July 2022

COURT NEWS

Granite Falls Police Department Schlangen, Alex John, Richmond; Offense date 2/5/22 Dangerous Weapon - Discharge Firearm - Municipality (Felony); Plea 5/9/22 Guilty; Disposition 7/7/22 Convicted; Court Decision 7/7/22 Stay of Imposition; Local Confinement (15 Days, Stay 0 Yr 0 Mo 0 Days, Credit for time served: 4 Days); $500 Fine. Bo, Toe, Marshall; Offense date 8/27/16 Traffic - DAR (Misdemeanor); Plea 7/6/22 Guilty; Disposition 7/6/22 Convicted; Court Decision 7/6/22 Payable without Appearance; $200 Fine.

Read MoreCOURT NEWS

“O Lord, who may abide in your tent?”

When I was in grade school most of my report cards said things like, “She’d be a good student if she just paid attention.” I meant to pay attention, I just seemed to lose interest in whatever we were studying before we got to the end of the study. Because of this, I didn’t always do as well on testing as I could have because I didn’t know what the subject was really about. Occasionally, there would be something that I would remember; this didn’t mean it was the most important part to know, it was what caught my attention. For example, I still know all the words to a song I sang as a solo in first grade, a song I’ve never heard anywhere ever again.

Read More“O Lord, who may abide in your tent?”

Notes from the Granite Area Arts Council

Last Wednesday afternoon, the windows of our farmhouse rippled with rain; the barely-visible cornstalks beyond whipped back and forth like ocean waves. Positive the Makers Market was not happening, I texted folks in Granite to confirm. Vendor Betsy Pardick responded with a video taken from her booth: a throng of wet folks clustered under her tent, cheerily perusing bracelets. Minnesotans are made of strong stuff, and will apparently venture out to purchase art in any kind of weather.

Read MoreNotes from the Granite Area Arts Council

Court hearing in former Police Chief’s charges results in additional scheduled hearing

On Monday afternoon, former Upper Sioux police chief Christopher Allen Lee, 53, of Clarkfield, made an appearance in court in what was scheduled to be a Settlement Conference. Lee, who appeared by way of Zoom, appeared at the hearing while driving a motor vehicle, and Judge Laurence Stratton, who discovered Lee was driving while asking Lee to turn on his camera, halted court momentarily to wait for Lee to pull over to attend. It should be noted that in the court rules for Zoom hearings, it states that the attending must not be moving (either driving, walking, bicycling or otherwise).

Read MoreCourt hearing in former Police Chief’s charges results in additional scheduled hearing

Kilowatt Community Center News

Healthy Tip of the Week: Some foods pack a particularly powerful combination of nutrients that play a part in immune health, and oatmeal happens to be one of them. Not only are oats incredibly rich in cholesterol-lowering fiber, high-quality protein, but they also contain a wide range of essential minerals and other compounds with a high level of antioxidant activity.

Read MoreKilowatt Community Center News

City council discusses potential slope concerns on a portion of the levee

At the regular meeting of the Granite Falls City council held last Tuesday, one of the topics of discussion was the results of a recent inspection of the levee that was completed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). During the inspection, signs of potential slope concerns were noticed along a portion of the levee, resulting in the USACE recommending the City have a cross-section survey of the levee completed. The survey would allow a better understanding of the ground profile in the area around Oak Street to the baseball field, including homes where the land is located near the Dike Road.

Read MoreCity council discusses potential slope concerns on a portion of the levee