Nicollet County Ledger December 17, 2023

December 17, 2023 | South Central News & Media

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Nicollet County Administrator Talks Budget and Upcoming Projects

By Robert Lawson Publisher info@nicolletcountyledger.com

Nicollet County Administrator Mandy Landkammer spoke with KNUJ this past week.

The interview began with questions about the Nicollet County budget for the upcoming year. This past Tuesday, December 12, the Nicollet County Board of Commissioners approved the budget and tax levy for 2024, Landkammer explained in the interview. On December 7, the commissioners also held a truth in taxation hearing. It is formally called the budget and levy public comment meeting.

“That was an opportunity for members of the public to come in and just learn about the budget, and what does that mean for their property taxes?”

Landkammer said.

Homeowners typically have ques-

tions as the levy and budget relates to the market value of their home, she further explained.

“So we are able to connect them with the appropriate people,” she said.

A tax levy of 3.5 percent was approved at the meeting of commissioners, Landkammer noted. The levy was proposed in September for more than $26.4 million for a total budget of just over $56.9 million.

“It’s a pretty significant budget when you start taking a look at our ten-year average for total amounts,” she said.

“But when it comes to the tax levy, it’s closer to the bottom.”

She said the department heads at the county are good about preparing the budget for foreseen expenditures in equipment and other costs.

“Overall, Nicollet County is in good financial health and we are continuing to see economic growth, which is a plus in these economic times with the market

and inflation fluctuations. So Nicollet County is looking good.”

There are new considerations in the county’s budget, including seven new positions they will hire for. Five of those in the health and human services division. Two positions are within the county attorney’s office. There is also a part-time position in the Sheriff’s Office called for in the budget, Landkammer noted.

“We could potentially see some new employees next year as we continue to provide assistance to members of our public,” Landkammer said.

Landkammer said the budget process is intense and starts sometime around May to start preparing everything for final approval around this time of year.

“The really hard work begins in August,” she said.

Landkammer and the finance director hold meetings with each department

Nicollet County Board Meeting

Continued on page 5

Saint Peter Talks Budget, Wages, New Hire and Permit for Cigar Shop

Sally Vogel discussed the City of Saint Peter budget and proposed tax levy with the city council at their last meeting on Monday, December 11.

By Robert Lawson Publisher info@nicolletcountyledger.com

The City of Saint Peter hired a new utility laborer at their recent city council meeting Monday and discussed the 2023 tax levy/2024 budgets, a consumption and display permit for Smolder Cigar Emporium, city employee wages and other city business.

The Saint Peter City Council met on Monday, December 11 at the Governor’s Room at the Saint Peter Community Center. The full agenda items included 2023 tax levy payable 2024 and the budget adoption (two separate resolutions), utility laborer position, final acceptance

of the 2023 Park Row St. and utility improvements projects, 2024 nonunion/non-contract wages, new business license application and a closed session for police union negotiations.

Sally Vogel, the city’s finance director, presented the city’s 2023 tax levy payable for 2024 and the budget adoption to the city council. The budget adoption included the city’s general fund, Saint Peter Public Access television and the Saint Peter Community Center. The final levy the council was asked to adopt per staff recommendations was just over $4 million. The levy brought the tax rate for homeowners slightly down, from 47.69 to 46.99, according to Vogel. The proposed changes from

2023 and priorities of allocation include a laundry list of activity and expenditure such as 2024 wage increases budgeted at approximately 4 percent and the health insurance increase at 16.9 percent. Election costs will increase by $24,850 due to the total number of three elections (March Presidential Nominating Primary, August Primary and November General). Municipal Building maintenance in 2024 is also expected to increase by $14,700 as the building ages. Window replacements and a full roof replacement for $475,000 is included in the Equipment Certificate for 2024. The impact to the General Fund for the roof replacement is half

Continued on page 5

MnDOT just announced federal funds to own and operate electric vehicle charging stations.

MnDOT Opens Application Process for Funding EV Charging Stations MnDOT

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation has opened the application process for private and public entities to tap into federal funds to own and operate electric vehicle charging stations. The funds are a part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, a federal program enacted in 2021 as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). They are intended to build a convenient, affordable, reliable and equi-

table national network of EV chargers.

Successful applicants will be required to enter into a contract with MnDOT. The project team must include an experienced charging network provider and an entity with ownership or lease of the property through the five-year operations and maintenance period.

In Minnesota, the first round of NEVI funds will be used to build 18 fast charging stations along the Alternative Fuel Corridors designated by the federal government – Interstate 94 and I-35.

MnDOT will select projects along those

corridors, which can be found on the online mapping tool.

The first round of NEVI funding includes requirements that stations: Are located no more than 50 miles apart along the AFC. Are located less than one mile driving distance from the AFC exit.

Have a minimum of four 150 kW charging ports able to operate simultaneously.

Are open to the public 24 hours a

Continued on page 6

PFAS Chemicals Defended by US Department of Defense for ‘National Security’ Reasons Lawsuits Against 3M and a New Minnesota State Law Banning the Use of PFAS is Concerning to Federal Government: Report

The 3M headquarters in Maplewood, Minnesota, USA.

By Robert Lawson KSTP-TV reported earlier Publisher this month that PFAS chemicals i n fo@n i c o l l e t c o u n t y l e d g e r. will remain in Minnesota but com the Pentagon says the chemicals are needed for national security

purposes. The chemicals have created a massive controversy about water quality and health in Minnesota, particularly as the Southeast part of the state is

Effects of exposure to PFASs on human health: European Environment Agency. reporting contaminated drinking and has operations in New Ulm. A recent VICE documentawater issues. 3M is a company in The company has said it will dis- ry also recently showed how Minnesota that previously man- continue manufacturing PFAS PFAS chemicals were also inadufactured PFAS chemicals. The chemicals, known as “forever vertently sold back to farmers business is based in Woodbury chemicals”.

Continued on page 6

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Nicollet County Ledger

Ad From the Past

Sunday, December 17, 2023

News from the Archives Saturday and Sunday with their father, W. C. Milliman, in Bernadotte.

They came here to observe Mr. 100 Years Ago – Feb. 14, 1920 Milliman’s birthday anniversary, Miss Anna Ebert is employed which was on Saturday. as domestic at the Reuben Lund 50 Years Ago – Feb. 19, 1970 home.

