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County approves new e-mail retention policy

Publisher — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 23:05:50 +0000

County approves new e-mail retention policy Publisher Fri, 07/24/2026 - 01:05

Karen M. Jorgensen, Staff Writer

Steele County Commissioners unanimously approved a new email retention policy after pulling the resolution from the consent agenda for discussion on the regular agenda.

Under the policy approved, all emails, including sent and received messages and attachments, will be automatically deleted after 14 months. Employees will be responsible for reviewing and managing their email to ensure that any messages requiring retention beyond that time “are timely saved in accordance with County guidelines and applicable records schedules.”

The resolution was removed from the consent agenda after comments from several county residents during the open comment period at the beginning of the meeting.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Melissa Zimmerman, Owatonna East Side Corridor, asked that it be removed from the consent agenda. She said that the proposed policy relied on employees to determine what needed to be retained for more than 14 months and did not include rules on what needed to be retained.

The East Side Corridor has been involved in litigation for five years, she said, regarding emails requested through data requests.

Colin Whalen also questioned the reasoning behind a 14-month retention and said it seemed like a sudden push to delete a paper trail.

When the consent agenda approval came up, Commissioner Jim Abbe asked that the retention policy be removed and placed on the regular agenda.

During the discussion on the resolution, Abbe said that it had been discussed in committee and 14 months had been arrived at as a reasonable time length.

County Administrator Renae Fry said that the email addresses should not be used as a “file cabinet” and that any litigation holds would supersede the 14-month time limit.

County Attorney Robert Jarrett said that retention of general emails for a shorter period of time was not uncommon. He pointed to MnPrairie, which retains emails for six months, and the City of St. Paul, which retains its for 180 days.

County IT director Dave Purscell said that emails are not considered a source of record; rather, they provide the ability to transfer information.

He said that the resolution was an effort to “reduce the bloat,” as some emails involve multiple recipients and sometimes the same email is seen 12 times. There is a process to remove duplicate emails, however.

Emails involving litigation have an indefinite hold, sometimes for years – but only if they are requested before the 14 months elapses, now that the policy has changed.

The policy was recommended by Jarrett, Purscell and Fry.

“By doing this, aren’t we relieving the burden of unwanted data requests that bog us down?” Commissioner James Brady asked.

“Correct,” Jarrett said.

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Schmidts named Farm Family of the Year

Publisher — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 20:59:30 +0000

Schmidts named Farm Family of the Year Publisher Wed, 07/22/2026 - 22:59

The Schmidt family of rural Owatonna has been named one of the Minnesota Farm Families of the Year. Pictured at the recent Breakfast on the Farm are Kim Schmidt, Madi Murphy and Jon Schmidt of Schmitty Holsteins. Staff photo by Rick Bussler

The Schmidt family of rural Owatonna will be honored as one of 86 families as the 2026 Farm Family of the Year by the University of Minnesota.

They will be recognized at a ceremony during Minnesota Farmfest near Redwood Falls on Aug. 6.

The Schmidt family farm began in 1884 in Meriden Township and has been recognized as a Century Farm. For five generations, the Schmidt family has been dedicated to dairy farming.

Today, Schmity Holsteins is owned by Jon Schmidt. The operation includes 250 milk cows and 250 head of young stock, primarily registered Holsteins with a few registered Jerseys. The farm includes 250 acres that support the herd’s feed needs. Schmity Holsteins has received the Holstein Association’s prestigious Progressive Genetic Herd Award for the past 20 years and has bred and developed more than 50 females classified as excellent.

The farm is managed almost entirely by the Schmidt family. Jon serves as owner and overall manager. His wife Kim works at Federated Insurance. Their daughter Madi Murphy is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and owns several Jersey cows and heifers she exhibited in 4-H.

Jon’s parents, Myron and Sandy Schmidt, continue to live on the farm, with Myron caring for the baby calves. Jon’s sister Andrea Slater and her husband Chris Slater are also actively involved. Chris oversees feeding, fieldwork and farm maintenance.

Their children, Steven and Jacob, work on the farm full-time assisting with milking and fieldwork, representing the sixth generation of Schmidts involved in the operation.

