First a retraction and an update:
- Yesterday KYMN News reported that the Northfield City Council would be considering increases to the 2024 tax levy options between 15% and 18.5%. This information was based on 2022 numbers and was in error. We apologize to the public for any confusion. The options before the council are currently 7.8%, 10.4%, and 12.8%. City Administrator Ben Martig indicated last night that revised options will be presented to the Council during a budgeting work session next week.
- After giving an interview to Jeff Johnson yesterday stating he had filed a lawsuit against Mayor Rhonda Pownell and members of the Northfield City Council, attorney David Ludescher notified KYMN News yesterday afternoon that his clients have decided to withdraw that filing. There is no further word on whether any more legal action will be taken.
BCA investigating death of man in FPD Custody
The City of Faribault released a statement yesterday that said a man died while in Faribault police custody early Sunday morning.
According to the statement, the Faribault police attempted to pull the man over for suspicion of impaired driving. His car was moving at a very slow speed, but he did not pull over, and according to the statement was observed by the police to be in and out of consciousness. After police stopped his car, they immediately called for an ambulance. The man was examined by the emergency medical team and was deemed safe for transport by police officers for DWI evaluation. While en route to the Rice County jail, according to the statement, the man lost consciousness and became unresponsive in the back of the squad car. The transporting officer once again called for an ambulance and attempted life saving measures, including the use of Narcan and CPR. He was taken by ambulance to the Allina Health Faribault Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Faribault Police immediately notified the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which will conduct a full investigation into the incident along with the Midwest Medical Examiner’s office where the man’s body was taken for an autopsy.
The man’s name has not yet been released. Faribault Chief of Police John Sherwin said in the statement that his department will not release his identity.
DJJD Committee will honor Heywood, Gustafson and Lyman today
The Defeat of Jesse James Days begins today with a pair of events that have become beloved traditions to many Northfield community members
The first is the annual graveside memorial ceremony for Joseph Lee Heywood and Nicholas Gustafson. As the Defeat of Jesse James Days is more than just an annual weekend of frivolity and a cornerstone of Northfield’s tourism business, the organizing committee begins each celebration by taking time to honor and thank the two Northfielders who died during the James Younger Gang raid. Heywood, of course, is the man who refused to open the bank vault for the robbers and was murdered by Frank James. Gustafson was a Swedish immigrant who was killed in the crossfire as the gang shot its way out of town.
In honor of the 75th anniversary of the celebration, Tim Freeland and his father have spent the summer cleaning Heywood’s gravestone. Having stood for 147 years in Northfield Cemetery, it has been beset by mold and algae. Freeland said they found a special cleaner to help with the process.
“You use a special product that was developed for the Arlington National Cemetery. It’s a chemical that kills algae, bacteria, lichen, mold and all of that stuff that collects on the stones. It’s called D2. You put that on the stone, and you let it sit and over the next couple weeks it gets brighter and brighter as it gets deeper into the stone, and it kills all the bad algae.”
The second event set for tonight is the annual Joseph Lee Heywood Distinguished Service Award Banquet. The event is held every year to honor the recipient of the annual Joseph Lee Heywood Distinguished Service Award, and this year the award will go to Gene Lyman. At 92 years old, Lyman indeed holds a distinguished resume in serving his community. Lyman is a former President of the Minnesota 4-H and a former director of the Northfield Farm Bureau. He was co-chair of the Northfield Junior Chamber of Commerce, a board member of the Chamber of Commerce, served on both the Rice County Planning Commission and the Northfield Industrial Development Corporation. Lyman also has a long history of involvement with the Defeat of Jesse James Days Celebration.
The banquet will be held tonight at 5pm at the Northfield Ballroom. Organizers have said a few tickets are still available for $25, and some of the pins that serve as an entry for a cash drawing are available as well for $125. The graveside memorial is scheduled for today at Noon at the Northfield Cemetery.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