Those who spent the weekRobert Isenberg, H. E. Hedren and Henry Johnson attended the end at the Ambassador Motel in Oldsmobile dealers’ convention at Minneapolis as guests of Land O the Radisson hotel at Minneapolis Lakes were Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Berdan, Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon last week.

John Satterman will erect his Swenson, Mr. and Mrs. Richard saw mill at the John Lund farm Portner, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Isaacson two miles northeast from Lafayette. and Mr. and Mrs. Leo Marti.

Lois Wellnitz of Princeton spent Those who desire to have lumber sawed may haul the logs over there the weekend here with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Wellnitz. now at any time.

Those who gathered at the Gerald Buttermaker Sjostrom of Klossner Forst home Sunday to honor Robert transacted business here Monday.

Aug. A. Johnson has bought the Hamann who is home on furlough, former J. P. Sjogren residence on were, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Schroeder Church Street and will reside there and family of New Ulm, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Meyer and boys, Mr. after March 1st.

Alvin Fjell is installing booths and Mrs. Delton Hamann and famin the H. F. Anderson restaurant. ily, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Bieraugel This makes a great improvement and Mrs. Rose Hamann.

Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Maidl to Anderson’s ice cream parlor.

There will be a greater demand for and family went to the airport in ice cream hereafter, by the young Minneapolis Wednesday to get their daughter, Diane and Deanna folks.

Mrs. C. O. Gustafson of St. Schmitz, who returned that day Peter arrived here Thursday and from a five day visit at the Tony will stay at the Anton Malmberg Cranford home at Metairie, La. home for a while. With her came They also attended the Mardi Gras Curtis Malmberg who has been vis- at New Orleans while there.

Narve Nelson and Otis Muller iting with grandma Gustafson since returned Monday evening from a Christmas.

Pete and Albert Peterson of week’s fishing at Leech Lake with Alfsborg have rented the Freeman Mr. and Mrs. Harold Woods of Gibbon.

Anderson farm in New Sweden.

Forester members from this area Decorator Fjell is painting John who attended the C.O.F. Bowling Peterson’s Ford.

The local W.C.T.U. will meet with Tournament at St. Peter Sunday Mrs. T. F. Bergquist next Tuesday were Gerald, Richard and Ronald Seitz, Alphonse Goblirsch, Jerome afternoon, Feb. 17.

E. O. Abrahamson and family Weisensel, Leo Maidl, Marion and Henry Abrahamson visited Bushard and Clarence Maidl.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Hatch of at the Rudell home at Winthrop Rochester spent the weekend at the Sunday.

Miss Claudia Swenson of Otis Muller home.

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Eckberg Minneapolis visited here over visited at the Carl Lund home in St. Sunday.

John Johnson of Parshall, N. D., Peter Friday evening. was a visitor with his bro-in-law C. NICOLLET LEADER H. Nelson over Sunday.

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Focus on Ag

Current Farm Bill Extended Through 2024

By Kent Thiesse

Farm management analyst kent.thiesse@minnstarbank.com

In mid-November the U.S. House and Senate passed a continuing resolution that provided additional federal funding to avoid a government shutdown at the federal level. The continuing resolution that was passed and signed into law also extends the current Farm Bill for one year through September 30, 2024. This means that the current farm program and crop insurance provisions will remain in place through the 2024 crop year. It also will keep other important federal programs such as the Dairy Margon Coverage (DMC) program, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and other popular USDA programs in place for at least another year.

The extension will also limit any

immediate changes to the Nutrition Title of the Farm Bill, which funds food assistance programs through SNAP, WIC, and the school lunch program.

The current Farm Bill, known as the “Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018”, expired on September 30, 2023. Even though both houses of Congress held multiple hearings and listening sessions during the past year, no formal legislation for a new Farm Bill has been proposed in either house of Congress. Once a formalized Farm Bill is proposed and discussed, it will need to be passed by both houses of Congress and signed by President Biden before it can be enacted. It was not realistic to complete this process on a timely basis in order to avoid gaps in the continuation of some important USDA programs, which is why a one-year extension was passed by

See FOCUS ON AG, page 5

75 Years Ago – Feb. 16, 1945 W. H. Krohn and family visited at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Swartz in St. Paul, Sunday.

Mrs. Justine Jacobson entertained a group of ladies at her home Saturday afternoon in observance of her birthday anniversary.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Nelson of Winthrop, Mrs. Theo. Ostrom and Grace, of New Sweden, visited Sunday afternoon at the Arthur Flygare home in Bernadotte.

Mr. and Mrs. Delphin Anderson and children, Duane and Gladys, were entertained at dinner Sunday at the Gerald Wise home in New Sweden. The afternoon was spent at the Orville Quist home near St. Peter.

Miss Elaine Isenberg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Delphin Isenberg of Cornish, has completed a course in beauty culture, and also passed the state board examinations, thereby receiving the license for such work.

Raymond Quandt, Hugo Albrecht and Arthur Schaeffler, members of the board of Lafayette township, went to St. Peter, Monday, and attended the annual weed conference, which was held in the court room of the court house.

Mrs. Martha Carlson and Mrs. LeRoy Anderson spent last weekend in the twin cities.

Carl Youngblom of St. Paul and his roommate, Tom Kostuch, returned to St. Paul Monday evening, after a few days visit with the former’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Youngblom.

Misses Betty and Bonnie Milliman, students of the Hamline University, Minneapolis, spent

115 Years Ago – Feb. 18, 1905 The personal property taxes are due March 1st, and unless paid by that time a penalty of 10 percent will be added.

The fifth of its series of club dances was given by the Nicollet Dancing Club at Blank’s hall Tuesday evening. The Nicollet orchestra furnished the music.

Do not forget the special school meeting to be held on Saturday evening, February 25th. It is important that all interested in school matters should attend this meeting.

The school rooms at present are so overcrowded that early provision needs to be made for an extra room and teacher for same.

The farmers of Brighton township will build a co-operative creamery near the place of Adam Jutz, on the southwest corner of section 3, and are busy hauling material for the same now. They will commence with the erection soon as the weather permits and will hold a meeting on Saturday, March 4th, for the purpose of organizing.

A Judson correspondent says a party from Nicollet, who has been cutting ice, had the misfortune of journeying to the river bottom, rather a disagreeable experience, though the distance traveled was only twelve feet. He then drove home six miles, in his wet clothes, which were certainly stiff upon him by the time he arrived. Do you know him?

The blizzard we had Tuesday worked havoc with the train service. No trains went either way until the following morning when the snowplow cleared the tracks.

