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Lindeman is the face of BP’s R&R Insurance

Publisher — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:31:22 +0000

Lindeman is the face of BP’s R&R Insurance Publisher Wed, 10/21/2026 - 19:31

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

Jill Lindeman is the face of R&R Insurance in Blooming Prairie.

“Nothing makes me happier than when a customer tells me he trusts me.”
-Jill Lindeman, R&R Insurance

Jill Lindeman laughs as she runs down her “to-do” list at R&R Insurance Agency in Blooming Prairie.

“I am an agent for everything except for life and health insurance,” she said. “I’m usually the one sitting out front at my desk, because I like to see who’s coming in, to greet you.”

Carl Peterson, who owns R&R Insurance, does the life and health insurance.

Though Lindeman is not licensed in those areas, she can provide quotes, make changes and take payments.

“I also am the IT person, I order the supplies, I vacuum the floors … I don’t know what else,” she laughed.

A 1997 graduate of Blooming Prairie High School, Lindeman has worked for Peterson since January 2012.

“Judy Froman used to work here,” she said, “and I worked at U.S. Bank, which was connected right next door.”

Froman suggested Lindeman apply at the insurance agency; what kept her there for more than a decade is “being available for my kids, who are still in school.”

She and her husband Nathan have two kids, and live just west of town.

Insurance can involve asking difficult questions, “but when you live in the same town as most of these people, you have a little bit of insight on some things – but not all, because Blooming Prairie has changed, too,” Lindeman said.

Though she’s been in the insurance business for nearly 15 years, “I haven’t really decided what I want to be when I grow up,” she laughed.

She enjoys the job, though, especially “just visiting with people – and not necessarily about insurance.”

She and Peterson have discussed the future of the business, and the possibility of her assuming ownership.

It has the potential to be a delicate situation: Her brother, Jay Klemmensen, owns Eagle Prairie Insurance, also in Blooming Prairie.

While they occasionally talk shop, it’s “just about insurance in general,” Lindeman said. “We have different approaches to a lot of different things.”

There are plenty of opportunities to differ, as the insurance business grows ever more complex.

“It’s harder to find companies for placement in different situations, and what you have to cover now versus what isn’t covered, what was covered prior … Insurance has changed a lot,” she said.

R&R Insurance sells personal auto, commercial auto, homes, farms, commercial insurance, crop insurance and more.

Since COVID, dwelling replacement costs have more than doubled, Lindeman said, “so all your expenses have been increased, across the board.”

That means taking things on a case-by-case situation, she said, “and we always have options and can talk things through.”

As people wade through the decisions, Lindeman said she has some firm suggestions.

“Your liability limits to others, you don’t ever want to go with the state minimums” for auto insurance, she said, “because there’s not enough coverage there if you are the one to cause an accident.”

The other thing, Lindeman said, is “we don’t prefer people to go to a policy on their home that doesn’t have replacement cost … because most people couldn’t afford to rebuild something” without it.

The rising prices have prompted more comparison shopping, and helping with big life decisions can bring its own kind of pressure.

“Sometimes I worry whether I have the right options for everyone,” Lindeman said, “but that’s why we have training, and why we have those options.

“Nothing makes me happier than when a customer tells me he trusts me.”

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BP sets hearing for roads

Publisher — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:13:30 +0000

BP sets hearing for roads Publisher Wed, 10/21/2026 - 19:13

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

A public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 9 to allow Blooming Prairie residents the opportunity to weigh in on the city’s 2027 street improvements feasibility study.

The report examines four distinct areas in town where the city has recognized a need for road surface repair; the proposal indicates the improvements would be made in the summer of 2027.

The total estimated project cost is between $640,000 and $647,000, depending on layout options for one of the areas.

The four areas are:

Area 1: Fourth Avenue SW (between Second and Third Streets SW) In 2012, the existing surface was rated a 4 on the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating scale of 1 to 10 on a visual inspection.

Since then, the road has begun to rapidly fail, prompting city staff to patch large portions with their own employees and hired contractors.

The watermain in the area is “beyond its useful life,” the report says, but replacement would mean greater costs and full reconstruction of the road.

Area 2: Memorial Drive South (between Third and First Streets SW) The city would like to reconfigure this southern segment to match the road geometrics on the northern segments, with a raised center grass median and split north and south drive lanes.

Both the existing sanitary sewer and the existing watermain infrastructure are beyond their useful lives, but again, replacement would require additional costs for full reconstruction of the road.

