On Monday night during their first meeting of the year, the Northfield School Board appointed Robert Coleman as the interim member of the 
board who will serve while Board Member Noel Stratmoen is away.
On December 12th, Stratmoen submitted a letter of temporary resignation to the school board due to health concerns. The board accepted his resignation and set about the process of finding a replacement. Eight people initially indicated that they would have interest in filling the role. Of those eight, six people addressed the board on Monday night, and from those six, four people were nominated for consideration. Coleman was the first of the four to receive votes from a majority of the members of the board and was thus selected to be appointed. He was administered the Oath of office and was immediately seated.
Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillman said it was gratifying to see so much interest in the temporary position.
“People do not necessarily want to get involved in public service, especially on a school board. We’ve seen a lot of controversy across the country that I think has frightened some people away from public service. It is a testament to this community and how we support education, how we’re able to have thoughtful and respectful dialogue even when we disagree, that eight people initially were willing to come forward for this seat.”
Stratmoen is able to step away because of a state statute that allows for the temporary resignation of a school board member. Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann compared the statue to the US Constitution’s Twenty-Fifth Amendment that provides for the President of the United States to step away for health reason’s or if their position has been compromised in any way. The Minnesota law states that Stratmoen will be able to return 90 days after his resignation date, meaning he will be eligible for reinstatement in mid-March. Hillmann said Stratmoen is held in the highest regard and respect on the board and having the statute in place makes the situation very easy to handle.
“Noel is the longest current serving board member in Minnesota, and we really are happy that he will have the opportunity to return and complete his term. This is really just good law. This is good law that state legislators have written to provide this opportunity for people to step away for a short period of time, and then come back.”
The state statute providing for Stratmoen’s temporary departure is worded so the is no requirement for the board to name an interim member, however Hillmann said that the board’s written policy is to fill the seat for the duration of the absence.
Board member Jeff Quinnell expressed some concern over the process and his belief that naming a replacement was not necessary. Quinnell entertained making a motion to establish a vetting committee of all the candidates but decided during the discussion to not make the motion.
Coleman is a two-time candidate for school board, who has served on several of the board’s advisory and action committees. He and his wife have two young children in the Northfield School District.
Minnesota Chamber President to give Chamber Banquet keynote
The Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the details of the annual Chamber Business Awards Banquet and Annual Meeting. 
A statement issued by the Chamber said the event will honor the 2023 Chamber Business of the Year, Chamber Businessperson of the Year, and the Chamber of Commerce Ambassador of the Year.
Chamber President Jane Bartho said they will also take some time to honor board members past and present.
“We are so excited to announce the Business of the Year, the Businessperson of the Year and the Ambassador of the year,” she said in the statement, “and to thank our incoming board members and outgoing board members. [We want] to celebrate our successes, to gather for fellowship, and to hear from our keynote speaker, Doug Loon.”
Loon is the President and CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, and prior to taking that position was with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for 20 years. He has run the Minnesota Chamber since 2015.
Along with honoring the business and people of the year, the statement said the event will highlight the 2022 accomplishments of the Chamber and outline the 2022-2023 strategic plan.
The Chamber Business Awards Banquet and Thursday, January 26 from 5:30-8:30pm at Armory Square. For information on how to register, visit northfieldchamber.com
Rice County working with State Health Department on Radon awareness
As January is Radon Action Month, Rice County Public Health is joining with the Minnesota Department of Health and the US Environmental 
Protection Agency to urge everyone to test their home for Radon.
Radon is an odorless, colorless and tasteless radioactive gas that occurs naturally in Minnesota soils and is often found at elevated levels in Minnesota homes. It is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who never smoked, however the risk is largely preventable through testing homes and fixing any problems.
A statement issued by Rice County said the only way for residents to know if their home has radon is to test for it.
Tests should be done in the lowest level of the home that is frequently occupied. Test devices are usually placed in the home for two to five days. The best time to test is during the heating season, but testing can be done year-round. With more people working and schooling from home, it’s even more important to test homes.
In homes found to have high radon levels, radon reduction typically involves installing a venting pipe and fan to pull the gas from under the home to the outside. This reduces the amount of radon in the home to low levels. Professionals conducting radon mitigation must be licensed by MDH, follow standards and affix an MDH tag to the system. A list of currently licensed radon mitigation professionals can be found on the Find a Radon Mitigation Professional page on the MDH website.
Test kits are available at many hardware stores, or directly from radon testing laboratories. MDH also conducts free inspections of radon mitigation systems installed after June 1, 2020. The inspections ensure systems were installed correctly and meet minimum requirements. Contact the MDH Indoor Air Unit to request an inspection.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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