Except for telephonic communica- the Chester Nelson home Saturday tion, this village was cut off by the evening. drifting snow and extreme cold LAFAYETTE NICOLLET weather.

LEDGER

100 Years Ago – Feb. 14, 1920 Mrs. Henry Netzke visited her daughter at New Ulm the first of the week who has been ill.

George and William Lange of Oshawa township have gone to Sioux City, Iowa, to attend an automobile school.

Show your loyalty to the fire company by purchasing tickets for their annual ball to be given in the Nicollet opera house tonight.

The ladies of the Progressive Banner will give an apron sale for the benefit of the auxiliary in the local auxiliary parlors Saturday afternoon, Feb. 21.

Henry Epper and family are getting comfortably settled in their new, large and modern residence on West Fourth Street, having moved in during the week.

Three auctions are booked for this vicinity in the near future. The sale of Louis Wenholz will occur on February 20. August Schroeder will conduct a sale on February 27th, and H. C. Fricke will close out his personal property on March 4th.

Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Johnson of Langdon, N. D., the latter a sister of J. H. Meurer, arrived here last Friday for an extended visit with relatives in Nicollet and vicinity.

Mr. Johnson was an old time resident of Nicollet and in his early days drove a stage between New Ulm and St. Peter.

Dr. E. F. Vogelpohl, Nicollet’s resident dentist, opened up for business in the former Dr. Meilicke’s office this week. His office is modernly equipped in every respect for his dental practice. Dr. Vogelpohl was called out of town today but will be on deck again Monday morning.

25 Years Ago – Feb. 16, 1995 Congratulations to Peter Anthony, son of Willis and Rachel Anthony, for being named to the Dean’s List at Bethany College. Also to Michael Gunderson, son of Darwin and Brenda Gunderson, who also made the Dean’s List at the University of Minnesota, Morris.

Sharon Gaalswyk, Karen Gaalswyk, Cheryl Epper and Joyce, manager of the Budgetel Motel went to dinner at Charley’s and saw the play at the University in Mankato, “Stepping Out.” Kevin and Jeanette Hewitt of Cleveland entertained Sunday afternoon in honor of their daughter, Heather’s 4th birthday. Among those present were Earl and Evie Nelson of Norseland, Bob and Donna Hewitt of St. Peter, Darren and Corrinne Ely, and Angie Seitzer of Cleveland.

Darryl and Barbara Stevensen and Mr. and Mrs. Wade Zieske of rural New Ulm flew to Florida last week to spend time with Barbara’s parents, Herb and Jolene.

Good winter weather has allowed all aspects of construction for the new InLaws Restaurant at Nicollet to proceed. The business, located at the corner of Highways 14 and 111 in Nicollet, is slated to open in early spring.

Herring Trucking of Lafayette put up a new building on the old railroad right-of-way property over the winter. It’s behind the city disposal plant. The 40 X 75 foot building has space for two trucks and will give the Herrings a place to wash their trailers when they return from trips. Final details are being completed and the building should be ready for use in a few weeks.

85 Years Ago – Feb. 16, 1935 About 7:30 Monday morning, the fire department was called to the farm home of Henry Ott where a bad chimney fire was raging.

There was no damage.

Emil Starke has been busy for the past two weeks cutting logs and sawing lumber for a new barn which he will have erected on his farm this spring.

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Wyngarden and children, who spent several months with Mr. and Mrs. Carl Netzke returned to their home at Tappen, N.D., Wednesday.

Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Kettner, Mrs. L. W. Kettner, Mrs. E. A. Zimmermann and Mrs. Aug. Thom, Jr. visited relatives at Truman on Monday. The latter two remained for a week’s stay.

Aug. Koetting of Courtland township was seriously injured, Wednesday morning, when a shed, which he was tearing down, suddenly collapsed, pinning him underneath. His right hip and his right leg were broken.

A social evening was spent at the home of Miss Norma and Gordon Ott Wednesday evening. The time was spent in playing “bunco” with high honors going to Miss Viola Bode and Harvey Enter and Miss Elvira Enter and Harold Heidemann, low. At midnight a delicious lunch was served.

Peter Jutz came down Monday from Pierz with a truck load of potatoes which he is selling very cheap.

Mrs. Martin Zins and daughters spent Thursday at Nicollet with her sister, Mrs. R. J. Dauffenbach.

Joyce and Allen Erickson, Henry Maritz, Margie Monson and Mrs. Ella Johnson were entertained at

10 Years Ago – Feb. 18, 2010 Nicollet senior Jordan Rudenick surpassed the 1,000 point career mark in a make-up game with St. Clair Saturday afternoon. Rudenick, a four-year player for the Nicollet High School, has been a consistent scorer for the Raiders and is a good all-around player.

Congratulations to Steve and Barb Hulke of Courtland on becoming grandparents for the first time.

Little Hannah Hulke was born to their son and daughter-in-law, Brent and Andria, February 7.

The fourth annual Polar Plunge at Lake Hallett in St. Peter Sunday was even bigger and better than the first three. A total of 313 “human plungers” raised more than $44,000 for Special Olympics. Those numbers are up from 110, 165, and 196 plungers and $21,000, $28,500, and $30,000 in the first three. Nicollet County Sheriff Dave Lange and his group opened the plunge. Nicollet American Legion Post 510 was represented by Del Vulcan and Bruce Connelly. The gals went first and the guys followed when the Courtland Fire Department jumped. Group members were Pam Meyer, Mary Luepke, Jenna Krueger, Danielle Bode, Dave Ubel, Leon Luepke, Jon Rewitzer, Brandon Matter, Adam Marti, and Pat Stadick. Lafayette Ambulance “Team McFreezies” included Kim Schwab, Daryl Trautmiller, Kevin Reinhart, Jay Carlson, Jessi Gieseke, Collin Gieseke, and Marti Uhde.

Andrew and Lisa Quist of Norseland were among nearly 90 Minnesota Farm Bureau members who attended the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Promotion and Education Conference January 29-30 in Bloomington.

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Page 3

Nicollet County Ledger

Editorial

South Central Minnesota and Nicollet County News Updates

Minnesota Reformer Column Former MN Governor Anne Carlson to Discuss Water Issues The real possibility exists that

Opinion: Minnesota Should Guarantee Legal the water in the land of 10,000 lakes Representation For Petty Misdemeanors Around will no longer be safe to drink, will be compromised from continued Marijuana drought, will be endangered by proBy Maren Schroeder Minnesota Reformer Republished in Marijuana Moment

On May 30, 2023, Gov. Tim Walz signed cannabis legalization into law.

