Month: July 2020

The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) is planning to open this fall on schedule with a mix of on-campus and hybrid classes as well as it’s dedicated online program.  The first day of school remains scheduled for August 25, and despite the challenges COVID-19 and cutting football have on enrollment, the leadership at UMC believes they are in a good position for the new year.

Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause said she believes the decision of the Board of Regents to allow on-campuses classes last month puts UMC in a good position. “We’re doing quite well, particularly for our new students coming in,” said Holz-Clause. “I think everybody has seen a little bit of uneasiness about what classes are going to look like for this coming fall, so maybe some people are delaying that decision. We’re looking to be in a good position now that we defined that unless something changes significantly with COVID-19 that we are going to have classes on campus.”

Vice-Chancellor John Hoffman said the impact of cutting football and the COVID-19 pandemic lowered the expected size of the incoming freshman class by about 50 students, of which he believes they’ve closed about half of that gap.  Additionally, retention numbers will take a hit as some football players have transferred to continue playing football somewhere else. “I think we can put a little bit of context on this, too,” said Hoffman. “I think one of the things we have to name upfront is we think about the year to year comparisons is we did discontinue football this past year. And in light of the impact of COVID-19, we are expecting some rather different numbers in terms of those that are able to return and new students. All other things being equal that would set us back probably 50 students, in terms of new students. We’re on pace right now to close about half of that gap. There will be some additional retention numbers that we are anticipating. We have some football athletes that will not be returning because they are moving on to play football elsewhere.”

The current COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions will also impact on-campus enrollment. There are currently eight international students who were to be enrolled for the first time this fall that can’t get visa interview appointments until at least October said Holz-Clause. “Right now, we have eight students who want to come, but they can’t get their interview appointments to get their visas,” said Holz-Clause. “So, we’ve got some students from Ethiopia, Nepal, Nigeria, Kenya, that are not going to be able to come even though they want to. They hope that once the embassies open in October, which looks like the open dates for a lot of the embassies, they’ll be able to get their visas after that. We’re trying to be a flexible as we can for our students recognizing that they may have to start online and hoping they can get here in person as time goes on.”

On Tuesday, it was announced that a previous statement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement stating international students taking online-only courses wouldn’t be eligible for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program was rescinded.  However, travel restrictions due to COVID-19 will still make it challenging for some students to return said, Hoffman. “We do have a number of international students who may not be able to return,” said Hoffmann. “But we know a number of students returned home and are going to have a difficult time getting back here in the fall.”

UMC’s enrollment numbers over the past few years have left openings in on-campus student housing. That works as a benefit during COVID-19 because it allows for spacing and an isolation wing if necessary, explains Hoffman. “We’re in a great position,” said Hoffman. “Part of it has to do with amazing facilities. We’re blessed with some of the finest residence halls in the region and the design of those halls. Most of our residence halls have bathrooms within the apartment. They have separate dedicated heating and AC units, so we don’t have to worry about the virus being circulated around the residence halls, as is the case for so many other campuses in the area. We will be able to provide both single and double rooms for the students that opt into that this fall. We will also be able to dedicate a wing of one of our residence halls for an isolation space. So, we have the flexibility if students do become ill to provide appropriate care within our comprehensive screening protocols within our campus while protecting the members of the community.”

As it sits with the cutting of football and the COVID-19 pandemic, the leadership at UMC seems confident in the efforts to mitigate those effects on the 2020-2021 enrollment and minimize the upcoming drop.  

On Monday night, the Crookston City Council voted to add sidewalks to both the north and south side of Radisson Road as part of the street improvement project currently taking place pending a review of the legal process for whether a public hearing was required. The sidewalks will extend pedestrian access through Hoven Lane Park on the south side of Radisson Road and past the Dairy Queen to the path along University Ave.

Public Works Director Pat Kelly said Crookston City Attorney Corky Reynolds had reviewed the legal process and found a public hearing was not required because they are an extension of the current project that doesn’t change the assessment to property owners. “We talked to our attorneys, and a public hearing isn’t required,” said Kelly. “The city has the full authority to require sidewalks or whatever be installed. This project, it’s not even really a change order, it’s a change to the quantities involved. Being that there will be no change in the assessment to the homeowner since we in the city assess these projects at a flat rate per foot, whether there are sidewalks or not. So, this will not change anybody’s estimated assessment, which will become the final assessment once the project is over this fall.”

Kelly said the additional sidewalks will be paid out of the City’s street improvement fund, which subsidizes street projects allowing the assessment to property owners to remain relatively low. “We have a number of funds, there must be six or seven that we have combined and placed into a street improvement fund,” said Kelly. “It’s a little over $521,000. That’s the mark I try to shoot at for estimated projects for the year. In turn that $500,000 helps subsidize these projects. But so, we’re subsidizing these projects and able to keep the per foot rate at $40 versus the actual cost, which right now is around $200 per foot. So, the system we have here is a good benefit to the property owners.”

