April 28, 2024 | South Central News & Media
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Safer Water for Lafayette Turner Talks in New Ulm This week, I introduced legislation to send resources to the City of Lafayette, which is working to resolve elevated chloride and disinfection byproduct levels at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. This funding would help the city address both problems through a citywide water softener, ensuring safer drinking water for the people of Lafayette.
MN House Representative (DFL - Saint Peter) Jeff Brand
MN House News
Name-calling Season is in Full Swing for USA
The House passed a strong Tenants’ Rights Policy Bill, which includes provisions to safeguard tenants’ right to organize, protect tenant survivors of domestic violence, clarify tenants’ rights to emergency services, prohibit rental discrimination based on public assistance, and more. Last year, DFLers legalized adult-use cannabis, along with the possession and growing of cannabis plants for personal, recreational use. However, buying cannabis legally at a licensed retail business in the state is not set to begin until early next year. The Cannabis Policy bill we passed last week is meant to expedite the process of setting up a good, legitimate marketplace for cannabis to displace that illicit marketplace that’s in place currently.
A Turner Talks series at Turner Hall in New Ulm, managed by Andrea S. Boettger, who is also the New Ulm City Council President, is styled after Ted Talks. Last week featured a talk on Ketamine and IVF Treatments.
Yes, it’s that time of year, getting closer to election season, complete with baby kissing, money raising and you guessed it, good old fashioned name calling. Biden told the press he’s competing against a 6-year-old and also recently called Trump a loser. Trump continues taking jabs at Biden while also facing a court trial, and says Biden is paying illegal immigrants’ rent in Michigan.
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ASK A TROOPER Board of Medical Practice List of Punishable Actions in Minnesota Question: I bought a used boat dock; do I need a permit to get it to my lake house? Answer: You can move a boat dock on Minnesota roads without a permit if the dock is no wider than 8’6”, no higher than 13’6” and no longer than 110’. The move must be done during day time hours. The rear corners must be flagged with 18” squared red or orange flags. The dock sides will have to be flagged as well every 20‘. If your dock is larger, then you need to contact MN permit at 651-296-3000. You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and always drive sober. Help us drive Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths. If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson – Minnesota State Patrol at 2900 48th Street NW, Rochester MN 55901-5848. (Or reach him at, Troy.Christianson@state.m n.us)
ASK A TROOPER Question: If I am stopped by the police and am asked to show my driver's license or car insurance papers, do I have to have physical copies to show or are photos of these papers on my phone also acceptable to show? Answer: Every driver is required to carry proof of insurance while driving. They must also produce proof of insurance when requested by an officer during a traffic stop or an incident such as a crash. You can be cited for no proof on insurance and the same rules apply as no driver’s license in possession penalties. The citation will be dropped if you provide proof of insurance to traffic court before the court date. If you do not, the citation turns into a no insurance citation which is a misdemeanor violation. Proof of insurance can be in electronic form, meaning text-based or imaged-based content that can be shown on a computer or other digital device. So a photograph of the actual insurance card or screen shot is sufficient. Information required for proof of insurance: (1) The insured's name (2) The policy number (3) The policy dates of coverage
Press Release of Publishable Actions executed between January 23, 2024 and March 27, 2024 Matthew Aaron Armfield, M.D. #58883 University of MN Masonic Children’s Hospital 2450 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55454 Year of Birth: 1979 Date of Action: March 9, 2024 Nature of Misconduct: Inability to practice medicine due to illness. Action Taken: Dr. Armfield’s license is voluntarily surrendered. Jerome David Kangas, R.T. #1924 2547 Tournament Players Cir N Blaine, MN 55449 Year of Birth: 1964 Date of Action: March 18, 2024 Nature of Misconduct: Upon notice to the board of a judgment of, or plea of guilty to, a felony reasonably related to the practice of patient care, the credentials of a regulated person shall be automatically suspended by the board. Action Taken: Mr. Kangas’s license is suspended. Paul Anthony McHenry, M.D. #49569 3260 Pioneer Drive Lake Havasu City, AZ 86404 Year of Birth: 1965 Date of Action: January 30, 2024 Nature of Misconduct: Failure to satisfy a child support order. Action Taken: Dr. McHenry’s license is suspended.
