News

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Parking and fences would be more tightly regulated if two amendments to City of Benson ordinances are adopted in the coming weeks.

At Monday night’s city council meeting it was proposed that new language be added to the city parking restricting where vehicles can be parked. The goal of the new language is to end the spreading practice of vehicles parking in residential yards. It would also address the storing of fish houses, trailers, campers and other things that can be pulled behind a vehicle.

Some people park vehicles in yards for convenience, others to get them off the street during snow emergencies, and some because it is a place to store a vehicle they aren’t using. A few park near their front or side stairs because they have difficulty walking...

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

As the Swift County Board of Commissioners was about to adjourn its Sept. 17 meeting, Pete Peterson, District 3-south Benson and Torning Township said he had point he would like to make to the public.

 “It is pretty much public knowledge that we denied a tobacco license at our last meeting. I feel we had very good grounds for taking that action if you take into consideration the public health mission statement,” he said.

Peterson was referring to the county board’s 4 to 1 vote Sept. 3 to deny a tobacco license to the new Dollar General store in Kerkhoven. The store is across North 15th Street from the Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg School.

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

September’s rainfall has already hit an unofficial 5.27 inches making it the seventh wettest on record with nearly two weeks yet to go in the month. The wettest September was recorded in 1991 when 6.51 inches of rain fell. September’s average rainfall is 2.76 inches...

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

With the former Benson Power generation building nothing more than a pile of metal rubble, Xcel Energy has reached out to the City of Benson to do a walk-through of the site as a preliminary step toward its purchase of the site. It is expected that the demolition and site restoration work will be completed by Thanksgiving.

After a phase one environmental assessment is done on the property this fall, the city plans to buy the 77-acre site and buildings from Xcel Energy for around $1.7 million, Benson City Manager Rob Wolfington told the Economic Development Authority (EDA) at its meeting Monday morning.  While the generation building is gone, the large fuel hall building is still in place as well as the administration building. The road infrastructure and weight scale will also remain. The purchase should take place by the end of December...

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Over the past 25 years, the City of Benson has been awarded millions of federal grant monies to assist with home renovations and business building improvements.

Through the grant funds provided by the Small Cities Development Program, Benson is able to substantially improve the look of the community by helping low- and moderate-income residents renovate their homes while also making them safer and energy efficient. It uses the funds to make improvements to businesses that not only make them more energy efficient but also improve their curb appeal...

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

More discussion among the members of the Citizens Perspective Committee is needed before it will reach a consensus on what it will be bringing to the public.

Commissioner Eric Rudningen, District 5-Kerkhoven, attended the meeting and reported on the committees’ progress at the board’s meeting Sept. 3.

The Citizens Perspective Committee was created in May by the county board when it came under persistent criticism for its pursuit of a new justice center.

The proposed two-story 38,000 square foot building on the west side of the courthouse would house a new Swift County Sheriff’s Office, an expanded jail, human services, 6W Community Corrections, the county attorney’s office and Restorative Practices. Its cost was projected at $17.5 million.

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Development of an affiliation agreement that would see Carris Health based in Willmar take over management of Swift County-Benson Health Services will move forward.

At a meeting Sept. 3, the SCBHS Governing Board unanimously voted to sign a letter of intent to pursue affiliation through a lease agreement with Carris Health. At a joint meeting of the Benson City Council and Swift County Board of Commissioners at SCBHS Monday night, the two members that make up the hospital district gave their blessing for the proposed affiliation to move forward. Any final agreement with Carris will need county and city approval...

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

Dollar General in Kerkhoven will not get a license to sell tobacco products unless it appeals the Swift County Board of Commissioner’s 4 to 1 vote to deny its approval.

“The concern that I have is that the Dollar General store in Kerkhoven is located for all intents and purposes in the parking lot of the high school of KMS,” Commissioner Eric Rudningen, District 5 said at the board’s Sept. 3 meeting. “Technically, it is not in the parking lot, it is across a narrow street…and in extremely close proximity to the high school.”

Dollar General is building a new store on east Atlantic Avenue (U.S. Highway 12) in Kerkhoven with the Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg School just across 15th Street North...

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Bids for the building projects at the Northside Elementary and Benson High School came in $1.3 million below the estimate of $26,287,655 when opened last week.

“We are not looking how we reduce this project to fit into a budget. It is some really good news,” Supt. Dennis Laumeyer said of the bids.

 “Benson schools was pleased to see that the construction bids came in well below budget,’” he said. “This allows the district to complete much needed maintenance projects that also provide additional security and don’t take funds from the classroom to complete the projects. This is good news for our taxpayers as well,” Laumeyer said...

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Swift County Monitor-News

Work is now underway at the Northside Elementary School that will add rooms to the west wing that will be dedicated to the school’s daycare and Discovery Kids programs. It will also see the construction of a new cafeteria.

Ground was officially broken last Tuesday afternoon with the help of children now attending Northside. Fencing is in place around the areas where construction will be taking place in the coming months...

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!