Steele County Times

Lisa Hyland, who is a senior vice president for Federated Insurance, was named the 2020 Woman of Achievement by the Owatonna Business Women Friday night. Three other area professionals were finalists for the honor.

Hyland chosen woman of achievement

A veteran senior vice president at Federated Insurance has been named Owatonna’s Woman of Achievement for 2020. Lisa Hyland received the top honor Friday night during the annual Woman of Achievement Scholarship Awards and Fundraiser at the Owatonna Country Club. Hyland serves as the director of...

Jim Wanberg, who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1966-69, pauses to reflect on the Thirteen Fold Recitation, which is on display as part of the Legion Exhibit at the Steele County History Center in Owatonna. Wanberg served during the Vietnam era, though he did not go to Vietnam.

HONORING THE LEGION

As Jim Wanberg of Owatonna toured the new Legion exhibit at the Steele County History Center, he couldn’t help but think about the service his family has given over the years. Wanberg served in the U.S. Air Force from 1966 to 1969 during the Vietnam era, though he never went to Vietnam. His father...

The coronavirus pandemic has everyone running scared and fearful about their health. On March 12, Chad Corey, videographer with KAAL-TV of Rochester covered the Blooming Prairie and Hayfield Section 1A championship by wearing a mask. He was taking extra safety precautions since he recently received a kidney transplant. As of Monday afternoon, there have been 54 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Minnesota alone. So far there have been no deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the state.

Under Siege

The world outbreak of the coronavirus has folks across the region bracing for the worst as cases continue to mount in Minnesota and elsewhere. As of Monday afternoon, there are 54 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota and about 3,800 in the U.S. with about 65 deaths. Of the Minnesota total,...

Fighting for control of the basketball are Kaden Thomas (24) and Parker Vaith (23) of Blooming Prairie and Ethan Slaathaug (34) of Hayfield during the Section 1A championship boys basketball game in Rochester last Thursday. Blossom teammates watch from the bench. The Awesome Blossoms won the sectional title with a 59-51 victory.

Section Champs

It was a trip to the Class 1A State Boys Basketball Tournament that was earned by the Awesome Blossom boys basketball team but it will not be made as the team was knocked out before the tournament even began. The Blossoms were knocked out of the tournament by the coronavirus. On Friday, all boys...

Blooming Prairie High School senior Karson Vigeland went to center court with teammates Gabe Hagen and Kaden Thomas to accept the Section 1A championship trophy after defeating Hayfield.

Karson Vigeland enjoys ride as bench mate

Senior Karson Vigeland was a starter on the state-bound Awesome Blossom basketball team when his season ended in early February. Vigeland suffered a torn ACL when going up for a rebound against the Hayfield Vikings. Vigeland was ready to face the Vikings again last Thursday, March 12, only this...

Veteran radio broadcaster Todd Hale feels comfortable behind the microphone at KRFO in Owatonna. Hale hosts a weekly show featuring Big Band music from the 1930s. He says the show is a trip “down the line of yester years of big bands.”

SPINNING GOLDEN OLDIES

Let’s let it roll…” From a small intimate studio on Owatonna’s south side, veteran radio broadcaster Todd Hale introduces and spins yet another Golden Oldie from his collection of Big Band music. Yes, the voice of Owatonna has been ofcially retired from the radio business for 30 years. However,...

STATE HOPES DASHED

“It was a fun ride,” said a proud Blooming Prairie High School girls basketball Coach John Bruns when reflecting on the 2020 season. The Awesome Blossom girls saw their season come to an end last Thursday night at the Mayo Civic Arena in Rochester in the Section 1A championship game against...

A Whisker Away

The scenario for the Blooming Prairie High School boys basketball team is the same for them as it was for the girls a week ago. That scenario is thatthe Blossoms are one game away from reaching the state tournament for the second time in their history. The Blossom boys made it to the state...

Blossom Belle Boutique opens in living color

It was a dream come true for Kelly Jean LaMotte. Her Blooming Prairie boutique opened in living color last Saturday on Main Street next to Bunkie’s.“I had a vision, and we made it happen,” LaMotte said, crediting her family and others for making a dream real. “It still doesn’t seem real,”...

BP man charged in Las Vegas murder

A Blooming Prairie man wanted in connection with a murder in Las Vegas has been captured in Rice County. Sheriff’s deputies arrested Mark Doocy, 60, at the Flying J Truck Stop along Interstate 35 outside of Northfield March 4. According to Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn, a deputy spotted Doocy...