Month: September 2021

Today, as students and educators got back in the classroom for the 2021-22 school year, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan encouraged students, their families, and all Minnesotans to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Governor Walz kicked off the school year today at University Avenue Elementary School in Blaine.

“It is invigorating to see students and educators across the state back inside the classroom today after a year and a half of interrupted in-person learning. There’s nothing quite like the first day of school. As a teacher for more than 20 years and as a dad, I know firsthand that in-person learning is critical to a child’s wellbeing and academic success. I also know that getting vaccinated is the best way to keep our students safe, healthy, and in the classroom,” said Governor Walz. “Kids look to adults in their life to keep them safe. As Minnesotans, the best thing we can do to protect our children and school communities is for everyone eligible to get the vaccine.”

“As the mom of a third-grader, I know that the start of the school year is a time of excitement and new challenges for Minnesota families – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Getting your COVID-19 vaccine helps prevent severe illness and reduce the spread of the virus, especially to our young people who cannot be vaccinated yet. The COVID-19 vaccine works, and our educators, students, and their families deserve this level of protection as they head back to the classroom this fall,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “We know that kids do best when they’re in the classroom learning from their teachers, playing with their friends, and engaging in sports and activities. It’s our job to be good role models and show our kids how we care for each other by getting the eligible members of our family vaccinated.”

Minnesotans 12 and older can get vaccinated wherever the Pfizer vaccine is being administered. Minnesotans can visit Vaccines.gov to filter by vaccine type and find a provider offering the Pfizer vaccine in their area, call their pediatrician to make an appointment, walk into a local pharmacy, or visit the Community Vaccination site at the Mall of America.

Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan know learning in classrooms with teachers and classmates is critical to students’ development. That’s why the Walz-Flanagan Administration has prioritized Minnesota’s students to help ensure they catch up on learning and have the opportunity to succeed. Last spring, Governor Walz allocated $75 million of Minnesota’s American Rescue Plan funds to provide summer academic enrichment and mental health support to help make up for lost learning opportunities. Governor Walz also delivered Minnesota’s COVID-19 Recovery Budget, which includes $1.2 billion for education over four years, including the largest formula increase in 15 years. Last week, the Governor allocated another $29 million of the American Rescue Plan to ensure that funding decreases due to enrollment loss in Minnesota’s schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic do not negatively impact students.

Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Department of Health are working together to offer free COVID-19 test kits to every school in the state, building on Minnesota’s first-in-the-nation school testing program launched last winter. Nearly $170 million in federal money is allocated toward this program. This includes millions of dollars in grants to schools offering to test to ensure they have the staffing and administrative capacity to implement these programs successfully.

The post AS SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS, GOVERNOR WALZ ENCOURAGES MINNESOTANS 12 AND UP TO GET VACCINATED appeared first on KROX.

Enrollment Numbers for the Crookston Public School District on the first day of classes are in. Enrollment numbers have also been reported for Cathedral Elementary School, as well as for Our Savior’s Lutheran School.

The Crookston School District has begun the year with an enrollment of 1,106 students, decreasing just slightly by 8 from the previous year.

Our Saviors Lutheran School offers Preschool through Sixth grade, and they have 56 which is an increase of 16 students from last year.

Cathedral School offers Preschool through Sixth grade, and they have a total of 79 in Kindergarten through Sixth grade, seeing a rise of 23 from last year.

You can see a breakdown of enrollment for 2021 and 2020 by class below – 

The post CROOKTON SCHOOLS RELEASE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS FOR BEGINNING OF 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR appeared first on KROX.

The Crookston Public Schools District has many new faces joining its staff for the 2021-2022 school year. KROX will be introducing you to the new teachers throughout the week.  Below is an introduction to the second group of new teachers.

KIELY TATE

Kiely Tate is originally from Colorado and came to Minnesota to attend the University of Minnesota Crookston on a soccer scholarship and has lived here now for the past 17 years. She’ll be a 1/2-day School Readiness Teacher for Washington School this upcoming year. She’s taught infants, toddlers, and preschoolers throughout her career as a teacher.

