Pipestone County Star

The Pipestone Planning Commission, during its June 10 meeting, recommended that the Pipestone City Council approve a conditional use permit allowing the Southwest Minnesota Opportunity Council (SMOC) to build a Head Start facility on property it owns at the corner of North Hiawatha Avenue and 11th Street Northeast. The recommendation included the conditions that a line of trees be planted to provide screening between the building and Pipestone National Monument, and that outdoor lighting be downward facing and dimmable. SMOC purchased the property from the county in 2022. The property is zoned multi-family residential (R-3) and the city of Pipestone’s... Article Link

The Pipestone Country Club will conduct the first of two glo-ball golf tournaments this year on Friday, June 19. Play will begin at 9 p.m. This will be a two-person team tournament. The cost is per team, which does not include cart rental. The event is limited to 36 teams. Tournament organizers report 28 teams have signed up so far. The kitchen will be open; however, there is no meal special. For information, call Pipestone Country Club at 1-507-825-2592. Article Link

MARSHALL — Luke Schreurs is a member of the Southwest Minnesota State University track and field squad. Schreurs, a resident of Arco in Lincoln County, also was a student-athlete at Russell-Tyler-Ruthton. At SMSU, Schreurs is a jumping specialist. However, he has competed in sprints for the Mustangs as well. Schreurs recorded his best-ever collegiate time in the 200-meter dash at 25.42 seconds at the St. John’s University Optimistic Meet in Collegeville. He also recorded a long jump mark of 5.84 meters (19-feet, 2-inches). At the St. John’s University Valentine’s Day Open back in February, Schreurs recorded his best placements of... Article Link

The Pipestone County Star sports department will run a six-week series on outdoor pickleball across the region this summer. The series will lead off with pickleball courts found in Harmon Park here in Pipestone, running on Thursday, July 2. The Star also will cover pickleball venues in other surrounding communities. The communities selected are as follows: Edgerton, Marshall, Tyler, Brookings, S.D., Elkton, S.D. and Crooks, S.D. The Elkton and Crooks courts will be combined into one story. In recent summers, the Star has featured state parks and golf courses. Now, it’s your turn, pickleball. If you have a pickleball-themed story... Article Link

REDWOOD FALLS — Pipestone Area Schools’ junior Brady Dunn was named to the all-Big South Conference boys tennis team. The team was officially released on Monday, June 8. This marks Dunn’s first-ever inclusion on the squad. “Making the team for the first time really makes me reflect on all of the efforts I have made, not only for my athletics, but also my academics,” Dunn said. PAS head coach James Skyberg was understandably proud of Dunn’s growth as a player. “Playing at No. 1 singles was a step up,” Skyberg said. Skyberg said Dunn took playing the top spot in... Article Link

The Redstone Horse Company will present a three-event barrel racing series at Diamond H Acres beginning Saturday, June 20. Diamond H Acres is a facility located at 1527 41st Street be- tween Edgerton and Hatfield. Series dates will be: June 20, July 18 and Sept. 5. The arena will be open at 8 a.m., with the office opening one-half hour later. Exhibitions run from 9-10 a.m., followed by an open arena period. Official runs begin at 10:30 a.m. The order of events is as follows: pee wee, first barrel run and second barrel run, pole exhibitions and pole bending. The... Article Link

One of the longest-running town festivals is the Dakota-Minnesota Saddle Horse Holiday. This marks the 80th annual event, which began on Monday with the Miss Lake Benton Pageant and runs through Saturday, June 20. This year’s pageant contestants were Rozlynn Thooft, Sydney DeVries and Angie Deutz. Starting this past Tuesday, there were daily hidden horseshoe clues. Find the clues through Friday, June 19. There is a disc golf tournament and community bean bag throwing contest at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 17 from Hole- in-the-Mountain Park. There is no entry fee. Friday’s events feature a hot dog feed at the Lake... Article Link

