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The Kenyon Leader
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. ...
Kenyon Area Historical Society welcomes 13-year-old board member
The Kenyon Area Historical Society recently made history of its own, welcoming the youngest member to ever sit on its board. Thirteen-year-old Peyton Temple joined on Oct. 2. “I was pretty surprised. I wasn’t expecting it,” he said, regarding his invitation to join the Historical Society. In addition to his youth, Temple brings a passion...
Kenyon council agrees to give charitable gambling rights to Fire Relief Association
The Kenyon City Council has shifted responsibility for charitable gambling from the Kenyon Snowdrifters Club to the Fireman’s Relief Association, overriding objections from the mayor and Snowdrifters Club members who have operated the program for more than two decades. Although charitable gambling operations are handled by fire relief associations in many neighboring communities, such as Wanamingo, Zumbrota and Northfield, the loss of a large revenue source has come as a rude shock to many members of the Snowdrifters Club. ...
Kids flock to Depot Park for trunk or treat
Frigid temperatures didn’t scare off trunk-or-treaters this weekend. Kenyon Parks and Recreation hosted trunk-or-treating Sunday afternoon in Depot Park. According to City Council Member Kim Helgeson, who serves on the Park and Rec Committee, organizers’ aim for the event was “just making it a safe environment for the kids to come out and have fun.” ...
Grad students' capstone project is to develop plan for Depot Park revival
A team of five graduate students is seeking the community's input for its capstone project, which is meant to provide the city of Kenyon with a low-cost plan to rejuvenate Depot Park. From 3-5 p.m. Sunday, the students of the Urban and Regional Studies Institute at Minnesota State University, Mankato, will have a booth set up during Trunk or Treat in Depot Park for a public input session. This public input is essential to their project, said one of the students, Austin Cook. ...
Goodhue County cities, including Wanamingo, concerned over policing costs
With Goodhue County revisiting local policing contracts, as the city of Goodhue looks for additional service following the mass resignation of their entire Police Department, Wanamingo and other cities are alarmed that their policing costs could be about to sharply increase. At a Goodhue County Board of Commissioners meeting attended by Wanamingo Mayor Ryan Holmes and City Administrator Michael Boulton, the board discussed adjusting policing contracts, in order to charge cities an amount closer to the actual cost of services. ...
Divide created at council, as 2 Kenyon community groups want pull tab rights
Looking for additional revenue to meet its fundraising goals, the Kenyon Fireman’s Relief Association has asked the Kenyon City Council to consider allowing it to operate traditional pull tabs and e-pull tabs at the Muni. The request has put the Fireman’s Relief Association into conflict with the Kenyon Snowdrifters Club. The Snowdrifters have operated the program for more than two decades and would like to continue doing so, triggering a debate that has split the community and the council. ...
Angie's sees influx of support as pizza sales begin
ANGIE’S PIZZA Pizzas are available from 11-7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Angie’s is located 631 Second St. in downtown Kenyon. Pizzas range anywhere from $9.95 for a 12-inch cheese pizza to $19.95 for the meatier 14-inch choices. Additional toppings are available for an extra $1.50 on a 12-inch pizza and an extra $2 on a 14-inch pizza. f896d304-ee18-47f4-ab5c-7df7a3ad0be4 Now that the pizzas are officially on the menu at Angie’s, owner Angie Anderson had to institute a new rule at her house: only one pizza night...
K-W football with lots to play for after Goodhue win
Everything’s still on the table for the Kenyon-Wanamingo football team. Entering Thursday night’s game vs. the Goodhue Wildcats in a matchup of 5-1 teams, the Knights were all but certain of finishing as the No. 4 seed for the Class 1A, Section 1 playoffs with a loss. K-W would still host an opening round game in that scenario, but the Knights were not intent to settle. ...
First hog-roast fundraiser raises about $6,500; expected to become annual
About 200 plates were served at the first hog-roast fundraiser supporting Kenyon youths, which organizers said greatly exceeded their expectations. They’ve already started calling it the “first annual,” and hope to make it a yearly event. The Kenyon-Wanamingo Education Foundation and the Kenyon Booster Club are each fundraising and organizing groups to support the Kenyon-Wanamingo Public Schools. KWEF provides classroom-related supplies, while the Booster Club helps with school athletics. While...