She talked more about her hope for what the students will get out of her classroom this year. “I think our program is all about school readiness,” said Tate. “Just making sure they’re ready when it’s time to move into a more foundational setting and making sure they’re able to get along with their peers.”

Tate also hopes to install a love of learning in each of her kids throughout the school year. Tate says teaching has always been a passion, and she is happy to be at Washington School for the upcoming year.

ASHLEY NIRSCHL

Ashley Nirschl will be a Special Ed 3rd Grade Teacher at Highland Elementary for this upcoming year. Ashley grew up in Ada, Minnesota, and attended the University of Minnesota State Moorhead. This will be Nirshcl’s first teaching job as she graduated this past May.

Nirschl says she became a teacher because her family inspired her to work with children to have the help they were not receiving. She hopes she can provide her students with the help they need. “I want to connect with them the best I can. I don’t want to see anyone fall through the cracks and feel like they’re not getting the help they want,” said Nirschl. “They truly are smart in their own unique way, and they just need someone to believe in them.”

Nirschl saw the job posting and decided it was a perfect fit after looking into it more. She feels Highland helps everyone in the community, and she is excited to be a part of the Highland staff.

SARAH LINDQUIST

Sarah Lindquist grew up in Prior Lake, Minnesota, and attended the University of North Dakota. She graduated this past year and, like Nirschl, will be in her first teaching job this upcoming school year. She will be filling a role as a 2nd Grade Teacher at Highland Elementary School. Lindquist says she has always wanted to be a teacher and doesn’t have a specific reason why. She has just always been drawn to it.

Lindquist talked about her goal and how it aligns with the School District. “I think our goal district-wide is to get everyone caught up to where they were pre-Covid,” said Lindquist. “They’ve lost a lot of in-person schooling, so the biggest thing is to get them back on track.”

Lindquist wasn’t looking for a specific job and, after applying to Highland and being offered the job, decided it was the right fit for her.

Stay tuned to KROX and KROXAM.com for more of the new teachers.

The post NEW TEACHERS IN THE CROOKSTON SCHOOL DISTRICT – PART 2 appeared first on KROX.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday morning inside the Polk County Government Center. The big items included Jacob Snyder from Planning and Zoning, Chuck Whiting presenting the board with service and specific project agreements with ICON Architects, and Richard Sanders bringing forth a resolution to approve the re-naming of the Gentilly Bridge in honor of Bernie L. Lieder.

BERNIE L. LIEDER MEMORIAL BRIDGE

Polk County Engineer Richard Sanders brought a resolution to the board for approval in re-naming the Gentilly Bridge to the Bernie L. Lieder Bridge. Sanders talked more about the reason behind the re-naming of the bridge. “Bernie was known by many nationwide because of all the transportation issues he dealt with and studied,” said Sanders. “In thinking about his whole legacy, and what he did for Polk County, the state of Minnesota, and nationwide, I felt it only right he be honored by renaming a bridge he constructed after himself.”

A ceremony was held earlier this afternoon at the newly named Bridge, where Polk County Board of Commissioners Chair Gerald Jacobson read the resolution changing the bridge’s name to the Bernie L. Lieder Memorial Bridge.

Sanders brought a few other items before the board, including a resolution for MNDOT to begin the process of setting a speed limit on Fisher Avenue from North Broadway to the East Limits of Crookston. The board approved the motion, and the County will now notify MNDOT of the area they want to be studied. The hope is to have a new Speed Limit set on Fisher Avenue from North Broadway to Barrette Street and from Barrette Street to the East Limits of Crookston by next summer. Proposed Speed Limits from the County are 35 MPH from North Broadway to Barrette Street and 40 MPH from Barrette Street to the East Limits of Crookston.

