By Teri Knight, News Director
Apparently there’s a bit too much manganese in Northfield’s drinking water. With new testing guidlines, Administrator Ben Martig said safe levels of manganese in drinking water is 300 parts per billion for those older than 12 months and 100 parts per billion for infants one year and younger. In Northfield’s recent testing, “we’ve seen average manganese concentrations in the wells that vary from 30 to 199 parts per billion. So again, that maximum number we’re at is below kind of anybody over one year old”. Recommendations to filter the water for babies
include, “the use of carbon filters, use of distilled water for formula, reverse osmosis systems take care of it, water softeners”. The City will be putting out information to all residents, childcare providers and wellness providers. In their next budget process, Martig said, they will be looking at how the City might be able to mitigate our drinking water to take care of it, however, he added those treatments could be very expensive.
“A long process” as Courts go through backlogged cases
There are over 2,000 hearings that have been delayed in Rice County due to covid-19. Attorney John Fossum said the courts have started doing zoom hearings which are controlled by the court reporters. They’re looking at how they will restart in-person hearings by the end of the month. With social distancing still in place they won’t be able to have large groups in court, Fossum said, “the backlog is not going to clear when we re-open. It’s going to be a long process trying to work through these hearings and working out what cases get priority, what cases get resolved and what cases are going to have to go to trial”. He added, “we’re still working through that process because this is a moment where we need to be flexible and we have to work out what it is that’s going to work for the courtroom, what’s going to work for the lawyers, what’s going to be fair to the defendants and how do we keep everybody safe”. His full interview is HERE.
NPD honors National Peace Officer Memorial Day
It’s National Peace Officer Memorial Day and Officer Appreciation Week. Normally there are ceremonies to honor those officers who gave their lives in the line of duty, but this year, it’s different. Northfield Police Chief Monte Nelson said Law Enforcement United members across the country ride bikes to Washington, DC. where names of fallen officers are added to the memorial. This year 307 names were added without all the ceremonies. The Memorial started in 1962 when Pres. John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15th as Memorial Day for Fallen Officers. The NPD will have a small group of Officers who ride with LEU biking from Northfield to Farmington PD and then Apple Valley, Nelson said, “we’ll help them get through town, get some photos, they have a pretty cool trailer that has the names of every Minnesota Officer that’s lost their life in the line of duty”. That will be about 12:30 this afternoon. KYMN will post photos on our Facebook page after the event.
Nfld State of the City address on tv tonight
Mayor Rhonda Pownell invites the community to watch the 2020 State of the City Address tonight at 6:30 on Spectrum Channel 180. Presenters include Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Northfield Rotary Club. The Board & Commissioner Excellence Award, Ethical Leadership Award, and the Mayor for a Day essay contest winners will be named. The program will rerun on Charter Spectrum Channel 180 throughout the summer and will be available on the city’s YouTube Channel. The State of the City has been recorded in English and in Spanish.
