News

PALOOZA - Avery, 6; Ophelia, 8; and Peyton, 9 concentrated on decorating their pumpkins at Aspyn Acres on Oct. 18. Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

Aspyn Acres event is a Pumpkin Palooza

The large numbers of families and children at Aspyn Acres’ “Pumpkin Palooza” exceeded expectations and delighted event organizers the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 18. Aspyn Acres, located a few miles north of Waseca off county highway 22, is a not-for-profit organization with two purposes,...

CARING - Wanda Hendrickson, a new resident in Waldorf has opened up Wanda's Daycare to help new parents who need to balance work and childcare. Pioneer photo by Ben Revermann

Wanda's Daycare opens in Waldorf

City resident Wanda Hendrickson opened a new business in Waldorf as of Monday, October 13. Mechanics deal in cars, bankers deal in money. Hendrickson, 64, proudly deals in children at “Wanda’s Daycare” where she is ready, willing and able to help with all childcare needs. She says she doesn’t...

Janesville tables paid medical family leave

During their meeting on Oct. 13,, members of the Janesville City Council tabled making a decision about how the city will handle the newly implemented family medical leave (FML) which state law says employers must have in place by Dec. 1. The council remanded work on the topic to the personnel...

FISHING FOR SUPPORT - Cindy Kolander, Sophy Clayton, and Gretchen Priebe were manning the bake sale at the Waseca Area Neighborhood Service Centers' fish fry at the Legion on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. Pioneer photo by Ben Revermann

Fundraiser at Legion supports food shelf during tough time

A fundraiser at the Waseca American Legion hall the evening of Oct. 17 benefitted the Waseca Area Food Shelf and its supporting organization, the Neighborhood Service Center thrift store (WANSC). Volunteers from the WANSC helped staff all facets of the fish and burger feed, bake sale, and meat...

MINISTERIAL SOUP - The First Congregational Church of Waseca held a ministerial soup lunch and devotional over the lunch hour in the church basement on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

Pioneer photo by Ben Revermann

First Congregational serves luncheon, message

The First Congregational Church of Waseca held a ministerial soup lunch and devotional over the lunch hour on Wednesday, Oct. 15. On the menu for the day was homemade cheesy vegetable or sausage tortellini soup with oyster crackers, bread and butter. There were also six different types of bars...

NR Police sponsor community game

According to organizing officer Drew DeRaad, more than 40 children and a few adults have signed up for a game of “hide and seek” set for 7 p.m. the evening of Thursday, Oct. 30 in New Richland. He explains participants will meet at city hall, where they will hear the rules of the game, including...

WANNA LLAMA? - Brenda Zachrison, one of the owners of Llama Mama MN based out of Hamburg, supervises as children participating in Farmamerica's MEA Discovery Days brush the alpaca and one of the three llamas her organization brought to the facility on Friday. Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

Farmamerica Discovery Days features llamas

“The alpaca’s hair is so soft, she feels like a stuffed animal,” commented Brenda Zachrison, proprietor of Llama Mama Minnesota, based out of Hamburg, Minn. Zachrison was standing among a small crowd of children holding brushes, all of them simultaneously stroking her impressively calm animals...

STOCKED UP - Brandon Eder, assistant area supervisor with the Department of Natural Resources fish hatchery near Waterville, in the process of stocking walleye "fingerlings" into Clear Lake this week. Pioneer photo by Deb Bently

Clear Lake receives allocation of walleye

Hundreds of pounds of “fingerling” walleye were stocked in Clear Lake this week. The fish spent the warm months of the year in a pond at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) hatchery near Waterville, growing from “the size of an eyelash” to being somewhere between six and nine inches in...

Council approves Clearwater bid, funding option

Northland Security presented members of the Waseca City Council with preliminary funding options for Clearwater Preserve Phase 1 construction during their regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 7. The council then approved acceptance of bids and the amount for bonds. Jessica Green, Managing...

RACE READY - Martin Luther College students were prepping for the collegiate-level marathon at the Calonett Estate on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. Pioneer photo by Ben Revermann

Calonett Estate holds second Collegiate race

The Calonett Estate of Waseca held its second collegiate level 5K race featuring ten colleges the morning of Saturday, Oct. 11 titled “The Kent Finanger Invitational.” There was no head count, but close to 250 vehicles filled both parking lots available on the property. There were also buses...