/usr/web/www.marshallindependent.com/wp-content/themes/coreV2/single.php
×

Local/state briefs

MAFAC’s annual photo competition ‘Weather Eye’

Marshall Area Fine Arts Council has announced the categories for Weather Eye, the 18th annual photography competition and exhibit. The public is invited to submit entries under either “Drama in the Sky” or “Windblown” categories. Registrations and fees are due by 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 23. Photo entries are due by 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2.

The exhibit runs from Aug. 6 through Sept. 13 and is part of the Sounds of Summer celebration. People’s Choice voting will be Aug. 6 through Aug. 14. Cash prizes will be given to Best of Show, First and Second Places in both categories, and People’s Choice. The Awards Presentation is from 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug.15, at the MAFAC Arts Center, 109 N 3rd St., Marshall. Participants and the public are invited.

For rules and entry form, pick up at copy of the brochure at MAFAC. They are also available to download at www.mafac.net. For more information, call 507-532-5463 or email mafac.arts@gmail.com.

This activity is funded in part with a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council made possible by an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the state’s general fund.

Tracy Area Gardens and Quilts Tour is July 10

The Tracy Area Gardens and Quilts Tour is from 2-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 10. Rain date is July 11. The event locations are in the Garvin and Lakes Area south of Highway 14. Garden sites are: Carol and Steve Buyck, Rose and Lynn Goltz lake site, Darcy and Mike Carlson, Penny and Don Peterson, Renee Zachman and Jim Modenhauer, Janna and Marc Milbradt.

Included among the gardens are quilts from Janna Milbradt, Sharon Lenertz, Cynthia Sabinske, and Beth Brewers. The Pieces for Heroes, Quilts of Valor will be on display at Bitton’s Roadhouse. St. Mary’s pie and ice cream will be served at Bitton’s Roadhouse and is included in the $15 tour ticket. Tickets will be on sale at all garden sites and Bitton’s Roadhouse on the day of the tour. A raffle for a 60“-by-70” cuddle throw by Jolynn Johns, a garden wagon package and two St. Mary’s pie certificates will take place. Raffle items will be on display at Bitton’s Roadhouse and are $2. This event is sponsored by St. Mary’s Church CCW of Tracy.

Free classes offered for people new to Medicare

There are important decisions that need to be made when you become eligible for Medicare. Making the wrong decision can lead to not having any or enough health care coverage and financial penalties. The Senior LinkAge Line through the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging is sponsoring two classes for people who will soon be eligible for Medicare. Participants will learn the basics of Medicare and their coverage options in Minnesota during the first class. They will also learn how to research these options using non-biased tools, such as the Medicare website and the Medicare Plan Finder Tool during the second class.

Classes are held in Slayton on the second and third Monday of the month. Call the Senior LinkAge Line at 1-800-333-2433 to register.

The Senior LinkAge Line is a free statewide service of the Minnesota Board on Aging and Area Agencies on Aging. The Senior LinkAge Line is the federally-designated State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for Minnesota and is the place to call for Medicare and health insurance issues. Call 1-800-333-2433 for assistance or go to www.MinnesotaHelp.info to chat live with a Senior LinkAge Line specialist.

11 Minnesota nursing homes in need of greater oversight

ST. PAUL (AP) — Federal officials identified 11 Minnesota nursing homes as being in violation of health and safety regulations, prompting tighter oversight of their practices.

The Minnesota homes are among a list of 400 nursing homes nationwide that the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging determined are in need of closer scrutiny, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.

The federal agency Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services named the facilities, noting patterns of health and safety violations and a need for tighter oversight. Undignified living conditions, holes in walls and a resident found wandering outside confused were the violations federal officials found.

“We believe it is the tip of the iceberg,” Kristine Sundberg, of Elder Voice Family Advocates, said. “Light is being shed on it. Consumers are becoming more aware they don’t have to put up with such subpar care.”

The 11 facilities represent 3% of the state’s 375 nursing homes that serve about 40,000 residents. Nine of the listed facilities have not previously been publicly identified by CMS as having problems that would trigger tighter federal scrutiny.

U.S. Sens. Patrick Toomey and Bob Casey lead the Senate committee. They’ve been critical of federal regulators for not releasing more information about troubled skilled nursing care facilities.

After CMS agreed to provide the broader federal list, they praised the decision but urged the agency to continue to provide information to consumers about facilities that are not meeting the standards.

Monarch Healthcare Management took over operation of one of the named facilities — the Emeralds in St. Paul’s Cathedral Hill neighborhood — after a 2018 inspection found numerous violations, including poor upkeep of the interiors of residents’ rooms, improper labeling and storage of medications and residents who were able to leave the facility unattended.

“We came in there knowing there were a lot of changes that needed to be made,” said Marc Halpert, chief operating officer of Monarch, adding that he’s working to improve several troubled facilities including one in St. Louis Park that is also on the federal list.

Other facilities on the federal list had similar problems, according to recent health inspections. They include violations of residents’ rights to live with dignity and protecting them from abuse.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.38/week.

Subscribe Today