By Teri Knight, News Director
With the retirement of Northfield Police Chief Chief Monte Nelson, Deputy Chief Mark Elliott was chosen to lead the department beginning August 1st. Sgt. PT Haider was promoted to Deputy Chief. Haider has been with the Northfield Police Department since 2006 and was promoted to sergeant in 2014. Following a pattern that Nelson and former Deputy Chief Mark Dukatz laid out when they were planning their retirements, they went within the ranks to promote. During Nelson’s interview last week on KYMN, he explained that he and Dukatz were both hired in 1996, “and so we worked a lot together and we were friends but we also professionally relied on each other and we both wanted to make sure when
the time came for him to retire (March 2019) and for me to retire that we didn’t leave the department in chaos, or without leadership. We’ve had that happen a couple times where there was a gap in leadership and that’s extremely hard” on the department. He added that it’s not that the department couldn’t do their job, “we have good staff, they’ll continue to do their job but you need someone on the City level working with the Council, the fellow Directors from other departments with the community to help and just keep steering the boat, while you’re people do the excellent work they always do”. Haider was interviewed by a panel of nine law enforcement and community representatives, including Administrator Ben Martig about two weeks ago. Officer Jesse Cordova will be promoted to sergeant. The community is invited to a reception for retiring Chief Nelson on Friday, July 31st from 2pm to 4pm at Sechler Park.
Draheim comments on unemployment and allowing school districts to choose how they return to teaching
861,000 Minnesotans have filed for unemployment since the pandemic. Sen. Rich Draheim commented last week, “that’s pretty much one adult in every household has claimed for unemployment. That’s pretty scary”. Draheim said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove said it costs $140 million a week. The State of MN started the year with a $1.5 billion surplus, “but I believe we are out of that money so we have to go to the federal government and request more funds for unemployment”. Legislators have not come to an agreement on trying to balance safety along with economic recovery. The Senate presented a resolution to allow School Districts to make their own decision as to how they teach this Fall. Draheim said, “and not have a statewide mandate. Because, once again, Rochester is different than Roseau, Northfield’s different than where my kids go, Cleveland, and we let the local school board, with direction from the state, decide what’s the best way for them to open up their schools”. He continued, “so that was one of the things we did is pass a resolution giving power to the local school districts instead of have the state have that one size fit all”. They’ll be back in August if Governor Walz decides to declare his 4th Peacetime Emergency. With a democratic majority in the House, so far, Walz has been able to continue to use emergency powers.
Cannon Falls PD and Library team up to collect masks
The Cannon Falls Library and Police Department are teaming up to provide masks for the community. Both departments are collecting donations of unused, clean, multi-layer fabric masks that they can put in the hands of people who are unable to afford or find masks for themselves.Donations can be dropped off at the Library or the Police Department from July 27th through August 1st. All masks should be in baggies to reduce the risk of contamination. Anyone wishing to donate masks can drop them off in the Library’s book drop, at the Police Department, or with a police officer. The Library will begin distributing masks beginning on August 3rd. Full press release: LIBRARY AND POLICE TAKING FABRIC MASK DONATIONS