More recently, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the smell of burnt cannabis on its own is no longer probable cause for vehicle searches.

This, combined with the legalization of cannabis, puts new rules into play for Minnesota consumers.

However, it is not a free-for-all out there. With criminal penalties still in place, Minnesota needs to consider how to ensure people accused of petty misdemeanors — which will likely become the most common penalty in the newly legal marijuana regulatory regime — will have access to legal representation.

As of Aug. 2023, it is legal for Minnesotans to possess or transport up to two ounces of cannabis flower, eight grams of adult-use cannabis concentrate and edible cannabis products, or lower-potency hemp edibles infused with a combined total of 800 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Minnesotans are also permitted to grow up to eight cannabis plants, with four mature, per household. Minor violations of these limits can result in a petty misdemeanor, but penalties increase up to felony levels for gross violations.

These legislative changes are good news. The Minnesota Supreme Court in September also helped protect individual liberties in the State v. Torgerson ruling. Adam Lloyd Torgerson was stopped on July 5, 2021 for having too many auxiliary lights on his vehicle. During the stop, the officer stated that he “smelled marijuana,” proceeded to search the vehicle on the basis of probable cause, and found drugs in the vehicle. Torgerson was then charged with a controlled substance crime.

The district court later ruled that the odor of marijuana does not permit vehicle searches on its own. The Minnesota Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court affirmed that smell alone is not probable cause; the smell must be coupled with other evidence of a crime.

While all of this is great news for Minnesotans, folks still need to be aware of collateral consequences even for petty misdemeanor convictions. Under federal law, cannabis offenses from the state level may be

considered “crimes of violence.” This means that a conviction may have immigration, education, housing, health care and other consequences outside of Minnesota’s criminal justice system. Simply stated: A petty misdemeanor isn’t always just a fine.

Layers of state law, federal law, and judicial precedent set the specific conditions surrounding the collateral consequences of petty misdemeanors, and all but require the guidance and advice of counsel to navigate the complexities of the various laws.

Because petty misdemeanors in Minnesota are not deemed criminal offenses, however, there is no right to counsel, which means no public defender. Most folks who receive a petty misdemeanor violation simply pay their fine, accepting the consequence of breaking the law. But they should consult a lawyer if they can, and consider long term consequences of that petty misdemeanor conviction.

As for legal help, in late 2020, the Minnesota Supreme Court authorized the Legal Paraprofessional Pilot Project, which authorizes eligible and rostered paraprofessionals to provide legal advice and appear in court for certain family law and landlord-tenant matters, under the supervision of a Minnesota licensed attorney. The pilot project is set to end in March 2024, and the standing committee that oversees the project is currently working toward its final report and recommendations to the Supreme Court for possible permanent adoption.

One area identified for possible inclusion is petty misdemeanor cases. These fit the court’s objective of increasing access to legal representation in case types where one or both parties typically appear without legal representation. Petty misdemeanor cases were not initially identified as a problem area, but as Minnesotans continue to engage in broad discussions on the inequities in the justice system, these types of offenses fit well within the objective set forth by the court for the pilot project.

We can expect to see the use of petty misdemeanor “civil infractions” to address minor violations of Minnesota’s new cannabis laws, which means access to legal advice and representation is imperative.

A move to include petty misdemeanors in the scope of legal paraprofessional practice is a further step toward providing access to justice and mitigating the harms of our criminal laws.

posed precious metal mining and will continue to be subject to the in-

creased pressure of money in politics says former Minnesota Governor Anne Carlson.

These are some of the topics to be discussed by Carlson during a statewide Zoom on Wednesday, December 20, at 11am Central time. Carlson

will be joined on the Zoom by Tom Berkelman, who once led the Duluth area delegation in the Minnesota legislature.

Members of the statewide media are being invited to join the conversation. Members of several envi-

ronmental and clean water advocate groups are also expected to join the forum scheduled to last 90 minutes, depending on the questions asked and comments made during the session.

Access the Carlson Zoom Link: https://bit.ly/464SUzY

Nicollet County Sports MN River Bulldogs Youth Hockey Association Hosts 1st Annual Hockey Day January 20 Event Held in LeSueur, Association Seeks Sponsors for 2024 Season ST PETER – The First Annual MN River Bulldog Hockey Day is ready for the puck to drop. The MN River Bulldogs will host their own “Hockey Day” on January 20, 2024. The event will be held at the LeSueur Community Center in LeSueur MN. “We will have a food truck, concession stand, silent auction, chucka-puck, and a day full of Bulldog Hockey with awesome competitors,” according to a press release.

Hockey Day MN River Information:

Lucky Lure Pizza truck on site A concession stand full of snacks and goodies Pre-Order clothing opportunity Games will be starting at 7:30 AM and the last game starts at 7:30 PM Silent Auction full of fun baskets, including a Matt Boldy autographed stick Chuck-a-Puck between certain intermissions “ICE COLD CASH” drawing is at 3 PM The MN River organizing com-

mittee invites you to become a sponsor of Bulldog Hockey Day. An event like this takes time to plan but requires a significant amount of help from the organization and the community. An event like this can create a significant amount of exposure.

Contact marketing@bulldoghockey.org.

The MN River Bulldogs Youth Hockey Association provides teaching to develop highly skilled and motivated young hockey players. The Bulldogs develop play-

ers from learn-to-skate programs through their Varsity program, providing opportunities to compete against the best hockey players in the region. Players learn skills on and off the ice to benefit them for a lifetime. The Bulldogs are committed to excellence and hard work from all the players, parents, managers, and coaches. This commitment to excellence will include both on-ice performance and office activities as student-athletes and as representatives of the Bulldogs Youth Hockey Association.

Minnesota River Bulldogs hockey team assembled for practice on the ice.

Algorithms, Lies, and Social Media

Achieving a more transparent and less manipulative online media may well be the defining political battle of the 21st century.

By Stephan Lewandowsky and Anastasia Kozyreva

There was a time when the internet was seen as an unequivocal force for social good. It propelled progressive social movements from Black Lives Matter to the Arab Spring; it set information free and flew the flag of democracy worldwide. But today, democracy is in retreat and the internet’s role as driver is palpably clear. From fake news bots to misinformation to conspiracy theories, social media has commandeered mindsets, evoking the sense of a dark force that must be countered by authoritarian, top-down controls.

