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Owatonna Hospital to be hub of regional deliveries

Publisher — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:46:01 +0000

Owatonna Hospital to be hub of regional deliveries

Faribault Birth Center to close

Publisher Thu, 11/06/2025 - 20:46

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

Allina Health announced today that its decision to provide on-call labor and delivery coverage at Owatonna Hospital is part of a broader effort to strengthen and sustain rural health care services.

It will bring upcoming changes to labor and delivery, pediatric and surgical services at Faribault Medical Center.

The changes follow Mayo Clinic Health System’s decision to end its agreement to provide on-call labor and delivery coverage at Owatonna Hospital, effective Nov. 17.

In response, Allina Health is transitioning to a regional obstetric care model that leverages the strengths of both Faribault Medical Center and Owatonna Hospital, which officials say “provides a more sustainable way for our OB provider group to serve a broader region.

“After careful evaluation, it’s clear that a small team cannot realistically support two birth centers long-term,” the announcement says. “As a result, labor and delivery services will be consolidated at Owatonna Hospital, and the Faribault Birth Center will close.”

As part of the model, outpatient services—including prenatal, postpartum, gynecologic, newborn and pediatric care—will continue in Faribault and will also be offered in Owatonna beginning in early December, ensuring continued access to essential care across both communities.

“Maintaining rural labor and delivery programs is increasingly challenging due to provider shortages, long recruitment timelines, declining birth volumes and low reimbursement rates,” said Whitney Johnson, president, Faribault Medical Center and Owatonna Hospital.

“We understand that service changes can be difficult for the community,” she said. “We want to assure our patients, care team members and the larger community, that we’ve carefully evaluated our options. This service integration allows us to prioritize safe, high-quality and sustainable care while ensuring continued access to these vital obstetric services for our region.”

That means labor and delivery services will be consolidated at Owatonna Hospital; the Faribault Birth Center will close Dec. 1, 2025.

Outpatient services – including prenatal, postpartum, gynecologic, newborn and pediatric care, will continue in Faribault and will also be offered in Owatonna beginning in early December.

The regionalization will require more changes in service, including:

* Effective May 7, 2026, Faribault Medical Center will no longer admit pediatric patients, due to low volumes. Pediatric patients will continue to be admitted at Owatonna Hospital.

* Effective Dec. 1, 2025, FMC will no longer provide emergency surgical coverage during evenings and weekends due to limited availability of anesthesia services.

* Surgeons will remain on-call, and to ensure patients receive timely and safe care, individuals requiring emergency surgery during evenings and weekends will be transferred to Owatonna Hospital or one of Allina Health’s metro locations.

Allina Health leaders say they are “committed to working with impacted patients and Care Team Members through this transition and are working closely with the Minnesota Department of Health.”

A public hearing will be scheduled regarding the changes.

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SCSO identifies woman killed in crash near Hope

Publisher — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 17:18:23 +0000

SCSO identifies woman killed in crash near Hope Publisher Thu, 11/06/2025 - 18:18

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

Authorities have released the name of the woman who was killed in a head-on crash Tuesday night south of Hope.

Christine Possin, 71, of rural New Richland, has been identified by the Steele County Sheriff’s Office as the driver of one of the vehicles. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The male driver, an Owatonna area man, has not been identified. He was airlifted to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys Campus in Rochester with critical injuries.

Rescue personnel were dispatched at 9:40 p.m. to the scene, where they found two vehicles near the intersection of 37th Avenue and 93rd Street Southwest.

The case remains under investigation by the SCSO, with the assistance of the Minnesota State Patrol.

In addition to those agencies, crews from Mayo Ambulance and the Ellendale Fire Department also responded to the crash.

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Use of deadly force justified in June shooting

Publisher — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 19:33:33 +0000

Use of deadly force justified in June shooting Publisher Wed, 11/05/2025 - 20:33

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

With guns drawn, SWAT members approach the suspect shown in the upper right-hand side of this photo holding a handgun. He was shot to death by officers seconds later. Prosecutors have determined the June shooting was justified. Photo courtesy of Steele County Sheriff's Office.

