The search for the next Tri-City United superintendent went from 23 applicants down to six finalists Monday night.
They were selected based on criteria established by the school board.
At the TCU school board meeting, held via video conference due to the health pandemic and shelter-in-place order, school board members met with Barb Dorn of the Minnesota School Board Association to narrow the list of candidates for first-round interviews.

The Tri-City United School Board selected a new elementary school principal following the retirement announcement earlier this year by Montgomery principal Deb Dwyer.
At the March 30 school board meeting, the seven board members unanimously voted to approve Lisa Manders as the newest addition to the school district, as the principal of the pre-K to eighth grade principal in Montgomery.
Manders was one of more than 25 candidates vying for the position, according to TCU Superintendent Teri Preisler.

UPDATE - 4/2/20 
Highway 93 between Highway 169 and Henderson opens after 5 p.m today Thursday,, April 2, 2020.
 
Crews monitoring Highway 19 closely.
Motorists are advised that Highway 93 from Highway 169 to Henderson remains closed due to flooding on the Minnesota River.  The Minnesota Department of Transportation closed Highway 93 early Sunday morning. 
MnDOT and area law enforcement are closely monitoring Highway 19 between Highway 169 and Henderson as current river forecasts indicate the potential closure later this week.

The first Le Sueur County COVID-19 case was identified on March 22. Since that time, over the 
course of the last week, Le Sueur County Public Health has been notified by the Minnesota 
Department of Health (MDH) of an additional 10 cases of lab confirmed COVID-19. MDH does 
not release specific case information to protect the identity and privacy of the individuals. 
Aggregate data regarding the Le Sueur County cases that can be shared at this time include:
none of the cases were hospitalized, all are recovering at home and following isolation guidance 

Effective immediately, we have been directed by our DNR Regional office to implement Burning Permit Restrictions in our counties.  Restrictions mean that (in an electronic burning permit county) the only burning permits that can be activated and legally burned are variance permits. A variance is a burning permit issued for over 1 acre of grass and special permits issued for large piles such as for a road construction activity or similar projects. Variances are issued by a forester and not fire wardens or purchased online.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services division (DPS-DVS) is closing all exam stations statewide beginning Friday at the close of business to follow Governor Tim Walz’s executive order for Minnesotans to stay home and slow the spread of COVID-19. Offices will stay closed through April 10, when the executive order is set to expire. 

Rice County Public Health was notified today, Tuesday, March 24 by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) of a second lab confirmed case of COVID-19 in Rice County.
Limited information indicates the confirmed case is in their 30’s with transmission linked to travel within the United States. This person was not hospitalized and is in isolation at home.
Rice County Public Health continues to work with MDH and local health care partners to address the needs of those who are ill in our community.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) notified Le Sueur County Public Health that Le Sueur County has an additional four cases of lab confirmed COVID-19, in addition to the case reported on March 22. MDH reports that the additional cases had contact with a known positive case and are recovering at home.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) notified Le Sueur County Public Health of a lab confirmed case of COVID-19 in Le Sueur County. The individual is in their 40s and is recovering at home.
According to MDH, the individual was not hospitalized and no work exposures were identified.

Starting Monday, March 23 Northfield Hospital + Clinics will temporarily close its Lakeville Clinic/Urgent Care and Lonsdale Clinic. Clinics in Farmington, Northfield and Faribault will remain open for patients who need to be seen for health issues other than COVID-19 (coronavirus).
Patients who need care for chronic conditions or acute situations such as stitches or broken bones will be seen.
Patients are encouraged to CALL FIRST to discuss their symptoms. A triage nurse will help determine the best location if a patient needs to be seen.

In an emergency meeting on Friday, the City Council unanimously declared that a local emergency is in effect due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The declaration invokes the city’s Emergency Operations/Management Plan and Pandemic Response Plans, allowing it to provide emergency assistance without complying with time-consuming procedures and formalities that are generally required under normal operational times.

Blandin Foundation announced Wednesday, March 11, it selected Le Sueur County for an intensive, twoyear partnership to advance local broadband initiatives.
Le Sueur County joins Chisago Lakes, Otter Tail County, Red Lake Nation, and White Earth Nation in their successful bids to become Blandin Broadband Communities (BBC).

Are you wondering about the safety of our printed newspapers during this COVID-19 crisis?
According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), a highly credible source of factual information, the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low, and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, traveled and exposed to different conditions and temperatures is also low.

By order of Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn, effective March 19, 2020 at 7:30 am, access to the Rice County Courthouse will be restricted.  The courthouse is not being closed. 

Effective Thursday, March 19, 2020, our offices in New Prague, Montgomery and Waterville will be closed to walk-in traffic. We will be available during our regular business hours via telephone, email or our websites to continue services for you. 
If you need to pick up a printing order, please call ahead and our staff will meet you outside with your delivery.
We are committed to providing you good service as we all face significant changes in our day to day lives, but we feel we need to take these precautions to minimize the risk of spreading the COVID-19 illness.

Effective Thursday, March 19, Le Sueur County is closing the majority of its government buildings to the public - the exception being the Sheriff’s Office lobby and the Le Sueur County Court Administration in the Justice Center.
Sheriff Brett Mason said his office will continue to provide residents with the services they expect, but they are taking precautions with the COVID-19 pandemic.