Thursday, July 29, 2010

Volume 98; Number 7

www.bladepublishing.net

A community newspaper serving Browerville, MN and surrounding areas. USPS 067-560

Public informational meeting to
discuss the future of historic
courthouse will be held August 17
By Tim King
The first public informational
meeting to discuss the future of
Todd County's historic court-
house will be held Tuesday
evening August 17 at 6:30 p.m.
at the Todd County Government
Center in downtown Long
Prairie.
The decision to hold the meet-
ing earlier than originally
planned was made at the Todd
County Commissioners meeting
Tuesday July 20 following dis-
cussion by the commissioners
about what the November ballot
question should be regarding the
historic courthouse. The commis-
sioners had planned to make a
decision on the ballot question
language at their July 20 meet-
ing, however, the commissioners
decided to listen to public input
at the August 17 meeting before
deciding on the wording of the
ballot question. Commissioners
will decide on the wording fol-
lowing the public discussion. The
wording of the question must be
decided no later than August 20.
After August 20, the ballots will
be readied for printing.
At the July 20 meeting, com-
missioners were told the historic
courthouse was sound enough to
last for at least another 100
years. They were also presented
with a plan to create a space in
the historic courthouse for
numerous county departments
that are now housed on Central
Avenue in Long Prairie, as well
as other locations in Long
Prairie and Browerville. Under
the plan the Auditor and
Treasurer, Assessor, Recorder,
GIS, Planning and Zoning,
Public Works, Soil and Water,
and Solid Waste would be com-
bined into an umbrella organiza-
tion called Tax and Land
Services. The new organization
would be housed in the first two
floors of the remodeled historic
courthouse. The county board
room and county administrative
offices would be housed in the
third floor of the building. The
plan for use of the building and
longevity estimates were made
by Contegrity Group and
Collaborative Design Group.
Both are consulting companies
hired by Todd County to study
75¢
Storms
don’t
dampen
options for the courthouse.
Consultants estimated the Relay for
remodeling will cost $4.39 mil-
lion. Merely demolishing the his-
toric court house would cost
Life
$350,000, according to the con-
sultants. An additional $50,000
would be needed to relocate the
911 emergency telephone system
now housed in the courthouse.
"If we demolish the court
house we'll have spent a lot of
money and accomplished noth-
ing for county taxpayers," Roger Irsfeld, above,
Commissioner Ruda said. accepted the Silver Level
Building a new facility on the Sponsor award on behalf of
site of the demolished court- the Browerville Lions at the
house would cost about the same Todd County Relay for Life
as remodeling the old court- on July 23rd.
house. Demolition and relocating Right, Curtis Bryniarski,
the 911 system would cost at sang the National Anthem
least an additional $400,000. for the event. Photos by Ben
Dreher.
Continued on page 16
Hosts celebrate five generations

Titera charged
in Brown death
Melissa J. Titera, Parkers
Prairie, appeared in Todd County
District Court twice withing a
seven day period. She had been
scheduled to appear in court on
Monday, July 12, but failed to
appear.
On Friday, July 16, she
appeared in court on charges of
probation violation. She had pre-
viously been convicted for the
sale of narcotics in Wadena, and
was found guilty of violating the
terms of her probation.
Sentencing was scheduled for
August 9.
Titera appeared in court again
on Tuesday, July 20, on charges
of two counts of criminal vehicu-
lar homicide and DWI. An RU8
hearing was set for August 2.
Titera, in custody, is being
charged in connection with the
Melissa Titera has been death of Scott Brown, rural Long
charged in Todd County Prairie, in a three vehicle acci-
District Court with two dent on US Hwy 71, south of Grandma Host, Roselind, was visited by her granddaughter, great granddaughter, and
counts of criminal vehicular Eagle Bend that occurred on the great great granddaughter at the Central Todd County Care Center on July 22nd. Pictured
homicide. Todd County Court afternoon of Thursday, July 15. are: Front, Bob Host, Roselind Host holding Zooey Moeshl, and Sharon Host. Back, Lynsie
photo. Moeschl and Donna Smith.

WEEKLY WEATHER REPORT

Wed. July 28 Thur. July 29 Fri. July 30 Sat, July 31 Sun. August 1 Mon. August 2 Tue. August 3 Wed. August 4
Sunny Partly Cloudy T-Storms Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy T-Storms T-Storms T-Storms
78°/54° 78°/57° 77°/63° 80°/60° 80°/60° 80°/61° 81°/61° 80ß°/59°