Some 4-5″ inches of snow fell overnight over South-Central Minnesota last night, and more is expected into the late morning hours. The snow
has caused many area school districts to either delay the start of the school day or cancel school altogether.
Northfield Public Schools are closed, and the students will have an eLearning Day. Northfield Superintendent of Public Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said snow is already drifting in the rural areas of the district, and with more on the way, it is not safe to transport students at this time.
Faribault Public Schools has announced that today will be an eLearning Day, and the school buildings will be closed. The district requests that students check their SeeSaw or Schoology account for messages and assignments from their teacher.
Kenyon Wanamingo Public Schools are closed today
Owatonna Public Schools are closed. Students will have a distance learning day. Students should follow their E-Learning schedules
Randolph Public Schools are closed, and the district has declared an E-Flex day. Randolph childcare is closed as well.
Tri City United Public Schools are closed today
The City of Northfield has declared a snow emergency that went into effect at 10pm last night and will remain in effect until 9am tomorrow morning.
During a snow emergency there is no parking on any city street until it is plowed curb-to-curb and the weather system has passed. Vehicles parked on the street will be ticketed with the potential of being towed during a snow emergency.
• Residential streets will be plowed on January 19
• Downtown snow removal will be on January 20
• Snow removal in all downtown parking lots will be on January 21
The City of Lonsdale has also declared a snow emergency that went into effect at 1:00 this morning.
The Northfield Area Family YMCA has announced that all youth programming, Child Watch, Wiggles and Giggles and swimming lessons have been canceled today, as have morning group exercises. The facility does remain open for normal business hours. Evening Group Exercise classes will run as scheduled.
City applying for $2 million in redevelopment help from DEED
During the Northfield Cty Council meeting on Tuesday night, Community Development Director Jake Reilly made a presentation to the council, 
asking for approval on a Redevelopment Grant application to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for the 5th & Water Streets project
According to the DEED website, half of the money in the redevelopment grant program is for projects outside of the seven county Twin Cities Metro area. The grants are allowed to pay up to half of the redevelopment costs, with a 50% local match. The city would seem to be in a good position, then, to receive some funding, and Reilly said the application asks for the maximum amount of $2 million.
City Administrator Ben Martig said that number is probably unrealistic but coming on the heels of a $25 million grant that the city received from the federal government to build a drinking water treatment plant that they were not expecting, there is renewed enthusiasm within the City Staff to ask for as much as possible.
“The grants are competitive. The $2 million would be a pretty big number, probably, in the amount of state funding. I think he said they allocate a portion of that to Greater Minnesota which we would qualify for, and you don’t typically see a lot of re-development in Greater Minnesota. I would say you probably typically see awards more in the six figures, so hundreds of thousands of dollars, probably not in the millions, but you always apply high because you never know what might happen.”
The money would be put toward the areas of property acquisition, building demolition, soil remediation, infrastructure improvements, and costs necessary for the adaptive reuse of buildings, such as asbestos abatement and lead paint mitigation.
City Councilor Kathleen Holmes asked about the local match money and where that would be cmng from. Reilly admitted he does not have an answer for that yet, but pointed out that the project is still very much in the planning phase, and the state would not have to see an immediate answer to that question.
Mayor Pownell said she is very happy to see the activity surrounding the 5th & Water Street project, as well as other economic development projects in the city. It gives an indication, she said, that Northfeld is a healthy and growing community.
“There’s a lot going on from an economic development standpoint. I’m just really pleased that there’s so much work going on behind the scenes. You don’t necessarily see it yet, but it just gives an indication to folks [that things are] happening and there’s going to be some great opportunities to watch for and give us your feedback and input.”
The deadline for the application is February 1st. DEED will make a decision sometime this year, and the funds will be made available in 2024.
Rice Soil and Water Conservation District wants you to buy trees
And even as the area digs out from yet another winter storm, the Rice Soil and Water Conservation District is offering a reminder that 
spring will arrive eventually
The SWCD has announced that the annual tree sale is open. From shrubs to beautiful trees, the district has a great selection of species to
meet the conservation needs of property owners. The trees may be planted for windbreaks, wildlife habitat, agroforestry, erosion control, and other conservation practices.
The Rice SWCD Tree Sale features twenty-nine species of trees and shrubs available for spring planting. New species this year include Bitternut Hickory and American Plum. Most of the stock is bare root, but a few potted evergreens are available. The district may also be able to special order species not listed on the order form.
Those who are looking to restore a woodlot or a windbreak or would like to create woodland habitat for wildlife or birds, should contact the SWCD office for assistance with planning and implementation. District staff with backgrounds in forestry are available to answer any questions regarding species selection and can help to make the right choice of trees and shrubs.
Once again this year, tree orders can be placed online and be paid by credit card. To do so, please visit the Rice SWCD’s online store. Those who would like to receive a paper order form through the mail should contact the Rice SWCD office at 507-332-5408. A paper order form can also be downloaded by visiting the SWCD website.
Orders will be taken until April on a first come first served basis. Species do sell out, so after February 26th, please call for availability. The trees typically arrive around the second week of April. The district also offers tree mats, fertilizer packets, and other tree supplies that can help make your planting a success.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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