Jon is a member of both the National and Minnesota Holstein Associations, and he chairs the I-35 Holstein Club and the Steele County American Dairy Association. He also serves on the AMPI corporate board of directors and was recently selected to serve on the board of directors for World Dairy Expo. Chris serves as a Meriden Township supervisor.

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Steamy summer vibes boost BP flower show

Publisher — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 20:56:43 +0000

Steamy summer vibes boost BP flower show Publisher Wed, 07/22/2026 - 22:56

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

Lisa Place, left, won Grand Champion with her yellow lily at the BP American Legion Auxiliary Flower Show. Wanda Edge, right, accepted the ribbon for Reserve Champion on behalf of Doug Edge, who exhibited a Crown of Thorns plant. Submitted photo

The organizers of the 2026 American Legion Ladies Auxiliary Flower Show in Blooming Prairie could not possibly have predicted how accurate their theme would be, but Summer Vibes was spot-on.

About 140 tickets were sold, up significantly from the past few years – maybe because the number of exhibits was also a big one: 115.

“We usually have about 100 (entries),” said Deb Lindquist. “The hot weather must have boosted all the flowers, and people were in the mood to bring them.”

A couple of other things were different this year, including the team approach to organizing the event.

Lindquist was joined by Leanne Hanson, Karen Beede and Julie Hoffman.

“Karen’s stepping down, and she was nice enough to make this binder for everybody of how to run this show,” Lindquist said. “She stuck with us to answer questions, so that was awesome.”

Beede has handled most of the responsibilities for several years.

Next year, she said, “I’ll work in the background. It works out just fine that way.”

Also new was the luncheon format – the meal served at the table, family-style.

“With mobility issues, and trying to balance” plates and cups and glasses in a buffet line, “we thought, let’s try this,” Lindquist said, “and it seems to be working just fine.”

Proceeds go to the American Legion ladies auxiliary, “then we give it to different veteran programs,” she said.

Lindquist found her way into the auxiliary “because I love the flower show, and then the ladies said, ‘you just need to come to a meeting.’ So I did.”

There were 13 raffle baskets this year, adding to the total raised at the July 16 event. Door prizes were the table centerpieces, which were designed and grown by Hoffman. They featured tiny sand pails with live flowers, surrounded by beach décor such as shells, starfish and colored glass pebbles.

“This all happens due to the generosity of so many more volunteers who help with planning, food preparation, signing in exhibits, collecting raffle items, distributing flyers and so much more,” Lindquist said.

Grand Champion went to Lisa Place, with a lily; People’s Choice was also a lily – one stem with multiple lilies, entered by Kimberly Peterson.

Judges were Nancy Peterson, of Blooming Prairie, and Lorrie Rugg, a master gardener from Owatonna.

____________________________________________________________________________

BP Flower Show Winners

Grand Champion: Lisa Place, a lily from the Lily class

Reserve Champion: Doug Edge, a Crown of Thorns plant from the House Plant class

People’s Choice: Kimberly Peterson, one stem with multiple lilies

Class 1 Gladiolus: 1^st Premium – Doug Edge; 2^nd Premium – Doug Edge

Class 2 Roses: 1^st – Julie Hoffman; 2^nd – Doug Edge

Class 3 Garden Flower Annuals:

Lot A Snapdragons

1^st – Michelle Krell; 2^nd – Deb Lindquist

Lot B Zinnia

1^st – Karen Peterson; 2^nd – Joyce Peterson; 3^rd – Joyce Peterson

Lot C Petunia

1^st – Deb Lindquist; 2^nd – Martha Waters; 3^rd – Louise Peterson

Lot D Marigold

1^st – Prairie Manor Residents; 2^nd – Deb Lindquist; 3^rd – Deb Lindquist

Lot E Sunflower

1^st– Michelle Krell; 2^nd– Michelle Krell

Lot F Dahlia

1^st – Michelle Krell; 2^nd – Michelle Krell; 3^rd – Prairie Manor Residents

Lot G Other

1^st – Deb Lindquist; 2^nd – Deb Lindquist; 3^rd – Karen Peterson

Class 4 Garden Flowers Perennials:

Lot A Black-Eyed Susan

1^st – Louise Peterson; 2^nd – Martha Walters; 3^rd – Joyce Peterson

Lot B Daisy

1^st – Deb Lindquist

Lot C Coneflower

1^st – Martha Walter; 2^nd– Deb Lindquist; 3^rd – Deb Lindquist

Lot D Hosta Leaf

1^st – Martha Walters; 2^nd – Karen Peterson; 3^rd – Karen Peterson

Lot E Hydrangea

1^st – Karen Peterson; 2^nd – Deb Lindquist; 3^rd – Doug Edge

Lot F Lily

1^st– Lisa Place; 2^nd – Karen Peterson; 3^rd – Kimberly Peterson

Lot G Other

1^st – Linda Christianson; 2^nd – Janet Miller; 3^rd – Louise Peterson

Class 5 Arrangements:

Lot A Mini Arrangement under 8”

1^st – Arlene Johnson; 2^nd – Linda Christianson; 3^rd – Doug Edge

Lot B large mixed arrangement over 8”

1^st – Louise Peterson; 2^nd – Martha Walters; 3^rd – Michelle Krell

Lot C – wildflowers; no entries received

Lot D Other

1^st – Pat Misgen; 2ⁿ– Brad Trom

Class 6 House Plants: 1^st – Doug Edge; 2^nd – Deb Lindquist; 3^rd – Joann Nielsen

Class 7 Outdoor Potted Plants:

Lot A Single specimen

1^st – Deb Lindquist; 2^nd – Joanne Sorenson; 3^rd – Deb Lindquist

Lot B – Mixed Specimen

1^st – Deb Lindquist; 2^nd – Deb Lindquist

Class 8 Succulents: 1^st – Joanne Neilsen

Class 9 Fairy Garden: no entries

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Medford mall fills the bill for fire street dance

Publisher — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 20:54:21 +0000

Medford mall fills the bill for fire street dance Publisher Wed, 07/22/2026 - 22:54

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

A view from the stage while IV Play entertained the crowd shows just how large the crowd got Saturday night. Organizers were hoping up to 2,500 people would attend the annual Medford Fire Department street dance, which raises funds for the MFD Relief Association. Submitted photo

Ben Maas knows how to throw a party – and grow a party.

“We’re anticipating the turnout to be a bit bigger than last year,” he said of the annual Medford Fire Department’s street dance.

“We average about 1,500 to 1,800 people, and we’re hoping to hit 2,500 people,” Maas said.

It’s important to note here: There are only about 1,350 residents in the town.

“We’ve always done it down at the fire hall, and we just decided that we were going to possibly try to get bigger. We figured before we ran out of space, we’d fix the problem before it happened.”

Boy, did they.

Instead of the somewhat cramped quarters on a single block that also houses city buildings, the event Saturday night was able to stretch out in the nearly 10 acres of parking lot at the Ultra Outlets of Medford, formerly the Medford Outlet Center.

That meant plenty of room for parking, socializing and dancing.

Maas worked with the local site manager of the venue, which is owned by a private company in the Twin Cities area.

“They were so happy to help out in every way they could,” he said, including offering the space for no charge.

“Our only goal is to break even,” Maas said, “but it’s definitely a good moneymaker for our department. It takes a lot of money to throw this party, and there’s a lot of risk,” whether it’s the weather or simply low attendance.

Neither were an issue this year; the night was warm and humid, but there was a slight breeze as hundreds poured into the venue.

Live music played from 4:30 p.m. to midnight, with just a 30-minute break between bands at 8:30.

As he stood tearing groups of five tickets off a large roll, Maas fielded radio calls and frequent interruptions.

When he heard the entrance gate was running out of wrist bands, he smiled: “We had 2,000 of those.”

Proceeds from the event go to the Medford Fire Relief Association, which makes large donations to the department’s equipment fund. Maas was president of the relief association for about five years, before stepping down a few months ago.

A 12-year veteran of the MFD, he acts as the event coordinator, facilitating the annual street dance, breakfasts and many of the other fundraisers, using his 25-year career as a chef to his advantage.

“This community knows how to show up to support their fire department,” Maas said. “We just thank everyone who comes out, our sponsors, everybody. We love our community; we love helping give back.

