В Оватонне пройдут празднование отставки начальника полиции и панельная дискуссия о защите водных ресурсов

As the political season heats up and campaigns are being organized, I was driving by the site of the former Jerry Rypka dairy farm and can remember when First District Congressman Al Quie came to Owatonna to begin his “Quie Caravan” around Steele County. The first stop he made was to the Rypka Farm that he used as a headquarters for the caravan. Quie stayed overnight at the Rypka’s, being hosted by staunch Republicans Jerry and Dorothy Rypka. I can remember Jerry Rypka telling me that the first time he became associated with Quie was in 1957. Rypka said, “Harry Wenger was chairman of a fundraiser being held agt the Monterey Ballroom. Al was a state senator at the time. That was the first time I met him and the very next day he called me and asked me if I would be on his re-election committee. That’s how it all started”. Rypka worked on his Congressional campaigns for 20 years, many of those when he was Steele County Republican chair. He also helped in Quie’s gubernatorial race for Minnesota Governor. Unlike most politicians who came to town, I always knew I could get ahold of Quie for radio interviews. He was one of my favorite politicians and was always honest and grateful to meet his public. A challenging meeting I can always remember that appearance at a pre-election night PTA meeting at McKinley school. Quie was in the area that night and I was chair of the McKinley PTA. Knowing that he would be staying in Owatonna the night before election made me think that he would be a great guest speaker at our McKinley PTA meeting. The DFL committee, thinking it would result in a political rally, started to raise objections to his appearance. Quie’s appearance was designed to be totally non-political, but the phone calls started coming to my home and to the home of Principal Elmer Reseland. We were both nervous wrecks by the time of the meeting. We could visualize members of the DFL party staging a rally outside of the school. That never happened and his address to the PTA was totally non-political. The night was most enjoyable for all. I can remember the day when Hubert Humphrey stopped by our radio station, which was located at Cedar and Pearl. After I did an interview with him, he came out of the studio. There sitting in a chair was Steele County’s top Republican, Bernice Sorenson. Humphrey apparently knew her, shook her hand and said, “You’re such a delightful person, it’s too bad you aren’t a Democrat!” Bernice answered with a hearty laugh, but Humphrey’s comment didn’t sway her political allegiance. In the early sixties, our radio station was conveniently located downtown at the corner of Cedar and Pearl so it wasn’t hard for national, state or local candidates to walk through our door to do a radio interview. My partner, Jerry Boos, became an advisor to many local candidates and his advice always included plenty of radio advertisements! OHS Athletic Hall of Fame inductees Next Friday the Owatonna Athletic Hall of Fame will hold their 2026 induction. The Class of 2026 includes Neal Davis, (coach, 1957-1966) Daniel Humes (Class of 1970), Karyn Stordahl Utecht and Adam Hanna, (both from Class of 1999) and Andrew Stelter (Class of 2014).Team of Distinction is the 1979 Girls State Champion Cross Country team. You are invited to the induction ceremony at 4 p.m. next Friday at the Wenger Performing Arts Center at OHS. Princess Kay, Jena Hanson Our Steele County Dairy Princess, Jena Hanson of Owatonna, was crowned Princess Kay of the Milky Way at the State Fair. Jena was one of 10 finalists from around the state vying for the title. She has been busy at the dairy building at the State Fair. After the fair is over, she will have appearances booked all over the state. Jena is currently attending the University of Wisconsin, River Falls where she is seeking a degree in dairy. During this past summer she served as an intern at Kashome Holsteins by Medford. Jena and the other nine candidates had their likeness carved out of butter. Retirement party for Chief Mundale Here’s something to put on your calendar. A retirement party for Police Chief Jeff Mundale is set for Sept. 17 at the Owatonna Arts Center from 3 to 5 p.m. Chief Mundale winds up 31 years of dedicated service to Owatonna. You are all invited. Gifts to the public schools You should know who gives gifts to the Owatonna Public Schools. The following listing is all for the Homecoming Parade: $250 from Kleckers Kreations, $100 from American Legion Post #77, $400 from Keen Band, $100 from Johnson, Doerhoefer, Andrist & Arndt, P.A., $100 from Elks Lodge 1395, $100 from Turtle Creet Nursery, $400 from Costas Candies, $400 from VFW Post 3723, $100 from Holland Family Dental, $250 from Owatonna Bus Co., $250 from Profinium, $200 from Stockwell Accounting, $250 from Hometown Credit Union. School buses on the move Motorists in Owatonna are asked to be aware when approaching a school bus. When the driver activates the yellow warning lights or the red stop lights, you should stop. Drivers who violate the law face a $500 fine. OPS Insider applications A reminder that Owatonna Public Schools is still accepting applications for OPS insider, a new community engagement initiative designed to give community members an inside look at the district while strengthening understanding, trust and connections. Deadline to apply is Sept. 15. The seven session program will take place from October through April, 2027. Sessions will explore topics including: Teaching and learning; Student support and well-being; School finance and budgeting, District operations, Community partnerships and College, career and life readiness. Contact the Superintendent’s office for applications. Scot Davis one of top five wrestling coaches all time Former OHS wrestling coach Scot Davis is being recognized in the top 5 high school wrestling coaches of all time. Scot holds the national record for career dual-meet wins with an astonishing 1,205 victories over a 43-year career. OPU Utility Partners The Owatonna Public Utilities is looking for new members for their Community Utility Partners (CUP), a customer advisory group that meets quarterly to share feedback directly with OPU leadership. This isn’t just a listening session your input shapes how OPU communities, what programs they offer and how they invest in the community. Quarterly meetings are the first Wednesday of January, July and October from 5:00-6:00 pm. Sought are 12 community members from all walks of life, no energy background needed. One will serve a two-year term and attend at least three of four meetings per year. Applications are due by Friday, September 18. Applications can b e picked up at the Utility office or call 507-451-2480 to have one mailed to you. Onward and Upward celebrating women leading the way The Steele County Historical Society invites you to join them for lunch and discussion panel “Her Voice: Celebrating women leading the way, protecting our environment and water resources from 11:30 to 1:00 Thursday, September 17 in the Wenger Room at the History Center. This year’s panel discussion will feature Cherry Schwartz, Adrienne Gransee, Lois Nelson and Rebecca Higgens as they share their experiences and insights on protecting our environment and water resource. Cost of the program is $25 for SCHS members and $35 for non-members. all 507-451-1420 register. Joke of the week: While watching a football game, my wife and I got into a conversation about life and death and the need for living wills. I told her that I never wanted to exist as a vegetable, depending on a machine and taking fluids from a bottle. She got up, unplugged the TV and threw out all my beer. It’s tough being married to a smart alec!