News

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Due to a lack of interest on the part of a majority of residents of the Hawleywood subdivision in northwest Benson, the city will not pursue a permanent flood control solution.

The city had sent out surveys to gauge interest among the 28 homeowners who would be threatened by rising flood waters on the Chippewa River. Those surveys projected the costs for doing the project at just over $500,000. Homeowners would be assessed for half the cost with the city picking up the other half. The city would have also sought grants to lower the cost of the project...

For more on this story, and to keep up on all the latest in area sports, subscribe to the Swift County Monitor-News print edition or our PDF internet edition. Call 320-843-4111 and you can get all the local news and sports delivered to you!

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

A resolution to go to the voters of District 777 for a $1.5 bond levy for “the construction and equipping of a multi-purpose facility to be used for the district’s gymnastics program and other school activities” was unanimously passed by the board of education Monday night.

The election is to take place Tuesday, April 14.

A cost estimate for construction of the 144-by-82-foot building presented by Breitbach Construction Co. put the price at $1.497 million. That price includes $30,000 for unexpected costs.

Breitbach is the company doing the new construction and renovations at the Benson High School and Northside Elementary School as part of a $26.3 million project...

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

A proposal for a deeper look at Swift County dispatch services didn’t sit well last Tuesday with Sheriff John Holtz.

His reaction came in response to Swift County Board of Commissioner’s Chair Gary Hendrickx, District 1-Appleton, suggesting that a task force be established to look into county options for dispatching services.

“We have to keep our eyes open here as we look at it, but we also have our commitment to the public to have the best service we can at the best cost we can,” he said. If the decision is that the county stay with its current dispatching system, “that is fine, but if a change is needed, we have to have the conversation, too.”

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

We are not creeping out of the coldest days of winter, at least if you go by our annual average temperatures. And, in a few days, the furry prognosticator of the length of the winter days ahead will be giving his forecast. Ground Hog Day is Sunday.

Between Jan. 8 and Jan. 20 our highs average 19 degrees and our lows zero. These days represent the coldest average high temperature and coldest average low temperature we see in western Minnesota. We missed those averages this year – we were considerably colder.

The average high between Jan. 8 and Jan. 20 was 14.6 degrees and the average low a minus 5.3 degrees. Ten of the 14 days saw lows below zero including four days with double-digit sub-zero temperatures. The winter’s low of minus 20 was recorded Jan. 16 when we also saw our first below zero high of the winter – it only hit a minus 4 degrees that day...

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Emphasis on US exports, trade secrets in China trade deal

Editor’s note: This story by Associated Press reporters Kevin Freking and Paul Wiseman has information added by the Monitor-News on Rep. Collin Peterson’s thoughts on the trade deal.

The United States and China reached a trade deal last Wednesday that eases tensions between the world’s two biggest economies, offers massive export opportunities for U.S. farms and factories, and promises to do more to protect American trade secrets...

For more on this story, and to keep up on all the latest in area sports, subscribe to the Swift County Monitor-News print edition or our PDF internet edition. Call 320-843-4111 and you can get all the local news and sports delivered to you!

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

While Minnesotans will be able to physically vote in Minnesota’s March 3 Presidential Nomination Primary, absentee balloting is already underway.

Absentee ballots can be picked up at the Swift County Courthouse, or a person can go to the mnvotes.org to print off a primary ballot.

The primary will help determine both the Democratic and Republican party candidates for the November general election.

“The presidential nomination primary opens up the selection process and allows more Minnesotans to participate,” said Secretary of State Steve Simon. “Caucuses are limited to a few hours on one evening; this primary will give more people more ways to participate, and over a longer period of time.”

Minnesota is one of 14 states conducting a primary March 3 – Super Tuesday.

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Benson’s City Council has unanimously approved a revision of the city code that governs the use of all-terrain vehicles within the city limits to expand the use of Class 2 ATVs.

Class 1 ATVs have a total width of 50 inches or less. They generally have only one passenger seat and are steered with handlebars.

A Class 2 ATV has a total width that is greater than 50 inches but not more than 65 inches. Class 2 ATVs typically have a steering wheel and are designed for the operator and passenger to sit side by side.

There are still considerable restrictions on Class 1 ATVs. They are only allowed to operate for city-approved parades. Their use is only legal two hours before the parade until two hours after. Their general use is still prohibited. They can be used for incidental snow removal on property owned or occupied by the operator of the Class 1 ATV.

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

At its early December meeting, the Swift County Board of Commissioners said it would like to receive quarterly reports from the the county attorney and sheriff.

The county board may be neglecting giving time to County Attorney Danielle Olson and Sheriff John Holtz to say something about what their offices are doing to inform both the public and the board, Commissioner Pete Peterson, District 3-south Benson and Torning Township, said at the Dec. 3 meeting.

 “It doesn’t have to be lengthy; it doesn’t have to be time consuming; I know they are both busy. But I think we need to give them the opportunity to communicate to the public that elected them to the offices they are in,” he said.

At its Jan. 7 meeting, the board heard from County Attorney Danielle Olson, who provided an overview of what the county attorney’s role is and how busy her office has been...

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Swift County has been asked to help the Minnesota Geological Survey (MGS) develop a detailed three-dimensional map of what lies between the surface and bedrock several hundred feet below us.

“Why do you need an atlas?” Barbara Lusardi, associate director of the MSG, asked the county board of commissioners at their Jan. 7 meeting. “Because every decision you make in the county regarding land use, whether it is a new municipal water well, authorizing septic tank permits, or if you are building a new road, your decisions will be better informed if you have geological information behind them.”

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Errors and confusion in dispatching fire departments to two fires in Fairfield Township brought considerable heat to the Swift County Sheriff’s Office this past fall.

Those errors have led some to ask if county dispatching should be outsourced.

October 5, the farm home of Randy and LuJean Thielke went up in flames with the couple escaping with their three grandchildren only with the clothes they were wearing and nothing else. While the Morris Fire Department should have been dispatched to the fire, Appleton’s department was sent by Swift County dispatch.

While southern parts of Fairfield Township are closer to Appleton than Morris, the northern part is closer to Morris...