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Northfield News
SPRING SPORTS GUIDE: Northfield boys track and field
Coaches, years coaching Head coach: Tyler Balow, 6th year as head coach Assistant coaches: Karl Viesselman, pole vault coach, Tim Larsen, throwing coach, Tom Dickerson, sprints coach, Janet Smith, distance coach, Patrick Riley, distance coach, Sean O’Brien, relay coach, Kyle Korynta, hurdle coach, Elizabeth Acheson, relay coach. Roster: ...
Northfield softball aims high in 2023, starts 2-1
With a roster dominated by 12 returning letter winners, eight seniors and two players selected to the Breakdown Sports top 100 Minnesota seniors list, the Northfield High School softball team looks to be a contender in conference and section play for 2023. “We have quite a few returning girls. We only lost two seniors from last year and have 12 returning letter winners, so we have quite a bit of experience from last season,” second year head coach Josten Coleman said. “ Last year most...
Northfield School Board supports budget cuts package
At Monday night’s meeting, the Northfield School Board approved a package of budget cuts at just over $2.5 million that will take effect for the 2023-24 school year. The reductions will eliminate the online Portage programs at both the elementary and secondary levels, reduce transportation costs, upcharge middle school and high school activity fees, reduce full-time teaching positions, eliminate part-time positions, restructure the middle school schedule down from seven periods to six periods, and more. ...
SPRING SPORTS GUIDE: Northfield Boys Tennis
Coaches, years coaching Head coach: Marty Johnson, 6th year at NHS, 4 years at Brookings HS, Brookings, SD, and 5 years at Orono HS, Orono, Mn. Assistant coach: Mark Welinski, 15 years, various places Roster: Andy Amundson (9), Leo Beckman...
Charges: St. Olaf student had gun magazines, shooting notes, map
A St. Olaf College student allegedly had a gun magazine, was making plans to buy and build guns, had a map of the school’s recreation center with an exit route and had notes about the best parts of the body to fire fatal shots. Charges filed Monday against the 20-year-old student from Vermont outlines seized evidence that ranged from knives and ammunition boxes to notes with statements, such as “7/10 people shot with handguns survive. Shoot a lot.” ...
St. Olaf student had firearms, ammunition, campus maps
A St. Olaf College student allegedly had a gun magazine, was making plans to buy and build guns, had a map of the school’s recreation center with an exit route and had notes about the best parts of the body to fire fatal shots. Charges filed Monday against the 20-year-old student from Vermont outlines seized evidence that ranged from knives and ammunition boxes to notes with statements, such as ”7/10 people shot with handguns survive. Shoot a lot.” ...
Northfield native cruise ship entertainer humble to the core
Way back when, I agreed to serve as judge of pageants held annually in Fort Stockton and DeLeon. I — and another couple of judges — were to select queens of the Water Festival and the Peach and Melon Festival, respectively. It shouldn’t have been “rocket surgery,” but I didn’t realize that I would be detested (or near thereto) by all attendees, save the families of the winners. One guy...
Northfield council moves ahead with disputed street improvement plan
Despite significant neighborhood resistance, Northfield’s City Council is moving ahead in full with a street improvement plan, which includes several controversial protected bike lanes. After more than an hour and a half of debate, councilors voted 5-2 to approve plans and specifications for an estimated $5.8 million in street and water infrastructure improvements, paving the way for city staff to begin soliciting bids. In favor were Mayor Rhonda Pownell, along with councilors Jessica Peterson White, Jami Reister, Kathleen Holmes and Davin Sokup. Voting against were...
New fund established by Blaisdell family supports Hillcrest Village, CAC
Community Action Center of Northfield (CAC) has announced the creation of a new fund that honors the legacy of Tom and Linda Blaisdell. Tom, Linda, and their children, Missy, Amy, and Tim moved to Northfield in 1975. The Blaisdells were originally from small towns and communities in southern Minnesota. They understood the value of giving their time and energy to make a difference. They were dedicated to their family, friends,...
Northfield skeet and trap nears 100 participants
The Northfield High School skeet and trap team may not have the same high profile visibility as other sports on campus, but the squad continues to grow as it heads into its second decade of competition, with 93 student-athletes on its roster for the upcoming 2023 season. “This is the 10th year of our team and when we started there were 30 kids on the team,” head coach Pete Mergens said. “In 2019, we had 107 kids on the roster. After COVID our numbers fell...
