Mike Ennis brings you the latest happenings across Martin County and beyond.

Transcript

Welcome Back After Illness

Speaker 1 0:01

All right , here we go . Hey , welcome . This is Mike Ennis with Martin County Star's Newsmakers Podcast , and it's been a little while since we've talked , hasn't it ? I'll tell you what I have been struggling with . It's either one of three things either COVID , a terrible cold , or allergies , and I could barely talk for a long time . I mean , I could talk but it would cough all the time . And I say it I probably will here in a second . But anyway , see , there we go . But anyway , we're back and happy to be here .

Speaker 1 0:33

How's summer going ? I got to check this out tomorrow . Rain , rain , rain . That's about all it does around here . It seems like we're trying to get our building painted and you know we can never get enough time to go out and do it . We like to do it in the morning , when it's nice and cool still , but that hasn't been the case here lately . Anyway , it's coming up this .

Speaker 1 0:56

Let me see , about a week , week and a half from now , yeah , the fair , the big fair here in Fairmont starts . It's always exciting . Kids love that , you know , especially the kids competing 4-H FFA , all of them , yeah . So anyway , also , a lot of women and men , sorry , enter different contests there at the fair we have . You know , there's canning , there's photography , there's all kinds of stuff you can do . So anyway , the big fair is coming up here in just about a week and a half . I've been working on ads for it , so I've been involved in it that way , but hopefully you'll get involved also .

Speaker 1 1:34

Let me see what's going on . Hey , I got a headline on the paper this week . It's called Welcome is Going Gaga , not Lady Gaga . But it's a Excuse me , see what I mean , coffin , let me see when is it ? I'm trying to find this here . It's a Gaga pit and what it is is they're going to put in this Gaga pit and it's a place where kids can go and play dodgeball . Basically it looks like fun . Man I'm in .

Speaker 1 2:06

I want to commend the Martin County West superintendent , corey Reynolds . She has asked the board to freeze her salary for a year and they said , okay , they were happy to do it , so anyway . So she's going to freeze her salary for a year , so good for her , good for her . What else is going on ? The big story on the paper this week ? Mayor Dan Schmittke over in , welcome . He gave me a call last week , boy , sorry , see , I've been fine all day . I've been fine all day . I get in here and I start coughing . Anyway , he gave me a call last week , wanted me to come over the . Uh , there's a . There's an aed life-saving cabinet that's been installed right outside of city hall . And welcome .

Speaker 1 2:56

What this is is a cardiac restart . This started by a young lady by the name of Faith Ann Larson . Faith , 19 years old , back in 2022 , she suddenly went into cardiac arrest and there was no

Welcome's New Life-Saving AED Cabinet

Speaker 1 3:12

way to get any help and she died . Her dad , terry Larson , has been on a campaign to see that this does not happen to anybody else's daughter . That's great , right there . Anyway , that got picked up by some different folks , and then the people at AED Automated External Defibrillator . They came in on it and together they are trying to put a life-saving AED in every high school in Minnesota . I said so what's that going to cost ? He said about $24 million . They're about 10 grand apiece . The units are so you know , you can run the numbers , and so they have one in Martin County West .

Speaker 1 3:56

Now , also , where's my notes here on this ? It's in the body of the text . Here we are East Chain , huntley and also Martin Luther High School in Northrup , and now they've added welcome , so it sits right outside of the city hall , right there on the wall , and this is available 24 hours a day . I remember I asked , I said so I wouldn't know how to do this they go . Oh no , no , as soon as you pull the screen down man , I'm tired of this cough . You pull the screen down , you open it up , the lights come on and there's a step-by-step what to do next on this little screen there and it tells you how to hook up . It tells you how to proceed . The whole bit is right there . Also , inside this kit is a stop bleed kit , like for a cut or something . So this is really good news and I'm really excited about it . If you get a chance to drive by and take a look at it don't open it up , because if it does , it starts to call 911 . But just take a look at it , you know and see where it's at . That way , you know where it's at if this ever would become a need . And I just want to commend the folks at Valero , along with the parks , but the folks at Valero , they foot the bill for this thing , isn't that something ? So congratulations to them , congratulations to the city for this thing , isn't that something ? So congratulations to them , congratulations to the city of Wellcome . This is getting done and I'm really proud of all of them for doing this . So way to go , guys , way to go .