Five local veterans were awarded Quilts of Valor during the Flag Day picnic Saturday, June 14, at Moore Park in Pipestone. Quilts of Valor is a national organization that began in 2003. The group’s founder, Catherine Roberts, had a son deployed in Iraq at the time, and had a nightmare in which she saw a young soldier sitting on his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over in despair due to his war experience. She then saw him wrapped in a quilt and his demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well-being. Since it... Article Link

LAKE BENTON — The team of Greg Stuefen and Don Kruger won the 2026 Lake Benton Sportsman’s Club fishing tournament conducted at Norwegian Creek County Park on Saturday, June 6. The pair caught two walleye weighing 9.48 pounds. The team of Chris and Nick Stassen won “big fish” honors for catching a 10.23-pound northern. The team of Lowell and Pam Scholtes placed second overall, reeling in three walleye weighing 7.23 pounds. Other teams that placed were: Austin and Brady Dekam and Jordan and Jaxyn Rolling. Tournament organizers reported 30 boats were entered in the event. Article Link

Water Tower Festival activities kick off Sunday, June 21 at 5 p.m. when the first clue for this year’s medallion hunt is released. That and subsequent clues will be released at pipestoneminnesota.com and the Pipestone Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page. In honor of this year being the city of Pipestone’s 150th anniversary, whoever finds the medallion will receive 0 in Chamber Checks. Other festivities begin Thursday, June 25, with kids night and the downtown grill-out on Hiawatha Avenue. The JBS community burger feed fundraiser begins at 5 p.m. with food served until it’s gone. The fundraiser will help support... Article Link

The Jasper City Council during its June 9 meeting voted 3-2 to recommend that the Pipestone County Commissioners approve a conditional use permit allowing Wm. D. Scepaniak Inc. to operate a rock quarry northeast of Jasper. The Council previously voted 3-2 during their May meeting to take a neutral stance on the permit, but Pipestone County Commissioners expressed a desire for the Council to provide a clear recommendation. Pipestone County’s zoning ordinance requires a conditional use permit for all open pits and excavations. The zoning ordinance also indicates that “In the event the property in question is located within two... Article Link

The Pipestone County Commissioners, during their June 9 meeting, heard from representatives of ONEOK, Inc, which is the parent company of Magellan Pipeline Company, and expressed support for the company’s plans to reroute a pipeline that runs through the county. It would replace a pipeline that was decommissioned in 2022, that ran under the Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge – Pipestone Creek Unit and Pipestone National Monument. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) had granted Magellan a permit in 2024 for Route Alternative 1, which would take the pipeline about three miles north and about three miles west of... Article Link

The Calumet Players are bringing “The Wizard of Oz” to the stage of the Pipestone Performing Arts Center (PPAC) for two weekends beginning June 18. The musical will include all the well-known characters from the book by L. Frank Baum such as Dorothy, played by Phoebe Sheldon; the Cowardly Lion, played by Cheri Blom; the Tinman, played by Emily Blaeser; the Scarecrow, played by Jennings Wallace; Glinda played by Bronwyn Jones; and the Wizard played by Jeff Jones. It will also include the well-known music from the 1939 movie such as “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” “We’re Off To See The... Article Link

Mark Abrahamson was busy during the 6th Annual Pepsi Invitational amateur baseball tournament this past weekend. Abrahamson played in four games for both the hometown Pipestone A’s and Harrisburg Woodies. A’s head coach Avery Ploeger reported the Minnesota Baseball Association had to approve Abrahamson playing for both. In the end, the Renner Monarchs won the championship based on their 2-0 performance. “They are arguably the best team in South Dakota,” Ploeger said. “To have them play over here was pretty cool.” The title contest between the A’s and Monarchs was halted during the second inning because of heavy rain stemming... Article Link

