Dear Neighbors,
Happy Thanksgiving! We’re just a couple days from gathering around the table with family, friends, and loved ones to share all the reasons we have to be thankful. Again, I hope you and yours have a happy, blessed Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Mission
On Sunday, I joined other area residents with my church for a trip to Minneapolis for our annual Thanksgiving Mission to the Homeless. We brought hundreds of donated items to give away...warm jackets, hats, gloves, hygiene items, blankets, lunches, and bottled water. We are each just a tragic event or two away from these brothers and sisters who find themselves in dire straits and on the street. The Thanksgiving holiday is a perfect time to show we care. Thank you to all who donated items and thank you to those who were able to come help!
Fountain Lake Dredging
Last week, I sent a letter to Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner Tom Landwehr encouraging the DNR to complete the permitting application for the Fountain Lake dredging project.
Our residents want a clean Fountain Lake, but we need the DNR to finalize the permit application to ensure the dredging project starts as planned. My hope is that a recent meeting with the DNR and the Shell Rock River Watershed District will help to move this process along so we can work towards the mutual goal of cleaning up our local lake. I’ll continue to keep you updated on any new developments.
Hospital Update
Also last week, I met with a number of Save Our Hospital (SOH) advocates. We discussed potential legislation that would help our area with the current issue at hand. I appreciate these SOH leaders for taking the time to meet with me because I believe local input is so important and some of the best legislative ideas and solutions come from right here at home.
Senator Nelson and I met last Friday, along with non-partisan House healthcare research experts, to discuss potential legislation we'd like to jointly carry for the upcoming session next year to address rural healthcare issues. We are not only looking at the hospital situation in Albert Lea, but also rural healthcare access and affordability in general. We made big strides this year in fixing some rural healthcare issues, but there's still more that needs to be done.
Please Contact Me
As always, please reach out to my office if you need anything. Enjoy the holiday weekend, and have a great Thanksgiving!
Peggy