ASK A TROOPER Continued From Left..................... (4) The make, model, and year of the vehicle insured (5) The vehicle identification number or at least the last three digits of that number; and (6) The name of the obligor providing coverage. You are required to have your driver’s license in possession, electronic images are not acceptable. When you are stopped or involved in a crash, we need the hard copy of the driver’s license to enter all your information. In a worst case scenario if you are involved in a serious crash, then we need the hard copy of a driver’s license to be able to identify you and contact family members. You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention, and always drive sober. Help us drive Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths. If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson – Minnesota State Patrol at 2900 48th Street NW, Rochester MN 55901-5848. (Or reach him at, Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us)
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Paul Anthony McHenry, M.D. #49569 3260 Pioneer Drive Lake Havasu City, AZ 86404 Year of Birth: 1965 Date of Action: February 23, 2024 Action Taken: Dr. McHenry’s license is reinstated. Thomas Allen Minke, M.D. #36823 9474 Armitage Ave NW Monticello, MN 55362 Year of Birth: 1962 Date of Action: March 9, 2024 Nature of Misconduct: Engaged in improper or unethical conduct. Action Taken: Dr. Minke’s license is voluntarily surrendered. Jack Francis Perrone, M.D. #36392 409 Westfield Ave., 3F Westfield, NJ 07090 Year of Birth: 1966 Date of Action: March 9, 2024 Nature of Misconduct: Failure to make reports as required by section 147.111 or to cooperate with an investigation of the board as required by section 147.131. Action Taken: Dr. Perrone’s license is voluntarily surrendered. Colton Jeffrey Roy, M.D. #72468 5400 Blanco Ave Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Year of Birth: 1990 Date of Action: March 9, 2024 Nature of Misconduct: Engaged in unethical or improper conduct; inability to practice medicine with reasonable skill and safety to patients by reason of illness; becoming addicted
or habituated to a drug or intoxicant; and violated the terms of the Health Professional Services Program participation agreement. Action Taken: Dr. Roy’s license is reprimanded and conditioned as follows: • Shall participate in the Health Professionals Services Program (“HPSP”) and fully comply with all terms and conditions of his HPSP Participation Agreement. Shall sign releases allowing HPSP to provide all compliance and treatment data to the Board. A violation of his HPSP Participation Agreement will constitute a violation of this Order. • Shall sign all necessary releases allowing the Board to obtain medical, mental health, therapy, chemical dependency, and substance use disorder records from any treating professional, evaluator, or facility. He shall allow the Board or its designee to communicate with all treating health professionals. • May petition for reinstatement of an unconditional license no sooner than two years from the date of this Order. Upon petitioning, shall submit evidence satisfactory to the Board, of a minimum of two years of documented, uninterrupted recovery
Worker Memorial Day
Worker Memorial Day is April 28. Each year the State of Minnesota honors the MnDOT employees and contract workers injured or killed on the job. The Minnesota Department of Transportation, in conjunction with AFCME Local 280, will hold a Worker Memorial Day event to honor transportation workers who were killed or injured on the job Monday, April 29 at 9:30 a.m. Representatives from MnDOT, AFSCME Local 280, and Minnesota State Patrol have been invited to speak.
commencing no sooner than the date of this Order. Upon hearing his petition, the Complaint Review Committee may recommend that the Board continue, modify, or impose conditions and restrictions as deemed necessary. Blaise Paul Vitale, M.D. #34979 22592 Assembly Drive Grantsburg, WI 54840 Year of Birth: 1963 Date of Action: March 9, 2024 Nature of Misconduct: Revocation, suspension, restriction, limitation or other disciplinary action against the person’s medical license in another state or jurisdiction, failure to report to the board that charges regarding the person’s license have been brought in another state or jurisdiction or having been refused a license by any other state or jurisdiction; engaged in conduct that departs from or fails to conform to the minimal standards of acceptable and prevailing practice in which case proof of action injury need not be established; and improper management of medical records. Action Taken: Dr. Vitale’s license is reprimanded
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Sibley County Sheriff’s Report On April 19th, 2024 at 5:05 AM Sibley County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a reported 1-vehicle crash on 441st Avenue near 246th Street in Dryden Township, approximately 4-miles west of the City of Arlington. The driver, Emilee Hasert Barajas (24) of Hutchinson, was traveling northbound on 441st Avenue in a 2018 Chevy Equinox, when it left the aforementioned roadway. The vehicle sustained minor damage. Hasert and her child passenger reported no injuries resulting from the crash. Assisting Agencies: Arlington Ambulance . On April 20th, 2024 at 2:19 P.M., the Sibley County Sheriff's Office received a report of a past-action burglary which occurred on the 34000 block of State Highway 25, in rural Washington Lake Township approximately two-miles east of Green Isle. Mark Herd, age 59 of Chaska, reported several duck mounts, pheasant mounts, deer antler sheds, and deer mounts were stolen from the property. Also stolen were two portable heaters, a portable fish house, and keys for two pieces of machinery. The burglary likely occurred sometime in early April. The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information regarding the incident are asked to call the Sibley County Sheriff's Office at (507) 237-4330 and reference the case number: 24002425.
