COUNTRY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020
Serving Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
VOL. 36 NO. 45 www.countrymessenger.com $.75
VOTING RIGHTS: Museum exhibit seeking contributions for June display. PAGE 9
Minnesota climatologists predict another year of major spring flooding BY ANGIE HONG EAST WATER METRO
The National Weather Service and Minnesota Climatology Department are both predicting another wet spring with major flooding in 2020. There is a high chance of flooding on the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers, as well as in lakes, ponds, farm fields, and low lying areas, says Craig Schmidt, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service, “We’re expecting to see flooding this spring in places that have never flooded before.”
and southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities area, is getting warmer and wetter. We are seeing more rain, more snow, and more
the winter. Both trends are expected to continue into the future. “2019 was the wettest year on record [since 1870] in the Twin
SUBMITTED
Climate trends and predictions
A stream gauge nearly underwater during 2019 spring snowmelt
According to Kenny Blumenfeld, Senior Climatologist at the Minnesota State Climate Office, data shows the climate in central
SUZANNE LINDGREN
Chase Saloka, age 9 of Osceola, with his buddy Henry Boesel, age 9 of Scandia, caught some beautiful pike Saturday, February 22, while fishing with their fathers in Chicago County.
extreme rainfall events. There has also been an increase in average nighttime temperatures, especially during
Cities and Minnesota,” explained Blumenfeld at a recent meeting of SEE FLOODING, PAGE 2
Numerous U.S. states questioning Daylight saving BY APRIL ZIEMER EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 8, 2020, when you’ll move your clocks forward by one hour to 3 a.m. This means you should be prepared to lose an hour of sleep, but in return you will gain an extra hour of daylight. Some U.S. states are “springing ahead” with their own ideas on daylight saving time. Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands,
American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marianas, Hawaii and most of Arizona, do not observe the time change. The exception in Arizona is in the Navajo Nation, which takes part in the biannual clock change to and from daylight saving time. The state of Utah will spring ahead this year, and, if the governor signs a new bill, the state may stay at that time permanently. In February, the Utah House voted in favor of making daylight saving time
NEWS 651-433-3845 editor@countrymessenger.com
ADVERTISING 651-433-3845 ads@osceolasun.com
permanent and sent the bill to Gov. Gary Herbert’s desk for final approval. The House approved the legislation with a vote of 70 to 1. The one opposing vote came from Rep. Robert Spendlove, who wasn’t opposed to ending the midyear time change but wanted the permanent time to add the extra hour of daylight in the morning, not in the evening. His peers disagreed, and the evening hour of daylight was approved in the final vote.
PUBLIC NOTICES 651-433-3845 editor@countrymessenger.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS 651-433-3845 office@osceolasun.com
If the governor signs the bill, the change would not immediately take effect. First, the state would seek approval from Congress. The bill also stipulates that four other west coast states must agree on the time change as well before it is implemented in Utah. At least 40 U.S. states have taken up legislation to adopt either daylight saving or standard time year-round. Massachusetts is considering going SEE DAYLIGHT SAVING, PAGE 2
BREAKING NEWS, UPDATES Whenever, wherever you are! Scan me with your smartphone