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WEEKLY WEATHER REPORT

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

Thursday, May 1, 2014Volume 98; Number 43

www.bladepublishing.netstaff@bladepublishing.net

By Rin PorterJackie Och, Todd County’s

new Health and Human Services(HHS) Director, attended herfirst county board meeting onApril 22, accompanied byInterim HHS Director EmilySteinert. She was introduced tothe board by Steinert.

Och began her county serviceon April 21, after resigning from

her previous position in Little Falls where she served as the ClinicalServices Manager at Unity Family Healthcare, Family MedicalCenter in Little Falls, a position she has held for more than sixyears.

Och is a registered nurse and holds a master’s degree in businessadministration from the Minnesota School of Business. She hasserved in several management positions in the health care field.

Och will manage the Human Services and Public HealthDepartments at Todd County. She will be paid a salary of $86,000annually.

Board Chair Gary Kneisl thanked Steinert for her nearly fourmonths of service as Interim HHS Director.

Steinert introduced three more new county employees, all fillingvacant positions due to retirements and resignations. LisaGrossinger and Molly Burke are new Child Protection Servicesworkers. Kesha Weiss is a new Adult Mental Health worker.

Another resignation took place recently. Beth Shell resigned asChild Support Enforcement manager. The work of Shell’s positioninvolves collecting back child support owed by parents. Lisa Chapinpresented a proposal to the board that would partner with MorrisonCounty to provide Child Support Enforcement program supervision.Instead of hiring a full-time worker to replace Shell, the county’sPersonnel Committee approved a proposal for Morrison CountySocial Services to provide up to 12 hours per week in program super-vision to Todd County Social Services.

Commissioners Randy Neumann and Rod Erickson immediatelyspoke in opposition to the proposal, suggesting instead that someonebe hired part-time to replace Shell, or that some current employeetake on another 12 hours of work per week in addition to his or herexisting 40-hour per week job.

They said, “Why do we want another county to be supervising ourworkers?”

Steinert and Chapin explained that finding a qualified person todo this work part-time would be difficult if not impossible, and thatpiling the 12 hours of additional work on a current full-time employ-ee would raise immediate red flags with the AFSCME union becauseof work rules. Chapin emphasized that Morrison County would notbe providing supervision of workers, but only of program proceduresand Child Support Enforcement rules.

Commissioner Dave Kircher then explained the rationale of thePersonnel Committee, on which he sits. He said the MorrisonCounty supervision proposal would save Todd County a lot of money,and also serve as a trial of the sharing concept.

Kircher reminded board members that Morrison and ToddCounties already cooperate in the area of sharing a Public Healthfood inspection worker, and work together with Wadena County onthe Tri-County Health Board.

Neumann opposed the idea because, he said, it would affectAssistant County Attorney Mike Schneider, who works closely withChild Support Enforcement. Chapin replied she had already metwith Schneider, and he felt comfortable with the proposal.

A vote was taken on the proposal, and it was approved 3 votes to1, with Neumann opposing. Thetrial period will last until Dec. 31,

Hormel Foods Donation Helps Fight Hunger in Browerville and Long Prairie

Brichacek and Couchey earn trip to Nationals

Dan’s Prize, the local sub-sidiary owned by Hormel FoodsCorporation (NYSE:HRL),announced that it will donate atotal of $20,000 to local organi-zations to fight hunger in thecommunity. This donation ispart of the Hormel Foods PlantCommunity Donations Program,which gives employees theopportunity to assist localhunger relief organizations andstrengthen the communitieswhere they live and work.

The donations will go to theBrowerville Area Food Shelf, theLong Prairie Emergency FoodPantry and the Eagle BendSenior Citizens Center Inc.(Meals on Wheels).

“We are thrilled to supportthese organizations and con-tribute to their efforts to feed thefamilies in need in our area,”said Mark E. Morey, presidentand chief executive officer atDan’s Prize. “Our employeesand the company are excited to

continue fighting hunger in ourcommunity.”

For the fourth consecutiveyear, Hormel Foods is givingfunds to U.S. manufacturingfacilities to share with nonprof-its in their respective communi-ties to fight hunger. In 2013,Hormel Foods donated morethan $220,000 to local hungerrelief organizations in more than20 U.S. communities where ithas manufacturing facilities. InContinued on page 12.

Continued on page 12.

Regions - did that! State - we dominated! Nationals - theyonly hope to contain us! BPA members Andy Brichacek andGrace Couchey.

photo by Brandon Host

New HHSDirector

Jackie Ochjoins county

staff

Jackie Och.

Back row L-R Vern Noland, Doug Kloth, Josh Spieker, Paullie Buechner.Front row L-R Pat Uhlenkamp, Brittany Anderson, Florence Rickbeil, Kathy Kuhnke, Lou

Thielen

By Advisor Dan CusterBPA or Business Professionals

of America is one of BrowervilleHigh School’s academic clubsactivities and has been very suc-cessful this year.

To start the BPA competitions,sixteen students from our BPAchapter went to Region competi-tion in January and were success-ful with a number of top 100 fin-ishes. Among the top students,Grace Couchey and AndyBrichacek took first and secondplace in payroll accounting, whichstarted a friendly rivalry betweenthe two Although Andy has takenan accounting class and Grace hasnot, Grace powered her way to thetop by placing first over top gun,Andy.

With those two amazing per-formances, the stage was set forContinued on page 12.