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The Kenyon Leader
Finstad, Bohman endorsed by parties for CD1 seat
The current representative in Minnesota’s First Congressional District will see a challenger this election season, as both of them received official endorsements from their respective parties over the weekend. Republican Rep. Brad Finstad, of New Ulm, will be facing off against Rachel Bohman, a Democrat from Rochester. Finstad was formerly endorsed by the 1st Congressional District Republicans on Saturday at the convention held in Jackson, while Bohman was endorsed by the DFL during a Saturday convention in Owatonna. ...
Nerstand Charter School adds Ukraine to peace garden
For about an hour or two each morning on a wall near the front doors of Nerstrand Charter School, the sun casts a shadow of the word “Peace.” It identifies the school’s evolving International Peace Garden. The garden includes representation of a number of countries, each with a unique item symbolizing their respective people and cultures. The peace garden continued to grow Monday afternoon, as students, staff and volunteers celebrated the newest edition, Ukraine. ...
SUMMER RECREATION: 10 things to do from Kenyon-Wanamingo Community Education
Activity: Lights & Shadows Location:K-W M/HS Early Childhood Wing Dates: Wednesday, June 12, 9:00-10:00 am Cost: $8 Description: Discover the captivating effects of light and shadows. Students will learn more about light and shadows by doing experiments and other art...
Days before trials, suspected drug dealer arrested on new charges
A Kenyon man with multiple prior drug convictions and pending charges allegedly was caught with cocaine at a Faribault gas station following a drug task force investigation. Deonte Lajuan Nelson, 46, of Kenyon, was charged with felony counts of drug sales and possession Wednesday in Rice County District Court. He also was charged with a misdemeanor for alleged possession of brass knuckles. He was arrested Monday afternoon after the Cannon...
Kenyon resident organizes weekly bike group
Kenyon residents looking to stay active have a new recreation option. Kim Helgeson is starting a weekly bike group, inviting community members to join her for Wednesday evening rides. Most trips will be around 20 miles, although Helgeson said that’s negotiable depending on how people are feeling. However, keeping a steady pace is important, and she said participants should be able to maintain a speed of 10 to 12 miles...
Divided Goodhue County commissioners approve hire of full-time parks & trails manager
After initially declining to fulfill County Engineer Jess Greenwood’s recommendation to hire a full-time Parks and Trails Manager, a divided Goodhue County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to add the position, after board member Linda Flanders changed her mind. Joining with board members Todd Greseth and Brad Anderson in favor of a motion to approve the request, Flanders said that while she generally is in favor of making hiring decisions during budget time always, “extenuating circumstances” have given the proposal increased urgency. ...
Kenyon council considers options for interim city administrator
Despite having a contract on the table to hire a veteran administrator on an interim basis, the Kenyon City Council demurred in favor of opening up the position of interim city administrator for other candidates and potentially a lighter, more flexible contract. After a free-flowing, hour-long discussion, councilors voted to table a proposed interim city administrator contract with Frank Boyles, who retired as Prior Lake’s city manager in 2019 after 26 years and has since held interim positions in Maple Plain and Nowthen. ...
K-W softball walks off vs. Medford
Kenzie Moore felt frustration and elation in the span of a few seconds. Up to bat with the game knotted 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning with bases loaded and one out, Moore’s bat sent a ball toward shallow center field. The look in her eyes showed that she felt she didn’t hit the ball deep enough to bring in the runner home from third base on a...
DFL house candidates endorsed for District 19
The Democratic-Farm-Labor party of Southern Minnesota has chosen its candidates to run for District 19 seats being vacated by longtime Republicans. At a convention on Saturday, Jessica Navarro was endorsed as the DFL candidate for the 19A House seat and Edel Fernandez was endorsed for the 19B House seat. Kenyon and Wanamingo, along with much of Rice County, including Faribault and Nerstrand, is located in District 19A. Rep. Brian Daniels...
K-W robotics team shows off 2024 robot
After a solid showing at a recent competition, Kenyon-Wanamingo’s robotics team showed off its latest contraption and shared a bit about its latest work with members of the Kenyon-Wanamingo School Board and Superintendent Beth Giese. With robust support from the Gene Haas Foundation, Ryan Overby Trucking and Strongwell, plus some help from several recent graduates, K-W robotics painstakingly designed and built its robot “Sparky” over the course of six build weekends. ...