“Everybody will enjoy a good party tonight.”

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Local residents open their gardens during secret tour

Publisher — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 20:50:07 +0000

Local residents open their gardens during secret tour Publisher Wed, 07/22/2026 - 22:50

Karen M. Jorgensen, Staff Writer

Randy Schott in front of one of his plots of native prairie flowers at his garden in Ellendale. He was part of Owatonna Art Center’s annual secret garden tour. Staff photo by Karen M. Jorgensen

A selection of local gardeners opened their gardens to the community Sunday for the Owatonna Arts Center’s annual secret garden tour. This year’s tour featured eight gardens, seven in Owatonna and one in Ellendale.

One of the gardens on the tour was Randy and Sherry Schott’s garden in Ellendale that includes native prairie flowers on the property they bought in 2008. Since then, they have cleared the 7.5 acreage of overgrown brush and boxelder trees, Schott said, and turned it into plots of prairie wildflowers and grasses. The plots now provide a habitat for a variety of pollinators including butterflies, bees and birds.

He said he seeded the wildflowers and grasses, and they provide a changing color of flowers as the season progresses from spring through summer.

Schott said they have a variety of visitors during spring and fall migrations. Birds that stay for the summer include cardinals, wrens, grossbeaks, orioles, nuthatches, indigo buntings, sparrow, cedar waxwings, swallows and others.

Randy Schott is retired from the Wisconsin Division of Forestry as a forestry supervisor in Forest and Fire Management. Sherry Schott is retired from MN Prairie County Alliance as a social worker.

Jennifer Arco Bellefeuille, who is the orchestra teacher at Owatonna Middle School, said that her gardens take visitors through a journey of love, remembrance and cherished memories.

She said the first garden honors her sister and is a peaceful place that also serves as the resting place of two beloved family dogs. Beyond the first garden is one dedicated to her mother and filled with plants and flowers shared by friends, family and fellow gardeners. She said it has become a living tapestry of friendship, generosity and connection.

The third garden, she said, was created in memory of her father and is a quiet space for reflection and gratitude.

The other gardens on the tour included those of Don and Verna Thiede, Lynette Yencho, Joan and Lowell Skelton, Rich Schnorenberg, Dan and Barb Guggisberg and Bonnie Jensen.

Don and Verna Thiede’s garden has evolved after 50 years of hard work. They enjoy landscaping using recycled natural materials. Don is the engineer his wife said, while she designs the gardens, plants them and adds additional pieces of interest. They also have a large vegetable garden. Verna Thiede is a 20-year master gardener and tests seeds for the University of Minnesota.

Lynette Yencho is an artist and walking into her garden is like walking into a little forest with a flower or two, she said, with a hand-built fence and cobblestones that used to be bricks from the Masonic Temple. Perennials are planted arbitrarily and annuals usually scattered around them, she said.

The Skelton Garden is a mix of flowers collected from friends and family. Schnorenberg said he loves the beauty in nature that Minnesota has to offer and is always willing to share his ideas of garden landscaping with others.

The Guggisbergs have a perennial garden including hostas, day lilies, roses, daisies, sedan, peonies, hydrangeas, cat mint and lilac bushes. Behind the lilacs they have planted tomato plants, rhubarb, cucumber and potatoes planted in milk crates.

Bonnie Johnson calls her garden her “tiny backyard sanctuary,” that they have been working on since they moved there in 2019.

The garden tour is a fundraiser for the Owatonna Arts Center that has offered each year for about 25 years. There are no formal tours of the gardens, but visitors are welcome to walk through them at their leisure and speak with the owners.

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County considers change with coroner

Publisher — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 20:45:43 +0000

County considers change with coroner Publisher Wed, 07/22/2026 - 22:45

Karen M. Jorgensen, Staff Writer

Last week’s Steele County Board workshop session raised questions about the county coroner’s office operation and if the coroner, Dr. Kellyanna Moore, is hard to reach regarding information on death investigations.