INFORMATION CALENDAR Monday, June 15 Legion Baseball 5 p.m., Pipestone at Marshall Orange (junior level only) Festival 5 p.m., Miss Lake Benton Pageant Tuesday, June 16 Summer Softball 6:15 p.m., Colman-Egan at Pipestone (Paulsen Athletic Complex) Wednesday, June 17 Festival 6 p.m., 80th Annual Dakota-Minnesota Saddle Horse Holiday (Hole-in-the-Mountain Park, disc golf and bean bag tournaments) Summer Softball 6:15 p.m., Pipestone at Howard, S.D. Amateur Baseball 7:30 p.m., Ramona Express at Elkton Snappers (City Field) Thursday, June 18 Legion Baseball 5 p.m., Pipestone at Windom (Island Park, junior followed by senior level game) Friday, June 19 Festival All Day, 80th... Article Link

With more success comes more awards. That’s what the Pipestone Area Schools’ softball team learned during its season-ending awards program on Sunday, May 31, in “The Commons.” PAS junior pitcher Kaysa Douty was named to the Class AA Minnesota Fastpitch Coaches Association (MFCA) second team. Douty also earned most valuable player honors as voted on by her teammates. “We gave the ball to her,” PAS head coach Robert Petersen said. “We said ‘It’s all yours,’ and she did a great job.” Douty became an innings-eater, especially during the postseason. Petersen also remarked Kaysa’s change-up pitch showed improvement, a key factor... Article Link

INFORMATION SOFTBALL Minnesota State Tournament At Caswell Park, North Mankato Championship Games At Jane Sage Cowles Stadium University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Class A Tuesday, June 2 First-Round Games  United South Central 10, Sebeka 0 (5) Bird Island-Olivia-Lake Lillian (BOLD) 4, Southland 1 Red Lake Falls 5, New York Mills 0 West Lutheran 3, Barnum 2 Wednesday, June 3 Semifinals United South Central 5, BOLD 3 West Lutheran 4, Red Lake Falls 0 Friday, June 5 Championship Game United South Central 1, West Lutheran 0 Note: United South Central finished the season with a 26-4 record. Thursday, June 4 Third-Place Game... Article Link

ALBERTVILLE — Pipestone Area Schools senior sprinter Aurora Winsel capped her stellar scholastic career with two more runs. However, Winsel was unable to reach the finals in either the 200-meter dash or 400 run during the Minnesota State High School League Class A state meet at St. Michael-Albertville High School on Thursday, June 4. “I was extremely happy to compete again at state,” Winsel said in an email to the Pipestone County Star. “This year has been trying.” Winsel said she has battled illness, so qualifying for state one last time against the state’s best “meant a lot.” For Winsel,... Article Link

ALBERTVILLE — The Southwest Minnesota Christian/Edgerton 4x400-meter relay quartet was motivated. Highly motivated. The group had waited nearly a full calendar year to erase the painful memories of being disqualified during the 2025 Minnesota State High School League Class A state meet. This time, a more experienced foursome earned second place in the 4x400 finals in a scintillating new school-record time of 3:22.99 on Friday night at St. Michael-Albertville High School. “I was pretty excited for them,” SWC/E head coach Brent Van Schepen said. They proved they belonged. It was the 15th-fastest time of the 2026 season, per Wayzata Results. ... Article Link

BROOKINGS, S.D. — Two Elkton-Lake Benton girls placed among the top-40 at the South Dakota High School Activities Association Class B state tournament. Contested over two days Monday-Tuesday, June 1-2, Evie Foss turned in a two-day total of 181. Foss finished in a tie for 32nd with Lita Fryer from Estelline-Hendricks, Warner’s Ellis Johnson and Halle Schulz from Howard. Evie recorded 11 pars and 12 bogeys as part of her round. Malyha Slegers scored a birdie on the par-3 Hole No. 17 during her opening round, finishing with a two-day score of 185 from the ladies’ tees (5,122 yards long).... Article Link

