Feature Stories from the Star Eagle pages.
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Snow Week coronation rescheduled
Snow Week at NRHEG will be held Feb. 11-15. Coronation will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 2:35 p.m. in the high school gym. The Snow Court will be introduced, the Snow Queen and Snow King will be crowned and winter sports coaches will speak about the teams. Royalty candidates are, front from left: Hannah Budach, Caitlin Goette, Darian Pearson, Sydney Schlinger, Caty Nelson, and Karenna Strom. Back: Aaron Fleming, Jack Hogstad, Devin Buendorf, Jacob Schuller, and Andre Hill. Missing from photo: Spencer Tufte. Due to school closing on Tuesday, Feb. 12, the Snow Week Coronation program has been rescheduled for 2:25pm on Friday, Feb. 15, in the high school gym. Coronation will immediately follow the talent show, which will run from 1:10 p.m. to approximately 2:20 p.m. (Submitted photo)
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Old ag facility turned into event center
OLD MILL - Joe Hoehn is pictured above. He purchased the old feed mill, repurposed it and renamed it the Mill Event Center. Following his wife's suggestion, Hoehn used the mill as a place for a wedding reception and decided it would be great place for more events. )Star Eagle photo by Melanie Piltingsrud)
By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD
Contributing Writer
When Joe Hoehn bought the old feed mill on SW 2nd Street in Waseca, he planned to lease it to other companies that needed warehouse space. Then one of his nieces had a wedding that changed all that.
The wedding and reception were supposed to take place at the family farm, but when Hoehn’s wife, Deb, saw the warehouse, she thought it would be a great location for the dance and reception. Making use of his talents as a general contractor in construction, Hoehn quickly built a stage and a bar, and his niece’s dance and reception were accordingly held at the old feed mill. “The next week we had four phone calls from different couples that were here,” says Hoehn.
Since then, The Mill Event Center has become a popular wedding venue with couples coming from as far away as La Crosse and Sioux Falls. But The Mill hosts other types of events as well. Johnny Holmes played there on Oct. 26, and there was an estate sale there on Nov. 2 and 3. This weekend, Radioactive will be performing there, and on the night before Thanksgiving, IV Play is scheduled to play. “We can seat up to 670 people in here,” says Hoehn.
That’s an amazing change from the original purpose of the feed mill. “A year and a half ago this place was stacked to the rafters with animal feed,” says Hoehn. The feed company, United Feeds, which is headquartered in Sheridan, Ind., decided to close their northernmost plant in Waseca. and Hoehn negotiated for two months to buy the location. “I did not tell anyone,” says Hoehn. “I didn’t tell my wife even.” Hoehn finally let the secret out when a price was agreed upon.
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NRHEG prom 2018
Cole Thompson and Jazzlyn Johnson prepare for the grand march during NRHEG's 2018 prom Saturday, May 5 in the high school gymnasium in New Richland. As usual, the gym was overflowing with spectators. The theme of this year's prom was "City of Lights." The May 10 edition of the Star Eagle features photos of all 2018 NRHEG prom participants. (Star Eagle photo by Nikki Erickson)
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The two men responsible for installing the recent upgrades to the Ellendale Veterans Memorial are pictured above. From left to right: Jerry Ibberson and Larry Otto. Photo by Kathy Paulsen
By KATHY PAULSEN
Staff wrtier
In 2010 the Ellendale Area American Legion group started a Veterans’ Memorial on the west side of the City Office building. Included in the memorial are three flagpoles and the American flag, the Minnesota state flag, and the POW flag.
Two granite benches are located in this area. A plaque on the building that houses the city offices and Historical Society says: Ellendale Area Veterans Memorial, All gave some—Some gave all. It is dedicated to the memory of all who proudly served and protected our country.
Roger and Caren Swearingen filled the two cement flower urns donated by Carol Anderson when the memorial was created with red and white flowers this year. There is a metal park bench, and 8”x10” bricks have been used to develop the area below the memorial.
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WWII veteran Thompson to take Honor Flight
HE SERVED WITH PRIDE — Mitch Thompson, left, and his brother Mike, right, are very proud of their father Harold (seated), one of only 2,000 Minnesota WWII veterans remaining. This weekend, Harold Thompson will join approximately 170 veterans and their guardian volunteers for Honor Flight Twin Cities. (Star Eagle photo by Melanie Piltingsrud)
By MELANIE PILTINGSRUD
Contributing Writer
New Richland has the distinct honor of having Harold Thompson living in our community. One of only 2,000 Minnesota WWII veterans left, Thompson lied about his age when he was 17, claiming he was a year older, because he wanted to enlist in the army to be with his brothers, who were serving in New Guinea.
Thompson is a native to the area. He grew up in Hartland and went to high school in Freeborn until the school closed, and then graduated from New Richland-Hartland High School in 1943.
Now, back in New Richland, Thompson gets some well-deserved attention for the baseball cap he wears; it’s covered with medals for his service in the army. A purple heart attests to the time he was wounded by a hand grenade. A bronze star is a reminder of the time he risked his life to save another soldier. Many more imitation medals decorate the hat, while the originals are kept in a glass case.