Growing utility scam affecting local residents

March 12, 1964 – Two Glenwood teachers resigned from the faculty for the coming year. They were Betty Coleman, sixth-grade teacher for two years who resigned to go to Duluth, and Diane Wawers, fourth-grade teacher for a year who was leaving to be married. 

Pictured in the Tribune were members of the Glenwood Lakers basketball team, shown picking up their Dist. No. 22 trophy. Those in the photo were Doug MacIver, Bill Malyon, Lyle MacIver, Mike Shea and the rest of the team. The Lakers were on their way to region play at Concordia College in Moorhead to take on the Benson Braves. 

Pope County townships conducted their business in annual elections and meetings across the county. The turnout was light, as usual, though in Lake Johanna Township only six went to the polls. Two townships increased the gopher bounty to 10 cents. 

March 14, 1974 – The Glenwood Hospital district became a reality and the first board of directors were elected. Those serving would be Richard Gandrud, Richard E. Chan, James Howard Williams, Dorothy Myrvold, Catherine Kirckof, Dale Randt, Mrs. Faye Fauskee, Patricia Moen, Marion Faulkner, Hubert Visser, Mrs. Ellert Kittelson, Jake Vanderbeek, Herbert Tweit and Donald Robideaux. 

The Cyrus Panther boys’ basketball team was pictured on the front page of the Tribune, lifting high their championship trophy in District No. 22 play. Dallas Wente, Lonnie Anderson and Ron Hansen were in the front row. The Panthers beat Wheaton in district play for their first-ever district championship. 

Four teachers had resigned from the Glenwood school district for the coming year. Marion Maher and Edna Grove were retiring, Wayne Feller had replaced John Varner for a year, and Janet Bratten had also been on a one-year contract. Tenure was offered to Jan Hubinger, Dick Ofstedal, Mike Louden and Dick Hanson. 

March 15, 1984 – Voters of Pope and Douglas counties approved the construction of a new incinerator by over 70 percent. The facility would burn garbage from both counties. The vote was held as part of township elections in the two counties. 

Pope County taxpayers had received tax statements which were generally up over previous years. County assessor John Verlennich explained that the increases were due less to increased values than to changes mandated by the state legislature.

Basketball fever struck the area as the Glenwood Lakers boys defeated top-seeded Sauk Centre, 54-52, in district play to head into Region 6A. Pelican Rapids stopped the Lakers’ chances at a pilgrimage to the state tourney, however, when they won 56-45.

March 14, 1994 – His teaching philosophy and his 32 years of dedication to teaching earned Ken Holmgren the 1993 Educator of the Year in the Minnewaska Area Schools District. The award included a prize of $100, which he used to help purchase two new microscopes for the school. Holmgren taught fourth grade at E. N. Nordgaard Elementary School. 

The Minnewaska Area High School junior high math team was pictured in the Tribune for placing first in Division II of the 1994 Tri-College Mathematics contest held at North Dakota State University. A total of 36 schools participated in the two divisions. Pictured were Steve Ogdahl, Jason Erno, Amy Iverson, Joe Bentler, Tim Bauer, Sam Jensen, Bridget Hollerman, Jared Zimmerman and coach Dave Baukol.

A new business was to open in Glenwood. One business had closed, two present businesses had new owners, one business had moved and another business was expanding its storage space. Jack and Jill Foods had closed its doors, and the building was to be used as a warehouse for American Business Forms. A new business, Videos on Main, was to open in April and be located where the Outdoors Men Barber Style was located. That business had moved into Joe’s Auto Service building. The Strecker Agency was to remain in its present location in the Olson Arcade. Brothers Richard and Mander Thompson had sold their business, Glenwood Redi-Mix, to Central Allied in Willmar. And, Mike Licari was the new owner of the Lake Ridge Family restaurant. 

March 8, 2004 – “You have a real gem here.” That was Vern Silvernale, the interim administrator and CEO of Glacial Ridge Health System, referring to the Glenwood Medical Center. “This community should be very proud of this facility and its staff,” he said. Silvernale was a couple of weeks into his new job at the hospital. He was hired by the health system board of directors to help run the facility as it searched for a replacement for Doug Reker, who resigned from the position on Jan. 9. 

A five-hour standoff with law enforcement officers the previous week resulted in the arrest of a 53-year-old Starbuck man. It also resulted in the need for police vehicles from Glenwood and Starbuck to go to body shops to have rifle slug and shotgun pellet damage repaired. The incident started when two officers, Scott Mogler from Starbuck and Chris Johnson from Pope County, walked up to the front door of a Starbuck residence to check on the welfare of the homeowner.  

Minnewaska sent five grapplers down to the Class AA state championships, and although none of them came back in first, Nathan Stoen walked away with a second consecutive third-place title. Stoen earned that win with a 6-1 decision in his consolation finals match. The other wrestlers to attend state were Sam Goracke, Trevor Larson, Taylor Jergenson and Jacob Bryce. 

March 10, 2014 – Minnewaska Area Elementary School invited parents and other special adults to school for some quality reading time on Feb. 28 as the school rounded out “I Love to Read” month. Pictured in the Tribune, Lane Curry and his dad, Corey, found a great spot in Lane’s classroom to curl up for some reading time. 

A growing utility scam is affecting utility customers across the country, including Runestone Electric Association members. The scam involves telephone callers claiming to be from a utility company and then employing a variety of techniques to defraud customers. Some threaten customers with disconnecting electric service to their home or business if they don’t make a payment immediately. 

Terrace artist Jeff Thornton had the honor of being selected as one of 28 Minnesota artists invited to display their artwork at the State Capitol. The exhibition, sponsored by MN Creates and the Minnesota State Arts Board, is the first of its kind and aims to bring the work of contemporary Minnesota artists into public view. Thornton had two paintings selected for the show: Foggy Sunrise/Chippewah River and Cedar Dream.