1. The Highway 29 overpass project entered its final stages in October and was completed and open for traffic by November of 2022. Although the actual construction took two construction seasons, local and state officials spent more than a decade planning and working toward a viable project that would add safety measures by eliminating the Canadian Pacific Railway crossing on Highway 29, as well as the intersection of Highway 55.  “It’s been a long time coming and we really look forward to getting this project completed,” said MnDOT District 4 Engineer Shiloh Wahl, who emceed a ceremony in October at the Pope County Highway Department before the ribbon cutting on the overpass.  Wahl said he first became aware of the project years ago when he was approached by Pope County Commissioner Gordy Wagner about the train delays on Highway 29 and the impact that had on safety and the overall health of the community. Rep. Paul Anderson and Sen. Torrey Westrom were credited for securing that funding at the state level by getting about $10 million for the project included in a bonding bill.  
  2. Ice yacht racers from all over the world trickled into Starbuck from Nov. 29-Dec.4 to take part in the DN North American Western Challenge. Racers from as far away as Sweden, Germany, Denmark and Poland flew in at the drop of a hat to get a piece of Lake Minnewaska’s “Hollywood Ice.” “Lake Minnewaska’s ice was exceptional, and it just doesn’t get any better than what we had. There was plenty of it, no real hazards or cracks, it was hard and smooth. The way the people of Starbuck and Glenwood welcomed us was well worth the trip alone,” said Deb Whitehorse, Secretary/Treasurer of the International Detroit News Ice Yacht Racing Association (IDNIYRA) .
  3. Glenwood City Commissioners formally introduced two new ordinances in October that would allow ATVs and golf carts to be operated on city streets and finalized the ordinances in December.  The annual fee for golf carts and Class 1 ATVs to be permitted on city streets was set at $45.  The annual fee for Class 2 ATVS, UTVS (side-by-side vehicles) was set for $65 per year.  The ordinances defined the vehicle and the fees were determined on that definition.  ATVs and golf carts are not limited to daytime hours if the vehicles are equipped with front, back and signal lights for operation after sunset, it was decided.
  4. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) in January awarded a $4,248,796 Border-to-Border Broadband Grant to Hanson Communications, the parent company of Starbuck Telephone, for completion of high-speed Broadband internet availability to the remaining unserved and underserved areas of Pope County.   Starbuck Telephone, supported in its application by Pope County through investment of the County’s general and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, will soon be able to bring high-speed fiber-to-the-home service to areas of the county that to date have lacked adequate internet options.
  5. The National Weather service confirmed that it was an EF-2 tornado that ripped through Forada and Maple Lake area on Memorial Day, causing extensive damage to homes and trees in and near the town of about 170 residents located on the east side of Maple Lake about 10 miles north of Glenwood.