Scouts to hold pinewood derby
St. Joseph Cub Scout Pack 84 will hold its pinewood derby Saturday, Jan. 28 at Kennedy Community School. It is an event were scouts build model cars and race against each other. Check-in starts at 8:30 a.m., the race at 9 a.m.

City rejoins Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities
After hearing three different perspectives, the St. Joseph City Council voted Jan. 19 to rejoin the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities. The vote was unanimous.

The city has not been a member of the organization for the last four years. At their meeting Jan. 19, city leaders heard from Bradley Peterson, an attorney with the coalition who spoke about the many services the organization provides. Waite Park City Administrator Shaunna Johnson and the Sartell City Council members also spoke in support of the coalition and benefits their respective cities have seen through their membership.

St. Joseph Finance Director Lori Bartlett said the city will pay about $4,400 for dues, a 50-percent reduction.

The coalition offered a tiered buy-back option if the city rejoined. Next year the city will pay 75 percent of $8,800 and the full amount in 2014.

SCSU Wrestling recognizes military
St. Cloud State University wrestling has designated its upcoming match with St. John’s University as Military Appreciation Night. The event will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2. All active members of the military and veterans will be admitted free to the dual match.

To honor the military forces that serve our country, the Huskies will be competing in camouflage singlets with the SCSU logo on the front and the stars and stripes in the shape of the state of Minnesota on the back. The singles will be auctioned off following competition with proceeds going to a non-profit military charity.

Other highlights of the evening include the St. Cloud State ROTC Color Guard presenting the flag during the national anthem, the first 100 fans through the door will receive a free stainless steel water bottle, T-shirts will be thrown into the crowd for every Husky takedown during the match and two former Husky wrestlers serving in the military will be honored during intermission.

The Huskies currently own a 14-0 record this season and are ranked #1 in the nation. SCSU recently set a team record on Jan. 18, as the Huskies won their 19th consecutive dual match.

For complete information on the upcoming Military Appreciation Night at Halenbeck Hall, please call Coach Steve Costanzo at 320-308-2996 or email him at sscostanzo@stcloudstate.edu.

MnDOT seeks public input for 20-year statewide multimodal transportation plan

The public, transportation stakeholders and local government officials are invited to provide input for Minnesota’s 20-year Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan at one of nine upcoming open houses statewide.

In St. Cloud, the meeting will be held from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2 at MnDOT, 3725 12th St. N., St. Cloud.

A brief presentation will be given at 4:30 p.m. and repeated at 6 p.m. Attendees may come and go at any time.

Those unable to attend in-person have the option to participate in an online webinar via Adobe Connect from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6. For details, visit www.minnesotagoplan.org/participate.html.

Topics covered will include the recently adopted Minnesota GO vision for transportation, current transportation system, future challenges and opportunities facing transportation, draft plan objectives and strategies and how the plan will be used.

Minnesota’s 20-year Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan establishes overarching guidance and priorities for making state transportation decisions across all modes of transportation. The open houses will provide Minnesotans with an opportunity to learn about the current multimodal system, the challenges we will face in the future and how we can address those challenges. The public is also invited to provide feedback on draft transportation objectives and planning strategies.

To request an interpreter (ASL or other language) or other reasonable accommodation, call Janet Miller at 651-366-4720 or 1-800-657-3774 (Greater Minnesota); 711 or 1-800-627-3529 (Minnesota Relay).

Alternatively, send an email to janet.rae.miller@state.mn.us. Please request at least one week in advance.

Gathering input for the 20-year Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan is an important next step in turning Minnesota GO, the recently adopted 50-year transportation vision, into reality. Minnesota GO aims to better align the state’s transportation system with what Minnesotans expect for their quality of life, economy and natural environment.

In addition to the public open houses, there will be a public comment period and a public hearing in March or April after the draft plan is available. The final plan is scheduled for adoption this spring. Updates to state plans for highways, rail, aviation, transit, freight and non-motorized transportation will follow.

For more information on the project, visit www.minnesotagoplan.org or follow the plan on Twitter, @minnesotago, and Facebook, www.facebook.com/MinnesotaGO.

For more information, contact Kirby Becker, MnDOT Office of Statewide Multimodal Planning, at 651-366-3740 or kirby.becker@state.mn.us.