During the workshop session, Steele County Sheriff’s Investigator Kari Woltman and County Administrator Renae Fry commented about difficulties in contacting Moore. Woltman told commissioners that for many of the deaths in the county requiring the coroner’s involvement there was a slow or no response from the coroner’s office for inquiries about investigations. She said she has been in investigations for seven years and had seen Moore only at one murder-suicide and that her second-in-command usually answers death investigation calls.

Fry added that she had reached out to Moore and she had not responded. “This is not a reflection on her abilities,” Fry said, but she does not have an organization behind her. In addition to serving as the Steele County coroner, she also works as a physician at the prison in Waseca.

In an email to the Steele County Times, Moore took issue with the comments made at the work session.

“In regard to Administrator Fry’s statement that she had reached out to me regarding concerns without receiving a response, I communicate frequently with County Administration, primarily through Rebecca Kubicek, administrative assistant to County Administrator Renae Fry,” Moore wrote.

Moore went on to say, “In reviewing those communications, I found more than 40 email exchanges during the past six months, none of which raised the concerns that were later discussed publicly. I asked Ms. Fry to identify the communication in which those concerns had been raised with me, and no such communication was identified in her response. For that reason, I was surprised to hear it characterized publicly as though County Administration had been unable to reach me.”

The Information in the board packet for the workshop session included a memo from the Public Safety and Health Committee about a June meeting that recommended the county have further discussions of alternatives to an appointed coroner at a board work session.

The committee report went on to say the current contract with Moore expires in December 2026 and that this is an appropriate time to revisit the option of contracting with a medical examiner’s office instead of continuing with a county coroner structure.

It went on to say that two medical examiner’s offices currently work with surrounding communities, and both offer services at a per capita rate. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office (MMEO) is located in Anoka County and has a 2026 per capita rate of $2.71. Based on the county’s population of 37,434 the estimated cost for Steele County would have been $101,446.

Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner Services (SMRME) is located in Olmsted County with a 2026 per capita rate of $3.46 bringing the Steele County total to $129,522.

The report went on that the benefits of contracting with a regional medical examiner office is predictable, stable annual costs along with guaranteed access to board-certified medical examiner testimony without additional fees.

Moore’s current contract includes the coroner’s salary of $49,194.96. In addition to this cost, the county incurs other expenses including autopsies, at approximately $1,800 per case, death investigator fees, software expenses, body bags, training and transport expenses. The county’s total coroner-related costs were approximately $93,000 in 2025 and projected to be approximately $91,000 for 2026.

During the discussion, County Attorney Robert Jarrett said that Steele County is one of three counties with an independent coroner. He added he would like to explore if the current coroner is not meeting the contract.

If the board decides to go with a regional office the memo said they recommend MMEO.

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Pride’s planning keeps event calm

Publisher — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:02:19 +0000

Pride’s planning keeps event calm Publisher Wed, 07/15/2026 - 18:02

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

They may not have realized it, but the organizers of Owatonna’s Pride in the Park took a page right out of an 1833 novel.

“Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best,” wrote Benjamin Disraeli, who would later become British Prime Minister.

That’s just what Rainbowatonna and the Owatonna Police Department did over the past year, hoping to prevent a repeat of the ugliness that marked last year’s Pride event.

They created a plan that limited amplification, designated a “free speech zone” and secured a permit that allowed the organizers to ask people to leave if they’re deemed disruptive.

There was improved security, including OPD officers.

The additional measures were put into place after increasing hostility and confrontations since the city’s first Pride event in 2021.

Last year, protesters used bullhorns and speakers to disrupt the LGBTQ+ celebration of Pride Month. They stood in front of the stage during speeches and performances, reportedly yelling slurs and confronting attendees – including children. Some held large posters of the aftermath of abortion procedures.

The preparations were enough to keep Saturday’s event peaceful. The protesters were there, but without amplification, they drew less attention – prompting them to walk around the perimeter sidewalk to share their message.

They were mostly ignored.

Finding allies …

Amid vendors selling jewelry, clothing, baked goods, crafts and more, there were plenty of resources available at Pride.

Representatives from the Owatonna Human Rights Commission, Alliance for Greater Equity, Children’s Home Society, Spero, Mayo Clinic, Olmsted Medical Center and several churches were at the event.

So was Melissa Miller, who was part of a large contingent from Austin.

