News

Flags honoring America’s war veterans were spread throughout area cemeteries as people honored loved ones in their own quiet ways. There were no Memorial Day services or parades this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Members of the Benson High School Class of 2020 will receive their diplomas at the Benson Family Aquatic Center during a ceremony scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m.

It is the one site available in the community where the school administration could bring together the graduating seniors, families and friends that complied with the current state emergency order under the COVID-19 protocols.

Benson High School’s administration had planned to conduct the graduation ceremony at the football field, but the state put an end to those plans.

The Minnesota Department of Education and the Office of Higher Education issued guidance saying indoor graduations and ceremonies held outside in stadiums and on football fields were not permitted. The agencies encouraged schools to hold online events.

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

In preparing for the limited opening of bars and restaurants in Minnesota for outdoor dining and beverage service, the Benson City Council conducted a special meeting Tuesday evening.

At the meeting, it was to consider a resolution to allow for outdoor service and for the expansion of facilities to provide that service.

The resolution states that:

“The city manager is authorized to accept, review and either approve or deny applications from local businesses that wish to expand their outdoor service during the declared emergency.

“The city manager is authorized to allow the use of public areas, including local streets and sidewalks, for businesses that wish to expand their outdoor service during the declared emergency.”

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

When area residents go to Bluestem Dental in Benson for their appointments in the coming weeks, they will find some changes aimed at keeping them and the office’s staff safe.

As the number of COVID-19 deaths and cases increased rapidly throughout America and the world, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz issued a stay-at-home order effective from March 28 to April 10. Under the order, people could still go to the grocery store, shop for essential supplies, and go outside for a walk or run. But many non-essential businesses were shut down. Among those non-essential businesses were dental offices, except for emergency procedures.

As the number of deaths due to COVID-19 continued to rise from just 5 to 50 over the two-week stay-at-home order, Walz extended the order to May 10. By May 9 the state’s death toll from COVID-19 increased to 558 and the order was extended to May 18 with some modifications.

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Benson High School seniors will get a graduation ceremony for the history books. It may not be historic in the way seniors or parents would prefer but it will still be a graduation ceremony that will be read about in the years to come.

Members of the Class of 2020 will receive their diplomas at the Benson Family Aquatic Center during a ceremony scheduled for Friday, May 29, at 6 p.m.

“We are excited to be able provide a wonderful ceremony that celebrates and shows appreciation for the outstanding BHS 2020 Graduating class!” Supt. Dennis Laumeyer stated in a news release Monday afternoon.

“In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor, Department of Education, and Department of Health have established guidelines for Minnesota’s 2020 graduation ceremonies. State guidelines prohibit indoor ceremonies and stadiums and football field ceremonies.

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

For the kids of the community there are hardly two more popular things for them to do each summer than heading to the swimming pool and the annual Kid Day celebration. Now both are in danger of being eliminated.

Benson’s City Council is waiting for guidance from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Wednesday how the city will handle the opening of the Benson Family Aquatic Center and if the 90th annual Benson Kid Day celebration will happen.

At Monday night’s council meeting, Kid Day Chair Roger Ebnet called in saying he had been conducting email conversations with committee members on how they should proceed with the July event.

The coronavirus and the deadly disease it causes, COVID-19, have reshaped plans for community celebrations throughout the nation. Many of those events have been postponed until next year.

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Ensuring a high voter turnout for the Aug. 11 primary election and the Nov. 3 general election, Minnesota’s Secretary of State Steve Simon and county election officials are encouraging people to consider early voting with an absentee ballot.

Election officials are also looking to get more townships set up for mail-in balloting...

For more on this story, and to keep up on all the latest in area sports, 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!

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

During a controlled burn on Conservation Reserve Program land near his home south of Swift Falls Friday morning, landowner Steve Svor was severely burned. He was airlifted from Swift County-Benson Health Services to the Hennepin County Burn Center where he is reported to be in serious condition.

According to a report by the family, Svor had already burned two fields without problems. During the burn of the third field he was riding on the tailgate of a pickup torching the grass. The bumpiness of the field caused him to lose his balance and fall out of the pickup into the flames.

Though he tried to get up off the ground and away from the flames, he couldn’t, the family’s report said...

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

With elective surgeries and most outpatient services shut down for more than two months, Swift County-Benson Health Services saw 80 percent of its sources of revenue go away. Those revenues were earned through elective surgeries and outpatient services.

As it saw a dramatic reduction in its income, SCBHS was doing its best to retain staff rather than laying them off . SCBHS employs 120 people with a 2019 payroll of $5.7 million.

Now financial help has arrived for the local hospital and clinic in the form of federal program financing...

For more on this story, and to keep up on all the latest in area sports, 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!