News

Agatha Weber, 7, and her sister Virginia, 4, gear up to take on the ice.

WHA hosts ‘Try Hockey for Free’

The Waseca Hockey Association (WHA), sponsored by USA Hockey, held its twice-annual “Try Hockey for Free” event Saturday, Feb. 25 at the ice rink. The February event is typically the smaller one according to Shannon Cliff, registrar for the WHA, since it's the end of hockey season. In November,...

Janesville THC ordinance tabled

Prior to walking out of the Monday, Feb. 27 city council meeting in protest over its decision to table any decision on a THC ordinance for six months, council member Melissa Kopachek spent about ten minutes of “public forum” time expressing dissatisfaction with how she has been treated, and...

About 400 family and friends gathered to watch the high school band present its winter concert Feb. 24 at the Waseca Performing Arts Center.

‘Contest’ concert Feb. 24

The Waseca High School bands held their winter concert Friday, Feb. 24 in the Performing Arts Center for about four hundred fans. Director Devon Lawrence greeted the audience, explaining that each band's three numbers for the evening were the ones they would perform at the Large Group Contest,...

Korbin Schumacher and Ella Dufault were crowned Waseca Snow Week King and Queen Thursday morning Feb. 16, in the high school gymnasium.

Waseca 2023 Royalty crowned

Snow week royalty gathered in the Waseca High School gymnasium Thursday morning, Feb. 16 to find out who among them would be king and queen. Student Council President Aubrey Hanson and Senior Class President Avery Madsen crowned Korbin Schumacher and Ella Dufault Waseca snow Week royals. The...

1,000 POINTS - Waseca girls basketball coach Joan Conway with senior Kloe Wadd after she scored her 1,000th career point in a 51-35 win over Belle Plaine Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023.

Pioneer photo by Eli Lutgens

Apex moment, Wadd scores 1,000th point

Waseca High School girls' basketball senior Kloe Wadd scored her 1,000th career point Thursday evening Feb. 16 in a home victory over Belle Plaine 51-35. Wadd’s milestone point came on a free throw with 13:49 remaining in the second half. After the bucket, the game was paused as she celebrated...

Parade organizer Ken Borgmann

Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

Parade features 35 units

The fairgrounds are a bustling place the morning before the Sleigh and Cutter parade. Some 35 units, large and small, have registered to take part in this year’s event—a number which has planners and organizers more than satisfied. “It was a great turnout,” says Sleigh and Cutter planning...

Kites with dozens of different shapes and sizes, some more than 100 feet long, took turns flying over Clear Lake on Sunday.

Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

Colorful skies

Sleigh and Cutter planning team member Ken Borgmann estimates that between 3,000 and 4,000 people attended Sunday’s giant kite event on Clear Lake, with as many as 18 kites in the air at a time–accompanied by dozens of smaller, private kites brought or purchased by individuals. With the cloudy...

Ben O’Brien revealed as Frosty

Evening of events

The Waseca Sleigh and Cutter Festival hosted a dinner, dance, and awards at the Waseca VFW on Feb.17. The dinner, which provided prepacked meals, was hosted between 5-7 p.m. The 2023 Festival began its events in January and will continue through March. Festival President Ken Borgmann, who has...

O’Brien reports on Hartley status

Continuing with this year’s series of adding building reports to the school board meetings, Hartley Elementary Principal Ben O’Brien presented remotely from the boys’ wrestling match. O’Brien acknowledged that though facilities are at the forefront as a district, his report focused on the inner...

City of Waldorf audit report

On February 6, Waldorf residents were provided an update on their city’s annual audit report from financial company Clifton Larson Allen. A result of the large amount of funding received for the street and water sewer project is a larger, more extensive audit process, analyzing up to 13...