After a gunman killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, Northfield Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Matt Hillmann reached out to district families to address school safety and offer resources for talking with kids about the tragedy.
Hillmann reiterated, as he has said many times throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, that student safety is the top priority of everyone in the district.
The information he included with his letter gave parents advice on how to approach the topic with their kids. For elementary students, providing clear and simple information, with solid examples of safety is key. Middle school students, it said, need to have questions answered in a way that separates “fantasy from reality.” With high school students, the emphasis should be on safety and what they can do to help keep themselves and others out of harm’s way.
Hillmann’s letter said school counselors and social workers are available to help all students, and parents should not hesitate to ask for help if they feel it is needed.
On a much more positive note, he said the recent spike in Covid-19 cases seems to be subsiding. The district uses the Influenza-like illness rate as its primary tool to measure the Covid activity within the district, and Dr. Hillmann said those numbers look very good. Five of the district buildings were under 1% of people with influenza-like symptoms, and all buildings were below 3%. He added at no time in the last two months did the rate approach the 5% threshold that would move the district to re-install the health protocols like a mask mandate and physical distancing.
As we all continue to adapt to a world with Covid-19, Hillmann said the district is doing the same thing.
“We continue to talk about managing this virus and living with this virus, which is what the experts are telling us we’re going to do. We’re going to see some spikes and some declines. It goes up and it does recede. And so, we’re learning how to manage that, and we think that this is how we’re going to deal with things moving forward.”
Those looking for information on how to discuss violence with children, can find the resources Hillmann shared by clicking here and by clicking here.
Extra law enforcement begins tomorrow for “100 Deadliest Days of the Year”
The Memorial Day weekend, which begins Friday, is the start of what’s known as the 100 deadliest days of the year on Minnesota roads.
Rice County Sheriff’s deputies, along with law enforcement officers across the state, will be out in extra patrols for the annual Click It or Ticket initiative.
In a statement issued by Rice County, Sheriff Jesse Thomas asked motorists to buckle up.
“We ask you to take a minute before you head out on the roadways and make sure you have your seat belt on correctly,” he said. “If you have children in car seats, make sure you have them properly secured. Please do your part to increase your odds of not being hurt in a crash by wearing your seat belt.”
Preliminary numbers show 167 of the state’s 488 traffic fatalities last year occurred between Memorial Day and Labor Day, making it the deadliest three-month stretch in a decade. In 2020, 158 were killed on the state’s roads during that same time period, about 40% of the 394 who died in motor vehicle crashes the entire year.
2020 was Rice County’s worst in a dozen years for traffic safety. Ten people died on the county’s roads, eight of them weren’t belted in. According to Minnesota law, drivers and passengers in all seating positions must wear seat belts or be in the correct child restraint. Belts should be tight across the hips or thighs and should never be tucked under the arm or behind the back.
“Your seat belt is your best defense in case of a crash,” said Thomas. “Please remember to drive smart, buckle up and make it home safe.”
New events calendar for all inclusive citywide happenings
Last week, the City of Northfield announced the establishment of a free online Community Event Calendar that will allow local organizations
to submit and display their upcoming events, and act as another tool to bolster tourism in Northfield.
Mayor Rhonda Pownell said that event planners and promoters throughout the city have been asking for a centralized event calendar for a long time, and with recent additions to City Staff it was something that became possible.
It fell to Northfield Director of Communications Michelle Mahowald to find the right company to make something like this work. Mahowald worked with Director of Library Services Natalie Draper who had experience with a company called Localist from her time in Richmond, Virginia, and recommended it highly. Draper said it is very easy for people to post their events, and even easier for people to find the things that would interest them.
“People in the community can go to one place and they can sort and filter events by topic or age group. If it’s an author talk or an art opening, or a play they can sort. So, it makes it really easy for the community to find things they want to do, and for people in the community who have events that they want to promote to help them get the word out. And it looks good to.”
Mahowald said that those submitting to the calendar do need to follow the calendar guidelines. Events must be inclusive, and open to all people. The calendar is intended for things like sporting events, school or community fundraisers, festivals, or for local establishments to promote food or drink specials and any live entertainment they might have.
Events of a more personal nature, like funerals, personal sales, family reunions, weddings, showers, and anniversaries do not qualify.
Claudia Garcia, the city Spanish Language translator is the person who manages the calendar for now. Among her many responsibilities, with help from Google Translate, she is ensuring that the calendar is multi-lingual, and thereby accessible to as many people as possible.
For more information on the new Events Calendar, visit events.northfieldmn.gov.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnnews.net
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