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To all of the first responders on June 17, 2010.

This week was the 10th anniversary of the June 17, 2010, tornadoes, that greatly damaged homes and livelihoods of many Freeborn County residents.

As we remember that time 10 years ago, we must also recognize the dozens of first responders for their role in the aftermath of that night and the weeks that followed.

Those people worked in difficult situations and put their lives at risk to make sure others were safe. They probably still remember that time vividly in their minds.

We thank them for their continued work, both at that time and today to serve the community.

 

To the six Albert Lea Anglers leaving today for the High School Fishing National World Finals & National Championship in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Congratulations to the Albert Lea students who will take part in the annual national fishing championship this week, along with an expected 300 teams from around the United States. The students qualified for the competition last summer and are competing for hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship money, along with other prizes.

According to coach Jason Howland, practice begins Sunday, with the competition starting Wednesday and ending next Saturday.

We wish our students the best in the tournament and hope you have fun!

 

To the start of road construction on Bridge Avenue.

After two decades of planning, the construction on Bridge Avenue began this week and is expected to continue much of the summer.

The work began on the south end of the project at Marshall Street and is slated to progress north throughout the summer. The project includes a complete reconstruction of the underground utilities, the street, curb and gutter and sidewalks.

Albert Lea Public Works Director Steven Jahnke said the goal for 2020 is to reach at least to Minnie Maddern Street, with the remainder of the project likely to be completed in 2021. The city and Freeborn County are working with Ulland Brothers, the prime contractor, on a firm schedule.

Motorists are asked to pay attention to detours as they are put in place and to drive safely in the construction area. People will be detoured from Bridge Avenue to Garfield Avenue, which also runs north and south.

Though this will undoubtedly be an inconvenience for many, the work is definitely warranted.

We hope the project proceeds as planned, and we, like many others, look forward to seeing it complete.     

 

To the new law passed at the state level providing grants to small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

We were pleased to hear this week that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a bipartisan bill into law that provides $62.5 million in grants for small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

The bill includes $60 million from the federal CARES Act and $2.5 million from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s emergency loan program. Grants will ultimately be determined by a lottery that will be conducted by a third party.

Eligible businesses with 50 or fewer employees can apply for grants of up to $10,000.

Half of the funding will go to Greater Minnesota businesses, at least $10 million will go to minority-owned businesses, $2.5 million will go to veteran-owned businesses, $2.5 million will go to women-owned businesses and $2.5 million will support cultural malls.

We encourage local businesses to apply for the grants. More information, including grant applications, will be available in the coming weeks at https://mn.gov/deed/.

 

To the state’s decision to allow outdoor visits at nursing homes for residents and their families.

After three months of strict visitor guidelines at area nursing homes because of COVID-19, state health officials announced this week they will now allow outdoor visits at senior care facilities for residents and their families.

Up until this point, families have only been able to communicate with their loved ones over the phone, through mobile devices or through windows. There has always been a particular concern for residents of these facilities because they can be more susceptible to the virus.

State officials said they seek to balance the risk of infection with the effects of prolonged isolation, which has impacted the health and well-being of many as well.

Though there are still strict guidelines in place for the outdoor visits — including maintaining physical distancing, screening of visitors, wearing face masks and not engaging in any kind of physical contact — we hope this will be a start to reducing some of the negative impacts of isolation that these residents have experienced.

We ask that families be vigilant in following these guidelines to continue to protect not only your loved ones, but staff and other residents, as well.

Remember, we’re all in this together.