Tri-County News

2018 Year in Review: April


The high school trap season began April 1 as Eden Valley-Watkins and Kimball were out practicing in the middle of a snowstorm.

At their April 3 and April 4 meetings, the City of Kimball and City of Eden Valley, respectively, made way for the construction of Dollar General stores.

Early in the morning April 4, a large SUV crashed into the north wall of the Kingston Mini Mart causing damage and quite a mess.

The 80th annual South Haven Fish Fry was April 6 at the Fire Hall. The event is sponsored by the South Haven Sportsmen’s Club to raise money for conservation projects.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Eden Valley hosted its annual smelt & fish fry April 6.

The Kimball Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the 15th annual Community Expo April 7 at KAHS.  AM Maus & Son held a Chrysler Cars 4 Classrooms fundraiser during the Expo that raised $2,040 for Kimball Elementary School.

April 7 was the 4-H State Project Bowl competition in Sauk Rapids. Seven teams from the Meeker County 4-H competed.

Siblings Cheyenne, 11, and Broga, 7, Nyholm of Kimball won state championship titles at the April 7-8 Indoor 300 Round archery tournament. Both are members of the Junior Olympic Archery Development program.

A benefit breakfast was held April 8 at the Kimball Legion Club for Krystal Schroeder Brown.

The youth of Assumption Parish in Eden Valley hosted a breakfast April 8.

Stearns County announced in April that the criminal investigation into the 2012 murder of Cold Spring Police Officer Thomas Decker is closed. The most likely suspect committed suicide in 2013.

The City of Watkins signed an agreement with Geronimo Energy of Edina Nov. 10, 2016, subscribing to a solar garden. In the meantime, after much back-and-forth with the attorneys, Geronimo came back with a new agreement that would not allow the city to cancel for breach by the operator. The city’s attorney was told by Geronimo that the city must either take it or leave it. The council voted April 12 to leave it.

April 12 the Eden Valley Area Library hosted “Hot Dish Heaven” author Jeanne Cooney.

The Maine Prairie Ducks Unlimited chapter held their annual Sportsman’s Night Out banquet April 13 at Generations Ballroom in Kimball.

Wright County Swappers Meet was scheduled to open April 14 for their 48th season, but it was delayed a couple of weeks because of bad weather.

At the 2018 wrestling banquet April 14, outgoing coach Mike Schindler was presented with the final Schiefelbein Award. The Schiefelbein family announced that the award would be retired, and requested that future awards – usually presented to a senior wrestler who best fits the criteria – be henceforth called the “Mike Schindler Dedicated Wrestler Award.”

The Eden Valley-Watkins Senior Citizen Banquet was held April 18 in the Eden Valley Event Center.

April 20 Kimball Area Friends of the Library hosted Minnesota author Jeanne Cooney for “Dinner with an Author” at Millner Heritage Vineyard and Winery.

Comedian Jeff Bodart was featured at a comedy show and dinner April 21 at Powder Ridge.

Kimball’s Prom was April 21. The theme was “To the Moon and Back.”

The amateur baseball season in central Minnesota officially began April 22. It would prove again to be a pretty exciting season for the Kimball Express.

The history of growing tobacco in Stearns and Meeker Counties was the topic of the April 24 Kimball Area Historical Society program at Kimball City Hall.

The Resource Training & Solutions Students of Excellence celebrated at a banquet April 25
were Sarah Wirz, Maggie Schmaltz, Morgan Steffens, Brad Dockendorf, and Lisa Holdvogt of EV-W; and Katie Merchant, Brooklyn Smith, Abbey Schiefelbein, and Hope Hartwig of Kimball.

Kimball High School’s Business Communications class enjoyed a “coffee break” networking session April 26 with local business leaders, held at Wally’s Café in Watkins.

The Kimball Class of 1974 met April 28 at Triple R Grill & Bar in Kimball.

Concordia Lutheran Church in Fair Haven held a spaghetti dinner April 28.

The Eden Valley-Watkins Prom was held  April 28 with the theme “The Secret Garden.” The Grand March was held at the high school, and Prom was at Millner Winery later that evening.

The Watkins Clippers season opener gave them a 10-0 win
April 29 at Pearl Lake. The Clippers season started out strong, but ended less so, with pitcher and manager Matt Geislinger out with injuries for much of the season.

Powder Ridge was host to a benefit spaghetti dinner for Mitch Jansky April 29.

There was an American Red Cross Blood Drive April 30 at the Eden Valley Community Center.

Starting April 30, the main railroad crossing in Kimball (at Highway 15) was closed for a week for repairs.

Five EV-W speechers were finalists in the State speech competition. Maggie Schmaltz placed first in Great Speeches, and Shelby Kuechle placed third in Serious Interpretation-Poetry; Kennedy Kleist placed fifth in Discussion, Anna Kahlstorf took eighth in Great Speeches, and Eliana Schmaltz took eighth in Original Oratory.

The KAHS Science and Agriculture program received $15,000 in grants from the Sauk River and Clearwater River Watershed Districts.

EV-W alumnus James Gathje spent spring semester studying in Ireland-Cork through the Center for Global Education at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. He is majoring in political science and economics at SJU.

Departures:

April 1, Kaleb Wells, 31, of Kimball

April 1, Tronn Paulson, 49, of Annandale

April 9, Robert “Bob” Klein, 74, of Watkins

April 10, Jerry Kramber, 71, of Foley

April 11, Patricia “Pat” (Kalusche) Jansky, 66, of Fair Haven

April 13, Dale Otto, 77, of Eden Valley

April 19, Maynard Yanish, 66, of Texas (formerly of Watkins)

April 21, Cindy (Weber) Opsahl, 67, of Kimball

April 27, A. Alvin Fischer, 88, of Kimball

April 27, Wilfred “Willie” Schauer, 79, of St. Cloud

April 27, Ethelyn Tellers, 11, of Litchfield (formerly of Watkins)

Arrivals:

April 13, Steven Kenneth Helgeson, born to Eric and Jaclyn (Messer) Helgeson.

Transitions:

Edi Lies of Watkins celebrated her 90th birthday in April.

Patrick and Lynda Mertens celebrated their 40th anniversary in April.

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