In a unanimous vote — with the exception of one Winona City Council member due to his absence — the Winona City Council voted to call off the proposal to build a police-fire-community-center at the current site of the East Rec Center (ERC), WinonaPost.com reported.

The council voted to essentially take the ERC site off the table in terms of building a police-fire station, while keeping the doors open to build a new community center, the report said.

The city council voted to also look for alternate sites for the project, with Mayor Scott Sherman asking the public to support future proposals.

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen is calling for the Navy to pay for improvements at the fire station on the campus of Naval Support Activity Bethesda, which has fallen into such disrepair that a firefighter was seriously injured when he partially fell through the floor this summer, BethesdaMagazine.com reported.

Van Hollen (D-MD) held a brief press conference outside NSA Bethesda on Monday, the base that houses Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in which he demanded that the Navy set aside funding for improvements to the station, where there have also been reports of mold and rodent infestations, the report said.

Van Hollen was joined by U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Takoma Park, a Democrat whose district represents much of Montgomery County, along with Edward Kelly, the general president of the International Association of Firefighters and Scott Burkhardt, the president of National Capital Professional Federal Firefighters, the report said.

In June, Van Hollen, along with U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and six Democratic members of the House of Representatives from Maryland sent a letter to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and Rear Admiral Nancy Lacore, commandant for Naval District Washington, expressing their concerns about the firehouse. They wrote that for years, the firehouse has been “plagued by mold, asbestos, roof leaks, electrical issues and structural instability.”

Del Toro responded to Van Hollen’s June letter on July 25 by promising a new firehouse that will be more than 16,000 square feet, and will have an estimated cost of $22.5 million. The Navy has completed preliminary planning for the project, and it will go through the planning, programming and budgeting process, Del Toro wrote to Van Hollen in July, the report said.

The new fire station project has not yet been funded, according to the report.

Federated Rural Electric, Jackson (MN), recently presented a donation totaling $7,500 to fire departments in Heron Lake, Jackson, Welcome and Granada, dglobe.com reported.

The Jackson Fire Department will use its $7,500 to go toward a 100-foot aerial ladder fire truck worth $1.3 million, the report said. A major fundraising drive is underway to cover the balance.

The Heron Lake Fire Department received $7,500 that will buy four sets of bunker gear, according to the report.

Federated took advantage of matching funds from two organizations to triple the impact. An official with Federated said Federated donated $2,500, then secured matching funds from CoBank’s Sharing Success Program and Basin Electric Cooperative.

CoBank is one entity that provides Federated long-term financing for line construction projects, while Basin Electric is one of Federated’s wholesale power providers, the report said.

Two other departments in Federated’s service territory received grants, including Welcome and Granada, the report said.

A construction collapse occurred at a new fire station being built in New Albany (IN) on Monday, WDRB.com reported. 

Part of the wall collapsed in an accident, causing damage to the frame of the structure that is being built along Charlestown Road, the report said. 

In a Facebook post, Mayor Jeff Gahan said the damage was minimal.

The Facebook post said: “We are very thankful that no one was injured,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “Overall, the damage is minimal. Once completed, the firehouse is going to be a wonderful addition to fire protection for the neighborhood and the City of New Albany.”

The new station is replacing the Twin Oaks fire station, which has been around since 1964. It is being paid for by American Rescue Plan money, according to the report.