During this time, we understand that visiting parks and trails will provide citizens with an opportunity for physical activity, relaxation, and place to enjoy the outdoors all while maintaining some of the recommendations put forth by the CDC, WHO, and the state of Minnesota. With that under…
Additional Stories
State officials continue the focus on locating more personal protective equipment and additional hospital beds as the number of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Minnesota jumped to over 500 this past weekend.
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic the Highway Department will be implementing the following procedures beginning Monday, March 30, 2020. These procedures have been put in place to protect both the public and county employees in following the direction given by the Governor and the County…
The Court Administration Office of the 10th Judicial District located in Buffalo at the Wright County Government Center wants to inform residents that there is an alternative to bringing large document packets to its office.
Governor Tim Walz today signed a bill to allocate $330 million in COVID-19 aid in Minnesota, bringing the state’s total response to more than $550 million to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill was passed by the Minnesota Legislature on March 26, 2020.
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 s…
Senate Republicans passed a third COVID-19 response bill yesterday, allocating an additional $331 million to help Minnesotans withstand the effects of this global pandemic. The bill passed unanimously, 67-0.
Due to the Emergency Declaration by the Wright County Board of Commissioners that was adopted earlier this month to close public facing counters in the battle against the COVID-19 coronavirus and the potential for community spread, the Wright County Compost and Recycling Facility will be clo…
On March 25, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz sent out an Executive Order for Minnesotans to stay at home and shelter in place, an order that goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 27 and will continue until Friday, April 10. In the Executive Order, it excluded “essential workers,” which, i…
At a time of isolation like most of us are experiencing at the moment and will be for the short-term future, thoughts of being out on a boat on a Wright County lake in the summer seems like a dream. However, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office is looking to the days when the quarantining – fo…
To support Wright County residents in this time of need, Wright County Public Health has established several resource listings accessible by the public.
Governor Walz today signed Executive Orders 20-14, 20-15, 20-16, and 20-17 to further strengthen Minnesota’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These executive orders suspend evictions during the peacetime emergency, establish Peacetime Emergency Loans for small businesses, direct non-hospit…
Governor Tim Walz today announced he will self-quarantine for a period of 14 days after learning he had contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19. The Governor was informed of the contact early this morning and has not left his home since.
The following Administrative Order was released from the 10th Judicial District pertaining to closing the public windows of Court Administration at the Wright County Government Center. Those with court cases pending or looking for forms should contact the numbers they have been provided in t…
Due to an outpouring of community support and desire to make donations of needed protective equipment, Allina Health is standing up collection sites at many of its facilities to receive donations. Health care organizations, including Allina Health, are in need of additional masks to help mee…
During this COVID-19 pandemic, the Sherburne County Government Center will continue to remain open for business, including for limited In-Person Appointments for Essential Services, as county workers remain committed to providing essential services to the public.
Today, Governor Tim Walz and MNsure announced a 30-day special enrollment period (SEP) for qualified individuals who are currently without insurance in response to the potential growth of COVID-19 cases. This SEP, which begins Monday, March 23 and runs through April 21, will allow uninsured …
BUFFALO, MN – The ideal goal in fighting a pandemic is to halt the spread of disease. As the number of COVID-19 cases in Minnesota continues to rise, every person should be taking measures to lessen the spread of COVID-19.
The Department of Motor Vehicles testing office in Buffalo has closed off its driver testing program effective immediately, according to Wright County License Bureau Supervisor Becky Aanerud. The Buffalo Exam Station, which is located at 15 First Ave. S in Buffalo, is still open for written …
The Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance committee heard a presentation from Senator Bruce Anderson (R-Buffalo) on SF3009 which provides supplemental funding to Wright County Community Action (WCCA). WCCA provides homeownership education, counseling, and training services, and…
Governor Tim Walz today signed Executive Order 20-09, ordering health care providers to postpone elective surgeries and procedures, including non-emergent elective dental procedures, to focus health care capacity and equipment on responding to COVID-19 cases and other emergencies.
Sherburne County has taken steps to assure greater flexibility in preparing for and responding to COVID-19 by signing an Emergency Declaration.
The St. Cloud office of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid has received a grant of Older Americans Act funds from the Central Minnesota Council on Aging to provide legal services for seniors residing in Wright County. The funds will be used to provide legal advice, counseling and representation in cou…
Representative Marion O’Neill, R-Maple Lake, said she will continue working to represent the citizens of District 29B, even as the Minnesota House of Representatives’ daily operations have been altered amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Beginning Wednesday, March 18, access to the Sherburne County Government Center will be restricted to gatherings of no more than 10 individuals in one area, all who are practicing social distancing (6 feet apart).