The engineers recommend replacing the sanitary sewer manholes only, and monitoring the sewer piping. No improvements to the storm sewer system, aside from the replacement of storm catch basins, is expected.

Area 3: Memorial Drive South (between First Street SW and south of Main Street west) is simply a northern extension of the Area 2 improvements.

As in Area 2, both the existing sanitary sewer and the existing watermain infrastructure are beyond their useful lives, but again, replacement would require additional costs for full reconstruction of the road.

The engineers’ recommendation, like Area 2, is to replace the sanitary sewer manholes only, and monitor the sewer piping. No improvements to the storm sewer system, aside from the replacement of storm catch basins, is expected.

Area 4: Fourth Street NE (between U.S. Highway 218 and Center Avenue) was rated a 3 on the PASER evaluation scale in 2012, with large portions patched by the city and hired contractors.

There are minimal sanitary sewer utilities in this area; the proposal is to televise and monitor it for a future project, and replace the existing manholes as part of this project.

The existing watermain here is also beyond its useful life, but replacement would require more money and full reconstruction of the street.

All of the improvements would be made by reclaiming the existing pavement and its underlying aggregate base, then repaving.

The city does not plan to bond for the money, instead financing it with existing reserves. Those funds would then be paid back by revenue generated through special assessments, utility enterprise funds and general tax revenue.

BP’s assessment policy is that the costs of street reconstruction improvements may be partially assessed.

The property owners are assessed 35% of the costs; the city pays the remaining 65%, plus any additional costs.

The city pays 100% of the costs associated with storm and sanitary sewer improvements for street reconstructions projects like this.

Setting the public hearing for assessments “just gives the opportunity for those residents to come in and voice their opinion,” said City Administrator Tony Martens. “That doesn’t mean we have to do it; if the council chooses to change its assessment policy for this specific project – or do something else – then we’ll have to recalculate these numbers for the project anyway.”

City Engineer Brett Grabau said “all my other communities (he serves) are assessing 40%, except for one that’s assessing 50%. You made the choice when you adopted your assessment policy to keep it as resident-friendly as possible.”

Blooming Prairie is not an outlier when it comes to the age of its utilities, however.

The municipalities Grabau serves – most of them similar in size to BP – are 70-plus years old. Not surprisingly, “it’s 100% because of funding issues,” he said.

“It isn’t like we don’t want to do the roads,” said council member Bill Newman, “it’s just that we don’t want to overtax our citizens to maintain the roads to what everybody thinks they want.”

“Everybody pays for everything at some point, right?” Grabau said. “Whether that’s (through) the general levy, whether it’s through utility enterprise funds, whether it’s through special assessments, it’s just what mechanisms councils have to be able to move projects forward.”

Newman agreed.

“It’s just how you divide it up.”

Councilor Brad Clark was the lone opposing vote in the approval of the feasibility study, as well as setting the public hearing. He cast his votes without comment.

Council member Greg Johnson was not present for the Oct. 12 meeting.

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2 directors retire from fair board

Publisher — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:10:10 +0000

2 directors retire from fair board Publisher Wed, 10/21/2026 - 19:10

Karen M. Jorgensen, Staff Writer

Two members of the Steele County Fair Board have announced their retirement.

Bruce Busho retired as of Oct. 1 after serving 31 years on the board. He said that the family has been wintering in Florida in recent years and now grandchildren and retirement are a priority.

Travis Ahrens has been named to fill out Busho’s term, which expires in 2028.

Mark Ditlevson has also announced his retirement from the board after 36 years, effective Nov. 1.

Paul Smith has been named to fill out the term; Ditlevson’s term expires in 2026.

Board members will be elected by voting members of the Steele County Agricultural Society on Nov. 5. Qualifications to be a voting member including living, working or owning property in Steele County or being a superintendent.

Fair Board members have also been working to update the bylaws of the organization and that issue will be discussed and voted on at the annual meeting. The board will also be presenting a review of the 2026 fair.

The annual meeting open to all members of the Agricultural Society will be at 6 p.m. on Nov. 5 at the Steele County Community Center on the fairgrounds.

Also, at the October meeting of the board the dates were announced for the second Spring into Summer event on June 4-5, 2027.

Offseason winter storage at the fairgrounds was also announced for Oct. 23 and 24 and those who store vehicles on the grounds have been notified.

