UPDATE AS OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2024 AT 8:00 AM
****Effective Thursday, October 31, 2024 at 8:00 AM, the BURNING RESTRICTIONS for all of Brown County, Minnesota have been lifted.
PREVIOUS POST FROM 10-02-2024:
The Brown County Sheriff’s Office and fire chiefs have issued BURNING RESTRICTIONS for all of Brown County.
- NO OPEN BURNING OF CRP LAND AND/OR DITCHES OR BRUSH PILES IS PERMITTED
Recreational campfires are permitted. Recreational campfires must be contained in a ring of either rock, cement, brick, or metal, must not be closer than 25 feet to any structure and be attended to. Charcoal grills, wood smokers, and propane or natural gas devices are not considered open burning.
Just as a reminder, Brown County does not require residents to obtain a permit for open burning, but you MUST notify the Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at 507-233-6700 prior to open burning to ensure that there is no “burning ban” or “burning restrictions” in place. The caller must provide the items to be burned, the location of the open burn, a contact name and cell phone number to Dispatch. The person starting the open burn shall attend to the fire at all times and have fire suppression equipment available.
Motorists traveling on Minnesota roads this fall should be aware of large farm equipment transporting crops to markets, grain elevators and processing plants, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Crash data shows there were 446 crashes involving farm equipment in Minnesota from 2021 through 2023, resulting in eight deaths and 171 injuries.
“With the fall harvest season underway, Minnesota farmers need our public roads to access their fields and transport crops,” said Brian Sorenson, state traffic engineer. “We can keep everyone safe by putting away our phones and other distractions while driving, and scanning for slow-moving farm vehicles while traveling rural roads throughout the state.”
Farm equipment is large and heavy, making it hard for operators to accelerate, slow down and stop. The equipment also makes wide turns and sometimes crosses over the center line. In addition, farm vehicles can create large blind spots, making it difficult for operators to see approaching vehicles.
Motorists should:
- Slow down and use caution when approaching farm equipment
- Watch for debris dropped by farm equipment
- Drive with headlights on at all times
- Be patient and wait for a safe place to pass
Farm equipment operators should:
- Use lights and flashers to make equipment more visible
- Use slow-moving vehicle emblems on equipment traveling less than 30 mph
- Consider using a follow vehicle when moving equipment, especially at night
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One person was critically injured and his passenger seriously injured in a motorcycle crash Saturday afternoon near Lake Crystal.
Blue Earth County sheriff’s deputies responded to a crash on County Road 6, near County Road 102, shortly after 3 p.m.
Douglas Pelzel, 75, of Sleepy Eye, was traveling north on County Road 6 on a 1996 Harley Davidson motorcycle with 60-year-old Denise Ann Walter, also of Sleepy Eye, as the passenger.
It appears Douglas Pelzel lost control of the motorcycle and drove off the right side of the roadway, deputies said.
Pelzel was airlifted with critical injuries and Walter was transported from the scene by ambulance with serious injuries. Neither was wearing a helmet.
In a Facebook post, the Sleepy Eye Holiday Lights in Motion board announced they will be taking off the 2024 in order to reorganize and recruit set up assistance. The group has struggled with volunteers during the set up season. There is a special need for aerial and lift truck operators. If you or your group is interest in helping in the future, please contact Mike Suess (mike@sleepyeyeholidaylights.org) or Shari Hittesdorf (shari@sleepyeyeholidaylights.org)
Starting Aug. 1, the Minnesota Child Passenger Safety Law goes into effect, bringing new guidance on child seats, booster seats and seat belts for kiddos.
The new child restraint laws will require:
- A child younger than age 2 is to be properly restrained in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system with an internal harness until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the child passenger restraint system.
- A child who is at least age 2 and exceeds the rear-facing weight or height limit of the child passenger restraint system is to be properly restrained in a forward-facing child passenger restraint system with an internal harness until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the child passenger restraint system.
- A child who is at least age 4 and exceeds the weight or height limit of the forward-facing child passenger restraint system is to be properly restrained in a booster seat and secured with a safety belt.
- A child who is at least age 9 or exceeds the weight or height limit of the child passenger restraint system or the booster seat is to be secured with a safety belt adjusted and fastened around the child’s body to fit correctly.
- If a child falls into more than one category, then the child must be placed in a safer restraint for them. For example, a child who is 2.5 years old and weighs 35 pounds but has a car seat with a rear-facing limit of 40 pounds must stay rear-facing even though they are over 2 years old.
Additionally, the new guidelines said children under 13 years old must sit in the back seat if possible.
The Aug. 1 changes also state that every driver who has children under the age of 18 in a vehicle must have them in a child safety seat or restrained by a seat belt.
The Brown County Sheriff’s Office “NO WAKE ZONE” on Lake Hanska will remain in effect up to and include 07-22-2024.
As of 07-23-2024, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office “NO WAKE ZONE” on Lake Hanska will be lifted.
The Brown County Sheriff’s Office would also like to remind those who are enjoying spending time on the lakes and rivers to always wear your life jackets.