“In 2020, my child came out as non-binary, and I basically had to educate myself and then try to be as supportive as possible,” she said.

She attended her first Pride festival in West Virginia, where the family lived at the time, “and I saw a lady wearing a ‘Free Mom hugs’ shirt. I thought it was cute, and a friend of mine told me it was a whole organization – so I joined,” Miller said.

She and her family moved to Minnesota in 2022, but this was the first year she represented the group at a booth.

“Before, I just kind of went to Pride with my shirt on and gave hugs,” Miller said, but perhaps surprisingly, there weren’t many takers.

That’s good news, she said, because it could indicate parents are becoming more supportive.

“And not everyone’s big on hugs, which is fine,” Miller said. “We can do fist bumps or high fives, whatever you’re comfortable with; we’re just there showing our support. They’re not alone – there’s people that care about them and support them, you know?”

… everywhere

Mikah Meyer is a filmmaker, speaker and outdoors expert. He’s traveled from New York to New Zealand and Iran to Japan – and now, Owatonna.

He sat alone at a booth near the fountain in Central Park, surrounded by tiny rainbow-colored trees in the form of magnets, keychains, stickers, lapel pins and more.

It’s part of his Outside Safe Space program, which provides allies a way to make the outdoor more accessible for LGBTQ+ people.

“We used to be sold in 60 National Park Service site gift shops until Donald Trump banned us, because he said we were promoting gender ideology,” Meyer said.

“So that’s one of the reasons I’m here. I said, ‘well, if your goal is to make me get despondent and quit, then I’m going to go to every damn Pride festival I can,’” he explained. “There’s going to be way more people wearing these pins.”

He splits his time between Minneapolis and Los Angeles, and has visited all 491 national parks in one continuous trip.

LGBTQ+ people are regularly assessing if spaces are welcoming – safe to hold hands with their significant other, for example.

Meyer created the symbol to be worn on outside gear to communicate someone is an ally, “especially in outdoor, rural and active places that have traditionally been less-welcoming than urban bubbles,” he said.

Organizers expected hundreds of people to attend; a final estimate was not available when this issue of the Steele County Times went to press.

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REFIND WORKS

Publisher — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 15:58:42 +0000

REFIND WORKS

Artist creates metal sculptures from junk steel

Publisher Wed, 07/15/2026 - 17:58

Rick Bussler, Publisher

Brian Quail displays a deer and eagle on his farm outside of Owatonna. The founder of Refind Works is a sculptor specializing in reclaimed metal sculptures. Staff photo by Rick Bussler

With piles of discarded industrial and agricultural steel sitting around, it may have the resemblance of a junk collector. But for Brian Quail it is better than junk as he turns one man’s trash into another man’s treasure.

Quail’s trash pile consists of parts from the body panel of a 1930’s Chevrolet, farm scrap, digger shovels, fence posts, old wrenches and other misc. parts and pieces. He reassembles the trash into sculpture art.

“I have friends who are scrappers, and they save me pieces,” he said, noting he loves to use old farm equipment, most of which is given to him, though he purchases some of it. “I’m picky about what I look for. It has to have character.”

For Quail, it’s a celebration of craftsmanship, resilience and the beauty found in transformation.

Quail primarily focuses on wildlife with some of his more popular pieces being white tail deer, birds of prey, fish and eagles. One of his sculptures featured an exhaust pipe which led to the formation of an elephant.

“One piece is usually what inspires the rest,” he said.

He has crafted a guardian angel, which has been his largest sculpture to date at 10 by 12 feet. Quail used sidewall sheets from grain bins for the angel.

After working in metal fabrication and grain bin construction for many years, Quail became a full-time sculptor three years ago. “It just clicked. I started putting pieces together and it looked like something,” he said.

His first piece was a whitetail deer, which was accepted as part of the Minnesota State Fair’s art show. Among the parts featured on the deer are plow blades, lawn mower blade, old rake, horseshoe, tin snips, fence post, rotary rake, handles from machinery and shovels. “I try to do it all symmetrical, so it matches,” he said.

He has his eye on sculpting a big mosquito with an 8-foot body later this summer.

