The Kimball Cubs football team took us all on an exciting ride in 2024! Winning the Rooster Bowl for the first time in 25 years. Going into the playoffs undefeated. Winning the Section 5AA Championship to make it to the State Tournament for the first time in many years. Winning the first round at US Bank Stadium, and finishing the season as Class AA State Semifinalist.
One of the big stories of 2024 was the planned incursion into our area of Xcel Energy high-voltage transmission lines that will stretch about 175 miles from Lyon County to Becker. Several planned routes were put forth, and they were presented and discussed at several public meetings. A public hearing was held Oct. 30 with an administrative law judge who will report her findings to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
Another ongoing story in 2024 was construction work at both Kimball schools. Work began in January, removing asphalt from the KES back parking lot, and footings were poured there for the Early Childhood wing. Both schools had their offices updated to become secure entrances. The elementary school got a new, designated space for a cafeteria. High school science rooms were re-done, as was the FACS (Home Ec) classroom. All of this work was part of a $8.1 million levy approved by voters in August 2022. The work was scheduled to be completed by the start of school, but it ran a little late. An open house was held Oct. 28 for the public to come and see the new parts of both schools. The high school parking lot was redone in late summer, with funds coming from elsewhere since that was excluded from the voter-approved improvements.
Postal issues plagued the country during 2024, and were especially problematic for newspapers. Some areas of Minnesota were much worse than our area. As 2025 dawns, there still is no real solution to these woes.
Cannabis was a big issue in Minnesota, including for our local cities. Not its use, but rather cannabis businesses. By the end of 2024, Stearns County set out rules for operating cannabis-related businesses which individual cities could adopt, or could choose to make them more stringent.
JANUARY
Kimball Area High School celebrated Sno Daze during the last school week in 2023. William Serbus and Paige Merten were crowned Dec. 21 as 2023 Kimball Sno Daze King and Queen. There were dress-up days all week, and various other activities including “Teacher Feud.”
Our area was rattled at the end of 2023 by a fatal shooting in Dassel Township on Dec. 28. Bryan Demarais, 35, was arrested on second-degree homicide charges after he fatally shot his wife Kayla Demarais, 29, with their young children in another room of their home. He was later charged with second-degree murder. As 2025 arrives, Bryan is still sitting in Meeker County Jail.
Stearns History Museum announced in January that admission for Stearns County residents would be free for all of 2024, thanks to support from Stearns County Commissioners.
On Jan. 5, the tower atop Kimball City Hall was removed. It originally held a weather warning siren that stopped working. The tower itself had been leaning dangerously. The tower was carefully lifted off the building, and the roof patched immediately.
Cokato Historical Society held its 24th annual New Year Open House on Jan. 7.
EV-W senior Katrina Schutz scored her 1,000th basketball point Jan. 9 against Minnewaska.
The City of Watkins enacted a one-year moratorium Jan. 11 on chain dollar store development within city limits. That moratorium must be lifted by Jan. 11, 2025. The council has spent this past year researching the issue, and searching for ways to legally limit such activity.
Noah Stommes of EV-W scored his 1,000th career basketball point Jan. 16 at a Kimball home game.
The Kimball District Spelling Bee was held Jan. 17; Grace Garding won with the word
“reference.” Zac Amic was first runner-up.
A Red Cross blood drive was held Jan. 17 at St. Anne’s Church in Kimball.
EV-W District Spelling Bee winner was Kash Johnson; Zack Heinen placed second, and Holly Andreasen placed third.
Sno Daze week began Jan. 22 at Eden Valley-Watkins High School. Mya Anderson and William Ballard were crowned 2024 EV-W Sno Daze Princess and Prince. There were daily dress-up days and numerous other activities throughout the week.
A Red Cross blood drive was held Jan. 23 at Assumption Catholic Church in Eden Valley.
Winners of the 2023 Tri-County News Christmas drawing contest were acknowledged in the Jan. 25 issue.
At their Jan. 26 home wrestling quadrangular, junior Brayden Kramer received his 75th win, and senior Isaac Ortiz earned his 100th career win.