This paradox—that the internet is both savior and executioner of democracy—can be understood through

the lenses of classical economics and cognitive science. In traditional markets, firms manufacture goods, such as cars or toasters, that satisfy consumers’ preferences. Markets on social media and the internet are radically different because the platforms exist to sell information about their users to advertisers, thus serving the needs of advertisers rather than consumers. On social media and parts of the internet, users “pay” for free services by relinquishing their data to unknown third parties who then expose them to ads targeting their preferences and personal attributes. In what Harvard social psychologist Shoshana Zuboff calls “surveillance capitalism,” the platforms are incentivized to align their interests with advertisers, often at the expense of users’ interests or even their well-being.

This economic model has driven online and social media platforms (however unwittingly) to exploit the cognitive limitations and vulnerabilities of their users. For instance, human attention has adapted to focus on cues that signal emotion or surprise. Paying attention to emotionally charged or surprising information makes sense in most social and uncertain environments and was critical within the close-knit groups in which early humans lived. In this way, information about the surrounding world and social partners could be quickly updated and acted on.

But when the interests of the platform do not align with the interests of the user, these strategies become maladaptive. Platforms know how to capitalize on this: To maximize ad-

vertising revenue, they present users with content that captures their attention and keeps them engaged. For example, YouTube’s recommendations amplify increasingly sensational content with the goal of keeping people’s eyes on the screen. A study by Mozilla researchers confirms that YouTube not only hosts but actively recommends videos that violate its own policies concerning political and medical misinformation, hate speech, and inappropriate content.

In the same vein, our attention online is more effectively captured by news that is either predominantly negative or awe inspiring. Misinformation is particularly likely to provoke outrage, and fake news headlines are designed to be substantially more negative than

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Focus on Ag Continued Social Media Continued From Page 3 From Page 2 Congress. The continuing resolution that was passed will also maintain funding for most federal agencies, including those that are part of USDA, until either mid-January or early February of 2024.

When most people hear of a “Farm Bill”, they think of the commodity programs and payments that affect crop producers. Some people may be aware that crop insurance and conservation programs are included under the Farm Bill, and some are knowledgeable that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and food stamps are part of the Farm Bill legislation.

However, very few people outside of government officials and policy experts are aware that the Farm Bill also covers funding for rural fire trucks and ambulances, export promotion, international food aid, forestry programs, ag research and extension education at land-grant universities, and school lunch programs. The current Farm Bill passed in 2018 was over 1,000 pages in length, and contains 12 separate Titles, which cover a multitude of programs that are administered by USDA. Farm Program for 2024 The recent extension of the 2018 Farm Bill means that the “price loss coverage” (PLC) and “ag risk coverage” (ARC) farm program options for eligible crops will remain in place for the 2024 crop year and will be similar to PLC and ARC programs for the 2019 to 2023 crop years. For 2024, producers will be able to choose between the priceonly PLC and revenue-based ARC program choices for the 2024 crop production year. The ARC program choice includes both the county-yield based “ARC-CO” program, which is most popular, and the “ARC-IC” program, which is based on farm-level yields. If no choice is made, the 2023 farm program choice will remain in place for 2024. The deadline to finalize the farm program choice and to enroll for 2024 farm program benefits will likely be March 15, 2024, at local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. As of this writing, USDA has not yet made any official announcements regarding 2024 farm program sign-up.

Crop base acres for 2024 will likely remain at the same levels as 2023 for all crops on most farms, unless there are adjustments in base acres for crop acres that were added via land purchases or rental agreements or acres that are no longer eligible for farm program payments. The 2023 farm program yields on individual farm units, which were last updated in 2020, will be continued to calculate potential PLC payments.

The ARC-CO “benchmark yields” for 2024 will be based on the “Olympicaverage” Risk Management Agency (RMA) county average yields for the 2018 to 2022 crop years. The national “market year average” (MYA) price for each program crop for the years 20182022 will be averaged to calculate the 2024 “benchmark price” for the ARCCO and ARC-IC programs.

The calculation formulas, etc. for the 2024 PLC, ARC-CO and ARC-IC programs will likely remain the same as in previous years.PLC payments for 2024 will be made if the final MYA price for 2024 falls below the reference price for a given crop. ARC-CO payments for 2024 will be made if the final county revenue for the year (county yield x final 2024 MYA price) falls below the 2024 benchmark revenue (county benchmark yield x benchmark price) for a given crop. The calculations for the ARC-IC program are the same as for the ARC-CO program, except ARC-IC uses farm-level yield data and considers all crops on a farm unit together for calculation of potential payments in a given year. PLC and ARC-CO payments are paid on 85 percent of crop base acres, while ARC-IC payments are paid on only 65 percent of base acres.

The 2014 Farm Bill established

“statutory reference prices” for all crops that were used to calculate PLC payments. The 2018 Farm Bill set the fixed statutory prices as minimum reference prices and added the possibility for “effective reference prices” (ERP).

The ERP allows the reference price to increase by as much as 15 percent above the fixed reference price (fixed price x 115%). The final ERP for a given year is the higher of the fixed statutory price or the 5-year “Olympic average” price for a commodity times 85 percent (.85). The “Olympic average” price is calculated by taking the market year average (MYA) price for the five previous years (not including the current marketing year), dropping the high and the low price, and then averaging the other prices for the other three years. For the 2024 crop year, the “Olympic average” price is based on the MYA prices for the years 2018 to 2022, which is then multiplied by 85% (.85) to determine the final ERP price.

The final effective reference prices (ERP) for the 2019 to 2023 crop years were at the minimum statutory levels of $3.70 per bushel for corn, $8.40 per bushel for soybeans, and $5.50 per bushel for wheat, meaning that calculation for higher ERP levels was not triggered for any of those three crops.

MYA prices have been high enough in recent years to likely result in higher 2024 PLC reference prices for corn and soybeans; however, the wheat reference price will likely remain at the minimum level. The higher reference prices for corn and soybeans potentially increases the likelihood of PLC payments for the 2024 crip year, especially for corn if average market prices continue to decline during the 2024-25 marketing year. (Please refer to the attached Table.) Following are the estimated 2024 PLC reference prices: Corn = $4.02 per bushel (maximum is $4.26/bu. and minimum is $3.70/ bu.)

Soybeans = $9.26 per bushel (maximum is $9.66/bu. and minimum is $8.40/bu.)

