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Northfield school leaders want public feedback ahead of potential 2024 bond referendum
Northfield School District Superintendent Matt Hillmann wants to garner any questions, feedback or advice now regarding the potential November 2024 bond referendum to address deficiencies of the current high school facility. Hillmann sent a letter to families explaining that the Northfield School Board would begin discussions this month. In the letter, he outlined why is was important, what was planned, and what the next steps would likely be. “The Northfield...
Vintage Band Festival presents Tuba Christmas Dec. 2
On Saturday, Dec. 2 at 3 p.m. the Vintage Band Festival presents Tuba Christmas at Skinner Memorial Chapel, 405 First St. E. on the campus of Carleton College. Retired St. Olaf College professor Dr. Paul Niemisto will serve as conductor. Tuba Christmas is an annual event that brings together euphonium, baritone, sousaphone and tuba players of all ages to play Christmas carols for the enjoyment of family, friends and the general public. ...
Hillcrest Village hosts legislators as an example of 'net-zero' housing
On Nov. 10, Northfield's Hillcrest Village hosted a legislative tour of the 17-unit, all electric, affordable housing community — a first-in-the-nation "net-zero" housing community that offers a combination of emergency housing, transitional housing, and workforce housing as sustainable and accessible solutions to homelessness. Composed of community partners and key committee leads in Minnesota's Legislature, the tour group bridged gaps between housing and energy policy with a shared goal to help Minnesota decarbonize for a healthy and more equitable future. The tour highlighted Community Action Center's innovation to advance sustainable, affordable housing at Hillcrest Village, an effort that helps prove such community projects are both doable and impactful, setting a blueprint for future communities.
School district superintendent receives national leadership award
Matt Hillmann, superintendent of Northfield Public Schools, received recognition for his leadership at a national education conference in Pensacola, Florida. Hillmann earned the 2023 Difference Maker Award by Studer Education at the 12th annual What’s Right in Education conference. This national recognition was awarded to just two leaders this year, and Hillmann is one of only 15 leaders to have received the award since the first Difference Maker Award was given in 2018. ...
Prairie Creek Community School holds second annual relay fundraiser
There are always squirrels in the woods at Prairie Creek Community School, but on Thursday, there will be a special squirrel. For the second year in a row, director Simon Tyler will be dressed in a squirrel costume, running the school’s 1K cross country course repeatedly for the annual GiveMN campaign. The school calls the event the “Squirrel-a-thon.” “Last year, I ran and biked 40K but that was frankly exhausting,”...
Man killed in two-vehicle crash on Millersburg Boulevard
A Northfield man was killed and two others were injured in a head-on crash on Millersburg Boulevard near I-35 Saturday morning. Daniel Rocha Jr., 44, died after he went into the wrong lane at a curve in the 1000 block of Millersburg Boulevard at 11 a.m., according to a news release from the Rice County Sheriff's Office. Rocha struck a truck driven by Peter Theberath. Rocha was pronounced dead at the scene. Theberath and a passenger in his truck were taken to hospitals.
Veterans saluted in patriotic assembly by Bridgewater Elementary students
Patriotism for our veterans, our country, our flag and our freedoms washed over the crowd in red, white and blue waves of tributes Friday morning at the annual Veterans Day Assembly at Bridgewater Elementary School. Local veterans wearing their uniforms, pins and hats gathered on the gymnasium floor and in the bleachers, while Bridgewater students paid tribute to those who served with songs, poems and an emotional slideshow. After a...
Northfield's 1st MedSpa opens downtown
Lasering, microneedling, tox injection filler and collagen stimulants are just a few of the aesthetic services available to men and women at The Lux MedSpa, Northfield’s only medical-grade skincare business that provides treatments, services and products to help rejuvenate skin at all ages. The Lux opened in February at 502 Division St. S. in Northfield. Owner Andrea Berube started the business six years ago under the name the BeauTox Shop....
Historic Northfield girls cross country team ends with 4th at state
A historic season for the Northfield High School girls cross country team came to a finish on Saturday, Nov. 4 as the Raiders brought home a fourth-place finish from the 2023 MSHSL Class AA state cross country championships that took place at the Les Bolstad Golf Course in St. Paul. This equaled the best finish of any Northfield High School cross country team at the state meet in the history of both the boys and girls cross country programs as the 2023 Raiders joined the...
Carleton College archaeology students present findings from Northfield dig
Before even one shovel of dirt was turned on campus near Skinner Memorial Chapel, Carleton College archaeology professor Sarah Kennedy wanted to make certain there would be artifacts worthy of finding and documenting. Kennedy, assistant professor of archaeology and Latin American studies, said a professional crew with a ground penetrating radar was engaged to determine if there were indeed buried treasures under the former foundation of Seccombe House Music Hall. ...
