2004 Minnesota Legislative Session: Day 2
The 2004 Minnesota legislative session is underway. Following the opening day on Monday, State Representative Dean Urdahl of Grove City met with reporters to outline some of what he hopes will be top issues for the legislative session. Urdahl says help for the state's dairy industry, education issues, and the Governor's bonding bill proposals are just some of the issues that he believes will be top priorities for the session. Urdahl is also continuing to ask constituents to return questionnaires recently published in local papers regarding opinions on expansion of gambling, the death penalty, transportation funding, and health care issues. |
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Annandale Man Dies From Auto Crash Injuries
A young Annandale man has died from injuries he sustained in an auto crash Sunday night near Annandale. 21-year-old Grant Glazier was northbound on Minnesota Highway 24 just north of Annandale when his car went out of control on the icy roadway, spinning backwards into the path of a pickup truck which was also northbound. Glazier was taken to St. Cloud Hospital where he died from his injuries on Monday. The driver of the pickup, a 19-year-old man from Brainerd, and his passenger, a 38-year-old man from Howard Lake were uninjured. The Minnesota State Patrol is continuing its investigation. |
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Becker Middle School Fire
A late afternoon fire Tuesday damaged a portion of the Becker Middle School. The fire reportedly broke out around 2:40 PM in the ceiling in one of the computer classrooms. Students were quickly evacuated to the adjacent Becker High School. Firefighters had to maneuver through and around school busses at the school which had just arrived to pick up students. There is no word yet as to how much damage was done to the school building, which is just over 2 years old. No injuries were reported. Fire officials are looking into the cause of the fire. |
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Funeral Services Saturday for Annandale Auto Crash Victim
Funeral services have been set for a young man from Annandale who died earlier this week from injuries he suffered in a weekend traffic crash in Wright County. 21-year-old Grant Glazier died Monday at St. Cloud Hospital from injuries he sustained when the car he was driving north on state highway 24 north of Annandale spun out of control, and was hit by another northbound vehicle. Glazier was a 2000 graduate of Annandale High School, and was a prominent player on the football and basketball teams. Funeral services for Grant Glazier will be held Saturday at 10:30 AM at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Annandale. |
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Milk Price Supports for Dairy Producers for January
Sagging milk prices have reached a level where federal price support payments will be in effect for January, and are quite likely for February as well. The formula is based on prices for milk on the east coast, and support payments take effect when prices reach a pre-established level. Contact the Wright County Farm Service Agency office in Buffalo at (763) 682-1982 for complete information on paperwork that needs to be in place for payments to take place. |
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Minnesota Legislative Session Begins Today
The 2004 Minnesota legislative session begins today. The focus will be on Governor Pawlenty's proposal for a 760 million dollar bonding package. Education, transportation, stadiums, and the death penalty are all expected to be among the other main topics among lawmakers this session. The legislative session begins in both the Minnesota House and Senate at 12 noon. |
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More Bitter Cold!
Once again today weather is a major part of the news. Temperatures this morning dropped to -17 at the KRWC studios, again making it one of the coldest temperatures of the winter, particularly because of other bitterly cold temperatures in recent days. More long commutes are expected today for many people due to on-going slipperiness on roadways, caused in large part by "black ice" conditions. Forecasters say clouds and occasional flurries are expected throughout the day today. That could lead to additional travel problems later this afternoon. |
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Relief Fund Open for Family of Sledding Accident
A relief fund has been set up for the family of a 5-year-old boy from Maple Lake who died recently in a sledding accident. Hunter Albers died last week after he was seriously injured January 17th when his sled struck an ATV at the bottom of a sledding hill at his father's home in Avon. Relatives of the boy's mother have set up the special fund at the Security State Bank of Maple Lake to help with the costs of funeral expenses. For more information on the fund, contact the bank, or Cheryl Pullins at (320) 963-3161. |
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Sheriff's Scholarship Program Guidelines Announced
The Wright County Sheriff's Office will again participate in the Minnesota Sheriff's Association scholarship program. Students who have an interest in law enforcement education, and who meet other criteria are eligible to apply for one of fifteen $600 scholarships to be awarded throughout the state of Minnesota this year. Applications will be accepted through March 11th, with scholarships to be awarded by May 1st. Complete information and application forms are available at the Wright County Sheriff's office at the county government center in Buffalo. |
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Unemployment in Wright County in December Jumps to 6 Percent
Wright County's jobless rate was up more than a full percentage point in December. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development recently released new seasonally unadjusted figures for Wright County which show a rise of 1.2 percent in December, bringing the unemployment rate to an even 6 percent. Some of the rise in jobless numbers can be attributed to seasonal layoffs, though M-DEED Commissioner Matt Kramer says slower than expected retail and food service hiring in December added to the increase. The December unemployment jump was the first significant rise in Wright County unemployment in several months. |
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Wintery Weather Hangs On
Groundhog or no groundhog, it looks like a sure bet that Wright County will have many more weeks of winter. Over the weekend, much of Wright County received another 5 to 7 inches of snow, with more snow expected to continue through the day today. Drivers are finding roadways snow compacted and slippery throughout the region. A winter storm warning continues through the day today for much of the southern half of Minnesota. |
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