A woman who admits to being on her cell phone at the time of a deadly crash, is charged. More than a year and a half later, 56 year old Lori Janine Hoefs, of Oronoco, is charged in a crash in Randolph Township. Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom announced that Hoefs was charged with one count of Criminal Vehicular Homicide and 3 various counts of Criminal Vehicular Operation in connection with the death of 78 year old Brenda Travis, of Rochester, and serious injuries to three others. According to the criminal complaint, Troopers and Deputies
responded to a crash on the morning of Oct. 22nd, 2016 at Highway 56 and County Road 88. Hoefs, in a GMC, was driving westbound on County 88. She admitted being unfamiliar with the area and did not see the stop sign. There are 2 warnings that a stop is coming up. She ran the sign and crashed into the passenger side of a Toyota going northbound on Highway 56 (where there is no stop sign). Travis was killed and the driver sustained broken ribs and a broken pelvis. In all, 3 cars were involved in the crash and and a 4th car sustained damage due to debris. Hoefs is facing 2 felonies and 2 gross misdemeanors. Her first court appearance is set for August 6th in Hastings. Hoefs complaint HoefsLoriCVHCharges
Rainfall slows construction work
The Northfield Council had no meeting last night but Councilors Brad Ness and Greg Colby came in to discuss some road projects, the Civic Center and the biosolids building fire. Ness said, with the rainfall, the construction on Division Street in Northfield is a little behind. Councilor Greg Colby lives nearby added, “they’re working all the time. I have to admit I could not believe the amount of work involved with restoring and digging up that street. I mean they dug down a couple of feet”. The infrastructure is being replaced as well as changing the intersection at 7th street, adding bumpouts and more. After the finish Division Street they’ll move to reconstruction of 7th st. between Washington and Water and then Washington mill and overlay between 2nd and Woodley. The plan is to have Division street completed by the end of August. Their entire interview is on kymn.net.
Dundas will hold public meeting on Solar ordinance
Dundas’s solar ordinance was written back in the late 1990’s. Much has changed since then and there’s a boon of companies wanting land to place panels. City officials chose to establish a moratorium for a year to consider how those changes and requests fit into their community. Dundas Administrator John McCarthy said that there was some concern that more valuable/taxable land would be used for solar gardens, taking that possible income off the books. The Planning Commission went through various iterations, looking at what other cities do, especially in this area. They’re at the point where they have a plan to share with the public. The proposed new ordinance would ban ground mounted solar as a primary use on most zoning areas of the City and only allow it on agricultural reserve area that’s not serviced by city utilities. That would be the west side of the City. A public hearing will be held during the Planning Commission meeting on July 19th.
March for immigrant children
Neighbors United, Cannon Valley Indivisible, and members of the Northfield community will hold a march at 10 a.m., June 30, to protest the treatment of immigrant children separated from their families. The march will meet at St. Dominic Church and end at Greenvale Park School.
