Steele County Times

The Blooming Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce elected new officers at its annual meeting Wednesday, Nov. 14 at The Pizza Cellar. Current president Greg Johnson is flanked by new president Dan Peach and vice president Miranda Camry.

Mike and Sandy Jones are BP Citizens of the Year

If you missed the annual meeting of the Blooming Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Nov. 14, you missed out on some news. Thirty chamber members attended the meeting. NEWS FLASH #1: Mike and Sandy Jones have been selected as Citizens of the Year for 2018. NEWS FLASH #2: New officers...

Blooming Prairie’s Tim Wolf watches as the Awesome Blossoms’ season come to end at U.S. Bank on Saturday.

Blossoms’ dream season ends in semifinal loss

MINNEAPOLIS, Mn. — The Blooming Prairie had its chances to make statement early in the game, but couldn’t find the end zone after recovering two turnovers deep inside of Bird Island-Olivia- Lake Lillian District territory. The missed opportunities signaled the start of what would be a frustrating...

Holiday helpers from the ALC in Owatonna assisted in the preparation and setup of the many trees, which will then be decorated for the 28th Annual Festival of Trees fundraiser to be held Friday, Nov. 16.

Helping hands

Student leaders from the Alternative Learning Center in Owatonna have been helping to setup the trees and fluff their foliage in preparation for the Festival of Trees for over a decade. It’s something Laurie Running, executive director of Advocates for Developmental Disabilities, describes as “...

On stage for the Wizard of Oz production at Blooming Prairie High School last week were: Oz: Jacob McHenry, Payton Simon, Charlie Heimerman, Ian Wayne, Reese Millam, Halle Strunk, Riauna Bishop.

Wizard of Oz is a real crowd pleaser for all ages

Any successful theatrical production begins with an energetic and enthusiastic cast. The latest offering of “The Wizard of Oz” on the BPHS stage fills that category with entertainment and talent galore. It helps when the cast is eager and easy to work with, and by all accounts, this group of...

Burton Iversen points to his name on the Blooming Prairie Veterans Memorial wall of veterans. Iversen was one of the first to visit the Memorial last week.

Blooming Prairie loves its veterans

Blooming Prairie truly loves its veterans, and even its neighbors who may be veterans. More than 300 persons attended a special flag raising ceremony on Veterans Day, Sunday, Nov. 11 and stayed for lunch at the Blooming Prairie Servicemen's Club. Harlan Buck, of Hayfield, raised the American flag...

More pieces of the Blooming Prairie Veterans Memorial were put together last week as the project became a reality. More pieces were expected to arrive this week and a public walk-through of the memorial is planned from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day. Shown from left are: Marilyn Meshke, Doug Miner and Tom Peterson of the BP Veterans Memorial Committee and John Heerema, designer.

The Eagle has landed

It has taken over four years to put the Blooming Prairie Veterans Memorial puzzle pieces together. A very recognizable piece, a bald eagle, landed at the memorial site last week. "The Eagle Has landed," proclaimed an observer to the installation of the bald eagle, mimicking First Man on the Moon...

Merle McNutt and his wife LaNelle were married in 1942 when Merle was serving in the U.S. Navy. They were married in Chicago.

Vets Day extra special for vet turning 100

Peering over the tops of his glasses, Merle McNutt reacts humorously when asked what it will mean to him to turn 100 years old on Wednesday, Nov. 14. "I'm still alive," he laughs as he sits at a dining room table in the Heather Haus dining room in Blooming Prairie, sipping his morning coffee. Not...

Jason Williamson presented the Class 5A, Section 1 trophy to Husky fans as teammates carry the standout back onto the field Friday.

Steele champs abound

It has likely never happened before, but something extraordinary and explosive took place in Steele County this past week. All four Steele County high schools will be represented in the MSHSL state tournament this week after the Medford volleyball team and Blooming Prairie, Owatonna and New...

BREAKING NEWS: Thiele to remain Steele County Sheriff

Veteran Sheriff Lon Thiele will remain Steele County’s top cop. Thiele captured 53 percent of the vote (8,329 votes) compared to 46 percent for his competitor, veteran deputy Darrin Helget (7,259 votes). Thiele has been the sheriff since 2011.

BREAKING NEWS: Veteran mayor ousted from office in Blooming Prairie

Blooming Prairie will have a new mayor next year after incumbent Mayor H. Peterson was upset by Curtis Esplan in Tuesday’s election. Esplan received 469 votes or 54 percent of the vote while Peterson received 397 votes or 45 percent.