No charges are warranted in the death of a rural Albert Lea man who was killed in a hail of gunfire in June.

A review by the Fillmore County Attorney’s Office determined the use of force by law enforcement, including a Steele County Sheriff’s deputy, was justified.

The findings have been sent to the investigating agents with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

The series of events that led to the shooting began about 7:10 p.m. June 11 with a report of a domestic dispute in the 21000 block of 880^th Avenue in Oakland Township. The caller said that Nathaniel Dewitt Bailey, 44, of Albert Lea, had sent a text message to a woman, claiming he had killed his mother.

After a lengthy and often high-speed pursuit involving several law enforcement agencies, Bailey returned to the scene of the original dispute.

Bailey parked his vehicle and got out; according to video of the incident, Bailey had a handgun, which he raised with both hands in a “squared up” position.

In his report, Fillmore County Attorney Brett Corson wrote that Bailey “failed to heed orders to drop his gun and surrender to law enforcement and aimed his weapon” at members of the SWAT team.

Corson reviewed 375 pages of evidence gathered during the BCA investigation, including body camera recordings; squad videos; audio statements and transcripts; pictures from the scene; autopsy and ballistics reports; 911 calls; Snapchat and text messages; and more.

Each of the officers were aware that Bailey had reportedly killed his mother that evening and had reportedly pointed a gun at his mother’s head the day before, Corson wrote.

They also knew Bailey was carrying a weapon, had rammed a squad car, and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase.

Additionally, Corson found, “all of the officers commanded Bailey or heard other peace officers command Baily to drop his gun, raise his hands, or stop.”

It did not appear that Bailey was able to fire his weapon before he was killed, the report says, but “this does not change the determination that deadly force was reasonable … It was reasonable for the peace officers to believe their lives were in imminent danger and that it was necessary to utilize deadly force.”

The officers, Corson wrote, “made great effort to avoid the use of deadly force,” calling it “reasonable, unavoidable and necessary to prevent the death of themselves and/or others.”

Sean Robbins was one of five officers who discharged a firearm during the incident; he has 11 years of law enforcement experience and responded as part of the Steele County SWAT team.

In addition to Robbins, the other officers are Mower County Sheriff’s Sergeant Katlynne Fisher, who has eight years of law enforcement experience; Freeborn County Deputy Darik Weigel, eight years of experience; Albert Lea Police Detective Sy Vanthavong, 24 years of experience; and a Faribault County Sheriff’s Office deputy whose name was withheld due to undercover status.

When law enforcement searched the property after the shooting, they found the body of Bailey’s mother, Brenda Kay Krause, 66.

Her death, which has been ruled a homicide, was the result of gunshot wounds.

BCA crime scene technicians recovered a handgun and spent cartridge casings at the scene.

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HONORING OUR VETERANS

Publisher — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 19:30:44 +0000

HONORING OUR VETERANS

Honor Flight brings gratitude, healing

Publisher Wed, 11/05/2025 - 20:30

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

Gerald Meixner, of Owatonna, holds the lap quilt presented to him when he arrived at the Rochester airport following a trip to Washington, D.C., with North Star Honor Flight. He was one of five Owatonna veterans who made the trip Sept. 30.

It seems backwards, but for the veterans who spend a full day visiting military memorials and Washington, D.C., landmarks, the Welcome Home is where the healing really begins.

When the second mission of North Star Honor Flight touched down in Rochester on Sept. 30, the plane’s doors opened and 84 vets made their way up the jetway.

Contrary to their return from service more than 50 years ago, they were greeted with applause, cheers, flags, a band playing patriotic music – and “Welcome Home!” signs.

“When we came in there, I couldn’t believe all the cheering and hollering,” said Gerald Mexiner, of Owatonna. “I thought, what the heck is going on? There must have been 200 people waiting for us.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “A lot of them were from the VFW in Owatonna – that whole airport was full.”

He was one of five Owatonna veterans who made the trip, accompanied by a guardian.

“It was so heart-warming,” said David Goodnature, another of the five. “This was the welcome home we never got when we came home from the war.”

He, Meixner, James Leonard, John Powell and James Rowe are all veterans of the Vietnam War era.

