Commissioners Approve Pay Raise to Retain Lyon County Attorneys

Issue #040

08 Jul

In this Marshall Area Insider issue…

🌤️ Marshall, MN Weather - Mostly sunny with with a high of 81

🗞️ Commissioners Approve Pay Raise to Retain Lyon County Attorneys

🗞️ Minnesota Bribery Scandal: Two Men Face Serious Chargesuly 6

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📌 Know of other local events not listed? Send us the details!

Commissioners Approve Pay Raise to Retain Lyon County Attorneys

The Lyon County Attorney’s Office has been understaffed since spring, with one attorney position vacant. County Attorney Abby Wikelius reported this unsustainable situation to the Lyon County commissioners.

On Tuesday, a request to raise the salaries of the two assistant county attorneys was presented. Due to a statewide shortage, the office has received no applications for the vacant position since April.

Lyon County Administrator Loren Stomberg and HR Director Tegan Lindsley proposed increasing the salaries of Assistant County Attorneys Carlotta Navarette and Julianna Passe to $125,000 a year, effective July 1, to retain staff and prevent further losses.

As caseloads grow due to state policy changes and more complex child protection cases, the workload has increased. Commissioner Rick Anderson noted the shortage is partly due to state policies, and attracting professionals to Greater Minnesota is challenging.

Other counties face similar issues, sometimes contracting out services, which can delay criminal cases and affect public safety.

Commissioner Todd Draper supported the salary increases to avoid higher long-term costs. The commissioners approved the salary increases for Navarette and Passe.

Minnesota Bribery Scandal: Two Men Face Serious Charges

Two men, Said Shafii Farah and Abdulkarim Shafii Farah, pleaded not guilty to trying to bribe a Minnesota juror with $120,000 in cash to get an acquittal in a big COVID-19 fraud case.

The bribery scheme was elaborate, involving stalking the juror and even trying to put a GPS device on her car. They were ordered to stay in detention due to the serious nature of the charges.

This case is part of a larger fraud scandal where seven defendants were accused of stealing over $40 million from a federal program meant to feed children during the pandemic.

Over $250 million in federal funds were taken overall, with only about $50 million recovered so far. T

he bribery attempt has raised major concerns about the integrity of the judicial system and how jury trials are conducted in the area.

Upcoming Area Events

 🗓️ Have an event to add? Send us the details!

Wednesday, July 10th

  • Tracy Area Garden & Quilty Tour, 2:00 - 7:30 PM, Tickets are $20

    • Garden Tours

      • Marianne & Robert Ankrum

      • Sis & Joe Beierman

      • Melissa & Jim Christian

      • Desneige & Jim Gervais

      • Lori & Val Eberspacher

      • Jesse James

      • Kim & Kerry Ruppert / Ruppert Garden Products

    • Featuring Quilts:

      • Lake Sarah Quilters

      • Cindy Bader - Patterns on the Prairie

      • Pam Swanson

      • Becky Peters

      • Lynn Verlinde

      • Karen Johansen

      • Janet Kirchner

      • Lynn Larson - “Help Tuck Them In” Tracy Lions Project Quilts

    • For more information, visit this Facebook group.

Thursday, July 11th

  • Ivanhoe Community Pork Chop Feed Fundraiser, 5:00 - 7:30 PM at Gilson Field in Ivanhoe, MN

Friday, July 12th - Sunday, July 14th - Cottonwood Coming Home Days, Cottonwood, MN:

  • Friday, July 12th

    • Fireworks over the lake at 10:00 PM

  • Saturday, July 13th

    • 5K Walk / Run Fundraiser at Lake Park at 7:30 AM

    • Volleyball Tournament at Lake Park at 9:00 AM

    • Medallion Hunt at 9:00 AM

    • Ambulance Burger Feed at 11:00 AM

    • Splash Dance at 1:00 PM

    • Booster Club Kiddie Pedal Pull at 3:30 PM

    • Parade at 4:00 PM

    • Fireman Pork Feed at 4:30 PM

    • Street Dance at Leroy’s at 8:00 PM

  • Sunday, July 14th

    • Ice Cream Social at Lake Park at 1:00 PM

    • Cow Pie Bingo at Lake Park at 1:00 PM

Thursday, July 18th

  • Shades of the Past Ice Cream Social and Evening Cruise, Dining Room & Front Pergola Areas of Hill Street Place, 6:00 PM

Friday, July 19th

  • 6th Annual SMSU Agronomy Field Day, 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM

Fridays and Saturdays, July 12-13, 19-20, 26-27

  • 47th Annual Wilder Pageant

    • Gates open - 7:00 PM / Gates open - 5:30 PM on July 19 and 20

    • Pageant Singers - 8:00 PM

    • Pageant Performance - 9:00 PM

Friday, July 26th - Sunday, July 28th

  • Aebleskiver Days, Tyler, MN

Saturdays, starting July 6th - October
Every Friday in June and July

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Marshall’s & Southwest MN’s Best Kept Secret:
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