From the archives of the dodge county independent

50 YEARS AGO
11/14/1973
Hayfield business broken into
Midland Oil Co. of Hayfield was broken into sometime Monday night and burglars made off with $750 in checks and cash according to Dodge County Sheriff Wilfred Meitzner. Entry was gained by prying a lock on the front door and then peeling the safe.
The break-in was discovered early Tuesday morning by an employee of the firm and it is being investigated by the Hayfield Police Department, County Sheriff, and Robert Rysavy of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
30 YEARS AGO
11/10/1993
Electrical fire Saturday shuts down Erdmans for 3 hours
An electrical fire on the back roof of the Erdmans Food Center Saturday forced the evacuation of employees and customers for three hours. The fire was contained to the exterior at about 12:00 noon and the business was closed for about three hours until power could be restored.
A series of main electrical lines leading from a city utility pole to Erdmans was believed to be the source of the fire. Several wires and a small area on the roof were on fire when the Kasson Volunteer Fire Department arrived.
The department quickly extinguished the blaze and the city of Kasson utility department worked for nearly two hours so that power could be restored to the building. Three of the four members of the utility crew restoring the power are also members of fire department.
In the meantime, the store was shut down while the damage was being repaired. Management stood outside the front of the building and told customers of the situation and indicated the store would be open later that afternoon.
Fire chief Randy Fjerstad said the business was very fortunate the fire happened during daylight hours. The electrical fire did not reach the inside of the building and was not necessarily related to any of the construction going on at the site. An inspector and utilities superintendent Burt Fjerstad Jr. concurred the fire was started in an area where wires had worn “thin” over the years.
No damage estimate was available.
20 YEARS AGO
11/12/2003
Ron Prigge inducted into Hall of Fame
Former K-M volleyball coach Ron Prigge was inducted into the Minnesota State High School League Volleyball Hall of Fame last week. Prigge coached volleyball at K-M 15 years and directed the team to their first ever state tournament in 1983.
Ron started his coaching career in Winnebago, Minnesota in a rather unusual way. The first match he coached at Winnebago was also the first volleyball match he had ever seen, at any level.
The previous coach resigned and colleagues encouraged him to take over the job, with a promise they would give him support and help him learn the game. He took the job and was there for three years.
Ron then came to K-M and directed the team to several conference titles and a state tournament appearance in 1983 where the team took third. They also won the Sportsmanship Award that year.
He resigned from teaching to make a career change and is now Pastor Ron Prigge, serving two rural churches between Stewartville and Hayfield. He is also back into coaching serving as the head coach at Grand Meadow. “I enjoy coaching and the kids. I missed that,” said Prigge. At least this time coming into coaching he comes with plenty of experience and a reputation for knowing the game.
10 YEARS AGO
11/13/2013
Kasson-Mantorville student advances in Lions International Peace Poster contest
The local competition of the annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest concluded on November 6th with an awards ceremony and ice cream party sponsored by the Kasson-Mantorville Lions Club.
All posters submitted by the 7th graders had to depict the theme “Our World, Our Future,” along with a written statement describing the poster.
Winners of this year’s contest were Morgan Ness, Keana Meneses and Addison Luebbe. Cash prizes and certificates were awarded to all three contestants.
Addison Luebbes first place poster will advance to the next level of competition which involves Lions Clubs in the Goodhue, Wabasha, Dodge, Olmsted, Winona, Mower, Filmore and Houston counties.
Posters were selected for their originality, artistic merit and portrayal of the contest theme. Lions Club International sponsors the contest to emphasize the importance of world peace to young people everywhere.