All the bituminous has been removed on the Blooming Prairie Main Street reconstruction, a joint project between the City of Blooming Prairie and Steele County. Concrete removal was planned to begin this week.
Recent work has involved connecting the water main and sanitary sewer in the center of Highway 218.  

The crowd went wild as young men put their bravery and skills to the test by trying to stay on a bull for at least eight seconds at the Dodge County Fair Grand Stand last Wednesday night.  
The Rice Bull Riding Company put on the event and featured riders from all over including Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. 

High school football teams across the state are facing shortened preseason schedules, due to a scheduling conflict with the 2015 Prep Bowl site. 
The Prep Bowl, usually held the third week of November, was supposed to be played at the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium. There was only one problem. The Gophers had dibs on that weekend. 

Educational experience was key in the hiring of Dr. Dale Carlson as the interim school superintendent for the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva School District.
“He seems to be passionate about education,” NRHEG School Board president Rick Schultz said. “He came across as a calm, effective leader.”

Now through the rest of 2015 visitors to the Steele County Historical Society can learn more about one of the towns that makes up Steele County, Ellendale. 
The display, which opened April 15, is put on by the Ellendale Heritage Society in conjunction with the SCHS and is sponsored by Andy and Mary Lerberg. 
Although this is a first-time exhibit, this is by no means the first partnership between the two organizations. 

The Steele County Times continues to evolve.

Over the years I have covered many criminals and the crimes that go along with them. Some are shocking to the conscience, others are downright silly and humerous while there are those that are horrifying and sad. For obvious reasons, some stick out in my mind more than others. 

Editor’s Note: The Times made several attempts to interview Broulik in prison for this story, but each time he declined our requests. The comments from Broulik used in the story were taken from court documents and his sentencing hearing in federal court. 
By all accounts, Brian Broulik grew up enjoying a “typical” life as a farmer’s son in rural Steele County.

Ever stop to think about how each individual bead on a necklace came to look the way it does? Instead of just buying beads from a store, Sue Peoples makes unique beads by doing it herself with a torch and kiln.
Peoples first started doing beadwork in 1997 after she took a group class to learn how to make earrings from a co-worker.