Columbus
Northfield News
Emerging artist creates abstract landscape at Northfield Shares event
When artist and muralist Josh Engen moved back to this hometown last February, he had no idea he’d be asked to be the artist in residence at one of Northfield’s biggest community fundraisers. On Saturday, Sept. 16, Engen found himself facing an empty 30” x 60” canvas inside Rick Estenson’s barn, the site of Northfield Shares an Evening of Entertainment LIVE, a fundraising event that brought together talented local performers, Northfield Shares grant recipients, and engaged community members. ...
Holiday fined $200K for storage tank violations in Northfield, 4 other locations
According to a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) enforcement investigation, Circle K Stores, Inc., of Charlotte, N.C., and Holiday Stationstores LLC of Bloomington, Minnesota, failed to properly test, report, and fix or replace corrosion protection equipment between 2019 and 2022 at five Minnesota gas station convenience stores owned by the companies. The stores are located in Northfield, Owatonna, Pine City, Rochester, and Walker. The equipment, known as cathodic protection, is designed to protect older underground tank systems from corrosion that can increase the chance of...
Healthy Nautical Bowls eatery sails onto Division Street
Nautical Bowls, Northfield’s first gluten free, dairy free, plant-based and soy free eatery, has docked on Division Street. The franchise, the brainchild of Minnetonka couple Rachel and Bryant Amundson who started it in 2018, now has 170-plus locations across the country. Nelson said he and his co-owners, Jami Lorenson, Richie Berger, and Jeri Spilde, “hopped on board this growing franchise concept” with the goal of bringing these one-of-a-kind bowls to...
Northfield girls hockey topples top team, dominates another
In an early season non-conference showcase featuring two of the state’s premier girls hockey teams, the Northfield Raiders earned a 3-2 victory on the road at Orono on Tuesday, Dec. 5. Orono finished the 2022-23 season as the MSHSL Class A runner-up, while Northfield continues to impress this winter with a perfect 9-0, 4-0 Big 9. The Raiders finished their week on Thursday, Dec. 7 with a 21-0 win over Austin at the Northfield Ice Arena. ...
Northfielders tour $126 million Owatonna High School
When the original Owatonna High School opened in 1921, there were approximately 210 students in the building that sat on a cramped 19 acres with little parking. Today, 102 years later, a brand new three-story high school perched on Highway 14 at the city’s southern edge has 1,600 students atop a state-of-the-art 88-acre campus. Last Saturday afternoon, a group of about 20 Northfielders traveled south to spend nearly two hours touring the impressive $126 million high school that opened in September. A school bus chartered...
Northfield council signs off on final tax levy at 9% increase
At its final regularly scheduled meeting of the year, the Northfield City Council approved a final budget and tax levy and signed off on an ambitious capital improvement plan and capital equipment plan after hearing a detailed presentation from City Administrator Ben Martig. After expressing concern with proposed double digit budget and levy increases, the council approved a preliminary increase of 11.5% while continuing to push city staff to make further reductions so as to push the increase into single digit territory. ...
Northfield boys hockey remains undefeated in Big 9
The No. 6 ranked Northfield High School boys hockey team gained a pair of Big 9 Conference victories over the past week, which moved the Raiders’ record this season to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in league play. The wins included an 11-1 decision at Austin on Thursday, Dec. 7, and a 7-3 win at home against Albert Lea on Saturday, Dec. 9. Northfield played a non-conference match against Monticello at...
Northfield wrestling gets season started with win
To open its 2023-24 Big 9 Conference season, the Northfield High School wrestling team jumped into the thick of things with a home dual match against Rochester Mayo, which gained a No. 8 ranking in the Class AAA preseason rankings and advanced to the 2023 MSHSL state team tournament as last year’s section champs. Northfield, which received votes in the Class AAA preseason poll, made a quick statement for this season as it gained a 26-24 victory at home over Mayo on Friday, Dec. 8. ...
Northfield boys swim and dive swims past John Marshall in opener
The Northfield High School Gator/Raiders boys swim and dive team got its 2023-24 season off to a strong start on Thursday, Dec. 7 with an 89-71 victory over Big 9 rival Rochester John Marshall at the Northfield Middle School Aquatic Center. Northfield won all 12 events at the varsity level to secure the victory and it also won 10 events at the junior varsity level to gain a 118-13 victory. ...