North Star Honor Flight

Based out of Adams, NSHF serves nine counties in Minnesota: Steele, Dodge, Mower, Freeborn, Waseca, Olmsted, Blue Earth, Faribault and Fillmore.

Five counties in Iowa are also covered: Cerro Gordo, Howard, Mitchell, Worth and Winnebago.

The goal of Honor Flight is to take World War II, Korean, Vietnam era and terminally ill veterans on all-expense-paid trips to Washington, D.C., where they can reflect, connect and experience the nation’s gratitude firsthand. During the visit, veterans and their guardians tour significant sites and well-known memorials.

This Honor Flight hub launched officially in August 2024, and is 100% volunteer-run.

Veterans may apply for the one-day trip – and it’s a long day. Participants are asked to arrive in Rochester by 4:30 a.m.; a short program honoring the vets and guardians begins at 4:50 a.m.

They then board a chartered Sun Country Airlines flight to Washington, D.C.

Once there, the group boards buses for a guided tour to several landmarks. Planned stops include Arlington National Cemetery, the WWII Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps memorials.

Everything a vet may need for the day is supplied, from mobility assistance and transportation to meals and medical staff.

The stops

The local vets’ flight east had an unexpected glitch: Air Force One was in the area, which meant the airspace around it was cleared.

“So we had to fly around for another hour and a half,” Meixner said, before receiving clearance to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, five miles outside of D.C.

“They took us all over Washington,” he said. “We saw the White House, but it was off in the distance.”

Because of the delay, some of the stops were cut short or skipped entirely, Goodnature said.

They saw the war memorials for Iwo Jima, Vietnam, Korea and WWII; the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Navy and Air Force memorials; the FDR and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials; and Arlington National Cemetery.

The veterans had an “insider” moment at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

“One of the guys that does it is retiring, and he came out and talked to us for about 45 minutes about what you have to go through” to be chosen as a guard for the landmark, Meixner said.

Everything, from the uniform to the shoes, “has to be just so,” he said. “It’s very rigorous to get through.”

Meixner had visited most of the memorials before, but his son Mitchell, his guardian, had not.

Goodnature was also seeing them for the first time.

“I would have never gone to D.C. had it not been for this program,” he said of the Honor Flight.

War stories

“It was kind of nice to see all the other veterans there, from all the branches,” said Meixner, an Army vet who spent a year in Vietnam.

Though some on the flight were from the Korean War era, most were Vietnam vets.

Meixner looked for a specific name at that memorial.

“I got an etching of a friend of mine that was killed right in front of me when I was there,” he said, then paused.

“I had an M79 (grenade launcher) and he had an M16 (rifle), so I told him he had to go in front of me,” Meixner said. “Well, he got killed right in front of me then.”

His friend was Alan Bernstein, from New York.

“I don’t say too much” about time spent in Vietnam, Mexiner said. “I got to camp out for the whole year in the jungles, you know, so… I’ve seen a lot of people killed.”

He earned his Purple Heart after a rocket hit a tree near him, sending shrapnel into his arm and leg. He was sent to Da Nang for treatment, then for recuperation in Cam Ranh Bay for about a month.

The war seemed to follow him: The barracks nearest Meixner was bombed, prompting a firefight.

He turned 20 while overseas.

“We had one guy that was 26 years old, and we all called him Grandpa,” Meixner said. “He was the oldest; we were all 19, 20 years old.”

They were just kids, he agreed, “but that’s what they wanted out there, because we had the stamina to crawl up and down the mountains.”

He remembers the Vietnamese children the soldiers met and befriended, but sadly.

“They were probably all killed when we left, because they were with Americans,” he said.

Coming home

The memorials began closing for the evening before the Honor Flight veterans saw everything.

“We were around the Pentagon,” Meixner said, but security made it difficult to get close – then it was back to the airport for the trip back to Rochester.

“On our way home, we were so busy,” Goodnature said. “We had mail call; the vets received mail from relatives and friends to open on our way. I was surprised to receive 25 letters.”

It was much the same for Meixner.

