News

New Richland man Scott Bolduan was killed Wednesday, June 21, in a head-on collision with a semi-truck on Highway 13, just outside of New Richland. Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

NR man killed in crash

A New Richland man was killed the morning of Wednesday, June 21, in a collision with a semi. 58-year-old Scott Bolduan was traveling southbound on Highway 13 between Hartland and New Richland at about 11:07 a.m in a 2006 Dodge Ram truck when he was struck by a semi-truck driven by Darryn...

Ferch retires

Becky Ferch, a teacher in Waseca for 36 years, has retired as of the end of the 2022-23 school year. Teaching in Waseca was Ferch's first post-graduation job, and she has devoted her entire career to Waseca's elementary students in grades 4, 6, 2, and finally kindergarten. “I have always loved...

Lakefest set to be success

Waseca resident Tom Sexton has fond memories of watching the fireworks and listening to the music during the city’s annual Lakefest celebration. Those memories prompted him to take on a leadership role for the 18th annual festival on Tuesday, July 4, after he heard that nobody else was...

The Waseca Public Library’s Alice in Wonderland Party June 22 invited children to use their imaginations.

Wonderland for readers

Children’s librarian Brianna Bleaker welcomed 30 guests to another world of fun at the Waseca Public Library’s Alice in Wonderland party Thursday morning. The event was inspired by the 19th-century classic book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll, which was famously adapted for the...

HARD WORKERS - Catholic Daughters Linda Groh, Joanne Earle, Nancy Miller, Deb Perreault, Judy O’Neil, and Connie Ockwig volunteer at the annual salad luncheon.

Salads aplenty

Around 100 people attended the annual Catholic Daughters salad luncheon at Sacred Heart Church last Friday, June 23, to enjoy 10 different types of homemade salads for $10. All the proceeds from the luncheon will go to the church and school along with local charities such as Bethlehem Inn in...

PLANNERS - Organizers of the June 24 Pat Utz cancer fundraiser were Pat and his wife Michelle, Wendy Rykhus, Max Embacher, Pat Mende, Teri Hanks, Chad Blasing, Shylah Banks, and Linda Lenertz.

'Looking a lot better'

Members of the Janesville community came in droves to the Pat Utz Cancer Benefit, which was held Saturday, June 24, at the Purple Goose Bar and Grill. The event was planned and executed by a committee led by Wendy Rykhus and Teri Hanks and consisted of a bean bag tournament, bake sale, silent...

Prepared Sportsman owner Tom Butel is excited for the shop's grand opening on June 24.

Local gun shop has open house

The rain didn’t stop Waseca’s new shop, Prepared Sportsmen, from having a steady stream of customers checking out what they had to offer — some for the first time — on Saturday, June 24. The shop held an open house from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with owner Tom Butel, employee Mark Eggert, and laser engraver...

JAZZ - The Gentlemen’s Anti Temperance League jazz quartet played the last of four summer concerts sponsored by the Waseca library.

Jazz concert

The Gentlemen’s Anti Temperance League, a jazz quartet, presented the last of this year’s Waseca Public Library Summer Concert series Tuesday night. The band consisted of Dan Rosen (vocals and guitar), John Halquist (violin), Joshua Parlante (substitute, electric guitar), and Matt Blake (...

Fr. Brian Mulligan was presented with a cake by Pam Hammond (left) and Becca Kuehn (right) wishing him luck on his next adventure at MSU Mankato’s Newman Center later this summer.

Farewell, Father

It was a bittersweet weekend for Father Mulligan. He performed his final masses at the Catholic Churches of All Saints, New Richland, on Saturday, June 24, and at St. Joseph, Waldorf, and St. Ann, Janesville, on Sunday, June 25. Starting July 1, Mulligan will be serving the Newman Center at...

Jeff Coulter explains to agronomy tourists how to tell whether a corn crop is healthy by looking at its root system.

Digging deeply into agronomy

The world of agriculture has advanced throughout the years. It’s not as simple as plowing the field, planting the crop in the spring, checking to make sure the crop has enough water in the summer, and then harvesting it in the fall. These days, agronomists — those who study soil management and...