Brown County Sheriff’s Attorney General Ellison Department - Suspicious Fire urges UnitedHealth Group to During the past two months, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office and our fire departments in Brown County have help patients and providers responded to an unusual number of wildfires on or near CRP, Wildlife Management Areas, and other naturally harmed by cyberattack on vegetated land. Several of these fires appear to be suspicious. Between March 1, 2024, and April 22, 2024, the Brown Change Healthcare County Sheriff’s Office responded to 16 fire calls. During
April 25, 2024 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison today led a bipartisan, multistate coalition of 22 attorneys general in a letter to UnitedHealth Group, Inc. — the nation’s largest health insurer and the parent company of Change Healthcare — urging the corporation to take more meaningful action to better protect providers, pharmacies, and patients harmed by the recent catastrophic outage of Change Healthcare. On February 21, 2024, Change Healthcare experienced a cyberattack by ALPHV/Blackcat, which crippled its platform. In the intervening weeks, providers, pharmacies, and facilities have reported catastrophic disruptions to care infrastructure, inability to verify coverage or obtain prior authorization, and inability to process claims or obtain reimbursements. Patients report delayed or denied access to prescription drugs, and difficulty scheduling appointments or procedures. The Change Healthcare outage profoundly disrupted patient care and has put some providers on the precipice of financial ruin. UnitedHealth Group acquired Change Healthcare in 2022.
the same time frame in 2023, the Sheriff’s Office responded to one fire call. There were two fire calls during the same period in 2022. There does not appear to be a specific pattern regarding these fires, however, 5 of the 16 fires were in Mulligan Township between Comfrey, MN and MN State Hwy 4. Anyone with information regarding these fires are encouraged to contact the Brown County Sheriff’s Office at 507-233-6700.
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Report: Mankato sees 32.6% YoY decline in home construction value The U.S. housing market, which cooled off in 2023 after a pandemic boom, is showing signs of a revival. The median home sale price grew 5.3% year-over-year in March 2024, and homes are selling more quickly—the share of homes sold in under two weeks is up 1.3 percentage points during that same period. This uptick in activity suggests a potential return to growth, incentivizing builders to seek permits for new construction, which could help alleviate the inventory shortage that has plagued the country for years. Some locations, however, are investing more in new residential construction than others compared to the same time last year. Researchers calculated the percentage change in value of new residential housing units authorized by permit-issuing places from Q4 2022 to Q4 2023, then ranked metros accordingly. Here are the key takeaways from the report for the Mankato, MN metro area: Compared to the year prior, newly authorized residential housing units in the Mankato metro area were down 32.3% in Q4 2023—a total decrease of 42 units. The value of newly authorized housing units in the Mankato metro decreased by 32.6% during that same time period. Overall, Mankato was one of 78 small U.S. metros to see a year-over-year decline in home construction value.
