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Northfield boys basketball powers past Chaska
The Northfield High School boys basketball team (2-2, 1-1 Big 9) opened its 2022-23 home schedule on Tuesday, Dec. 20 with a high-powered 95-81 non-conference victory over visiting Chaska High School. The Raiders poured in nine three-point field goals in the first half to gain a commanding 53-39 lead at the break. Northfield got off to its quick start with an impressive open by sophomore guard Isaiah Mahal, who posted four treys and 22 points in the first half. ...
County parks may get upgrades
The Rice County Parks Department is looking at how they’ll accommodate the public’s increased desire to connect with nature. Accessible trails, better bathrooms, way-finding signage and other new amenities are among the plans for upgrades to the county’s parks, according to a report presented during a workshop meeting last month by landscape architect Gabrielle Grinde of HGKi, a consultant for Rice County Parks and Recreation. The Board of Commissioners formally adopted the plan last week. ...
Queen of Norway helps St. Olaf open new vault for historic collections, resources
When Queen Sonja of Norway visited St. Olaf College in October, she made a stop at the Rolvaag Memorial Library. One of her majesty’s official duties of the day, besides greeting students and faculty, was to cut the ribbon on the new Special Collections vault. In 2019, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded St. Olaf College a $300,000 grant to support the construction of a new library vault to preserve the college’s special collections and archives. More than 1 million documents, photographic...
Mental illness, substance abuse are top concerns in Rice County
1 in 5 Rice County residents are depressed, according to Rice County Public Health. That’s more than double the national average of 8%. This statistic, among several others, was presented to the Rice County Board of Commissioners Tuesday. Rice County Public Health Clinic and Community Supervisor Sara Coulter presented a summary of a 2021 survey of county residents. ...
Hillmann named 1 of 4 finalists for 2023 National Superintendent of the Year
One of the four finalists for the The School Superintendents Association, AASA, the nation’s top recognition for school superintendents, is Northfield’s own Matt Hillmann. Earlier this fall, Hillmann, who has been superintendent since 2016, was named Minnesota’s Superintendent of the Year for 2022. “Being acknowledged in this way for doing work that I genuinely love is incredibly meaningful,” Hillmann told the Northfield News. “I appreciate the affirmation of our work...
Ole Store history project solicits memories, artifacts from community (copy)
For Alliya Lovestrand, not knowing the end goal may be the best part of uncovering the history of the restaurant she has owned for three years. Even before Lovestrand bought The Ole Store in 2020, she was fascinated by the history of the more than 100-year-old institution. “I’ve been reflecting on what ownership of The Ole Store means for me. It wasn’t always a restaurant, but it’s always been a...
Ole Store history project solicits memories, artifacts from community
For Alliya Lovestrand, not knowing the end goal may be the best part of uncovering the history of the restaurant she has owned for three years. Even before Lovestrand bought The Ole Store in 2020, she was fascinated by the history of the more than 100-year-old institution. “I’ve been reflecting on what ownership of The Ole Store means for me. It wasn’t always a restaurant, but it’s always been a...
Three 1st-place finishes in win for Northfield gymnastics
The Northfield High School gymnastics team captured three first place finishes in the bars, vault and floor exercise to help the Raiders chart a first place team finish in a quad meet on Friday, Dec. 16 in Northfield, Minn. The Raiders posted 129.225 points to earn the top spot, while Rochester Mayo was second at 122.075, Rochester Century placed third at 113.575 and Rochester John Marshall was fourth with 32.900 points. ...
Downtown development plan discussed at Rotary meeting
The future of downtown Northfield was presented in a slideshow Thursday, as Community Development Director Jake Reilly and consultant Bruce Jacobson outlined the beginning phase of a multi-year redevelopment project. “Downtown Northfield is continuing to develop and grow,” said Reilly, who has been in his position just half a year. To get the conversation started on what shape the development plan will take in the next few years, he said...