Wheat $5.50 per bushel (maximum is $6.33/bu. and minimum is $5.50/ bu.)

The 2024 benchmark (BM) prices that are used for the ARC-CO and ARC-IC programs are also based on the five-year “Olympic average” MYA prices for 2018 to 2022; however, the ARC benchmark prices are not factored downward by 85 percent (x .85).

The minimum BM price is the statutory reference price for a given crop.

Following are the estimated ARC-CO and ARC-IC benchmark prices for the 2024 crop year: Corn = $4.75 per bushel $3.98/bu.in 2023) Soybeans = $10.89 per bushel ($9.57/ bu.in 2023) Wheat $6.21 per bushel ($5.50/bu. in 2023) BOTTOM – LINE Another provision in the 2018 Farm Bill allows farm operators to make year-to-year decisions between PLC, ARC-CO and ARC-IC for each eligible crop on an FSA farm unit. Assuming that the PLC and ARC-CO farm program provisions and calculations in 2024 stay relatively similar to recent years, farm operators will want to do a bit more analysis before finalizing yearto-year farm program decisions for various crops. The potential for higher PLC reference prices and increasing benchmark prices will make that decision a bit more challenging for 2024 than in recent years. USDA has not yet announced the 2024 farm program details and sign-up dates at local FSA offices.

Note — For additional information contact Kent Thiesse, Farm Management Analyst and Sr. Vice President, MinnStar Bank, Lake Crystal, MN. (Phone — (507) 381-7960)

LEGAL NOTICES

real news headlines. In pursuit of our attention, digital platforms have become paved with misinformation, particularly the kind that feeds outrage and anger. Following recent revelations by a whistle-blower, we now know that Facebook’s newsfeed curation algorithm gave content eliciting anger five times as much weight as content evoking happiness. (Presumably because of the revelations, the algorithm was changed.) We also know that political parties in Europe began running more negative ads because they were favored

by Facebook’s algorithm.

Besides selecting information on the basis of its personalized relevance, algorithms can also filter out information considered harmful or illegal, for instance by automatically removing hate speech and violent content. But until recently, these algorithms went only so far. As Evelyn Douek, a senior research fellow at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, points out, before the pandemic, most platforms (including Facebook, Google, and Twitter) erred on the side of protecting free speech and rejected a role, as Mark Zuckerberg put it in a personal Facebook post, of being “arbiters of truth.” But during the pandemic, these same platforms took a more interventionist approach to false information and vowed to remove or limit COVID19 misinformation and conspiracy theories. Here, too, the platforms relied on automated tools to remove content without human review.

Even though the majority of content decisions are done by algorithms, humans still design the rules the tools rely upon, and humans have to manage their ambiguities: Should algorithms remove false information about climate change, for instance, or just about COVID-19?

This kind of content moderation inevitably means that human decision makers are weighing values. It requires balancing a defense of free speech and individual rights with safeguarding other interests of society, something social media companies have neither the mandate nor the competence to achieve.

What can be done to shift this balance of power and to make the online world a better place?

None of this is transparent to consumers, because internet and social media platforms lack the basic signals that characterize conventional commercial transactions. When people buy a car, they know they are buying a car. If that car fails to meet their expectations, consumers have a clear signal of the damage done because they no longer have money in their pocket. When people use social media, by contrast, they are not always aware of being the passive subjects of commercial transactions between the platform and advertisers involving their own personal data. And if users experience has adverse conse-

quences—such as increased stress or declining mental health—it is difficult to link those consequences to social media use. The link becomes even more difficult to establish when social media facilitates political extremism or polarization.

Users are also often unaware of how their newsfeed on social media is curated. Estimates of the share of users who do not know that algorithms shape their newsfeed range from 27 percent to 62 percent. Even people who are aware of algorithmic curation tend not to have an accurate understanding of what that involves. A Pew Research paper published in 2019 found that 74 percent of Americans did not know that Facebook maintained data about their interests and traits. At the same time, people tend to object to collection of sensitive information and data for the purposes of personalization and do not approve of personalized political campaigning.

They are often unaware that the information they consume and produce is curated by algorithms. And hardly anyone understands that algorithms will present them with information that is curated to provoke outrage or anger, attributes that fit hand in glove with political misinformation.

People cannot be held responsible for their lack of awareness. They were neither consulted on the design of online architectures nor considered as partners in the construction of the rules of online governance.

What can be done to shift this balance of power and to make the online world a better place?

Google executives have referred to the internet and its applications as “the world’s largest ungoverned space,” unbound by terrestrial laws. This view is no longer tenable. Most democratic governments now recognize the need to protect their citizens and democratic institutions online.

Protecting democracy itself requires a redesign of the current online “attention economy” that has misaligned the interests of platforms and consumers.

Protecting citizens from manipulation and misinformation, and protecting democracy itself, requires a redesign of the current online “attention economy” that has misaligned the interests of platforms and consumers. The redesign must restore the signals that are available to consumers and the public in conventional markets: users need to know what platforms do and what they know, and society must have the tools to judge whether platforms act fairly and in the public interest. Where necessary, regulation must ensure fairness.

Four basic steps are required: There must be greater transparency and more individual control of personal data. Transparency and control are not just lofty legal principles; they are also strongly held public values. European

survey results suggest that nearly half of the public wants to take a more active role in controlling the use of personal information online. It follows that people need to be given more information about why they see specific ads or other content items. Full transparency about customization and targeting is particularly important because platforms can use personal data to infer attributes— for example, sexual orientation—that a person might never willingly reveal.

Until recently, Facebook permitted advertisers to target consumers based on sensitive characteristics such as health, sexual orientation, or religious and political beliefs, a practice that may have jeopardized users’ lives in countries where homosexuality is illegal.

Platforms must signal the quality of the information in a newsfeed so users can assess the risk of accessing it. A palette of such cues is available. “Endogenous” cues, based on the content itself, could alert us to emotionally charged words geared to provoke outrage. “Exogenous” cues, or commentary from objective sources, could shed light on contextual information: Does the material come from a trustworthy place?

Who shared this content previously?

Facebook’s own research, said Zuckerberg, showed that access to COVIDrelated misinformation could be cut by 95 percent by graying out content (and requiring a click to access) and by providing a warning label.

