Veronica L. (Underwood) Zoller, age 88 of Rochester passed away on Saturday, January 3, 2015, at Samaritan Bethany in Rochester. Veronica Lucille Kvasnicka was born on December 13, 1926, in Owatonna to Joseph and Stella Kvasnicka. She grew up on a farm in Pratt and graduated from Owatonna High School. Veronica worked in Washington, D.C., as a secretary for the Department of Defense during World War II. She later worked for the U.S.

Mildred Wilma Wilson, 92, of West Concord, died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, at Pine Haven Care Center.

With five minutes left in the game, Blooming Prairie was up by 20 and sending in the substitutes for some varsity playing time. The Medford Tigers, on the other hand, were still trying to win. With a full-court press, and their best shooting in the night, the Tigers managed to pull the game within eight points with over a minute left. Blooming Prairie was forced to send their varsity back in to stop the improbable comeback.

With a keen interest in law enforcement, Laura Isenor had a strong desire to become an FBI agent. In fact, she recently had the opportunity to join the FBI’s hiring process, but something more important got in the way.

One of the most coveted journalism awards in Minnesota has found its way to Steele County. 
The Steele County Times received the Lynn Smith Community Leadership award Thursday night at the annual awards banquet of the Minnesota Newspaper Association in Bloomington. The leadership award is one of the top four awards given out to Minnesota newspapers. 

A settlement has been reached in a federal civil lawsuit against the Blooming Prairie Police Department and Steele County Sheriff’s Office. The settlement came during a conference in U.S. Federal Court in Minneapolis last Wednesday. Details of the settlement are not being disclosed until all sides have signed the agreement, which is expected within the next seven days. 

As the cost of solar energy goes down, interest in solar energy projects is going up. The city of Claremont is considering contracting with a company to provide a “solar garden” for community residents, and Steele Waseca Cooperative Electric is planning for a community solar project for its members.

Wins and losses

To say I was the least bit dumbfounded at our successful run in this year’s Minnesota Newspaper Association awards contest may be a gross understatement.