City seeks help painting Depot
Once a bustling hub, the former Chicago Great Western Railroad depot has been a popular spot for community gatherings since the 1970s. The historic building has gone through about 25 Minnesota winters since the last time it was painted. That could soon change, thanks to the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation’s Paint the Town Grant Program, a partnership between SMIF, Ace Hardware and Arrow Hardware and Paint. Earlier this year, SMIF awarded grants for paint to 11 communities across southern Minnesota with 10,000 people or less,...
Coronation kicks off K-W homecoming week
HOMECOMING EVENTS In addition to daily dress-up days, the volleyball match is on Thursday. Friday will include a game of Family Feud at 12:30 p.m. and powderpuff football at 1:40 p.m. The homecoming volleyball matches are Thursday; varsity begins at 7:15 p.m. The homecoming football game is Friday at 7 p.m. Royalty were left mostly speechless in the Kenyon-Wanamingo Middle/High School auditorium Monday night. The 2023 K-W homecoming King and...
Kenyon-Wanamingo School District, Education Association work out labor agreement
After thorough and fruitful negotiations, the Kenyon-Wanamingo School Board and the Kenyon-Wanamingo Education Association have reached a new two-year agreement intended to help keep educators in the classrooms and K-W’s books in the black. The new labor agreement is another feather in the cap for new Superintendent Beth Giese, a veteran school administrator who has hit the ground running since taking over the reins of leadership in a district struggling with financial turmoil. ...
Public health departments are again urging vaccinations
With COVID-19 hospitalizations on the rise nationally and flu season around the corner, area public health departments are urging people to get vaccinated before outbreaks hit local communities. Nationally, weekly COVID hospitalization rates have risen to 20,000, far below peaks during the first two years of the pandemic but more than three times that of two months ago. Minnesota’s hospitalization rates have risen too but remain at miniscule levels of about 25 per week. ...
Goodhue County levy to rise, but tax rate to drop
After receiving greater aid from the state, Goodhue County is planning to lower its tax rate to the lowest level ever, but due to rising property values, the average property owner can still expect to see a levy increase. 2024 will mark the second straight year of a lower county tax rate, even though the proposed county budget is projected to rise by about $1.8 million. More than $1.3 million of that increase will be accounted for by increased state aid, though much of that...
State Fair bench honors Kenyon graduate
FINNY Since 2019, approximately 1,200 recognition benches have been purchased to honor people or memories of the State Fair. The benches are stored over the winter months and brought back out before the next fair. At the 2023 fair, a yellow bench in honor of the late Dale Finnesgaard was located along Underwood Avenue between Dan Patch and Wright Avenues, east of the Grandstand. ...
Kenyon-Wanamingo High School announces Homecoming royalty, schedule
The 2023 Homecoming royalty for Kenyon-Wanamingo High School was announced Tuesday. The court includes freshmen Hadley Wieme and Oliver Bauer; sophomores Bria Miller and Bryan Jacobson; juniors Vanessa Bartel and Jack Vierling; and foreign exchange students Mara Gausepol and Louis Gillot. The queen and king candidates are Addi Flom and Logan Carroll; Josie Flom and Soren Kyllo; Bailey Leininger and Aidan Lindell; Siri Loken and Zach Mason; Ivette Mendoza and...
Raises for Kenyon police, public works staff to contribute to levy increase
With expenses on the rise and Police Chief Jeff Sjoblom and Public Works Superintendent Wayne Ehrich looking to secure a pay raise for their employees, Kenyon’s City Council has established an 8% maximum levy increase for 2024. The proposed levy, which could be decreased but not increased between now and when the final budget will be set in December, would raise taxes by $117.63 on a $250,000 residential property and $212.50 on a $250,000 commercial property, assuming there is no change to those properties’ value. ...
No votes for K-W football in Week 3 AP poll
Following a 2-0 start to the season by a combined 70-13 margin of victory, Kenyon-Wanamingo entered the “others receiving votes” category outside the Associated Press’ Class 1A state football poll released on Sept. 11. The Knights received eight voting points to unofficially rank tied for 17th. K-W moved to 3-0 the next week with a 50-20 win at home vs. Winona Cotter (0-3). ...
FEELS LIKE '92: K-W football starts 3-0 for first time in 31 years
Kenyon-Wanamingo football is off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 1992, just a year after the school opened. The Knights are unbeaten with five games left in the regular season after a 50-20 win Sept. 15 in Kenyon vs. Winona Cotter (0-3). K-W has been a fast-starting team this season. That wasn’t the case in Week 3 as Cotter packed the first punch. ...
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