Car/Train crash injures 2
Two were airlifted after a car/train crash. Faribault Police Chief Andy Bohlen said the crash happened near Faribault Woolen Mills on 2nd Ave NW at about 9:15 this morning. 49 year old Shan Roehrick was southbound on 2nd Ave NW in an SUV when she struck a train backing across 2nd Ave. She was alone. A railroad employee on the train, 26 year old Damien North-O’Brien was also injured. Roehrick needed to be extricated from the vehicle. He was flown to St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester. North-O’Brien was flown to North Memorial in Robbinsdale. The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time. Faribault Police and the State Patrol reconstruction unit are continuing the investigation. As of 1:15 this afternoon, 2nd Ave NW remains closed. I spoke with Faribault Police who said they hope to have 2nd Ave. NW open by 2:15pm. It’s been closed for reconstruction and debris clean up. Both victims were conscious when placed in the ambulances. They were then airlifted from the Rice County Fairgrounds.
Developers discussing Senior Housing in Nfld
Northfield’s Single family home building has been slower than other cities but the 8th edition to Hills of Spring Creek will be coming before council next week. Community Development Director Chris Heineman said, in terms of multi-family home building they have a few projects. One on East Woodley. The Woodley townhomes have 7 units. The Highland Twinhomes near St. Olaf College will be a total of 8 units. They’re building 1 now
with hopes that 2 more will be started, as Heineman said, this summer. For new development there’s significant interest in more multi-family senior housing, possibly an assisted living option, “discussions on 3 or 4 different sites are taking place and developers are doing their due diligence on several projects”. One of those areas is Village on the Cannon. Heineman’s full interview, along with Mayor Pownell, is on kymn.net.
Quiet 4th but Sheriff warns about fireworks
“We had no serious injury crashes, no BWI’s and I think we had 5 DWI’s over the weekend”… That’s Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn reporting on the holiday weekend. He said they had plenty of complaints about fireworks going off in neighborhoods late into the night. July is the busiest month for fireworks injuries. Dunn said, “when I was looking at the Stats, 9300 serious injuries or deaths related to fireworks in a year”. He said people are still blowing off fireworks and Dunn expects more noise complaints this weekend. Dunn asks that you please be safe and keep the kids away from fireworks.
If it says 55mph – it’s 55 – speed enforcement underway
Law enforcement is on the lookout for speeders. Extra enforcement starts today. Northfield, Dundas and Faribault Police are joining Rice County Deputies with additional officers working through the roads. They’ll be patrolling all over the county outside their normal city boundaries. Dunn said when they do the enforcement, they move around to be visible and be a deterrent. He said they’d rather not give out tickets, but if you’re caught speeding, you’ll get one. Dunn said, “I’ve had people say 5mph, 7mph, 10mph over the speed limit’s not that big of a deal. But if something happens in front of you and you have to take evasive action that extra speed is going to affect your reaction time”. If it says it’s 55, then it’s 55mph. Additional enforcement runs through July 23rd. $110 is the ticket for 10 mph over the limit. It doubles at 20. There are more statistics with a press release from Nfld Sgt. Kevin Tussing on kymn.net.
Gardens and Art
This weekend marks Northfield Garden Club’s annual Garden Tour. Six gardens are showcased, along with artists at each home offering a wide variety of artwork. The gardens are open from 11am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $10. You can buy them at Eco Gardens or Knecht’s Nurseries or at the gardens. Go to thenorthfieldgardenclub.org for addresses and more.
