By Richard Crawford

Carver County Commissioner Tom Workman took matters into his own hands Monday morning in an effort to satisfy lingering questions he has about a septic system on county-owned property in Waconia.

By Unsie Zuege

Although Randy Maluchnik’s official title is Carver County commissioner, he’ll unofficially be Carver County’s ambassador when he visits the county of Ydre in Sweden next week.

Maluchnik plans a five-day stay in Ydre, where Swedish immigrant Andrew Peterson was born and raised before coming to the United States in 1850 and settling in what became Carver County’s Laketown Township.

By Shannon Fiecke

It would likely take at least $5 million for Scott and Carver counties to purchase an abandoned rail line that was last used for shipping sugar and turn it into a regional trail that people could someday use to reach Minneapolis.

Although construction of a trail could be decades away, the counties are trying to reach an agreement with Union Pacific Railroad soon so they can preserve the 6.2-mile corridor, which stretches from the Renaissance Festival in Louisville Township to Chaska near the United Sugars plant.

Carver County Public Health Director Del Hurt retires this month after 15 years in the public health field and 30 years in other healthcare administration positions, according to a Carver County press release.

Hurt was hired as assistant director of Carver County Community Health Services/Public Health on Feb. 28, 2000. He was later named Acting Director and then Division Director in September 2000 until his retirement on June 2, 2009, the release stated.

By Richard Crawford

Carver County union representatives plan to pitch a plan that could include unpaid days off for some employees rather than an administrative recommendation that includes layoffs to address a budget shortfall.

The Carver County Board is expected to take “unprecedented” action on the 2009 budget next Tuesday. Typically, major budget decisions are made later in the year. But a mid-year adjustment is planned to address an expected state funding shortfall and other budget pressures as a result of the slow economy.

By Richard Crawford

Carver County union representatives plan to pitch a plan that could include unpaid days off for some employees rather than an administrative recommendation that includes layoffs to address a budget shortfall.

By Richard Crawford

Carver County officials took a few minor steps on April 28 to address a looming state budget shortfall that could require cutting as much as $2.5 million.

In June, the County Board is planning to trim the 2009 budget to account for an expected drop in state aid. The county is waiting for the 2009 Legislature to determine what the exact shortfall will be.

The emergency preparedness Web site ReadyCarver.org is now interactive. Visitors to the site can click on “Subscribe” and then choose from several options to receive updates about various facets of emergency preparedness and volunteerism.

The site is part of ReadyCarver, an initiative promoted by Carver County Public Health to help raise the awareness and preparation levels of Carver County residents, according to a Public Health press release.