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To chilly temps.

We know we live in Minnesota — so anything is possible — but we were still disappointed to see a freeze warning in effect for Friday morning for all of southern Minnesota.

Freezing conditions can kill crops and other sensitive vegetation, so we hope those of you who have already planted any above-ground plants for the season were able to cover them in time.

The National Weather Service also called for a chance of rain and snow on Saturday and Sunday with widespread frost forecasted for Sunday night and Monday night.

We hope the temperatures pick back up after this next week because many people are eager to get out in the garden.

 

To all of the nurses in the area.

This week was National Nurses Week, and we would be remiss if we did not take the time to recognize all of the area’s nurses for their hard work and dedication. Whether you are a nurse in a hospital, a long-term care facility or in some other capacity, we thank you for your selfless sacrifice.

National Nurses Week was first observed in 1954, and in 1974 International Nurse Day was first celebrated in honor of Florence Nightingale, an English nurse who became known as the founder of professional nursing.

We hope that nurses all over the community know they are appreciated — this year and always.

 

To the decision to abate penalties on late property tax payments for the first half of 2020 property taxes.

Thank you to the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners, who voted on Tuesday to abate penalties for late property tax payments for the first half of 2020 property tax payments.

The vote extended the date late payment penalties begin from May 16 to July 15 for both individual and business taxpayers.

Those who are not experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 are still encouraged to make their first-half property tax payments by May 15 if possible, and all escrow and ACH payments previously set up by individual taxpayers will be processed by the May 15 due date.

We hope this assists people who have been struggling in recent weeks, particularly those business owners who are short on resources because of the COVID-19 pandemic.           

To unemployment numbers in the area.

According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, 2,645 people in Freeborn County have applied for unemployment insurance since March 15. This represents 16.3% of the community.

In Mower County, the percentage is slightly lower at 14%, though all other counties in the area have higher rates: Faribault, 17%; Steele, 17.5%; Waseca, 18% and Blue Earth at 20.1%.

While it’s unclear how many people have since returned to work, these numbers are still quite disheartening.

Across the state, the numbers aren’t any better, as more than 633,000 people have applied for unemployment insurance since March 16, and according to the Associated Press, the U.S. numbers are the worst since record keeping began in 1948 with a national unemployment rate of 14.7% in April.

We ask the community to continue to support our area businesses and workers. It is going to take months, if not years, to bring these numbers back to how they were before the COVID-19 pandemic began.