Choose your location
Northfield News
Cemetery Stories connects students with Northfield history through storytelling and acting
Five different Northfielders who are buried in Northfield Cemetery across the street from Northfield High School will come back to life briefly for a new audience of local history buffs, thanks to the creative students involved in the SCOPE Cemetery Stories. Each year, the program asks ninth graders to choose and research a historical figure whose life bears examination. Once the characters are chosen, students work with archivists at the Northfield Historical Society to research the person using newspaper articles, obituaries, bank records and other...
Northfield council approves new parklet at Fifth and Division
Northfield’s City Council has approved a request to add a parklet to the northwest corner of Fifth Street and Division Street, siding with local businesses who wanted the extra outdoor gathering space over others concerned about the loss of parking. As amended by the council, the parklet would be present during the 2023 warm weather season only, rather than the two seasons initially proposed. To make space for the parklet, a handicapped parking space would be relocated across the street. ...
Friends of Nerstrand Big Woods State Park celebrate 10 years of nature advocacy
Visitors to Nerstrand Big Woods State Park may notice more benches scattered around the park, or the newly planted garden on the east side of the park office, or the expanded playground near the parking area. Those projects were completed thanks to the 40 dues-paying members of the park’s Friends group that has been organizing volunteers for the last decade. Not only do the volunteers improve the park’s aesthetics, but...
Explore Minnesota tourism partner visits Northfield
In the latest advertising campaign for Explore Minnesota, a familiar red barn southeast of Northfield makes an appearance. The Red Barn Pizza farm, located near Northfield Township Hall and rebuilt after a 2018 tornado, is featured prominently in the marketing campaign promoting travel to southeastern Minnesota. Lisa Havelka, who is in charge of southern partner relations for Explore Minnesota, visited the community Wednesday. Havelka was the guest speaker for the Northfield Chamber of Commerce May membership luncheon series. ...
NHS seniors recognized for excellence by community sponsors
On May 10, Northfield High School recognized outstanding seniors in an evening scholarship presentation ceremony. NHS principal Shane Baier welcomed the overflowing crowd to the auditorium at the Northfield Middle School. First up was the recognition of National Merit Finalist and Commended students. Next, seniors were awarded academic letters and certificates, followed by the award of scholarships for 2023. In most cases, seniors were presented the scholarships by a community member connected with the award.
'Meet Me at the River' theme for 2023 Artists on Main Street
The Friends of Downtown Northfield are proud to announce the return of the Artists on Main Street program for the fourth year. This program makes grants of up to $5,000 that allow artists to create and exhibit their work in the heart of Northfield’s downtown district. It’s for painters, sculptors, musicians, dancers, or any other type of artist. It’s an opportunity for residents to showcase their creativity, gain exposure, and connect with the Northfield community. ...
Area lawmakers share their priorities and frustrations as end of session nears
With just one full week at most to go, 2023’s Minnesota legislative session has been one for the history books, with newly empowered DFL majorities in the House and Senate shifting state policy dramatically to the left — and their work is far from over. Constitutionally required to end by Sunday at midnight, the legislative session could end even sooner if the House’s DFL majority gets its way. They’ve passed a resolution committing to complete their work by the 18th — though the Senate hasn’t...
St. Olaf College band director leaves a legacy after 29 years of music making
A photo showing the upturned faces of the members of the St. Olaf Band surrounding music director and conductor Dr. Timothy Mahr says it all. For 29 years, Mahr was embraced, engulfed and enchanted by his student musicians. But, this summer, the 67-year old professor of music who holds the Robert Scholz Endowed Chair in Music at St. Olaf will be stepping out of the circle and retiring from the work he has embodied since 1994. ...
Northfield baseball on 9-game win streak
The Northfield High School baseball team continued its winning ways over the past week and claimed its ninth consecutive victory with a 4-0 win at home over non-conference rival New Ulm on Monday, May 15 at Sechler Park. The Raiders’ run of victories has improved their record to 12-4, 10-2 in the Big 9. Northfield’s last loss was on April 26 and it continued the 2023 schedule on Tuesday, May 16 with a game against Big 9 rival #5 ranked (Class AAA) Red Wing ....
Northfield girls golf wins home triangular
Northfield girls golf came out victorious Thursday in a triangular match against Winona and Faribault at the Northfield Country Club behind multiple season-best efforts. Junior Emerson Garlie led the way with a 76 while the sister duo of Annika and Karina Johnson managed to post matching 87s on the afternoon. The 87 marked a season-low of Annika while Garlie’s 76 was her season-low as well. Sophomore Anna Jordan also posted...
Northfield boys tennis wins in section first round
The Northfield High School boys tennis team punched its ticket to the second round of the 1AA Section tournament with 7-0 shutout win at Farmington on Monday, May 15. The No. 6 seed Raiders will now play in the second round of the the Section tournament at No. 3 seed Rochester Century on Wednesday, May 17. In the other first round matches of the Section 1AA tournament, Faribault defeated Austin,...
Lifeguard shortage continues to affect area pools this summer
After a seemingly endless winter, summer is finally on its way. But preparing for the opening of summer mainstays, like Old Memorial Pool, has been particularly stressful this spring, mainly due to a shortage of lifeguards. While opening day at Northfield’s public pool on June 10 seems a long way away, Tom Spooner, ice arena and pool supervisor for the city, said he’s concerned about fully staffing his team of lifeguards. ...
Local karate club celebrates 15 years with workshops and level tests
Ueshiro Northfield Shorin-Ryu Karate and the Carleton Karate Club celebrated the promotion of four new Black Belts, as well as the 15th anniversary of its dojo, in Northfield over the weekend of May 5. Kyoshi Michael Mackay, a ninth-degree black belt from New York City, led a three-day series of workshops for students from the Northfield area and Carleton College, as well as a four-hour testing and promotion session on Saturday afternoon. ...
Shallower pool of applicants has NPD looking at hiring incentives
Facing a dramatic decline in the number of applicants for open positions, the Northfield Police Department is looking at a number of options to attract qualified candidates and retain the high quality officers it already has. At Tuesday night’s work session, Police Chief Mark Elliott talked with councilors about the complexities of meeting staffing needs at a time when departments are engaged in increasingly fierce competition over a shallower pool of applicants for police officer positions. ...
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.