The Rice County Sheriff’s Department is preparing for the summer boating season.
Captain Nathan Budin oversees the Water Patrol Division of the Sheriff’s Office. He said members of his department are out on the water right now deploying buoys to act as markers for swimming areas and to warn boaters of shallow water or rocks. He called the buoys a reminder, saying they mark something unseen, and whenever they are encountered, boaters should look at their maps in order to discern the situation. And if a boater forgot their map, Budin said they can use their phone.
“The graphs that are out there and there are even apps on phones that could follow your phone with the GPS. You can Google search a lake. I’m pretty confident you can find a map on Google for any lake in Rice County.”
The department is currently in the process of hiring the regular seasonal help they bring in every year. The seasonal hires are generally college students whose job is to help with the safety and education side of the water patrol, and to spend about four days a week on the water in an enforcement role. Standard procedure within the department is for the seasonal deputies, should they come across a situation that requires a citation or an arrest, to contact a licensed deputy who will then arrive promptly to handle things. However, Budin said, this year there will be more licensed deputies on the water with the seasonal deputies, because the county is cracking down on intoxicated boaters.
“This year we did budget for some overtime where we’re going to have some licensed deputies on the water and offer up some overtime shifts as well. The idea behind that money is the seasonal deputies are not licensed, and they don’t have arrest powers and we want to focus a little bit more on BWI’s this year and a little bit more enforcement. So, we’ll have deputies ride with those seasonal deputies as well.”
Budin said the Water patrol has three responsibilities: safety and education, enforcement, and rescue & recovery. The department is well outfitted to handle any emergency, however water patrol is different from street patrol, and it can take much more time to reach a boat in distress after they are contacted. Anyone getting into a boat, he said, should be sure they have all the equipment they need to stay safe, especially life jackets.
For more information on recreational safety and the Rice County Water Patrol, visit the Sheriff’s Office section of the Rice County Website at ricecountymn.gov.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Rice County Deputy Captain Nathan Budin can be heard here
Girls Nite Out will include a Women’s Expo at the Grand
The Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual Girls Night Out event on Friday. More than twenty stores and restaurants in downtown Northfield will offer specials all night, and some for the entire day. The night will culminate with a Girls Night Out celebration at the Grand Event Center.
Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce President Jane Bartho said in looking for a new twist on the evening, the organizers revived an idea from the past.
“Years ago, there was an event called A Grand at the Grand. The grand prize was $1000 worth of gift cards and certificates and such to 1 lucky winner at the Grand. So, we pulled that out again, and we have $1000 as the grand prize.”
Bartho said the $1000 in gift cards to be given away will include $50 in Chamber Bucks, as well as donations from Carbone’s, Gong Loco, The Rare Pair, Forget Me Not Florist, Verbena Vinyl and many more.
Each sponsoring location will be given a sidewalk sign to identify themselves. Entry forms are available from any of the sponsors by making a purchase in that store.
The Grand at the Grand sponsors are not the only participants of Girls Night Out. Bartho said virtually every downtown store will offer some type of sale or discount.
“I think every store has some sort of special. The Hideaway has half price bottles of wine, Fine Fettle has 15% off of almost everything, Monarch and Measuring cup 20% off, Fate Furnishings 20% off, and there’s free gifts all over the place. So, it’ll be a lot of fun.”
Most stores, she said, will close by 9:00, but that is not the end of the evening. The Grand will open its doors at 8pm offering a slightly limited menu, a full bar, and more festivities. The Chamber has invited women owned businesses offering products and services to set up booths in the Grand’s balcony for a Women’s Expo, providing an informational and networking opportunity for all attendees.
Entry forms for the Grand Prize will need to be submitted before 9:15 when, Bartho said, the drawing will happen. At 9:30, a St. Olaf jazz ensemble will take the stage for half-an-hour. They will be followed by the Little Fish Comedy Improv Troupe
Girls Nite out will begin on Friday, May 6th, at 4pm. For more information, visit the Chamber of Commerce website at northfieldchamber.org.
Council will consider helping Northfield School District study geothermal possibility
And the Northfield City Council will meet tonight in the Council Chambers in City Hall.
Among the items on tonight’s agenda will be an oath of office ceremony for new Northfield Police Officers and a new Police Sergeant. The council will then hear a presentation from members of the Northfield Hospital & Clinics staff regarding the NH+C audit for 2023.
The Council will consider amendments to the City Council and the Board and Commission Rules of Business. They will discuss the city’s Carbon Reduction Fund and will consider allocating up to $25,000 for the Northfield School District to explore the feasibility of constructing a geothermal system to heat and cool Northfield High School.
Finally, the Council will discuss options for a new Northfield Ice Arena in terms of tax impact and timeline.
As always, the city and the council are asking to hear opinions and comments from the public. Anyone who wishes to do so is invited to come to the meeting and address the council on any topic they see fit. Those wishing to voice their opinions without addressing the council should email their councilors directly or post a comment through the eComment button on the “Agendas” section of the City Council website.
Tonight’s meeting will begin at 6:00.
KYMN Daily News 5/7/24
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
