News

Arlo, 1, and Camden, 5, Helton got a picture with Santa, with a little help from Mom. Pioneer photos by Ben Revermann

Fourth annual Christmas Time at the Mill

An annual event since 2021, “Christmas Time at the Mill” is planned and carried out by Matthew Petsinger, who says he does it all because, “‘Tis the season.” The first 200 children to arrive at the Mill on Saturday, Dec. 7 got one of 200 hot dogs donated by Morgan’s Meat Market on buns donated by...

Realife Community members enjoyed an early Thanksgiving meal followed by Bingo on Monday, Nov. 23, 2024.

Pioneer photos by Ben Revermann

Realife Cooperative is independent, interactive

“People don’t know what we are,” comments Realife Cooperative board member Nancy Bushlack. “I know they see our sign and get curious, because every once in a while, someone stops in to ask.” The Realife Cooperative building occupies about a half a block of land in the 1200 block of Third Street...

Waseca County dispatcher Bob Kubat was honored during the Nov. 19 meeting of the Waseca County Board with a “Lifesave” award. Kubat managed a recent crisis when a teenage passenger on a Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton school bus called 9-1-1 after noticing the driver was becoming unresponsive. Pictured here are, from left, Waseca County Sheriff Jay Dulas, dispatcher Bob Kubat, Doug Gerdts, chief deputy with the county sheriff’s office, and Tim Engel, Hub manager at JWP for Palmer Bus Service. Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

Lifesave award presented during Waseca county board meeting

A public hearing on the topic of county law enforcement officials acquiring body-worn cameras lasted only a minute during the Waseca County board meeting on Nov. 19. No one appeared for public comment, and Sheriff Jay Dulas told commissioners he had also received no feedback through numerous...

Waseca’s teacher of the year for 2024, Meghan Selvik.

Selvik surprised by honor of Waseca teacher of the year

Meghan Selvik, a special education teacher at Hartley Elementary School, was taken by surprise when it was announced at the end of the school’s Veterans Day program she had been named as the Waseca Education Association’s Teacher of the Year. Building principal Ben O’Brien announced her...

Waseca Area Neighborhood Service Center board member Jim Britton and food shelf employee Niki Schaffer next to a shelf loaded with food to be distributed to area families.

Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

Food shelf sees increased usage as food insecurity rises

“That kid sitting next to you in class might be hungry, and you don’t even know it.” Cindy Kolander, executive director of the Waseca Area Neighborhood Service Center and the Waseca Area Food Shelf, is grateful to the 4-H leader who made this statement during one of her many presentations...

From left: Mikhail Rostislavovich, Dr. Jay Bulfer, Mayor Randy Zimmerman, Councilor Mark Christiansen, Commissioner Brian Harguth, Public Safety Director Kris Markeson, Chamber Executive Director Ann Fitch, Councilor Stacey Schoeder, Eli Lutgens, and City Manager Carl Sonneberg. Photo by Tom Sexton

Waseca hosts state of the city address

A couple dozen people attended a “State of the City” session sponsored by the Waseca Area Chamber of Commerce (WACC) legislative committee at the Waseca Junior Senior High School performing arts center the evening of Monday, Nov.18. Representing city leadership were Waseca Mayor Randy Zimmerman...

Aliyah Taylor, 17, signed her letter of intent on Nov. 20, 2024 to play Women's Volleyball for Bethany Lutheran College for the fall of 2025.

Aliyah Taylor to play volleyball at Bethany

Aliyah Taylor, 17, and a senior at Waseca Junior Senior High School, took a monumental step in her athletic and academic career on Wednesday, Nov. 20, as she signed her letter of intent to play volleyball for Bethany Lutheran College. With classmates, family, and coaches gathered to celebrate,...

Janesville’s Madti Johnson, 26, is the owner of a new junk removal business, “Paradise Lakes Junk Removal.” Pioneer photo by Jessica Lutgens

Johnson opens junk removal business

When Madti Johnson, Janesville resident and former Patient Care Assistant, found herself moving out of her home at the same time as her then-client, the process of clearing out two living spaces proved to be quite a task - most of which consisted of collecting multiple loads of unwanted items and...

Members of the crew which helped put on the Murder Mystery at the Alexander home this past weekend.

Alexander House hosts murder mystery

With a flair for the original, brothers Mikhail Rostislavovich and Dwight Tostenson opened up their home, the Alexander House of Waseca, on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 and 16 for a murder mystery fundraiser that already has people speculating about a repeat performance sometime in the future....

Speakers and moderators for the “State of the County” event were, from left, Brian Harguth, Randy Zimmerman, Brad Milbrath, Jay Dulas, DeAnn Malterer, Stacy Schroeder, Michael Johnson, Sarah Berry, Mikhail Rostislavovich, Chris Hinton, Jamie Beckstrand, Dwight Tostenson and Ann Fitch. Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

State of the County public address

About 50 people attended a “State of the County” session sponsored by the Waseca Area Chamber of Commerce (WACC) political committee at the Waseca Junior Senior High School performing arts center the evening of Tuesday, Nov.12. Representing county leadership for the evening were commissioners...