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BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, FEBRUARY 24, 2016
NUMBER 8
Mn/DOT Briefs City Council on Latest Plans for Highway 169 Major Changes Proposed
Scott West’s qualifiers for this week’s State Class 2A individual tournament are, from left, Josiah Schatz, Parker Huss, Tyler Buesgens, Jackson Stauffacher and Ben Kelvington.
Scott West Qualifies Five for State Individual Tournament by Dan Ruud Four Section 2AA Individual Wrestling Tournament champions and one runner-up will
represent Scott West in this Friday’s and Saturday’s Minnesota State High School Class 2A Individual Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in downtown St.
Brittany Traynor is the new libraian/branch manager at the Belle Plaine Public Library. She started this week.
New Belle Plaine Librarian on the Job The Scott County Library System recently hired Brittany Traynor as branch manager for the Belle Plaine and Jordan public libraries. She began the job this past Monday. As branch manager, Traynor will be responsible for overseeing operations for both the Belle Plaine and Jordan libraries, serving as the lead librarian in Belle Plaine and providing support to the staff in Jordan. Traynor, who currently lives in Jordan, said she will be spending about three-quarters of her time on the job in Belle Plaine and the rest in Jordan. Traynor, who received her master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, previously worked for the Lonsdale Public Library and for the Eau Claire Area School District as a media specialist. She grew up in Eau Claire, graduating from Memorial High School there in 2004. “Brittany has a passion for the type of community-focused service that Scott County Library provides,” said Scott County Library Director Jake Grussing. “As an educator, she understands the crucial role the
library plays in early learning and preparing children for kindergarten, and her experience with technology integration will expand the reach and impact of our services to customers of all ages.” Grussing said about 30 people applied for the Belle Plaine/ Jordan job. Traynor replaces Melissa Smith, who recently accepted a job at the Prior Lake library. Smith had been the branch manager for Belle Plaine and Jordan since February of last year. She replaced longtime librarian Georgine Gansen, who retired.
Paul. Winning championships in their respective weight classes at this past Friday’s and Saturday’s section individual tournament at Mankato East High School for Scott West and their respective weight classes were junior Parker Huss (106), sophomore Jackson Stauffacher (126), senior Ben Kelvington (145) and sophomore Tyler Buesgens (182). Taking second and securing a spot in this week’s heavyweight bracket was Josiah Schatz. The Panthers’ five state qualifiers are two less than they’ve had each of the past two years. Stauffacher and Huss both placed fourth in their weight classes at last year’s state tournament, while Schatz was fifth. Kelvington is also a returning state qualifier. Buesgens is making his first state individual appearance. Scott West had three wrestlers just miss the cut Saturday after placing third – Tyler Shackle (106), Justin Stauffacher (113) and Carter Piche (132). Finishing fourth for the Panthers were Ryan Siegle and Deshawn Carter (see section recap story inside). Jackson Stauffacher and Kelvington are ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 2A in their respective weight classes. Holding down the No. 1 spots in those weights are Tucker Sjomeling of Delano (126) and Ryan Epps of Cannon Falls (145), both of whom are undefeated this season. Huss, who is ranked third in his weight class (120), would likely have to get past No. 1 Jake Gliva of Simley if he is to run the gauntlet this week. Buesgens, ranked No. 4 at 182, has both Spencer Elwell of Foley and Aaron Berge of Kas-
Scott West
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Family Seeking Donations for Reward to Help Find Killer This past Aug. 12, the Herald published a story about a 20year-old girl, Kristin O’Connell, who is buried in nearby St. Thomas Cemetery. She was brutally murdered 30 years ago in a small New York State community called Ovid. The murder remains unsolved and Kristin’s family continues
to seek closure. The family recently started a reward fund campaign to assist in finding Kristin’s killer, for which there are several suspects. More information about Kristin’s case and a reward fund page has been set up at https://www. gofundme.com/2hc83zjk.
