News

This has been a very active month for snowfall so far in Minnesota. Of course, we told you at the start of the month that the 30 Day Outlook was calling for below normal temperatures but above normal precipitation for the month of March.

Question: Are smoked tail lights illegal in Minnesota? Answer: Minnesota law states that “tail lamps shall be plainly visible from a distance of 100 feet to the rear during normal sunlight and at night.” The same goes for turn signals and headlights. Smoking, tinting, covering or placing any material over tail lights, brake lights, headlights or turn signals would be illegal and unsafe as they would not be plainly visible.

Direct care workers are an essential part of supporting an aging population, particularly as more people favor aging in place over nursing homes and require in-home assistance with daily activities. Yet, as Minnesota continues to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about the state’s direct care workforce remain.

com Last week, representatives from Xcel Energy hosted an informational open house at the Kilowatt Community Center in Granite Falls in order to present information on the proposed routes for an upcoming transmission infrastructure project to serve Upper Midwest customers. In addition to the information available by way of fliers distributed talking about the construction process, working with landowners, and electric and magnetic fields, Xcel Energy provided rows of large printed maps for landowners to see where their property is in relation to any of the 15 proposed routes.

For months, the former Fine Arts Center building has been under preparations for demolition with work being done to clean out hazardous materials from inside including asbestos abatement, removal of light ballasts that contain PCBs, fluorescent bulbs, mercury switches and gauges and more. The building was slated for demolition after issues involving mold and deterioration were deemed to be irreparable. In late summer, dirt piles were built up against the building to be used for excavators to climb up to start the demolition from the top down. That demolition began late last week, continuing this week. Once the building is gone, the dirt used in the pile for the excavators will serve as ground fill to bring the property back to ground level. The district’s goal is to see that land developed in a way that will match the surrounding neighborhood.

Question: I read your article last week about trailer safety. I would like more information on trailer hitch ball sizes and why they have different sizes? Answer: There are four different trailer hitch ball sizes.