Rice County Deputies and the Northfield Fire Department were dispatched to 13731 Fox Lake Trail for a report of a barn fire on Friday afternoon. Upon arrival, deputies reported the barn was fully engulfed in flames. The 20’x40’ barn and its contents were a total loss. Sheriff Troy Dunn reports the cause of the fire was accidental as the owner was working in a shop area. No other structures were damaged and no one was injured.
Connecting juvenile misconduct to consequences quicker
Restorative justice has a goal to make offenders more accountable by placing the focus on restoring the community and the victim rather than focusing on punishment or confinement of an offender. One of the goals in Rice County juvenile court is to make juveniles more accountable for their conduct and to connect the delinquent conduct to the consequences. The delay between conduct and consequences, which, can occur a year or more after the event, often seems unfair to the juvenile who has forgotten about what they did. By having an earlier resolution they can more easily connect the events. To that end, County Attorney John Fossum and his office, along with Rice County Dispute Resolution Project, law enforcement, the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, the courts and partners in the Northfield and Faribault School Districts have been exploring whether or not they should develop a formal process for victim/offender mediation for juvenile courts. The parameters of the program have not been fully resolved. Read more on Fossum’s blog on kymn.net.
Leap in enrollment rolls in some $ and Bridgewater gets a roof
The Northfield School District saw an unexpected leap in enrollment by about 100 students. That calculates to about $9,000 per student in additional aid, which can very quickly change their finances. Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann added that they’re looking at maintaining to exceeding their financial goals. At the Board meeting they also awarded the bid for the Bridgewater Elementary roof replacement. They’ll bond for just under $1.3 million. They will use a “cold process” enabling them to get a head start on the project and save some money. Hillmann says there will be minimal disruption to classes with most of the work taking place after the kids are gone.
Northfield Shares gives $ to 15 local organizations
Northfield Shares came to be when Northfield Area Foundation and 5th Bridge merged. Their separate missions complemented each other through dollars and volunteerism. Jennifer Sawyer has stepped in as the Board Chair for Northfield Shares, taking over from Craig Ellingboe. She said they were able to give out $68,000 to 15 local organizations of diverse groups. She said what made it really special this year was an anonymous donor who invited Bill Sternberg, representative of the Mpls Foundation, to Northfield. The donor asked him to come to town and find out what the needs of the community are. They were very generous to Northfield Shares giving $140,000 in which they created a volunteer portal and have hired their first ever Executive Director. Mike Krance, of Farmington, will fill the position, starting February 1st.
