By Rich Larson, News Director
Highway 19 will be closed today near the Carleton College campus for work related to heating system upgrades that are currently ongoing at the
school. A construction crane was erected next to the school’s iconic smokestack yesterday, leading some to wonder if the road closure meant that the smokestack would soon be demolished.
Carleton College recently made a change from steam power to geo-thermal, leaving no use for the smokestack. However, Martha Larson, the Manager of Campus Energy and Sustainability said the road closure is happening so the school can install new propane fuel tanks.
Larson said there is a “broad agreement that the old smokestack is a landmark and will stay.”
A detour has been posted routing traffic around the work area. As always, the City of Northfield urges motorists to drive with caution, slow down in work zones, and never enter a road blocked with barriers or cones.
Defeat of Jesse James Days will return to form in 2021
Galen Malecha, the General Chair of the Defeat of Jesse James Days, said on Monday, with all the state Covid-19 restrictions lifted, Northfield will see a “full-fledged” Defeat of Jesse James Days celebration in 2021.
The annual celebration, one of the most successful in Minnesota, was canceled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and there were questions about the ability to put together something on the event’s regular scale in 2021. Malecha said, however, that despite the uncertainty, the planning committee planned for the best possible scenario.
“We didn’t know where we were at, so we started planning as though we were going to have a full-fledged Defeat of Jesse James Days. So, we kept moving forward. We sent out our donation letters to the business community shortly after the first of the year, and we started doing our planning and fundraising and planning for all of our events.”
He said the celebration will look the same as it always has with all the major events, including the carnival, the rodeo and the entertainment tent in place and operating as they traditionally have.
There has been some question about the celebration’s ability to move forward once the city has implemented the Riverfront Enhancement Action Plan, which will include major work on Ames Park, where the carnival is staged, Riverside Lions Park the site of the car show and Babcock Park, where the Rodeo is held. Malecha said members of the committee have met with the city, and he believes that, moving forward, there will be areas where all these events can happen. As to whether they will stay in the same space, he said that remains to be seen.
For 2021, however, he said things are looking good. Sponsors are joining in at a good pace, and the fundraising has been active. The number of non-profit organizations that will take part in, and benefit from, the celebration is as large as ever. And he said there is always room for more. Anyone looking to volunteer or make a donation should visit djjd.org.
The Defeat of Jesse James Days will run this year from September 8 through September 12.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with DJJD General Chair Galen Malecha can be heard here
County Attorney’s office has a new ‘vision’
The Rice County Attorney’s Office has adopted a new vision statement that, County Attorney John Fossum said, will better define the things he believes the criminal justice system should pursue and the role of the County Attorney’s office within that.
The Statement reads: Foster safer, stronger community by seeking justice with integrity, fairness and professionalism, while providing the highest quality legal work.
Fossum said the new vision statement is something that is appropriate after six years of his administration in Rice County.
“This replaces one that was there before I got there. I hadn’t changed it when I came in. When I was elected in 2014, my goal was to not upset the apple cart and not move things around too much. But as I’ve looked at things, I feel like this better reflects what we want to do and what we should be doing.”
In adjusting the philosophy of his office, he said that he has also “tightened up” charging and plea negotiating guidelines. Among the changes, he said, warrants will no longer be issued without administrative approval, in an effort to ensure that people are being treated fairly. He also said his office will not always seek out maximum punishment but will not shy away from that when warranted. He went on to spell out and define the values of the county attorney’s office, offering perspective on the integrity, professionalism and responsibility he wants his office, and those who work there, to keep in mind.
He said the goals of the County Attorney’s office is to attract and hire top quality people, support victims, ensure conviction integrity, and to educate and engage the community by providing transparent and reliable information.
The statement also serves as a reminder that his office is the legal representation of Rice County, and while the prosecution of felonies receives the most attention, there are many other services that they provide.
Finally, he reiterated the obligation he feels to fairness, saying “Justice is a goal that we seek…but we will not lose sight of the values of the community we are seeking to protect.”
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Rice County Attorney John Fossum can be heard here
