The intersection of McLeod County Road 9 and Highway 7 will be closed within the next two weeks to allow crews to lower the grade of Highway 7 west of the intersection. MnDOT Engineer Kelly Brunkhorst said Wednesday that contractors Knife River and Matheiowetz Construction are working out how the closure will affect the haul route that crews have been using. The intersection will be impassible during this stage of the project. Brunkhorst said she will issue a press release when the timing for the closure has been scheduled.
Author Archive for Ivan Raconteur - HJ Staff Writer
McLeod County Commissioner Sheldon Nies of Hutchinson was arrested June 11 on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to a statement issued Friday by the McLeod County Sheriff’s office. According to the report, the sheriff’s office received a report of a vehicle in the ditch at Belle Lake Road and Vista Road northwest of Hutchinson shortly after 9 p.m. June 11. After an initial investigation, Nies, 67, was arrested and brought to the McLeod County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence. Continue reading ‘McLeod Co. commissioner arrested on suspicion of DUI’
After more than two years of discussions, revisions, and overcoming challenges, Trophy Lake Estates developer Grant Hustad closed on the purchase of the property northwest of New Germany Monday and hosted a groundbreaking ceremony in preparation for grading of the site, which is expected to begin this week. The project involves lots that will be built around three man-made lakes designed for water sports enthusiasts.
A 16-year old male driver was killed in a single-vehicle crash near Watertown Saturday afternoon, according to Carver County Sheriff Bud Olson. The crash occurred shortly before 2 p.m. The victim was driving northbound in a pickup truck on Carver County Road 123 when the vehicle left the roadway, struck a power pole, and rolled. Watertown Fire Rescue personnel extricated the driver, who was the only occupant, from the vehicle, and he was airlifted by Lifelink Helicopter to Hennepin County Medical Center. Later, at about 6:50 p.m., the Carver County Sheriff’s office was notified that the driver died at the hospital. Emergency services that responded to the scene of the crash included the Carver County Sheriff’s office, Watertown Fire Rescue, Mayer Fire Rescue, Ridgeview Medical Center Ambulance, and Lifelink III Helicopter. The sheriff’s office is investigating the crash. UPDATE 7/21/08: The driver was identified as Aaron John Kelzer, son of Mark and Colleen Kelzer of Mayer.
Former Lester Prairie Mayor Eric Angvall announced today that he received the nomination at last night’s nomination convention, and will run as the Democratic candidate for state representative for District 18A. Continue reading ‘LP’s Angvall to run for state representative’
Wright County Commissioner Pat Sawatzke said a decision by state board of public defense to discontinue representing parents in child protection cases effectively means that in some of these cases, the county will have to pay to remove a child from the home, pay for an attorney to prosecute the parents, and pay for an attorney to defend the parents. See the full story in the next issue of the Herald Journal.
McLeod County Board Chair Grant Knutson announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election this fall. After an evening board meeting in Lester Prairie, Knutson said it is time to get younger representation on the board. He added that he was making the announcement so that potential candidates have time to prepare before the filing period opens in August.
Despite recent rains and other minor delays, the Highway 7 construction project remains mainly on track Knife River project manager Ron Hall said Wednesday. Hall said crews were hauling the last of the gravel to the Carver County Road 10 roundabout, and installation of curb and gutter was expected to begin last week.
Council Member Chip Purcell announced last night that he is resigning from the New Germany City Council effective at the end of the Tuesday, June 17 council meeting. Purcell said he is moving out of the city July 1. He was serving a term that runs through January 2011. The city is seeking applicants to serve the remainder of the term.
One man is dead and another is injured as the result of a single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning in Hollywood Township The driver, Chad R. Bruggemeier, 34, of Mayer was dead at the scene, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. His passenger, Joseph R. Hendricks, 28, of Winsted, was transported to Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia with non-life threatening injuries. Bruggemeier’s vehicle, a 2003 Chevy Silverado, was traveling westbound on Carver County Road 122, when it left the roadway, hit a driveway approach, and rolled twice before coming to rest on a switch box owned by McLeod Cooperative Power. The Carver County Sheriff’s office received a call shortly before 1:30 a.m. and responded to the scene on Carver County Road 122, about one mile east of Carver County Road 33. Bruggemeier was dead at the scene, but emergency crews had to wait more than two hours for employees from the power company to arrive to turn off power to the equipment before it was safe to extract him from the vehicle, according to Carver County Sheriff Bud Olson. The New Germany Fire Department and the Minnesota State Patrol also responded to the incident.
