A LOOK BACK AT THE LOCAL TOP STORIES OF 2023

1. Josephson earns Icelandic honor
2. School Tech Levy questions pass
3. Trent Johnson new elementary principal
4. Scott Hanson retires as art instructor
5. Rost, Johnson win ExCEL awards
6. Loyson crowned Bug Days queen
7. Hennen strikes gold at FCCLA nationals
8. Beavers chew up trees in town
9. Sanow wins “Battle of the Bulbs”
10. Course damaged at Countryside

A lot of things occurred in the past year in this area with people being honored, changes in personnel, and much more.
As we ring in the new year, we take a look back at the top 10 local news stories of 2023 that appeared in the Mascot.

(1) Josephson awarded Order of the Falcon
Cathy Josephson, a native of Minneota now living in Iceland, was awarded with that country's Order of the Falcon by President Gudni Th. Johannesson.
The award, which is similar to the Presidential Medal of Freedom given by the President of the United States, is the highest public honor in Iceland.
The Order of the Falcon recognizes contributions to the Icelandic society in a number of fields, including charity, scholarships, art, science, and leadership.
Josephson graduated from Minneota High School in 1969 and last returned here in 2019 for her 50th class reunion.
(2) Tech Levy questions easily pass
The two-question "Yes" or "No" special election regarding the adjusted Minneota Public School Tech Levy easily passed in a vote on May 9.
Question 1 was: "To authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds not to exceed $2.45 million to be used to fund technology needs at the school. This would generate approximately $250,000 per year to fund technology needs.
Question 2 was: "To revoke the current $500,000 per year Technology Levy and replace it with a smaller Tech Levy of $250,000 per year which would also be used to fund technology needs.Question 1 was passed by an 85-percent margin: Yes - 324, No - 57. Question 2 was passed by an 87-percent margin: Yes - 332, No - 48.
Following the results of the voting, agriculture property owners will pay significantly less had the tax levy not passed.
The State of Minnesota will now pay over 31 percent of the taxes from the $500,000 from the technology funding each year.

(3) Johnson new elementary principal
Trent Johnson was named the Minneota Elementary School principal and curriculum director for the 2023-24 school year following the resignation of Jennifer Mahan-Deitte. Johnson.
Johnson, 27, was previously a second-grade teacher in the Sauk Centre school district. He grew up in Browerville and both of his parents are elementary school teachers.
After high school, Johnson attended the University of Minnesota, Morris for four years, majoring in Elementary Education. He was hired to teach fourth grade at Wadena-Deer Creek for one year before being hired as a kindergarten teacher at Sauk Centre. After two years teaching kindergarten, he taught second grade for two years.
While teaching school, Johnson also attended online classes at Moorhead State, earning his Masters for Educational Leadership and also a K-12 administration license.

(4) Hanson retires as art teacher
Scott Hanson, who was a fixture in the art department at Minneota High School for 38 of his 41 years teaching, hung up his paint brushes at the end of the 2022-23 school year.
Hanson, a 1977 graduate of Hendricks High School, majored in Art with a minor in History at Augustana College. He was hired right out of college to teach K-12 art in Hendricks in 1981.
In 1985, Hanson was hired as a K-12 art teacher in Minneota and remained there past the "Rule of 90" despite a couple of failed retirement attempts.
Hanson was a popular and well-liked instructor. Several of his art students went on to pursue Art Education in college.
"Many Minneota students and alumni can look back on their high school years and think 'Yeah, I remember when I took art. It was one of my favorite classes'. This is all because of the time Mr. Hanson gave for us, his students, something I know many of us will always be incredibly grateful for and look back upon with positive memories," said Tara Thooft, a 2020 graduate who majored in Art Education at NDSU.
'It's a job I've always loved," Hanson said. "I've been blessed with having some very good students. It's been a lot of fun."

(5) Rost, Johnson win ExCEL awards
Max Rost and Ella Johnson received one of the most prestigious honors a high school student can receive when they were selected as ExCEL Award winners in Section 3A in early February.
The ExCEL Award (Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership) is selected by an independent panel of judges from schools throughout Minnesota.
The ExCEL Award is a unique recognition program designed exclusively for Minnesota high school juniors who are active in school activities, leaders in their schools, and who demonstrate a strong commitment to community service.
Students must meet certain criteria, such as they must be a junior in high school, make satisfactory progress toward graduation, participate in Minnesota State High School League fine arts and/or athletic activity, hold a leadership position(s) in their school, volunteer in their community, and meet MSHSL general eligibility requirements.

