News from Traverse County

excerpted from the Wheaton Gazette, May 26, 2009

Officials break ground for Browns Valley Floodway Diversion Project - Saturday, May 26, local and state officials helped break ground for the new floodway diversion on the Little Minnesota River. In 2007, a flood devastated part of Browns Valley. The city and the local watershed district worked with many state and national organizations to develop a flood control plan. Mayor Jeff Backer personally thanked West Central Initiative for providing the funds to organize the recovery effort back in 2007.

Traverse County's jobless rate falls during April - For the first time since last October, the unemployment rate fell, from 9.3 percent in March to 7.5 percent in April. Thirty less people were unemployment in the county. The jobless rate also fell below state and national averages for the first time this year.

Bids accepted for sewer rehabilitation and lift station and force main project - The city of Wheaton accepted bids for two major projects in the city. Officials are hoping construction will start mid-June. The bids came in lower than expected.

Counties received grants for mental health crisis teams

excerpted from Wheaton Gazette, 4-08

Traverse County is part of two successful grant proposals to improve the response to mental health crisis services in west central Minnesota.

Under the plan, five counties will receive a total of $664,000 to set up mobile crisis reponse teams to help adults and children, as well as add prevention and stabilization services. About $114,000 of the funding is for start-up costs, including, hopefully, monies to hire a coordinator to help get the project off the ground.

It is anticipated that 100 call-outs will be for children.

Mental health professionals and practitioners will be recruited from the existing community partners.

The counties are Douglas, Grant, Pope, Stevens and Traverse.