Cougar spotted near Forada

Feb. 21, 1963 – Glenwood wrestling team took their sixth consecutive district title in competition with nine other schools. The Lakers piled up 11 points and seven individual championships to nose out second-place Alexandria. The seven individual winners were Luverne Rende, Ron Olbecksn, Nelson Chatfield, Fred Store, Ralph Femrite, Dennis Sager and Curt Peterson.

The Rev. James L. Kragness resigned from his position as assistant pastor at Glenwood Lutheran Church to accept a call to a two-point parish at Dovray. He had arrived at Glenwood Church in June 1961.

The first officers of the Glenwood Retirement Home Auxiliary were pictured in the Tribune. They included Mrs. Ralph Baalson, Mrs. Charles Hauge, Mrs. Peter Troen and Mrs. Leslie Johnson.

Feb. 22, 1973 – Between 50 and 60 county farmers were applying daily for disaster funds available through the Farmers Home Administration. 

The father-son team of Ole and Roger Tollefson, of Blue Mounds Township, was again named the top dairy producer in the county. This was the seventh time in eight years that the pair had carried off the top award of the Dairy Herd Improvement Association.

The Tribune featured a story on the Herter’s clay pigeon plant on Hwy. No. 55. Among those who worked at the plant and were pictured with the story were Snuffy Johnson, Lyle Swisher, Tom Warfield, Herb Marquart and Bob Holtberg.

The Lowry Shipping Association was to hold its annual meeting. Among those helping to plan for the event were Edward M. Chan, Richard E. Chan, Ralph Stivland, the Lundblad brothers, John Shermak and Gary Dynda. 

Feb. 24, 1983 – The annual Starbuck/Glenwood -Lowry basketball game filled the gym at Central High School. Though both teams had compiled good season records, Starbuck prevailed 62-44.

The District No. 612 school board pondered the future uses of the Lowry school building. The structure would be through being used as a school building in the spring at the end of the  school year. Board members met with Lowry city officials to consider what might be done with the building. 

Lucille Selnes was honored by the Glenwood Jaycees as the Outstanding Senior Citizen of the Year. Selnes was head cook at the senior nutrition center. She was a Senior Citizens member and belonged to the Sons of Norway. 

Vern Cowley resigned as superintendent of the Villard school. Marty Avelsgaard would take his place July 1.

Lynn Thomsen, Naomi Holmgren and Chuck Bullock took the top awards in a Crazy Day dress contest sponsored by the Glenwood merchants.

Feb. 22, 1993 – The latest craze was country line dancing, which was offered through the Minnewaska Area Community Education Program. For the previous five Sunday nights, 43 adults had grapevined, sashayed, slapped their cafeteria floor at E. N. Nordgaard Elementary school to the top country tunes.

Detention for Minnewaska Area High School students would be from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays the joint powers board, which operated the school, decided the previous week. School Principal John Hornung, had originally proposed Saturday school for four hours Saturday morning as an alternative detention, but came up with the Tuesday-Thursday recommendation after discussing the subject with the student council. 

Todd Carls was installed as the new postmaster at the Villard Post Office. He replaced Gordy Jacobson who retired in October. 

Minnewaska Area High School was to have a new sign, probably sometime later that spring or early summer. The board opted for a backlit aluminum sign which would have colors matching the school. It would stand up from the ground, with the top being 19 feet off the ground. The sign was to cost the school system $7,773 plus another $3,100 for enclosing the base with a specially designed aluminum.

Feb. 24, 2003 – Minnewaska Area Schools board of education members spent four more hours trying to find a clear sense of direction for budget cuts for the coming year at their regular February meeting. 

But a Clear Consensus proved elusive as board members heard proposals from Kid First and questions from others about the impacts of cuts. 

The board must cut about $1.2 million from its budget for the school year, which begins July 1, because of lower income due to declining enrollment and the probability of no major, among other things. 

Feb. 25, 2013 – Based on a recommendation by interim Pope County Assessor Farley Grunig, county commissioners set the starting public auction price of three derelict downtown Glenwood buildings at $1 each. 

However, that bargain price tag comes with strings attached; the buyer will have to remove the building, dispose of  the debris and level the lots. 

Earlier this month, a group of coyote hunters with dogs came across a cougar in a tree located in a remote area about five miles east and a little north of Forada. One of the hunters snapped a picture of the big cat on his smartphone, and the hunters left the area and the cougar undisturbed.