City Beat: (Pol)ice Skating, New Police Chief Appointed, and Absentee Voting

January 23, 2024

What do police and ice skating have in common? For one, the letters i-c-e. Second, they'll both be at Prairie Island Ice Arena on Saturday, February 17, for a new community event: (Pol)ice Skating. Rental skates and snacks will be provided, but to really make this event sparkle and shine, we need you. Bring the whole family out for what's sure to be one of the coolest events around town this winter. See you on the ice!

(Pol)ice Skating

Saturday, February 17

2-3:30 p.m.

Prairie Island Ice Arena

Congratulations, Soon-to-be Police Chief Sather

City Council has appointed Nick Sather as the next Chief of Police for Red Wing. Sather has held various positions in the department since joining it in 2014, most recently Assistant Police Chief since January 2023. He holds a Master's Degree and has completed the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command. Retiring Police Chief Gordon Rohr's final day is Friday, February 9, and Sather will be officially sworn in on Monday, February 12. Sather says the promotion to Chief isn't about him but about the people in the department he'll lead and those in the community the department serves. Sather has certainly demonstrated that he is capable of guiding the Red Wing Police Department, and his promotion was highly recommended by those who have worked with him. We are excited to welcome him to his new position.

We Want to Hear from You This Year

Public participation is key to an effective government, and if you have something to say, Council members want to hear it. Now with the updated Rules of Order, you won't have to wait hours to speak on an item at a Council meeting. All comments will be heard at the start of the meeting, whether you're speaking on an agenda topic or not. As always, you will have up to three minutes to share your thoughts, either in person or virtually. So come speak your mind! If you're someone who prefers not to speak in public, you can write to your Council members and Mayor at this email address. You can also contact your Council members individually here. This is your city – we're looking forward to hearing from you.

Report Card Stats: Keep Recycling, Red Wing!

Good news, according to the updated Red Wing Report Card. Roughly 82% of all trash received by Red Wing’s Waste Campus in 2023 was transformed into renewable energy. And, only 13% was delivered to landfills – that's about half the amount that was delivered to landfills the previous year. But the amount we all are recycling at home decreased 2%. We're not sure why yet, but we're asking everyone to keep doing the good work you're doing and continue your single-sort recycling (If you don't, please start!). A bit more good news: The monthly amount we each pay for the City's refuse and recycling services has gone down 13 cents since 2015. For more stats in the Report Card's Environment section, click here or see the whole Report Card at www.redwingreportcard.org.

Honoring Dakota Community Conversation

The Honoring Dakota Project continues in 2024. Join this local series of online conversations and in-person crafting circles all year long. First up is this Thursday, January 25, when Shelley Buck will speak online about sovereign nations. Shelley served 12 years on the Prairie Island Indian Community Tribal Council. Today she is president of Owamniyomni Okhodayapi, a Minneapolis nonprofit creating a place of healing restoration, education, and connection at the upper lock on the Minneapolis Central Riverfront, a sacred area to the Dakota people. Listen, ask questions, and become part of a community learning together. Click here to learn more and get details to join the Zoom meeting. See you Thursday evening!

A Decade of Innovation

Congratulations to Red Wing Ignite on 10 years of sparking economic development in our community! Ignite marked this milestone of achievement in October and have no plans to slow down their mission of supporting local entrepreneurs and businesses. Ignite was founded with support from the City and other community stakeholders in 2013, and their presence in Red Wing has paid dividends over the years. Read more about Red Wing Ignite's first decade and their plans for the future here.

Remember Your Vote Absentee Option

Vote Absentee In Person

Goodhue County Government Center

509 West Fifth St.

We'll have three elections in the next 10 months, and if you'll be out of town for any of them – or want to skip the polling lines – this information is for you. Absentee voting for the March 5 presidential nomination primary is already underway, which means you can vote by mail or in person right now. New in 2024, the only in-person absentee voting location is the Goodhue County Government Center.

Watch this video for more absentee voting fast facts, and cast your ballot with confidence.

Resilient Red Wing

Resilient Red Wing

Community Gathering

Thursday, February 15

Noon-1 p.m.

Ignite Conference Room,

419 Bush St.

How can we "bee" the best Red Wing possible? Resilient Red Wing has ideas. The local grassroots group was formed to promote climate-friendly projects in Red Wing and is facilitating the Bee City initiative approved by City Council last summer. In addition, they're working with City parks staff and consulting with area master gardeners and residents who have implemented pollinator habitats. Residents may see more new pollinator habitat on public land in the coming year, such as the one already underway at Featherstone Park. Resilient Red Wing also hopes to play a supporting role for the City's Sustainability Commission regarding other climate-friendly initiatives. Want to learn more or get involved? Catch up with the group at a community gathering next month.

All in a Career's Work

Becky Hinrichs has been the friendly, familiar face greeting you at the Waste Campus for the last six and a half years, but as of last Friday, she's officially waving goodbye. Becky grew fond of the view from the window where she's provided customer service, from the people she's met to the abundant wildlife in the area, but she's also ready to move on to the next chapter of her life: retirement, where she says she'll have no shortage of things to do. Between spending time with family, gardening, yard work, baking, quilting, snowmobiling, and heading out in a side-by-side, we have no doubt Becky will make the most out of every minute. Best wishes in retirement, Becky, and thank you for the job you’ve given us.