The 8th annual Super Mega Tournament for VEX Robotics was held Jan. 27 at KAHS. Nearly 100 volunteers helped make the day run smoothly for the 130 teams competing, and about 1,300 fans and family in attendance.
The EV-W Eagles girls’ and boys’ basketball teams played at Target Center Jan. 27. Several Kimball teams, both high school and elementary, performed very well during the tournament.
Eden Valley-Watkins’ One Act play placed second in subsection competition Jan. 27 at New London-Spicer. Their 2024 play was “Anna and August,” a romantic comedy with 18 students in the cast and crew.
Kimball teacher Holli Sauerer was named one of 158 candidates for 2024 Minnesota Teacher of the Year.
The Kimball Golf club had several golfers out playing Jan. 31, enjoying the 54-degree sunny day. While not a record, it was the warmest January day that anyone could remember. (See photos on page 16.) It made for a glorious day of skiing at Powder Ridge as well.
The Tri-County News attended the 2024 Minnesota Newspaper Association convention in Brooklyn Park, and came home with five more awards for Sue Hughes (Advertising Excellence, and Best Use of Color In Advertising), George Matua (first-place Portrait Photo, and first-place Government Reporting), and Jean Matua (for the Aurora story).
Departures:
Jan. 2, Joyce (Dahnke) Kotzer, 81, of Fair Haven.
Jan. 5, Marion (Kling) Christofferson, 97, of Kimball.
Jan. 7, Sandra (Holmberg) Lindquist, 64, of Eden Valley.
Jan. 19, Wylis Muehring, 96, of South Haven.
Jan. 21, Jean (Kath) Massmann, 91, of Luxemburg.
Jan. 21, James “Red” McKenzie, 88, of Kimball.
Jan. 24, Robert “Bob” Fieldseth, 87, of Monticello.
Jan.. 27, James Mancini, 25, of South Haven.
Jan. 31, Sharon (Johnson) Wolfgram, 82, of Sartell.
FEBRUARY
EV-W senior Noah Stommes was selected to represent District 20 at the Region 5A MSHSL AAA competition later this season.
A Tiny Art Show was on display at the Kimball Public Library throughout the month of February. Art kits were made available in January with 3” x 3” canvases. The finished art works were submitted for showing in February.
The U of M Gopher Women’s Basketball program created a set of “Blanket Lady” shirts and blankets honoring Eden Valley native Alvera “Peps” Neuman that were available for purchase in February. Peps was a pioneer in women’s basketball, and the biggest fan of Gopher Women’s Basketball (and EV-W girls’ basketball too!).
EV-W junior Treyce Ludwig earned his 50th career pin Feb. 1, against New Ulm.
Kingston Apostolic Lutheran Church held their 14th annual Spaghetti Supper Feb. 2 to raise funds for a new sanctuary.
The 35th annual Kingston Lions Ice Fishing Contest was held Feb. 3 indoors, at the Kingston Community Center, because of poor ice conditions.
EV-W senior Madison Price won first place in the Feb. 4 American Legion District #7 Oratorical Contest.
EV-W senior Sonnie DeHeer earned his 50th career pin Feb. 8.
Kimball Elementary hosted its Sweetheart Dance Feb. 9 for students age 0 to fifth grade, and their parents. Funds raised from this event would be used to purchase new playground equipment for ECFE students.
The 2024 EV-W Hall of Fame inductees were acknowledged at halftime Feb. 9 during the home game against Kimball. 2024 inductees were Matt Hendricks ’98, Shane Henfling ’05, Josh Hiltner ’04, Luke Linz ’03, Alex Neisen ’03, Matt Stommes ’05, and Adam Tri ’04, along with former coach Scott Hendricks and retired EV-W teacher Julie Bulau.
Assumption Christian Women in Eden Valley hosted a luncheon and bake sale Feb. 10 to raise money for pro-life concerns.
The 22nd annual Kimball alumni basketball tournament was held Feb. 10. Team 2005-07 won the day.
Feb. 13 was the 2024 Regional Spelling Bee at Resource Training & Solutions. EV-W’s -seventh-grader Zackary Heinen placed second.
The David Berger Memorial Fishing Contest was held Feb. 10 on Pearl Lake.