Speaker 1 5:35

A couple of things going on Let me see here . The 1618 Maverick girls team took home first in the Fairmont Cardinal Power Tournament . That was last weekend and they're doing , man , they're doing really , really , really well . Also , federated Rural Electric out of Jackson . They contributed $22,500 to three local fire departments to give them what they need . You know they needed some little extra , this and that and the other . So 22,500 goes a long ways in trying to help that and accomplish that . So congratulations to them also and thank you to Federated Rural Electric .

Community News and Sports Updates

Speaker 1 6:15

You know they're way involved in the community and they really do step up and help out in so so many ways . It's good to see them . What do you think ? I'm going to date this episode by saying this Just this morning Hulk Hogan died 71 .

Speaker 1 6:35

Cardiac arrest and you know that's kind of wild . We saw him what a year ago on on stage with uh now president trump , but back when he was uh about this time last year I think it was maybe a little bit later anyway in the nominating process and he looked great . He looked great and wow out of the blue . So hulk hogan died a couple three days ago . We lost Malcolm Jamal Warner . He passed away .

Speaker 1 7:05

And then there was a third one too . My sons were texting me earlier Let me see if I got that text still and they were saying who else is going to go ? I kept saying not me , I'm good . They had one more . Oh , ozzy , ozzy Osbourne . So , wow , you know , they always say they come in threes , don't they ? So I guess I'm safe for another round .

Speaker 1 7:30

Anyway , also , man , I tell you what our hearts went out to those folks down in Kerrville , texas . I used to work in Kerrville , texas , at the post office . This had been a lot of years ago , about 27 years ago . But I know the area very well , I know the people down there and I don't know these people , I mean , but you know , and anyway , they're good people . Kerrville's a nice town and wow , wow , this is devastating . I have some friends down there , we have some family down there . They weren't involved in this at all , they weren't in any danger , but it just really brings it home , doesn't it , when things like that happen .

Speaker 1 8:05

So sorry to see that and sad to hear about all that . Tell you what you just never , ever know , do you ? We never know what's going to happen and when it's going to happen or anything else . It's just , man , you better be ready all the time . Hadn't you Going on here in Tremont ? Welcome Donnell . Where else ? Sherburn , sherburn School they broke ground on the new high school and they're starting to . You know ,

Local Job Opening and Celebrity Deaths

Speaker 1 8:36

haven't really done much yet , but they're starting to get their bids in place and get the different people going Football . They're going to play that at the high school , at the school I mean in Tremont this year . So I got to drive over and see if they started working on the field yet , because they've got a couple of months and then they're going to be playing football . They can't hardly believe it already . Right , I'm looking forward to it . Should be a good season .

Speaker 1 9:04

Hey , if you are a sports person once again , this is kind of dating the whole thing and you need a job , boy , do I need you ? We're looking for a sports reporter here at the Star and we need somebody to cover Martin County West and Fairmont and all the local sports and all the locals that are going on , and all the local sports and all the locals that are going on . So if you're one of those and you're somebody who likes to go to the games and you don't mind being paid for it , well , we wouldn't mind having you on staff . Give me a call , 507-848-3261 . All right , I'm Mike . Give me a call and let's talk . I guess I can put that out there on this podcast . Now don't call me from Ohio , because it's not going to do me any good . You've got to be local , you've got to be right here , because I need local stories .