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RESTORED, AT LAST

Publisher — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:57:03 +0000

RESTORED, AT LAST

County Board reverses cuts to Master Gardeners

Publisher Wed, 10/21/2026 - 18:57

Karen M. Jorgensen, Staff Writer

The Master Gardeners came out in force at the Oct. 13 Steele County Board meeting. Their presence likely helped as the commissioners voted to reverse a previous decision to end the program. The gardeners include, from left: Cathy Larson, Cheryl Miller, Teresa Suek, Jody Buell, Lorrie Rugg, Becki Tindall (partially hidden), Jayne Spooner, Sharon Boisselle, Deb Arlt, Mickey Dogotch, Jane Starman, Deb Kenison, Janice Jensen, Nancy Brekke and Terri Hottman. Staff photo by Karen M. Jorgensen

Following a strong showing of support for the Steele County Master Gardener program, county commissioners voted Oct. 13 to restore funding that would pay the salary of Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator Lorrie Rugg.

The board had voted at its previous meeting to inform the University of Minnesota it was giving the required 90-day notice of a change in the contract with the University that the county would not fund the Master Gardener coordinator or the Ag Educator positions for 2027. The board’s reason for that decision was that the county could not afford the positions as it was trying to keep the 2027 tax levy under 7%. Last week’s action affected only the Master Gardener coordinator position.

Master Gardener volunteers from Steele County, along with several volunteers from Rice and Waseca County and community residents turned out in force to speak during the public comments portion of the board meeting.

Several of the speakers expressed their concerns about what would happen to the program if it no longer had a paid coordinator but instead operated totally with volunteers. The Steele County program has been growing consistently but other counties that rely on a volunteer coordinator have seen their numbers decrease.

Jody Buel said that counties with no paid coordinator average about 11 members while the Steele County group has 43. Laura Heyne added that by January they expect to have more than 50 members.

The coordinator job requires more time than a volunteer can give was a common theme, as well as the amount of paperwork required by the University of Minnesota Extension Service.

Several of the speakers also commented on the amount of produce the Master Gardeners have grown in the gardens they have around the county and that produce has been donated to Community Pathways.

After the public comments had concluded, Commissioner Greg Krueger said he had received more than 26 emails about the Master Gardener position but had not received any about the ag educator. He said that the answer might be to vote to fund the Master Gardener coordinator but not the ag educator.

Commissioner Jim Abbe said any further discussion and decisions should be discussed further at a future budget meeting. Abbe said his concern was about the impact of programs on the Steele County budget for 2027. With federal and state cuts to counties, he said, there are “headwinds” that need to be addressed. The county’s goal, he said, is to reduce the 7.1% preliminary tax levy increase when the final budget is prepared. The county needs to look at discretionary spending, he said.

County Administrator Renae Fry insisted that the board needed to make a decision immediately because a budget meeting could not be scheduled last week because of the need for three days public notice and Krueger was going on vacation and would not be available this week.

The motion was then made to reverse the earlier decision to defund the Master Gardener paid coordinator position that has a salary of $31,525 with Abbe casting the lone no vote.

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FIRED OWAT. MANAGER SUES TUMA, CITY

Publisher — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 14:15:28 +0000

FIRED OWAT. MANAGER SUES TUMA, CITY

Sheely claims retaliation

Publisher Wed, 10/21/2026 - 16:15

Rick Bussler, Publisher

Deanna Sheely has filed a lawsuit against the City of Owatonna and three of the city’s top administrative officials, including City Administrator Jenna Tuma. Sheely is the former communications manager for the city. Staff photo by Rick Bussler

“My commitment to community engagement and timely, open communications with the public regarding significant decisions seemed to threaten the new leadership team.”

-Deanna Sheely, Former Communications Manager

For nearly five years, she helped the city convey its message to the public. Now, the former communications manager for the City of Owatonna is communicating in a different way—through a major lawsuit targeted at her former bosses.

Deanna Sheely, 62, is claiming age discrimination and workplace harassment under the Minnesota Human Rights Act and unlawful retaliation under the Minnesota Whistleblower Act. She filed a 38-page complaint Oct. 15 in Steele County District Court.

In her complaint, Sheely claims City Administrator Jenna Tuma and her administrative staff subjected her to “adverse employment actions because of her age.” It also maintains the city subjected her to a hostile work environment because of her age, including repeated verbal abuse, ridicule and ostracism.

The complaint targets Tuma and two of her other senior administrative officials. Tuma has come under fire this year for her handling of city employees. There has been excessive turnover within the city since Tuma took over in August 2025; dozens of employees have left, including six senior directors. Sheely was one of them.

