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

Thompson keeps NRCC garden looking good 


GROUP EFFORT — Barb Thompson, right, keeps the garden at New Richland Care Center colorful throughout the summer with the help of her sister, Julie Economy, a retired NRHEG school teacher. (Star Eagle photo by Jessica Lutgens)

By JESSICA LUTGENS
Staff Writer

The staff at New Richland Care Center is the main reason it has a reputation as one of the best senior living facilities around.

But there is also a resident doing her part to brighten the place.

Barb Thompson, with the help of others, keeps the garden at the care center healthy and blooming throughout the growing season for residents, visitors and staff to enjoy.

“If it’s a droopy summer, bright zinnias never hurt,” she said, beginning a tour of the garden.

Nestled between two outer walls on the back of the building, a concrete sidewalk leads to an open area with a large picnic shelter in the center. A white fence lines the garden’s perimeter, guarding the various flowers, trees, bushes, herbs, vegetables, and other plants that grow behind it. The sidewalk continues through a small gate in the fence, circling the whole garden, with more plants on each side. Vibrant pink, purple, orange, red, gold, maroon, and green are everywhere you look, creating a beautiful, pleasant environment.

NRHEG School Board

By REED WALLER

Staff Writer

A survey of the MCA test results over the last five years shows that NRHEG still needs to do some work.

At Monday’s regular meeting of the school board, Curriculum and Instruction Director Terry Engel had tables of class scores color coded so board members could compare not only the grades and years, but also the progress of individual classes through the grades.

“Sometimes you get a class with a lot of bright kids,” said Engel, pointing to the diagonal line of  high numbers representing this spring’s seventh-graders. “And sometimes you get a class with a lot of lower-level students.”

A comparison between NRHEG and other districts showed the NRHEG elementary math scores were “far ahead of everyone.”

Nonetheless, bright or not, the charts seemed to show a clear drop in reading, math, and science performance after fourth or fifth grade.

New Richland City Council

By JESSICA LUTGENS

Staff Writer

New Richland is in need of a better system for enforcing city ordinances and following up on properties in violation of city ordinance.

This is the conclusion drawn by the New Richland City Council during its first meeting of the month on Monday, Aug. 8. 

After months of discussion regarding 420 2nd St. SE, a property that has been in violation for years, the council approved citing the owner at the last meeting on July 25. The owner, Jeremy Wilmes, has attended three council meetings, the most recent July 11. Since, there has been no change to the property or response from Wilmes, whose deadline for cleanup of the lot was May 16. 

Broadway Ave. also has had a building in violation for several months, to which no progress has been made.

 

The New Richland High School class of 1956 is having its 60th class reunion Friday, September 16 at The Willows from 12 noon to 4 p.m.

There will be a short program and plenty of time to visit with fellow classmates. Food may be ordered from the menu at your leisure. Please pass the word on to fellow classmates.

Rochester, Minn. — In examining recent water samples from Beaver Lake in Steele County, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) found toxins that indicate harmful algal blooms that can pose health risks to people and animals. The agency advises lakeshore owners and others who recreate in the lake to educate themselves about harmful algal blooms and take precautions.

The MPCA examined water samples as part of a response to a suspected recent severe algal bloom on the 98-acre lake near Ellendale that was first reported as a sewage spill.

The toxin detected in the recent Beaver Lake water samples must be swallowed to be harmful. In extreme cases, dogs and other animals have died after drinking lake water containing these toxins.  If noticing a severe algal bloom in the water or scum on shore, people should avoid contact with the water and prevent their pets from swimming in or drinking the water.