News

CONQUERING ALL - The two June sessions of the Community Ed activity "Little Movers" have royalty as the theme. Joining the children on June 3 were Sleigh and Cutter King Brent Brass and Miss Owatonna Teen Linden Aarsvold. Pioneer photos by Deb Bently

Little Movers win the day

After navigating a complex trail, a smiling preschooler dressed as Ariel from Disney’s Little Mermaid stood defiantly in place, soft weapon prepared for battle. Her goal was to get to the castle, and the king–complete with sash and crown–was in her way. This was a scene at “Little Movers:...

The Owatonna Legion with help from the Owatonna and Faribault Middle Schools, presented colors at the 90th Annual Meeting for the Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. Pioneer photo by Ben Revermann

Nearly 1,000 attend SWCE annual meeting

The Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric (SWCE) held its ninetieth annual meeting over the lunch hour on Tuesday, June 2 in Owatonna in the organization warehouse. According to Services Supervisor Randy Sobrack, the crowd numbered nearly 1,000, with about half being cooperative members. A central...

Council looks at skate park, airport

The Waseca city council met in the evening of Tuesday, June 2. During the June 2 meeting of the Waseca city council, city attorney Chris Kennedy presented legal information and local statutes on low power motorized vehicles. The minimum ages for drivers of electric motorcycles or E-motos is...

THIS ONE IS SPECIAL - The Exchange Club of Waseca met on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, pictured from left: Club Treasurer Jeanne Sexton, President Mikhail Rostislavovich, foreign exchange student and speaker, Zdenek Kavka, and Vice President Jen Losen. Pioneer photo by Ben Revermann

Exchange Club learns of student experience

The Exchange Club of Waseca met over the lunch hour on Tuesday, May 26. The speaker for the day was Zdenek Kavka, a foreign exchange student from Czechia. Vice President Jen Losen also celebrated her birthday. The meeting was called to order by President Mikhail Rostislavovich and regular...

County looks at library funding, land sales

During their regular meeting on June 2, members of the Waseca County Board of Commissioners heard from county administrator Michael Johnson regarding various steps in changing the LeSueur-Waseca Library system from having formerly been listed as its own tax entity to now being funded and overseen...

KICKOFF - Speaking and mingling at the June 5 Tom Sexton campaign kickoff at Waseca's Mill Event Center were campaign chair Mikhail Rostislavovich, Jay Steffens, Tom and Jeanne Sexton, and Monica and Charlie Priebe. Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

Sexton's 2026 campaign holds kickoff in Waseca

A steady crowd cycled through Waseca’s Mill event center the evening of June 5 to speak with Tom Sexton, incumbent candidate for Minnesota’s House of Representatives legislative district 19B, as he begins his campaign for the 2026 election. Sexton’s opponent this November will be DFL candidate...

Web-based tours lead to local discoveries

After learning about the Discover Waseca County app, I decided to give it a try. Begun as a project by Waseca Senior High School students in a social studies class, it has been expanded and broadened with information from a variety of sources to let visitors know about the history, shopping,...

Student Council President Layla Keith speaks

Good afternoon everyone. Before I begin, I want to congratulate the entire Class of 2026, and thank all the friends, families, and teachers who are here to celebrate with us today. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come! I think a lot of us at some point in the past four years thought this day...

Class speaker Sadie Schimming's speech

Hello, and good afternoon class of 2026. I am honored to have the opportunity to speak in front of you today, one of the more important days of our lives. Whether you’re feeling sentimental, or are ready to race off the stage with your diploma, I encourage you to take a moment to think...

Class President Paige Dufault's graduation speech

Good afternoon parents, family, friends, School Board Members, Superintendent Hudspith, Distinguished Guests, and Waseca Junior and Senior High School administration and staff. Thank you to the Waseca High School Band and director, Mr. Devon Lawrence. I am Paige Dufault, Senior Class President....