Month: April 2020

Thursday is the Minnesota Statewide Tornado Drill.  Tornadoes are nature’s most intensely violent storm, and Minnesota averages 40 tornadoes per year, although, in 2010, Minnesota led the nation with 113 tornadoes. 

A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes, remain alert for approaching storms.  A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar, and you should take shelter immediately.

During a watch, you should be alert to the changing weather conditions, know your surroundings and location, and have a plan in place if a tornado warning is issued.  It is also suggested that you have an NOAA weather radio operation and listen to the radio or TV for up to date information. 

During a tornado warning, Crookston Firefighter Bob Magsam says find shelter immediately and don’t try to outrun a storm in a vehicle. “Find yourself a strong shelter immediately,” said Magsam.  “Preferably indoors, but if that’s not an option, we have to do the best we can as far as finding that shelter location.  Seek a small interior room inside the home or workplace.  As always, stay away from all glass windows.  If you do live in a trailer home or mobile home, leave that home or trailer as they do not sustain the winds very well.  If you’re outside, lay down flat in a ditch or low-lying and make sure to cover your head from any potential flying debris.  If you’re in a vehicle, stop your vehicle.  Do not try to outrun a storm in the event of a real tornado scenario and find shelter as soon as possible.”

The statewide tornado drill will have a one-hour simulated storm from the simulated watch to the all-clear explains Magsam. “The National Weather Service, in conjunction with Homeland Security & Emergency Management, will conduct their annual drill,” said Magsam.  “At 1:00 p.m., they will issue a simulated tornado watch.  At 1:45 p.m., they will update that watch to a simulated tornado warning, and then at 2:00 p.m., the test will be complete, and that drill will be complete.  So, at approximately 1:45 p.m., after the simulated tornado warning is issued, the city, along with the county, will set their sirens off to simulate our drill.  As always, there will be a second drill in the evening at 6:45 p.m.”

TORNADO DRILL SCHEDULE – THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

1:00 p.m. – simulated tornado watch issued
1:45 p.m. – simulated tornado warning; city and county agencies will activate their sirens
2:00 p.m. – all-clear

6:00 p.m. – simulated tornado watch issued
6:45 p.m. – simulated tornado warning; city and county agencies will activate their sirens
7:00 p.m. – all-clear

KROX talked with RiverView Health CEO Carrie Michalski to get an idea for how prepared Crookston should an influx of COVID-19 cases show up in the community.  One thing that is often said when there is a crisis is that people and communities come together, and that is what Michalski describes happening with the health care community across northwest Minnesota. “One thing people should know is that Crookston isn’t out here on an island, planning alone,” said Michalski.  “Neither is Altru in Grand Forks, or Sanford in Bemidji or the hospital in Warren, all of those places in the listening area. We jointly plan together all of the time for emergencies and pandemics, so our regional group that meets all year long is now meeting very frequently, having daily communications and joint planning.  And, so all of northwestern Minnesota is working together.  That’s an area that goes over to Bemidji, up to Roseau, back across to the North Dakota border, and then down to Crookston.  Then we also work across state lines with partners at Altru in Grand Forks and then Essentia Health and Sanford in Fargo.  So as a region, no facility is out there alone having to tackle a hotspot or an outbreak in their community alone.”  

Two of the more common shortages in areas being hit are by COVID-19 are bed space and ventilators.  Michalski said there are nearly 150 ICU beds and almost 100 ventilators across the region. “We have about 148 ICU or critical care beds in our region,” said Michalski.  “And on standard day-to-day, we always have 88 ventilators within our region.  So, we’re all working to collaborate that we would share and level load, do some patient transferring if that is a need.  Right here in Crookston, we feel very prepared. We have probably the strongest team in adult critical medicine that we have had in my lifetime.  For most of that time, we’ve had 1-2 adult medicine internist physicians in our community.  Right now, we have five.  One of those is part-time, and RiverView has four full-time adult medicine internal medicine providers on our team.  So, that’s allowing us to build what we call critical care teams that would take care of high needs, possibly ventilated patients.” 