Sanders also had a resolution for MNDOT to reconstruct Highway 2 in McIntosh. MnDOT will provide services that Polk County will need to pay for in the amount of $47,811. The board approved, and the project of resurfacing the road will begin in May of 2022.

PLANNING & ZONING

Jacob Snyder of Polk County Environmental Services brought forth three resolutions to the board: Anderson Brothers Construction’s interim use request and two conditional use permit requests for Michael Weik and William Senn.

The board approved all three requests, and Snyder talked about what the permit requests are for. “The first one was an asphalt contract just east of town in one of our active gravel pits,” said Snyder. “A lot of projects that will be going on, so securing a place to make asphalt was the goal, and we were able to get that approved for the next 5 years at that location. The second one was a conditional use permit request for a shed, and the total square footage of the shed will go to 1600 square feet. It was a basic request; it’s a large lot, and Michael Weik needs another shed for the space.”

The third conditional use permit request was for William Senn and was on a property on Keller Lake near the McIntosh area. The request was for a shed to be tied to a septic system which the board approved.

CHUCK WHITING

Polk County Administrator Chuck Whiting recommended two motions for the board to approve. The first being a Services Agreement with ICON Architects, and the second being an amendment for their project on the Polk County Juvenile Detention Facility.

The board approved both motions, and Whiting discussed the agreement and amendment more. “With this agreement, we’ve officially selected ICON Architects as our periodic architect for the County’s needs,” said Whiting. “The board also approved an amendment to help us remodel the juvenile detention facility. We had a rainstorm that damaged the building and will need to remodel some of that, and we’re looking forward to working with them.”

Whiting also gave an American Relief Program Update and a 2022 Budget Update with no changes or news to report.

OTHER ITEMS

Jon Steiner of Polk County Environmental Services was looking for a resolution to approve the Polk County 2022 Market Price for paying tax to the State of Minnesota for Solid Waste removal through transportation. The board approved the request at $28.50 per ton for 2022, the same price as 2021.

Karen Warmack of Social Services presented a resolution for a worker replacement request, and the board approved.

Director of Property Records Michelle Cote presented the board information on authorizing the disposal of real property. The presentation was informational only, and no action was taken.

Mark Dietz of Polk County Facilities talked about the number of items available for a Polk County Auction. The auction will occur sometime before the end of September, but a specific date has not yet been set. Some of the items available to bid on include 30 office chairs, 20 round tables, 100 stackable chairs, 30 desks, 10 file cabinets, and many more miscellaneous items.

Polk County Sheriff James Tadman came before the board to receive approval in signing a contract for the Sheriff’s Office to receive new vehicles for their fleet. The board gave Tadman approval to sign the contract, and the Sheriff’s Office will receive 8 new patrol vehicles as a part of the 2022 budget.

The next meeting will take place Tuesday, September 21, at 9:30 a.m. inside the Polk County Government Center.

The post GENTILLY BRIDGE RE-NAMED BERNIE L. LIEDER MEMORIAL BRIDGE appeared first on KROX.

University of Minnesota Crookston Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause released a letter earlier today updating what’s happening on campus now that the first two weeks of school are complete. Her full letter is below.

Greetings from the University of Minnesota Crookston.
We have many exciting things happening on campus as we welcome students, faculty, and staff back. If you have visited campus over the past two to three weeks, I know that you have felt the renewed positive energy on campus as students are engaging in a more fully in-person collegiate experience.

First Day
Our first day of classes was Tuesday, August 24. First-day enrollment, while unofficial until October, has fewer people on campus this year than last and online enrollment is also down from our all-time high in fall 2020. However, the decline mostly is due to lagging recruitment numbers because of the limitations COVID placed on in-person recruitment events and campus visits. We believe COVID and its impact on the economy is affecting student willingness and ability to enroll. We’ve got some exciting initiatives in the hopper that we think will help us to rebound. Some of these will start as soon as January.

Do note; this is preliminary information. Official enrollment stats for all University of Minnesota campuses will be available in early October to account for late registrations and/or movement of students among colleges and campuses in the first weeks of the semester.

