Friends,
I want to wish each and every one of you a happy and safe Fourth of July.
Safety should be of paramount importance this holiday weekend. The Fourth is one of the deadliest holidays on Minnesota roads, and alcohol is a factor in more than half of traffic deaths during the holiday period.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is encouraging drivers to make wise choices. Over the past 10 years, 59 deaths were reported in the past 10 years over the Fourth of July holiday, 34 of them related to alcohol.
Since 2004, the Independence Day holiday also has seen 4,585 crashes, 200 serious injuries and 5,324 DWI citations, according to the DPS’s Office of Traffic Safety (DPS/OTS).
The DPS offers tips to prevent drunk driving:
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Plan for a sober ride – designate a sober driver, use a cab/public transportation or stay at the location of the celebration.
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Offer to be a designated driver or be available to pick up a loved one anytime, anywhere.
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Buckle up – the best defense against a drunk driver.
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Report drunk driving – call 911 when witnessing impaired driving behavior. Be prepared to provide location, license plate number and observed dangerous behavior.
For more information about risks that drinking and driving may pose this holiday week, go to https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ooc/news-releases/Pages/Fourth-of-July-One-of-Deadliest-Holidays-on-Minnesota-Roads.aspx.
We should also take a moment this weekend to think about our friends and neighbors whose holiday was ruined by some bad news this week.
Approximately 300 workers at Dakota Premium Foods’ production facility in South St. Paul learned on Tuesday that they’re out of work. Dakota Premium Foods cited an extremely short cattle supply as its reasoning for ceasing production at the South St. Paul facility. Dakota Premium Foods is unsure how long the plant will remain closed and is exploring options – including renovations to improve productivity and profitability.
I promise you that I will be working closely with company officials and local leaders to find solutions for those workers impacted by this closure.
And for those workers in this situation, more helpful information can be found on the Department of Employment and Economic Development website, here.
Have a great, safe holiday,
Dan