Rice County Public Health is reminding everyone that, as the new school year begins to approach, getting children vaccinated according to the recommended immunization schedule is one of the most important things parents can do to help protect their child’s health.
When children are not vaccinated, they are at increased risk for potentially serious and even life-threatening diseases. They can also spread disease to others in their classroom and community – including babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated, and people with weakened immune systems due to cancer or other health conditions.
A statement issued this week by the county said vaccines are among the safest and most cost-effective ways to prevent disease. They can help reduce time missed from school due to illness and save money on expensive treatments or hospitalizations.
The county is making vaccines available through Rice County Public Health for uninsured children, children on meal assistance programs and adults who are uninsured. Walk-in immunization clinics are held from 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays at the Rice County Public Health Department office in Faribault. Appointments are preferred but are not required. If the Tuesday window is not convenient, call 507-332-6111 to schedule an appointment.
For more information on which vaccines children need before attending school, click here.
Northfield Police, EMS lean into recruiting
On Tuesday night, hundreds of Northfielders took the opportunity during Night to Unite to enjoy a summer evening with their neighbors, many of whom were just getting to know each other.
Northfield Chief of Police Mark Elliott said that, in fact, is the main point of Night to Unite. Bringing neighbors together and helping them get to know each other creates safer neighborhoods.
There are other reasons for Night to Unite, however. Organizers are encouraged to register their parties in order to receive activities for kids to do during the night, and they will receive a visit from a member of the local police department, fire department or emergency medical service, along with an accompanying emergency vehicle.
Melissa DeGroot of Northfield EMS said members of her department were called away from public visits on Tuesday night due to an abundance of emergency calls, which was a shame, because generally when the EMS paramedics or emergency medical technicians meet members of the public it’s during a difficult, and even frightening situation. The opportunity to get out and meet members of the public in a non-emergency situation is something that can be very helpful to all first responders and can pay dividends years down the road.
Just as law enforcement agencies are having difficulty recruiting new people into the industry, DeGroot said Emergency Medical Services are having similar troubles. Northfield EMS has programs in place to train people to become EMT’s and Northfield Hospital + Clinics has a tuition reimbursement program to help EMT’s become paramedics. Despite competitive wages, benefits and training, she said younger generations do not seem to be considering careers in emergency medicine.
Elliott pointed out that an evening like Night to Unite, then, becomes an invaluable tool to reach out to the youngest generations, to let them see the professions up close, and maybe start to dream about being heroes.
“We have people on our force that had wanted to be a police officer from a very young age and having the opportunity to go and see that equipment firsthand – crawl through the squad, push some buttons and see the ambulance or the fire truck – that’s an important part of our recruiting process. We want to let them ask their questions and start to think about if this is a career that’s right for them.”
For information on how to join the Northfield Emergency Medical Service, call 507-646-6551. For information on the requirements to become a police officer in the State of Minnesota, visit mn.gov/post.
UK coaches instructing Northfield soccer youth
This week many young Northfield athletes have participated in a unique soccer camp offered through Northfield Public Schools and Challenger Sports.
While the game of soccer is arguably the most popular sport in the world, it lags behind football, baseball, basketball and hockey in the United States. Challenger Sports creates camps for kids ages 3-16 in an effort to educate kids about the game and promote the sport across the country. The organization employs soccer coaches from around the world to offer what they consider to be the finest instruction available, and this week Finlay Anderson of Dundee, Scotland and Jack Watson of Manchester, England, both 19 years old, have been in Northfield, teaching kids the fundamentals of the game they love.
Anderson and Watson are both university students, both studying Football Coaching and Management, and both work for lower-level football clubs in the UK doing what Watson called “Opposition Research.”
“We put together large presentations and video clips, editing individual video player clips, so that our players could look at particularly in specific, who they’re up against in the game that weekend. Show them what they’re what to expect, what foot they are, what their traits are to sort of prepare their mind. So that when they play, they’re ready.”
In their roles as youth coaches, both gentlemen take real joy in helping kids improve their soccer skills and watching their enjoyment of the game grow. Anderson said he also enjoys talking with parents, advising them on which areas their particular son or daughter should work. He said he will often write down instructions for a drill or an exercise the kid can use to improve passing or ball control skills.
While Watson is currently on his first trip to America, Anderson said he spent ten weeks in the U.S. last summer. As Challenger tends to move their coaches around quite a bit from week-to-week, between his time here last summer and this summer, he has now visited some 18 states across the country. What he has found to be surprising, he said, aside from America’s sheer size and vast expanse, are the stories he hears about every community where he has coached.
“There are various differences. Every sort of little town and place has its own story and background. Obviously, we’ve been learning about the bank robber Jesse James while we’ve been here, which is a unique thing. Back home, I’m from a town that is a similar size and there’s nothing like [Jesse James] there. No famous stories or anything like that.”
While the camp will wrap up today, Challenger Sports and the Northfield School District have plans to offer it again in 2024.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Finlay Anderson and Jack Watson can be heard here
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