“All four of our granddaughters got cards and wrote him,” said his wife Marilyn. “You see, they never got any of that when they came back” from Vietnam.

Even the letters Meixner received while overseas are lost to the ages – including those from Marilyn, who he married a month before being sent to Vietnam.

“I couldn’t keep mine, because I had to carry everything,” he said. “Everything I owned was on my back.”

By the time they landed in Rochester, it was approaching 11 p.m. – and that big crowd was waiting.

Goodnature’s wife Rita “saw three veterans come off the plane with tears in their eyes,” he said. “It must have been a moving experience for them.”

In addition to the cheers and hugs, each veteran received a bag with Honor Flight memorabilia, and a handmade lap quilt.

“That was something else, I’ll tell you,” Meixner said.

Both men are grateful for the “long hours and hard work to put the memorable day together,” Goodnature said.

“It was a day I will not forget,” he said. “God bless America.”

And the healing continues.

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New fair assistant manager ‘a great fit’

Publisher — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 19:26:16 +0000

New fair assistant manager ‘a great fit’ Publisher Wed, 11/05/2025 - 20:26

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

There is something new every year at the Steele County Free Fair – this year, there is someone new.

Zach Rinehart is the new assistant manager, joining manager Scott Kozelka in putting together the largest county fair in Minnesota.

Though he grew up in Kiester, Rinehart is no stranger to the local get-together.

“I grew up going to the Steele County Free Fair to watch a mechanic from my hometown race stock cars,” he said.

The Faribault County Fair was the first fair Rinehart was involved with, both as a volunteer and an employee. He was a board member for eight years, as well.

He now lives near Eagle Lake, serves on the Blue Earth County Fair Board and is District 2 Director of the Minnesota Federation of County Fairs.

“With Zach’s knowledge in the fair industry, it’s just a great fit,” Kozelka said. “He wants to learn more, and when he’s able to get that manager position, he’ll be ready with what we can teach him, and go from there.”

Kozelka mentored Rinehart in the weeks leading up to the 2025 fair, “just to get my feet wet a little bit, but then show the rest of the (SCFF) board what my ability and capabilities are – just to make sure that everyone is like, OK, this is the guy we want to bring on for right now.”

At 32, Rinehart’s history in the fair industry goes back 15 years or so.

“It’s that classic scenario where everyone says in order to get a job, you have to have 10 years’ experience,” he said, “but if you’re young, how do you get the experience? Well, you start when you’re a kid.”

Though not a member of 4-H, Rinehart was involved in agriculture through FFA.

“Growing up on a Christmas tree farm, there’s not a lot of livestock to show,” he laughed.

Rinehart met Kozelka through their shared work with the International Association of Fairs and Expos, and continued to work together at the state level of the Federation of County Fairs.

“Scott wants to give back to the industry the best way he can,” Rinehart said, “and part of that is teaching me what I can learn and what I can bring to the table as a younger generation,” in addition to helping grow the SCFF.

Part of that, he said, is helping “upgrade and update and make a user-friendly experience in the technology,” including the website.

Rinehart knows, though, “when something’s not broken, you don’t try to fix it, right?”

And Kozelka knows his desire to learn will be an asset for the 2026 fair – and beyond.

“If somebody called and said they wanted Zach as a manager tomorrow, I’m not holding him back, because that’s his goal,” Kozelka said. “I want to help him in any way I can to get to the next level.”

For Rinehart, being a part of the SCFF “is essentially a dream-come-true scenario for me,” he said. “I get to eat, sleep and breathe fairs, and help advocate and provide youth development opportunities at a large scale.”

As of Monday, the countdown was on.

“Two hundred eight-eight days to the fair,” he said.

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Allina to take over baby deliveries

Publisher — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 19:22:03 +0000

Allina to take over baby deliveries

Owatonna Hospital will have labor and delivery providers

Publisher Wed, 11/05/2025 - 20:22

Kay Fate and Rick Bussler

“This is really a positive step to keeping care (locally).”
-Brad Meier, Chamber President

“It’s a win all the way around for the community.”

Michelle Sorensen summed up what many in Owatonna and the surrounding area were feeling after last week’s announcement that Allina Health would provide obstetricians to continue labor and delivery services in Owatonna.

