Local vaccination efforts

It was good to hear that the Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont is able to schedule appointments for patients ages 16 and up. It was also good to hear from Health and Human Services of Faribault and Martin County that a majority of elderly residents have received at least their first dose of vaccine.

We know people are anxious to see the end of this pandemic, but it is important to remember that good things take time. There are still different variants of COVID-19 out there, and we still need to do our part. This means continuing to wear masks, keep our distance, and sanitize as much as possible. We’re getting there, let’s hold the line.

Justice Center

It’s good to know that Martin County Commissioners are continuing to pursue funds for the proposed justice center. This project has been a long time in the making, and we’ll be glad to see a new facility finally built, hopefully in the near future.

The needs are great, and the current facility is woefully out of date and inadequate. The proposed justice center is meant to provide space for functions related to the multi-county justice system needs for female offenders, juveniles, and mental health services. This could solve a lot of problems, and we look forward to seeing if state funds will be procured.

GHEC

Congratulations to Taylor Topinka for receiving a three-year contract as the Middle School/High School Principal at Granada-Huntley-East Chain. Topinka has served the school well in his role as an assistant principal, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’re glad to see that he will be continuing his career in the district.

We’re also glad that Superintendent Doug Storbeck is committed to looking ahead when it comes to spending the district’s Elementary and Secondary Relief fund. Storbeck seems to believe it would be wise to spread out the $216,000, and we couldn’t agree more.