Sheely alleges Tuma and her team showed a preference for younger employees, while older employees like Sheely, with decades of experience, were forced out because they would not simply fall in line without asking questions or suggesting alternatives.

“My commitment to community engagement and timely, open communications with the public regarding significant decisions seemed to threaten the new leadership team and their way of operating,” said Sheely, who had worked for the city from September 2021 until June 2026, when she was fired.

Sheely pointed to the city’s 2026 budget, which came up for discussion last fall prior to its approval in December. Sheely said she raised a good-faith concern about inaccuracies in the city’s public statements regarding the preliminary budget and property tax levy. She claims the city retaliated against her for wanting to promote the truth.

In March, Sheely was given one business day to respond to a notice of discharge, a similar tactic that multiple other employees told the Steele County Times had been used on them since Tuma took office.

Sheely turned around and requested a formal, independent investigation into age discrimination, harassment and retaliation. The city hired an investigator with ties to Steele County Administrator Renae Fry (see related story).

Sheely was terminated just one day after Tuma declared the investigation – which she herself had commissioned and controlled – had cleared the city of any wrongdoing.

Sheely said her success with Owatonna changed under Tuma’s leadership. She pointed out that Emily Thamert designed and managed the process to hire a new city administrator, instead of the more typical process of using a consultant.

One day after Tuma was given the job, Tuma promoted Thamert to assistant city administrator. Thamert then installed Rachel Boss, 28, as human resources director over older, more experienced applicants.

“In short order, every person in the chain of command above Sheely was younger than she is,” the complaint alleges.

Thamert and Boss are also individually named in the lawsuit.

“The playbook was consistent: pretextual performance allegations, the threat of termination and a pre-drafted exit, the city’s written reminder that the allegations remain private, but if the employee refuses, they become public,” the complaint said.

The alleged behavior outlined in the complaint resembles accusations made by other high-level directors and employees during a special investigative series, “O-Town Crisis” done by the Times earlier this year.

In August, the Times spoke to many former employees who spoke negatively about Tuma and the overall pervasive hostile work environment she allows at city hall. Many referred to it as “chaotic,” at best.

Sheely’s whistleblowing occurred during a particularly sensitive time for the city in regard to the 2026 budget and the $65 million public safety project.

Amid public accusations that the city was not being transparent about the budget, Sheely consulted multiple sources, found varying figures under consideration, and flagged in a draft communication submitted for approval, the levy figure she believed in good faith to be accurate. It was higher than the figure the city had already communicated to the public.

Sheely argues she was directed to use a different number because the higher number “would spark a red flag out in our community,” then was issued a written reprimand the same day – which omitted any mention of the levy amount.

After Sheely repeated her concern in writing, the adverse treatment escalated sharply, the complaint says.

The complaint outlines an incident in which Tuma gave Sheely a birthday card and wrote on the envelope, “OLD Lady Deanna,” revealing her own alleged bias toward Sheely’s age.

The incident involving a card with Sheely is not the only one that has surfaced. During the Times’ investigation in August, a former city worker shared that Tuma once gave a sympathy card to the department head of an employee who was going to be terminated later that day. The department head became disgusted and physically sick at Tuma’s behavior.

At one point in November 2025, Sheely asked Tuma for a minute of her time. Tuma responded, “Booked solid until February,” walked away and shut the door in Sheely’s face, after which Sheely heard laughter from inside the office.

Sheely outlined a concern about “coaching that backfired.” In November, Sheely completed coaching sessions with an acquaintance of Tuma’s. He told Sheely she was “an absolute delight” and recommended she share with Tuma how successfully she had adapted her communication style to build relationships.

A report was sent to Tuma, but was never provided to Sheely or cited in any subsequent discipline, which Sheely claims “supports the inference that it did not support Tuma’s characterization of her not meeting performance expectations.”

Sheely claims she was “trapped in an abusive relationship” with Tuma. Sheely outlined an incident in which Tuma angrily yelled at her for 15 minutes, at which point Tuma left and Sheely broke down crying.

Thamert encouraged Sheely to apologize to Tuma; she did, and said Tuma later acted as if nothing had happened. Others had commented to Sheely how badly Tuma was treating her.

“Deciding to take legal action was difficult,” Sheely said. “It was my last resort after trying to resolve these issues with my supervisors, by sharing my concerns with several City Council members and following city policies,” she added.