This weekend, the region will celebrate the life and times of Joseph Douty with the third annual #LiveLikeJoe Memorial Golf Tournament. The event will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 13 at the Pipestone Country Club. There will be two 9-hole rounds with 18 teams per session. The first round will begin at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start. The second round starts at 2 p.m. The scramble-formatted tournament is mostly full, organizers reported. Douty will be remembered as a “founding father” of the Southwest Minnesota CEO program, a year-long course designed to encourage high school students in entrepreneurship. Pipestone... Article Link

Participation numbers continue to grow for the Pipestone Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau golf tournament. Chamber executive director Erica Volkir reported 26 teams vied for the 20th annual championship on Thursday, June 4 at Pipestone Country Club. “That’s 104 golfers,” Volkir said in a press release. “It’s the largest number of golfers to date.” The tournament featured a scramble format. Players hit the best shot and combined their strokes for the lowest score possible. Rooted and Fruited, a new business venture on W. Main Street in downtown Pipestone, won the championship with a 28. The business — which... Article Link

TYLER — The Tyler Golf Club will present its annual couples invitational tournament on Sunday, June 14. Registration will begin at noon, followed by a 1 p.m. shotgun start. The cost is 0 per couple for members and 0 non-members; a cart is not included in the price. That cost, however, features golf, one Mulligan per player, dinner and assorted prizes. Tyler Golf Club is located at 420 County Road 7. For information, call 1-507-247-3242, log onto the website www.tylergolfclub.com or email [email protected]. Article Link

The Pipestone Area Schools shooting sports program conducted an awards program at Pizza Ranch on Tuesday, May 19. The team will compete in the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League Championships on Monday, June 15 in Alexandria. Here are the award winners. Torin Schroyer was named Best Shot. Keely Burke earned the most valuable shooter honor. Jonah Basche was tabbed as the most improved shooter. Ethan Faber won the Annie Oakley Award. Lucas Faber earned outstanding achievement. Colin Bucher won the Rookie Award. Look for a recap on how the Arrows fared at the state competition in a future... Article Link

BROOKINGS, S.D. — Pipestone Area Schools’ graduate Brooklyn Goelz competed for the South Dakota State University rodeo team during the 2025-26 season. Goelz specialty was breakaway roping, competing on her “handsome boy” Hashbrown. Breakaway roping is a fast-paced, timed rodeo event where a mounted rider attempts to rope a calf around the animal’s neck. The rider doesn’t dismount to tie the calf. Goelz was an animal science (pre-veterinary medicine track) major at SDSU, following into the family business. She also had minors in chemistry and animal health. During her time as a student at SDSU, Goelz served as the 2025... Article Link

Pipestone City Council members during their June 1 meeting voted not to extend a land lease and solar easement as requested by New Energy Equity LLC. The company had originally entered into a lease with the city in 2021 and planned to build a 1-megawatt solar garden on about 8.5 acres of city-owned land east of the city’s water treatment plant north of Pipestone. In 2024 the City Council approved an amendment to the lease that relocated the yet-to-be-built solar garden to an area near the existing solar array on North Hiawatha Avenue and east of the city’s tree dump,... Article Link

Pipestone City Council members during their June 1 meeting voted not to extend a land lease and solar easement as requested by New Energy Equity LLC. The company had originally entered into a lease with the city in 2021 and planned to build a 1-megawatt solar garden on about 8.5 acres of city-owned land east of the city’s water treatment plant north of Pipestone. In 2024 the City Council approved an amendment to the lease that relocated the yet-to-be-built solar garden to an area near the existing solar array on North Hiawatha Avenue and east of the city’s tree dump,... Article Link

The Pipestone Area Schools’ boys tennis team conducted its season-ending awards program on Wednesday, May 27 at Pizza Ranch in Pipestone. Arrow head coach James Skyberg reported Brady Dunn was named the most valuable player. Mathew Swenson earned the prestigious most valuable teammate honor. Joel Cardenas was named most improved player. Mikah Weets was tabbed as Mr. Hustle. In addition, Dunn was named to the all-Big South Conference team. Look for a complete story on Big South Conference boys tennis accolades in the Thursday, June 11 edition of the Pipestone County Star. Article Link