The move was prompted by Mayo Clinic Health System’s decision to end on-call labor and delivery coverage at Owatonna Hospital, effective Nov. 17.

The collaborative effort between Allina Health and its partners ensures expectant mothers who planned to deliver their babies in Owatonna may still do so.

Sorensen, a local nurse, praised the leadership at Allina, as well as the providers.

“They are the ones who came together and said, ‘we’re going to make sure we take calls,’” she said. “I think leadership saw the outcry, the voices of our community… It was such a beautiful collaboration.”

The Minnesota Nurses Association is also pleased with the move.

“Nurses negotiated for a week to address the risks to the community posed by the service disruptions following the MCHS decision to remove OB-GYN providers from Owatonna Hospital,” MNA wrote in a statement.

“This decision provides resources to expecting families in Owatonna without requiring them to travel outside the community to receive essential care,” the statement said. “Nurses will continue to advocate for accessible patient-centered care in every community.”

The background

When The Steele County Times broke the news of Mayo’s planned departure on Oct. 17, it seemed to come as a surprise to nearly everyone; more importantly, it left the hospital without doctors to handle births.

Allina Health owns and operates Owatonna Hospital; MCHS owns and operates the Owatonna Clinic nearby as part of a joint operating agreement.

Allina’s hospital staff includes labor and delivery nurses, but not physicians who practice obstetrics.

Mayo doctors were contracted to provide the labor and delivery services at Owatonna Hospital, which sees about 400 babies born each year.

MCHS officials said their decision to end that contract was based on staffing challenges and an ongoing nationwide shortage of obstetrics and gynecology physicians.

The fallout

Mayo’s announcement to end deliveries in Owatonna left pregnant women and their families wondering about their next steps.

The closest hospital providing labor and deliveries is Faribault, which is nearly 20 miles away.

In addition to the obvious issue of having to travel out of town instead of across town while in labor, Sorensen said there were other considerations.

“What about people who can’t afford the financial impact?” Sorensen asked. “What if they don’t have a vehicle? What if they can’t pay for parking? Pay the hotel bills they might incur if they’re not in active labor?”

Another possible obstacle: “What if the closest hospital isn’t in their (insurance) network?” Sorensen said.

If the hospital had to send the mother and/or baby by air or ground ambulance to another facility, “that could all be secondary out-of-network pocket. That could bankrupt somebody,” she said.

City and county leaders voiced their disappointment and frustration as they look to grow the local population.

The reaction

Allina Health officials “did a really good job. They did a solid for our community,” Sorensen said after the Oct. 30 announcement.

“Our teams are stepping up to fill critical gaps in labor and delivery services and ensure compassionate, timely care continues without disruption,” said Whitney Johnson, president of Owatonna Hospital.

“We are deeply grateful to our providers, nurses and care team members who have gone above and beyond to ensure patients receive the care they need.”

Sorensen believes everyone “saw a need. I’m glad that somebody was actually thinking and using some common sense.”

Union nurses waged a sticker campaign, she said. “It was loud and proud; the collaboration was a huge part.”

Ever since Mayo’s decision to pull out, local leaders have been critical of the move and pushing to find a resolution for baby services to remain in Owatonna. Leading that campaign has been Owatonna Chamber President Brad Meier, along with various city and county officials as well as representatives from Federated Insurance, the area’s largest employer.

All four entities met with both Allina and Mayo officials last week in hopes of preventing a lapse in baby deliveries. During Friday’s meeting with Mayo, Meier said Mayo officials confirmed they were on board with Allina’s decision to start a clinic for women.

Meier said he is encouraged by Allina’s announcement last week on two levels. First, they will be able to pull something together for the immediate need to continue coverage when Mayo ends on Nov. 17. And, secondly, he is even more excited that Allina plans to have a woman’s health clinic.

“What this means for Owatonna is that Allina is committed to do labor and delivery services,” Meier said. “This is really a positive step to keeping care (locally),” he said, adding he hopes Mayo will follow through on its verbal commitment to support Allina’s move.

