The Litchfield School District is in the midst of spring break this week. When students and staff return to school on Monday, they will be celebrating Paraprofessionals Week, and athletes will soon be having their spring opening games and meets.
Superintendent Susan Burris says the weather has been great for the athletes for their practices this spring. She says the School Board will be meeting next on April 7th as there wasn’t going to be a quorum for the previously scheduled April 14th meeting.
Burris says during the March 10th meeting, the Board approved about a half-million-dollars-worth of reductions to the next budget. She says the School District had received some federal funding in the past few years and that would be ending this year so they needed to make some reductions in order to maintain a healthy fund balance.
Burris says the Board had a work session on March 10th with 3 consultants who provided information about developing a strategic plan. She says they’re hoping to put a strategic plan together next year with feedback from stakeholders in the District and determine priorities for the next five years.
On Tuesday evening at 6:21, an Olivia Police officer initiated a traffic stop near Highway 212 and 14th Street in Olivia which was prompted by a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed – westbound on Highway 212. The vehicle had passed another vehicle in a non-designated passing area within the Olivia city limits.
The vehicle pulled over for the officer, but then the driver fled at a high speed – westbound on Highway 212. Other law enforcement agencies were called for assistance. The vehicle continued west of Olivia reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, and in the process forced a deputy off of the roadway and into a ditch. A Renville County Sheriff’s deputy successfully deployed a tire deflation device causing several tires on the vehicle to deflate.
The vehicle eventually came to a stop near Highway 212 and County Road 1. The driver was arrested on felony charges without incident and was transported to the Renville County Jail where she is awaiting arraignment.
A new website is now available for whistleblowers to confidentially report suspected fraud, waste and abuse within Minnesota’s state government. State Representative Scott Van Binsbergen of Montevideo says the launch of MNFraud.com is just one way House Republicans are working to root out tax dollar improprieties running rampant in Minnesota programs, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
Van Binsbergen says one of the top priorities this session is cracking down on the fraud, waste and abuse that has seeped into our state programs, and this website brings government back to the people, empowering them to serve the watchdog role. He says if they see something, they now have a place to register their concerns for further investigation.
Van Binsbergen says the new website will act as a central platform for Minnesotans to report concerns about suspected or observed improprieties in state program services. Submitted information will be initially assessed and directed to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and follow-up. The information, including the identities of whistleblowers, is secure and protected, similar to a secure-payment processing.
Van Binsbergen says Minnesota has faced widespread fraud issues in several state-run programs, with hundreds of millions of dollars misused or stolen through fraudulent claims and mismanagement. He says scandals related to Feeding Our Future, childcare assistance, medical aid, and welfare programs all continue to make headlines.
Van Binsbergen says the common thread is a need for stronger safeguards, transparency, and accountability in managing taxpayer-funded programs. He says Minnesotans work hard for their money and our government owes it to them to be good stewards of the tax dollars that are collected, and citizen participation is the key to ensuring accountability and this website is a good step forward in that regard. He says he hopes people will take advantage of this new tool if they see tax-dollar misuse or encounter a scenario where they suspect it is happening.
Each day a business will be featured as “Business of the Day” and every time their commercial is aired be the 7th caller and win a chance to receive KLFD Bucks to be spent at our “Business of the Day” locations.
Monday thru Friday, at 4 pm we will draw out a winner to be put into our final drawing to be held sometime later in April. Once your name has been drawn out daily and put into the final drawing, you are no longer qualified to call in. Otherwise, you can keep calling in once a day to qualify.
Our sponsors include: Litchfield Liquors, Central Counties Coop, Litchfield Chrysler, DC Diesel, Farm-Rite Equipment, Davis Motors, Air-Pro Heating & A/C, Miller Automotive, El Chilero, Atwater Ford, Stockman’s Greenhouse, Sassie’s Tavern, Simms Auto Parts
