Graduation Day is coming soon for those across the Steele County Times and News Enterprise coverage areas. Over the next few weeks those graduating will be getting everything together for that special day in May, or in some cases, June.

Seeing photographs or watching videos of inmates locked up in Minnesota’s prison system or any images of prison won’t be happening anytime soon. 

The number of clogged sewer lines is on the rise in Steele County, potentially costing untold thousands of dollars in pump and other repairs.
The culprit? Sanitary wipes that should never be thrown in the toilet, even though their manufacturers label them “flushable.”

With prom season in full swing, dress shops are picked over, hair and nail salons are booked, restaurants are booked and juniors and seniors are ready to dance and create a memory they will never forget. 
 
Blooming Prairie

Nick and Javis VonRuden have been playing baseball together for a long time. For years it’s been their dream to play on the same varsity team. This year, that dream came true. 
With Javis being a freshman and Nick a senior, this season will be the two’s only opportunity to play varsity ball together, but they are making the most of it. 

BP vs. Hayfield
Although neither won its division, the Blooming Prairie track teams picked up numerous firsts at the four-team Hayfield Invitational track meet Tuesday, April 21. The girls finished first in nine events, while the boys took seventh.

Less than a week before Dancing With Our Steele County Stars, Cory Michaelson dislocated his knee at work. However, Cory and his wife, Angela, were able to overcome that obstacle and take home the title. 

For the Kaplan, Grannes and Williams families, the From the Heart Run/Walk is not just a race, it is an event that brings friends, family, co-workers and other community members together to support each other during hard times. 
Since the race’s inception in 2009 it has raised over $250,000, all of which has been given directly to local families to help with the piling up medical bills. 

Members of the Blooming Prairie Police Department won’t just be patrolling the streets in SUVs this summer.
Last Wednesday, Minimizer owner Craig Kruckeberg presented Police Chief Greg Skillestad and Sgt. Mark Lang with one of two police bicycles the department is receiving, the result of a $5,000 donation from Kruckeberg. The bike was handed over during a brief ceremony in front of Minimizer’s office.