By Kris Goracke Reporter Paul and Lorie Billehus, lifelong residents of Pope County, were named the 2025 Heritage Days Grand Marshals, recognizing their deep-rooted commitment to the Starbuck community. The couple, married since 1957, has made significant contributions to education and local organizations. Lorie, a former teacher at Starbuck Elementary, later earned a master’s degree in special… Read More
News
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Starbuck Chamber presents awards at annual banquet
News | Published on February 3, 2025 at 12:15pm CST
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Bosek family creates The Pond: a community ice-skating rink
News | Published on February 3, 2025 at 12:12pm CST
By Kris Goracke Reporter “Take what you have and share with others.” This philosophy inspired Cody and Kori Bosek to create an ice-skating rink for their community, known as The Pond. Now in its fourth year, The Pond has become a place where people can unplug and enjoy the outdoors. “We wanted to provide a space where… Read More
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Pope County Engineer accepts award recognizing CSAH 17 project as ‘2024 Project of the Year’ by MCEA
News | Published on February 3, 2025 at 12:11pm CST
• Brian Giese accepted the award on behalf of the county at MCEA’s 79th annual conference Pope County’s recently-completed reconstruction project on County State Aid Road 17 has been awarded 2024 Project of the Year honors by the Minnesota County Engineer’s Association (MCEA). At the 2025 MCEA Annual Conference, Pope County Engineer Brian Giese accepted the award… Read More
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BPA CHAPTER MOVES ON TO STATE
News | Published on February 3, 2025 at 12:10pm CST
All 15 Minnewaska Area BPA Chapter students qualified to compete at the State Leadership Conference in Minneapolis on March 6-8. The wide variety of categories teams/individuals competed in included: Broadcast News Production Team, Computer Network Technology, Extemporaneous Speaking, Graphic Design, Health Insurance and Medical Billing, Health Research Presentation, Podcast Team, Presentation Management Team and Individual,… Read More
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Starbuck City holds special meeting to approve Pay Equity, other issues
News | Published on February 3, 2025 at 12:07pm CST
By Hannah Trainor Reporter The Starbuck City Council held a special meeting on Friday, Jan. 24, to approve the submission of the Pay Equity Report to the State of Minnesota. The Pay Equity Report completed every three years, ensures that all employees—regardless of gender—are paid equitably. “Each job is assigned points by the state matching system. We… Read More
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Polar Plunge is set for this Saturday on Minnewaska
News | Published on February 3, 2025 at 12:07pm CST
Winterama has been canceled for this year, but Waterama will still host the annual Polar Plunge at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 8 on Lake Minnewaska in front of Lakeside Ballroom. The Polar Plunge, which attracts a number of volunteers who jump into Lake Minnewaska, is a significant fundraiser for the community’s summer celebration–Waterama. Those jumping typically… Read More
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Driver escapes as vehicle plunges through ice on Del Clark Lake
News | Published on February 3, 2025 at 12:02pm CST
A driver escaped unharmed before his vehicle broke through the ice on Del Clark Lake near Canby around 8:50 a.m. Sunday, according to a report from the Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office. The driver was able to exit the truck safely and return to his group without suffering any injuries, the Sheriff’s Office stated. The vehicle has… Read More
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Transparency is essential to trust and effective policy making
News | Published on February 3, 2025 at 12:02pm CST
By Tod Bowman Center for Rural Affairs Transparency is essential to effective policy making and is the cornerstone of earning stakeholder trust. When people understand the reasoning behind a policy, they are much more likely to accept the final outcome, even if it does not align with their individual preference. The future of clean energy depends on the… Read More
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Prairie Lakes Audubon Chapter meeting to be held Feb. 11 via Zoom
News | Published on February 3, 2025 at 12:01pm CST
‘Kensington & Alexandria Christmas Bird Count Report’ Prairie Lakes Audubon Chapter’s February meeting will hear the results of the Kensington and Alexandria Christmas Bird Counts at Prairie Lakes Audubon Chapter’s monthly meeting on Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. Ben Eckhoff, compiler of these two events, will share the data that was collected on Dec. 14… Read More
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Learn how to protect your land forever: Attend an information session on conservation easements
News | Published on February 3, 2025 at 12:00pm CST
The Minnesota Land Trust is inviting landowners in the Sauk River Watershed area to learn how they can protect their property for future generations through our conservation easement program. Two upcoming information sessions will provide an opportunity to explore how you can join this important effort while benefiting from available grant funding and professional support. Two… Read More