Those critical care teams consist of an adult medicine internist, a nurse anesthetist, a respiratory therapist, and a critical care nurse.  Michalski said that in Crookston, there are five traditional ICU beds with ventilators for patients.  They could also use the full 25-bed hospital to expand that capacity, and all those rooms are double rooms so they could hold 50 total patients.  The second way would be to expand patient care to other areas of the facility, explained Michalski. “The state has determined the next best thing is to look at other areas within a hospital that can support patient care and keep all of the patients that are needing care in the hospital building,” said Michalski.  “They call these alternative hospital beds, and it’s places where you could put a long-term patient that you typically wouldn’t.  Then we would likely put some patients in our same-day surgery area where we have all of those amenities, oxygen, restrooms, and all those theses we’d need for patients. And then, within our operating suite, there are areas that we could use for patient overflow.” 

Michalski said expanding to non-traditional areas within RiverView wouldn’t happen unless all of the beds at hospitals throughout the region we’re filled.  The final option, in a catastrophic situation, would be determined by the Minnesota Department of Emergency Management to use community cares sites as a worst-case scenario.  Michalski said that it would only become a possibility if all the possible beds within hospitals from Fargo to Roseau were filled with patients. A list of vetted community care sites may be made public by the state next week, but Michalski did say none of those sites are planned in Crookston. 

RiverView, like every other hospital throughout the state, has had to put a hold on all elective procedures along with altering several different operations.  Michalski said the effect of those moves has been devastating to the hospital financially.   “The effect has been huge, and I think I’d use the word devastating really to the financial wellbeing and the health of RiverView Health here in Crookston and hospitals across the country,” said Michalski.  “Literally, in one day, our main source of revenue evaporated.  I think it’s a story we hear up and down main street not just in the hospitals, but I think the hospital story is a little as it’s counterintuitive.  Since COVID is a health-related crisis, I think there is some initial thinking that volume and the possible surge in COVID would be financially viable for a hospital.  I think this number is probably going to get a little bit worse when we see this week and next week’s numbers, but at this time, we are losing about $750,000 in net revenue a week.” 

Michalski also took time to thank Erickson Embroidery for making masks for staff to use when they need to be at the hospital but aren’t apart of the critical care team. And she thanked Bremer Bank for working throughout the weekend to complete RiverView’s application for the payroll protection program to sustain their payroll over the next eight weeks.  Michalski also commended the local small ambulance services throughout the area for their efforts in being a good partner with the hospitals in the regional planning for COVID-19.   

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH RIVERVIEW HEALTH CEO CARRIE MICHALSKI – CLICK BELOW

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KROX is celebrating our 72nd Anniversary next week and we’re giving away over $1,000 worth of gift certificates and prizes in our Anniversary Week Phone Number Contest.

The various ways to enter are below –
Send your name, address, and a phone number that we can get a hold of you between 6:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

EMAIL – krox@rrv.net
MAIL – P.O. Box 620   Crookston, MN  56716
FAX – 218-281-5036

After you send in your registration, listen to KROX April 20 through the 24 between 6:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m.  If your phone number is called, give KROX a call at (218)281-1140, within 12 minutes and 60 seconds, and you will become an Anniversary Week winner!!

The Polk County Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of lowering the on-sale liquor fee for restaurants and bars under county jurisdiction.  Polk County Director of Property Records Michelle Cote brought the fees before the board to consider a change given that businesses are operating at a fraction of their average volume during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Cote said she was happy to see the board make a proactive decision.  “I was very happy to see them take a proactive decision that recognizes the issues that all of the bars and restaurants are having right now,” said Cote.  “We’re in an unfortunate time where there are a lot of things impacted.”

The County issues four types of liquor licenses annually, on-sale, off-sale, 3.2-off-sale, and Sunday sales, explained Cote. “Our liquor license fiscal year is June 4 to June 4 of each year,” said Cote.  “The county board prior to me set fees for our main licenses.  Our three main licenses are the on-sale, off-sale, and 3.2-off-sale.  So, our on-sale license fee was $1,200, off-sale was $500, the 3.2-off-sale is $100, and then our Sunday sales is $100.  So, in light of everything that we have going on in light of COVID-19 and the lack of ability to function normally, I thought it was a relevant conversation.  There are statutory limits for what the fees can be; they just can’t exceed that.”

