News - Thursday, July 24

THURSDAY NEWS

The fire chief made a presentation to the Litchfield City Council Monday night regarding a new fire pumper truck they want to purchase. Councilman Larry Dahl says they went over the cost and regulations on new fire trucks. In other business they went over the VFW purchase and lease agreements. The city is thinking of buying the VFW building and may use that for other purposes or just use the land it’s on to build a new rescue squad building.

The Montevideo City Council has awarded a bid to Gjerve Contracting for Well No. 17 for pump controls and discharge piping. The bid was in the amount of $95,955. The council also reviewed an ordinance having to do with noise disturbances. It failed on a three to one vote according to City Manager Steve Jones. He went on to say that in you need a four to one vote to pass. There was one council member absent, he said, so this will probably be reviewed with some changes at the next meeting. They also reviewed an ordinance defining a barking dog, which they approved. Jones said by definition that’s a dog that barks continuously or intermittently over a ten minute period.

The Benson School Board has recognized numerous people who donated to the elementary school Smart Board fund. Supt. Lee Westrom says one of their teachers had organized an effort to purchase more Smart Boards for the elementary school and so far $2,670 was raised in that endeavor. In other business the board took a look at insurance quotes, accepted the property and liability coverage from Baller Insurance; the workmen’s comp from Birkley; and the student accident insurance from Bank of the West.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency completed 37 enforcement cases in the second quarter of 08, totaling nearly $325,000. These cases occurred at facilities in 26 counties throughout Minnesota. They included $6,972 to Daniel Prahl of Dan’s Diesel Service of Sunburg for solid and hazardous waste and above ground storage; Ted’s RV land, Ted Hoekstra of Paynesville, $5,500 for storm water violations; R-Way Pumpers at Melrose, $4,750 for feedlot violations; and Kandiyohi County, Lake Lillian, $3,040 for underground storage tank violations.

Wildlife artists can submit entries for Minnesota’s first walleye stamp, which will be available to anglers when they purchase a 2009 fishing license. Entries will be accepted Oct. 13th through the 24th through the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife. The walleye must be the primary focus of the design. Other fish species may be included in the design if they are used to depict a common interaction between species or are common inhabitants of Minnesota’s lakes and rivers.

A dental outreach clinic designed to provide dental services to children ages 2-12 will be held Tuesday, July 29th. Pope County Public Health will host the clinic which is for children covered by Minnesota Health Care programs and Minnesota Medical Assistance.

Construction will soon begin on a new bike trail connecting the city of Starbuck and Glacial Lakes State Park. The bike trail will have a wider path with two food shoulders on both sides. The estimated cost is $577,000.

Representatives from the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities updated the Benson Council Monday night on their legislative efforts this year and risks associated with the state deficit. City Administrator Rob Wolfington says the council reviewed some brochures they had prepared on the city’s behalf. In other business the city is working on updating its ten year comprehensive plan starting in September. The scope of the work was reviewed as well as a budget summary. The final draft was approved and the planning commission will began updating its 2000 comprehensive plan and hopes to finish by the fall of 2009 which is just shy of the anticipated 2010 ten year update.

21 year old Michael Vanoverbeke of Hanley Falls and 18 year old Britni Borns of Milbank, South Dakota were not injured in a two vehicle crash yesterday (Wednesday) on Highway 75 in Lac qui Parle County just north of Bellingham. According to the Minnesota State Patrol and Lac qui Parle County Sheriff’s Office Borns drifted over the centerline and hit the combine tire that was on a trailer pulled by Vanoverbeke.

The Morris City Council had a first reading of an ordinance allowing ATVs and golf cart traffic on public city roads. A public hearing for the ordinance has been set for August 12th. The council also approved changes to the by-laws that govern the fire department with an amendment to the hiring of four new firefighters. The council kept the firefighter team at the current 34.