Crow Wing County, SWCD seek stronger partnership
Both organizations were commended for a number of successes in water resource management and wetland conservation by the Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources, but the state board recommended an assessment to determine the best division of responsibilities and funding. 4:00 am, Feb. 4, 2021 ×
Tad Erickson (left) and Jake Frie, Crow Wing County environmental services supervisor, share information about an updated partnership with the Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District at a Dec. 22 county board committee of the whole meeting. Screenshot / Chelsey Perkins
Improved collaboration between Crow Wing County and the Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District will better protect environmental resources, officials from both organizations stated.
City to bid NW 4th St. project: Roundabout, median to be added later this year
The portion of Northwest Fourth Street between Washington and Jackson streets is set to be reconstructed later this year, with the addition of a median and roundabout. 6:00 am, Jan. 22, 2021 ×
The portion of Northwest Fourth Street between Jackson and Washington streets in Brainerd is set to be reconstructed in 2021 Theresa Bourke / Brainerd Dispatch
Brainerd will begin soliciting bids for a project to reconstruct a portion of Northwest Fourth Street later this year.
The Brainerd City Council authorized the bid opening set for Feb. 17 during its meeting Monday, Jan. 19.
“Putting him on the same step as Corky (McQuiston) is just confusing, even though we may have done it with Corky,” Johnson said Jan. 4. “I would expect an employee coming on on the same step as a long-term employee to not make one mistake, to hit the ground running day one, no learning curve because you are worth exactly what the outgoing chief is worth.”
With that said, Johnson also said he would reluctantly support the motion to hire Baloun at wage 6.
Council member Dave Pritschet said offering Baloun step 6 should be worth considering, given his master’s degree and 14 years of experience as a police chief.
George Vinson has worked in several capacities for the Fargo Police Department over the past 17 years. 2:00 am, Dec. 22, 2020 ×
George Vinson
George Vinson, a lieutenant in the Fargo Police Department, is in line to become the next Brainerd police chief should he accept the job offer.
The Brainerd City Council voted Monday, Dec. 21, to offer Vinson the job of outgoing Chief Corky McQuiston, who is soon set to retire.
After the city’s civil service commission whittled the top seven candidates down to three, the council voted 5-2 to offer Vinson the job.
Dave Pritschet, Kelly Bevans, Tad Erickson, Jan Lambert and Gabe Johnson all cast their ballots for Vinson, while Kevin Stunek and Wayne Erickson voted for Brent Baloun, the police chief in Becker who was born and raised in Brainerd.