MARSHALL — Jackson County Central senior Mady Wachal tossed 16 strikeouts in eliminating Pipestone Area Schools during the Section 3AA championship game. “Mady was effective,” PAS head coach Robert Petersen said. “She was able to get us to swing on pitches outside the strike zone. We couldn’t lay off them. Good pitching defeated good hitting.” Despite the loss, PAS returned to the section title round for the first time since 2023. The Arrows finished with a respectable 18-12 record, including victories over New London-Spicer and Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta on Tuesday, May 26. Petersen said the girls grew in confidence throughout the... Article Link

MARSHALL — Bird Island-Olivia-Lake Lillian pitcher Kaitlyn Flann threw a complete-game four-hitter to eliminate Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian during a Section 3A elimination game on Tuesday, May 26. Flann struck out 10 and allowed just one walk in 93 pitches, 69 of them for strikes (74.2 percent efficiency). Cara Ruiter went 2-of-2, Cali Wagner doubled, Kaya Voge singled and Liana Bloemendaal walked; but that was the only offense to show for the Flying Dutchmen (15-12). Presley Van Dyke allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits. Van Dyke allowed eight walks and seven hits with just five strikeouts in 142 pitches... Article Link

WORTHINGTON — Russell-Tyler-Ruthton senior Teigyn O’Leary qualified for the Minnesota State High School League Class A state tournament a fourth time. That was by virtue of her finish at the Section 3A tournament on Wednesday, May 27, at GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness Club. O’Leary carded a 30-over par 172 in this 36-hole tournament spread over two days, with the earlier round on May 20. She tied Canby’s Maddison Richter for second place. “This means a lot to me,” RTR head coach Tim O’Leary, Teigyn’s father, said. “It’s just a testament to her. She’s worked at her game.” During her second... Article Link

LUVERNE — The Pipestone Area Schools’ baseball team saw its season come to an end with a Section 3AA South subsection loss to rival Luverne. “They are a good program,” PAS head coach Rick Zollner said. “They take baseball seriously, and play a lot of games.” The Cardinals were simply better in the three major categories: offense, fielding and pitching. PAS finished the season with a 7-14 record. The Arrows lose Austin Musch and Trey Boelman to graduation. “We’re losing two outfielders who covered a lot of ground,” Zollner said, “and they were leaders for us practice and games. Both... Article Link

MILROY — The Adrian-Ellsworth baseball team proved to be Russell-Tyler-Ruthton’s kryptonite all season long. And the Dragons earned their fourth win of the season over the Knights, 5-3, in the Section 3A Tournament elimination bracket semifinals on a cool, cloudy Saturday, May 30 at Irish Yard. With the exception of the Section 3A South subsection contest between A-E and RTR on May 23, an 8-0 Dragon shutout, the rest of the games were quite competitive. “Adrian-Ellsworth has a bunch of senior experience,” RTR head coach Danny Moffitt said, “and they capitalized on it. They’re a good team, and it was... Article Link

Several years ago, the Pipestone A’s approached Pepsi Bottling Company President/General Manager Tim Haubrich about sponsoring a local amateur baseball tournament. A partnership was formed. The Sixth Annual Pepsi Invitational is set for Friday, June 5, and the A’s will play the opening game versus the Volga (S.D.) Cormorants at Westview Park. “We’re big on sports and everything Pipestone,” Haubrich said. “Add everything together, and it’s a win-win. People will be coming into town to enjoy baseball.” Jordan Karels, one time A’s manager, was the brainchild behind this joint venture. Pipestone Area Schools graduate Bayley Colemer plays multiple positions and... Article Link

