With a Faribault woman’s death, as well as 4 others, proven to be from the deadly drug Carfentanil, law enforcement is geared up to fight it, as well as protect themselves. Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn said it reminds him of the first time they started hearing about methamphetamine. Law enforcment saw it first in California and Hawaii and then it soon turned up in the Upper Midwest. He saw some news briefs on it where officers had been exposed to it and nearly died. A month to the day of a briefing for the Cannon River Drug and Violent Offender Task Force, Dunn said they got the call of the carfentanil
overdose. Dunn said, “who’s that person that thinks, hey, let’s try that in a human being”. The danger is addicts don’t know what they’re buying. Law enforcement believe Carfentanil is coming from Russia and China. Dunn said, “it’s coming through the cartel and cartel are using it to cut it into their heroin, make it just a little bit better because if a heroin addict says oh this is better than the stuff I bought from this guy, they’re going to buy the stuff that gets them their high quicker”. Officers carry Naloxone. Northfield Hospital is working with First Responders to put together a training video for officers to protect themselves. Full press release: distracted-pre-enforcement-2017
Aldi’s breaking ground
Aldi’s is hitting the ground running, so to speak. All permits were approved and the address at 611 Stafford Road in Dundas will see work begin this week, according to City Administrator John McCarthy. It will be a 19,000 square foot grocer, a little larger than their store in Faribault. They will open by early Fall. McCarthy said Behr’s USA Flooring is expanding from the strip mall where Gooter’s is, over to the old K-Mart site. They’re enlarging their operation and will have more storage and floor space. In terms of the continued renovation, McCarthy said permits are being obtained per unit rented, explaining that tenants pay for their buildouts. That way the property owner is able to identify the costs of the renovations. Demolition has started on the interior space for the movie theater and McCarthy thinks they may come to the City for a building permit this week. MGM Liquor is licensed and insured to start buying liquor the First of May to start stocking shelves. McCarthy anticipates a July opening.
Distracted driving enforcement starts today
A Distracted driving enforcement wave starts today through April 23rd. Northfield, Faribault and Dundas Police Departments and the Rice County Sheriff’s Office will take part in the extra enforcement along with more than 300 other law enforcement agencies across Minnesota. We’ll hear more from Police Chief Monte Nelson Thursday. Sgt. Kevin Tussing is part of the TZD program. He asks, “Would you run down the middle of the highway with your head down? Are you okay with others around you basically driving with their eyes closed?”“Now is the time to change the culture, put down the phone, tune out the distractions and speak up if you see others on the road risking the lives of other motorists.