'Items connected to potential acts of violence' reportedly found in St. Olaf dorm
A St. Olaf College student is in custody after “items connected to potential acts of violence” allegedly were found in his dorm room. According to a news release from the Northfield Police Department, St. Olaf College reported “suspicious weapon-related items” were found in a residential hall on campus on Wednesday. St. Olaf College Public Safety conducted a room search and located gun magazines, along with “other items of concern,” the news release states. ...
High waters to continue early next week
With spring temperatures on the rise, all the winter snow is melting, and it has to go somewhere. The Cannon River is forecasted to reach minor flood stage early next week, but should subside shortly thereafter. Rain this week weren't quite enough to push the Cannon to minor flood stage in Northfield as forecasted. A food warning has been canceled but could be reinstated. The river is expected to crest...
Author solves family mystery by delving deep into Northfield history
Many ardent family history buffs know that genealogy is rarely a straight line, and is more often a long journey peppered with switchbacks. Anyone who has ever tried to research their family tree knows that discouraging feeling when ages and dates don’t add up, there’s unverified data and incorrect record indexes, typos in names or dates or — horror of horrors — you’ve been following the wrong ancestor altogether. Family...
Library Friends and Foundation present check for Oasis improvements
With one glance at a city map, one of the most striking aspects of the Northfield Public Library Oasis is its central location. To help pave the way for the opening of the satellite library branch located inside the Northfield Community Resource Center, where hundreds of area residents of all ages visit each week, the Friends and Foundation board of the Library has been engaged in fundraising. On Thursday afternoon,...
Northfield horticulturalist proud of 25 year stint as a USA Tree City
For city horticulturist Shelley Evanson, the long, cold winter months give her time to catch her breath and plan for the spring, summer and autumn ahead. Winter gives her time to do research on the latest Emerald ash borer findings, write articles for various publications, write grant proposals through the Department Natural Resources, get organized for the upcoming Home and Garden Show at the Dundas Dome and make plans for the city’s annual Earth Day event. Evanson is also working on the landscape renovation at...
Behind the doors of the Lyceum, Northfield's oldest building
Growing up in Northfield, Aaron Street learned during school bus tours that the Lyceum was the oldest building in town and was once owned by city founder John North. Now, Street and his wife Kelly own the historic building that dates back to 1857. Aaron, a lawyer who runs a legal consulting company and dabbles in historic renovations, and Kelly, a therapist, bought the historic property on Jan. 1. ...
Fire crews respond to pole barn fire
A pole shed fire created thick black smoke that was visible for miles in rural Rice County Thursday morning, but no one was injured. Firefighters from Faribault and Northfield were called around 11 a.m. to a farmstead on Dahle Avenue, between Highway 3 and Keepsake Cidery, south of Dundas. Northfield Fire chief Tom Nelson said the fire was “fully involved” when his team of 12 firefighters arrived. A tanker truck...
Making history matter at reinvented Northfield Historical Society
When Sean Allen’s six-month interim term ended as a member of the Northfield City Council in December, the substitute teacher immediately jumped into another interim position — executive director at the Northfield Historical Society. Allen, whose resume also includes serving as executive director at the Northcountry Cooperative Foundation, as a real estate development consultant, and as a member of the Northfield Heritage Preservation Commission, took the helm at NHS after Cathy Osterman and Travis Farrington resigned on the same day last fall. ...
Northfield's Jesse James story comes to Twin Cities stage as a musical
Any theater buffs who tapped their toes to the music of “Glensheen” should immediately reach for the credit card to buy tickets to the upcoming musical at the History Theatre in St. Paul, concocted by the same creative team of Jeffrey Hatcher and Chan Poling. “The Defeat of Jesse James” is the latest venture from the pairing often referred to as “Hatchling.” The story was penned by Hatcher and music and lyrics by Poling. It centers on Northfield’s historic story of the community’s fight back...
New owners of local fast food institution pledge to maintain menu and tradition
Being the first Latino business leaders to own their own building in Northfield didn’t seem to capture much of the attention of Celina Celis Carrera and husband Sefarin Dominguez at Tacoasis. Much higher priority for the couple was making sure the new drive-thru asphalt was dry and smooth. Carrera and Dominguez bought the business on Highway 3 S. last year from longtime owner Jeanne Simpson, who had it for 45 years. Prior to buying the Tacoasis land, building, name, recipes and website, they operated a...
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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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