Mankato's director of public safety has denied a blasting permit for a quarry run by Jordan Sands, a longtime local quarry operator, after two incidents this year left neighbors shaken and some property damaged.
The blasts at the Jefferson Quarry in April and again in August shook homes and frightened local residents, and the second incident sent a barrage of rocks into the Germania Park neighborhood.
The blasts are at the center of a criminal investigation by the Blue Earth County Attorney's Office. Jordan Sands CEO Scott Sustacek said Friday that the company has been cooperating with city officials while evaluating its options for the quarry.
Director of Public Safety Todd Miller said that the company would appeal his decision but must go before the City Council to do so.
Matt McKinney
Ely
Outdoorsman wins canoe division of half-marathon
A 30-year-old Ely man claimed first place in the new portaging division of the Ely half-marathon last weekend.
Daniel Drehmel, an expedition instructor at Voyageur Outward Bound School in Ely, carried a solo canoe for 13.1 miles, crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 21 minutes.
It wasn't his first time running with a canoe. Drehmel and girlfriend Abby Dare alternated carrying a canoe for the full marathon last year to raise awareness for Save the Boundary Waters.
Drehmel said that, although he had sore shoulders, he thinks more people should participate in the new division. "It wasn't that bad. … People don't think that it's something that's possible," he said. "But as we like to say at Outward Bound … there's more in you than you know."
