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The Fairmont School Board on Tuesday discussed donations from Partners In Education. The group has given more than $150,000 over the years to fulfill teachers’ requests for activities and equipment. This school year, PIE donated $28,000. However, only $24,477 in requests were received. To obtain PIE grants, teachers and staff at the elementary and high schools make proposals. This year, some of the money went toward CER youth scholarships, beginner reading books, sensory needs equipment, flexible classroom seating, a camera for the yearbook, books for Spanish reading library and iPads. PIE allocated the excess funding to a stipend for the [...]

THE FAIRMONT CITY COUNCIL MONDAY APPROVED A PROSECUTION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE MARTIN COUNTY ATTORNEY . THE CONTRACT IS FOR 5 YEARS AT $75,000 PER YEAR WITH A 2.5% INCREASE FOR COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT EACH YEAR. THE COUNCIL APPROVED SUPPORT FOR THE F E D A BOARD'S RECOMMENDATION OF DEVELOPING A MULTIFAMILY HOUSING TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM BY AUTHORIZING CITY STAFF TO WORK WITH BOND COUNSEL TO DEVELOP THE PROGRAM. THE FAIRMONT CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE AIRPORT GRANT PRE-APPLICATION CHECKLIST FOR THE NEW HANGAR APRON AND TAXI LANE CONSTRUCTION. THE COUNCIL APPROVED A MODIFIED CONTRACT WITH GEMINI STUDIOS [...]

The facts involving some criminal cases not prosecuted by Fairmont’s former City Attorney and an investigation to identify city staff who allegedly knew about those cases were made public at the Fairmont City Council meeting Monday. Mayor Debbie Foster asked for and received permission from the council to waive attorney/client privilege and read a letter from County Attorney Terry Viesselman, who assumed the city’s prosecutorial duties, and Fairmont Police Chief Mike Hunter. The mayor read “At the end of the process, the (County Attorney’s) office received a total of 136 reports for review that represented 153 prosecution decisions,” the [...]

THE FAIRMONT AREA SCHOOL BOARD MEETS TUESDAY AT 5 P.M. THE BOARD WILL ACT ON ALLOCATION OF THE 2019-2020 PIE/HUNT GRANTS, SEVERAL PERSONNEL ISSUES, AND WILL ACCEPT DONATIONS AND GRANTS AT TUESDAY'S MEETING AT THE FAIRMONT CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

There will be a vocational open house from 5-7 p.m. Monday at Fairmont High School. It will provide the community with an opportunity to tour the new Martin County Automotive Academy. The school’s other vocational programs — an agriculture academy, welding academy, and family and consumer science program — also will be showcased. The Martin County Automotive Academy will be held on Saturday mornings, beginning Jan. 4. The class is open to area students in grades 9-12 for free, as well as adults for a fee of $250. The class will be capped at 20 students, with first preference [...]

THE FAIRMONT CITY COUNCIL MEETS MONDAY AT 5:30 PM. THE COUNCIL WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON ASSESSMENTS OF UNPAID AND DELINQUENT CITY SERVICE CHARGES, WILL SUMMARIZE CONCLUSIONS OF THE EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR, WILL BE UPDATED ON THE FORENSIC AUDIT, CRIMINAL MATTERS NOT PROSECUTED WITHIN STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS AND THE INVESTIGATION. CONTRACT WITH COUNTY ATTORNEY FOR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION, CIVIL LEGAL COUNSEL, NEGOTIATIONS WITH AN INTERIM CITY ADMINISTRATOR AND ALTERNATE FUNDING FOR CITY STREET IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE DISCUSSED AT MONDAY'S MEETING AT THE FAIRMONT CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

Martin County Youth Foundation has held its Donor Recognition and Awards. Grants totaling $13,250 were awarded to 12 organizations or projects. Including; Project 1590, $1,000, Science, technology, engineering and math activity camps. Minnesota Ag in the Classroom Foundation, $1,200 for ag-based lessons for schools and teachers. Red Rock Center for the Arts, $800, Fairmont Area High School art show and workshop. Red Rock Center for the Arts, $500, Children’s Theatre workshop and play. Girl Scouts, Jennifer Nielsen, $500, musical sensory garden. Girl Scouts, Hope Kueker and Kaylee Nelson, $500, community sensory room. Fairmont Opera House, $2,550, Holiday Hoopla community [...]

BLOODMOBILE The American Red Cross urges eligible donors to be the lifeline for patients in need this holiday season by making an appointment to give blood. While helping to save lives is likely motivation enough, those who come out to give Nov. 18-Dec. 18 will also receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email, courtesy of Suburban Propane. Still need reasons to fit lifesaving blood donation into busy holiday schedules? Try these three: It’s quick and easy to find a convenient blood drive. Search for drives by ZIP code and make an appointment to donate using the Red Cross [...]

THE MARTIN COUNTY BOARD TUESDAY APPROVED THE SALE OF $1,875,000 IN GENERAL OBLIGATION COURTHOUSE BONDS. A REOFFERING OF PREMIUM AGAINST THE ORIGINAL PAR AMOUNT OF $1,940,000 DROPPED THAT FIGURE TO THE $1,875,000 AMOUNT. THE ADJUSTED PURCHASE PRICE $1,906,254.01. NET INTEREST COST IS $461,236.66 WITH TRUE INTEREST COST OF 2.19%. ROBERT W. BAIRD AND CO. INC. OF MILWAUKEE WAS THE LOW BIDDER. BILL FAHEY OF NORTH LAND SECURITIES, BOND COUNSEL FOR THE COUNTY, TOLD THE COMMISSIONERS THAT S&P GLOBAL RATINGS ASSIGNED THE COUNTY'S LONG TERM AND UNDERLYING RATING AT AA PRIOR TO THE SALE. PROCEEDS FROM THE BONDS WILL BE [...]