Former Rice County Sheriff’s Sgt. Justin Hunt was honored posthumously this week with a Meritorious Service Award from the Special
Operations Training Association.
The award recognizes “an individual who distinguishes themselves by providing exceptional service in the performance of his or her duties. This honor may be awarded for either sustained, long-term, noteworthy achievement or a single significant event.”
Hunt, who passed away unexpectedly while off duty this past June, was nominated for the award by members of the South Metro SWAT team.
During his two-decade long career in law enforcement, Hunt served on the South-Central Drug Investigation Unit SWAT and later the South Metro SWAT team. A Faribault native who graduated from Faribault High School in 1999, Hunt began his career as a corrections officer in Douglas County before returning to Rice County as a part-time officer for the Lonsdale Police Department and Rice County corrections officer. He then served for 13 years as a Faribault police officer before taking a job as a Rice County Sheriff’s deputy in 2017.
Hunt’s wife, Maggie, and Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas accepted the award Monday on Hunt’s behalf during the SOTA annual training conference. Both thanked the association for the award, and the South Metro SWAT team for its nomination. Each expressed how important training and mentoring his teammates was to Sgt. Hunt during his long tenure on SWAT.
“Sgt. Hunt was well deserving of this award,” said Rice County Sheriff’s Sgt. Paul LaRoche, “and he is a dearly missed member of our team.”
Rice County begins accepting absentee ballots for First District special election primary
The primary for the special election to fill the 1st Congressional District seat that was vacated last month when Congressman Jim Hagedorn
passed away, is set for next month and Rice County has been working diligently to prepare for the process.
Due to the increased concern regarding election transparency, particularly regarding absentee ballots, the County Board of Commissioners has taken steps to increase visibility of the work done by the Absentee Ballot Board.
Last month the Commissioners approved measures that will include the hiring of partisan election judges and the installation of a camera in the Elections Department conference room so members of the public can watch a live video feed as elections workers receive, process, and accept the ballots.
A group of local voters and the Upper Midwest Law Center objected to wording in the measure. A letter sent to the Board of Commissioners and County Officials dated March 31st took issue with who will be acting as election judges and threatened a lawsuit over the matter. While the County measure provides for “election judges and/or staff from the Property Tax & Elections Department,” to process the ballots, the group pointed to a recent State Supreme Court decision requiring “counties to include a sufficient number of election judges, who are party balanced” on the Absentee Board. The decision said that boards must consist of a balanced group of partisan election judges consisting of representatives from each of Minnesota’s four major parties, Republican, DFL, Grassroots Legalize Cannabis, and Legal Marijuana Now.
Rice County Attorney John Fossum said the county has resolved the matter through conversation and explicit definition of terms. The County will seek to hire members of each party to act as election judges, who are called upon to determine the validity of a ballot in the event that there is a discrepancy.
The challenge will be finding enough members of each party to fill the number of judges needed. Fossum said that all options for filling the seats with partisan members will be exhausted but hiring could also be supplemented by employees of the County Elections Office.
Fossum said because of the added need to fill the 1st District Seat, the election processes this year will be more complicated and longer lasting than in a normal election year.
“Our election stretches out for weeks. And the ballot for this special primary election for the First Congressional District started being mailed out last Friday. They can start being reviewed for accuracy and whether or not they’re accepted [right away.] We’re moving forward with all of that. It’s a complex process and there’s a lot going on. Basically, we’re in election mode from now until November.”
The primary for the special election is May 24th, and the special election itself will be August 9th.
Reporter Cait Kelley contributed to this story
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Rice County Attorney John Fossum can be heard here
Northfield adds yard waste pickup to sanitation removal service
Northfield residents can now add yard waste to their garbage and recycling curbside pickup services. 
Beginning on April 18th and running into November, Northfielders who register for the new service will receive a 96-gallon container for yard waste. The service also allows for as many as 10 additional compostable bags for excess yard waste next to the container. The waste will be collected weekly on Monday.
A statement released by the city said the weekly yard waste collection service rate is $7.50 per month. While the service will only run between April and November, the billing will be year-round, and will come to a total of $90 per year.
“With spring upon us, now’s a good time to sign up before you miss a pickup week,” said Dave Bennett, Northfield’s public works director and city engineer, in the statement.
Bennett said the city currently has more than 450 homes signed up and would like to continue to expand the program.
“We hope more Northfield residents find the program to be an accessible and convenient way to responsibly dispose of yard waste,” he said.
Acceptable yard waste items include grass clippings, leaves, tree branches, plants and flowers. Garbage, food, rocks, and dirt will not be accepted. The service is operated by the city’s refuse hauling partner Dick’s Sanitation.
For enrollment information please click here
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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