Pipestone Area Schools’ senior track and field athlete Aurora Winsel has enjoyed a storybook career. Winsel will add one final chapter this week at the Minnesota State High School League Class A state meet. That’s because Winsel earned gold in the 400-meter run, her signature event, with a time of 1:00.10, which also happens to be a season-best performance. “I’m extremely happy and grateful to be running at the state meet again this year,” Winsel said in an email to the Pipestone County Star. “Being able to qualify for state is an amazing way to wrap up my senior season.”... Article Link

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Five Elkton-Lake Benton athletes earned podium finishes at the South Dakota High School Activities Association Class A state meet. The drama unfolded at Howard Wood Field, with recent ELB graduate Taiton Boersma grabbing silver in the discus with a mark of 167-feet even. Boersma also was sixth in the shot put, marking at 50-4.75. ELB head coach Mark Harming said Boersma is considering joining the program at NCAA Division I South Dakota State University. “Tait leaves the program as arguably the most dominant thrower in school history,” Harming said, “having school records in both the shot... Article Link

The Pipestone City Council during its June 1 meeting tabled the lone bid of 8,000 to repair the east wall of the former Carnegie Library building in order to obtain more information about another potential funding option. The bid included an alternate involving the use of salvaged stone from the city’s stock pile that would deduct ,000 and another alternate involving the use of a manufactured stone product that would deduct ,000. Even with the possible deductions, however, the bid was higher than the estimated cost of 0,250. The city was awarded a 2,162 grant by the Minnesota Historical Society... Article Link

The Pipestone Economic Development Authority (EDA) during its June 1 meeting approved a childcare incubator application from Rhonda Van De Brake, allowing her to use the former Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church as a daycare for 0 a month for the first six months. EDA members also approved a childcare development forgivable loan for Van De Brake that she plans to use for daycare equipment, toys, activities and startup costs. Both approvals were contingent upon her obtaining her childcare license. According to the applications, she’s in the process of obtaining a childcare license and plans to serve 10 children the... Article Link

The long-awaited sunshine and summer months are here. Kids are at home with new routines, or you could argue no routine at all. If you have followed my column long enough you know that we like routines in my house. With four kids in the house, and a 10-year age difference between the oldest and the youngest, the activities that fill the calendar vary greatly. Weightlifting, softball games in the Jasper league, basketball league in Cottonwood, gymnastics, swimming lessons, and the start of the youngest in baseball are just a few that have started already. As I squeezed another thing... Article Link

When it came to the “Windy Cities,” Chicago sound of the ‘60s, no single group quite defined the sound as well as Chi-Town’s New Colony Six. This sextet, along with the Buckinghams, Cryan’ Shames, Shadows of Knight, American Breed, Chase and the Ides of March jointly defined Chicago ‘60s rock and roll. The New Colony Six were a recording and hit making machine. In total they recorded for such labels as: Mercury, MCA, Sunlight, Sentar, Polydor and Centaur Record labels. They charted TWENTY-ONE singles on Billboards charts, while releasing four amazing LPs. These guys really did rock the Windy City!... Article Link

LUVERNE — The Pipestone Area Schools’ baseball team will open the Section 3AA South subsection tournament on Tuesday, May 26. The Arrows will square off with longtime Big South Conference and section rival Luverne, with the first pitch set for 5 p.m. at Redbird Field. PAS (7-10 record) drew the No. 7 seed when pairings and seedings were announced on Wednesday, May 20. Luverne earned the second seed. Luverne handily won the two regular-season games, inducing the mercy rule in both. The Cardinals downed the Arrows 15-4 on Friday, April 10 at A’s/City Field — followed by a 16-6 conquest... Article Link

The Southwest Minnesota Opportunity Council (SMOC) plans to build a Head Start facility on property it owns at the corner of North Hiawatha and 11th Street Northeast. SMOC purchased the property from the county in 2022. The property is zoned multi-family residential (R-3) and the city of Pipestone’s zoning ordinance requires a conditional use permit for schools in R-3 districts. The Pipestone Planning Commission voted during its May 13 meeting to table a request for a conditional use permit for the facility in order to get more information. According to information presented during the Planning Commission meeting, the proposed building... Article Link

