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The Kenyon Leader
K-W School Board approves maximum levy, smaller than 2023
At its last meeting of 2023, Kenyon-Wanamingo’s School Board approved the maximum allowable levy and heard a Truth in Taxation presentation from outgoing Business Manager Todd Lechtenberg. However, it was a facilities review which ended up stealing the show. Even though costs are increasing for Kenyon-Wanamingo Public Schools and other levels of government are raising levies, K-W’s 2024 levy will in fact be slightly smaller than the 2023 levy by about 0.6%, or $20,000, as the district deals with the legacy of declining enrollment. ...
Tree lighting, parade cap off Christmas in Kenyon
Christmas spirit was burning bright in Kenyon this weekend, even if the weather wasn’t entirely cooperative. After a full day of Christmas in Kenyon festivities, a crowd gathered in Veterans Park Saturday evening for the annual Community Tree Lighting Ceremony, followed by the lighted parade. Kenyon Boy Scout Troop 232 and the Fire Department lit bonfires in the park earlier in the day, providing desperately needed warmth throughout the cold,...
K-W band and choirs enjoy 'amazing' trip to Duluth, Split Rock
The Keynon-Wanamingo band and choirs made their way to Duluth in November on a trip that featured a special tour of the Split Rock Lighthouse. Kenyon-Wanamingo alum Hayes Scriven runs the lighthouse, opening up the unique opportunity to students. “It was an unusual experience to have one of our own open the lighthouse on an otherwise closed day where he brought out his staff to give us the family and...
K-W School Board discusses finances and audits
Kenyon-Wanamingo Public Schools got a clean bill of health on the 2023 audit completed by Smith Schaeffer, without the difficult surprises of last year, but the numbers indicate that extra cuts will need to be made. Despite a major drop in federal aid, the district received an overall boost in revenue last year. However, major increases in instructional and administrative costs left a deficit of about $720,000 for fiscal year 2023, driving the unassigned general fund balance over $1.6 million. ...
Longtime Kenyon resident turns 100
“You should see my birthday cards,” said Kenyon’s Jean Overby. She received over 40 of them this year. This was no ordinary birthday for Overby — the longtime Kenyon resident recently turned 100 years old. She considers herself blessed and attributes her remarkable health to many years of farm work. She and her husband Cordet lived on a farm three miles south of Kenyon for most of their 66-year marriage,...
K-W wrestling: 2023-24 non-conference schedule preview
This article originally appeared in the Nov. 29 edition of the Kenyon Leader. In the winter sports season at Kenyon-Wanamingo, conference play composes about two-thirds of the season for boys and girls basketball. In wrestling, the conference slate is only about a fifth of the equation. Between individual and team tournaments, as well as a...
Northfield boys hockey beats Rochester Century
In an early season battle between two of the Big 9 Conference’s top teams, the Northfield High School boys hockey team (3-1, 1-0 Big 9) brought home a hard-fought 4-3 victory from Rochester Century/John Marshall on Thursday, Nov. 30. Of note, Northfield won the Big 9 championship with a 14-3 record and Rochester Century/John Marshall was second in the standings at 12-4 in 2022-23. The Raiders gained an early upper...
K-W Theater staging one-act plays
TICKETS AND SHOWTIMES The show begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, followed by a performance at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3. Tickets are available at the door, $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. dfc65d79-67a4-40bd-932d-a098d146b81e Kenyon-Wanamingo High School drama students are about to show off two very different takes on classic stories. The students are busily rehearsing “Flowers for Algernon” and “Lord of the Pies,”...
K-W boys basketball: 2023-24 non-conference schedule preview
Kenyon-Wanamingo’s boys basketball season opener is around the corner. The Knights get their 2023-24 campaign underway 7:15 p.m. Dec. 1 at Winona Cotter. It’s the first of seven games played away from the Gopher Conference. Below is a breakdown of these non-conference tilts, which include some new and familiar opponents. ...
2023-24 Gopher Conference boys basketball preview: West division
It was an interesting 2022-23 season for Gopher Conference boys basketball. The championship game was a thriller with West division champion Maple River capping an unbeaten conference season with a 73-70 double overtime victory on home court over East champ Hayfield. It was a resurgent season for Kenyon-Wanamingo, which was in the East division title race well into February. That division preview is coming next week. ...