While Mayo still plans to provide care in the Owatonna area, Meier is not certain how that will look in the future.

“We will continue to have dialogue with both Mayo and Allina,” he said. “There will need to be an on-going voice needed as healthcare changes. We want the community’s voice to be heard. There are certain expectations we have in this community.”

Meier is grateful that things came together as quick as they did. “There has been a unified community voice,” he said, adding, “We felt we were heard in this process.”

Tours of labor and delivery area at Allina are available upon request, Sorensen said, and the baby café, which she called “a huge hit for our local breastfeeding moms,” remains open.

She emphasized that expectant mothers may be seen at any clinic, and still have their babies at Owatonna Hospital.

“The hospital is prepared,” Sorensen said. “We do want everybody to have access to care; we want people to be able to birth their babies locally, and we’re able to do that.”

The future

In addition to providing immediate labor and delivery coverage, Allina Health is also accelerating plans to open a dedicated Women’s Health clinic in Owatonna. The goal is to open in early December.

“Allina Health is committed to supporting the health and well-being of Owatonna and the surrounding communit(ies),” Johnson said in a statement.

It marks the first of many steps to build a sustainable and comprehensive women’s health and obstetric program in the region.

“There will be no hiccups in deliveries in Owatonna,” Sorensen said. “We will happily deliver your babies. We want you here.”

Allina Health officials will continue to share updates as plans progress.

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Reinke’s Eagle Scout project is child’s play

Publisher — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 19:17:47 +0000

Reinke’s Eagle Scout project is child’s play Publisher Wed, 11/05/2025 - 20:17

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

Drew Reinke watches as his mom Sara pins the Eagle Scout medal to his uniform. Reinke earned the honor in August; it was celebrated last month at First Lutheran Church in Blooming Prairie. Submitted photo

“You just learn so much from being in Scouts… it’s worth it even if you weren’t to get Eagle.”
-Drew Reinke, BP Eagle Scout

If this story seems familiar, there’s a reason.

Drew Reinke was just starting his sophomore year at Blooming Prairie High School when he completed the construction of a service project on his path toward becoming an Eagle Scout.

The local newspaper did a story about the work: a playground behind the new fifth- and sixth-grade wing at Blooming Prairie Intermediate School.

After moving from the elementary school, those students no longer had access to a playground.

Superintendent Chris Staloch pitched the idea to Reinke, and an Eagle Scout project was born.

Part of the requirement of earning the Eagle Rank is that the Scout must plan, develop and lead others in doing the project.

Reinke’s team of volunteers dug holes for the equipment to go into “on the hottest day of that summer,” he said last week. “That was rough.”

There was a hiccup in the equipment layout with the very first hole: “We ran into the PVC” drain line leading from the school.

“We didn’t break it – didn’t touch it,” Reinke said, “but we had to reconfigure the layout. We had to flip-flop it.”

The monkey bars run across the south end of the play area, instead of the north end. A tilt-a-whirl, using a single pole as a base, is on the north end. A swing set sits between the two pieces.

The volunteers built the equipment, leveled it all and filled the holes with cement.

The school district covered the cost of the equipment and the mulch; cement for the footings was donated by Fleet Farm, Lowe’s and B to Z Hardware in Blooming Prairie.

A foot of mulch was raked into place on the entire area, which Reinke called “the hardest part.”

He agreed with most potential Eagle Scouts, who consider the accompanying paperwork to be the worst – and most time-consuming – aspect of the process, with a caveat.

According to one of his leaders, “I was the first Scout that he’d ever had that he had to tell to get rid of some of the writing,” Reinke said. “I don’t know; I just had too much detail, I guess.”

In fact, it was the paperwork and documentation routing that delayed the finalization of the project.

“I officially became an Eagle Scout in August,” he said, two full years since that hot summer day of hole-digging, and untold hours of student enjoyment later.

It was a relief, but not a surprise: It was the goal Reinke had set for himself since he joined Scouts as an elementary schooler.

“I knew it was a big achievement,” he said, “and I wanted to see if I could get there.”

Staloch, too, was relieved, he admitted last week.

