Cannon River Drug Task Force Investigation
In the year of 2023, agents with the Cannon River Drug and Violent Offender Task Force opened 120 new cases, executed approximately 181 controlled substance related search warrants that resulted in 94 arrests. During these investigations, a total of 15,932 grams (35.1 Pounds) of controlled substances were seized. The controlled substances include Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Heroin, Powder Fentanyl, M30 Fentanyl Pills, DMT, LSD, Psilocybin Mushrooms, MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly), Raw Marijuana/Wax. The controlled substances, when broken down into smaller amounts and sold at the street level has a value of $744,000.
Agents seized 36 firearms, one being a fully automatic assault rifle seized in rural Rice County, which is the most seized in a single year over the past 10 years. During the investigations agents seized $37,500 of US Currency in relation to profits from controlled substances sales.
In 2023 the most common drug in our community continues to be Methamphetamine. The task force seized approximately 3,102.8 grams of methamphetamine (6.8 pounds). It’s common for upper level drug dealers in our area to be communicating with sources from Mexico who then make arrangements to pick up the meth in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
In 2023 Fentanyl use and distribution also continues to be on the rise. The task force is finding Fentanyl at the majority of search warrants that are executed. The counterfeit Fentanyl pills, often referred to as “Blues” or “MBox 30’s”, are far more prominent in our area than the white powder Fentanyl. Fentanyl continues to be most common type of drug causing overdoses in our area and among our youth. Agents investigated approximately 26 overdoses that occurred in the area over the past year. There have been several investigations that indicate use in our school aged children, with the youngest being only 14 years old.
School Bonding Referendum
The Northfield School Board is working toward putting a referendum before the voters later this year. What that will look like, no one knows at this point. The board should find out some valuable information next Monday when they meet for a work session “We are now getting to the point of options so representatives from Wold Architects and Knutson Construction, those are the firms that we worked with for the 2018 bond referendum projects that all came in $2 million less than anticipated. They will start to give us some costs on some of the options. There’s a variety of ways that we can solve the problems that have been identified. Wold and Knutson are going to start sharing with the Board what those costs could be based upon their best estimates, so we’re moving toward that,” says Superintendent Matt Hillmann. In the meantime, they are still looking for the public’s input. The district has given a series of tours recently, and there is still time and opportunity to take one if you haven’t. “I really encourage people, I’ve had a few people say, ‘Oh I went to school there, I know what that place is like’ and I would just invite you to consider coming to a tour because I’ve toured a number of alumni who graduated as recently as 10 years ago who come back in with a fresh look and say, ‘Oh, I really hadn’t thought of it that way,’ and so please come on a tour. We just want you to see what we’re talking about and then you can make your own decision about what you think the right pathway to move forward is.”
The next tour is Saturday morning, January 20, from 10am-noon. You can also participate in a random survey conducted by Morris Leatherman. They are contacting 400 district residents for their input. While many people don’t answer calls from numbers they don’t know, look for a 507 number with Morris Leatherman appearing in the caller ID. In addition, there will be a public information and feedback meeting later in the month. According to Superintendent Hillmann, “Format for that meeting is we’re going to meet in the auditorium, we’re going to share some information, the problems to solve, the cost of what some of the potential options could be. Then we’re going to have people break out into up to seven rooms, and in each room there will be a Board member and an administrator and everyone in that room will have an opportunity to share their perspective.” That meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 29, from 6-8pm in the HS Auditorium.
Former Northfield mayor and longtime local businessman Jerry Anderson passed away yesterday at the age of 79. Anderson was Northfield’s mayor in the late 1980’s, and served the Northfield Fire Department and Rural Fire Department for decades. We’ll have more in our Funeral Announcements to come.
