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Over 50 but not over learning?

Paul Reiland announces that Johnson Reiland Builders and Remodelers is the recipient of two Reggie awards. The prestigious Reggie Awards from Housing First Minnesota honor the exceptional homes in the Parade of Homes by recognizing excellence in design and construction.

Lisa Peterson and Jane Bartho of the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce provide information about Winter Walk on Thursday, December 9 beginning at 5:00 p.m.

State statues require Minnesota cities with a population of over 500, counties, school districts to hold a meeting to allow public comment on its proposed property tax levy for the taxes payable year 2022 and the proposed budget for the…

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Strolling his church's rooftop among 630 solar panels, Bishop Richard Howell Jr. acknowledged climate change isn't the most pressing concern for his predominantly Black congregation — even though it disproportionately harms people of color and the poor.

Event date: December 14, 2021
Event Time: 06:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Location:
1651 Jefferson Pkwy
Northfield, MN 55057

The City of Dundas is looking for an interested party to develop the property adjacent to the new City Hall.  Dundas City Administrator Jenelle Teppen said the City Council had a discussion last week about the property and establishing a vision for expanding economic development downtown. The lot, which offers nearly 250 feet facing Railway Street, is

This year’s St. Olaf Christmas Festival, Love Divine, will take place live and in person on the St. Olaf College campus December 3-5.

Andrei Sivanich talks about the annual Laura Baker Services Association Gala scheduled for December 4.  This year the Gala will be both live and virtual.  For more details, visit laurabaker.org.

Programa musical en la semana de Thanksgiving. El mercado local comienza el viernes 3 de diciembre en el Northfield Depot , no se lo pierdan.  

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — President Joe Biden is slated to visit a Twin Cities suburb this week to tout his $1 trillion infrastructure plan.

UPDATE: Got COVID tested again today, last time was 3/31/2020. Negative then, likely will be again, but so much exposure when traveling, even masked and bottles of sanitizer, YUCK!

This below was sent to Dunkin Donuts after stopping at the shop in Edgerton, Wisconsin. Here’s their “COVID policies” regarding gloves and masking:

And…

Pretty lame and not at all proactive precautions! So I sent this:

To your Public and Investor Relations shop:

I cannot find other direct emails, and I’m hoping your PR and investor departments would care about company policy in a pandemic. Your corporate lack of precautions has a negative impact on your company’s reputation.  I’ve sent a missive, I believe, to your Edgerton store through its webpage, but I’m not sure who exactly would receive it.

We traveled recently to Delaware from Minnesota to complete a house cleanout after sale, and we were fully vaccinated and always masked when outside of our vehicle.   On Friday, we’d stopped at the Dunkin in Edgerton, WI. We’d bought breakfast at Dunkin at least 4 times during our stay in Delaware (the one on College Ave. in Newark), and all the workers at the Dunkin shop in Delaware were masked.  We chose to stop at this one in Edgerton, WI after filling up. ERROR!

We’re from Minnesota, a state “competing” with Michigan for the highest rates of COVID in the U.S., and Wisconsin is sandwiched between the states.  I’m the one who for 20 months has been posting our county’s details from our state and county health departments on our Red Wing Area Corona Virus Support fb page, so I’m intimately acquainted with our state and county details. In our county of 46,340, as of yesterday’s report, we have 7,865 cumulative COVID cases and 96 deaths (https://www.facebook.com/groups/231815751283369). The Dunkin in Edgerton is in Rock County. Rock Co. thus far has had 24,485 cases in population of 163,354 and 259 deaths. https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/county.htm#case%20death  Minnesota has dropped to #6, and Wisconsin has risen to #7 with a 5% increase in the last 14 days. Only 59% are fully vaccinated in Wisconsin.  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html

Edgerton’s Dunkin was very busy — it’s at a gas station with a convenience store, Dunkin, and Taco Johns.  We had to go inside, because we were pulling a trailer. It was crowded inside.  Not one employee was masked. The woman handling our food had gloves, per Dunkin policy, but those I saw making other food and drinks weren’t. Unmasked man on the register wiped his nose on hand and continued without sanitizing. Again, it was VERY crowded, very busy, and employees were struggling to keep up. While waiting, I asked the nearest employee why NO ONE was masked (Dunkin policy that those fully vaccinated need not wear masks is outdated given breakthrough cases and health guidance, EVERYONE SHOULD BE MASKED INSIDE). She said “it’s a personal choice.” Repeatedly, “it’s a personal choice.” I note she did not say “our company policy states fully vaccinated employees need not wear masks, and I’m fully vaccinated” She didn’t say whether she was fully vaccinated (given “personal choice” line, I’d bet not.). In a pandemic, a health emergency, it’s not “a personal choice.” Mandates in a health emergency are legitimate. See https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/197/11/

WEARING A MASK IN A PUBLIC SETTING, INSIDE, AND IN FOOD SERVICE IS NOT A PERSONAL CHOICE — IT IS A BASIC AND NECESSARY COVID SAFETY PRECAUTION. TO NOT BE MASKED, TO NOT REQUIRE MASKING IN YOUR STORES, IS IRRESPONSIBLE. Anyone on the front lines in COVID should be wearing a mask, regardless of their vaccination status. Menards, also a Wisconsin company, has been responsible about masking. You can and should also be responsible and protective of your employees and customers.

In food service, the priority is protection of essential employees and customers. Or it should be. Dunkin’s COVID policy is contributing to COVID spread, the numbers of illness, and death in Rock County and of those passing through.

Dunkin — a policy update is overdue.  MASK UP! UPDATE YOUR COMPANY POLICY NOW! (yes, I’m shouting, it’s important).

We’re getting COVID tested after our travels to assure we’re not infected and spreading COVID around. That’s the responsible thing to do, particularly after exposures such as what we experienced at Dunkin in Edgerton.

It’s your turn. Update your corporate company policy and require masking of all employees with exceptions for those with a legitimate medical reason not to wear masks.  Please take this pandemic seriously.

Thanks for your consideration,

Carol A. Overland

AJ kicks off the program with all the scores and highlights of this weeks Raider Activities. Head coach of the Raiders |wresting team, Geoff Staab joins toe program to talk about the optimism of this years class of wrestlers.  Ranked 9th in the state to start the season, they hope to climb that ladder and

Congressional and legislative maps, redrawn using data from the 2020 Census, could bring changes to area voters, particularly when it comes to who’s on the ballot next November.

Last week, the Northfield Public School District learned that it will be the recipient of a grant that will offer opportunities to diversify its faculty.  The district will receive a $288,000 grant from the Grow Your Own program. According to the State Department of Education website, the Northfield School District, as a grant recipient “must

Rice County motorists better watch out.

Today in the ArtZany Radio studio Paula Granquist welcomes Rachel Haider and guests from the Purple Door Youth Theater performance of It’s a Wonderful Life, a Radio-on-Stage production. Northfield Arts Guild Purple Door Youth Theater It’s a Wonderful Life Adapted for Radio-on-Stage by Tony Palermo Performances: Saturdays, December 4 and 11 at 7:00pm Sundays, December

Host Pauline Jennings talks with Ron Rodman who is Professor of Music and Director of the Carleton College Symphony Band.

Kyle Paulson of the Cannon Falls Chamber of Commerce provides information about Deck the Falls.  The event is scheduled for Saturday, November 27.  Click here for more information.

Joined by his sister-in-law, Jana Olson, Rich brings us music made by rock stars who are related to each other for a special Thanksgiving show.