The Cannon Falls Police Department has identified the man who allegedly shot a woman in a domestic dispute on 
Wednesday morning.
A statement issued by the Cannon Falls PD said Dean I. Anderson, age 25, of Cannon Falls was the alleged gunman. After the shooting victim contacted police, they arrived at a home on the 300 block of 1st Street N in Cannon Falls and found her bleeding from the head. She was transported by ambulance to a level one trauma center.
A five-hour standoff ensued as police made attempts to contact Anderson inside the house. Finally, a search warrant was executed to enter the residence. Anderson was found inside with a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The female victim was treated and released from the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury. Her name is not being released.
Middle school activities may not be eliminated, fees would go up
Northfield Superintendent of Public Schools, Dr. Matt Hillmann, said the recent open house meetings held by the 
district were attended by 150-175 people to discuss the current round of budget cuts that have been proposed for next year.
Last year, the Northfield School District was forced to cut $4 million from the budget due to declining enrollment and what Hillmann has called “chronic underfunding” of public education by the State of Minnesota. After careful analysis, the district has concluded that an additional $2.5 million must be taken out of the budget for next year as well.
Among the proposed cuts have been the full elimination of the online Portage program, transportation fees for those who live within two miles of their school and use the school bus, changes to the middle school schedule, and the elimination of most middle school activities.
Hillmann said it was the middle school activities that received the most attention at the open houses. Families of middle school students made it clear to the Northfield School Board and the district staff that those activities are very important. Dr. Hillmann said in order to keep them in place, they will have to substantially increase the middle school activity fees. He said over the years, they have tried to keep those fees low, even as the activity fees at the high school have grown. Increasing the fees will also mean that donations to the district’s Angel Fund, which provides assistance for underprivileged students so they can participate in after-school activities, will have to increase as well.
He said, by-and-large, most of the meeting attendees understand the circumstances behind the budget cuts, but that doesn’t decrease the frustration that they feel. He also said there was a lot of frustration expressed with the state government and the lack of action to address the problem.
“This is not just a Northfield problem; this is a structural problem. When you see Wayzata cutting $6 million, Edina cutting $4 million, Mankato $9 million, Rochester $14 million, Farmington $2 million, Lakeville $7 million, New Prague $4.5 million. If those are the districts that are struggling, then this is bigger than any local issue and it requires a statewide fix.”
The Northfield School Board will meet in a work session on Monday to further discuss the feedback they received. Dr. Hillmann also said he has set aside time for community members and parents/caregivers to meet one-on-one on Monday afternoon to share thoughts and feedback. To schedule a 15-30 minute meeting email him at mhillmann@northfieldschools.org. Interpreters will be available as needed.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann can be heard here
Strong sense of urgency for Mill Towns Trail funding
As the economics of the 2023 State Legislative Sesson slowly begin to come into focus, the City of Northfield and 
Rice County are making another push to secure funding through a state bonding bill to finally complete Northfield’s section of the Mill Towns Trail.
The trail is a segment of the larger, 80-mile paved bicycle trail system that will connect Red Wing with Mankato, and it has been in some form of progress for over 30 years. Much of the project is complete, including the Cannon Valley Trail, which runs from Red Wing to Cannon Falls, and the Sakatah Singing Hills Trail which runs from Faribault to Mankato. And while those two segments have been complete for quite some time, the Mill Towns Trail remains problematic.
Rice County Commissioner Galen Malecha said the Joint Powers Agreement between the county, Northfeld, Faribault and Dundas to build the trail is not a taxing entity, and therefore, for the trail to be built, they have to find funding sources.
“DNR funding, Parks and Trails Council funding, Legacy Funds, which come from the pull tab money. And every chance we get, be it the City of Northfield, be it the City of Faribault, Dundas, Rice County – we’re always trying to find grant monies to be able to work on this project.”
Mayor Rhonda Pownell said Northfield has been working on this project for more than 20 years, with little progress. The six-and-half mile segment that would run through Northfield is estimated to cost about $11.5 million. The city has asked the state for $8 million in the bonding bill that is currently being discussed in the legislature, and City Administrator Ben Martig has made it clear that the money is the city’s top legislative priority this year.
Part of the urgency for the funding from the bonding bill this year comes from the fact that the roads to which the trail would run parallel through the city are scheduled to be worked on in the near future. Mayor Pownell said that is a perfect opportunity to get the trail done.
“Most of it will be within the city right of way, which is why it’s really important that the trail go in at the same time that we are redoing some of those roads. Jefferson Parkway is set to be redone; I believe in 2024-2026. Wall Street Road, which is Rice County owned, is set to be redone in 2024 and that will also connect in with the trail.”
Malecha said the state tends to favor collaborative projects in a bonding bill and that makes this a prime project for state bonding. However, while the money Northfield has requested is in the House of Representatives version of the bill, it is not in the Senate’s version.
Both Pownell and Malecha are urging members of the community to contact Representative Kristi Pursell, Senator Bil Lieske, and Governor Walz’s office to express support for the project and help to ensure that the trail will become a reality.
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”]
