Updated Friday, May 9

HL looks to regionalize wastewater treatment and seeks public input; is considering joining the Albion plant
Since 2002, the City of Howard Lake has been grappling with the idea of how and when it would expand its current wastewater treatment plant.

Phony pizza order costs business a lot of dough
A local business owner who went out of her way to help her neighbors was left holding the bag – and the pizzas. The Pizza Ranch in Waconia received an an unusual call at 6 p.m. April 12. The male caller said he was at a wedding party at the New Germany City Hall. He said the caterer had called to say that his truck had broken down, and was being towed back to the cities, and he would not be able to deliver the food. The caller said they had a hall full of people and desperately needed meals for the guests. He ordered pizzas – a lot of pizzas.

Winsted Park Commission to review trail options on Kingsley St.
Winsted Park Commission is to review Kingsley trail possibilities at its Wednesday, May 21 meeting. The discussion will focus on how to use Kingsley Street to link the Luce Line Trail with the lakefront promenade.

Farm work within Hwy. 7 project area considered local traffic
Farm work continues during the Highway 7 project, and this subject came up during Wednesday’s Highway 7 update meeting at the Hollywood Ranch House.

Winsted boy helps raise funds for children with hearing difficulties
Nine-year-old Lucas Morang of Winsted has worn a hearing aid since he was four years old, and it has allowed him to have close to normal hearing.

County Road 9 discussion takes a new turn in LP
Roundabouts are definitely off of the table, but discussion about realignment of the McLeod County Road 9 and County Road 23 intersection on the east side of Lester Prairie took a new turn last Monday with a proposal that would reroute County Road 23 to the north of the Lester Prairie Medical Clinic.

Capture of shooting suspect in Winsted causes concern
Charges were leveled against a shooting suspect who sparked a manhunt covering several counties May 1 and was later captured in Winsted cemetery.

A pastor’s second home
For the Rev. Dr. Philip Geoffrion of Albion Evangelical Free Church, Belarus, formerly apart of the Soviet Union, has become his home away from home.

Page, Ewald petition City of Dassel for street construction
Howard Page and Roz Ewald of Cedar Crest in Hutchinson have petitioned the City of Dassel to construct a street in the northwest corner of the intersection of Trunk Highway 15 and Highway 12.

Meeker County Road 18 breaking apart, no funds for it
Meeker County State Aid Highway 18, south of Dassel, is a classic example of what happens when a road goes too long without repair, according to County Engineer Ron Mortensen. It breaks apart, he added.

Dassel group asks for dirt access to become a street
The City of Dassel will find out from the property owner and MnDOT how to turn a dirt access at the south end of Martin Estates into a public street with proper turn lanes from Trunk Highway 15.

Delano Middle School student has dreams of being an astronaut
Young girls often dream about what they want to be when they grow up, and Stephanie Smith of Loretto is no different. “Since kindergarten, Stephanie has said she wants to be a doctor, artist, or an astronaut,” said her father, James Smith. “I’ve always told her she can be all three if that’s what she wants. If she sets her mind to it, she can do anything.”

Baking and winning with Delano Coborn’s food club labels
Two area girls have enjoyed dance classes at Star Seekers Production in Delano for many years. Their dance teams will be competing at dance nationals in California. They came up with a yummy fund-raising idea to help pay for their trip in June. Larissa Hoen, daughter of Deb and Dan Hoen, and Samantha Fake, daughter of Jane and Joe Fake, have been diligently baking for weeks.

Six candidates to vie for Delano royalty positions
Six candidates will compete this summer for positions within the Delano Royalty Organization to represent the community of Delano throughout the year. The six young women are all seniors at Delano High School, and will graduate in May 2008. The candidates will be participating in several activities and community events during the months prior to the Fourth of July celebration.

Highway 12 work progressing well
Work on the Highway 12 construction project through Delano continues to move along well. Multiple crews continue to work on the bridge, sanitary sewer, water main, storm sewer, private utilities, and the reconstruction of the highway.  Many activities and many crews require an incredible amount of coordination. 

Delano School District will not set timetable to reintroduce new school to voters
Members of the Delano School Board decided to not set a timetable of asking voters for funds to construct a new building at a special meeting last Monday. At the meeting, discussion took place about the outcome of the April 22 election. Voters agreed to the costs of land acquisition, but did not approve construction costs for a building on that land.