Sheely hopes the outcome leads to real organizational change for the city’s current and future employees, and those responsible will be held accountable for their actions.

“My only desire all along has been to contribute to creating a city government that serves the community effectively through transparent, accurate communication and proactive engagement,” Sheely said.

Daniel Wilcox, a Twin Cities attorney representing Sheely in the lawsuit, said public employees have the right to speak up about how they are treated and about matters of public concern without losing their jobs. He added older workers have the right to be judged on their actual performance rather than on their age.

Thamert said the city has no comment on the pending ligation. She referred inquiries to the city’s attorney, Susan Tindal of Iverson Reuvers in Bloomington, a firm hired by the League of Minnesota Cities.

In a response filed with the court, the city denies most allegations in Sheely’s lawsuit. While Sheely pointed out 150 employees work for the city, the city incorrectly argued the point in its response that “there were not 150 employees that left the city.”

To read the full 38-page complaint, go to https://steelecountytimes.com/sheely-lawsuit.

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Duncan to step down

Publisher — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 14:01:46 +0000

Duncan to step down Publisher Wed, 10/21/2026 - 16:01

Alex Malm, Staff Writer

After almost 14 years on the bench, Judge Karen Duncan, will be retiring from the Third Judicial District, effective Dec. 4.

In her retirement letter to Gov. Tim Walz, Duncan said she is proud “of what we have accomplished in Steele County over the past 13+ years.”

“Early in my tenure, we tried ‘next appearance’ scheduling from the courtroom,” she said. “This has proven to ease the administrative burdens associated with scheduling conflicts and has played a role in moving cases through the system more efficiently for court users.”

Duncan said they have made substantial “in-roads in reducing the ‘silo-ing’ of justice partner agencies, in part through intentional relationship-building and multidisciplinary educational opportunities, such as the annual Promoting Peace Conference.

“By operating with a common base of knowledge and best practice, we’ve been better able to serve the needs of the community,” she said. “By inviting community members to join in the conference, it is my hope that we have also broadened the community’s understanding of what we try to do in the court system and why, and why it matters.”

Duncan began her career as an assistant county attorney in Rice and Olmsted counties in Minnesota, as well Benton County in Iowa.

She opened her own law firm in Owatonna before becoming a Third Judicial District public defender, and later chief public defender for the district.

She was appointed to the bench by Gov. Mark Dayton, on March 1, 2013.

On the state level, Duncan said she assisted “where my skills could be useful, such as the Court Operations Advisory Work Group, Children’s Justice Initiative, and other committees.

“I’ve mentored new judges and taught various trainings as requested,” Duncan said. “Leaving my colleagues, and especially the top-notch court staff in Steele County, is the hardest thing about this decision. I will leave the work of striving for justice in their capable hands.”

Walz thanked Duncan for her 13 years of public service to the bench.

“Your character and willingness to serve the people of Minnesota have enabled justice to be administered impartially,” he wrote. “Throughout your career, you have served from a place of leadership and compassion. Your perspective has been invaluable during your time on the bench. You will be remembered for your dedication to service and to the community, and you will be missed by all those who had the privilege of working with you.”

As for what is next, Duncan said she is “blessed to have a buffet of options.

“Right now, though, I am just focusing on continuing to do my work to the best of my ability,” she said.

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BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: Lawsuit against Owatonna outlines many allegations of inappropriate behavior and harassment

Publisher — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 17:04:23 +0000

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: Lawsuit against Owatonna outlines many allegations of inappropriate behavior and harassment Publisher Fri, 10/16/2026 - 19:04

To view the complete complaint filed against the city, go to https://steelecountytimes.com/sheely-lawsuit.

A 38-page complaint filed this week in Steele County District Court against the City of Owatonna outlines many allegations of inappropriate behavior and harassment on behalf of the city’s top administrative team, including City Administrator Jenna Tuma.

Former communications manager Deanna Sheely, 62, filed the complaint alleging four counts: age discrimination, reprisal, whistleblower retaliation and aiding and abetting. Sheely is seeking damages in excess of $50,000.

She served in the director-level role with the city from September 2021 until June of this year. She built the city’s communications program from the ground up, earning the city statewide recognition for her work.

Sheely claims her success with the city changed dramatically when Tuma became assistant city administrator in July 2024 and later as city administrator.