“I like to focus on bigger sculptures that last forever,” Quail said.

The self-taught sculptor describes himself as “always being kind of artsy.” He remembers being inspired by outdoor life magazines from his father where he would take them and draw art.

“Art has always been a constant in my life,” said Quail, who grew up in South Dakota and moved to Minnesota about 20 years ago. “As a kid, I filled sketchbooks with wildlife from the magazines. Today, I’m still drawn to the beauty hidden in everyday objects: the textures, the colors, the layers—the things that most people overlook.”

Quail said his work brings those overlooked elements to life. Every sculpture begins with forgotten metal: discarded gears, pipes, chains and industrial scraps. Many of the scrap items are 80 to 90 years old, and Quail leaves them in their natural condition. “I like it when they rust,” he added.

“I collect these worn, abandoned pieces and transform them into expressive works of art,” Quail said. “In my hands, scrap metal is reborn—rebuilt into something meaningful, powerful and unexpected.”

On his farm located west of Owatonna, Quail utilizes a small shop to reborn the scrap metal, most of which is done by hand. He uses basic hand tools, grinders and a welder to achieve his metal sculptures. He often works for 14 hours or more per day with one piece taking up to six full days.

“No two pieces are alike,” he said. “I use different parts and pieces on each one. Each sculpture carries the marks of its former life and the intention of its transformation. It’s a lot of work. It’s not as easy as it looks.”

Quail said he has developed a customer base of higher end professionals, including doctors, bankers and investors. He has found many of his clients have a connection to the farm and come from rural backgrounds, though they may not currently live in the country. They often make purchases as outdoor art for summer cabins or other venues.

Most of the sculptures range from $2,500 to $14,000. He also makes some smaller pieces for indoors. “It’s a niche market,” he said, adding he does commission work for clients who want something specific. “There are a lot of people out there that buy art and appreciate it.”

He has a large inventory of sculptures for sale on his website at www.refindworks.com.

His most unique piece has been a Native American sculpture featuring old license plates from the 1920s and 30s.

Quail thrives on “taking old parts and turning them into something else that people can recognize.” For Quail, sculpture art is relaxing. He is thrilled to have made the leap from “construction guy” to sculptor. “I never thought I would be a sculptor,” he said.

Quail’s work is currently on display at the Waseca Art Center through July 24. One of the pieces featured in the exhibition is a cat’s claw from pry bar.

“Each piece I do is getting better and better,” Quail said. “It a tough crowd and tough market. You have to find that one person.”

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Enterprise Minnesota CEO visits Metal Services in BP

Publisher — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 15:57:11 +0000

Enterprise Minnesota CEO visits Metal Services in BP Publisher Wed, 07/15/2026 - 17:57

Karen M. Jorgensen, Staff Writer

A group from Enterprise Minnesota visits Metal Services of Blooming Prairie Monday afternoon. Attending were left to right, Kurt Bear, Enterprise Minnesota; State Rep. Patricia Mueller, District 23; Kurt Schrom, CEO of Metal Services; Mark O’Leary, President and CEO of Enterprise Minnesota and Abbey Hellickson, Enterprise Minnesota. Staff photo by Karen M. Jorgensen

Mark O’Leary, president and CEO of Enterprise Minnesota, made a stop in Blooming Prairie Monday to learn about Metal Services of Blooming Prairie.

O’Leary, along with several Enterprise Minnesota staff members and Rep. Patricia Mueller, District 23B, were given a short tour of the facility by Metal Services CEO Kurt Schrom.

Metal Services is a metal fabricator specializing in custom fabrication, welding, and CNC machining for industries in a variety of industries including agriculture, manufacturing and industrial operations. They have services from design to production including laser/plasma cutting, pipe/tube bending and robotic welding.

Enterprise Minnesota is a non-profit business consulting organization helping small and medium-sized manufacturers in Minnesota grow profitably by improving operations, strategy and workforce. It is the state’s official Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center and helps businesses with continuous improvement, strategic growth planning, business management systems and talent and leadership development, said Robert Lodge, director of marketing, who also attended the tour.

Schrom is the vice chair of the Enterprise Minnesota Board of Directors.

