Issue 2, Friday, October 23, 2026

County puts Master Gardener funding back for 2027

Nine people spoke and the board reversed itself 4-1, plus the water park's leaky season and the county levy.

If you use the Master Gardener program, it is funded for another year. On Oct 13 the Steele County Board voted 4-1 to restore $31,535 for the master gardener coordinator position under the county's University of Minnesota Extension agreement for 2027. The minutes do not say who voted no.

On Sept 22 the same board had voted unanimously to give the university 90 days' notice that it would stop funding both the ag educator and master gardener positions as of Jan 1, 2027. Nine people spoke about the program during public comment Oct 13, and the board added the question to its agenda that night. Commissioner Joshua Prokopec moved to restore the money and Greg Krueger seconded. The ag educator position was not part of the motion.

Also that night: the board awarded the CSAH 28 reconstruction near Beaver Lake to Ulland Brothers for $4,384,401.16 and raised the Haselton Construction contract for the Bixby Road and 18th Street roundabout to $506,749.49 to cover railroad flagging. A motion to sell the old county highway shop at 828 Hoffman Drive to the high bidder for $35,000 failed, and the board then rejected every proposal.

In brief

The water park's leaky summer, by the numbers. River Springs did not open until July 3 because of four leaks, a 28-day closure that cost 15 group bookings and 10 birthday parties, the Park Board's aquatics report says. Attendance still hit 30,421, down from 33,345 in 2025, with a record July of 21,238. The 2027 fee list raises the daily rate from $7.50 to $8.

County levy plan: 7.15%. On Sept 22 the county board adopted its preliminary 2027 levy; staff had proposed a 7.15% increase, counting on MNPrairie equity payments, with another budget talk in November. The same night it voted 3-2 to pursue a full renovation of the Annex Building for Public Health, Joshua Prokopec and Greg Krueger against, and awarded the jail re-roof to Schwickert's Tecta America for $1,590,880.

Library traffic. The library's September report shows 16,132 checkouts, about even with last year, and 10,453 visits, down from 11,407. Interlibrary loans jumped to 2,121 from 1,639. Summer program attendance was up 17.3% from 2025. At the Blooming Prairie branch, checkouts rose to 1,606 from 1,386.

Police numbers. Owatonna police made 414 traffic stops in September, up from 404 a year earlier. The third-quarter service analysis lists Monday and Wednesday as the busiest days of the week and 2 pm as the busiest hour in September, versus 7 pm in July and August.

Downtown storefront loans. Three forgivable loan requests were on the Economic Development Authority's Oct 21 agenda: up to $2,500 for an exterior door at 313 Cedar Ave N (AlleyKat Properties), $10,000 for an awning, siding, doors and windows at 342 Bridge St W (Flemke Properties), and $10,000 for doors, siding and paint at 505 Cedar Ave N (HaiRevolution Salon).

Around town

County roads. CSAH 43 from US 14 to Kenyon Road is paved, with pavement markings coming the week of Nov 3; the new bridge there opens when the resurfacing is done. The Bixby Road and 18th Street roundabout is listed as complete and open to traffic. This year's box culvert replacements on CR 18, NE 64th Street and SE 19th Street are also done.

Cardinal Drive SE and Ivy Street SE. This year's street and utility project replaces the water main, upsizes storm and sanitary sewer, replaces all curb and gutter, and narrows the road from 40 feet to 36. You get written notice at least 48 hours before any water shutoff. Leave locate flags in place. Questions: 507-444-4350.

Legends membership goes rolling. The senior membership at West Hills Social Commons now runs one year from the date you buy it instead of January to December, so you no longer have to renew with everyone else on Jan 1. Renewals are $40 with your existing pass; new members pay $45, which covers the keycard. Legends has 302 members this year, up from 284.

Brooktree winds down. Tee times run 9:30 am to 4:40 pm through Nov 2 as the days shorten. The course was voted Best Golf Course in Southern Minnesota in the Readers' Choice poll, and its August Big Cup drew 21 teams with more turned away, so it added a fall edition.

Coming up

Sat Oct 24, 5 to 8 pm: Spooky Pumpkin Trail, Brooktree Golf Course to Mineral Springs Park. Park at Brooktree. Sat Oct 24, 9 am to 3 pm: Early voting, Room 40, Steele County Administration Center, 630 Florence Ave. Also Tue Oct 27 until 7 pm and Oct 31 and Nov 1, 9 am to 3 pm. Sat Oct 24, 7 am to noon: Farmers Market, Central Park. Two Saturdays left; the season ends Oct 31. Mon Oct 26, 6 pm: Controlled burn, south half of Leo Rudolph Nature Reserve, weather permitting. Neighbors may want to close windows. Tue Oct 27, 5 to 6:30 pm: Red Ribbon Week kickoff, Owatonna High School. Free snacks and the fourth-grade poster contest winners. Wed Oct 28: Woof or Treat at Lake Chase Park and Trunk or Treat at Trinity Lutheran Church. Both have council event permits; times were not posted. Thu Oct 29, 2:55 pm: Section 1AAA cross country, Brooktree Golf Course. Varsity girls first, boys at 3:35, awards at 5:15. Fri Oct 30, 4 to 6 pm: Y-Pro Social, Steele Saloon. Cocktails, Halloween crafts and games.

One more thing

Noah Tesch, a resident paid-on-call firefighter who lives at the station, is the 2026 Firefighter of the Year. Vice President Doug Voss read the proclamation at the Oct 6 council meeting and said he had spent Night to Unite riding in the fire department's pickup with Tesch and found him one of the most enthusiastic people in the department. The Exchange Club honored him at its Oct 8 banquet at the Eagles.

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