In the complaint, Sheely describes the upheaval at city hall over the past year as “a purge.” In 10 months after Tuma became city administrator, dozens of positions turned over in a workforce of about 150, with the departures falling disproportionately on employees in theirs 40s, 50s and 60s. “The playbook was consistent: pretextual performance allegations, the threat of termination and a pre-drafted exit, the city’s written reminder that the allegations remain private, but if the employee refuses, they become public,” the complaint said.

The basis of her complaint appears to be that the city took adverse employment actions against Sheely because of many concerns she raised with Tuma and others.

The alleged behavior outlined in this complaint resembles accusations made by other high-level directors and employees during a special investigative series, “O-Town Crisis” done by the Times earlier this year. In August, the Times spoke to many former employees who spoke negatively about Tuma and the overall pervasive hostile work environment she allows at city hall.

In her complaint, Sheely claims Tuma and her administrative staff subjected her to “adverse employment actions because of her age.” It also maintains the city subjected her to a hostile work environment because of her age, including repeated verbal abuse, ridicule and ostracism.

An independent investigation conducted earlier this year by an agency hired by Tuma on behalf of the city largely found Sheely’s claims unfounded. However, one claim was substantiated in which the investigator found Tuma’s conduct toward Sheely was “unprofessional and was reasonably perceived by Ms. Sheely as intimidating and humiliating.”

In a response to the complaint, the city denied everything outlined in Sheely’s complaint. The city is represented by Iverson Reuvers, a Twin Cities law firm provided by the League of Minnesota Cities of which Owatonna is a member of.

Efforts to reach Tuma and Emily Thamert, assistant city administrator, for comment have been unsuccessful.

To view the complete complaint filed against the city, go to https://steelecountytimes.com/sheely-lawsuit.

The Times will have more on this developing story as it becomes available.

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BREAKING NEWS: Former communications manager files lawsuit against Owatonna

Publisher — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 02:48:05 +0000

BREAKING NEWS: Former communications manager files lawsuit against Owatonna Publisher Fri, 10/16/2026 - 04:48

The former communications manager for the City of Owatonna has filed a lawsuit alleging the city retaliated and discriminated against her.

Deanna Sheely filed the suit Thursday in Steele County District Court where she is claiming age discrimination and workplace harassment as well as unlawful retaliation under the Minnesota Whistleblower Act.

The complaint alleges that City Administrator Jenna Tuma and other members of the administrative staff showed a preference for younger employees, while older employees like Sheely with decades of experience, were forced out because they would not simply fall in line without asking questions or suggesting alternatives.

Sheely claims Tuma forced her out in March. She had been given one business day to respond to a notice of discharge. She then requested a formal, independent investigation into her claims and was then fired just one day after Tuma declared the investigation she herself had commissioned and controlled had cleared the city of any wrongdoing.

She says the decision to take legal action was difficult, but she felt forced to do it after trying to resolve issues with supervisors and sharing concerns with several City Council members and following city policies.

“I hope the outcome leads to real organizational change for the City’s current and future employees and that those responsible will be held accountable for their actions,” said Sheely.

She added, “My only desire all along has been to contribute to creating a city government that serves the community effectively through transparent, accurate communication and proactive engagement.”

Sheely is represented by the Twin Cities law firm of Trautmann Martin.

We’ll have more on this developing story as it becomes available.

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Rooted in purpose: ReBloom designed for community

Publisher — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:50:50 +0000

Rooted in purpose: ReBloom designed for community Publisher Thu, 10/15/2026 - 16:50

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

ReBloom owner Holli Naatz, left, talks to customer Becky Braaten at the counter of Blooming Prairie’s new consignment store. Staff photo by Kay Fate

A year ago, Holli Naatz was looking forward to a trip to Alaska, never imagining that it would be the second-biggest thing she did this year.

In April, “this wasn’t even … well, I wanted it, but I knew it was not an option.”

In September, she held a grand opening for ReBloom Consignment and More, Blooming Prairie’s newest business at 236 E. Main St., the former site of U.S. Bank.

It’s a consignment store with a bigger purpose: The ability to support local non-profits by donating, consigning or shopping.

All proceeds from donations benefit the non-profit of the donor’s choice.

Missing retail

Naatz worked for Linda Klemmenson at SportStitch for 20 years, until a fire destroyed the building in January 2020.

“I loved the retail part of it; I loved meeting the customers and helping them create and design stuff,” Naatz said. “When that came to an end, it was … I missed the people; I missed the interactions.”

She mulled the idea of opening her own retail store, but learned about two of the biggest challenges: inventory and overhead.

“You get too much inventory or you don’t order the right inventory or the right sizes,” so she landed on the idea of a consignment store, where there are no hard and fast expectations.

