Fergus Falls Forum

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has placed burning restrictions on several counties thought the state. Otter Tail, Becker and Polk counties all have burning restrictions that are effective starting April 20th. The restrictions are set in place by the DNR each spring. The restrictions help reduce the number of wildfires which can damage homes and property. The DNR will only issue permits for time sensitive construction projects or special burning by professional firefighters. The use of campfires, smaller than three feet in diameter and in height is still allowed, however.

Students and staff at the Fergus Falls Public Schools will have their summer vacation end earlier than normal this year. Classes will begin for area students on August 31st for grades 1 through 9, and on September 1st for grades 10 through 12 for the 2009/2010 school year even though there is a state law which states schools cannot start before Labor Day.

The Fergus Falls school district is able to do this because of the $32.5 million dollar construction project that remodeled and added onto Cleveland and is currently in the process of doing the same to the middle school. However, other area schools, such as Underwood, are unable to do this. Minnesota has a long-standing state law stating that local schools cannot start before Labor Day. This law, which dates back to the state’s farming history, when children needed to help out on the farm. However, school districts with renovation projects of over $400,000 dollars, such as Fergus Falls, are able to bypass this statute.

According to Rep. Larry Howes, making school districts start after Labor Day allows the resort, airline and hospitality industries to earn extra money. If classes begin before Labor Day, area resorts and airlines would see a 45 percent decline in customer bookings. For example, In 2004, the State Fair lost thousands of visitors because of an early school start date.

Jerry Ness, the Fergus Falls Public Schools superintendent said, “The following year, 2010-11, we will return to following normal start after Labor Day.”

Douglas County Hospital has reached an agreement with Fergus Falls-based Lakeland Mental Health Center to provide mental health services for the hospital’s outpatient mental health unit which will become Lakeland Mental Health Center, Inc. In January, the hospital started an interim management agreement with Lakeland Mental Health Center to provide management services and direction until July 1, 2009 – when the purchase of service agreement becomes effective. The services and staff will remain as they currently are at the Marian Building in Alexandria.