Up until two years ago, Luke Swenson had never been involved with the Blooming Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce. But that quickly changed as he entrenched himself by taking on leadership roles and just this month he became the group’s president.

Stan Groff, Steele County interim public health director, has added another interim position to his duties.
The joint Dodge and Steele County Board for the Community Health program last week appointed Groff to the interim director position following the retirement of Dodge County Public Health Director Peggy Espey who was also CHS director.

Ann M. Klemmensen, 85, of Ellendale, died Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015, at Koda Living Community.
Ann was born Aug. 23, 1929, on the family farm in Berlin Township, Minnesota, the daughter of Henry and Clara (Anderson) Thompson. She was baptized on Sept. 22, 1929, and confirmed her faith on June 18, 1944. 

Elaine H. Johnson, 88 formerly of Austin, died Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, at Lake Shore Inn Nursing Home in Waseca. 
Elaine Harriet Hendrickson was born Oct. 21, 1926, in Owatonna to Henry C. and Marie E. (Lofthus) Hendrickson. She graduated from Blooming Prairie High School. On Oct. 5, 1946, she was married to Erling Nathan Johnson, the son of Eddie M. and Nellie (Hagna) Johnson, in Blooming Prairie. 

Willis ‘Bud’ Miller, age 89 of Blooming Prairie, died Monday, January 12, 2015, at Prairie Manor Care Center. He was born August 9, 1925, in Wanamingo, Minnesota, to Edward and Nettie (Anderson) Miller. A Kenyon High School graduate, Bud served his country in the U.S. Navy from June 1943 until his honorable discharge in June 1946.

Esther Margie Wiese, age 91 of Blooming Prairie, died Saturday evening, January 17, 2015, at Mayo Clinic Hospitals, St. Mary’s Campus, Rochester. She was born April 6, 1923, in Hayfield, the daughter of George and Ragnhild (Nesheim) Simonson. She attended country school district #91 near Evanger, Minnesota, and after completing her education lived in Hayfield, Rochester and Austin.

The awe of community journalism and its powerful impact on communities hit me at an age when most of my friends were busy concentrating on other things. 

Well, we are halfway through the longest and dreariest month of the year, and we got a break from that freezing weather with some thawing temperatures at the end of last week. It is funny what a few degrees above normal can do for a person’s mood and outlook on life. 
I won’t try to fool anyone into thinking that winter is over, but even a few days or a week of above normal temps will undoubtedly shorten the bad days still to come.

Five days after reaching, 1,000 career points, Spencer Tollefson led the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva boys basketball team to an 83-63 victory over the Blooming Prairie boys.
“I thought the first 17 minutes we played our best basketball of the year,” said Panthers head coach, Pat Churchill. “Our offense was crisp and we were moving the ball and getting great looks.”