News

City’s new ladder truck to be shown at state conference

During the Sept. 1 meeting of the Waseca city council, fire chief Jason Forshee shared information about an opportunity to showcase the new fire ladder truck 523 at the Minnesota State Fire Chief’s Association conference in Duluth from Oct. 14 to 17. He told council members that, iIf there is an...

PLANT, STEP - Marching Band Teacher Devon Lawrence and drum major Colby Hoof were directing the Waseca Marching Jays at the Minnesota State Fair Parade on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. Pioneer photo by Jessica Revermann

Marching Jays overcome heat, distraction during Minnesota state fair

The Waseca Marching Jays were part of a competitive parade at the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday, Aug. 30. Besides the drum marching cadence, or “street beat” that was played during music down time, the students played the song, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston. Devon...

AWARENESS ADVOCACY - Heather Clark is pictured here with her daughters Vienna (left) and Zella. Clark is one of six people who advocated to have September named as "Recovery Awareness Month" in Waseca County in parallel with the national proclamation. Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

Area resident encourages others to join on a recovery journey

“I slept in her crib every night she was gone,” Heather Clark says of the time her daughter Vienna, then 4 months old, was taken from her household by child protection services. “But even that didn’t get me to change.” Clark, 22, has been a Waseca area resident for the past two years. She...

Katie Gonzales honored by Marching Classic

The Waseca Marching Classic has named State Farm Insurance Agent Katie Gonzales as this year’s “Friend of the Classic.” Now in its 39th year, Waseca’s annual band extravaganza is set for Sept. 19, with a parade through downtown Waseca beginning at noon and a field show at the Waseca High...

Waseca looking at change to semester schedule

At the September 3 work session, Waseca school board members heard from Area Learning Center teacher Eric Mix about his work with the pilot robotics program XRP through MSU Mankato. Mix was eager to implement robotics back into the district as there has not been an advisor for the program...

BERRY GOOD - Pat and Gordy Frisk were shopping Walter Bice's jam and jelly stand at the Waseca Farmers Market on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. Pioneer photo by Ben Revermann

Bice household offers variety of homemade spreads

It was foggy, yet pleasantly cool at the Waseca Farmers Market on Saturday, Sept. 5. There were low hanging clouds and high spirits, and that’s where Walter Bice comes in. Since 2012, Bice has been selling at the Waseca market: “I originally came from Faribault, but I grew up in Shieldsville,...

Waseca Legion offering free breakfast for all county first responders

The Waseca Legion, Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion (SAL) are sponsoring a Heroes Appreciation Breakfast the morning of Sunday, Sept. 20 from 8 a.m. until noon at the American Legion Hall. The first item on the menu is gratitude, followed by pancakes, french toast, eggs, and...

RECOVERY AWARENESS MONTH - During the Sept. 1 meeting of the Waseca County Board of Commissioners, the month of September was proclaimed "Recovery Awareness Month." Members of the recovery community were present to support the cause. Lighting on the county courthouse will be purple all month in recognition of the proclamation. Pictured here are (back row, from left) Commissioners Doug Christopherson and De Malterer, Tyler Bolster, Quen Bena, Christopher Wright, commissioners Brian Harguth, Brad Milbrath and Brad Krause (front, from left) Alexander Henderson, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Megan Radel and Heather Clark, holding her daughters Vienna and Zella. Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

County continues work toward 2027 budget

The press toward a preliminary 2027 county budget and levy continued during the Sept. 1 meeting of the Waseca County board of commissioners. During an 8 a.m work session, representatives of agencies which receive more than $10,000 a year in "allocations" provided summaries of the services their...

Charles Rubel

High speed chase leads to arrest

Charles Grant Rubel, 55, of Eagle Lake is in custody with the Waseca County Sheriff’s office after an incident which began about 2 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4. A Waseca County deputy driving on West Wilton River Road northwest of New Richland spotted a Chevy Camaro driving with its headlights off on...

TASTEFULLY DONE - Dennis and Diane Sommers of Waseca have been operating Grandma D's Kettle Corn since the 1990s. Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

Kettle corn business sweetens life for local family

The owner/operators of Grandma D’s Kettle Corn, Dennis and Diane Sommers of Waseca, willingly share the ingredients to their popular treat: Sugar. Salt. Popcorn–a little of the first two, a lot of the other. But when it comes to details like how long it should be cooked or how to tell when...