by Rich Larson
Yesterday morning, Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn informed the Rice County Board of Commissioners that he will be stepping
away from his position and retiring effective November 12th.
Dunn said throughout his career his wife and family have made many sacrifices to support him. Now, with his wife in a job that has taken her out-of-state, he said it’s time to support her.
Dunn has spent more than thirty-three years in law enforcement, beginning with a short stint as a temporary Deputy in Crow Wing County, then as a police officer in Kenyon before joining the Rice County Sheriff’s Department as a corrections officer. After being promoted to patrol deputy in 1991, he rose through the ranks to become Sheriff Richard Cook’s Chief Deputy, and then ran for Sheriff when Cook retired in 2010.
Dunn has been an engaged member of both the Rice County and greater law enforcement communities during his time as Sheriff. He is currently the past president of the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association, has served on numerous boards in Rice County, among them the HOPE Center of Faribault and has made domestic violence prevention one of his top priorities, and he was instrumental in getting approval for a new jail and law enforcement center in Rice County, that he says will be able to serve the area for the next two-to-three decades at least.
The sheriff has seen a lot of changes during his time in law enforcement. He has not shied away from standing up and defending his profession and the law enforcement community through the fallout over the murder of George Floyd. He is very concerned about what he sees as society’s overreaction to policing and is fearful about the long-term effects that could bring.
“Overall, law enforcement has many great men and women that are doing the job for the right reason and doing it the right way. And because of some people’s opinions and actions, it’s really causing a lot of people to second guess, maybe public safety isn’t a career they should go into. And that’s not going to make it any easier for us to make this a safe place to live.”
Dunn said he is proud that people know how devoted he has been to the job, his department, and to the citizens of Rice County. He expects to keep working, but also intends to finally make some time to do some more fishing and figure out the game of golf.
Our full conversation with Sheriff Troy Dunn can be heard here
Hillmann sees ‘a lot of joy’ in the beginning of the school year
Characteristic of the way he approaches his job, Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann is very positive and enthusiastic about the way the Northfield school year has begun. Five days into the year, Dr. Hillmann is clearly very happy with the way families, students and district staff are approaching what could be a critical year for a number of Northfield Students.
Coming on the heels of two school years interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and with that pandemic still present, Dr. Hillmann said the preparation the faculty and staff put into this year has been made easier because of the clarity of the situation. There is better understanding now, not just of the virus and how it is transmitted, but of the best ways to cope with its lasting social and emotional effects. The school system as a whole this year, he said, is going to work on relationships between teachers and students and maintaining open lines of trust and communication.
That plan began with two days of family conferences to start the year. Hillmann said the conferences were as much about hearing from students and families as it was about showing them how things would be done this year. Questions were asked in the conferences in an attempt to meet students and families where they are and have a good understanding of their mindset to serve them better.
Hillmann said the first day of school was a pretty happy one for all involved.
“The joy that we saw throughout the week last week, whether it was our family conference, where we started off with a conversation just to try to gauge people where we’re at. Then we moved into the first day of school on Thursday. We had a beautiful day. It was wonderful. And the joy that you could feel of people returning in full; full capacity busses, full capacity schools, there was just a lot of joy.”
There are still hurdles to overcome this year. Covid protocols are in place, most notably an indoor mask mandate for all district schools and buildings, and Dr. Hillmann said not everybody is comfortable yet. But the district will push forward with full time, in-person learning as the top priority. He said things are very different from where they were at this time last year, and they are going to use everything they have learned to meet that goal.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann can be heard here
Council briefed on high levels of iron and manganese in Northfield drinking water
And last night during a work session the Northfield City Council heard a presentation about the high levels of manganese and 
iron in the city drinking water and were given some recommendations on how to fix the problem.
Seth Peterson of the Bolton & Menk Engineering firm gave a report on the commissioned water system study and said all of the city water currently meets the primary drinking water standards as set by the federal government, but the water from three of the city’s wells exceeds the secondary standards for both iron and manganese.
Manganese is a mineral, small amounts of which are found in the human body and helps to create connective tissue. However, high amounts of manganese when given to infants, can cause memory issues, problems with motor skills and can cause behavioral problems as the child grows.
Peterson explained several different methods of filtration to remove manganese and iron, and said his organization recommended a new water treatment plant with a gravity filtration system using reverse osmosis. There were also recommendations on where to build the plant, including a site near Spring Creek Elementary School and another off of Hall Ave.
There have been conversations about the need for a new water treatment plant for over a year during city council meetings, and this was a presentation the council took very seriously. Estimates for the cost of building a new facility ranged from $33 to $40 million dollars.
The next step is to put the recommendations out for a public engagement process, after which the council will take up the discussion once again.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him and rich@kymnradio.net.