“Monster” Mike Schultz started his international boardercross season with two World silver -medals at Pyhå, Finland.
The Kimball Lions Fish Fry was held Feb. 16 at the Kimball American Legion Club.
Tom Ehlinger of Kimball was inducted into the AmFam Hall of Fame. Ehlinger had started in the insurance business 38 years earlier. He now has offices in Kimball and in Waite Park.
David Gebhardt of Kimball opened his insurance office, Keystone Insurance, in the building that was formerly the Kimball laundromat. He shares the space with Audiology Contractors LLC.
The 14th annual Ice Bocce Tournament was held Feb. 17 at the Watkins Skating Rink (in the parking lot because of poor ice conditions).
The EV-W alumni basketball tournament was held Feb. 17.
A special Red Cross blood drive was held Feb. 20 at the Church of St. Anthony in Watkins, hosted by the Wat-Kim-Valley V.F.W. and Watkins Legion, because of urgent need for blood.
The Kimball American Legion held their fish fry on Feb. 23.
Wrestling Individual Sections were held Feb. 24 at KAHS. Between KAHS and EV-W, eight wrestlers were sent to the State Tournament: Karson Schmidt 107#, Brody Sieben 107#, Mark Schiefelbein 139#, Isaac Ortiz 160#, Treyce Ludwig 172#, Hank Meyer 189#, Sonnie DeHeer 215#, and Nick Becker 285#. (All of the Kimball wrestlers placed.) Kimball’s Hank Meyer earned his 75th career win that day, and Kimball senior William Serbus ended his high school wrestling career with 762 wins that day.
EV-W senior Madison Price finished fourth in the Minnesota American Legion Oratorical Contest Finals on Feb. 24 at Anoka Post #102.
Kimball FFA Food Science team advanced to the top-six in the State Semifinal round, qualifying them to compete for the State Championship Title later in the spring.
Kimball Knowledge Bowl competed at the Tier A sub-region competition at St. Cloud State University on Feb. 27. The team earned the first-ever Tier A Spirit Award. Team B earned third place and moved on to Regions. And Kimball coach Zach Boser received the first-ever Coach of the Year award.
Feb. 29 only happens every fourth year (Leap Day). But a Feb. 29 fifth Thursday in February is much more rare. To commemorate this rarity, the Tri-County News had a very rare one-day sale on subscriptions that day only.
A parent-sponsored team of middle school students, Team 739C “the Senior Smarties,” placed in the semifinals at the 2024 Minnesota State Robotics Championships Feb. 29-March 1, qualifying them for World competition.
Departures:
Feb. 2, Alden Secord, 86, of Foley.
Feb. 3, Vera (Webb) Knoll Donnay, 97, of Watkins.
Feb. 7, Joseph “Butch” Hennen Jr., 79, of St. Michael.
Feb. 10, DuWayne Orbeck, 80, of Kimball.
Feb. 14, John Gannon, 77, of Kimball.
Feb. 17, Bonnie (Pearson) Hoskins, 81, of Kimball.
Feb, 20, Ronald “Ron” Dietman, 70.
Feb. 20, Colleen “Connie” Schill-Fischer, 62, of Fair Haven.
Feb. 21, Renelda “Renie” (Hess) Sather, 84, of Hackensack, Minn.
Feb. 22, Scott Winkelman, 43, of St. Augusta.
Feb. 24, Daniel Reiter, 72, of Eden Valley.
Feb. 26, Jill (Bates) Holland, 58, of Annandale.
MARCH
The Minnesota wrestling State Tournament was held March 1-2 at the Excel Center in St. Paul. Eight wrestlers from EV-W and Kimball participated in 20 matches, with one podium finish: Hank Meyer of Kimball placed 5th at State at 189# in Class A.
Kimball Area Vex IQ Robotics participated in the State Tournament March 2 at St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center. All five elementary teams qualified for the State event. One team finished seventh overall and received the Sportsmanship Award, and another finished 10th overall in the skills division.
The Watkins Lions held their first annual Snow Ball Formal Dance March 2 at Watkins Village Hall.
