Rice County authorities are currently searching for a vulnerable adult who has been missing since Monday morning. 
A statement released by the sheriff’s office said that Benjamin Marek, age 23, was last seen at 7am on Monday as he was driving to work in Lonsdale and has not been seen since then. There is concern for his well-being.
Benjamin was last seen wearing a tan Carhartt jacket, jeans and a pair of Red Wing boots. He was driving a tan and gray colored, 2009 Chevy Colorado truck, with Minnesota license plate number CMV 237.
Benjamin’s family is concerned about his uncharacteristic behavior. Those who might see Benjamin or his truck, or might have information on his whereabouts, should please contact the Rice County Sheriff’s Office at 507-334-4391.
State of the City event covers a wide range of topics
Krakum Performance Hall in the Weitz performing Arts Center on the Carleton College Campus was mostly full last night for Northfield’s 
The event was a multi-media presentation using video, music and live remarks. City Administrator Ben Martig gave a brief introduction before a humorous video featuring City Councilor George Zuccolotto shooed him off of the stage.
Mayor Pownell then took the podium and declared how proud she is of the accomplishments the City of Northfield has made over the past year.
She first discussed the adoption of the city’s Strategic Plan, and how it will help the city to set its priorities over the next three years. She then ticked off a list of ways she sees the city “working hard for everyone.” The mayor listed improvements in customer service plans with the Department of Motor Vehicles, the installation of broadband cable and the expansion of public wifi, the creation of the city’s Community Events Calendar, and the decision by the Northfield Public Library to drop late fees along with the coming new Library Oasis at the NCRC building.
The mayor then spoke about public safety, heralding the new full time Fire Chief position, and the addition of a data coordinator with the Northfield Polce Department, before pivoting to the need she sees for the controversial two-lane protected bikeways that are set to be constructed throughout Northfield beginning this summer. The mayor also praised developments with the Mill Towns Trail, the restoration and re-opening of Northfield’s historic train depot and the soon-to-be-built transit hub it will host.
The program then shifted to video presentations about the winners of the annual city awards. Tracy Davis Heisler was given the Board & Commission Excellence Award, and the Living Treasure Award was given to former Northfield choir director Wayne Kivell. Northfield High School Senior Preston Aldrich was named this year’s recipient of the Ethical Leadership Award, while City Planner Mikayla Schmidt was given the city’s Employee Excellence Award. Finally, Emmaus Church was recognized as the winner of the 2023 Human Rights Award.
Mayor Pownell took the stage again to praise the participation of so many of Northfeld’s youth on the various city boards and commissions and on the Mayor’s Youth Council. She then discussed the Climate Action Plan, the new climate friendly Sustainable Buildng Code, the city’s work with Xcel Energy on energy efficiency, the zero-waste plan, and the refurbishment of city facilities to be more climate friendly.
She praised the Park & Recreation Department and talked about the importance of Northfeld parks to the community before hinting that a referendum on building more indoor recreation space could be on the horizon. Finally, she ended her remarks by talking about the redevelopment plan of Bridge Square and how more riverfront redevelopment could affect the city.
After a presentation of the very charming winners of the annual 4th & 5th grade Mayor for a Day essay contest, the presentation concluded with musical performances by the Northfield Youth Choir, and local multi-instrumentalist Helen Forsythe.
Arcadia to host open house tomorrow night
Arcadia Charter School will host an open house on Thursday night for 5th grade students and their families who are considering enrolling at 
Arcadia for the 2023-24 school year.
Originally founded in 2001 as the Northfield School of Arts and Technology, or ARTech for short, the school changed its name to Arcadia in 2012 to better reflect the full spectrum of education the school offers for students in grades 6-12. As a Charter School, Arcadia is founded on a charter that states students will learn in a project-based curriculum. Executive Director Laura Stelter said, alongside what would be considered standard classroom work, students complete at least one project every quarter. In Middle School, those projects are structured around themes with teachers watching over relatively closely as the students develop some independent learning skills.
High school students, she said, have more independence and usually select their own projects. The school does not have a list of projects to choose from. Instead, the students are encouraged to find something about which they are curious. Stelter said should they choose a project that a member of the staff is not acquainted with, they will work with the student to find a mentor.
“We had a student who really wanted to do woodworking, so we teamed up with the Cannon Valley Makers. The student went and worked in the Cannon Valley Makers space with a mentor and built a table with a resin center. He had never done any woodworking before. So that was a pretty impressive long project.”
In the State of Minnesota, Charter Schools are required to be set up as public schools, which means they are funded in the same ways standard school districts are funded through the state. They are also required to have an authorizing body that will help set academic and operational expectations and oversee school performance. Arcadia, as well as Prairie Creek Community School, are authorized by the Northfield School District, which Stelter said is an unusual arrangement.
“What’s unique about our relationship with the district that we’re in is that we are authorized by the Northfield School District. [In fact,] Prairie Creek and Arcadia are two of only three schools in the state of Minnesota that are authorized by their school district. And we have this really positive, wonderful working relationship with the school district. We really support each other.”
The open house on Thursday night will run from 6:00 until 7:30. Stelter said the meeting is geared toward 5th graders, but anyone interested in attending the meeting and learning more about Arcadia is welcome.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
[recent_post_carousel slides_to_show=”1″ limit=”5″ slides_to_scroll=”1″ category=”10″ media_size=”medium” dots=”false” show_read_more=”false”]