“In the back of my mind, I’ve had this idea, but just didn’t really have the right facility,” she said.

A conversation with building owner Jim O’Connor, though, changed things.

“He said, ‘well, I have a building, if you can make it work.’ And I’m like, ‘I’ll sure give it a try.’ Jim is very big into helping the community, too,” Naatz said. “I told him my business plan,” and O’Connor thought it could work.

Asking the expert

Osage, Iowa, features a consignment and specialty retail shop called Maxine’s on Main, owned by a mother-daughter team, neither named Maxine.

“I’d go shopping at Maxine’s a lot, and the whole time I was thinking, ‘if I ever got to do this, I want my place to look like this,’ because she’s really got a neat building,” Naatz said.

After her conversations with O’Connor, “I walked in (Maxine’s) and I said, ‘I’m going to make it happen.’ And she was so excited for me, wanted to help me with it and just gave me all the tips.”

Naatz took much of co-owner Stacy Valasek’s advice – but rejected one idea immediately.

“She thought I should go to a bigger town, and I’m like, ‘no, I love Main Street.’ Our Main Street, we have something to be proud of here,” Naatz said. “You go to some of these other small towns and they have beautiful buildings, but they’re not kept up like ours are. Our curb appeal – I just knew I wanted to be in Blooming.”

By design

She also knew she did not want her name on the business.

“I just wanted it to be unique and catchy – and it’s perfect,” Naatz said of the name conceived by her daughter, Kalyn Kalis. “She came up with that and she did my logo.”

Kalis, of Wells, does her mother’s marketing. Naatz’s other daughter, Kelli Jacobson of Hartland, helped with the store set-up, displays and marking items.

Both daughters played a big role in the interior design.

“In July, I was gone on my trip to Alaska; when I came back my daughters had done all of this,” Naatz said of the donation sorting and marking area, as well as a little room for her grandchildren to play.

Kalis repurposed part of the granary on the family property, sanding it down and adding the store name and logo to greet shoppers.

Naatz put in long hours, often working until four in the morning as she prepared her new business.

“I’d come home, sleep for a few hours and go to work” cleaning homes for her clients.

She was “worried sick about shelving, because I didn’t want to have mismatched pieces. I wanted everything to match, but didn’t want to spend the money buying new.”

Within days, she saw that Sterling Drug Main Street in Austin had been sold and was liquidating all of its fixtures.

“That was a Friday,” Naatz said. “Monday morning, I headed down there to be there by 8:30 in the morning, and five truckloads later…”

Not the norm

On paper, the former bank is not an ideal building. Most consignment stores are long, narrow and wide-open, not compact with multiple rooms.

Still, Naatz said, “it’s worked out better than I thought it would. I was hesitant about the separate rooms, but now I like how I can have it separated,” with different items in their own areas.

One room features children’s items, including quality clothing, toys and books.

“I really try to encourage anybody that’s bringing books in to donate the books – because I give a percentage of all books sales to the (Blooming Prairie) Education Foundation,” she said.

Another room is dedicated to craft items. There is also a dedicated area for vendors, who rent shelves to display and sell their own items, from crafts to collectables.

Several of the shelves are rented by a woman from Albert Lea who runs a dog rescue. She sells dishes – antiques and otherwise – after scouring estate sales and other markets.

“All the money she earns pays for her dog food and vet bills,” Naatz said, “and I thought it kind of fit into my whole giving back, you know?”

ReBloom also offers home décor, men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, handcrafted items, bags, shoes and more.

Anyone who donates may pick a nonprofit to which they donate their commission, “so there’s been a lot of stuff that has come in through donation. Once they find that out, they’re like, here, just … donate the commission.”

Naatz admits to being “kind of more picky” about the household items, looking for things that are “basically almost new.”

Finding a purpose

Naatz accepts items on consignment by appointment; small donations can be dropped off during business hours, which are currently 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

“I want people to know that when they shop here, they’re helping out the community in another way, too, with a lot of things, and hopefully the more I sell, the more I can add to that,” she said.

“I’m not here to get rich; I just want to enjoy life, have a purpose and give back. We’ve always lived a pretty simple life, and don’t need a lot,” Naatz said. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘I can’t believe this. After all these years, I’m doing this.’

“I’ve been very fortunate to know some people in Blooming that have been very helpful,” she said, “and I couldn’t have done it without family.”

Naatz is counting on her decision to stay in town to pay off for everyone.

