NRHEG Star Eagle

137 Years Serving the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Area
Newspaper of Record for NRHEG School District
Newspaper of Record for Waseca County, MN
PO Box 248 • New Richland, MN 56072

507-463-8112
email: steagle@hickorytech.net
Published every Thursday
Yearly Subscription: Waseca, Steele, and Freeborn counties: $52
Minnesota $57 • Out of state $64

Officials expect northerns to rebound soon

By KATHY PAULSEN

Staff Writer

Residents in the Geneva area had been enjoying some good fishing on Geneva Lake this summer.

The quality of the fish, in particularly northern pike, was amazing both in size and taste. Imagine their concern around the 4th of July to find a very large quantity of beautiful trophy northerns floating belly-up on the surface in the northern area of the lake.

They called the game warden, Tom Hutchins, to let him know about the situation. Authorities are aware of the problem but there is little that can be done about the hot weather, which is causing the fish-kill.

There didn't seem to be many rough or lesser pan fish affected, possibly because they may have gone down into the mud bottom where it was cooler, and survived.


Ellendale City Council

By SCOTT GROTH

Contributing Writer

The Ellendale City Council met Thursday, July 12 with Mayor Engel and all councilmen present. Jim Johnson, representing the Bargen Company; Pete Paulson, Municipal Liquor Store; Roger Swearingen, maintenance; Clerk Steve Louks; and Luke Dobberstien were also in attendance.

The agenda was amended to include discussion about the road in Country View Estates.

Johnson, from the Bargen Company, which specializes in road repairs and maintenance, was first on the agenda. Johnson told the council his company was using a new product for sealing of tar roads. 

His product is a by-product of soybean oil, which is applied topically to blacktop surfaces. Johnson said the product puts a layer of polymer into the blacktop and allows less water to penetrate into the blacktop, which means less pot holes and soft spots. 

Crops looking good at this point

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TASSEL TIME — Local agronomist Mark Bernard has high hopes for the 2012 harvest. (Star Eagle photo by Rachel Rietsema)

By RACHEL RIETSEMA

Staff Writer

Like humans, crops of all kinds need their “beauty sleep.”

And, now that we are in the heart of summer, local agronomist Mark Bernard has chosen to divulge a few of the imperative conditions the local fields need to survive and even thrive.

“When overnight temperatures fail to drop into the 60s and dew points remain high, the plants expend more energy to maintain themselves,” Bernard said. “If it continues to happen for extended periods of time, weeks in a row especially with corn, the yield can be compromised as a result of the energy diverted from grain fill.”

Bernard also says that beastly hot temperatures may also cause weaker, more disease-prone corn stalks.

Schmidt named parade grand marshal

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Gail Schmidt waves to the crowd during the 2012 New Richland Farm and City Days parade Sunday, July 8. Schmidt was selected grand marshal. (Star Eagle photo by Jim Lutgens)


By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

Pastor Charles Espe always does a great job of announcing the grand marshal for the New Richland Farm and City Days parade, so Gail Schmidt was an eager listener at the Fire Hall Saturday morning.

The clues went right over her head.

Even as Jim Kozan played “Six Days on the Road,” Schmidt, with her husband truck driver Joe sitting next to her, looked around the room for truck drivers.

Then, as Espe was reading the nomination letters, Schmidt was thinking, “Wow, those are really nice words to say about someone,” never once thinking he was talking about her.

But he was.

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GRANT RECIPIENTS — Members from various organizations are shown following the announcement of the grant recipients at the Farm and City Days Breakfast. Front from left: Joanne Phillips, Barb Wildgrube, Ellie Schlaak, Elaine Spain, Kathy Flor, Jen Grothem and Tim Siewert. Back: Angie Aaseth, Doug Anderson, Larry Goehring, Jennie Johnson, Cody Dobberstein, Scott Eads, Jeremy Parpart and Pete Grothem. (Star Eagle photo by Jody Wynnemer)

By JODY WYNNEMER

Staff Writer 

Many groups and organizations around New Richland received some very good news on Saturday morning, July 7 at the annual Farm and City Days Pancake Breakfast at the New Richland Fire Hall. The New Richland Area Foundation Fund and the By The Grace of God Fund teamed up to hand out $15,000 in grants.

NRAFF representative Gail Schmidt announced the grant recipients and gave those in attendance a brief history of the foundation fund.

“Last year we handed out $9,000,” said Schmidt. “During this past year, we received a donation of four semi loads of grain which really helped. Also, in January we received the Donald Hamilton bequest in the amount of $320,000 which has enabled us to increase the total funds available.”