2023-24 Gopher Conference wrestling preview
The Gopher Conference was stratified in wrestling in 2022-23. Kenyon-Wanamingo ruled the roost going undefeated with all dual wins coming by double digits. Medford was the clear-cut No. 2 with just one loss coming at K-W. The middle of the Gopher was jumbled with three teams tied for third at 3-3. ...
Kenyon City Council hears new housing development proposal
With a major development potentially coming to the former Kenyon Senior Living site, the City of Kenyon, with support from Kenyon-Wanamingo Public Schools, is hoping to secure state dollars for a nearby road reconstruction project. Kenyon’s City Council voted last Tuesday to endorse an application through the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Local Road Improvement Program which, with Goodhue County Board support, could secure $1.5 million in funding for the 6th Street reconstruction project. ...
Wanamingo Council learns possibility of Dollar General coming to town
After a meeting including Mayor Ryan Holmes, City Administrator Michael Boulton, City Engineer Brad Kennedy, and developers and engineers, it appears a Dollar General could be coming to Wanamingo within a year. Offering food and other grocery store-type products in addition to traditional dollar store items, the new store could provide Wanamingo residents with an alternative to driving down the road to Zumbrota or over to Kenyon to meet their basic shopping needs. ...
K-W School Board pleased with superintendent
Highly pleased with her performance in the first months on the job, Kenyon-Wanamingo’s School Board has moved to start negotiations around a longer term contract with Superintendent Beth Giese. Though facing extreme fiscal challenges, the board took a chance on Giese earlier this year, bringing her on to serve as superintendent and elementary school principal after previously expressing support for the cheaper option of hiring only a part-time superintendent. Cognizant...
2023-24 Gopher Conference girls basketball preview: West division
As the countdown to the Kenyon-Wanamingo winter sports season continues, it’s time to take a look at what lies ahead for the Knights. The Gopher Conference has been a strong girls basketball conference in recent years. Hayfield has been one of the top teams in the state as it’s won back-to-back conference crowns. The Vikings put a stop to New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva’s reign at the top, but NRHEG could have the...
K-W Middle School participates in Youth Coding League esport competition
This fall season, Kenyon-Wanamingo’s fifth- and sixth-grade coders are competing in a pool of 567 students from 47 schools in 10 states. With coach Laura McAnally’s guidance, coders have moved from eight weeks of individual training to building group projects with a theme focused on storytelling. McAnally also coaches a seventh- and eighth-grade group of coders applying the theme of entrepreneurship. This group of coders are competing in a pool...
K-W Band celebrates impressive season
This has been a busy and exciting season for the Kenyon-Wanamingo band. Recent highlights include the Bjorling Music Festival at Gustavus Adolphus College, where three K-W students performed, the middle school band concert and the ongoing music tour in Duluth. Band students Chloe Schuster, Ross Aldorfer and Vincent Martinez were selected to perform in the Honor Band at the Bjorling Music Festival, which was held Nov. 5 and 6. ...
K-W hosts food drive to make a difference
The third grade at Kenyon-Wanamingo Elementary read an article titled, “Kids Making a Difference” by Jeremy Stone, which shared ideas kids have utilized to make an impact. One idea was a food drive. My class was eager and excited to help lead the K-W Elementary food drive, which was held Oct. 30-Nov. 10. They made posters to display around the school, gave a presentation to each classroom, collected and counted...
Goodhue County unveils new logo
At its latest board meeting, Goodhue County unveiled a sleek new logo that is expected to largely displace the staunchly traditional and complex seal that today adorns official county documents and communications. Though discussion about a new logo predates the county’s decision to hire Outreach and Communications Specialist Briggs Tople, the logo is part of Tople’s broader strategy of implementing a refresh of Goodhue County’s public image for the digital age. ...
Eyes on local congressional districts 1 year before major election
While Election Day may still be a year away, the race for Congress is already heating up in Minnesota’s 1st and 2nd congressional districts. The southern Minnesota districts have traditionally been two of the more tightly contested in elections, and national political figures will have their eyes on the region again. This was shown clearly Wednesday, Nov. 1, as President Joe Biden visited a rural Northfield farm in the heart of the 2nd District. ...
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The Kenyon Leader has been serving Goodhue County since 1885 and publishes Wednesdays & online at www.TheKenyonLeader.com
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