2023 Year In Review: April

APRIL

On Sunday, April 2, crowds turned up for the Kimball Firemen’s Relief Association 45th annual at the Kimball Area Fire Hall. Members of the Kimball Fire and Rescue Departments cooked breakfast for 1,358 patrons, and were helped by Auxiliary and family members, as well as community volunteers. All proceeds from the 2023 breakfast will go toward a new fire truck in 2024.

On April 7, A.M. Maus & Son gas station began construction to replace their underground gas tanks.

Kimball area’s Easter Egg-Stravaganza was a success on -Saturday, April 8, inside the Kimball Area High School. More than 300 -people enjoyed an Easter Carnival with inflatables, carnival games, raffle basket prizes, music, coloring Easter pictures, and posing for photos with the Easter Bunny.

An Easter egg hunt was held April 8 in South Haven, it was planned to take place on the ball field in South Haven, plastic bags filled with candy were carefully laid on top of the snow near the field but in a smaller, safer area for kids to scoop up. The annual event was sponsored by the South Haven Sportsman’s Club.

Golf at Kimball Golf Club opened for the season on Wednesday, April 19.

The city of Kimball hired a new deputy clerk, Allison Hansen.

Clay Anderson received the Region 5A, Subsection 20, Athletic Director of the Year for 2022-23.

Eden Valley-Watkins held its Prom Saturday evening, April 22,   at the high school. “A Night of a Thousand Stars” was the theme.

The Wright County Swappers Meet opened for the season on April 22.

The 2023 Kimball Area High School Prom took place Saturday evening, April 29. “Black Tie Affair” was the theme. The grand march was in the Wirth Gym at the school, complete with red rose petals being tossed into the air.

William Serbus was selected to the 74th Annual American Legion Boys State to be held on the campus of St. John’s University in Collegeville June 11-17, 2023.

​Resource Training and Solutions honored 129 honorees at the 35th Students of Excellence awards banquet held Wednesday, April 26, at St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center. 495 people attended the event including area administrators, educators and parents of those being honored. Eden Valley-Watkins students honored at 2023’s Students of Excellence banquet were Hailey Ramthun, Reagan Hennen, Allison Brutger, and Ava Blonigen. Kimball Area High School students honored at last year’s Students of Excellence banquet were Morgan Streit, Jackson Fink, Katheryn Donnay, and Brielle Kangas.

Meeker County 4-H’ers competed at 4-H State Project Bowl, Four teams competed from Meeker County 4-H.

Two of Kimball’s six VEX Robotics teams participated in the VEX World 2023 competition in Dallas, Texas, the end of April: one from the high school, and one from middle school. Out of more than 20,000 teams across the globe, these two teams were among the elite that were invited to the World 2023 tournament. Once there, the high school team struggled among some very tough teams from around the world. They finished second and eighth. The middle school team finished the tournament at sixth and fourth, and placed 26th in their division. This puts them in the top 200 or so teams in the world.

Departures

George Kimmel, 94, of Eden Valley; April 1, 2023

Betty (Gunderson) Sandell, 90, of South Haven; April 2, 2023

Diane (Kunkel) Rosenow, 74, of Kimball; April 3, 2023

Patricia (Garrison) Boxell, 76, of Chaska; April 5, 2023

Ralph Huberty, 87; April 8, 2023

Gary Ashwill, 73, formerly of Kimball; April 9, 2023

Steven “Papa Steve” Reid, 59, of Richmond; April 9, 2023

Gary Stuart, 74, of Big Lake; April 15, 2023

Catherine (Rausch) Meierhofer, 82; April 17, 2023