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By ELI LUTGENS
Publisher/Editor
The New Richland City Council approved a tax levy of $567,610, a 5.39% increase from last year, during its final meeting of the year, Dec. 13, 2021.
2022-23 Budget
With several members of the community present to express their concerns, the New Richland City council approved its final budget proposal for 2022-23 following a truth in taxation public hearing. A property tax increase of 5.39 percent, almost half of what was proposed in the preliminary levy, was approved with a vote of 3-1 with the lone “ney” vote coming from Jason Casey who said, after the meeting, “I think the increase should have been zero. They should have cut the entire 10 percent budget increase from the preliminary proposal.”
“This council worked very hard at getting the proposed budget of 10.49 percent down,” Mayor Gail Schmidt said during the public meeting. “We had another work session to do so and we were able to make some more cuts, hesitantly.”
The approved tax levy will see residents pay an increase of $9 for residential property valued at $100,000; $22 more for $200,000, and $113 for commercial property valued at $500,000.
The reasons given by Mayor Schmidt earlier this year for the increase are:
Liability insurance increased by 20 percent due to the turmoil in police departments across the state of Minnesota.
Workman's compensation increased 12 percent.
Health insurance increased six percent.
In total, this budget sees an increase in expenditures of $29,019 from a year ago. A major cut from the preliminary budget was the bill for health insurance from the MN Dept. of Health which is now being covered by the care center.
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FROM THE ARCHIVES - Pictured above from left are Knowledge Bowl participants Jadyn Surat, Jager Beck, Dylan Mosher, Michiah Van Syckel, Grace Cummings and Aubrey Johnson. Below is the caption that ran with this late December 2015 edition of the Star Eagle.
This team of 9th graders has successfully completed the Junior High Knowledge Bowl season. They finished in 12th place at the sub-regional tournament. There were 62 teams representing 22 schools in south central Minnesota. Regional competition was held on Friday in Mankato. They held on to their 12th place ranking. Most of these students will now compete as members of the senior high teams.
By NATHAN VANEK AND EVAN BECKMANN
Panther Press
The NRHEG Senior High Knowledge Bowl season started Wednesday, November 3 with an opening meeting: practices began the following week with about 12 participants in grades 9-12.
Theresa Buendorf, coach of the NRHEG Senior High and Junior High Knowledge Bowl team for the past five years and at Medford for eight, says she enjoys getting to know the students and seeing how they will do in competitions. She went on to say that she is equally excited about Knowledge Bowl this year as in years past even though there was no Knowledge Bowl last year due to Covid-19.
Team members practice Wednesday morning before school. About fifteen NRHEG competitors take part in typical meets, and comprise three teams of five people each. The team usually competes in four meets a year, three during the regular season and one playoff. All competitions are held in Rochester during the school day. Playoffs start in March. The season usually comes to an end at the beginning of April with State.
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By Katheryn Kofstad
Panther Press
What is your favorite sport from high school? There is a high chance that you were thinking football, basketball, volleyball, maybe wrestling. One sport that probably never crossed your mind was gymnastics. In 10 years, if someone were to ask me my favorite sport from high school, I would say gymnastics. Waseca has a number of cooperative sports teams with New Richland, Janesville and Waterville Elysian Morristown (WEM). The sports include hockey, soccer, and gymnastics.
NRHEG students who are part of the cooperative gymnastic team are Juniors Kara Doyle and Katheryn Kofstad; Freshman Aspyn Stenzel; eighth-graders Kayden Warke, Chloe Riewer, Nora Flatness; and seventh-graders Ciara Stenzel, Orianna Degan. All began with the team as seventh-graders. Team members all participate in all four gymnastics events, balance beam, floor exercise, vault and uneven bars.
This new season the team is working harder than ever before. The team captains are taking control and putting in extra effort to make sure the team has an amazing season. There are three senior captains leading the team this year, Jordan Hofmeister, Camryn Lynch, and Taylor Flatau. They are making the season fun and exciting already!
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By TORRI VAALE
Panther Press
NRHEG drama enthusiasts began the process of creating this year’s contest one act play with auditions this past week. Casts are being found for two plays. This year’s contest play is titled “The Blue and the Grey.” Another piece for entertainment and skill building is the humorous “Paper or Plastic?”
The One Act Play will have two directors this year. Long-time director Amanda Inouye left the NRHEG staff last spring, so a new director was needed to fill her shoes. Teachers Deb Bently and Solveig Sundblad stepped forward to fill this role. “I am directing the One Act Play this year because we have many students who love the performing arts and I do not want to see them denied the opportunity,” said Bently, who served as director for about five years before Inouye took over. She will be working together with NRHEG sixth-grade teacher Solveig Sundblad this year. Sundblad told the Panther Press, “I acted in four One Act Plays before. so I wanted to be a part of it again. I want to be able to help create some of the same experiences I had for these students.”
As of November 18, about 15 students have signed up for auditions using a new electronic format and tried out either in pairs or small groups. Among those signed up is senior Brittyn Anderson. “This will be my fifth year doing the One Act Play. We have two new directors and I am excited to work with them. I am looking forward to seeing what Sundblad will do because this is her first ever time directing One Act and I'm excited to see her thoughts and ideas in our plays.”
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By Malu Monrreal
Panther Press
NRHEG 9th graders attended “Career Day” at the South Central College campus in Faribault on Friday, November 5. The trip was organized by secondary school counselor Liz Stiernagle.
Approximately fifty students attended, divided into three groups, each of which had its own schedule and attended different sessions lasting about 15 minutes each. These included professionals and representatives from various fields who talked about the challenges and rewards of their jobs.
This field trip takes place every year. Ninth grade students get to step out of their comfort zone by attending Career Day. Students get acquainted with the Faribault college and get ideas for different careers that they could practice in the future. Stiernagle believes the opportunity is very valuable because it gives 9th graders the chance to think and talk about their futures. What she hopes students take home from the experience is an understanding that there are more career options than most people think of.
Presenters used a wide array of techniques to present their messages, including slide shows, games, and even hands-on activities which allowed them to build small items.