Klobuchar Statement on Emergency Fuel Waiver Allowing E15 Gasoline to be Sold During the Summer WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 gasoline, gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, to be sold during the summer driving season. “With the peak summer driving season approaching, we need to expand the use of E15 gasoline to improve fuel options at the pump and reduce our reliance on foreign oil,” said Klobuchar. “This waiver for summer sales of E15 will do just that, but we must get this done on a permanent basis. I will continue working to establish the year-round use of E15 to bolster our economy, farmers, and national security.” Klobuchar has long supported legislation to bolster sustainable fuels. In 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, reintroduced bipartisan legislation to make E15 available year round. The Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2023 would enable the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent, helping to lower fuel prices and provide certainty in fuel markets for farmers and consumers. In February 2024, Klobuchar led a bipartisan group of lawmakers urging the Biden Administration to act quickly to ensure that the model used to determine eligibility for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) tax credits unlocks the potential held by farmers, ethanol producers, and airlines to reduce carbon emissions from aviation. In January 2024, Klobuchar, along with Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL.) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Farm to Fly Act. This legislation would help accelerate the production and development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through existing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and allow further growth for alternative fuels to be used in the aviation sector, creating new markets for American farmers. In June 2023, Klobuchar joined Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in introducing the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act, comprehensive bipartisan legislation to identify the standards required to meet the definition of SAF at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In June 2021, Klobuchar announced the introduction of a new package of bipartisan bills to expand the availability of low-carbon renewable fuels, incentivize the use of higher blends of biofuels, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, Klobuchar and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to create a renewable fuel infrastructure grant program and streamline regulatory requirements to help fuel retailers sell higher blends of ethanol.
North Mankato City Council April 15, 2024 Meeting Report and Upcoming City Meetings
For more information, visit www.northmankato.com/agendas-and-minutes. Council Work Session - 6:30 p.m. Received Native Landscapes Information. Discussed Pollinator Promotions. Council Meeting - 7:00 p.m. Approved Resolutions Authorizing the All Seasons Arena Improvements. Resolution Accepting Bid on Improvement Number 11075. Resolution Accepting Bid on Improvement Number 11075. Resolution Accepting Bid on Improvement Number 11075. Resolution Accepting Bid on Improvement Number 11075. Resolution Accepting Bid on Improvement Number 11075. Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Purchase Agreement for Improvement Number 11075. Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into Agreement with Knutson Construction Services Rochester, Inc., for Construction Manager as Advisor Services for the All Seasons Arena Renovation. Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into Agreement with Braun Intertec, Inc., for Testing Services for the All Seasons Arena Renovation. Adopted Resolution Approving Plans and Specifications and Ordering Advertisement for Bids Project No. 24-01 A North Ridge Lift Station and Forcemain Rehabilitation Project. Approved Certificate of Correction North Ridge West Phase Four. Upcoming Meetings Council Work Session Monday, April 15th, 2024, TBD Council Chambers ADVERTISE IN THE NICOLLET COUNTY LEDGER Council Meeting DIGITAL ISSUE AND GET SPECIAL PERKS! WHY WAIT? Monday, April 15th, 2024, 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers Council Meeting SUBSCRIBE at ISSUU.com Monday, May 6th, 2024, 7:00 p.m. Search for Nicollet County Ledger Council Chambers Council Chambers 1001 Belgrade Avenue
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Remembering the F3 Twister in Saint Peter 26 Years Ago
The calm before the storm was real in March 1998. The tornado sirens then sounded the alarms to let residents in the community know to take cover and seek shelter for their safety. Families gathered in storm cellars, shelters and basements. An F-3 tornado ripped through the town a mere ten minutes later, causing more than $235 million in damage. Two people died. The twister ended up taking the life of a six-year-old boy while another man suffered cardiac arrest at the time. In Saint Peter alone, there was $120 million in damages, but the small town of Comfrey was also hit. Saint Peter City Administrator Todd Prafke said those who lived through the event will remember it for their lifetime. “It is a Minnesota story,” Prafke said. “It's about neighbors helping neighbors. And so we had so many people from other communities come to help us in the aftermath of the tornado. So anytime we're talking about the tornado, we want to say thanks to all the people who came to help us and provide assistance.” Around 400 homes were destroyed and nearly every part of the Gustavus Adolphus College campus was damaged. The community center was also destroyed and has since been rebuilt and improved. Many large, old trees were ripped from their roots right out of the ground and thrown across the landscape like twigs, some landing on homes and cars. People in the community came together, just like they had previously came together to sandbag the Minnesota River bank to prepare for the potential of a flood some years earlier. Local businesses provided food, cell phones, chiropractic care, water and other products and services, much of it donated to the community and residents there. Most of the community was also without electrical power. People walked the streets, reminiscent of a zombie apocalypse or war, something you see in a movie. It was devastating, but people came together. It took a full year for the community to be rudimentarily built, but not without issues. According to some reports, some homeowners were subject to contractors that didn't complete work, and some workers didn't get paid. Volunteer groups from across the country also came in to help residents in town. The Red Cross, several faith groups, non-profit organizations and others made themselves available to help the community rebuild.
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