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Waseca County News
Waseca Legion downs Marshall to open sub-state tournament
The Waseca Senior Legion baseball team began postseason play Wednesday afternoon in New Ulm when they faced off against Marshall, who served as the home team in the game. A strong pitching performance from Sabastian Teague and aggressive baserunning performance led Waseca to earn a 6-2 victory to advance in the tournament. Teague pitched six and one third inning of two-run ball, allowing just six hits throughout the game. Tyson Reger entered the game in relief and earned the final two outs of the day...
Steele/Waseca Drug Court celebrates a decade of offering an alternative for recovering addicts
After a decade filled with remarkable, heartwarming success stories, the participants, prosecutors, judges and staff involved with the Steele-Waseca Drug Court say the verdict is in: the program has proven a resounding success. Last week, the Drug Court celebrated its 10-year anniversary, with judges Joseph Beutel and Carol Hanks, Drug Court Administrator Nicole Grams and program participants all speaking in front of a packed courtroom to celebrate the powerful changes the program has brought. ...
New Waseca planning director brings big city experience
After building a highly impressive resume out in the desert, Waseca’s new planning and zoning coordinator has spent the first month on the job adapting his wealth of knowledge of how cities can work to the unique needs of a Minnesota small town. Froke joined the city as planning and zoning director last month after a lengthy period in Arizona, where he grew up, went to university and served in a planning director role in Glendale, which has grown to be one of that state’s...
Waseca mom works to start chess club
About a year ago, a local mother who had recently moved back to Minnesota picked the game of chess back up after years away, finding it helped her to relax and deal with stress. Now, she’s trying to spread her passion for the game by starting a local chess club. Such as it is, the fledgling Waseca Chess Club meets every Monday night at Waseca’s library from 6 to 7 p.m., taking advantage of five donated chess mats which the library keeps stocked for any...
Waseca School Board backs updated plan to help district keep up with building maintenance
As required by the state, the Waseca School Board has approved its annual Long Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) plan, laying out a broad 10-year plan and commitment to keep up with maintenance needs at the district’s aging facilities. The plan provides a budget for how it will spend its anticipated LTFM revenue from the state, which is expected to cover basic maintenance and upgrades, such as fixes and replacements of components of the plumbing, electrical and other systems that have outlived their useful life. ...
Waseca Art Center honors passionate supporter with gallery in her name
Over the last half century, the matriarch of one of Waseca’s most prominent and expansive families has brought her incredible talent and passion for the arts to her hometown art center, serving as a backbone, leader and mentor for so many in the small community nonprofit. On Friday, the Art Center paid a fitting tribute to Char Harguth, not only displaying her art in its front gallery but permanently naming the space in her honor, appropriate for a woman whose passion and selfless service over...
Waseca County board hears about regional transportation needs
Though the Minnesota Legislature has invested a growing amount of money into road improvements, projections suggest it won’t be enough to stem further decline in the quality of southwest Minnesota roads, according to staff from the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The Waseca County Board of Commissioners heard a broad overview of the state of the region’s road network courtesy of officials from MnDOT’s District 7, which covers 13 counties across southwest Minnesota and is headquartered in Mankato, by far the largest city in the district. ...
Waseca Exchange Club takes center stage at national convention in Texas
During the Exchange Clubs National Convention, in San Antonio, Texas in July, the local Waseca Exchange Club was conferred with multiple National Awards — the highest number the club has ever received since its founding in 1982. Club president Mikhail Rostislavovich was given the “Distinguished Club Presidents Award ”for his commitment to the community of Waseca and his strong belief in the principles of the National Exchange Club,” according to Tracy Edwards, chief executive officer during the ceremony. ...
Waterville downs Waseca as town ball postseason play rolls along
After Waseca defeated Lake Crystal in the play-in round, the matchup was set in the 13-60 playoffs between the Braves and top seeded Waterville Saturday afternoon. Five innings of scoreless ball eventually gave way to a torrent of runs which saw the hard-hitting Indians pull away to earn a 9-4 victory. The pitching battle between starters Dalton Grose of Waterville and Tyson Reger of Waseca was nothing short of dominant through the first five innings with just four combined hits spread throughout the early action,...
Waseca council considers financial aspects of Gaiter Lake Deal
Despite sharp criticism from several members of the public, the Waseca City Council is continuing to move forward with the Gaiter Lake development, with councilors hearing from Doug Green of consulting firm Baker Tilly on how the financial arrangements around the project might work. While acknowledging upfront that he is “not a housing expert,” Green attempted to provide a comprehensive breakdown of the city’s major investment from a financial perspective, breaking down the lots in the new development based on three tiers from most valuable...