by Dan Ruud The Belle Plaine City Council last Tuesday night unanimously agreed to authorize the mayor and city administrator to execute a memorandum of understanding regarding the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (Mn/DOT) future plans for the Highway 169 corridor between Jordan and Belle Plaine. Mn/DOT has been hosting a series of meetings in regards to an access management plan for Highway 169 that has been split into two sections – one northern 5.7-mile segment from Highway 282 in Jordan to Belle Plaine, and one southern 7.1-mile segment from Belle Plaine to Highway 19. The primary focus has been strategies to increase safety along the corridor mainly through access reductions, median closures and realignments. Mn/DOT planners Tod Sherman and Diane Langenbach provided the council with the latest updates on the plans, which also includes a massive reconstruction project of the highway between Belle Plaine and Jordan. The season-long project, which will necessitate periodic lane shifts and traffic delays similar to those that were in place this past summer and fall in Jordan, is slated for 2018 but could be bumped up to 2017 if funding becomes available sooner than later. The southern segment from Belle Plaine to Highway 19 is scheduled for 2019 but could also be moved up. The estimated cost of both segments is $18 million. No city dollars will be used in paying for the projects. The costs will be covered by Mn/DOT. Sherman, who praised Belle Plaine for its current overpass project at Enterprise Drive, saying “I love this very low cost and smart design,” turned the floor over to Langenbach, who explained some of the proposed highway access changes between Belle Plaine and Jordan. Among those are the possible development of J-turns at Delaware Avenue/County Road 59 (near the Jordan Supper Club), Park Boulevard (near the former Hot Spot) and Old Highway 169/County Road 66, all in St. Lawrence Township. Other modifications to the system are also in the works. No access modifications are proposed within the city limits of Belle Plaine. J-turns are typically located on four-lane divided highways and prevent direct crossing and leftturn movements. These side road movements are made indirectly by making a right turn, traveling about a quarter-mile on the divided main road, and then making a U-turn to proceed in the opposite direction on the main road toward the intended destination. Proponents of J-turns say they reduce a significant number of the severe, right-angle, “far” side crashes. Relative to other improvement concepts, a J-turn is a low-cost treatment that can be quickly implemented, does not require property acquisition or relocation of homes and businesses, and minimizes environmental impact. A J-turn was recently con-
structed on Highway 212 in Cologne. Council Member Gary Trost, who drives school busses, requested to Langenbach and Sherman that they also consider adding acceleration lanes at County Road 3 in Belle Plaine. The city and Mn/DOT will continue discussions on the proposed changes as they become more finalized. However, it is a state project and Mn/DOT will have the final say. In other business last Tuesday night, the council unanimously approved the installation of flooring upgrades and new furniture at the Belle Plaine Fire Hall. On Dec. 21, the council okayed the first phase of improvements, which included replacing the ceiling tiles in the offices and meeting room, upgrading the light fixtures to energy-efficient LED lights and updating the kitchen counter tops, sink and wall covering. The majority of the labor for the first phase was supplied by fire department members working closely with the public works department. The next phase of improvements (approved last Tuesday) will con-
sist of replacing the flooring in the meeting room, hallways and offices, as well as new furniture, including tables, chairs and a new chief’s desk. “Based on research by the department and in speaking with the flooring vendors, the recommendation is to install commercial grade carpet tiles that can be replaced individually should they be damaged or stained,” stated a memo to the council from City Administrator Holly Kreft and Fire Chief Matt Stier. The total estimated cost of the flooring project is $7,587 and for the furniture $9,380. The city currently has $20,000 available in its capital improvement fund to cover the costs. *Called for a March 21 public hearing on proposed ordinance amendments pertaining to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), animal control and large assembly regulations. Belle Plaine Police Chief Tom Stolee has been working on the proposed amendments to address public safety concerns. Included are: All-Terrain Vehicles – Pro-
Mn/DOT
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DFL, Republican Caucuses Set for B.P., Area Residents Belle Plaine and area residents interested in supporting candidates for state and national offices, becoming delegates and shaping party platforms for the fall elections can attend the DFL or Republican caucuses Tuesday (March 1, 7 p.m.).
DFL
The DFL caucuses for residents of Belle Plaine (city), Belle Plaine, Blakeley, Helena and St. Lawrence townships will be held at Belle Plaine School District Center (130 Willow Street So.) in Belle Plaine. The DFL caucuses for Jordan residents will be at Jordan Middle School. The Cologne Community Center (1211 Village Pkwy.) will host DFL caucuses for residents in the city of Cologne and
townships of Benton, Hancock, San Francisco and Dahlgren. Sibley County DFLers in the cities of Henderson and Green Isle and townships of Faxon, Washington Lake, Green Isle, Jessenland and Henderson can attend their caucuses at Sibley East Junior High School (500 Court Ave., Gaylord). In Le Sueur County, caucuses for DFLers from Le Sueur will be held at Le Sueur-Henderson High School (900 Ferry Street E.). DFLers from Derrynane, Ottawa and Tyrone townships will have their caucuses at their township halls. Sharon Township residents attending DFL caucuses will be at the Le Sueur County Courthouse in Le
Caucuses
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City Receives Safety Recognition Last Tuesday night (Feb. 16), Belle Plaine Mayor Mike Pingalore presented Police Chief Tom Stolee with a certificate the city recently received from SafeWise, which ranks the safest cities in Minnesota based on various crime statistical criteria. Belle Plaine is currently ranked the 19th safest city in Minnesota and Jordan is No. 18. The complete Top 20 Safest Cities (in order) are St. Joseph, Winona, West Hennepin, Minnetrista, Orono, Chaska, Rosemount, Farmington, Crookston, South Lake Minnetonka, Cold Spring/Richmond, Shoreview, Kasson, Corcoran, Lakeville, New Prague, Arden Hills, Jordan, Belle Plaine and Glencoe. More about SafeWise and its 2016 Safest Cities rankings can be found at SafeWise’s “Top 20 Safest Cities in Minnesota” website.