Tracy Hodel

The St. Cloud Public Services Department is mourning the loss of longtime Public Works Operations Manager Tom Zabinski. He passed away recently after a courageous battle with cancer.

The city of St. Cloud have been monitoring respiratory illnesses in the community through wastewater for the past few years. St. Cloud Public Services Director Tracy Hodel joined me on WJON. She says they are seeing 4 times the amount of influenza A this winter as opposed to the winter of 2023-2024.

The University Bridge railing project continues in St. Cloud. St. Cloud Public Services Director Tracy Hodel joined me on WJON to address projects in the works and what's to come. Hodel says the installation of the bridge railings on the south side is happening this week.

The Veterans Bridge railings have been completed after a bit of a delay. That according to St. Cloud Public Services Director Tracy Hodel. She says the completion of the railings on Veterans Bridge were delayed by a couple of months because the work took longer than expected due to the epoxy coating and refurbishing.

The city of St. Cloud has just started some construction on the installation of larger water transmission mains coming into and out of the Calvary Hill Booster Station, along with increasing the size of the pumps that assist with getting water into the second pressure zone located on the southwest side of St. Cloud where water demand continues to increase significantly.

The University Drive South project is nearing completion according to St. Cloud Public Services Director Tracy Hodel. She joined me on WJON for an update on road and water related projects in the city. Hodel says by end of this week University Drive will be fully open from 9th Ave S to Roosevelt Road with pavement markings to be completed today.

COVID cases are on the rise in the St. Cloud area. St. Cloud Public Services Director Tracy Hodel says they are seeing a spike in cases starting in early July but the uptick in cases have since plateaued.

The University Bridge crossing the Mississippi in St. Cloud was expected to reopen at the end of July but due to some unexpected challenges on the east side reconstruct it likely will not.

The east side of St. Cloud has been the center of this summer's road construction projects. St. Cloud Public Services Director Tracy Hodel joined me on WJON for an update on the progress of these projects and more.

The lack of snow and rain this winter has put Central Minnesota in an unusual situation in March. St. Cloud Public Services Director Tracy Hodel joined me on WJON. She explains typically March-May is when they see the highest flow/production from the Mississippi River but right now they are at 20% below average for this time of year.