News

Rachel Cornelius

Grateful, happy to serve

“My job is to seek justice, not convictions,” says Waseca County Attorney Rachel Cornelius. Cornelius, who has been in the position since 2006, admits that “justice” can be difficult to define. “We talk extensively with the victims and get to know what their wishes are,” she clarifies. “We do...

PROTECT AND SERVE - Nick Wellman, Waseca peace officer and night out organizer with Courtney Hartle.

Waseca's Night to Unite

Night to Unite, a national event, was observed at the Waseca Water Park on Tuesday, August 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. This celebration, sponsored by public safety agencies to encourage a sense of community and offer neighbors a chance to get to know each other better, has been held at the waterpark for...

Shanna Peoble, Kelly Beddeger, Jessica Stuckmayer, and Beth Stankiewicz pose by one of the donated paintings at the Waseca Art Center's Hometown Art Show Silent Auction. Pioneer photo by Melanie Piltingsrud

A swanky soiree

The Waseca Art Center hosted another swanky soiree on Friday, July 29, as the month-long Hometown Art Show Silent Auction, a fundraiser for the Waseca Area Caregiver Services (WACGS), culminated in a gathering of art enthusiasts to make final bids on their favorite art pieces Kelly Beddeger,...

Janesville Area Foundation members (from left) Arlene Pooley, Kelly Eustice, Bridget Gehring, Claudia Roesler, Sam Steffel, Mike Finley, Joe Burke, and Dave Pope pose in Yellowstone themed costumes alongside cardboard cutouts from the series.

Pioneer photo by Jonah Stafford

Celebrating 10 years of giving

The Janesville Area Foundation’s 10th anniversary celebration delighted attendees gathered at the St. Ann Catholic Church’s Parish Center Saturday night. The local non-profit, which exists under the Waseca Area Foundation umbrella, was founded on July 24, 2012. “We raise funds to grant back to...

MAKING STRIDES– Brett and Barbara “Babs” Miller have been working to make the business their full-time jobs. They have appeared at many fairs throughout the state, and they are pictured above at their booth at the Waseca County Fair.

Pioneer photo by Eli Lutgens

ETCHing their way to success

Seven years ago, when Brett and Barbara “Babs” Miller got married, they wanted a fire-nurse themed wedding. The problem was, there weren’t many businesses open to create designs to fit that theme. So they did it themselves. “I’ve always been a crazy kind of person,” Barbara Miller says. “I...

A first for Waseca American Legion

Shelby Barbknecht of the Waseca American Legion recently got a surprise promotion. In the most recent election, she was voted in as the organization’s chaplain, but when the elected post commander decided to move to Florida, the organization was without a leader. Barbknecht was offered the role,...

Second BEST stop in Waseca

Members of the Business and Entrepreneurial Support Team (known as BEST) of Waseca County have been making the rounds this summer by touring each of the county’s towns. Their first stop was New Richland June 8. Last Wednesday, July 20, they visited Waseca. BEST is made up of a group of...

Volunteer Terry Lee (left) and employee Angela Motz sort through some fresh produce at the current Waseca Area Food Shelf location.

New facility

“It’s going to be…heaven!” comments Waseca Area food shelf manager Garry Huckfeld as he contemplates what it will be like to work in the new facility currently under construction for the food shelf. “We’re going to be able to help people so much more efficiently.” The food shelf currently...

BUILDING STRENGTH - Among the people who helped make the "Matson Strong" law possible were (from left) Senator Julie Rosen, Brian Peters (MPPOA), Jim Mortenson (LELS), Megan and Arik Matson, Waseca County Attorney Rachel Cornelius, and Senator John Jasinski.

Like Matson, new law beats the odds

By DEB BENTLY News Editor With the squeezing of a trigger, Waseca police officer Arik Matson’s life was changed forever. As for the person who shot him in January of 2020, the most jail time Waseca County Attorney Rachel Cornelius could foresee was 25 years, despite the fact that he had not...

Tragic loss

On Friday, July 22, authorities recovered the body of an eight-year-old girl who went missing while swimming in the Minnesota River. She was identified as Willow Bense of Janesville. Bense was with her family swimming near Sibley Park in Mankato on Thursday, July 21. According to Blue Earth...