Thursday, April 29, 2010
Volume 97; Number 46
Fourth Annual ALS Walk raises over $11,000
The Fourth Annual ALS Run 4 Research in Browerville took place on Sunday, April 25 at the home of Chad and Paula Becker in support of PALS (people with ALS) and ALS
research while honoring the memory of Dick Becker. Over 250 participants attended the fundraiser, raising over $11,000 between the run and the raffle. The winner of the grand
prize gun was John Fink. The race winners were Adam Sutlief men's 5K, Aaron Wills men's 10K, Tracy Perish women's 5K, and Michele Beaudoin women's 10K.
Commissioners
consider merger
By Jan King
The Todd County Board of
Commissioners is considering a merger of
the Todd County Soil and Water
Conservation District (SWCD) with the
County's Zoning office, called the
Environment and Land Use Planning
Department (ELRM). Although the board
took no action during their April 20 meet-
Six arrested for drug
and property crimes
As a result of a lengthy inves-
tigation, the Todd County
Sheriff ’s Department arrested
six subjects for their involve-
ment in multiple burglaries,
thefts and possession of stolen
property and controlled sub-
stances. The burglaries included:
Mark Becker’s machine shop
at 28541 County 12; Dan
Hudalla’s residence at 13065
County 15; Doug Whalen’s resi-
dence at 34908 170th St, Doug
Turner’s residence at 34839
County 89m Jessie Raile’s resi-
dence at 29537 County 12;
Kjersten Wall’s residence, 20
Todd St. N, Long Prairie; and
Tristina Rohde’s residence, 116
Main St. W, Burtrum.
Arrested were Jacob Whalen,
18, Long Prairie; Brandon
Dombovy, 20, Long Prairie, 17
Wed. Apr. 28
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A community newspaper serving Browerville, MN and surrounding areas. USPS 067-560
ing, Commissioner Gerry Ruda said the
merger would be a positive step forward.
SWCD Manager Sandy Rohr said
there would be monetary savings for both
the county and the state. The goals of
both the county's ELRM and SWCD are
conserving and preserving the county's
resources, she said.
The Soil and Water Conservation
year old female, rural
Browerville, 16 year old male,
rural Sauk Centre; and a 17 year
old male, rural Burtrum.
Assisted by Long Prairie Police
and the Central MN Drug and
Gang Task Force, numerous
search warrants were conducted
during this extensive investiga-
tion.
As a result of information
gathered during the investiga-
tion, a search warrant was exe-
cuted at 415 1st Ave. N, Long
Prairie, where suspected
methamphetamine was found.
Richard Anima, 19, Long Prairie,
was arrested in connection with
controlled substance.
At the time of this report, the
investigation continued and was
expanding.
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District Board would remain intact, provid- it would be a wonderful merger, with said. The SWCD could save $20,000 per
ing policy setting power over the district,
she said. However, she said her board is
SWCD staff bringing into his office their
customer service and resources.
year in rent and information technology
services, Rohr said.
concerned about the office not being
located, as it is now, with the Natural
There would be efficiencies and finan-
cial savings to be gained, said County
The proposal would have a formal
management agreement from July 1,
Resources Conservation Service and the Administrator Nathan Burkett. Now would 2010 through December 31, 2010. This
Farm Service Agency. be a good time for the merger because the Continued on page 16
Garry Johanson, ELRM Director, said SWCD has a lease that is expiring, he
Latinos “Going to Stay”
By Jennifer Vogel
MPR Radio News
Third of four parts: This series has been
prepared by Minnesota Public Radio News
as part of its Ground Level project, which
explores Minnesota communities facing
their futures.
Sandra Lopez stands behind the count-
er at Abarrotes Lopez on Highway 287 in
Long Prairie, near a rack of Bimbo bread
and a flyer advertising a bus to Mexico. The
radio plays an English-language country
station, though the customers, who buy tor-
tillas and neatly-labeled bags of dried
beans, are uniformly Latino.
After a year in business, Lopez – whose
family owns a similar store in the Mexican
state of Zacatecas – says sales are “good,
not great.” She eyes the back of the store,
stocked with children’s games and after-
shave. “The economy is bad, so people
buy food but not a lot else.”
Don Rasmussen, mayor of Long Prairie, at the Prairie Lanes
Lopez recalls the first time she visited
bowling alley that he owns just north of town on Highway 71.
Minnesota, in 2001. “I didn’t like it,” she
The arrival of immigrants in recent years is “one of the best
says. “It was winter.” But she returned a
things that’s happened to the city,” he says. MPR News
few more times and grew to appreciate her
photo/Chris Welsch.
adopted hometown. In December, she
married a Long Prairie native. “I’m going to jobs, and now number more than 1,000. grades in school are half Latino.
stay,” Lopez says. “My husband doesn’t The new arrivals brought bits of Latino cul- “Most of the new businesses on Main
want to go to Mexico.” ture with them, changing the landscape, Street are Hispanic,” says Long Prairie
Latinos began arriving in Todd County especially in Long Prairie. The city has two Mayor Don Rasmussen. “Without them,
over a decade ago, mainly to fill difficult Mexican groceries, a tortilla maker, a bak-
and relatively low-paying meat processing ery and a clothing store. The youngest Continued on page 16
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