O’Leary, who has been head of Enterprise Minnesota for four months, is visiting manufacturing sites throughout the state.

Schrom said that Metal Services began in 1984 as a farm equipment repair business. When the farm crisis hit, he said, the company reached out to other industries and has grown into one of the region’s most trusted metal fabricators, now employing 43 people.

Schrom said the company does not manufacture any products of their own but do manufacture the products that other companies need to make their products. He said they serve customers throughout the Midwest and have even done work for a company in Texas.

Working with Enterprise Minnesota, he said, Metal Services has developed a process that highlights people, quality, velocity and cost, Schrom said, that enables them to deliver on-time and with high-precision.

One of the areas Schrom showed the visitors was the robotic welding arm with a nine-foot radius, he said. A robotic welding arm, he said, does not reduce the need for human welders. The arm can do the basic welding, he said, and speed up the process to give the certified human welders more time to do the custom work. Another innovation that Metal Services is starting, Schrom said, is providing “kits” to their customers to make assembly easier. Instead of sending a pallet of each part, he said, they will consolidate components into pre-assembled kits, thereby simplifying operations and boosting efficiency.

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Public gets first look at expanded WWTF

Publisher — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 15:54:52 +0000

Public gets first look at expanded WWTF Publisher Wed, 07/15/2026 - 17:54

Kay Fate, Staff Writer

Jennifer Svennes, vice-president of Nero Engineering, explained the process of the aeration basins at the Owatonna wastewater treatment facility. Svennes has been part of the project since its planning stages. Staff photo by Kay Fate

“This isn’t the sexy stuff, but when you think of the critical things – this is one of the critical things.”

Owatonna Mayor Matt Jessop was right on both fronts as he stood with other local and state representatives at the ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday for the city’s newly expanded wastewater treatment facility.

Nearly a decade in the works, the project morphed significantly over the years, to eventually become a regional facility by treating Medford’s municipal wastewater, as well.

Not only did the partnership bring additional funding, it addressed Medford's urgent need for a viable wastewater alternative following the 2021 discovery of severe structural neglect at its own facility.

The advantages reach further: The regionalization model guarantees that all processed water returned to local river networks – including the Straight, Cannon and Mississippi rivers – adheres to strict environmental safety thresholds.

All good things, Jessop agreed, “but if not for Jasinski, this thing is not happening.”

That’s Sen. John Jasinski, R-Faribault, who pitched the project to the bonding committee at the Minnesota Legislature for two years before it passed.

The senator thanked another mayor – former Owatonna Mayor Tom Kuntz, who Jasinski said was “very supportive,” especially after a smaller, failed bonding bill that Jasinski declined to vote for.

“The year (the funding) went through, the House passed a smaller bill, and I didn’t vote for that second bill – so we had (Rep. John) Petersburg voting for one and me not voting for one,” he said.

“I said trust me, we’re going to get more,” Jasinski said of his advice to Kuntz.

In May of 2023, Owatonna learned it received $22 million for the project; another $4.5 million was approved for Medford to modify its wastewater collection system so it could connect to Owatonna’s plant.

“The bonding chair and all the bonding committee members saw the importance of regionalization, and seeing you can save money by consolidating – not only just for the plants themselves, but in the future, for wastewater treatment operators, for upgrades, for all those things that will come,” Jasinski said.

“They know if (projects) are regionalized, they’re going to save money in the future.”

The $81 million price tag included three new buildings, which were featured on Saturday’s tour of the facility, including a membrane bioreactor building, a fine screen building and the solids thickening building.

The work rehabbed the primary clarifiers, aeration basins and site piping, and made upgrades to other processes.

The project has nearly doubled the former capacity – from 5 million gallons per day to more than 9 million gallons a day – and is predicted to serve the city’s expected growth over the next 25 years.

In addition to the $26.5 million in state funding, the city paid $3 million for the planning process out of pocket; it had also set aside $10 million in reserve funds to be used for the project. An additional $8 million came in the form of grant funding.

Medford’s remaining share was $6.5 million.

The remainder is covered by local utility rates; Owatonna had prepared for the plant’s expansion by implementing incremental 10-year sewer rate increases.

A groundbreaking was held in July 2022.

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