BLOOMING PRAIRIE – When a longstanding company continues to experience impressive growth, it’s only natural to expand and conquer. For Minimizer, the heavy-duty trucking equipment manufacturer that recently announced it will be re-locating from its birthplace of Blooming Prairie to Owatonna,…

OWATONNA — Cell phones throughout Steele County were sent an emergency alert late Sunday night.

OWATONNA — Early voting opened Friday for Minnesota’s first true presidential primary since 1956, and those going to the polls will now be required to state their party affiliation when requesting a ballot.

BLOOMING PRAIRIE — There may not be a monarchy in the United States, but when it comes to Blooming Prairie Jean and H Peterson are royalty.

BLOOMING PRAIRIE — When a number of Blooming Prairie residents were interviewed about Prohibition in the early ‘90s, the memories were varied.

OWATONNA — The City of Owatonna is booming with industrial growth, and city officials are expecting to see that reflected in upcoming years through new housing development.

MEDFORD — With two years of successful business and one large greenhouse expansion under its belt, Revol Greens has once again announced an exciting growth opportunity.

OWATONNA — “This has been talked about for a long, long time,” said Maureen Schlobohm. “Even before our time here.”

OWATONNA — Dressed in formal attire, high school students buzzed around Christian Family Church Friday morning for mock interviews, sales pitches and more with representatives from the local business community as part of the annual District 1 DECA Conference.

STEELE COUNTY — A renewable energy project that has been in the works for more than two years has been officially suspended, according to an update provided to the Steele County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday from the project company.

STEELE COUNTY — The three rookie commissioners for Steele County are on the last leg of their first term, opening the question of whether or not they will file for re-election.

OWATONNA — One week after the Owatonna Public School Board accepted monetary and land donations from Federated Insurance and the Rypka family for construction of a new high school, the district formally closed on the site Dec. 27.

OWATONNA — Riding on the wave of what they see to have been a positive and productive year for the city of Owatonna in 2019, the mayor and three city council members are all planning to file for re-election in 2020 as their current terms draw to an end.

OWATONNA — Although Bryan Christjansen has been making his original brown ale for over a decade, the beer is reaching an entirely new audience this month after he worked with Mineral Springs Brewery to recreate two of his recipes for the business in December.

OWATONNA – Phillip Wright has been an avid pool player for a number of years, from playing for fun to playing in competitive leagues. He’s passionate about the game, and he’s passionate about winning.

OWATONNA — As the number of home-based child care settings declines across the region, the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation has opened up applications for its second round of direct-to-provider grants designed to help increase capacity for early care.

BLOOMING PRAIRIE — Although he’s only halfway through his first term, Blooming Prairie Mayor Curt Esplan said he’s already planning on running again this fall for another two-year stint.

MEDFORD — During the regular Medford City Council meeting on Dec. 23, the council members unanimously approved the final tax levy for 2020.

OWATONNA — After an almost two-year journey, the City of Owatonna, working in collaboration with the MainStreet Owatonna program, officially has a plan in place to work toward a more beautiful and lively downtown area.

OWATONNA — Local coffee lovers can rejoice as another option for a morning caffeine fix is moving into town.

OWATONNA — Residents and businesses of Owatonna now have just 24 hours to remove snow after a snow event before potentially being cited and fined by the city.

OWATONNA — Just before sunrise on Friday, the Owatonna Public School Board unanimously approved a motion accepting monetary and land donations from both Federated Insurance and the Rypka family for construction of a new high school.

OWATONNA — Why are millennials so disloyal? Why don’t millennials respect their elders? Why is it just impossible to turn millennials into good, long-term employees?

BLOOMING PRAIRIE — A new strategic planning committee for the Blooming Prairie School District met for the second time this week to begin sifting through community feedback gathered earlier this fall.

OWATONNA — What does it mean to be a public servant?

OWATONNA — Preparations for the new Owatonna High School are officially underway as the district has selected a core planning team and construction manager for the project, with the former meeting for the first time last week.

STEELE COUNTY — After a mild truth in taxation meeting Thursday evening, the Steele County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved to set the 2020 tax levy to $25,697,008, an increase of 3.7%.

OWATONNA — Electric and water bills will slightly increase for Owatonna residents in 2020, despite there being no change in natural gas rates — for the most part.

OWATONNA — After five months, two moves, and one flood, 24 residents of a local senior living facility have officially returned home.

MEDFORD — Heading north on the busy Interstate 35, the town of Medford can be found quietly nestled into the very northern part of Steele County. The famed oldest community in the county, Medford is home of the Medford Outlet Center, the last remaining New England-type farmsteads in the stat…

OWATONNA — Devinder Malhotra, chancellor of the Minnesota State system, visited Riverland Community College Tuesday to meet with student, business and community leaders on the importance of workforce development scholarships.

OWATONNA — For many people, waking up early to go shopping on Black Friday is simply a part of their family Thanksgiving tradition.

STEELE COUNTY — Assessment officials with the county have an important task: to keep the jurisdiction’s tax rolls fair and equitable. In order to do so, the assessors must stay on top of any property changes that occur such as a new construction, improvements, updates, and demolitions.

MEDFORD — Things may be getting wild soon at the outlet mall located in Medford, but that, say city officials and the creatures’ keepers, is a good thing.

OWATONNA — Students and families in the Owatonna Public Schools will now be able to apply to receive computers, tablets and other technology no longer in use by the district, thanks to a new policy approved by the school board on Monday.

OWATONNA — Two initiatives encouraging Owatonna residents to shop local this holiday season are back following Thanksgiving.

OWATONNA — After five years and 50 successful graduates, Nicole Grams with the Steele/Waseca Drug Court program is seeing everything come full circle.

OWATONNA — Sterling Home is open for business, a few blocks down from the Hoffman Drive building that the gift shop shared with Sterling Pharmacy up until this past August.

OWATONNA — The Owatonna Police Department has welcomed its youngest — and hairiest — officer to the force, as K-9 Officer Vegas was introduced to the city council this week.

STEELE COUNTY — On Monday, the Minnesota Prairie County Alliance was notified that the local three-county human services agency will be required to help pay off $8.8 million in funds that state improperly billed the federal government for substance abuse treatment services that were provided…

OWATONNA — Earlier this month, Owatonna High School seniors gathered with local Rotarians and community mentors to launch this year’s STRIVE initiative.

OWATONNA — The United Way of Steele County is joining forces with more than 40 other chapters statewide to celebrate Minnesota United Acts of Kindness Week now through Nov. 22.

OWATONNA — “I still remember the day I was hired,” laughs Dave Pfieffer.

OWATONNA — One of the primary motivators in the Owatonna Public Schools’ push for a new high school will now be one of the guiding principles in that facility’s design. — namely, an emphasis on physical spaces that will enhance students’ college- and career-readiness in a world that looks va…