Speaker 1 9:55

Also , what else is going on ? You know it's summertime . The Summer Events paper is out . Man , we had a 68-page paper this year and it was loaded with all kinds of things going on in the area . And I was looking at the peach today , in fact , and I have in there , and the peach I have in there things still to come this summer . You know a lot of people say , well , man , summer's almost over . No , it's not . I got a whole list of stuff . Let me see . Winnebago's Fun Fest is going on right now . As a matter of fact , until the 26th , martin County the big fair starts August 11th .

Upcoming Summer Events and Activities

Speaker 1 10:36

Lost St Brewery in Blue Earth . August 17th they have an event going on . Ron's Roast in Wells , august 17th that's when Colonel Days take place . Tractor Pole Also in that . I think that's in Winnebago , august 2nd .

Speaker 1 10:52

Amboy Day , september 5th through the 7th , truman Days , that's this weekend . They have the best parade . I am not kidding you . We got there a few minutes late last year , like about 20 minutes late , and the parade went on for a whole other hour after we got there . I mean it was that big of a parade and so , anyway , I mean it was great . They have a great parade over in Truman . So pick that up on . That'll be Saturday , a couple of days from now , and we might be in the parade . Look for us , look for the Martin County Star Van . Okay , it's the , we call it the Star Mobile . Look for the Star Mobile and we'll have some candy . We'll be throwing out Not my wife candy , no , no , no , c-a-n-d-y , that kind of candy . I don't throw my wife out . Anyway , sleepy Eye's got an event going on Summerfest , august 15th through the 17th Jackson Pioneer Days , is going on right now at Fort Belmont .

Speaker 1 11:45

I Uh , jackson Pioneer Days is going on right now at Fort Belmont . I guess it starts the 23rd , 24th . So that's that's this weekend , next , next week , next week . No , no , no , no , that's today , that's right now . Okay , jackson Motorplex is going on . They they have until September , so they have different things . Uh , let's see here . Uh , brad Morgan will be at the Still and Donnell August 21st . Heritage Days in Fairmont , the Thrashing Day , an antique tractor display , that's August 10th . The Fall Festival is October 19th .

Speaker 1 12:16

The Opera House has got all shook up this weekend . You know , that's good . I'm all shook up , right , elvis , remember that . And if you do , then Now that's at the high school , because the Opera House right now they cannot have any programs there , but they're getting back to it . Red Rock Center they got a ton of stuff going on . So you know , if you're looking for something to do this summer and it's not all outside Some of these things are indoor activities , which are always nice . So keep those things in mind , always nice . So keep those things in mind . Jackson County Fair did I mention that ? It goes on , let me see Tuesday , next Tuesday , until August 2nd , which is Saturday , and so that's , it's in the peach . You can check that out . Grab a peach from the newspaper .

Speaker 1 13:01

Also , we've been sending out papers now since January . Each couple of weeks I pick a different zip code and we saturate that zip code for two or three weeks and then you get a subscriber card at the end and it's paying off for us . We're exposing our newspaper to a lot of people who didn't know anything about us and they're liking what they're seeing , and we're gathering and getting new subscribers all the time and we're happy to have that and we're happy to have you . If

Newspaper Subscription Information

Speaker 1 13:30

you would like to be a subscriber , give us a call 507-764-6681 . All right , or you can , of course , listen online to the podcast . Oh , and , by the way , if you're a subscriber , you also have online access to the newspaper . Yeah , you can sit there and read it right , wherever you are . You know , on your phone , when you're on a bus or something , you can just read the newspaper . It's kind of fun .

Speaker 1 13:51

So , anyway , we have lots going on . You know , keep us informed If you have something happening in your neck of the woods and we need to know about it . You know what to do , right ? Yeah , give us a call 507-764-6681 . Give us a tip . We'll look into it and see if we can , or you can look into it . Either way , we'll see what we can come up with . Anyway , nice talking to you again . I'm back , I'm feeling . I'm fine now . I got that little coughing smell , but about three weeks ago that wouldn't have happened . I would have just coughed for most of this interview time . Anyway , talk to you guys later . I'll see you next week . All right , bye .