The number of students choosing to live on campus is just shy of 400, with more students choosing to live on campus after their first year. Over the years, we have had many regional students attending UMC while concurrently completing their high school degree. To date, we have a record-setting 74 PSEO students enrolled, with increases seen in both on-campus and online delivery of Post Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) credits.  

COVID-19
We continue to closely follow state and federal guidance, public health data, science, and accompanying trends, and the best advice of the University’s own medical and public health experts. We know that even here in Crookston, many people are looking for credible information about the Covid vaccines. I encourage you to visit the “Just the Vax Facts,” “Great Questions and Some Answers,“ and the “Why and Where FAQ“ web pages with information from Jacob Tolar, the Dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School and Vice President for Clinical Affairs. The University of Minnesota System requires compliance with the Vax 2.0 program for all students, including those completing courses online and those living in other states and countries. We held a vaccination clinic on campus at the Wellness Center on Thursday, Sept. 2, with 37 people choosing to get their vaccines. The clinic was part of the university’s commitment to the health and well-being of all our students.

Students have until October 8 to complete a survey documenting that they are vaccinated.  The two exemptions are a medical exemption, which requires a doctor’s signature on a University of Minnesota form, or a sincerely held religious exemption, which requires a notarized signature by the student on a University of Minnesota form. As with our other required immunizations, we will place a registration hold on account of any students who do not comply, and we will lift the hold as soon as they comply.  

Employees are required to attest that they have received the COVID-19 vaccination or are testing on a regular basis if they have not received the immunization.  They must do this by September 17. 

Facial Covering Compliance
The UMN facial covering policy requires that all students and employees properly wear a facial covering indoors or in an enclosed space. This is especially important given the highly contagious nature of the Delta variant and strong scientific evidence that facial coverings are highly effective in preventing the spread of Covid when worn properly.   

Maroon and Gold Fridays
Maroon and Gold Fridays are back. Regal the Golden Eagle, students, faculty, and/or staff will be visiting businesses on Fridays. Beginning September 2021 through April 2022. Any participating and registered Maroon and Gold business/organization wearing maroon and gold during that visit will win maroon and gold swag and even a game pass to UMC Athletics games. Winners will then be entered into a drawing to win the grand prize of a $150 office party pack from a local establishment. Two office parties will be awarded one at the end of the fall and spring semesters, along with maroon and gold swag. Register your business and/or organization to participate.

We are thrilled to have our campus bustling again. Ox Cart week included several events on campus. I hope you had an opportunity to attend some of the many events celebrating retirements, the dedication of the Charles H. Casey Equine Arena, welcoming our new students back and the many activities of Ox Cart Days. Thank you to so many of you who worked very hard to make the events within the community and on campus go flawlessly.

Come visit us again soon, consider attending one or more of our athletic events, and watch for our upcoming Teambacker Tailgate on Sunday, September 11 at noon. Come cheer on our women’s soccer team and their home opener vs. Michigan Technological University; the game starts at 1 p.m. We will be celebrating the success of our baseball team with a short ceremony prior to the Alumni game on Saturday, September 18.  We hope to see you at these events and others. 

Be well and go, Golden Eagles, 

Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause

The post LETTER FROM UMC CHANCELLOR MARY HOLZ-CLAUSE appeared first on KROX.

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.”

Positive PCR test results are considered confirmed cases. Positive antigen test results are considered probable cases.

All probable cases get the same public health follow up and recommendations as cases confirmed by PCR tests.

The post MINNESOTA REPORTS 2,088 COVID CASES AND 11 DEATHS, POLK COUNTY 9 NEW CASES appeared first on KROX.

Crookston Public Schools began classes for the 2021-2022 school year this morning at Crookston High School, Highland Elementary, and Washington School. Below are pictures of students heading back to school at Crookston High School, Highland Elementary School, and Washington School on the first day just before classes began.

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