More local news

Absentee voting to begin for March 11 township elections

Dakota County township residents can vote absentee beginning Friday, Feb. 7 for the March 11 township elections. All townships will hold elections on March 11, with the exception of Randolph …

Dakota County considers how federal cuts may affect the county

Headlines and national news don’t usually trickle down to Dakota County, but at the Feb. 4 legislative update at the General Government and Policy Committee of the Whole, the county’s …

Public’s help requested after body found on Ravenna Trail Feb. 1

The Hastings area community was shocked February 2nd when a body was found on Ravenna Trail in the early morning. Just a day earlier, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) released a …

3M PFAS settlement grant program RFP now open

A request for proposals has opened for restoration and recreation projects in the Twin Cities east metropolitan area and in downstream areas of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers that have been …

Law enforcement made more than 2,000 DWI arrests over the holiday season to keep people safe

Troopers, deputies and police officers made 2,079 driving while impaired (DWI) arrests during the holiday enforcement campaign Nov. 27 through Dec. 31 in Minnesota. This campaign reinforces the …

Hastings Bus Company and Big River Bus Company celebrate School Bus Employee Appreciation Day

HASTINGS – On February 19, Hastings Bus Company and Big River Bus Company will celebrate School Bus Employee Appreciation Day, a time to recognize the dedicated drivers and aides who ensure the …

Wit and Wisdom, phonics, and the READ Act in ISD 200

Phonemes and segmenting, morphology and decoding. The process of learning to read has never been easy. Now more than ever, studies on just how students learn to read, what works and what …

Minnesota House of Representatives convenes after agreement reached

On Wednesday, Feb. 5, House DFL and GOP members announced they had come to a power-sharing agreement which allowed the House of Representatives to finally come to order. The power-sharing agreement …

Community, school mourn loss of school board member, Wiederholt’s owner

On Saturday, Feb. 8, Jenny Wiederholt-Pine, 44, died unexpectedly but peacefully at Regina Medical Center in Hastings. She is survived by her husband Mike Pine and her three children. The cause of …

Hastings Trap and Skeet Team opens registration

The Hastings Raiders High School Trap and Skeet Team Registration is opening February 5th and will close Sunday, March 16th or until team full, no exceptions. See our team website at …
On the calendar
Business
On January 24th, students at Pinecrest Elementary celebrated their hard work and generosity with a special treat—fresh custard served by Culver’s of Hastings. The event marked the …
Government
In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature passed Amara’s Law – recently implemented environmental protections that prohibit the use of PFAS “forever chemicals” in everyday products. …
Crime
Bail was set at $100,000 for a Hastings man charged with fleeing police Jan. 12. Shawn Angel Brown, 51, was also faces charges of 3rd degree drug possession, driving after cancellation and possession …
Community

From clean water to cannabis, leaders voice opinions at Dakota County Legislative Breakfast

Representatives from District 2 discussed issues ranging from local control for data centers and school funding to cannabis to PFAS at Dakota County’s Legislative Breakfast.
Dakota County held its Legislative Breakfast on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025 bringing together city officials, school district leaders and the legislators that represent them to discuss pressing issues of …

Hastings Concert Association presents ‘Letters From Home’

The Hastings Concert Association welcomes "Letters From Home" to the stage on Saturday, February 22nd at 3:00 p.m. Letters From Home is a classic USO style show with a witty, modern edge featuring …

BBB Tip: Protect yourself from tax scams

Tax scams are often as predictable as taxes themselves; they reappear each tax season with a slightly different spin, but the central theme is scammers posing as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) …

St. Croix Valley Genealogical Society to meet virtually for its February meeting.

Debra Dudek will present “Discovering Your UK/Irish Roots Online: Websites and Resources for English, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish Ancestry”. The presentation starts at 7:00 p.m. on …

ISD #200 Staff Spotlight Thomas Garding

Our students who need additional support receive exceptional guidance from a fantastic new teacher. Thomas Garding joined the outstanding Special Education team at Hastings Middle School this year. …
Obituaries
Doris Herman
Doris Herman, age 88, of Hastings, MN, was peacefully called home on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. Doris was born on July 23, 1936, in Vermillion, MN to Joe and Ann Brummel. She married the love of her …
Geraldine 'Geri' Kendall
Geraldine “Geri” M. Kendall, age 91, of Hastings, passed away peacefully at her residence on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. Born on Sept. 29, 1933, to Fred and Florence (Goodier) Balster in Hastings, …
Sharon Nilan
Sharon A. Nilan (née McNamara), age 84 Born on Nov. 14, 1940, in Hastings, Minn, to Eugene and Marie (Maher) McNamara, Sharon A. Nilan passed away peacefully on Jan. 24, 2025, at Saint Therese of …
Judith Breckner
Judith Ann Breckner of Prior Lake, Minn and Paradise Valley, AZ passed away peacefully on Jan. 20, 2025, at the age of 87. She was born on Aug. 4, 1937 in Lacrosse, Wisconsin; she was the oldest …
Karleen Sieben
Age 68 passed away at home after a long battle with cancer on 1-8-25. Born on May 15, 1956 to Urban and Pearl Oehrlein in Hastings, and was one of 12 children. Karleen enjoyed gardening, cooking, …
Local sports

