June 10, 2021 at 1:12 p.m.
Sowers recognized as Cass County farm family of the year
Walt's great-grandparents homesteaded in Poplar in 1899 and built their home on the present family farm in 1901, where Walt and Lucille also lived until the 1970s. Lucille grew up about three miles away.
The couple raised five sons on their farm. They first milked cows, Walter said, then switched to raising sheep and beef cattle. They eliminated sheep from their operation when coyotes discovered sheep made a tasty meal.
Now, they have begun a program to restore some of their farm to forest, planting trees on 65 acres.
Susan Wake, Cass County Extension Committee, told the board the Sowers were active as 4-H leaders through the years. Walter has been a fire warden, taught gun safety classes, served on Poplar Town Board and currently is involved in organizing the Crow Wing Forage Council.
Wake said the Sowers' main goal is to maintain good management practices concerning soil and water pollution.[[In-content Ad]]
Cass commissioners approve a DNR plan to purchase two parcels in Miller's Bay of Leech Lake in Boy Lake and Pine Lake Townships for an aquatic management area. The property includes 51 acres and 1,700 feet of shoreline. The bay is a prime muskie spawning area, according to the DNR.
Administrator Robert Yochum reported the county will receive a $449,441 dividend from Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust, a multi-county insurance program through which Cass receives workers' compensation and property/casualty insurance. Dividends are based on the county's claims experience within the last year.
Contracting Medical Examiner Michael B. McGee reported there were 38 deaths in the county the first six months of 2011. He accepted for examination 20 of those decedents. His office conducted complete autopsies with toxicology on 17 and signed death certificates without examining three. He found 31 died of natural causes, four from accidents, one suicide, one homicide and one case is still pending.
Kevin Lee, Longville Ambulance Service, reported that service operated with slightly above anticipated income and expenditures through the second quarter this year. Though the number of people using the service was down slightly from 101 to 99, insurers deducted less than the budget anticipated from bills.
Costs were up slightly due to two paramedics being on medical leave during the first quarter, he said.
He also reported the service costs were reduced by the fact they have gone to one insurance plan rather than several for employees, and employees now pay a larger portion of those costs.
The largest number of patients continue to use services at hospitals in Brainerd and Crosby, Lee reported.
Loggers paid the highest prices in recent years July 28 at a Cass County Land Department auction, paying $39.17 per cord for aspen. That has been selling in the $25 to $30 range since the economic downturn.
The county sold a total of 7,276.5 cords of wood for $228,017.42. Another $12,709.65 was paid for 79,800 board feet of red pine saw timber.
Cass County will split the $40,500 cost with Leech Lake Television Corp. to purchase a generator for the heating and cooling system for an equipment operations building at the communications tower north of Walker. The county uses the tower for sheriff's and other emergency radio communications.
Second publication rights after Brainerd Dispatch.
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