Due to the heavy rains in Southern Minnesota over the last few days, and with rain in the forecast every day for the rest of the week, Northfield and the areas of Rice and Dakota Counties surrounding the Cannon River are once again under a flood warning.
The national weather service has issued a flood warning for Northfield and the surrounding areas until Thursday evening. Over the past 36 hours, the river level has risen more than three feet, and will continue to rise for at least another day. As of 4:00 this morning, the river was at 896.6 feet, well above the Action Stage, which is the point when the city begins the flood mitigation process around the Riverwalk. At the moment, the river is expected to crest tomorrow afternoon at 898 feet, one foot over the minor flood level, before it begins to recede tomorrow evening.
However, the National Weather Service is also forecasting additional rains this week, possibly as much as five inches. For that reason, the Northfield Police Department has issued a statement saying they are closely monitoring water levels and encourage everyone to be prepared for possible flooding.
The NWS is also warning motorists to use extreme caution when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths, the statement said, occur in vehicles.
The National Water Protection Service has a website available to the public to track the Cannon River levels. We will post a link to that page later this morning.
In the meantime, for up-to-date information, including Weather Specialist Bob Matheson’s forecast, stay tuned to KYMN Radio 95.1 FM and 1080 AM, as well as kymnradio.net and our social media pages.
Candidates forums will allow for questions from the public
Next week, Northfielders will be able to attend a pair of events that will shed more light on the many candidates who have registered to run for office in 2024.
With seven people running for mayor and three running for 2nd Ward City Councilor, a primary will be held on August 13th. The people with the two highest vote totals will move on and face off in the general election.
In order to help voters educate themselves, the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a candidates forum next Monday, June 24th, beginning at 6:30 pm in the Northfield High School auditorium.
The public is invited to email questions for the candidates prior to the forum to info@northfieldchamber.com
Meanwhile, the League of Women Voters of Northfield and Cannon Falls, along with St. Olaf College’s Academic Civic Engagement program and Carleton College will hold candidate forums on Thursday, June 27th. Candidates will deliver a 2-minute opening statement. Each candidate will then have one minute to answer each of the questions posed by the moderator.
Like the Northfield Chamber Forums, voters may submit questions for the candidates by emailing them to contactus@lwvnorthfieldmn.org. Audience members will also have the ability to submit questions in writing at the event. Any questions submitted electronically will remain confidential with all identifying information removed before the event. The League reserves the right to revise, edit, and condense the submitted questions.
A statement issued by the League of Women Voters of Northfield and Cannon Falls said the organization does not endorse candidates for office or political party. This event is meant to help voters learn about each candidate in order to make an educated decision when they head to the polls.
The forums will be held on Thursday, June 27th at the Viking Theater in Buntrock Commons at St. Olaf College. They will be recorded and posted to the League of Women Voters’ YouTube Channel in early July.
Voter registration tables will be set up at both events. Early voting for the primary will begin on Friday, June 28th.
Both of these forums are free and open to the public. For more information visit lwvnorthfieldmn.org, and northfieldchamber.com.
Council will be asked to make a decision on the ice arena
And the Northfield City Council will meet tonight in the Council Chambers in City Hall.
After the 6pm listening session, and the vote on the Consent Agenda, the Council will have only one other item to discuss, but it could well fill the remaining two-and-a-half hours allowed for the meeting. Tonight, the members of the council will discuss the Northfield Ice Arena. The Council will be asked to make one of three choices tonight: build a new arena, renovate the existing arena, or shut the arena down and remove the public ice arena from the community.
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 talk with the council on any topic they see fit at the 6pm listening session prior to the meeting. Participants in the listening session are asked to please not comment on a topic on the agenda, and instead are asked to stay and make a public comment when that agenda item is discussed during the regular meeting. 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 6/18/24
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
