One person is dead and three more are injured after a two-vehicle crash on Friday at 130th St. West and Baseline Road in Forest Township.
A statement released by Rice County said there were four occupants in the two vehicles, three of whom were trapped inside one vehicle as a result of the incident that took place at approximately 11am on Friday. The Northfield Fire and Rescue Service and the Faribault Fire Department assisted Rice County Deputies with vehicle extrication.
Northfield Ambulance, North Ambulance and North Air Care transported three victims to hospitals. The fourth victim, an adult female, died on scene.
The Rice County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the crash with the assistance from the MN State Patrol and has not as of yet released the names of any of the victims.
Library Oasis will begin rolled out opening next month
The long-discussed Northfield Public Library Oasis in the Northfield Community Resource Center should be ready to begin service sometime in September.
Director of Library Services Natalie Draper said the space is not very big, however it will have the same level of service that the community receives at the library’s main branch. She said the NCRC building is a perfect spot for a satellite library location for several reasons. As the home to many important non-profit organizations including the Community Action Center, Healthy Community Initiative, Head Start and Fifty North, as well as its proximity to many schools on the south side on town, it makes sense for the library to set up a location there.
It will not be staffed full-time, but there will be a self-serve checkout service, and it will be programmed in the same manner as the main branch. A book return has been in place for nearly a year and Draper said they are about to install a locker that will offer 24-hour access for people wanting to put something on hold but are not able to pick it up during regular library hours.
“We’re having a concrete pad poured so that we can have the remote locker installed and that will be coming in about the same time in September. You can have your Library ‘holds’ sent to this locker, and you can pick them up 24 hours a day. It’s like a locker with a computer built into it. So, you scan your card, and it knows – because we told it – which locker has your stuff in it, so you just scan your card, and it pops up in your door and the stuff is checked out to you automatically.”
It will offer a children’s play area, seating for reading and working, and two computers for public access. Draper said her favorite feature of the new space is the patio that was installed earlier this year. They have also painted and installed new lighting to help the small space seem larger
The oasis will be in the link space between the CAC and the Head Start entrance. While the space should be ready at the beginning of September, she said services at the Oasis will be rolled out over the course of two or three months.
For more information on the Northfield Public Library Oasis or how to assist in its opening, visit the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library website.
Changes made to the Dakota County Fair will remain in place this year
The Dakota County Fair will begin today. The organizers of the fair, which is one of the largest in the state, work all year long putting the event together, and take great pride in presenting something that families return to year-after-year, knowing what to expect and looking forward to something that is consistently meaningful.
As has been the case for the past two years, there is no admission to enter the fair. Organizer Mark Langer said that will be the case again this year. The $10 charge for parking remains, however, he said, that is by the carload. The more people loaded into a car to help pay the parking fee, he said, the less it will cost each person.
The Heritage Village, one of the perennial attractions of the fair, will offer some new events this year. On Saturday, the Northfield James/Younger Gang re-enactors will bring their award-winning bank raid demonstration to Dakota County, and another re-enactment featuring the Dillinger Gang on Sunday.
“Saturday in the Heritage Village, there’s going to be a jailbreak, bank robbery and then on Sunday there’ll be another bank robbery going on. There’s a bunch of guys in Northfield that are doing the Jesse James thing. I think they’re doing the Saturday event and then the Dillinger game will be there on Sunday. That’s one to see. They race around there with Model T’S and Model A’s. It’s loud. But it’s fun.”
The Grandstand will open tonight with the ATV Rodeo. The Kid’s Mutton Busting and Barrel Races will be Tuesday night, followed by the Bulls & Barrels Rodeo on Wednesday night. Beginning on Thursday, for the second straight year, the fair will present three consecutive nights of Demolition Derbies running through Saturday.
Live music has been a mainstay of the fair for years. The Johnny Holm Band will make their traditional Thursday night appearance on the Beer Garden Stage. Others appearing at the fair this year include Ben Aaron, Andy Tackett, Sweet Keys Dueling Pianos, and Chad Johnson and the Minnesota Transplants. The Beer Garden’s annual Battle of the Bands will begin tonight at 7:00.
The various 4H shows and judging events that are the foundation of the fair will be happening every day, including the Dairy Show set for 10am this morning, a full two hours before the fair officially begins.
The Dakota County Fair will run through Sunday. Admission to the fair is free, although Grandstand events do require a ticket, and those interested in the demolition derby are urged to buy their tickets early. Parking on the grounds is $10. The fair will open at Noon today and will run until 10pm. Tuesday through Saturday, hours will run from 7am until 10pm. The fair will close on Sunday at 7pm.
For more information visit dakotacountyfair.org or download the Dakota County Fair app.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Mark Langer of the Dakota County fair can be heard here
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
