Month: October 2021

Crookston Fire Fighters, Shane Heldstab, and Jim Perrault visited Cathedral School to kick off Fire Safety Week.  Perrault showed the classes his gear, while Heldstab talked to the classes about not being afraid of firefighters.

The post CFD BEGINS FIRE PREVENTION WEEK BY VISITING CATHEDRAL SCHOOL appeared first on KROX.

Crookston High School Principal Nicki Martinez has released an October newsletter for Crookston High School students and parents. Below is the full newsletter communication for this month.

 

Nice job Pirates!

The Crookston High School Pirates celebrated Homecoming at the end of September. Our athletic teams did very well representing our schools as did our royalty. We had great participation in our dress up days and attendance at the dance was incredible.

eRace the Stigma

Community members from Alluma, UMC, Polk County Health, Polk County Human Services, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the Hope Coalition have formed a partnership with CHS to support the students and staff in healing through an organized walk to take place on Saturday, October 9th. Everyone is welcome!

COVID reminders

We have entered “Level 3” in regard to COVID mitigation. At the high school level this means we are enforcing three feet of social distancing. Teachers are doing their best to accommodate the cushioning of this virus. In addition, we’ve rescheduled some lunches and are seating four to a table. Masks are still optional at the high school, but when someone is eating or drinking, masks aren’t worn; therefore, we are adding space between students with four at a table instead of the usual 6-8. CHS is not requiring face masks at this time; however, if the numbers in Polk County dictate mask requirement, we will have no choice. Please remember to social distance, wash your hands, and get vaccinated as the best ways to be a part of the greater good. Let’s stop this pandemic!

When a student has been a close contact of a positive case, the school is notifying parents and the student is quarantined. Students who are positive and are close contacts of a positive case need to stay home until the contagious period ends. We send a letter via email and USPS identifying the dates of quarantining for each case. Students will distance learn via Zoom and Google Classroom during a school sanctioned quarantine.

If you see our school nurse, Stacy Grunewald, please thank her for all the hours she is putting in to keep our students safe. Remember safety, social distancing, and sanitizing during a pandemic will help everyone stay healthy.

Alternative Learning Program

Crookston High School has a program to help students with credit recovery or alternative education needs. We are revamping this program to better fit the needs of our students and to be up to speed with technology. Those who are familiar with this program have already seen the changes as they work toward securing their high school diploma. If you have questions, please contact Ms. Martinez, school principal.

Tik Tok Challenges

By now you’ve probably heard of the Tik Tok Challenges making rounds in our schools. According to other social media posts, we can expect new Challenges each month. This month suggests students post a video of slapping a staff member — some sites say a staff member’s backside. We will not prosecute for any such contact. Please discuss vandalism and disrespectful acts with your kids.

My Challenge to students is to start posting positive behaviors like thanking a staff member, taking a picture with their favorite teacher, helping another student, etc. Encourage our students to make our school and society a place of positivity and Pirate Pride!

The post CROOKSTON HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNICATION (OCTOBER NEWSLETTER) appeared first on KROX.

Governor Tim Walz announced that personal care assistant (PCA) workers in Minnesota will see higher wages and other new benefits this month. The statewide minimum wage for PCAs has risen from $13.25 to $14.40 per hour effective Oct. 1, then increases again to $15.25 on July 1, 2022.

“Personal care assistants help Minnesotans with disabilities live fulfilling and independent lives, and I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand just how hard that work can be,” said Governor Walz. “The Minnesotans who dedicate their lives to this important work are heroes, and I am proud that this wage increase helps recognize the vital role they play in the lives of people across the state.”

“Thousands of Minnesotans with disabilities rely on personal care assistants to maintain their in-home services and quality of life,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “This wage increase recognizes the hard work of PCAs, helps ensure that this essential work is sustainable for workers, and keeps these services accessible to those who need them.”

“The more than 40,000 PCAs working in our state are a lifeline for people with disabilities and essential for them to live active lives in their communities,” said Human Services Assistant Commissioner Gertrude Matemba-Mutasa. “We hope improved pay and benefits can help draw more talented people into this critical profession.”

The pay increase is the result of an agreement reached during the 2021 legislative session between the state and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which was recently granted federal approval. The agreement will help address a variety of challenges facing PCAs and the organizations that manage their work, challenges which have led to a PCA workforce shortage. In addition to the pay increase, changes include:

• One hour of paid time off for every 30 hours an individual provider works;
• An increase in the number of paid holidays from five to seven; and
• Funding for the Minnesota Department of Human Services to continue working with SEIU on voluntary training opportunities.

The agreement also increases budgets for Minnesotans who participate in the consumer-directed community supports program that enables them to design the services and supports that fit their needs and hire their own PCAs and for the Consumer Support Grant program, which is an alternative to Medical Assistance for some Minnesota residents.

SEIU does not represent all PCAs, but federal requirements do not allow differential payment rates based on union membership, so the rate increases apply to all PCAs and providers.

PCAs preform essential work, helping people with disabilities with daily activities such as eating, bathing, dressing, grooming, going to the restroom, and getting around. In some cases, they prepare meals, do light housekeeping, administer medications, help people find jobs, manage challenging behaviors, and provide support with assistive technology.

The post GOVERNOR WALZ ANNOUNCES PAY INCREASE, NEW BENEFITS FOR PERSONAL CARE ASSISTANT WORKERS IN MINNESOTA appeared first on KROX.

October 25th through October 29th is Fall Clean-Up Week in Crookston. Clean-up items will be picked up only on your regular garbage pickup day and must be placed on the street boulevard. Please note: Compost material – grass clippings, lawn or garden waste – WILL NOT have to be in City compost bags for this week only. Cleanup items should be separated into the following piles: Garbage, clothing, cardboard, etc.; Appliances; Branches and yard waste; Furniture, metal items, demolition, etc. and Tires. Placing these items out in separate piles will help speed the clean-up process.

In awareness of clean up week in Crookston, Polk County Public Health advises to not bring furniture, mattresses, box springs, or bed frames found on the street into your home in order to prevent the spread of bed bugs. http://www.bedbugs.umn.edu/ As required by State Law, all video display devices (TV’s, computer monitors, etc.) cannot be land filled. Therefore, these items will not be collected during clean-up. These devices may be disposed of at Polk County Environmental Services (Transfer Station).

Concrete, batteries, partially full paint cans, other chemicals, or large amounts of demolition debris will not be accepted. Branches must be cut in four-foot lengths and bundled. Items should be placed on boulevards no more than 72 hours prior to your collection day.

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