No news yet on identity of man killed by train in Dundas
A man was struck and killed by a train in Dundas late last night. In a press release from the Rice County Sheriff’s department, an adult male was struck at about 11:30 last night at Forest Avenue in Dundas. Law enforcement is investigating the man’s identity and circumstances surrounding the incident. Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn has not yet responded to calls. KYMN will have more information as it becomes available.
Dundas deals with lawsuits
The Dundas city council meets tonight at 7 o’clock. City Administrator John McCarthy said in his administrators report that Bridgewater township supervisors have instructed their attorney to file a lawsuit against the City regarding interpretation of the Orderly Annexation Agreement. In the Titan vs. City of Dundas lawsuit, a settlement conference is scheduled for September 25th.
Casey’s General Store wants to construct a Casey’s on the vacant commercial property at the southwest corner of Hester Street and Hwy 3. McCarthy reports that staff will be working with the development team from Casey’s to complete the necessary documentation to construct the convenience store.
Recidivism rate up in Rice County
Re-entry into society from jail has not been a smooth transition for many. Rice County Attorney Paul Beaumaster would like to change that. While the good news is that they’re seeing fewer new offenders, they ARE seeing more recidivism. He says so many go back to their same old lives. He says it could be due in part because of the slow economy. They can’t find jobs and they can’t get public housing due to their record. One solution talked about in the past is expungement versus certificates of rehabilitation. Should an offender follow the rules in prison, get a skill and stay clean during probation, they could receive a certificate saying that they’ve been rehabilitated making it easier for them to get hired. Beaumaster says this gives them hope. While budgets for corrections have been slashed, Beaumaster says he and other county attorneys will be talking with Legislators after the election to ask for funding.
Cowling Arboretum works to preserve a small piece of Prairie land
Yesterday’s Star Tribune’s front page article was about the loss of prairie land in the United States. KYMN’s Wendy Nordquist interviewed Director of Carleton College’s Cowling Arboretum, Nancy Braker says that only one half of one percent of our original prairie land is left. Much of our native landscape has been converted to other uses, in particular agricultural uses. Braker says the intent of the Cowling Arboretum is to put back a small piece of the landscape to preserve it, admire it and study it. The prairie people see in the Lower arboretum has been restored by seed gathered from the land itself and in other areas nearby. They’ve searched out dozens of areas to find the seed. The lack of rain this year has created some issues with perennials not growing as big and not producing seeds like a normal year. Braker says she’s also observed that the plants are shutting down early, going into dormancy 2 weeks ahead of schedule. The public is invited to join Braker this Thursday at 6 o’clock as she leads a group into the fen at Hauberg Woods, a boggy marshland labeled as an exceptional resource. For more information call 507-645-8903.
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