A Level 3 sex offender who is supposed to be living in rural Le Sueur County is back behind bars. On May 10th, LeSueur County Sheriff’s department was to announce that 35 year old Brian Joseph Miller had moved into a residence in Cordova Township. Instead he was taken into custody in Rice County charged with attempted burglary. According to the criminal complaint, Miller attempted to break into a woman’s home in Bridgewater Township around 5:45 that morning. The woman reported Miller was knocking at 2 of her
doors but she ignored him. She said he was acting strangely, moaning and grunting, and then she saw him take a log and throw it threw a window. The woman reported being terrified and afraid to sleep alone in the home. Dispatch then received a call reporting that a man was at Kwik Trip and he’s lost his vehicle. Miller was later identified. He told deputies he didn’t know how he got there. He later said he did break the window. He was hyperventilating and crying, telling law enforcement that this behavior happens when he does drugs. According to the Mankato Free Press Miller was convicted of burglary and criminal sexual conduct in Minnesota in 2005 and in 2011 in Iowa of trapping a hotel housekeeper in a bathroom to assault her. She escaped by spraying a chemical in his face. Miller is charged in Rice County with 1st degree attempted burglary and 4th degree damage to property. An omnibus hearing is scheduled for June 13th. Bail’s been set at $25,000 with conditions. Currently he’s in the Rice County jail.
Nfld School District has healthy fund balance, still prepares
Seventy percent of school funding comes from the State. Northfield Schools Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann said at the end of next year they’re projected to continue to have their fund balance above 16{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9}, the recommended 2 month reserve of operating expenses. He says that’s really important as there have been government shutdowns before. Hillmann said they’re planning to spend down their balance next year by about $600,000. The intentional spend down will still leave them with a 20{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} balance. Dollars will be spent on people. Hillmann says about 80{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} of all dollars spent in school districts is on people through salaries and benefits. He said they’re in the “people business” and want the best in front of their kids. While Hillmann says the State has underfunded k-12 education for decades, Northfield will stand to do better due to an influx of students this past year. Revenue is based on number of students.
2018 a big year for Dundas CIP
Dundas Council held a work session on 2018 Capital Improvement projects. Administrator John McCarthy says it will be a big year with several streets projects and utility work. They’ll be rebuilding Stafford Rd. Cannon Road is set for a rebuild and Gleason Rd will be improved to become a City street. Also on the agenda is sidewalk improvement, a new City Hall and replacing the pressure relief valve for the Co. Rd 1 project. Total cost estimate is around $2.5 million.
MADD honors Tussing
In April, Northfield Police Sgt. Kevin Tussing was awarded Statewide recognition for Outstanding Service by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for his efforts to end drunk driving, drugged driving and his support of it’s victims. Tussing is the TZD grant coordinator and has coordinated and scheduled the extra enforcement for the DWI campaign. All the details are HERE.
There’s still time to vote for your favorite Mainstreet! Of 242 cities nominated nationwide, Northfield remains in the running for $25,000 in downtown improvements from the America’s Mainstreet contest. The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation entered Northfield into the contest. Shakopee, Rochester and Red Wing are also among the top 25. You can vote once a day through May 28th at mainstreetcontest.com. The winner will be selected by Judges from the top 10 vote getters with the formal announcement on June 5th.