The public should be alerted when political speech circulating on social media is part of an ad campaign. Democracy is based on a free marketplace of ideas in which political proposals can be scrutinized and rebutted by opponents; paid ads masquerading as independent opinions distort that marketplace. Facebook’s “ad library” is a first step toward a fix because, in principle, it permits the public to monitor political advertising. In practice, the library falls short in several important ways. It is incomplete, missing many clearly political ads. It also fails to provide enough information about how an ad targets recipients, thus preventing political opponents from issuing a rebuttal to the same audience. Finally, the ad library is well known among researchers and practitioners but not among the public at large.

The public must know exactly how algorithms curate and rank information and then be given the opportunity to shape their own online environment.

At present, the only public information about social media algorithms comes from whistle-blowers and from painstaking academic research. Independent agencies must be able to audit platform data and identify measures to remedy the spigot of misinformation. Outside audits would not only identify potential biases in algorithms but also help platforms maintain public trust by not seek-

ing to control content themselves.

Several legislative proposals in Europe suggest a way forward, but it remains to be seen whether any of these laws will be passed. There is considerable public and political skepticism about regulations in general and about governments stepping in to regulate social media content in particular. This skepticism is at least partially justified because paternalistic interventions may, if done improperly, result in censorship.

The Chinese government’s censorship of internet content is a case in point.

During the pandemic, some authoritarian states, such as Egypt, introduced “fake news laws” to justify repressive policies, stifling opposition and further infringing on freedom of the press. In March 2022, the Russian parliament approved jail terms of up to 15 years for sharing “fake” (as in contradicting official government position) information about the war against Ukraine, causing many foreign and local journalists and news organizations to limit their coverage of the invasion or to withdraw from the country entirely.

In liberal democracies, regulations must not only be proportionate to the threat of harmful misinformation but also respectful of fundamental human rights. Fears of authoritarian government control must be weighed against the dangers of the status quo. It may feel patermalistic for a government to mandate that platform algorithms must not radicalize people into bubbles of extremism. But it’s also paternalistic for Facebook to weight anger-evoking content five times more than content that makes people happy, and it is far more paternalistic to do so in secret.

The best solution lies in shifting control of social media from unaccountable corporations to democratic agencies that operate openly, under public oversight. There’s no shortage of proposals for how this might work. For example, complaints from the public could be investigated. Settings could preserve user privacy instead of waiving it as the default.

In addition to guiding regulation, tools from the behavioral and cognitive sciences can help balance freedom and safety for the public good. One approach is to research the design of digital architectures that more effectively promote both accuracy and civility of online conversation. Another is to develop a digital literacy tool kit aimed at boosting users’ awareness and competence in navigating the challenges of online environments.

Achieving a more transparent and less manipulative media may well be the defining political battle of the 21st century.

An earlier version of this essay was published on March 24, 2022.

This article was republished under commons license from OpenMind.

head to get into the details of what is needed for the county to run properly and efficiently. Each department will submit their budget around August and adjustments are made as needed up until a submission to the board is initiated.

“We look at every line item and con-

sider possibilities,” she said.

Nicollet County ended up receiving about $17 million in federal and state funding, according to Landkammer.

That helps offset the levy and other county programming, she explained.

The 2024-28 Capital Improvement Plan was also discussed at the last board

meeting, Landkammer explained, to prepare the county for upcoming projects in the county. Some parking lots will be repaved under the 2024 plan for the county, she also mentioned in the interview. There may also be a remodel in 2024, part of the Public Services Department, Landkammer said. Some

of the federal funding helped out with that project budget item, she also stated.

In January of the new year, Landkammer will also meet with Minnesota legislators. County officials will also meet with federal level officials to discuss issues at the county, she said.

$237,500 as part of the equipment certificate of $750,000 over 10 years at 6 percent, while the other $237,500 of the debt service will be funded by Electric/Water/Wastewater funds over those same 10 years. Street maintenance is expected to be reduced by $175,015. There is an expected $60,000 reduction in wages spending. Another $63,000 reduction is due to maintenance projects. The Parks equipment budget decreases from 2023 from a $150,000 Equipment Certificate for 2024 for 5 years at estimated 6 percent interest to replace a truck for $75,000, a deep tine aerator for $35,000 and a field striper painter with GIS for $40,000.

The $2,162,000 plan for Gorman Park enhancements has been broken down

into three phases over 2024-2026. In this year’s budget, all first phase costs have been moved to the American Rescue Plan Act (APRP) fund for $733,000.

The remaining $1,502,000 is yet to be determined by the City Council.

“It is our plan to request $1.2 million for this project to be included in the 2024 State bonding bill,” Vogel noted in the agenda.

Aid (LGA) is projected to increase by $332,512 to a total of $3,633,535 in 2024. The city had a 7.5 percent cap for increasing health insurance costs in 2023.

“We have made some changes to educational and training dollars as we believe this is an important part of being a progressive organization. We believe the additional state mandated police training and the plans we are working on related to equity and diversity issues for all employees can be covered within the amounts allocated. Community outreach events such as ‘Community Conversations’ are usually funded by either the city council or city administrator professional service budgets which collectively have $11,000 allocated.”

After budget and levy discussion, the city council discussed the addition of two utility labor positions to assist with stormwater operations and to prepare for retirement churn.

The council made final acceptance of 2023 Park Row Street and Utility Improvements complete and authorized final payment to Dirt Merchant Incorporated of Mankato in the amount of $42,661.04. In April 2023, the Dirt Merchant Incorporated won a bid for the improvements on Park Row from South Third Street to South Washington Avenue. The project included removal and replacement of curb and gutter, bituminous surface, sidewalk as needed, pedestrian ramps, water service and sanitary service replacement in the right-of-way and on private property. The bid was awarded for $633,273.39. A contract change order amounting to $91,615.25 was approved for the contractor to perform the pav-

ing that had originally been planned for completion by city staff. The total cost to the city increased to $724,888.64. The final construction cost was $655,753.24, or about 10 percent less than the contract amount due to a combination of good subgrade soil and less sewer and water service work beyond the right-of-way. A large portion of this project was funded by assessments to abutting property owners. The remaining funding was provided by the General (Streets) Fund, and the Stormwater, Wastewater and Water Funds, according to city staff.

Saint Peter City Council also approved a resolution providing for a 4 percent pay modification for all nonunion, noncontract, full- and part-time employees as well as modification of wage scales for several positions effective January 1, 2024 unless noted or employees are on probationary status.

Lucas Simonette, on behalf of Smolder Cigar Emporium, submitted a Consumption and Display Permit application. The permit would allow them to serve any liquid (soda, charged water, tonic water, etc.) for the purpose of mixing with intoxicating liquor.

