By Teri Knight, News Director
A Faribault man is charged with 1st degree drug sale after an investigation by the Cannon River Drug and Violent Offender Task Force. Using a confidential informant, the task force set up drug buys on two occasions in early March with 33 year old Blake Arthur Brinkman. Brinkman sold the informant a total of 21 grams of methamphetamine. According to the criminal complaint, signed yesterday, Brinkman planned on “moving up the ladder” of selling drugs and would “hopefully” be able to cut his prices. On July 1st, agents executed a search warrant at his apartment where they found drug paraphernalia. He’s charged with 5th degree possession in that criminal complaint. Brinkman’s previously been convicted of multiple controlled substance crimes in
multiple counties and is also out on conditions of release in 4 open cases in Rice County where he is charged with 1st Degree Sale, 2nd Degree Sale, 3rd Degree Sale, and 5th Degree Possession. Bail has been set at $50,000 with conditions. His first court appearance is July 14th.
Nfld Chamber involved in talks on extending PPP for local businesses
Northfield Chamber President, Lisa Peterson, was part of a listening session this week with District 2 Congresswoman Angie Craig who wanted feedback from small business owners on their current situation regarding the pandemic and legislation she’s backing. Peterson explains, “she’s trying to extend the PPP (Paycheck Protection Plan) through August 8th to give businesses more time to hire people back if they need to to use those funds”. The PPP ran out June 30th. That was concerning to many of our local businesses as they couldn’t hire all their people back. The loans are forgivable if the business can hire back all their people, however, those businesses can’t open to full capacity per Gov. Walz’s order. Peterson said, “should this go through, and let’s hope that it does, this will allow that through another 5 or 6 weeks for people to keep trying to hire people back”. Additionally, there’s another $130 billion available for stimulus, Craig is proposing that 50% or more go to small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. There’s more to Peterson’s interview HERE. One store on Division St. is closing its doors for good, Vision, the boutique eyewear store is selling off their inventory. The store opened in 2015. Bursch Travel, a longstanding travel agency on Division St., closed up shop permanently last month.
You could lose an eye – fireworks warning
The fireworks complaints were already coming into the Rice County Sheriff’s department on Wednesday. With so many cities cancelling their displays, a lot of people have been crossing the border to buy fireworks that are illegal here. Sheriff Dunn said, “it is illegal that shoot those fireworks that go up in the sky, go boom and everything else. Even if you’re using the legal things like sparklers or the little worms, those are still burn hazards and people need to be very careful”. Have that bucket of water standing by. Dunn has seen some traumatic accidents with people losing fingers or their eyesight. And usually there’s alcohol involved. So he just asks folks to be smart. Information from Faribault Fire Chief Dustin Dienst: Sparklers
If you’re drinking, stay put
With more folks getting out on the roads this holiday weekend and campgrounds opening up, Sheriff Dunn says if you’ve been drinking, “stay at your camper, stay at your cabin, whatever it may be. Don’t go out on the ATV’s, don’t go out in the boats because that’s when the bad things happen”. He added, “as I come into these holiday weekends, I just think, okay let’s just through this weekend with no fatalities, no significant injuries and let’s have a safe weekend”. He asks that you be extra careful on the lakes, paying attention to where your children are and don’t lose sight of them.