The Kimball Golf Club club house was open March 2-3 for golfers taking advantage of the beautiful weather. Meanwhile, Powder Ridge was still going strong, making snow when it’s cold enough.
March 5 was the Presidential primary election. Township elections were March 12.
The Darwin Rod & Gun Club held its annual Fish & Smelt Fry March 8 in Darwin.
The Dassel-Cokato Expo was held March 9 at D-C High School.
The annual Eden Valley Citizens For Progress writing contest and art show was held at the Eden Valley Community Center from March 14-16. The writing awards were presented March 10 by Mayor Brent Bengtson.
Assumption Church in Eden Valley held a Lenten Fish Fry March 15.
The Watkins Sportsmen’s Club appreciation party for members was held March 16 at the Watkins Legion.
The St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in Marty March 16 with Rich Schlangen as this year’s grand marshal. “Muffin Man” was the band that played after the parade.
Kimball Golf Club named Michelle Christopher as the new club manager. The club was expected to open for the season on April 1.
Your Home Heating & Air moved into the former DAC building on Hazel Avenue in Kimball. The new space gives them warehouse and office space as well as an area to fabricate ductwork and fittings for their projects.
EV-W junior Mitchell Lipinski was selected to represent Eden Valley Post #381 at the American Legion Boys State in June.
Mary Ellen Wells was named Meeker Memorial Hospital & Clinics CEO, effective March 19.
March 21-25 marked the 2024 Kimball Area Fine Arts trip to Nashville and Memphis. The trip included Kimball students in choir, band, and art.
A fish fry was held March 22 at Church of St. Anthony in Watkins.
The 17th annual Maine Prairie Ducks Unlimited banquet was held March 22, catered by Keek’s of Watkins.
The Watkins Easter egg hunt was held March 23 at the Watkins Skating Rink.
The annual Kimball Fireman’s Breakfast was held March 24. 1,167 breakfasts were served; although not a record number, it was a great turnout on a snowy late-winter day.
The Easter egg hunt in South Haven was held March 30 at the South Haven City Ball Park. It was sponsored by South Haven Sportsmen’s Club, Bolling Engineering & Environment, French Lake Curb Company, and DLS Landscaping.
Departures:
March 9, Judd Bonham, 70, of Watkins, formerly of New London.
March 23, Elizabeth “Betty” (Loch) Neu, 91.
APRIL
Kimball junior Hunter Gebhardt was selected to represent Kingston American Legion Post #483 at the American Legion’s Minnesota Boys State in June.
Both Anita Mertens-Maxon and Ellie Donnay were selected to represent the Kimball American Legion Post #261 at Minnesota Girls State in June.
EV-W junior Marissa Laudenbach was selected to represent the Eden Valley Legion Auxiliary at Girls State in June.
Megan Kiffmeyer of Kimball was sworn in as a Stearns County Deputy on April 2 in St. Cloud.
South Haven Sportsmen’s Club held their 85th annual Fish Fry on April 5.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Eden Valley held their Smelt & Fish Fry on April 5.
On April 6, at Fort Snelling, William Serbus was selected as 2024 Eagle Scout of the Year. The award came with a $5,000 scholarship.
Adam Langer and Adam Tri, both EV-W coaches, received Coach of the Year recognition at the 60th Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame Banquet on April 6 in Minneapolis.
The Kimball Area Theatre program performed its spring play, “The Outsiders,” April 6-7 at KAHS.
The Eden Valley Area Library hosted a “Bees & Butterflies” talk with Ellen Stenger and Crystal Pastien on April 7.
Forest City Threshers hosted a roast beef dinner on April 7.
The Wright County Swappers Meet opened for the season on April 13.
The Knights of Columbus hosted a breakfast April 14 at Church of St. Anthony in Watkins.
A Red Cross blood drive was held April 16 at St. Anthony Church Social Hall in Watkins. 50 units were collected that day.
Madison Brown of KAHS was selected for one of 29 James W. Tracy scholarships. The scholarship is intended for students planning to pursue a post–secondary degree in Agriculture.
Lake Union Church in rural South Haven held a food truck fundraiser April 19 for a building expansion for children and youth.
Town Ball season got started April 20 around the area. Kimball defeated Luxemburg, and Cold Spring defeated Watkins that first weekend.
