Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Services Chief Gerry Franek said the grass and brush fires have been low this year but there have been a few more structure fires, including the Biosolids building fire at the WWTP. He said it was a very toxic fire because of all the, “plastics and rubber and that type of thing that were in there smoldering and burning and consuming the atmosphere but visibility like blank, it was like total darkness and we have a couple guys on staff that belong to the treatment plant and work for the city of Northfield and they knew the layout of the building which, I think was a benefit for us so that they knew it kind of blindfolded, so to speak”. Franek
added, “plastic is oh like condensed fuel is what it is, very, very acrid and toxic smelling smoke so we really had to watch ourselves for our breathing and that type of thing”. They also had to wash their gear due to the carcinogens in that type of fire. The department has a commercial washer/dryer at the fire station.
NMS adds 47 parking spaces
The Northfield Middle School will have another 47 parking spaces! Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann said the maintenance and projects planning started last December for the summer. As for the parking at the Middle School, he added, “we removed some two of the islands that are part of the drop off loop and replanted the trees that were there elsewhere within the district”. It won’t affect pick up and drop off but will help parents with quick drop-offs of items for students who forgot something and those with mobility issues will have a place to park. Also this summer, the tennis courts at the High School were redone, as for security, high school classrooms can now be locked from the INSIDE of the classroom.
Nfld man couldn’t get a beer and pulled a “butcher-style knife”
A Northfield man with reportedly 3 times the legal limit blood alcohol content was jailed on Tuesday evening after police were called on a domestic disturbance at Greenvale Place Apartments. While enroute, dispatch said they were cut off due to the phone line pulled out of the wall. According to the complaint, 52 year old Ronald Paul Krenske got upset with the reporting party because she wouldn’t give him one of her beers. It escalated with pushing and threatening, that’s when she called 911. Krenske then pulled the cord out. When officers arrived he’d gone back to his own apartment in the building. They observed slurred speech and he smelled strongly of alcohol. He admitted to much of it but then, he reached over to a table and said, “Here, I got a good one for you” and pulled out a large butcher-style knife and held it up in the air. He was then taken into custody. He refused a PBT but at the jail, it was determined in blood alcohol level was .247. He’s charged with interfering with an emergency call and misdemeanor assault of the woman. His initial court appearance is August 8th.
Nfld man pleads guilty after McDonalds incident
A Northfield man pled guilty yesterday afternoon to 5th degree drug possession and 3rd degree DWI after harassing female employees at the Northfield McDonalds. On June 9th, 31 year old Carlos Vasquez offered cocaine to an employee in the Drive thru. When police arrived, Vasquez was at the 2nd window yelling at another employee. He blew a .18 at the scene. An open can of beer was half drank and officers found a small amount of cocaine in his wallet. His sentencing is August 27th. He remains in the rice county jail.