Unlike a “Club”, customers would bring their own bottle of liquor to the premise versus storing the liquor, in a locker, at the business.

“This would be comparable to the license and use at Johnson Hall located at the Nicollet County Fairgrounds,” city staff noted.

A representative from the State of Minnesota will complete an inspection and determine whether or not the permit request should be approved.

County Administrator Continued From Page 1

City of St Peter Continued From Page 1

The 2024 levy continues to include $100,000 for park improvements started in the 2019 levy after the Community Center debt was paid in full. The Police Department budget increased by $42,877 after increased wages and health insurance costs. The city will receive $500,000 from the State of Minnesota for one time use of public safety expenditures. Total 2024 expenditure of this one-time use money for the Public Safety Fund is proposed to be $205,000, with $295,000 left over for future years. Police will use the funds for two new police squad vehicles for $92,000 and 15 new handguns with optics for $16,000.

Upgrades to computer equipment and storage of the information are $12,000.

The Fire Department budget increased by $33,333 due to increased health insurance costs over 2023. A replacement Dodge pick-up truck is $60,000 and radio/pager replacements are $25,000.

The Fire Department wants to purchase a used snorkel truck for $700,000 to replace the 1962 version in use.

Funding is included for the City’s portion of a school resource officer for the 2023- 2024 school year. The School District will fund 70 percent of wages and benefits. Local Government

Submit Legal Notices to info@nicolletcountyledger.com

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Nicollet County Ledger

Sunday, December 17, 2023

PFAS: Continued From Page One

Snow: It Came and Went P

hoto by Robert Lawson

municipal governments as a byproduct of wastewater treatment and marketed as safe and beneficial to farmers. Those same farmers now face federal intervention and shutdown of their farms.

KSTP reported that these chemicals are now found in more than a dozen east metro communities. PFAS are per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances. 3M dumped these chemicals for a period of time, which resulted in a slew of recent lawsuits. Research has shown a link between PFAS and rare cancers and other health

risks. 3M won’t officially stop manufacturing them for at least another year.

A new state law will ban all “non-essential” use of PFAS. But, now this effort is being called into question by the same federal government that is actively shutting down farms for PFAS contamination. The feds believe the banning of these chemicals is a national security threat, according to the new KSTP report. The Department of Defense (DOD) wrote a letter to Congress in August. The PFAS chemicals are still used

in a variety of defense systems such as aircraft, missile systems and other products. The letter cited 3M’s decision as a concern at the Pentagon.

“Losing access to PFAS due to overly broad regulations or severe market contractions would greatly impact national security and DOD’s ability to fulfill its mission,” the report said.

The Pentagon said PFAS are valuable to US military operations due to their physical properties like chemical stability, heat resistance, and waterproof qualities.

EV Charging: Continued From Page One Snow began falling in a freak storm this past Monday. Temperatures have been unusually warm this year.

day, seven days a week with no entry fee to access the chargers.

“We are excited to offer this opportunity to build partnerships that will grow the fastcharging network in Minnesota,” said Beth Kallestad, MnDOT

Principal Sustainability Planner.

“We have spent months listening to Minnesotans explain what they would like in terms of experience and amenities when they charge their electric vehicle. We plan to take those ideas into con-

sideration during the selection process.”

Application instructions can be found on the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program in Minnesota webpage - www. mndot.gov/nevi/

Creative names wanted: MnDOT’s annual Name a Snowplow contest returns for fourth year MnDOT

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Back by popular demand, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is once again inviting the public to help name another round of eight snowplows – one for each MnDOT district in the state.

Past winners include names like Plowy McPlowFace, Blader Tot Hotdish, Han Snowlo and The Truck Formerly Known As Plow.

MnDOT encourages people to submit their most witty, unique and Minnesota- or winter-themed snowplow name ideas on the agency’s website. Submissions will be accepted through Friday, Dec. 15,

at noon.

This year’s contest includes a few basic rules: Each person may only submit one name.

Submissions are limited to no more than 30 characters (including letters and spaces).

Gosh darn it, nothing vulgar please. Any submissions that include profanity or other inappropriate language will not be considered.

Politically inspired names (including phrases, slogans or plays on politicians’ names) will not be considered. Naming snowplows is meant to be fun and lighthearted, so we’re going to keep this contest

nonpartisan and nonpolitical.

Past winners will also will not be considered. You can find a full list of past winners on our Name a Snowplow website.

MnDOT staff will review all the submissions, select some of the best ideas, and invite the public to vote on their favorites in January 2024.

The eight names that get the most votes will then make their way onto a snowplow in each district!

Minnesotans are encouraged to follow @MnDOT on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates on the 2023-24 Name a Snowplow contest as well as winter weather alerts, safety messages, construction updates and more.

MAPS School District Shows Increasing Enrollment Trend Post-COVID19

By Robert Lawson Publisher info@nicolletcountyledger.com

NORTH MANKATO – Mankato Public Schools Superintendent Paul Peterson, Ed.D greeted parents of those students enrolled in the district with a holiday message of positivity to start the new year.

“The November 7 referendum

may be in the rear view mirror, but we continue to be thankful to the community for once again affirming its support of public education,” Peterson said in a recent district newsletter. “It won’t be long before we break ground for the various projects across MAPS.” The recent referendum approved Question 1 for a $105 million bond but voted down Question 2 on out-

door activity spaces.

The board noted that enrollment continues to increase after the COVID-19 pandemic and attributed this to the district’s commitments. The board also noted that attendance and achievement rates are up in the district.

“Achievement data collected in the first few months of the school year shows that the work by teach-

ers and students every day is leading to accelerated learning across the system.”

The district is also implementing a rule for cell phones in school. They are now prohibited during the instructional day, according to the newsletter. The board says instances of bullying and other disruptions are declining as well and they attribute this

to the policy.

The board announced shovel ready projects including 12 identified construction projects with 6 ready to be bid on by contractors. Bridges Community School, Roosevelt Elementary, Washington Elementary, Eagle Lake Elementary, Center for Learning and Dakota Meadows Middle School are ready for proj-

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ect bids. At Dakota Meadows, for example, there are plans for a secure entrance, special education classrooms, new swimming pool and auxiliary gym/storm shelter.

The district and board also recognized students and staff for their school board spotlight in the newsletter. See photos of those recognized with the honor this month.