A Kenyon woman is dead after her vehicle collided with a tractor outside of Dennison late Tuesday night.
According to a statement issued by Nerstrand Fire and Rescue, multiple first response agencies were summoned to a vehicle fire at the intersection of MN State Highway 56, north of 390th street, shortly after 11pm on Tuesday.
The statement said a tractor pulling an implement and a GMC Sierra pickup truck had collided, and upon arrival the responders found the pickup fully engulfed in flames.
Upon extinguishment of the fire, responders found one woman dead in the truck. There were no other occupants in the vehicle.
Reports from the Minnesota State Patrol say the tractor was traveling northbound on Highway 56 while the truck was traveling southbound when both vehicles collided.
Authorities identified the woman in the truck as Christa Lynn Webster, 48, of Kenyon. The driver of the tractor, Logan Kremmin, 19, of Northfield, was not injured.
The statement said the Minnesota State Patrol and Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division are investigating the accident as well as the cause and origin of the fire.
Council faced an unhappy gallery on Tuesday
Passions and tempers flared during the Northfield City Council meeting on Tuesday night, as the Council awarded the bid for the 2023 mill & overlay street project and declared a petition that had requested the funding for that project be put to a public referendum to be insufficient.
At issue are protected two-lane bikeways and an off-road bike path that are part of the street construction plan. The curb on Heritage Lane and Lincoln Street South will be extended by eight feet creating a public right of way where the off-road bike path will be built. Many of the residents in that area have protested the project, calling it wasteful, unsafe and intrusive. A petition asking for a reverse referendum on the funding of the street projects received more than 1100 signatures. After it was turned into the city and reviewed by legal counsel, it was found to be lacking in six of the nine criteria necessary for the petition to have legal standing under Minnesota State Statute. Had the petition been valid, the city would have been forced to either hold a public referendum on the funding for the project, or table the project without the ability to issue bonds on it for one year. Either option would have effectively canceled the street projects for 2023.
During the meeting on Tuesday night as the Council prepared to discuss the resolution, several of the petitioners spoke to the Council asking them to reconsider. A refrain heard over and over from those opposed to the project was that the council was not listening to them.
Local attorney and former city councilor David Ludescher was asked to leave the meeting after attempting to speak before the council twice on the matter, which is against the council meeting rules. Mayor Rhonda Pownell also said he had been disruptive during the meeting for inciting applause after some were done addressing the council, another violation of council rules.
The mayor and other members of the council, Councilor Jessica Peterson White in particular, addressed the accusation of “not listening” by reminding the gallery that the city had hosted public meetings on the issue. Peterson White said the council’s responsibility is to take the needs of the entire community into consideration and not just the 5-7% of the city population who signed the petition.
Councilor Brad Ness voiced strong opposition to declaring the petition invalid and awarding the bids, but was the lone voice against on the council, as both resolutions passed 5-1.
Ludescher has threatened litigation over the matter. There is no word yet if he will follow through.
Landfill fire meeting will include presentation by County Environmental Services
Rice County is planning a public meeting next week to provide information to residents regarding the recent fire at the Rice County Solid Waste Facility.
Late in the day on Monday, May 22nd, firefighters from the Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service were called to the landfill when the fire broke out. At that time NAFRS Chief Tom Nelson and Faribault Fire Chief Dusty Dienst determined, due to the size of the burning area and the difficulty in reaching it, that it was best to let the fire burn itself out.
Employees, contractors and consultants worked on containing the fire until late last week. With no water infrastructure in the area, millions of gallons of water were brought in via tanker trucks. Rice County Sheriff’s Deputies piloted a pair of drones over the area helping to determine where the fire was burning. Finally, thousands of pounds of dirt were brought in to bury and smother the fire where it could be reached.
During that period of time, the county was working with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency. Rice County Public Health issued warnings to residents that the air quality was low, and those with pre-existing conditions should take precautions.
Despite the warnings, concerns have been raised regarding air quality in Northfield and Faribault while the fire was burning, and the wisdom of letting it burn for nearly two weeks. There have also been complaints that not enough information was supplied about what was burning and what exactly was being put into the air.
The meeting will include a presentation by county Environmental Services staff and time for residents to ask questions about the incident, the county’s response, and the data that has been gathered.
The meeting is set for 6pm next Tuesday, June 13th, in the Commissioners meeting room at the Rice County Government Services Building in Faribault.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
