLOTHING TO BENEFIT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN NEED. ITEMS MAY BE DROPPED OFF AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS IN THE WINDOM AREA: RUNNING’S, THE GATHERING CHURCH IN BINGHAM LAKE, WINDOM AREA HEALTH, THE 1ST BAPTIST CHURCH, THE DOLLAR GENERAL STORE, THE 1ST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR, ‘BARC’ AND THE 1ST PRESBYTERAN CHURCH. ITEMS BEING ACCEPTED INCLUDE COATS, GLOVES, MITTENS, SNOW PANTS AND BOOTS. ALL ITEMS SHOULD BE CLEAN WITH MINIMAL WEAR AND TEAR. MONETARY DONATIONS WILL ALSO BE ACCEPTED.
THE WINDOM SCHOOL DISTRICT IS PREPARING FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR. FOR STUDENTS IN PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THE 5TH GRADE, THE SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS WITH PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH AND 8TH. FAMILIES SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A PACKET IN THE MAIL WITH MORE INFORMATION. THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS FOR STUDENTS FROM PRE-K THROUGH THE 5TH GRADE WILL BE ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH. STARTING THIS FALL, THE BRIDGES PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM, EARLY CHILDHOOD FAMILY EDUCATION, THE HEAD-START PROGRAM AND THE ‘SEED’ PROGRAM WILL BE LOCATED AT THE HIGHLAND SCHOOL BUILDING, WHICH WILL NOW BE KNOWN AS THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER.