The change in liquor license fees affects businesses such as the Snow Sled Inn, that don’t under the jurisdiction of another liquor ordinance said, Cote. “The discussion was focused on perhaps providing a little bit of relief for these businesses that are functioning at a fraction of their normal volume,” said Cote.  “So, the board did decide to cut in half the on-sale fee, which went from $1,200 to $600, and the other fees remain the same.  And they did ask that we come back next year at this time and review the fees again.  These are for places that are outside of a municipality or an area that doesn’t have a liquor ordinance.  So, like the City of Crookston manages their own.  They set their fees; they manage their licenses.  The City of East Grand Forks is the same, so for example, one of the licenses we issue is for the Snow Sled Inn in Gentilly because they are outside of a municipality or an area that has a liquor ordinance.”

Additionally, Cote discussed the ability of the license center to process registrations and titles without face-to-face interaction and how truck licensing for the agricultural community is being handled via email.  “DVS has reviewed the governor’s order about the ability for the deputy registrar offices to be open and said we could be open,” said Cote.  “They said that we could be open to process registration, title transfers, and duplicate titles without being face-to-face.  So, our answer to that was we have a dropbox on the outside of the government center, 612 N Broadway. And when people drop things in, we ask them to make sure we have a phone number, current insurance with the company and policy number, a current address, and that the payment is exact.  Sometimes if we are missing one of those things, it makes it difficult to process. We have somebody coming into the office every morning to process these things.  The way for people to contact us is at licensecenter@co.polk.mn.us. And as our person comes in during the morning to take care of everything that’s in the dropbox, they will be reaching out for questions to our agricultural community that has emailed us about getting their trucks licensed.  It’s not a beautiful system, but it is better than nothing.”

The Lake Agassiz Regional Library invites its customers to read Because of Winn-Dixie in a new statewide book club which is being launched by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Minnesota Center for the Book. 

The intention of One Book | One Minnesota is for Minnesotans of all ages to read a common title and come together virtually to enjoy, reflect, and discuss. Presented in partnership with State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education, the program aims to bring Minnesotans together during a challenging time and highlight the role of libraries as community connectors. The inaugural title for the program is Because of Winn-Dixie by Minnesota author Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press). 

During the months of April and May, Lake Agassiz Regional Library customers will be invited to read the book and will have access to author videos, reading guides, and virtual book club discussions including a statewide virtual discussion with the author in May. 

Kate DiCamillo expressed her excitement in her recent introduction video. “I’m so thrilled that my book, Because of Winn-Dixie, is the very first book for One Book | One Minnesota. Stories connect us, and I’m so happy to be connected with all of you through story.”

Because of Winn-Dixie will be available on multiple platforms, including as a downloadable eBook without waitlists or hold on Ebooks Minnesota, a statewide digital library available to all Minnesota residents at library.biblioboard.com. 

One Book | One Minnesota is presented by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, as the Minnesota Center for the Book, in partnership with State Library Services. Program partners also include Candlewick Press, Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators, Minitex (a joint program of the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Office of Higher Education), and the Minnesota Department of Education. This program is made possible in part by the State of Minnesota through a grant to the Minnesota Center for the Book through the Minnesota Department of Education.  

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced today that the agency has fully implemented the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provides a 13 week extension of unemployment benefits for eligible applications. PEUC was authorized by Congress in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which was signed into law on March 27, 2020.

“This is the second of three CARES Act programs which DEED has quickly implemented to help those most in need during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Commissioner Steve Grove. “Approximately 8,000 people have exhausted or will soon exhaust their Minnesota unemployment insurance benefits. With PEUC fully implemented, those individuals will now be eligible for an additional 13 weeks of unemployment insurance in addition to the $600 additional compensation payments we implemented last week.”

Individuals who have exhausted their unemployment benefits and believe they are eligible for extended benefits under the PEUC should login to their online account at uimn.org for additional details.

The final component of the CARES Act to be implemented is the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which will provide unemployment benefits to self-employed individuals, independent contractors, gig workers and others who would not normally be eligible for unemployment benefits. DEED expects to have PUA fully operational by the end of April, but is actively encouraging those who think they are eligible for these benefits to apply online now at uimn.org.