Features (1071)
Veteran's Day program Tuesday at NRHEG High School
Written by Jim LutgensThe annual Veteran's Day program will be held at NRHEG High School on Tuesday, November 11th. The program will start at 9:15 a.m. The speaker this year is Tim Collins, Waseca Co. Deputy Sheriff and United States Army Veteran.
This year the 3rd grade through 5th grade students will be transported over from the Ellendale building to participate and watch the program. The band and high school choir will perform and the elementary choir will also perform. Essay winners for "What Does Veterans Day Mean to Me" will be announced. New Richland and Ellendale American Legion members will be at the program and of course they are the ones being honored.
Schultz, Routh, Maloney, Tollefson elected to school board
Written by Jim LutgensSkroch defeats Swearingen in Ellendale
Elected to the NRHEG School Board Tuesday were Rick Schultz, 1,343 votes; Travis Routh, 1,052; JoAnn (Hagen) Maloney, 935; and Mark Tollefson, 924. The other candidates and their vote totals: Karen Flatness, 899; John Harrington, 755; Rich Mueller, 509.
Jim Lutgens and Amy Ihrke were elected to the New Richland City Council. Lutgens, a first-time candidate, garnered 244 votes while Ihrke, a two-term incumbent, totaled 236. Sarah (Peterson) Sundve received 187 votes. Incumbent Mayor Christine Gislason, running unopposed, was reelected with 346 votes.
NRHEG School Board; Ellendale Council, Mayor
With the upcoming election on Tuesday, November 4, candidates for NRHEG School Board, New Richland City Council, Ellendale City Council and Ellendale Mayor were given questionnaires by the NRHEG Star Eagle. NR City Council candidates were included in the Oct. 16 Star Eagle. School board candidates were in the Oct. 23 Star Eagle, though Karen Flatness’s responses were inadvertently omitted. Following are Flatness’s answers and those running for Ellendale public office:
NRHEG School Board
Name: Karen Flatness
Age: 35
Family: Husband Brandon, children Cale Zander, Nora Tucker and stepson Gage
How long have you lived in the area? All my life
This year, the Waseca Soil & Water Conservation District has three Supervisor positions up for election. SWCD candidates appear on the ballot for the general election which will take place November 4, 2014. Candidates are elected county wide, but must reside in one of the nomination districts up for election. The nominating districts and candidates running for election this year include:
• District 3 - Jessie Shaffer, representing Byron, New Richland and Otisco townships
• District 4 - Scott Hildebrandt, representing St. Mary and Woodville townships
• District 2 - Open, representing Freedom, Vivian and Wilton townships.
Todd Stencel is an approved write in candidate for the District 2 position.
Veteran photos sought
In observance of Veterans Day November 11, the NRHEG Star Eagle will publish a section dedicated to our defenders of freedom. Area veterans or family members are encouraged to bring in photos of veterans in uniform from all branches of service for inclusion and the recognition they so justly deserve. The deadline for photo submission is noon, November 7. For questions or more information, please call the Star Eagle office at (507) 463-8112 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
School board candidate forum October 30
The public is invited to a meet-the-candidate forum on Thursday, Oct. 30 in the NRHEG High School Media Center. Candidates for the NRHEG School Board will be there.
NRHEG High School cheerleaders. Front from left: Corrie Powell, Nicole Wallin. Row two: Anna Bailey, Taytum Ihrke, Maurya Johnson, Jessica Nafe, Brianna Podratz-Waters. Row three: Lizzy Hagen, Mikayla Besser, Grace Olson, Nicole Edon, Abby Christopherson. Back: Bailey Possin, Tali Wayne, Abby Wacholz, Cece Torp, Taylor Tieskotter, Bailey Burg, Torrie Stencel. (Star Eagle photo by Tracie Rosacker)
The NRHEG High School cheer team was named best in the state by WCCO TV last week.
Acccording to the WCCO report:
“The football field at NRHEG High School in New Richland, surrounded by a sea of corn, is home to the best cheer team in Minnesota.
The NRHEG Cheer Team’s 20 members practice up to five days a week, sometimes twice per day.
