Pipestone County Star

The Southwest Minnesota Opportunity Council (SMOC) plans to build a Head Start facility on property it owns at the corner of North Hiawatha and 11th Street Northeast. SMOC purchased the property from the county in 2022. The property is zoned multi-family residential (R-3) and the city of Pipestone’s zoning ordinance requires a conditional use permit for schools in R-3 districts. The Pipestone Planning Commission voted during its May 13 meeting to table a request for a conditional use permit for the facility in order to get more information. According to information presented during the Planning Commission meeting, the proposed building...

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Several Memorial Day programs are planned in Pipestone County on Monday, May 25. Below is an overview of when and where the programs will be and what they will include. Pipestone The Memorial Day program will begin at 10 a.m. at New Woodlawn Cemetery. Lieutenant Colonel Myron Koets, of Pipestone, will be the keynote speaker. Koets was drafted into the U.S. Army in the fall of 1965 at the age of 19. After basic training, he went to Officer Candidate School. He went on to serve in the military for 27 years, including over seven years on active duty, and...

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Rich and Theresa Stangle, of Pipestone, have purchased the Hot Spot property at 223 West Main Street in Pipestone and plan to create business spaces and add murals to the building. Theresa Stangle presented their plans to the city of Pipestone’s Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) during its May 12 meeting. Stangle said they plan to put in a new door and window and create a new entrance for an area that had been used for storage on the west side toward the back of the building. She said they have a business interested in using that space. They plan to...

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For too long, a common-sense solution to lower gas prices and support American energy independence has been tied up in red tape. Families and farmers in Western Minnesota and across the country have been subjected to frustrating, outdated, and unnecessary regulations. The House of Representatives has taken a major step toward cutting that tape by passing H.R. 1346, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, which included my language for permanent, nationwide, year-round E15. I was proud to lead the efforts through my seat on the Rules Committee for this bipartisan bill, which will provide the certainty that our...

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About 74 members of the Pipestone Area Schools (PAS) graduating class of 2026 will receive diplomas on Sunday, May 24 in the high school gymnasium. The ceremony begins at 2 p.m. Each year the senior class committee helps plan certain elements of the graduation ceremony and other events leading up to graduation. This year’s senior class committee includes Vivian Brockberg, Trevor Doppenberg, Samantha Stokesbary, Ericka Vivanco, Katie Hanson and Alivia Fruechte. The committee helped select elements of the baccalaureate program on May 20 and the senior breakfast on May 13. They also came up with options for the class colors,...

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The Jasper City Council during its May 12 meeting voted 3-2 to take a neutral position on a conditional use permit Wm. D. Scepaniak Inc. is requesting from Pipestone County that would allow the company to operate a rock quarry northeast of Jasper. Pipestone County’s zoning ordinance requires a conditional use permit for all open pits and excavations. The zoning ordinance indicates that “In the event the property in question is located within two miles of a municipality in Pipestone County, a Conditional Use Permit may be granted only after review and recommendation by the governing body of such municipality.”...

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Desire expressed for curbside collection Maureen Bell asked the Jasper City Council during its May 12 meeting to bring back curbside collection during the city-wide clean up days. The City Council plans to consider the request later this year when the fall clean up day is scheduled. Typically, the city requires items to be brought to the public works shop as it did during this year’s spring cleanup day on May 2. Man hole cover painting suggested Deb Tillma shared an idea for a community project that would allow people to paint flowers on man hole covers in the city....

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A routing open house is planned for Tuesday, June 2 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at St. Leo Catholic Church. Representatives of Xcel Energy presented preliminary route options for the PowerOn Midwest transmission line project to the Pipestone County Commissioners during their May 12 meeting. The proposed 750 kilovolt (kV) transmission line would run from the South Dakota border across southern Minnesota. All of the preliminary route options in southwest Minnesota pass through Pipestone County. Some pass through the northeast corner north of Ruthton and others pass through the more central part of the county. County Board Chairman Luke...

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The first filing period for candidates in the Nov. 3 election opens at 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 19 and ends Tuesday, June 2 at 5 p.m. This filing period is for federal, state, county and city of Pipestone offices. There is a second candidate filing period for all other cities, townships that hold elections in November and school districts in the county. That filing period begins July 14 and ends July 28. All candidates must be eligible to vote in Minnesota, must not have filed for another office at the upcoming primary or general election, must be at least 21...

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LUVERNE — Pipestone Area Schools competed at the Big South Conference small school championships on Thursday, May 7. Cardinal Field was an electric place to be as track and field athletes attempted to earn all-conference honors (which went to the top-three in individual events and top-two relays. What’s more, the St. James-Madelia boys and Luverne girls earned championship bars. While the Arrows finished last in the team standings, there were plenty of successes to celebrate. PAS seventh-grader Adeline Wrenn earned all-conference honors in both an individual event and relay. Wrenn was third in the 100 hurdles, clocking in at 18.05....

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