(6) Loyson crowned Bug Days queen
Kylee Loyson was crowned Boxelder Bug Days queen during a coronation ceremony on the evening of Sept. 9.
Elena Myhre was named the First Princess and Hannah Heidecker was selected the Second Princess.
"It is truly an incredible honor to represent Minneota as this year's Boxelder Bug Days queen," said Loyson, a junior at Minneota High School. "I am excited to be a role model for the kids in the community."
Loyson was crowned by last year's queen, Faith Myhre.
Loyson's mother, Jodi, was Canby's Distinguished Young Woman of the Year/Junior Miss in 1993, two of her aunts were Canby Homecoming queens, two cousins were named Boxelder Bug Days First Princesses, while two cousins were Minneota Homecoming queens, two aunts were Belgian-American Days queens, and another aunt was a Belgian-American Days First Princess.

(7) Hennen gold at FCCLA nationals
Kate Hennen of Minneota earned a gold medal and became a top 10 national finisher for her project in the Nutrition and Wellness STAR Event at the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Conference in July in Denver, CO.
For her Nutrition and Wellness project, Hennen analyzed a family's food intake for a period of three weeks, identified dietary concerns, and then developed goals and meal plans.
Minneota brought home several other medals from the event held at the Colorado Convention Center from July 2-6.
Ella Johnson and Madison Hennen earned a silver medal in Food Innovation, Jaelin Anderson received a silver medal in Focus on Children, Kaci Callens earned bronze in Career Investigation, Trinity Kirschbaum earned bronze in Focus on Children, Faith Myhre received bronze in Entrepreneurship, Kyle Sterzinger earned bronze in National Programs in Action, and Samara Sumerfelt received bronze in Career Investigation.

(8) Beavers chew up several trees
Several trees at Riverside Park and at residences along the Yellow Medicine River in Minneota were severely damaged by beavers in late November.
At least five trees in Riverside Park on the north end of town had been gnawed on, three were severely damaged. City workers placed wire cylinders around two others in an attempt to save them.
Several resident owners living along the river in town also reported that they had trees damaged by beavers.
City workers were able to trap two large beavers in the river, one on the west edge of the town and the other on the north side of town. No damage to trees had been reported after that.
According to several longtime residents of Minneota, this has not been a problem before.

(9) Sanow wins "Battle of the Bulbs"
After finishing second each of the two previous years, Mark Sanow, with help from his daughters Riece and Reghan, won the Mascot's fourth annual "Battle of the Bulbs" Christmas Lighting Contest in mid-December.
The contest awards over $1,000 in total prizes that are donated by local businesses and individuals, making it one of the biggest in the state.
Sanow, who lives 10 miles north of Minneota, added many more lights to his display this year and the 12 judges awarded him first prize of $500 in prizes and gift cards.
Sanow edged last year's winner, Tom and Kim Abraham by one point on the judges' scorecards.
Second place was worth $250 in prizes, third $100 in prizes, fourth $50 in prizes, and fifth $25 in prizes. Two turkeys and a ham were also given away in a drawing to those who registered for the contest.
Josh and Bri Anderson were third, Austin and Shannon Dritz fourth, and Steph Hennen and Matt DeVos fifth.

(10) Golf course damaged
Golfers playing Countryside Golf Club in Minneota on July noticed extensive damage to the green on hole No. 1.
A vehicle likely stopped along the Golf Course Road next to the green on the east side of the course, ran through the ditch and reached the first green where one or more individuals appear to have caused 19 deep gouges with a golf club or other metal object, and also made 14 deep holes with the flagstick, as well as numerous divots.
Brandon Hennen, the head groundskeeper at Countryside Golf Club, spent several hours repairing the green, while changing the pin placement to avert away from the damaged area.
The incident angered many golfers at Countryside, especially with the popular Wynston Boe Open a week away.
No one was arrested or charged with causing the damage to the course property.