With the upcoming election on Tuesday, November 4, candidates for NRHEG School Board were given questionnaires by the NRHEG Star Eagle. Seven candidates are running for four open seats. The following are their responses:
Name: Karen Flatness
Age: 35
Family: Husband Brandon, children Cale Zander Nora Tucker and Stepson Gage
How long have you lived in the area? All my life
What is your occupation? Co-Owner of Olson Excavating/Stay at home Mom
Have you help a school board position in the past? Yes, the last 4 years
What do you consider the most important part of this job? To provide the best education for our children, while remaining financially responsible.
With the upcoming election on Tuesday, November 4, candidates for New Richland City Council were given questionnaires by the NRHEG Star Eagle. The following are their responses:
Name: Sarah (Peterson) Sundve
Age: 37
Family: Husband Eric, kids Trai, Diamond, Ulrich, Makenzie, and Macala
How long have you lived in the area? Most of my life
What is your occupation or profession? New Richland One Stop, and New Richland Ambulance
Have you held a City Council position in the past? No
Council opts for cheaper solution on Birch Ave. sewer line
Written by Jim LutgensNew Richland City Council
By JESSICA LUTGENS
Staff Writer
The New Richland City Council held its first meeting of the month on Monday, October 13. Members Sandy Neumann and Amy Ihrke were absent; the agenda and consent agenda items were approved.
Resolution 14-24, urging Waseca County Highway Department obtain approval to reduce speed limit and post no passing zone near St. Olaf Lake, discussed at the last meeting, was approved.
The NR Police Department report was viewed and approved. It stated the NRPD responded to 116 calls for service and had 49 additional contacts in September. Two felonies were reported, related to the same incident resulting in the arrest of an adult male.
Ellendale City Council
By SCOTT GROTH
Contributing Writer
The Ellendale City Council met Thursday October 9 with all members present. Also attending the meeting were Eric Hefner, engineer with Bolten & Menk; Russ Goette, maintenance department; and LeeAnn Hojberg, city clerk.
Mayor Roger Swearingen informed the council that FEMA may be helping the city with the pumps in the main lift station. During the rain event this past June the city pumps were overworked. During the annual inspection of the lift station, the firm doing the inspection informed the city that the main pump needed to be rebuilt. The estimate to rebuild the main pump came in around $7,000. Swearingen gave the information to FEMA and they responded that they will either pay for the rebuild or might spring for a new one. FEMA will also help with the second pump in the lift as soon as the diagnosis is done on the pump.
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Cub Scouts fundraiser set for Saturday
Did we miss you at home? The Cub Scouts will be selling popcorn and taking wreath orders at Wagner Foods on Saturday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to noon.
Peggy Sorenson benefit Saturday
A benefit for Peggy Sorenson is set for Saturday, Oct. 18 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Geneva Comunity Center. Peggy was recently diagnosed with a very rare, aggressive type of breast cancer. She has started chemotherapy and will undergo up to 24 treatments, then surgery and radiation. The benefit will feature silent auction, live auction and bake sale.
NRHEG FFA members harvesting new crop this year
Written by Jim LutgensBy JESSICA NAFE
NRHEG FFA Reporter
There is a new crop in the area this year.
Some members of the NRHEG FFA have been growing pink colored pumpkins this season.
The idea came about from an article in the FFA New Horizons magazine titled “Pumpkins for a Cure.” America’s pumpkin growers created The Pink Pumpkin Patch Foundation in 2012 to be able to award grants to aid breast cancer research. The article was written about a member of the Holcomb, Kansas FFA chapter who set up a plan for groups like FFA and 4-H to obtain seeds and plant the pumpkins. The groups would then sell the pumpkins and donate 50 percent of the proceeds back to the foundation. There are now about 40 states that have FFA and 4-H chapters involved.
By JESSICA LUTGENS
Staff Writer
Phone scams have been around for a long time, and most people these days know that if someone calls offering something that sounds too good to be true, it is. Infamous lines like, “You’ve been specially selected (for this offer),” or offers to lower your debt, mortgage, etc., should be an instant red flag. But with the leaps and bounds technology has taken over the last decade, scammers have gotten more creative, causing more people to fall for these tricks.
One new scam that has affected seniors in our community involves caller ID spoofing technology, which allows scammers to impersonate the phone numbers of local business, neighbors, or even your own phone number.
On September 30, 2014, a criminal complaint was filed in Waseca County District Court charging Bobby Ray Roth Jr., 32, with one count each of 2nd Degree Assault, Terroristic Threats, and two counts of Domestic Assault from an incident alleged to have occurred on the evening of September 28 at an address on N. Broadway Ave.