Clay County buildings closed
MOORHEAD – In response to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation and in conjunction with Minnesota Governor Walz’s Executive Order 20-20 asking Minnesotan’s to remain in their homes under the “Stay at Home Order,” the Clay County Board of Commissioners ordered the closure all County buildings March 31st, 2020. Departments will continue to provide service from 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday, remaining open to serve the public through telephone, e-mail, US mail and on-line services. All departments are being staffed, some at minimal levels, and may not have the ability to answer all phone calls immediately based on demand. Messages will be returned in the order which they were received. The Law Enforcement Center lobby will remain open in a limited capacity. These new temporary service modifications will remain in place until further notice.
The Seventh Judicial District Court is operated through the State of Minnesota and continues to be open for matters authorized under the Chief Justice’s Administrative Order. Public access is limited to the parties and their attorneys who shall appear remotely when feasible. If you have any court related questions, please contact Court Administration at 218-299-5065. Court Security Officers will meet citizens at the Courthouse entrance and provide directives.

Safety Reminders – Parks & Playgrounds
MOORHEAD – Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and floodwaters present dangers to adults and children in our parks. Please stay away from the river and off of play equipment.
Floodwaters invaded parks and recreation trails along the river this week. During previous spring floods, kids have been observed playing near the water’s edge and people of all ages have conducted unsafe activities like kayaking in the floodwaters. The Red River has unpredictable currents, unsanitary water, and frigid temperatures at this time of year. Risks include hypothermia and drowning. Keep safely away from the river and remind your children to do the same. Many people are viewing the river from bridge walkways. While this is fine for the downtown bridges, pedestrians should not use the 15 Ave N bridge. The railings have been removed due to flooding. Respect the barricades.
As a precaution against the spread of COVID-19, please keep children off of play equipment. The equipment cannot be sanitized between uses which may mean infection may be spread to others.

31 Foot River Crest anticipated Friday, April 3
Closed now:
3rd St from 2 Ave S to 4 St N.
15 Ave N Bridge connecting to 12 Ave N in Fargo.
Brookdale Rd Underpass under I-94, at the flood walls.
Woodlawn Park Dr from 2 Ave to 5 Ave S.
3 St N, from 4 St N to Center Mall Ave, by the city parking ramp.
Woodlawn and Gooseberry Parks are closed.
Riverfront trails will also be impacted. Please stay safely away from the river’s edge.

It’s time to discharge Sump Pumps outside
MOORHEAD – Residents are reminded it’s time to disconnect sump hoses from the sanitary sewer. Drainage should be directed out to the street, backyard or side yard (please be courteous to your neighbors when choosing where to discharge). Sump pump discharges to the sanitary sewer during this time period creates a risk of overloading the sanitary sewer system and basement back-up for you and your neighbors.
Residents may request a seasonal waiver to allow sump discharge into the sanitary sewer from November 1 – March 31. Because the risk of significant rain events is lower during this time, the sanitary sewer system is capable of handling this extra water. That’s not the case in the spring and summer months.

NDSU Extension to Offer Online Gardening Forums
FARGO – North Dakota State University Extension will be broadcasting the Spring Fever Garden Forum series online, from March 26 to April 16. The forums, held on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., are open to all interested gardeners.
The forum topics will include how to beautify your landscape, grow vegetables in containers, reduce the use of pesticides, grow apples, attract native bees, design companion plantings, enrich your soil, care for lawns and much more.
“This is a great opportunity for gardeners to learn about the latest research from NDSU,” states Tom Kalb, NDSU Extension horticulturist. “They can watch live presentations and ask their questions to the researchers and Extension specialists.”
Kalb continues, “Traditionally, gardeners were encouraged to participate in the Spring Fever Garden Forums at their county NDSU Extension office, but in order to slow the spread of COVID-19, county NDSU Extension offices will not host the first two forums. Instead, gardeners are encouraged to participate at home.”
NDSU Extension is monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and will provide information on training sites for the latter two forums as it becomes available.
For more information and the direct link to the forums, search for NDSU Spring Fever Garden Forums or visit https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/springfever.