Raiders boys cross country finishes season with 8th-place finish at state
For just the fifth time in school history, the Northfield High School boys cross country team competed at the Minnesota State High School League state meet as a team on Saturday, Nov. 4 in St. Paul. On the 5,000-meter course that covered the Les Bolstad Golf Course, the Raiders finished their spectacular 2023 season with an eighth-place finish at the Class AA state championship under the direction of head coach Janet Smith. The last time that Northfield qualified as a team for the state meet...
Charges: Thief broke into store, threatened gas station employee with ax
A man allegedly broke into a Northfield pet supply store, then stole from a gas station and threatened an employee with an ax over the weekend. Kyle Everett Cranston, 42, is now charged with felony counts of robbery, burglary, and property damage, plus misdemeanor theft. Police were called to a man with an ax outside the Northfield Kwik Trip around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, according to court documents. The man, suspected...
Senior demographer discusses state's evolving population trends
Diversity has been a long time trend since 1990 in all areas of the state. According to the 2020 census, Minnesota's population was 5,706,494, which is an increase of 350,000 people, or a rise of 6.5%. Texas had the largest population increase of 4.1 million new residents, and Utah had the largest percentage increase with a 17% population rise. Minnesota ranks as the 22nd largest population state in the nation. ...
Visiting author will talk about his latest book, a tribute to waiting tables
As a 40-something tenured professor at the University of St. Thomas, Matthew Batt stretched his teaching paycheck as far as possible. Like many in academia with a punishing debt load from pursuing advanced degrees, he was forced to take on another job to make money: waiting tables at a high-end restaurant inside a new brewery in Minneapolis. "I moved across six states to get various academic degrees," he explained. "When I went up for tenure, I got a .5% raise, meaning I went from buying...
Thanksgiving dinner tradition continues at LBSA
A tradition that goes back several decades continues this month with Laura Baker Service Association’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner. The annual dinner will be held on Thursday, November 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Millis Dining Hall, 211 Oak Street location. The dinner is not a fundraiser, but a thank you to the community for the generous support LBSA has received throughout the year including dinner sponsors Holden Farms, Brick Oven Bakery, Just Food Coop, Performance Food Service and Family Fare. Those who are not able or not comfortable dining in person, may take advantage of a meal delivery option. Please call 507-645-8866 by Friday, November 17, to place a delivery order. Volunteers able to help set up, serve food and deliver meals are encouraged to sign up.
Salvation Army gears up for holiday red kettle campaign across Rice County
The familiar sound of the Salvation Army bell ringing will once again ring in the start of the holiday season next week. A kickoff concert is on Sunday and bell ringing begins next Friday. Jim Dale, Red Kettle coordinator for Rice County, said there are 10 days in November and 14 days in December when volunteers can sign up to ring for a two-hour shift. The familiar sound of the...
Area farmers, small businesses continue to grapple with internet access
While the share of Minnesotans who lack access to high speed broadband has steadily declined due to large state and federal investments in recent years, many farmers and small business owners in the region still deal with less than fully reliable internet. With margins growing tighter, farmers have integrated more technology into their work to increase efficiency, much of it at least partially reliant on the internet. Markets must be watched closely as well, as prices and input costs fluctuate based on national and global...
Northfielders interact with President Biden during local visit
Last week was a particularly memorable one for Northfield-based Minnesota House Rep. Kristi Pursell. Not only did she meet President Joe Biden, shake his hand and chat with him for a few moments Wednesday afternoon inside the barn at the Kluver family farm, just five days before, she had gone pheasant hunting with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. "It was surreal," said Pursell of her face-to-face time with Biden. "I welcomed...
Northfield volleyball season ends in heartbreaking 5-set section final
In a battle between two of the state’s Class AAA powers, the No. 3 ranked Northfield High School volleyball team saw its 2023 season come to a close with an epic 29-31, 18-25, 25-19, 25-22, 16-14 loss to No. 2 ranked Delano in the Section 6AAA championship match that was played at Waconia High School in Waconia, Minn. on Thursday, Nov. 2. The 2023 Big 9 Conference champions, Northfield finished its season with a 22-8 overall record and a perfect 11-0 mark in conference play...
Artwork and letters by Vietnam vet featured at FiftyNorth
For Vietnam War Marine veteran, Purple Heart recipient and artist Galen Brown, when capturing the shifting shapes of war, peace, justice, injustice, and even cancer, the images invariably contained just as many shadows. Brown, who enlisted in 1965 and served two tours of duty as a sniper, was wounded in action in Hue, Vietnam in 1968. His journey as an artist began after returning from war and ended when he succumbed to cancer in 2013. He was a Northfield resident for many years and served...
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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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