Northfield Hospital + Clinics President and CEO Steve Underdahl is letting people know that hospitals across the country are dealing with
overwhelming demand, why it’s happening, and what the public can do to help mitigate the problem.
In an op-ed piece posted to the NH+C website, Underdahl said both the hospital and its various clinics are receiving an extraordinary number of calls and the emergency department is seeing record numbers of people right now, due to Covid-19. He also believes the problem could get worse before it gets better.
“With the recent discovery of yet another variant, I fear another difficult winter may lie ahead,” he wrote. “Viruses only look for opportunities to reproduce, and if necessary, evolve. Viruses don’t care about our politics, our philosophies, our perspectives, or about healthy lifestyles.”
With the emergence of the Omicron Variant, and a confirmation of its presence in Minnesota, NH+C is once again looking to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the Minnesota Department of Health, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. There are no policy changes at this time, but that could change as more is learned about Omicron and its ease of transmission.
As the situation continues to develop, Underdahl wrote the public should heed the advice of the medical community. If you have not yet been vaccinated for Covid-19, please do so. If you were vaccinated more than six months ago, get a booster shot. Get a flu shot. Take extra care while travelling, and test for Covid through the holidays. Wear a mask, keep a safe distance in public and indoors where non-family members are present. And anyone who starts to show symptoms should isolate from others.
Finally, Underdahl wrote, “Listen to your mother.”
“Get enough sleep, eat good foods, wear a warm coat, nurture your healthy body.”
Underdahl said the hospital and the clinics have the resources needed to treat patients right now, but those resources are finite, and a stronger increase in demand will only deplete them. It is his hope, he wrote, that the public will see the need to protect public health and take the proper precautions.
Rice County Jail and Public Safety center plans are progressing
Plans to build a new Rice County Jail and Public Safety Center are in place and moving forward according to two Rice County authorities.
The new jail will be built on the northeast side of Faribault, in between Highway 3 and the Cannon River, on the site where the Faribault Family Drive-In once stood. County Commissioner Galen Malecha said Rice County will purchase a 109-acre parcel of land in the area by the end of the year. Negotiations have been finalized, he said, and the closing of the agreement has been scheduled.
Sheriff Jesse Thomas, meanwhile, said the task force in charge of building the new jail is meeting for one day every other week to go over the necessary details. The county continues to work with Klein McCarthy on the design, and a construction manager has been hired to handle the day-to-day operations of construction.
Thomas said his department has a three-person transition team in place working on new procedures and policies. As the department moves into the new jail and Law Enforcement Center, all procedurs will have to be changed. He said the transition team will be working full-time on every detail until the new facility is opened.
Malecha said the new facility will take about 22 of the 109 acres the county is purchasing, and the plan is to sell the remaining 87 acres for economic development. The city of Faribault will soon begin construction of a roundabout on Highway 3 in that area, and they have expressed interest in acquiring some of the property for parkland, a trailhead and a kayaking landing spot.
Commissioner Malecha said there is interest from private developers as well.
“We have some interest from a few Faribault organizations about possibly buying some of that acreage for economic development. By the time it’s all said and done that might be a few housing projects in the area. We will retain the 22 acres [for the jail,] but probably sell off the rest of it.”
The County Board of Commissioners approved the construction of a new jail and law enforcement center last May after the Minnesota Department of Corrections determined that the current Rice County Jail is no longer suitable. Construction of the new facility is expected to begin in the spring.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Rice County Commissioner Galen Malecha can be heard here
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas can be heard here
Public ‘Truth in Taxation’ hearing set for council meeting tomorrow night
And the Northfield City Council will meet tomorrow night in the Council Chambers at City Hall. 
Amng the items on the agenda to be discussed is a resolution designating “a certain building” as structurally substandard, which will clear the way for the demolition of the Archer House, and a review of the draft of the new sustainable building policy.
The items on the agenda that will garner the most attention will be those pertaining to the 2022 Budget and Tax Levy.
The city is proposing a budget of $11.8 million in 2022, which will include an 11.6% increase in property taxes.
A public Truth in Taxation hearing is scheduled for the meeting, giving the public the opportunity to voice concerns and opinions on the proposed tax increase for next year. After the hearing, the council will have a final discussion on the budget and levy. They will then vote to approve the budget for next year.
Those not wishing to address the council at the public hearing may email their councilor directly through the City Council page on the City of Northfield Website or make their remarks through the eComment button in the “Agendas” section of the city website.
The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow night at 6pm.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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