County Commissioners to select finalists
Rice County Commissioners will hear from Gary Weiers of Drown & Assoc. on finalists for County Administrator tomorrow morning. They’ll have 10 candidates to wittle down to 3 or 5. Commissioner Galen Malecha said they’ll each pick their top 3. There were 22 candidates who applied. They’ll be conducting interviews June 8th and 9th and hope to have their selection on the 9th.
Kenyon man charged with over 7 grams also has weapon
A Kenyon man is out on bail after being arrested with more than 7 grams of meth and a weapon. Last week, Faribault police pulled over 29 year old Micah Lee Nystuen for expired plates. He had no explanation, had no insurance card and was sweating profusely despite 50 degree temperature and rain. As his Driver’s License was being ran, another officer spotted a fully loaded .22 caliber magazine clip inside the cab of the pickup. Nystuen denied having any guns or drugs in the vehicle but was rocking back and forth. He struggled with officers when asked to get out of the truck. Officers found 7.64 grams of methamphetamine in his pocket, the magazine clip with 26 bullets, a 2-way radio, digital scale, a meth pipe, handcuffs and a key and a Remington .22 caliber rifle. Nystuen is charged with 2nd degree drug sales of 3 grams or more and possession. Both are felonies. The most serious charge carries up to 25 years and $500,000 fine. His next court appearance is May 26th. He has several convictions for petty misdemeanors.
School board approves Special Ed staff
The Northfield School Board discussed special education last month and this month formally approved hiring special education staff. They’ll hire 2 specials for early childhood and 1 for K-12. Superintendent Dr. Chris Richardson said all of those positions are mandated by state and federal law. The early childhood program has grown by 60 and the district must meet standards. Richardson said it will cost about $250,000 including benefits. He says they’ll take money out of their general fund as the state will not give them additional funding.
SCOPE students present
The Northfield Historical Society will celebrate the end of the school year with Student Community Outreach Program Experience (SCOPE) students tomorrow night at 6 o’clock as the eighth-grade group presents its final project about immigration in Northfield, Cultural Shift: Vietnamese and Mexican Immigration in Northfield. The event, will be held at the museum, is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be served. The students will discuss how they conducted oral histories and what they learned during the year-long project. The SCOPE program is partnership between NHS and the Northfield School District.
St. Olaf celebrates syttende mai
The Norwegian Department at St. Olaf College will celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day tomorrow. This year they’ll celebrate syttende mai at the Art Barn on St. Olaf campus next to the windmill. The event begins at 3:30 with a brief program at 4 including live music, sharing celebration traditions, and the singing of the Norwegian national anthem. They’ll also be serving pølse og is (hot dogs and ice cream), typical foods eaten on this day.
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