Church of Our Lady Manannah held its Sausage & Pancake Supper April 21 at the church.
The Litchfield Independent Review and Hutchinson Leader published their last issues of these historic community newspapers on April 24. The hedge-fund company that owned them rather abruptly closed them, without any option for someone to purchase them to keep them going.
April 24 was the 37th annual Students of Excellence Award Banquet sponsored by Resource Training & Solutions at St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center. EV-W students honored were Chelsey Vossen, Riley Lang, Jasmine Swirtz, and Lorelei Lorentz. KAHS students recognized were Chloe Christinsen, Ben Foos, Paige Merten, and Caroline Meyer.
Kimball United Methodist Church hosted its 17th annual Spring Stop-N-Shop April 27 at the church.
April 27 was a big day for local proms. EV-W’s prom, with a “Light Up the Night” theme, was held that night at Powder Ridge. Kimball’s prom, “Enchanted,” was held at The Park Event Center in Waite Park.
Departures:
April 3, Harold Vossen, of Watkins.
April 6, Joyce (Walberg) Tessmer, 72, of South Haven.
April 7, Lucille (Bateman) Duke, 88, of Annandale.
April 11, James Loch, 67, of Litchfield.
April 15, Loren Lynch, 78, of Kimball.
April 17, Deanna (Neu) Langer, 68, of Kimball.
April 27, Evelyn (Markwardt) Maurer, 90, of Annandale.
MAY
The Kimball Dessert Dash Scholarship Awards were held May 1 at KAHS.
The Eden Valley Chamber Business Showcase in the May 2 Tri-County News focused on Thrivent and Kris Kelm.
May 3 was opening day for Starlite Drive-in Theatre in Litchfield. New owners are Michelle and Michael Maher of River Falls, Wis. Starlite is one of only four drive-ins remaining in Minnesota.
May 4 was “Spring in the Valley” in Eden Valley, with specials at various businesses throughout town.
South Haven Fire & Rescue hosted its annual all-you-can-eat Smelt Fry on May 4 at the Fire Hall.
Forest City Threshers hosted a pork chop dinner on May 5.
Road work was scheduled starting May 6 on Highway 24 between Highway 15 south of Kimball, and Litchfield. Work was expected to be completed by May 31.
Betty Crocker was the speaker for the Kimball Area Historical society’s meeting May 7 at historic Kimball City Hall.
After the Litchfield Independent Review and Hutchinson Leader were abruptly killed off by their parent company, MediaNews Group, CherryRoad Media came to the rescue. May 9 marked the inaugural issues of the brand-new Litchfield Rail and Hutchinson Station.
A Red Cross blood drive was held May 9 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Eden Valley. 55 units were collected.
We were all treated to a fantastic Northern Lights show the night of May 10.
May 11 was the Kimball All-City Garage Sale.
The Kimball Old Coots got together May 14 at Triple R in Kimball.
A Red Cross blood drive was held May 14 at St. Anne’s Church in Kimball.
At the May 14 CMC Championship at ACGC, the EV-W/K track and field teams shined. The girls’ team took the conference title, and the boy’s team took second.
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the Watkins Ambulance Service. They celebrated May 18 with an anniversary dinner at the Church of St. Anthony in Watkins.
The Kimball Lions golf tournament was held May 18.
May 18 was the designated day for all-city garage sales in Watkins and in Eden Valley.
May 23 was graduation day for both Kimball Area High School and Eden Valley-Watkins High School. 77 EV-W seniors received their diplomas, and 64 KAHS seniors did as well.
May 27 was Memorial Day. Services commemorating the day were held around the area including Eden Valley, Forest City, Kimball, Kingston, and Watkins.
The Kimball softball team ended their exciting season as Section 6AA Runner Up after falling May 28 to St. Cloud Cathedral, 10-8.
The EV-W/K track and field teams competed May 29 in the mshsl Section 5A Championships at St. John’s University. The girls’ team finished at second, and the boys’ team finished at fourth. Coach Tyler Warren was selected as Section 5A Girls’ Track and Field Coach of the Year. Several individuals qualified for the State Meet June 6.
