Jim Lutgens
Marvin L. Widlund, 76
Memorial services for Marvin L. Widlund of Geneva, MN, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday, February 17, 2014 at the Bonnerup Funeral Service Chapel in Ellendale, MN. Pastor Richard Spande will officiate. Visitation will be held Sunday evening from 6 until 8 p.m. at the funeral home in Ellendale. Military honors will be accorded by the Ellendale Servicemen.
Marvin died on Wednesday, February 12, 2014 as the result of an automobile accident in Blooming Prairie, MN. He was 76 years of age.
Mary V. Haberman, 101
Mary V. Haberman, age 101, of rural Blooming Prairie, died Feb. 11, 2014 at Prairie Manor in Blooming Prairie. Mass of Christian Burial is set Monday, Feb. 17, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church at Litomysl with Rev. Michael Cronin presiding. Burial will follow at Czech National Cemetery in rural Blooming Prairie. Friends may greet the family on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Brick–Meger Funeral Home (1603 Austin Road, Owatonna) and one hour before the funeral liturgy on Monday. A parish rosary will be recited at 3:45 p.m. at the funeral home on Sunday.
Another week, another win
Reserves help NRHEG girls crush Randolph
By DALE KUGATH
Sportswriter
NEW RICHLAND – New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva girls’ basketball coach John Schultz sent in his reserves to ignite the Panthers against Randolph Friday.
NRHEG romped to an 82-26 victory at New Richland Friday, running its winning streak to 51 straight games over the last two seasons.
“We had a lot of kids contribute the entire way tonight,” said Schultz. “It was great to see the reserves contribute so much.”
Randolph slipped to 4-8 (6th) in the Gopher Conference and 9-11 overall. The Panthers won the first meeting 96-51.
NRHEG, the defending state champ and top-ranked team in Class AA, climbed to 12-0 in the Gopher and 21-0 this season.
NRHEG boys in three-way tie for first
By DALE KUGATH
Sportswriter
RANDOLPH – The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva boys’ basketball team is back in the hunt for a Gopher Conference championship.
Coach Pat Churchill’s Panthers walloped Randolph 71-40 on the road Friday, putting them in a virtual tie for first place.
United South Central actually holds a half-game lead at 9-3, followed by the Panthers and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown at 8-3.
Wrestlers wallop Blossoms, 61-6
Panthers finish second in conference
By DALE KUGATH
Sportswriter
NEW RICHLAND – The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva wrestling team closed its regular season with a dominating performance.
Coach Shawn Larson’s Panthers won 12 of 14 matches in crushing Blooming Prairie 61-6 at New Richland last Thursday.
The Blossoms ended up in the Gopher Conference basement, losing all four conference matches. Blooming Prairie is 1-14 overall.
It’s time already to think summer baseball
Registration forms for summer baseball are in the school office in New Richland and Ellendale. The deadline to register is March 28.
The Quad Cities Baseball Association is looking for individuals willing to serve on the board as secretary or treasurer. If interested, contact James Kelley.
The 2014 South Central Youth Baseball League winter meeting is set for Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Waseca American Legion (700 South State St.) Topics to be discussed are 2014 rule changes, scheduling procedures and conflicts, end-of-the-year tournament, MSF State Tournament, potential East/West divisions for 12U and 13U leagues, and the addition of a few new associations to the SCYB. It is hoped members of the communities interested in joining the SCYB will attend.
Team registration deadline is Monday, April 14.
Straight from the heart
For ‘soul mates’ Ron and Jolee, every day is Valentine’s Day
TWO HEARTS ARE BETTER THAN ONE — Jolee and Ron Johnson hold two pillows autographed by doctors and nurses that Ron received while hospitalized following two heart surgeries. (Star Eagle photo by Kathy Paulsen)
By KATHY PAULSEN
Staff Writer
Sometimes, people are destined or made for each other. They are called soul mates.
Such is true of the romance and marriage of Ron Johnson and Jolee Butler, who met in school. He was a senior and she was a junior. He thought Jolee was cute and frequently asked to borrow her pencil. Eventually he asked her to a movie, but the date she remembers most was Valentine’s Day.
Ron brought her a dozen red roses and took her out to dinner. Jolee had never been given flowers by a boy, and she didn't think to put them in water. Her mother told her when she got home she thought it was rude of Jolee not to take better care of the beautiful gift.
Full-time officer job offered to Gehrke
New Richland City Council
By JESSICA LUTGENS
Contributing Writer
The New Richland City Council held its first meeting of the month on Monday, February 10 at 6:30 p.m. All members were in attendance, save for councilperson Amy Ihrke. The consent agenda items were approved, as well as Resolution 14-04, which accepted a $2,000 donation of cash to the city from the New Richland Firemen’s Relief Association. The resolution was approved.
Scott Eads presented the police report for January, stating the New Richland Police Department responded to 80 calls and 27 other contacts/activities during the month, and no serious or felonious crimes were reported.
A request for the purchase of two new tasers, to replace two broken in December, was then made. It was approved, with the cost not to exceed $2,000.
Agreement signed for sale of FSB
Nancy Skophammer, President of Farmers State Bank of Hartland, recently announced that Minnesota Community Bancshares, Inc. has signed a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Hartland Bancshares, Inc. which owns Farmers State Bank of Hartland. The Minnesota Community Bancshares, Inc. group is led by current Bank officers, Daniel Otten and Mark Heinemann. The acquisition, which requires the approval of banking regulators, is expected to be completed in April of 2014. Official legal notice of this transaction was published on February 3, 2014, in the Albert Lea Tribune.
Farm & City Days under new leadership
Next meeting set for Feb. 19
Farm and City Days will be here soon! The dates are July 11, 12, 13. The steering committee has started working on events for the weekend and your help is needed!
“We want to focus on promoting New Richland’s businesses, churches, city government (city hall, ambulance, fire department, police), school and agriculture,” said steering committee member Larry Goehring.