Triple epidemic, staff shortage a 'perfect storm' for local hospitals
Influenza. COVID-19. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The trifecta of illnesses is on the rise as of late. Many are calling it a “triple epidemic.” These illnesses are not uncommon during winter months. However, a variety of factors have hindered hospitals and clinics the area, making wait times longer and stretching already limited staff members thin. Fewer people have built up immunity to the viruses, area experts say. And shortages of...
NHS boys hockey completes weekend sweep
The No. 9 ranked Northfield High School boys hockey team completed a weekend sweep against non-conference opponents Osseo and Spring Lake Park on Dec. 16 and Dec. 17 respectively. The Raiders opened the weekend with a 4-3 victory over Osseo on Dec. 16 at the St. Olaf College ice arena and then returned to the St. Olaf ice on Dec. 17 to claim a 6-1 win over Spring Lake Park. The pair of wins improved Northfield’s season record to 6-2, 2-0 conf. ...
Northfield wrestling finishes 2nd at Larry Severson Invite
At the annual Larry Severson Invite, the host No. 7 Northfield High School wrestling team placed second out of the 11-team field with a score of 147.5 points on Saturday, Dec. 17. Dover-Eyota won the team title with 251 points, while Eagan (142), Mankato East (138) and Pine Island (120) completed the top five spots. The remainder of the field at the invite included Burnsville (106.5), Reedsville, Wisc. (99.5), Plainview-Elgin-Millville...
Inflationary increase sparks 5.63% increase to Northfield levy
Blame it on inflation. That’s what Northfield Public Schools Director of Finance Val Mertesdorf said in her Truth in Taxation presentation delivered to the Northfield School Board last week. Mertesdorf explained that the certified levy authority increased $1,126,293, or 5.63%, compared to the prior year. “The increase is related to the inflationary increase in our...
Northfield School Board splits vote on next steps for high school facility
As it turned out, the Northfield School Board wasn’t able to move forward on any plans for the high school before the end of 2022. Without longtime board member Noel Stratmoen — who is currently out of service, due to a prolonged illness — the School Board split on the vote meant to decide the pathway for updating the high school facility. The recommendation on the table was for a...
Second significant snowfall of the season brings challenges
The City of Northfield declared a snow emergency Thursday that would extend through Saturday. After persistent snowfall left about 7 inches on the ground, City road crews scrambled to stay on top of the accumulation. Meanwhile, a soft winter blanket wrapped the city in seasonal beauty.
Nerstrand Fire Department seeks volunteers at new station
Nerstrand Fire and Rescue now has a second fire station in Dennison and is looking for more firefighter/medics to help keep it manned. The added station will reduce response times and hopefully also reduce residents’ property insurance bills, said Fire Chief Joe Johnson. The new station, which officially opened on Goodhue Avenue last week, actually once was a fire station. Dennison once had its own fire department, but it disbanded...
Area schools hopeful for increased funding from Legislature
As the Minnesota Legislature prepares to convene for its 2023 session with a massive budget surplus and one party in near total control of the agenda, local schools are hopeful they could potentially get a major budget boost. Due to a state funding formula which has not kept pace with inflation and unfunded mandates for special education and English as a Second Language (ESL) services, school districts throughout the region have had to implement steep cuts, year after year. ...
Northfield gymnastics hopes to replace top performers
A trio of Raiders qualified for the MSHSL state championship last winter for the Northfield High School gymnastics team. The group included Jolee Harris, Sidney Petersen on floor exercise and Paige Mier on the uneven bars. As Northfield approaches a new season in 2022-23, the Raiders will be looking to replace those three departed student-athletes with a new group of team leaders for head coach Zoe Ingersoll, who begin her second season as the team’s head coach this winter. ...
NHS dance looks forward to full season; roster grows
Under the leadership of fourth-year head coach Jasmin Kotek, the Northfield High School Hiliners dance team is a squad looking to move up in the Big 9 conference and Section 1AAA rankings this season. “I’ve seen these girls take on the culture that I want them to have,” Kotek said. “Their team motto is ‘Whatever it takes and all on board,’ and they are all on board with working hard, coming to practice and doing everything at home to be the best they can be.” ...
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Northfield News has been serving Rice County, MN since 1876 and publishes Wednesdays and online at www.NorthfieldNews.com
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