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Pictured: BHS Homecoming Royalty for 2017, front from left to right, are Kaden Schmidt, Shane Flower, Aaron Zosel, Matt Connolly, and Sam Lundebrek.  In back are Kelsey Gimberlin, Halle Hanson, Courtney McNeill, Anna Gosson, and Lizzie Staton. 

BHS Homecoming coronation is set for 7:30 p.m., Monday night in the senior high gym.  More information about BHS Homecoming can be found on Page 2 of the Sept. 20, 2017 edition of the Swift County Monitor-News.

For more on this story, and to keep up on all the latest in area sports and school news, subscribe to the Swift County Monitor-News print edition or our PDF internet edition. Call 320-843-4111 and you can get all the local news and sports delivered to you!
 

Legislature to get DEED report on economic impact on businesses, community in February

When the Minnesota Legislature approved a deal to compensate the City of Benson with $20 million in payments over four years for the loss of Benson Power, LLC, it also wanted to know what the impact the plant’s closing would have on other businesses tied to its operation.

It set aside $150,000 and directed commissioner of the Department Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to conduct a study “to examine the economic impact of the closure of a biomass facility located in the city of Benson that uses poultry litter to generate electricity.” DEED is to report its findings to the Legislature by Feb. 15.

Police station to be ready in early November; cemetery expansion nearly complete
 

Benson City Council toured the new city police station during its Monday night meeting. This past February, the city agreed to buy the former Loen Electric building at the corner of Hall Avenue and 22nd Street South in southwest Benson.

The tour also took the council to the Heartland Girl’s Ranch where a new home is being built that will have room for 10 girls. It looked at the north end of the Civic Center that the Benson Public Schools is looking to rent for its gymnastics program as well as other programs and events.

Benson’s CNH currently leases the north end of the Civic Center. It had intended to be out by the end of the building by the start of October, but now it appears it won’t vacate later in November, City Manager Rob Wolfington said.

The 2017 Benson Public Schools Hall of Fame Induction Dinner is set for Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Benson Bowler.

This year’s inductees will be Bill Orr (distinguished service), Leon Brockmeyer (distinguished service), Don Eckhoff (distinguished service), and the 1945-46 undefeated football team.

Biographies for each of the inductees will appear next week, along with information about the 1945-46 football team and the complete roster list.

The induction dinner will begin with a social hour  (cash bar) at 4 p.m., followed by a dinner at 5 p.m. and the induction ceremony at 5:30 p.m.

The inductees will also be highlighted during halftime of the Benson vs. BOLD Homecoming football game, Friday, Sept. 29.

Pictured, top: DeGraff area residents celebrated Labor Day with a parade, games and food in the park, and a tractor pull Sunday.
 

Center: Kids scramble for candy thrown from fire trucks and floats in the DeGraff Labor Day parade.
 

Bottom: At left, Carol and Jerome Jensen were the MCs of this year’s parade. More photos on Page 12A.

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Volunteers needed Saturday to put playground equipment together
 

Benson Public Schools’ daycare received state approval last week and opened for business Tuesday morning. The Swift County Monitor-News will have more on the facility in next week’s edition.

Earlier this year, the District 777 Board of Education voted to submit an application to the State of Minnesota requesting permission to provide daycare for 16 infants and 28 toddlers in response to broad community demand. The daycare is on the ground floor of the Benson Junior High School.

Employers have said that providing adequate daycare in the community is important to them in attracting employees to the community.

Saturday at 8:30 the daycare facility is hoping that volunteers from the community will show up to help put together outdoor playground equipment. It is currently in boxes on the north side of the building.
 

Modern Day Slavery

CeCe Terlouw fighting to break the bondages of sex trafficked women

By Jordan Almen
 

If you were confronted with slavery today, would you be aware of it? Could you tell the difference between someone who is unhappy with their job and someone who being forced to work? Slavery still exists in many forms worldwide, and a large part of that cruel industry is sex trafficking. Millions of people are trafficked around the world, but most people would probably be shocked to learn how close to home the problem is occurring.

August 2017 was the third coldest on record for the Benson area with a mean temperature of 65.3 degrees, 4.5 degrees below average mean of 69.7 degrees.

For just the 13th time in the past 65 years there wasn’t a 90-degree temperature in August. August averages 3.3 days of 90 degrees or more and has seen the high reach 100 to 104 degrees nine times.

This year the August high was 88 degrees back on Aug. 1. Highs during the month should average 80.4 degrees, but only registered 76.3 degrees. Lows averaged 54.2 degrees, 4.9 degrees below average of 59.1 degrees.

The coldest August was recorded in 2004 when the mean temperature was 64.7 degrees and with August 2007 the second coldest with a mean temperature of 64.8 degrees.

During August, Benson set a record low high temperature when it only reached 66 degrees Aug. 3. The previous record for the date was 67 degrees set in 1998.

Though no one has committed to buying the Benson High School Trades and Industrial Carpentry class house this year, the class will be building one after taking a year off in 2016-17.

Without a buyer last year, the school board agreed not to spend the $70,000 to $75,000 it costs to build the home opting to have the class build a new press box at the football field. It also built sheds and garages.

No bids have been received for the trades house, nor has anyone new expressed interest in buying it, Supt. Dennis Laumeyer told the school board at its Aug. 21 meeting. He did contact a person who has expressed interest earlier, but that person has not received authorization to make the purchase, he said.

Western Minnesota received more rain over the weekend with totals ranging form eight-tenths to nearly 2 inches.

With another eight tenths in Benson August’s total rainfall is now 6.85 inches – 3.43 inches above the average for the month of 3.42 inches. However, there are locations around the area that have seen more than 9 inches of rain this month.

Ten days during the month have seen measurable precipitation, delaying the small grain and sugar beet harvest. However, dry conditions toward the end of last week allowed farmers to get into their fields to get their wheat and oat crops outs.

Temperatures remained cooler than average this past week with August now averaging about 4.8 degrees below its mean temperature of 69.7 degrees. August’s average high is 80.8 degrees through the 27th, but this year it has been 76.0 degrees. Lows that should average 60.3 degrees have averaged 54.2 degrees – 6.1 degrees below average.