Kelly said he believes the sidewalks will be a good addition as the Dairy Queen is a pedestrian destination and will tie the existing sidewalk systems together. “We’ll move forward,” said Kelly. “This is going to be a good change to the project, I believe.  I believe sidewalks are important, and this one will tie in that system to allow pedestrians to get to the Dairy Queen on the sidewalk and over to the Frontage Rd to get to Hugo’s on that walking path down there. The Dairy Queen, being a pedestrian type destination, I think it was a good change the council made.”

The subcontractor doing the concrete for the sidewalks is expected to lay the paths next week, and could also finish pouring them by the end of the week.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has recently received an increase in reports of scams.  These scams are using scare tactics by claiming the person’s ID and Social Security number are tied into money laundering or other serious crimes out of state.  The victim is then instructed to either purchase a large number of gift cards to stay out of trouble or told to send all of their cash to the scammer for “Safe Keeping” so the money doesn’t get seized as part of the money-laundering investigation.

If anyone receives a call similar to described above or any other call they feel is a scam do not give out any personal information, hang up and contact your local Law Enforcement Agency.

The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting 403 new cases of COVID-19 from 5,010 tests, and six deaths. All the numbers are below.  

Updated July 14, 2020
Updated daily at 11 a.m., with data current as of 4 p.m. the previous day.

Data is for cases that were tested and returned positive. All data is preliminary and may change as cases are investigated. Many data points are collected during case interviews. Data presented below is for all cases, regardless of interview status. Data for cases pending interview may be listed as “unknown/missing.”

Not all suspected cases of COVID-19 are tested, so this data is not representative of the total number of people in Minnesota who have or had COVID-19. Cumulative numbers are since Jan. 20, 2020.

• Minnesota COVID-19 Public Dashboard
• Minnesota’s COVID-19 Response and Preparation Capacity
• CDC: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Cases in the U.S.
• Minnesota COVID-19 Modeling

Data in the data tables is correct as of 11 a.m. daily. Dynamic images and maps for case demographics, likely exposure, residence, and residence type will update shortly after 11 a.m. daily and will not work if your browser is in compatibility mode.

Approximately 7,000 Minnesota child care providers will be eligible for $56.6 million in funds to help ensure children’s and staff’s health and safety in their child care settings during COVID-19. The new COVID-19 Public Health Support Funds for Child Care program is specifically designed to provide support to all child care providers who qualify.

Child care providers can apply for the funding starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Thursday, July 23. To apply for these funds, providers fill out an online application using a link that they will receive via email from the Minnesota Department of Human Services on July 15.

Benefits available under the program include:

• Licensed family child care providers will receive up to $1,200 per month for July, August, and September
• Licensed centers will receive up to $8,500 per month for July, August, and September
• Certain certified centers will receive up to $8,500 per month in July and August. Eligible certified centers include nonprofit programs that primarily provide care for school-age children year-round, but full time in the summer months and are certified to participate in the Child Care Assistance Program for families with low incomes.

All eligible providers who apply will receive funds.

“Child care providers play a critical role in caring for children and supporting our economy by enabling children’s parents to go to work,” said Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead. “They have gone above and beyond during the public health emergency, and are now facing additional costs to ensure the health and safety of their staff and the families they serve. We want to support them as much as we can with this funding.”

Funds will be issued to all eligible child care providers who are operating and serving children, maintaining health and safety standards, and have a license in good standing. To qualify, providers must show they were operating and serving children as of June 15, 2020, and attest to remaining open and serving children for the duration of the funding period, among other criteria.

These funds are in addition to the $40 million in Peacetime Emergency Child Care Grants many providers received over the previous few months to provide care to children of health care and other essential workers. Providers are eligible for these new funds even if they previously applied for or received a Peacetime Emergency Child Care Grant.

To find child care resources related to COVID-19, including public health guidance for providers, visit mn.gov/childcare.

On Monday, July 13 Grand Forks Police Officers were dispatched to the Alerus Center at 1200 S. 42nd St. for a report of a vehicle that had struck the building.

A 2010 Ford Fusion being driven by 22-year-old Grand Forks Resident Billy Mutgetsi was driving through the parking lot of the Alerus Center when the vehicle he was driving went over the curb and onto the sidewalk. The vehicle then struck the side of the Alerus Center. There were two additional passengers in the vehicle. Airbags were deployed and the occupants were treated on the scene by Altru paramedics but not transported. The Grand Forks Fire Department and the Grand Forks CART team (Collision Analysis Reconstruction Team) responded as well.

The driver of the vehicle was issued a citation for care required. Alcohol and drugs were not a factor. The damage to the building was non-structural and superficial.