Bar closing time Bars in Stearns County now have the option to stay open until 2 a.m. The Stearns County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to allow bar establishments to stay open one hour later, which is now permissible under state law. Any bar wishing to change its closing time to 2 a.m. must apply to do so. There is a state fee with that application process. At the direction of the board, the County Auditor’s office is looking into whether to charge a county fee; a recommendation will go back to the board. The local fee will cover the county’s administrative costs associated with the application – the cost for the attorney and sheriff’s department to review the application and for the auditor’s office to process it. Originally, the board had considered changing the ordinance to 1 a.m. closing time, but some cities within Stearns County were already at 2 a.m. One bar owner in Eden Lake Township expressed concerns because bars in neighboring cities were allowed to stay open later. After voting to allow bars to close at 2 a.m., the board also approved the application from Kozzie’s Lakeside Club in Eden Lake Township to stay open until 2 a.m. Closing time will remain at 1 a.m. on Sunday nights. Homeland Security grant A federal Homeland Security grant will allow Stearns County to purchase new equipment and provide training to first responders. The county received over $88,000. Of that, $42,000 will be used to purchase 14 heavy extrication air bag lifting devices for Stearns County Fire and Rescue Departments. These devices can be used on a daily basis for farm, vehicle or structural rescues if someone becomes trapped, for auto extrication, or even for sealing hazardous materials leaks. Another $30,000 of the grant will be used to purchase a command vehicle for the St. Cloud Fire Department, $1,450 for the purchase of a portable ID badging system to be used at disaster scenes, and $15,000 to conduct disaster exercises throughout Stearns County. The first of these mock disaster drills will take place at St. Cloud State University, Monday, Aug. 18. Lake Wobegon Trail Another $10,000 has been donated to the paving of the Lake Wobegon Trail from Albany to Holdingford. Ernie Schmit, mayor of Holdingford, presented a check to the Stearns County Board of Commissioners on behalf of the city. The Holdingford Snow Flyers snowmobile club raised the funds and donated them to the city.