“I hope people come into town – because thrifting is kind of the thing, and going to consignments, then they’ll see that we have a Prairie Home (Floral Decor); they’ll see that we have a pretty cool hardware store …” she said.

“I would love to see everybody down this Main Street gain something. If a little boutique came in, I’d be happy; we can all work together.”

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OPU dedicates Warehime Community Room

Publisher — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:47:53 +0000

OPU dedicates Warehime Community Room

Unveils plaque of late general manager

Publisher Thu, 10/15/2026 - 16:47

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

Kristin Warehime, wife of the late Roger Warehime, wipes away tears during the unveiling of a plaque honoring his 22 years of service to OPU. It hangs in the lobby, just outside the newly dedicated Warehime Community Room. Staff photo by Kay Fate

After the floodwaters receded in September 2010, revealing the damage done to Owatonna Public Utilities, the architects and leaders of the plant worked hard to repurpose as much as they could.

The wallpaper behind the desks at the entrance featured the original blueprints of the 1924 building, said Kristin Warehime.

“The grating on the guardrails used to be the flooring, I believe, from the old power plant,” she said.

Many small relics and items were saved, Warehime said, to remain part of OPU’s history.

“And now, Roger gets to be part of this building’s story.”

Roger Warehime worked at the plant for 22 years, serving as general manager from December 2018 until his unexpected death from a heart attack in April.

On Oct. 8, more than 100 people crowded into the newly named Warehime Community Room just off the lobby of OPU, where a plaque in his honor was also unveiled.

“Roger was a staunch advocate for this room being open to the public as much as possible,” said Christian Fenstermacher, who was named Warehime’s successor in July. “He cared deeply about this community. He’s been giving people a place to come together, to share perspectives and ideas, and to figure out how to work together. That’s what this room is for. That’s why it should carry his name.”

Two of Warehime’s good friends – Brad Meier, president and CEO of the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce, and former Owatonna Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Elstad – also spoke.

“He was and is the best listener that I ever knew, often annoyingly so, and he’s a pro’s pro with strategic planning – also annoyingly so,” Meier said. “When you had a conversation with Roger, there was nothing superficial about it.”

He was not only good at strategic planning; he liked it, Meier said.

“Every organization in this town is better because of Roger’s skill and generosity … his ego-less generosity that he would give to basically every individual he would try to help, every organization that he would participate with, and ultimately a community that he loved so very much.”

Elstad’s remarks had a similar theme, “because Roger was consistent.”

Warehime also understood “the awesome responsibility of leadership,” Elstad said, always taking notes during presentations because “somewhere, somehow, that was going to impact somebody else, because Roger had an amazing skill of turning that into something extraordinary” for people or groups he was working with.

“He was constantly putting others before himself, and giving others exactly what they needed,” Elstad said.

“Unfortunately, in our society, the word ‘inequity’ has been co-opted,” he said. “Equity means giving people what they need, and Roger was an equitable leader… He had an amazing ability to listen and value differences; he was never afraid of a difficult conversation, because he would listen authentically.”

Elstad encouraged the attendees to “honor Roger’s mission of validating and valuing differences, and being OK with that… We have to make sure that at least we’re on the same path toward understanding that we don’t all have to believe the same things, and we can be different. I want us to honor that listening, that leadership, the spirit of discussion and the art of compromise that Roger was willing to help us find.”

Another good friend, Kent Myers, who provides leadership training to OPU staff, talked about a table Warehime built for Thanksgiving dinner, “large enough for everyone to sit together. He didn’t want anyone left out, or sitting at a separate table. He wanted everyone to have a place.”

Myers called it a fitting story for the dedication, “because I hope this community room is filled with tables – not just of wood or metal, but tables made from the things Roger gave us so freely, and that he gave freely to others: Inclusion, empathy, kindness, respect, caring.

“I hope conversations happen here that bring people together. I hope differences are welcome, voices are heard and no one ever wonders whether there is a place for them at the table, because that is what Roger did: He made room for people,” Myers said.

“He noticed people; he listened to people; he cared about people, and he understood something that every great leader eventually learns: Leadership isn’t about how many people sit behind you. It’s about how many people you are willing to make room for to sit beside you,” he said.

“May the conversations around these tables be dealt with respect, curiosity, laughter, compassion and care, and may everyone who enters this room feel that they belong here,” Myers concluded.

“Roger built a table large enough for everyone. May we spend the years ahead of us, making sure we do the same.”

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