Come June 16 the Owatonna Country Club will be packed with women and purses. The second annual Power of the Purse fundraiser raises funds for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. 
The event, which is put on by the United Way Women’s Leadership Council, will feature both a silent and live auction along with appetizers, cocktails, desserts and a wall of wine. 

The agriculture community will see a savings of 5 cents per kilowatt-hour by going solar, according to Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric General Manager Syd Briggs.
The co-op has constructed a 250-panel community solar garden. Steele-Waseca member-owners may subscribe to a portion of the solar garden and receive renewable energy credits on their account. 

Tanya Henson, owner of The Hat Chic in Owatonna, never knew that she would become known as ‘The Hat Chic’, ‘The Hat lady’ or ‘The Hat Girl.’  

Yes, the June 9 Referendum for the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva School District is finally upon those in the school district. 
And it is an important vote for the school district, because it will determine what will become of the Ellendale and New Richland facilities in the coming years.
A vote against the referendum could mean the patrons are satisfied with what the buildings are like now. 

There’s an old saying that adversity can be a defining moment in a person’s life. Or should we say adversities. That certainly has been the case in the Bussler household over the years.

Less than two months after their teenage son died by suicide, a Blooming Prairie couple is hoping to turn the tragedy into something positive. 
Kristi and Jamie Jorgenson want to increase awareness of mental illness, a disease that their son, Alex, battled for three years prior to ending his life a day before his 16th birthday at the family’s home on April 13. 

On Thursday, May 28, Zachary Schumaker was awarded the honor of “Police Officer of the Year.” Moonlighter’s Exchange Club of Owatonna sponsored this recognition banquet, which was held at the VFW in Owatonna at 6 p.m. 
Many community members and members of the Owatonna Police Department attended this banquet to honor Schumaker and the outstanding service that he has extended to the Owatonna community. 

A 4-1 loss to Tri-City United ended the Panthers’ sub-section runs on Thursday, May 28, ending a season of ups and downs for the Panthers and their new coach, Drew Paukert. 
While the season may be over, Paukert says he hopes the season proved to be the first step toward years of excellent baseball under his tutelage. 

Senior Taylor Hagen became the second Blooming Prairie athlete to earn a trip to state competition.  She placed second in the shot put at the Section1A meet Thursday, May 28, to join sophomore Taylor Christianson, who had taken medalist honors in the Section 1A golf tournament just two days earlier.