Several Memorial Day programs are planned in Pipestone County on Monday, May 25. Below is an overview of when and where the programs will be and what they will include. Pipestone The Memorial Day program will begin at 10 a.m. at New Woodlawn Cemetery. Lieutenant Colonel Myron Koets, of Pipestone, will be the keynote speaker. Koets was drafted into the U.S. Army in the fall of 1965 at the age of 19. After basic training, he went to Officer Candidate School. He went on to serve in the military for 27 years, including over seven years on active duty, and... Article Link

Rich and Theresa Stangle, of Pipestone, have purchased the Hot Spot property at 223 West Main Street in Pipestone and plan to create business spaces and add murals to the building. Theresa Stangle presented their plans to the city of Pipestone’s Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) during its May 12 meeting. Stangle said they plan to put in a new door and window and create a new entrance for an area that had been used for storage on the west side toward the back of the building. She said they have a business interested in using that space. They plan to... Article Link

For too long, a common-sense solution to lower gas prices and support American energy independence has been tied up in red tape. Families and farmers in Western Minnesota and across the country have been subjected to frustrating, outdated, and unnecessary regulations. The House of Representatives has taken a major step toward cutting that tape by passing H.R. 1346, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, which included my language for permanent, nationwide, year-round E15. I was proud to lead the efforts through my seat on the Rules Committee for this bipartisan bill, which will provide the certainty that our... Article Link

About 74 members of the Pipestone Area Schools (PAS) graduating class of 2026 will receive diplomas on Sunday, May 24 in the high school gymnasium. The ceremony begins at 2 p.m. Each year the senior class committee helps plan certain elements of the graduation ceremony and other events leading up to graduation. This year’s senior class committee includes Vivian Brockberg, Trevor Doppenberg, Samantha Stokesbary, Ericka Vivanco, Katie Hanson and Alivia Fruechte. The committee helped select elements of the baccalaureate program on May 20 and the senior breakfast on May 13. They also came up with options for the class colors,... Article Link

The Jasper City Council during its May 12 meeting voted 3-2 to take a neutral position on a conditional use permit Wm. D. Scepaniak Inc. is requesting from Pipestone County that would allow the company to operate a rock quarry northeast of Jasper. Pipestone County’s zoning ordinance requires a conditional use permit for all open pits and excavations. The zoning ordinance indicates that “In the event the property in question is located within two miles of a municipality in Pipestone County, a Conditional Use Permit may be granted only after review and recommendation by the governing body of such municipality.”... Article Link

A routing open house is planned for Tuesday, June 2 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at St. Leo Catholic Church. Representatives of Xcel Energy presented preliminary route options for the PowerOn Midwest transmission line project to the Pipestone County Commissioners during their May 12 meeting. The proposed 750 kilovolt (kV) transmission line would run from the South Dakota border across southern Minnesota. All of the preliminary route options in southwest Minnesota pass through Pipestone County. Some pass through the northeast corner north of Ruthton and others pass through the more central part of the county. County Board Chairman Luke... Article Link

Desire expressed for curbside collection Maureen Bell asked the Jasper City Council during its May 12 meeting to bring back curbside collection during the city-wide clean up days. The City Council plans to consider the request later this year when the fall clean up day is scheduled. Typically, the city requires items to be brought to the public works shop as it did during this year’s spring cleanup day on May 2. Man hole cover painting suggested Deb Tillma shared an idea for a community project that would allow people to paint flowers on man hole covers in the city.... Article Link

The first filing period for candidates in the Nov. 3 election opens at 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 19 and ends Tuesday, June 2 at 5 p.m. This filing period is for federal, state, county and city of Pipestone offices. There is a second candidate filing period for all other cities, townships that hold elections in November and school districts in the county. That filing period begins July 14 and ends July 28. All candidates must be eligible to vote in Minnesota, must not have filed for another office at the upcoming primary or general election, must be at least 21... Article Link