Departures:
May 8, Earl Huckenpoehler, 81, of Kimball.
May 17, Anita (Dockendorf) Hoefer, 93, of Watkins, formerly of Kimball.
May 28, Ronald “Ron” Graham, 89, of Watkins.
Transitions:
June 2, 80th birthday open house for Jeanette Walz.
JUNE
After a couple of years hiatus, American Red Cross swimming lessons returned to the Watkins Area Pool this summer.
Off the Wall in Watkins celebrated its one-year anniversary. The main-street shop boasts an eclectic collection of décor, furnishings, jewelry, and more. A little something for everyone’s tastes. The shop is open Thursdays through Sundays.
The Kimball Public Library kicked off its Summer Reading Challenge June 3 with an ice cream social.
The 2024 State Track and Field Tournament was held June 6-7 at St. Michael-Albertville High School. Several EV-W/K athletes competed well. The 4×400 relay team were State Champions (Alayna Haag, Jocelyn Zoller, Brookelyn Kuechle, and Hope Kuechle). Brookelyn Kuechle placed third in the 800-Meter. Jocelyn Zoller also placed fourth in the 300-Meter hurdles. Ellie Becker placed third in High Jump, and sixth in the 4×200 relay. Noah Stommes placed eighth in Shot Put. Henry Lemke placed eighth in the 2-mile race. And Hope Kuechle placed eighth in the 400-Meter.
Glory Days happened June 8 in Richmond. The now-annual private fundraiser was to raise money to go toward a new athletic center for EV-W Schools.
Citizens Bank Minnesota in Watkins held a Client Appreciation Event June 11 in McCarthy Park in Watkins.
Avery Maus of Kimball represented the K/EV-W golf team at the State Golf Tournament June 11-12. Maus placed 38th in the State Tournament.
Music in the Park launched June 13 in Friederichs Park in Eden Valley. The annual concert series is sponsored by Eden Valley Citizens For Progress and local businesses.
Brinn Kuechle of EV-W placed second in the 3A Varsity Girls’ Trap Shooting State Tournament. She had tied for first, but the formula they use for tiebreakers put her in second place.
The KAHS trap team competed at the June 16 and qualified for the State Tournament, shooting 480/500 targets, and earning 13-seed at State. Kimball’s varsity team placed third in their Section.
The Kimball Area Historical Society hosted a talk on the St. Cloud Area Rail Car Museum and the work that Kimball Railcar Services did on some of their cars. The talk was June 18 at historic Kimball City Hall.
Valley Daze was held June 20-23. Events included a fireworks show, the Lumber Jacks shows, the usual food and beverage stalls, sidewalk chalk art contest, kids’ tractor pull, music by River Canyon Band and Good Question, 26th annual Car Show, Tractor Show, scavenger hunt and coin hunt, pet show, inflatables, the parade Saturday evening, and more. Eden Valley Fire & Rescue won first place in the parade contest. Grand Marshals were the 2023 State Champion EV-W football team.
At the June 21 Minnesota State Championship, the KAHS trap team finished 12th shooting 471/500 targets.
A Town Ball knocking out Cancer tournament was held June 22 in Maple Lake.
On June 23, Ostmark Lutheran Church-ELCA in rural Watkins celebrated its 130th anniversary at their Midsummer picnic.
Fair Haven Old Settlers Day was June 29. The day’s events included the parade, kids’ games, Boy Scout derby races, food and drink, kiddie tractor pull, and more, plus a few new events (5K run, and corn-hole tournament). This was their 98th anniversary.
Dr. Karina Burger spoke at Kimball United Methodist Church about her experience assisting refugee families from Ukraine to relocate here. Many in our communities have been helpful in sponsoring families, finding homes or jobs for them, and more. At this time, there were more than 30 Ukrainian families in the area that had been helped by Dr. Burger and others.
Departures:
June 4, Jacqueline “Jackie” Morrill, 71, of Buffalo.
June 15, Shirlee (Ruprecht) Linn, 86, of Eden Valley.
June 17, Keith Woodford Sr., 88, of Kimball.
June 18, Sheril “Sheri” (Smith) Woodford, 69, of Grove City.