A deck collapse in Northfield over the weekend sent multiple people to the hospital, one with serious injuries. 
According to a statement released by the Northfield Police Department, at about 8:30 on Saturday night the deck, upon which stood approximately 12 people as well as a grill in which a fire had been burning, collapsed inwardly dropping everyone about seven feet to the ground below. One person was reported to have a lower leg compound fracture, while another was complaining of chest pains. The fire that had been burning was out, but the grill was still hot, and some people suffered contact burns.
Scanner reports showed Emergency responders from the Northfield Police Department, Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service, and Northfield Hospital EMS were dispatched to the residence at 836 Fremont Avenue South. At least three ambulances were called to the scene to transport the injured to Northfield Hospital, while others were transported by private vehicles.
According to reports, this had been a day-long celebration. By the time of the collapse, many of the attendees had left or gone inside. One witness said the situation could have been “a lot worse.”
According to the police statement, initial assessments show the ledger board, which secured the deck to the house, separated from the deck. Building officials will flow up on determining the exact cause.
Pursell looks for ‘Right to Repair,’ grain indemnity action
Representative Kristi Pursell said among the many things she has learned during her first session as the House Representative of District 58A, is how little say the state has in matters pertaining to agriculture. 
Pursell, who is the Vice Chair of the House Ag Committee, said most of the agriculture policy is governed by the Federal Government. Crop insurance regulation, commodity pricing, SNAP food assistance program and school lunch programs are all governed by the Federal Department of Agriculture.
Pursell said she finds the situation to be pretty frustrating, especially when she hears from so many of her constituents about agricultural issues. Last week in fact during the Land Stewardship Project’s annual breakfast, which she said was attended by more than 300 people, sh participated in a panel with the Vice Chair of the Senate Ag Committee, and was asked about several issues including reestablishing the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Citizens Oversight Board, and what will be included in the Commerce Committee’s Right to Repair Bill.
“Mostly we want to make sure that farmers have the right to repair their half-million-dollar pieces of equipment. If they have to wait or travel really far to get to a dealer, for that dealer to be the only entity that is able to service their machine, that really puts them at a disadvantage, especially when time is of the essence. They need to get planting; they need to get harvesting. So I’m having lots of conversations with folks to make sure that Ag is not exempt from the Right to Repair Bill.”
Pursell said she was disappointed that her committee was given a budget target of just $48 million as she believes it should be at least double that amount, and the parameters put on the state by the Federal Department of Agriculture can be frustrating, but there are still things she believes the state can do to, as she put it, “Tweek things around the edges.”
For example, she said, the state can incentivize more activity in the Farm-to-School programs which provide fresh produce to schools from local farms. It can also incentivize better soil health practices. And she said she would like to see the state do more to help protect farmers in their primary investments.
“Starting a grain indemnity fund so that farmers aren’t left holding the bag after they grow and sell their grain to an elevator and then if the elevators go bankrupt or go under, making sure that the farmers are the ones getting reimbursed. So, there are things we can do at a state level and. I think it’s really important that we do that.”
Pursell said the Senate has passed its version of the Agriculture Omnibus Bill, and she expects the House version to come up for a vote in the next two weeks.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Kristi Pursell can be heard here
Sullivan steps away as Activities Director, Graupmann inducted into Hall of Fame
Last week Northfield High School Principal Shane Baier announced that John Mahal will become the Director of Student 
Activities beginning July 1st.
Baier said Mahal is an experienced educator and leader. He has served as a special education teacher in Northfield Public Schools, an assistant elementary principal in Shakopee Public Schools and most recently as an elementary principal in Albert Lea Area Schools. He has shown a strong commitment to relationships and equity and has valuable skills and experience in the areas of K-12 classroom teaching, coaching and school level administration.
Mahal will succeed former Northfield High School Head Football Coach Bubba Sullivan who, after assuming the role last year upon the exit of Joel Olson who left to become the principal at Faribault High School, has decided to return to the classroom.
Baier said some 35 teachers, coaches, advisors, students, and parents were involved in the selection process.
Meanwhile, former Director of Activities Tom Graupman has been inducted into the Minnesota Interscholastic Activities Administrators Association Hall of Fame.
Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said Graupmann was instrumental in many positive changes at Northfield High School, and there were very few events that Graupmann did not attend.
“I think many of us know that Tom was just everywhere when he was activities director. In fact, sometimes I thought he was cloned because I’d go to a couple of events [on one night] and he was at both of them. And I always thought he must have had a Star Trek transporter to get between places.”
Beyond his work at Northfield, Hillmann said Graupmann also served on the board of the Minnesota State High School League for many years, several of them as Chair.
Hillmann said Graupmann, who retired in 2017, still does some substitute teaching and remains closely connected to the Northfield School District.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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