Waseca man charged with possessing child pornography
A Waseca man is facing a felony charge for possessing child pornography after a series of administrative subpoenas tied his email account to a pornagraphic film involving an underaged girl which was uploaded onto a popular file hosting app last August. Anthony Floyd Wolff, 38, was charged on June 20 with possession of child pornography, marking the culmination of a months-long investigation which began last November when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip from Dropbox. ...
Despite weekend storms, Waseca County Free Fair a hit
Though fickle weather on Saturday and Sunday may have made for a disappointing climax, the 2024 Waseca County Free Fair still went into the books as Waseca’s favorite party of the summer. Alongside tried and true favorites, the 2024 Waseca County Free Fair featured new bands, new food stands, new rides and new events like the beloved “Dock Dogs,” which saw beloved furry companions splash into the pool before adoring audiences. ...
Waseca girls 12U team claims MYSA State Championship as youth programs celebrate impressive summer
With the continued growth and development of the Waseca Soccer Club, success at every level has followed with three of the teams representing Waseca qualifying to compete in the MYSA State Championship Tournaments, the 12U girls, 11U boys and 16U boys teams. While all three teams had their fair share of moments, it was the 12U girls team that put together a monstrous run, claiming the MYSA State Title. The team, led by head coach Neil Johannsen with assistant coach Anne Johannsen and team manager...
Waseca Legion loses to Owatonna in 6-5 thriller
The Waseca American Legion baseball team traveled to Owatonna last week to take on the Post 77 team. While the game ultimately did not end in their favor, Waseca put up a great fight, as it was a back-and-forth game all the way through. The game was tied at 5 in the sixth, but a run scored by Owatonna in the inning put them ahead of Waseca and ended up winning by a score of 6-5. ...
Braves close regular season with 11-0 loss to Blue Earth
Amidst the sweltering heat of a summertime Sunday afternoon, the Waseca Braves took the field to close out the regular season at home against the Blue Earth Pirates. The bats for Waseca were kept relatively quiet on the day while the Pirates hit for power from the opening inning, allowing them to defeat the Braves 11-0 in seven innings. Buoyed by a long ball in the top of the first inning, the Pirates put a six spot on the scoreboard to immediately put Waseca on...
New Richland set for new garbage, recycling contract and updated utility fees
With the current contract set to expire next March, the New Richland City Council is preparing to put out a request for proposal for garbage and recycling services by the end of the month. City Administrator Anthony Martens said the goal is to provide ample time for companies to submit bids in advance of a November deadline, which will allow the city to get an updated contract on the books in advance of approving the 2025 budget. ...
In response to floods, Janesville City Council extends state of emergency to November
As the region continues to recover from a hard-hitting series of floods, Janesville has become the latest local city to extend its state of emergency so as to help local families and businesses access insurance funding and federal assistance. The council voted to extend the declaration of emergency all the way to Nov. 12, with a clause in its resolution stating that the state of emergency could end much sooner if the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determines the flooding emergency to be over. ...
Waseca superintendent: district enrollment set to stabilize, new mandates a challenge
After a decade of steady declines, Waseca Public Schools is set to see its annual enrollment flatline over the next 10 years, according to a comprehensive analysis produced by district staff in collaboration with Twin Cities-based consulting firm TeamWorks International. Completed last month, the study provides extensive analysis of the current student body and its projected future cohorts. Over the past decade, Waseca Public Schools has lost about 200 students, or 10% of its student body, forcing substantial cuts due to a loss of per...
Janesville man charged with breaking and entering into ex-girlfriend's home
A Janesville man could face up to 40 years in prison after an alleged incident in which police say he broke down the back door of his ex-girlfriend’s house, threw a piece of the door at her and stole several personal items. William Joseph Kuchera, 47, has been charged with felony counts of burglary/1st degree assault and 1st degree burglary as well as misdemeanor counts of domestic assault and 4th degree intentional damage to property following the alleged incident on June 30. ...
Waseca woman faces felony charge over infant's injuries
A Waseca woman is facing felony and misdemeanor charges for child abuse after her five month old baby sustained significant injuries to the shoulder, body and head. Heather Rose Clark, 20, was booked into Waseca County Jail on June 20 on a felony charge of 3rd degree assault against a person under four years old as well a misdemeanor charge of domestic assault with intent to inflict bodily harm upon a family member. ...
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Waseca County News has been serving Waseca County since 1982 and publishes Wednesdays and online at www.WasecaCountyNews.com
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