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

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

• 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

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

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

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

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

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

‘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

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