HealthFinders celebrates expanded mental health, recovery services
At an open house celebrating HealthFinders Collaborative’s broadening mental health services, Rice County Behavioral Health Supervisor Dante Hummel-Langerfeld recalled volunteering in a church basement. A few nights a week, she provided chemical health assessments at the free clinic that is now HealthFinders. “Never could I ever have imagined that that would blossom into what this is today,” Hummel-Langerfeld said Thursday evening. The nonprofit community health center serving Rice and Steele...
Rice County Sheriff’s deputy honored for freeway fire rescue
A Rice County Sheriff’s deputy who pulled a truck driver stuck out of a burning semi seconds before an explosion engulfed it on flames has received two of Minnesota law enforcement’s highest honors. Deputy Nate Hanson was named the 2023 Minnesota Deputy Sheriff of the Year by the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association on Sunday. He’s also set to receive a Minnesota State Patrol Commendation Award. The Deputy Sheriff of the Year...
St. Olaf student recognized as Future Nobel Laureate
Identify a problem in the world and how to solve it in 500 words. That was the assignment posed from the Future Nobel Laureates Scholarship program that prompted St. Olaf College junior Tchofor Dick Nchang to craft an essay about gene editing and curative therapies. Nchang sent his essay to the Nobel Institution authorities in Stockholm in mid-May. On July 11 at 12:01 p.m. — he remembers the date and...
County Truth in Taxation hearing sees high participation, frustration
Taxes go up. Wages do not. So argued one of the dozens of concerned citizens at Rice County’s Truth in Taxation hearing Thursday evening. County staff listened to the grievances of those in attendance, expressed disapproval of the state’s tax and funding structures and attempted to maintain order for around two hours Thursday at the Rice County Government Services Building. The hearing comes after commissioners set a preliminary maximum levy...
Winter Walk ornament found; clues explained
Jack Koehn found the 2023 Winter Walk Ornament Hunt bells on the north side of Riverside Lions park among a pile of rocks. He searched with his family members Josh, Kristina, Jack, Tommy, and Clara Koehn. The family, newly returned to Kristina's hometown, enjoyed the hunt, spurred on their eldest son. "Our family of five had a blast searching for the clue together this week," said Josh. "Kristina grew up...
Northfield Winter Walk Ornament Hunt: Clue No. 4
The Northfield Winter Walk Ornament Hunt is back. The Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce is offering the winner a purse of $1,000 in Chamber bucks, thanks to some generous sponsors. Clues will be posted at northfieldnews.com and elsewhere daily at 8 a.m., starting Dec. 4. Follow the clues revealed each day through Tuesday and Wednesday, culminating in the final clue on Thursday. This year's ornament is in the form of bells. ...
Northfield wrestling led by senior, 5 captains
With just one senior listed on its 2023-24 roster, the Northfield High School wrestling team may not look like an experienced squad, but looks can be deceiving, as the Raiders will return a strong line up of tested veterans this winter for coach Geoff Staab. “We didn’t lose much from last year,” Staab said. “We had a very young team last year with a sophomore and younger dominated team. This year we only have one senior, but we have a lot of really good returning...
Northfield Winter Walk Ornament Hunt: Clue No. 3
The Northfield Winter Walk Ornament Hunt is back. The Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce is offering the winner a purse of $1,000 in Chamber bucks, thanks to some generous sponsors. Clues will be posted at northfieldnews.com and elsewhere daily at 8 a.m., starting Dec. 4. Follow the clues revealed each day through Tuesday and Wednesday, culminating in the final clue on Thursday. This year's ornament is in the form of bells. ...
Downtown bakery preserved and updated by history-loving owners
Many old time Northfielders can’t remember when the smell of freshly baked donuts wasn’t wafting out of a locally owned bakery on Division Street. Now, thanks to the efforts of a couple guided by a passion for preserving architecture and history, Robin’s Egg Bakery has opened downtown in the former spot occupied by the beloved Quality Bakery and Coffee Shop. Devin Johnson and Erin O'Donnell have put their treasure, time...
New adult strings ensemble to perform during Winter Walk
After three rehearsals, a new adult strings group appropriately called “Strings, Bows and Contentment” will perform its first public concert during Thursday’s Winter Walk. The 15-member group composed of violins, cellos, violas, bass and a piano, is led by Laura Geissler, a Suzuki violin teacher. Members range in age from 22 to 82 and range in skill from beginner to intermediate players, who perhaps used to play with a school orchestra “back in the day.” ...
Northfield News
2K+
Posts
989K+
Views
Northfield News has been serving Rice County, MN since 1876 and publishes Wednesdays and online at www.NorthfieldNews.com
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.