“Being able to have (a playground) ready for when our kids came back to school – you know how construction goes,” Staloch said. “It was just cool that we had the opportunity for our kids to have a playground.”

The goal is to continue to expand the playground as time, funding and space allow.

“We needed a start, and we got that start,” he said. “We’re very appreciative of that.”

Reinke credits his parents, his superintendent and his Scout leaders, who include Vince Reynolds and Jeff Beaver.

“You just learn so much from being in Scouts,” Reinke said, citing things like communication, safety and helping others. “It’s worth it even if you weren’t to get Eagle.”

After two years, does it ever get old, seeing kids out on a playground he created?

Reinke was smiling before the question was even complete.

“That’s probably my favorite part of the whole thing – seeing it be used.”

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Crash leaves one dead, one critically hurt

Publisher — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 15:17:55 +0000

Crash leaves one dead, one critically hurt Publisher Wed, 11/05/2025 - 16:17

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

A head-on crash Tuesday night south of Hope has left a New Richland area woman dead and an Owatonna area man with critical injuries.

Rescue personnel were dispatched at 9:40 p.m. to the scene near the intersection of 37th Avenue and 93rd Street Southwest.

Steele County Sheriff’s Office deputies found two vehicles; the female driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The other driver had critical injuries, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office, and was airlifted to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys Campus in Rochester.

No names have been released.

The case remains under investigation by the SCSO, with the assistance of the Minnesota State Patrol.

In addition to those agencies, crews from Mayo Ambulance and the Ellendale Fire Department also responded to the crash.

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UPDATE: Operating levy fails to pass for Owatonna schools

Publisher — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 14:28:44 +0000

UPDATE: Operating levy fails to pass for Owatonna schools Publisher Wed, 11/05/2025 - 15:28

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

Owatonna voters have voted down the only question on the Nov. 4 ballot – for an increase in the operating levy for Owatonna Public Schools.

The request to raise the levy by $700 per pupil failed by nearly 1,900 votes, or 61.8% to 38.1%. Nearly 8,000 votes were cast.

Had it passed, local homeowners would have seen a hike of about $23 per month on a home valued at $275,000; the school district would have seen an additional $3.7 million annually.

“While we are disappointed that the measure was not approved, we remain committed to providing a high-quality education for the students of Owatonna,” said Superintendent Tammy Champa. “Now we must engage in difficult decisions as we determine the path forward.”

Without the additional funding it will provide, at least $3 million will need to be cut from the 2026-27 budget, district officials have said.

The cuts, they said, would include increased class sizes due to staff layoffs, reductions in school and district support services; and cuts to academic offerings, athletics, activities and music programs.

The financial shortfall and expected action will be addressed by conducting a thorough review of all programs, staffing, services and operations, the district said.

It will also present options to the Owatonna School Board for how to balance the budget, as well as explore cost savings and alternative revenue sources.

“Despite the lack of support for the increased operating levy, we will continue to do our best to maintain the strong foundation we have in Owatonna,” said Mark Sebring, chairman of the school board.

The board, he said, “will work with district leadership and continue to keep the community informed of the changes that will be implemented.”

The district approved budget cuts of $1.8 million for the current school year to balance its budget.

For more reactions from district leaders and a potential path forward, watch for the Nov. 12 edition of the Steele County Times.

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Operating levy fails to pass for Owatonna schools

Publisher — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 04:20:14 +0000

Operating levy fails to pass for Owatonna schools Publisher Wed, 11/05/2025 - 05:20

Owatonna voters have voted down the only question on the Nov. 4 ballot – for an increase in the operating levy for Owatonna Public Schools.

The request to raise the levy by $700 per pupil failed by nearly 1,900 votes, or 61.8% to 38.1%. Nearly 8,000 votes were cast.

The unofficial results came in about 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Had it passed, local homeowners would have seen a hike of about $23 per month on a home valued at $275,000; the school district would have seen an additional $3.7 million annually.

Without the additional funding it will provide, at least $3 million will need to be cut from the 2026-27 budget, district officials have said.

For reactions from district leaders and a potential path forward, watch for the Nov. 12 edition of the Steele County Times.

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