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Annandale-area anglers’ stolen fishing gear found
An investigation by Annandale police and Wright County Sheriff’s deputies has recovered thousands of dollars worth of ice fishing gear stolen from Annandale-area anglers, reported the Annandale Advocate.
An estimated 100 or more items, from portable fishhouses to fishing poles, were seized in searches last week at houses in Lynden Township, an Annandale law enforcement official said.
Two unnamed 19-year-old Annandale-area men will be charged in the case officials said, and others may also be charged in the ongoing probe.
Plea deal made in Wright Co. bus crash
A tour bus driver has reached a plea deal in an April 2008 crash in Wright County that killed a Minnesota high school band student, WCCO reported. Jessica Weishair, 16, was killed in a crash on Interstate 94 in Albertville April 5, 2008.
Driver Loren Duane Ernst, 70, of Moorhead was charged in Weishair’s death, along with other charges for causing harm to three dozen other students in that crash. He had three hours of sleep and was too tired to drive.
Ernst pleaded guilty to one gross misdemeanor count of criminal vehicular operation resulting in bodily harm. Ernst is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2010.
Wright Co. deputy hurt
A Wright County Sheriff’s deputy was injured in a rollover Tuesday night, according to KDUZ Radio. Crystal Kramer, 27, was driving her squad car on Wright County Road 39 near Douglas Avenue Northwest when she went off a curve in the road and rolled. According to the State Patrol, Kramer was treated for her injuries and released. Sheriff’s officials say she was on her way home after work when the rollover happened.
Waconia avoids eminent domain with Kelzers
The City of Waconia has reached an agreement with Mark and Susan Kelzer of Waconia for temporary and permanent easements on their property along High 284, reported the Waconia Patriot.
The city will pay the Kelzers $100,000 for the easement as a result of a new roundabout that was constructed just outside the front windows of their home. The city would be unable to make improvements to that area without the easements, and rather than go through the eminent domain process, it has been working to reach an agreement with the property owners.
New pharmacy in NYA
As it turns out, local residents concerned about the loss of Norwood Young America’s only pharmacy with the closing of Snyders Drug store won’t have long to wait until a new pharmacy comes to town, reported the Norwood Young America Times.
John Marsden, owner of Marsden Drug in Waconia’s Lakeview Clinic has decided to open another branch of his business in town next to Subway and Good Time Liquors.
Marsden said that the new store will have additional stock items in addition to the pharmacy, just like any other drug store.
Hutchinson One Wheelers earn two titles
Five members of the Hutchinson One Wheelers recently attended the International Unicycle Competition in Wellington, New Zealand, with one member picking up two more world titles, reported the Hutchinson Leader.
Irene Genelin took the two additional world titles for a total of eight world titles.
Her new titles from New Zealand were in Mountain Unicycling Cross Country (10 miles and 3,000 feet elevation gain), and Mountain Unicycling Speed Uphill.
Also attending the event, which ran from Dec. 28 through Jan. 7, was Andy Cotter, Andrew Heinecke, Kim Hensel, and Kirsten Goldstein.
What will it take to clean up Lake Sarah
Five area cities – Greenfield, Corocoran, Loretto, Medina and Independence – are getting a handle on what they must do to clean up water quality in Lake Sarah and at what cost, as a plan for cutting down the amount of phosphorus in the lake gets closer to completion, reported the South Crow River News.
The official name for the plan is the Total Maximum Daily Load plan for phosphorous. The plan went into full swing in 2004 when the MPCA put Lake Sarah on its list of impaired waters due to excess phosphorus.
Glencoe to proceed with city center bond
Glencoe City Council unanimously authorized negotiating a $2 million bond sale with Security Bank and Trust of Glencoe to help fund the city center project, reported the McLeod County Chronicle.
At the Feb. 1 council meeting, Dick Asleson of Northland Securities, the city’s bond consultant, called this another major piece of the project that began years earlier. He estimated that over the 20-year bond, the city will save $185,000 to $200,000 by using the taxable bonds.
Watertown awards bid for Highway 25
The Highway 25 road improvement project took another step in its evolution during the Watertown City Council meeting on Jan. 26 when the council gave approval to Carver County and MnDOT to award the project to Wm. Mueller & Sons, reported the Carver County News.
The project mainly extends from White Street to State Street with its main components being the addition of turn lanes, curb and gutter and storm sewer, and a sidewalk or paved trail (depending on location) on the east side of Hwy 25 from Bickford Street to White Street.
Wm. Mueller & Sons’ bid of $864,523.72 was the low bid. The company was one of 11 to submit a bid with the high bid being over $1.17 million.
New officers join Crow River Bank in Delano
Crow River Bank clients may have noticed two new faces at the Delano branch recently, reported the Delano Herald Journal.
Joel Brunner of Mayer, hired in October, is the bank’s assistant vice president and business development officer. Brunner, 33, gives insight to companies looking for financial information.
Jim Krantz of Maple Plain joined in December and is the bank’s newest staff member. Since he started, Krantz’ duties have centered on residential real estate lending.
Dassel Fire Department buys rapid response craft
With the help of donations, the Dassel Fire Department was able to purchase a Rapid Deployment Craft (RDC) – an inflatable craft that looks very much like a large banana, according to Fire Chief Dale Grochow – along with a defibrillator used for cardiac patients, reported the Enterprise Dispatch.
The RDC, which is an inflatable craft that can be used in water or over snow, cost $5,000. Additional funds were used for a new defibrillator, which cost $3,000, Fire Chief Dale Grochow said.
Carver County gets creative to curb costs
When a Carver County squad car window gets broken by gravel or a deer, county officials handle it in a novel way: Specially trained county maintenance workers replace the glass instead of sending the vehicle to a body shop, reported the StarTribune.
Six years after making the change, county workers have replaced about 100 windshields for the sheriff’s department, saving about $40,000 in the process, said Doris Krogman, the county’s employee relations director.
The windshield program was so successful that Sheriff Bud Olson said the effort was expanded to include fixing fenders and other repair work.
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