<lass="MsoNormal">Bomb found on Middle School property
A small, homemade pipe bomb was set off outside the Northfield Middle School on Monday night. The bomb was placed on a window frame near a door on the west side of the school and was detonated around 8 p.m. While it the door received some minor damage, the bomb failed to either break the window or breach the door. No one was injured in the explosion.
Northfield Police Chief Mark Taylor said the bomb was made of 1-inch diameter copper piping and between 6 and 12 inches long. A dark-colored pickup truck was seen leaving the scene after the explosion. There was a swimming event going on at the middle school at the time of the explosion.
Searches conducted Monday night and Tuesday morning revealed no other explosives in or around the building. A police officer was stationed at the school all day Tuesday to provide extra security.
Police Chief Taylor advised the community to notify the police immediately if anything suspicious is seen near Northfield schools. He also said that the incident is being taken very seriously by the Northfield police and that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been informed of the incident.
In a letter to the parents of the middle school students, Principal Jeff Pesta stated, “An investigation was conducted, evidence was collected and the perimeter of the building was thoroughly checked. The search did not uncover any other suspicious items.”
School was in session as usual on Tuesday morning, “Local law enforcement officials and school district administration collaborated Tuesday morning and determined that the building was safe to occupy. The decision was made to follow the regular schedule for Tuesday’s classes,” Pesta’s letter stated.
Enrollment to remain steady
Far less dramatic news about the Northfield school district was also announced this week. School enrollment is expected to remain steady for the next five years, district leaders announced. There is expected to be a slight decline of about 3.5% in enrollment by the 2014-15 school year, due to the poor housing market.
Between the late 1990s and 2006, the district saw steady rise in enrollment. Enrollment figures are important because they are used to calculate the amount of financial aid that each district receives from the state. In Minnesota, aid is determined by the age of students: a district receives more aid for older students than for younger ones.
The Trail of Two Cities
Work will begin this summer on a regional trail between Northfield and Dundas. The trail will be three miles long, stretching from the pedestrian bridge west of Highway 3 to the pedestrian bridge between Memorial Mill and Mill Park in Dundas. In addition, the trail will connect to the 26-mile Mill Towns State Trail
Northfield has been awarded $150,000 to build the trail, receiving money from the state Trail Legacy grant as well as a $100,000 Rotary pledge.
The city had hoped to receive $500,000, with which they could have paved the trail. Yet community members and hikers alike are still excited by the prospect. There is also still the possibility of a $600,000 bonding request from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that would allow for the purchasing of eight miles of land between Faribault and Dundas. This would allow these two cities to be linked by trail as well.