All Seasons in Kenyon seeks volunteers
Whether it’s helping people put food on the table or giving them a place to socialize, All Seasons Community Services strives to be a little bit of everything for Kenyon and the surrounding area. According to CEO Mary Frutiger, the agency is experiencing a major challenge as it works to meet those needs. For years, All Seasons ran smoothly with around 23 volunteers. Lately, it’s had to make do with...
Kenyon city administrator departs without public explanation after closed meeting
After 11 years as Kenyon’s city administrator, Mark Vahlsing was abruptly released from his position on April 1 without warning or a clear explanation, leaving the city of Kenyon temporarily without even a temporary administrator and launching an immediate search for a replacement. According to a statement released by the city of Kenyon, a special meeting of the City Council was held April 1, at which Vahlsing and the City Council mutually agreed that it would be in their best interests to immediately terminate the...
Goodhue County Sheriff's Office to implement body worn cameras
With an eye to increasing accountability, transparency and public trust, Goodhue County’s Sheriff’s Office has followed the lead of law enforcement agencies throughout the nation, including local police departments, in implementing a body worn camera program. Since the beginning of the year, an internal committee led by Sheriff’s Department Major Mychal Johnson has worked hard to develop a comprehensive body worn camera policy based on model policies and best practices as implemented in other local communities. ...
Family organizes food, blanket drive to honor Rachel Nesseth
Rachel Nesseth should've turned 20 this month. Since they can't celebrate with Rachel, who died in a car crash two years ago, the Nesseth family now marks the occasion by helping others. On Saturday, two days before her birthday, they will hold a food and blanket drive at the Zumbrota trailhead building next to City Hall. ...
Kenyon council rejects proposal to add 1st floor apartments to commercial buildings
Amid concern about the potential impact on the Main Street business district, Kenyon’s City Council unanimously rejected a proposal that would have allowed apartments to be added to the rear end of first floor commercial buildings. The council’s action follows the latest recommendation of its Planning Commission, which initially expressed openness to giving downtown building owners the option to add a first floor apartment as a conditional use but turned against the idea. ...
Goodhue County hones in on effective communication, transparency
After unveiling a sleek new logo and dramatically increasing engagement on social media, Goodhue County appears set to build on what Communications Director Briggs Tople described as a “transformative year for communications” with a new website set to debut next month. Last week, Tople provided the Goodhue County Board of Commissioners with a comprehensive update on efforts to both refresh Goodhue County’s image for the digital age and ensure that county government is open, transparent and accessible to all residents. ...
Area churches gather for annual cook-off
Food, fellowship and a dash of friendly competition are the main ingredients in the Kenyon Area Internship Committee’s (KAIC) annual cook-off. Seven local churches gathered Sunday at Gol Lutheran Church after their morning services, each bringing a soup for the cook-off. The KAIC is a partnership between Luther Seminary in St. Paul and the seven ELCA congregations. Since 1977, the committee has overseen a long series of interns — seminary...
Wanamingo council approves sump pump program amid wait for sewer district
In preparation for the soon-to-be-established North Zumbro Sanitary Sewer District, and with an eye to keeping costs in check for residents, the city of Wanamingo has entered into a professional services agreement to establish a sump pump program. Though $10 million for preliminary design work was included in the 2022 bonding bill, it will likely be at least 2028 before a wastewater treatment facility is operational, and the bulk of state funding needed to ease reduce the costs borne by residents remains mostly unsecured. ...
Republicans endorse candidate for District 19A
Keith Allen earned the Republican endorsement in his run for Minnesota House District 19A. Allen is a longtime farmer from rural Kenyon, a district representative for Congressman Brad Finstad, and a former Minnesota Farm Bureau Board member. He announced he was running last fall. He seeks to replace Rep. Brian Daniels, who is retiring. District 19A includes southern Rice County, and parts of Goodhue and Waseca counties. ...
K-W softball blends mix of experience with young, 'eager' talent
It’s natural for younger players making their way on a varsity team to be timid. They may feel it’s best to feel their way out and blend in with the crowd. If Kenyon-Wanamingo wants to put together another winning season on the heels of one of its best in recent in history in 2023, the Knights will be reliant on a host of newcomers to supplement a mighty three-player senior class. ...
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