Other items on the agenda include payment agreements for city utility bills, a subdivision ordinance update for the planning commission, an equipment sharing agreement, and a memo of understanding regarding a FEMA grant for a fire department paging system.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at city hall. The normal meeting day is Tuesday, but it was moved to Wednesday this week due to precinct caucuses.

Essays should be 750-1000 words on a life issue such as: abortion, infanticide, cloning, genetic manipulation, stem cell research, or physician assisted suicide. Prizes are awarded for the top three papers.

First place: $150 and a precious feet pin

Second place: $100 and a precious feet pin

Third place: $75 and a precious feet pin.

To learn more, contact Marlene Behneke at (952) 467-3481 or sjbeckendorf@hotmail.com.

This year, the organization is hoping to offer a “buffet” of locations all across the Crow River and metro area. The idea is that each farm would offer tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., with “open farm” time between. Not only would it be a time for farmers to educate others, but also an opportunity to offer farm products for sale.

Festival of Farms is a statewide event, and SFA would provide promotion, a small honorarium, and materials for each farm. If any Crow River sustainable farmers would be interested in hosting, contact events coordinator Jerry Ford at (320) 543-3394 or jerry@sfa-mn.org.

To learn more about SFA, go to www.sfa-mn.org.

The Carver County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call of a house fire at 7:43 p.m. Jan. 23. When responders arrived, they located 85-year-old Anna Mary Wegman deceased inside the house, which was in flames.

The Cologne Fire Department responded to the scene, assisted by the fire departments of Norwood Young America, Carver, Waconia, Chaska, Hamburg, and Mayer.

Members of the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Minnesota Regional Coroner’s Office are assisting the Carver County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation of the fire.

Anyone with information related to this incident, or any crime, is asked to contact the Carver County Sheriff’s Office at (952) 361-1212. After hours, call (952) 361-1231. To remain anonymous, leave a message on the tip line at (952) 361-1224. A tip form is also available at http://www.co.carver.mn.us/county_government/sheriff/crimetip_form.asp

During its Jan. 3 meeting, the council voted not to allow a person to hold incompatible offices. The council did not approve the slate of officers presented by the fire department until tonight. The council approved all officers except the chief position. Mayor Jason Kamerud noted that the council could not approve VanLith as chief, because doing so would result in him holding incompatible offices, which is exactly what it was trying to avoid. After that vote passed, VanLith resigned from the city council, noting that the department could not run without a chief. The council then approved accepting VanLith as fire chief for 2012.

The council had previously noted that VanLith could hold any other fire department office other than chief, as other offices are not considered incompatible. VanLith showed no interest in this, and Assistant Fire Chief (this position is now called chief 2 in Carver County departments) Dan Ruschmeier said the fire department has voted on the slate of officers with VanLith as chief twice, and this is the only slate of officers the department would present to the council.

During the Dec. 3 meeting, VanLith had offered a compromise under which, if the council allowed him to continue to hold both the council seat and the fire chief office through the end of 2012, he would submit his resignation from city council effective Dec. 31, 2012. Other members of the council expressed opposition to allowing VanLith to continue to hold incompatible offices.

The council, later in tonight’s meeting, agreed to accept applications to fill the vacant council seat.

(note: effective date corrected 1-18-12)

Sunday, Feb. 19 has been set as the new date for the event, which will be held in partnership with the Minnesota Vikings and Adrian Peterson’s All Day Foundation.

During the Blizzard Blitz For Better Hearing, guests will gather for a day of family activities, including free rod and reel building, ice safety, fish identification, and high tech fishing gadget tutorials; ice fishing Olympics; as well as a star-studded ice fishing tournament – all while raising funds that will help give children around the world the gift of hearing.

To read the original article, go to http://www.waconiapatriot.com/articles/2012/01/16/top_news/top_news475.txt

Also on the agenda is a resolution regarding incompatible offices, which resulted from discussions during the last council meeting.

Other items on the agenda include residents with payment agreements for water bills, posting anniversary committee meetings, and copier purchase proposals.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at city hall.

Each year, the group honors one licensed family child care provider in Carver County. In addition to being recognized by the association, the provider is honored at the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association’s “Week of the Family Child Care Provider” banquet at the Ramada in Bloomington.

The person chosen as “Family Child Care Provider of the Year” must have been a license family child care provider in Carver County for at least three years who has not received this award within the last 10 years; exhibit special competency as a family child care provider; promote in-home licensed family child care in his/her community; demonstrate professional skills in child care; have made a positive impact on the lives of young children; and may not have any pending negative licensing action.

Anyone may nominate a licensed family child care provider for this award.

To obtain a nomination form, visit www.cclchildcare.org, or call Deb Templeman at (952) 657-2400. Nominations must be postmarked by Jan. 31.

To read the full article, go to http://www.chaskaherald.com/view/full_story/17076734/article-Nominate-a-child-care-provider-of-the-year

“There are four main types of intersections – two-way stops, all-way stops, signal lights, and roundabouts,” said Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) engineer Paul Kachelmyer. “Each one of these has pluses and minuses to it.”

Photo: The intersection of Highway 7 and McLeod County Road 1 is a two-way stop. From 2001 to 2010, there were 30 accidents at this intersection.

Look for the full story in the Monday, Jan. 9 Herald Journal.