A statement released just before Christmas has confirmed the plans to reduce the backlog of cases in the Rice County court system. 
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting statewide court system shutdown, the county has seen a backlog of upwards of 350 trial cases, and many more non-trial misdemeanor cases. Consequently, each member of the Rice County Attorney’s Office has on average, 300 cases assigned to them. Rice County Attorney John Fossum said in the statement that number is far too many, and that his attorneys should have caseloads closer to 150.
One of the ways the county, then, will address the problem is by bringing in two new attorneys and one new legal assistant. The new staff will serve on a long-term temporary basis, as the need for the additional positions is anticipated to last at least 18 months.
The statement said one of the reasons the backlog has grown so large is because defendants have been reluctant to make any plea agreement without facing the threat of an impending trial, and possible prison time. To that end, Judge John Cajacob, who retired from the Rice County bench almost two years ago, will be reinstated in the coming days. Working three days a week, three weeks a month, Judge Cajacob will preside over first appearances, and bail and probation violation hearings. This will then allow the county to run two trials simultaneously.
The additional personnel are expected to help reduce the major criminal case backlog by 20% each quarter. In the last 12 weeks, the backlog has been cut by 64 cases, according to Rice County Court Administration. Those numbers reflect cases in which the defendant was exonerated or in which sentencing was pronounced.
Funding to pay for the additional staff will come from money allotted to the county through the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The hope is that the county backlog can be a far more manageable number by June of 2023.
Northfield Schools give special attention to pre-school
The Northfield Public School District has put a renewed emphasis on pre-school and ensuring the youngest learners are ready for kindergarten when they get there.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said that pre-school was one of the core components of the 2018 bond referendum that – among other projects – built the new Greenvale Park Elementary School and allowed the district to bring all the pre-school and early learning programs together under one roof in the Area Learning Center, which is the former Greenvale Park Elementary School.
The Northfield Early Learning Program has earned a Four-Star rating from the State of Minnesota’s Parent Aware program, which is the highest rating that can be earned, and Hillmann said that rating comes in part because of the communication that has been established between all pre-school teachers and all kindergarten teachers.
Several times each year, he said, the district will invite every pre-school teacher from all pre-school programs in Northfield and kindergarten teachers from every program as well to discuss early learning issues, and the things that are working or not working in educating young kids. From those conversations, Hillmann said, they are able to extract data about the pre-school students and help kindergarten teachers to better prepare for incoming classes.
The Northfield School District takes preschool education very seriously, he said, if for no other reason than the dividends it can pay throughout a student’s learning career.
“There is a $17 return on every dollar invested in high-quality early learning. This is not just about getting kids to know their ABC’s, this is about getting kids to be prepared academically, socially and emotionally for kindergarten.”
Hillman said instead of seeing a K-12 system, Northfield looks at an E-12 environment, because he and everyone who works in the district’s early learning programs understand that if a student arrives at kindergarten having been properly prepared, the Northfield School System will then be able to carry the vast majority of those students all the way through high school graduation.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann can be heard here.
First City Council meeting of the year set for tomorrow night
And, for the first time in 2022, the Northfield City Council will meet tomorrow night in the Council Chambers at City Hall. 
After deciding which member of the Council will serve as the President Pro-Tem for 2022, the council will hear presentations giving an update on the Northfield Railroad Quiet Zone as well as the Rice County Ten Year Transportation Improvement Plan, which will be followed by a discussion. The Council will also consider amending the ordinance that prohibits jumping from bridges.
The fifteen item consent agenda will include, among other things, a resolution adopting the city’s new sustainable building policy.
As always, the City Council and the Northfield City Staff are eager to hear the opinions of the public on any matter whether the subject is on the Council agenda or not. There is time allotted at each meeting for the public to address the council on any topic an individual sees fit. Those who do not wish to address the council directly are encouraged to email their councilor or make use of the eComment function which can be found in the “Agendas” section of the city website.
The meeting will begin tomorrow night at 6:00.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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