Northfield Well-Positioned for Bright Future

I hope you and your loved ones are enjoying these beautiful summer months and taking advantage of all our community has to offer. After all, Northfield was recently named the second best small town in the country! Recognition of our great schools, high community involvement, cultural amenities, historical architecture, abundant parks and outdoor activities is […]

Minimum Wage Increase – other Laws Take Effect Aug 1

A summary of the new laws which will take effect on August 1st includes an increase in the minimum wage. Beginning this Friday, the hourly minimum wage will be $8.00 for businesses which have gross sales over $500,000.  The law provides for further increases to $9.50 by 2016. The is the first time in ten […]

Call for Volunteers to March in Kolacky Days Parade

  Please consider joining us as we march in the Kolacky Days Parade Sunday, July 27, 2014. Line up time is at 11:00 a.m. for a Parade start time of noon. Our space is DIVISION A, #49 – one block north of Vine Avenue W and 3rd Street, Montgomery. We’ll have signs and t-shirts as […]

Priorities for Rebuilding Our Middle Class Society

            By David Bly In his recent visit to Minnesota, President Obama talked of a woman named Rebekah.  She is one of millions of Americans who, to use the President’s words, “work hard, do everything right, and still feel like the odds are stacked against them.” In other words, we […]

AN ECONOMIC COVENANT FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE

        Northwest Airlines CEO Richard Anderson resigned in 2004 to take another lucrative job, this one with a major health insurance company.  He left Northwest as it was headed for bankruptcy and eventual sale to Delta.  In spite of Northwest’s troubles, Mr. Anderson, like other top executives at Northwest, was covered by […]

Legislative Actions on the Projected Surplus

The 2014 Legislative session set out to achieve a balanced distribution of the $1.2 billion surplus projected by the Economic and Budget Forecast and a review of the final accounting reveals that we did just that. According to the 2014 Legislative Summary, new laws included tax relief, local aids and credit, increased funding for K-12 and higher […]

New Laws Effective 7/1/14: Kill Switch, Pollinators, Broadband Connectivity, etc.

New Laws going into effect on 7/1/14 reflect a wide range of goals for the state. Here are just some of the highlights: Education: The per-pupil basic education formula was increased. State colleges and universities are directed to develop a plan to help students transfer credits more easily. Gender Pay Gap: laws addressing expanded parental leave, […]

Rice and Le Sueur Counties Declared State of Emergency

Dear neighbors, A State of Emergency has been declared in Rice and Le Sueur counties due to significant damage from flooding, making a wide range of state resources available to support our communities. To ensure aid is available when we are impacted by natural disasters, the legislature created a new program to provide disaster relief […]