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By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher/Editor
Beloved Janesville farmer and community leader Alfred Trahms was honored posthumously as a distinguished leader in Waseca County Agriculture during the annual Farm and City Luncheon Thursday, March 16.
Each year Waseca County recognizes a deceased leader who dedicated his or her life to the advancement of agriculture in the county.
When Trahms passed away in 1984 at the age of 74, he left behind a legacy of hard work and dedication to family and public service. Trahms, along with his wife Dorothy, raised eight children while running a successful farm just south of Janesville. He focused on hogs, corn, and soybeans, and later turned over operations to his sons. Under his leadership, the farm grew in both size and productivity.
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By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher
A house fire may deem the house at 402 2nd St. SE in New Richland a total loss. The fire was reported by the home owner, Brandon Osborne, at approximately 11 p.m. Wednesday. No injuries were reported. At the time of reporting the home owner and his dog were sitting safely in their vehicle.
“It was your typical house fire,” New Richland Fire Chief Josh Moen reported on the scene. “It was bad enough. It won’t be livable for right now."
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Driving a plow requires more than pushing snow
By DEB BENTLY
Staff writer
“I enjoy being out here when it’s crappy,” declares Adam Wacholz, snow plow driver with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), based out of Albert Lea. The 37-year-old Hollandale resident has had the job for the past 9 years, and has acquired an interesting collection of experiences and knowledge.
Not all of which he is willing to share.
But given the chance to tell the driving public anything, he knows exactly what he wants to say:
“Give us room!”
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By DEB BENTLY
Staff Writer
“We were pretty much flawless,” observes NRHEG bass clarinet player Calvin Haun regarding the “superior” rating the secondary school band received at the regional large group music contest on March 7. “Mr. Z pushed us really hard, and it paid off.”
Flautist Josie Strom concurs: “I was really proud of us as a band,” she says. “The judges gave us really tedious, detailed remarks about what we could do to improve. That tells me we didn’t make very many mistakes.”
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Drivers asked to adjust to conditions
By DEB BENTLY
Staff writer
Mike Dougherty recognizes that it’s frustrating to have to slow down in bad weather conditions. But he points out that it’s even more frustrating to end up in the ditch. “You’ll get there faster driving safely,” he says.
A spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Dougherty’s territory covers the 11-county region in the southeast corner of the state, from the Wisconsin border to Freeborn County, and just north of Minnesota Highway 19 at Northfield.
In a recent conversation dealing with travel safety, and specifically with safety around snow plows, Dougherty observed that plow drivers are human, too. “They get into this because they want to help,” he says. “They take that responsibility personally.
“We put them out in some of the most difficult conditions you can imagine–in the dark, in blowing snow, on ice and in sub-zero conditions.
“It’s disheartening when people express anger at them.
“We don’t have a magic wand that can fix things. It takes good, old-fashioned time and effort.”
Dougherty has three strong recommendations when it comes to safety around working snow plows.
Slow down: Adjust speed to the circumstances.
Leave room: Recommended distance is 10 car lengths.
Stay vigilant: Let phone calls or adjustments to music wait.
Dougherty says that, as one who works with crews across 11 counties, he is always impressed by the dedication and fortitude he sees. “These folks have your best interests at heart,” he says. “You can respond to that by keeping yourself safe.”