Trailblazer Transit released a statement today (March 17) informing the public that it plans to remain fully operational while many schools, businesses and government entities are closed or cutting back on services.
With the Wright County Emergency Declaration that was adopted this morning (March 17) in the battle with the COVID-19 coronavirus, in preventing community spread of the virus, the Wright County Board of Commissioners voted to close all public facing counters in county offices and departments…
The Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance committee heard a presentation from Senator Bruce Anderson (R-Buffalo) on SF3009 which provides supplemental funding to Wright County Community Action (WCCA). WCCA provides homeownership education, counseling, and training services, and…
University of Minnesota Extension will be canceling all in-person events and meetings at least through the end of March due to COVID-19 concerns. This includes all agriculture, Master Gardener, 4-H, and SNAP-Ed programs. We did not make this decision lightly, but Extension takes the health o…
During this time, we understand that visiting parks and trails will provide citizens with an opportunity for physical activity, relaxation, and place to enjoy the outdoors all while maintaining some of the recommendations put forth by the CDC, WHO, and the state of Minnesota. With that under…
An emergency meeting of the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 16 at the Sherburne County Government Center to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and the county response.
Allina Health continues to the monitor the rapidly evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are actively supporting containment efforts and working to ensure the safety of our patients, our employees and the public.In order to do that, Allina Health has announced visitor restrictions …
On Thursday, March 12th, the Minnesota Senate approved $50 million in bonding for the Rural Finance Authority (RFA). The RFA is Minnesota’s main agricultural lending arm and partners with community banks to provide farmers with lower interest rates. This bill requires priority be given fir…
• Congratulated Deputy Jeff McMackins on his promotion to sergeant in the Wright County Sheriff’s Department.
ST. PAUL – The Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) presented a scathing report on prison safety to a joint meeting of the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Policy and Finance Division and the Corrections Division Wednesday. The report details a lack of formal tracking on violent …
Wright County has over 1300 farms and ranks in the top ten in Minnesota in the following categories according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture: horses (#1); fruits, nuts and berries; poultry and eggs; and nursery, greenhouses and sod. Of all Wright County farms, an overwhelming 97 percent a…
A dog who fell through ice on the Elk River, and the dog’s owner who fell in trying to rescue her dog, escaped serious injuries Thursday thanks to an alert neighbor.
Winter truck load increases will end and spring load restrictions will begin Monday, March 9, at 12:01 a.m. on unrestricted state highways in the central frost zone, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The frost zones and restricted routes can be found on the MnDOT load …
A bill to require photo identification for voting passed through the Transportation Finance and Policy CommitteeFriday, March 6. Senator Scott Newman (R- Hutchinson) chief authored the bill, which requires identification for both absentee and in-person voting.
Elk River parent, Sue Schmieg, received the Unsung Hero Award, as a part of February’s National Parent Recognition Month. The Award was presented by Minnesota Communities Caring for Children on February 27, 2020 at Lake Harriet United Methodist Church in Minneapolis. The parent recognition e…
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, Senator Andrew Mathews (R-Princeton) presented a bill in the Environment Policy and Legacy Finance Committee to strip back the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) ability to set clean air standards without the legislature. The bill also attributes one million d…
On Feb. 25, the Minnesota Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee held a hearing regarding school bus safety and the dangers of not stopping for school bus stop signs. Senator Rich Draheim (R-Madison Lake) presented a bipartisan bill to increase education and awareness of the risk…
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Becker firefighter Toni Knutson says she was called to be a firefighter after the attack on the twin towers at the Word Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The state of Minnesota on Friday shut down a metal recycling company where a fire burned for days and sent up plumes of smoke.
Minnesota’s 1,781 townships will hold their annual town meeting on Tuesday, March 10. Known as Township Day, these annual meetings are held every year on the second Tuesday in March. Residents of the townships will meet to voice their opinions about local issues with other township residents…
To help prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is adjusting bans on the feeding of deer in certain parts of the state.
The goal of establishing a non-profit dental clinic at the new Wright County government center took another step forward this week when the Board of Wright County Commissioners agreed to ask the Minnesota State Legislature to help with funding.
Two candidates hoping to pull off an upset victory in the next general election have now met in a debate over who would best lead the DFL party to that victory in Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District. In the debate, held in Monticello on Wednesday, Feb. 19, DFL candidates Ian Todd and T…
The Serra Club’s mission is to encourage and appreciate priestly and consecrated vocations to the Catholic Church. Our special speaker this month is Fariba Roughead. Fariba is a convert from Islam to Catholicism and will share her personal testimony to facilitate interfaith dialog. Follow…
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