Dance team completes season at section tournament

The book on the historic inaugural season of the Hastings High School Dance Team is officially closed with their final performance at the section meet. This was the first year that Hastings had an …

Two Raider athletes reach career milestones

Last week, Hastings had two senior athletes reach career milestones. Girls basketball player Haley Strain (left) scored her 1,000th point, and girls hockey player Victoria Steinke (right) made her …
The Raider Girls (12-9) have had a tough streak on the hardwood dating back to Jan. 23 when the four-game skid started. Feb. 4 at Hill-Murray (16-6) was a polar opposite of the contest held in …
Hastings High School is proud to announce that Lukas Foss and Haley Strain are the recipients of the 2025 Apollo and Athena awards. These annual awards are given to the outstanding athletes, one …
Just two weeks ago, on Jan. 29, the Hastings Nordic Ski Team finished third at the conference meet at Hyland Park Reserve in Bloomington. The Raiders were led by three skiers that had the potential …
The girls individual section tournament for wrestling is held a week before the boy’s tournament and the Raiders performed very well. Of the 13 weight classes, 10 of the Raider girls placed in …
Education

Dakota County Technical College Inver Hill Community College merger planned for 2026

When President of Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) Michael Berndt came to speak before the Dakota County Board of Commissioners, Chair Joe Atkins queried the room about who had ties to either …

Features

Hastings Bierstube Celebrates 62 years

The Hastings Bierstube is kicking off its 62nd anniversary celebration with a week-long party, packed with exciting prizes, food specials and entertainment. The festivities begin Tuesday and run …

Opinion
Columns
Liam Bernatz is about as high energy as a defender can be on the floor. His quick moves cause just the right amount of defensive chaos to create turnovers for Hastings that the Raiders then convert to points. Against Hill-Murray, Bernatz was not credited for any steals, but his actions created opportunities for other Raiders on the floor, which is a stat not tracked.

Boys Basketball continues hot streak

The Raider boys’ hoopsters continue to shut down opponent after opponent with smothering defense, ultra quick transitions and smart shot choices. Hastings entered the week 13-4 overall with two …
Senior Jade Schauer scored the only goal for Hastings early in the third period of the section game at Rosemount.

Girls Hockey season ends at Rosemount

The Raider Girls hockey team earned the eighth seed of the section tournament which put them on the road against the number one seeded Rosemount Irish. Hastings came into the tournament at 10-13-2 …
Charlie Stoffel and the Raider defense held the second-best team in the state, St. Thomas to three goals plus an empty net goal in the 4-1 loss. Stoffel faced 52 shots, stopping 49 for a .942 save percentage.

Boys’ hockey hangs on to defeat Mayo

The Raider Boys Hockey team was 9-9-1 two weeks ago with two games that week and one last week. The first was a home game against Rochester Mayo 5-14-0 where the Raiders withstood a dramatic final …

My View: Mission accomplished

We took a long, fulfilling journey through the snow Saturday. We had an event planned a few weeks in advance. By midweek, it looked like it may come victim to the weather. Last week, I wrote about …

My View: Typing with Bobby Knight

Many young men in their formative years took time in their school schedule to learn worthwhile pursuits. Me? I learned to type. I was fastest on the keyboard in my class. Other fellows …

January, be prepared, drink hot chocolate and rest

January always brings snow and ice unless you live in the most southern part of the United States. Even then, you aren’t guaranteed to escape January without some harsh weather. This …
Letters
Letter to the Editor-Thank you to the community
To the editor: On behalf of the Hastings Area Rotary Club, I would like to extend a huge thank you to all who helped make Rivertown Live a great community event. Thank you to all the volunteers, …
Jen Fox: The Only Choice for District 41B
There is something so exciting about seeing a familiar name and face splashed across ads in the news paper or on fliers in the mail. It is especially exciting when that familiar face is someone you …
Letter to the Editor: Impatience is not a virtue
To the editor: Hastings residents should now be seeing a safer Hwy 55 corridor between Co. Rd. 42 and Hwy 52. There is now a left turn lane at Doyle Path as well as a reconstruction of the railroad …
Letter to the Editor: Support Jen Fox
To the editor: As a proud Hastings ISD 200 nutrition staff member and a union steward of SEIU Local 284, I'm excited to support Jen Fox for House District 41B. One of the biggest reasons for my …
Letter to the Editor: Rotary says ‘thanks’
To the editor: On behalf of the Hastings Area Rotary Club, I would like to extend a huge thank you to all who helped make Rivertown Live a great community event. Thank you to all the volunteers, …
Web Extras
10 can't-miss places to visit in the winter
Are you looking for trip ideas to embrace the cold weather months? CoPilot compiled 10 drivable U.S. locations that are ideal for winter visits.
The decline of the college-educated American man
Spokeo analyzed data from the National Center for Education Statistics to explore the yearslong decline of young men's college enrollment.
New insights on heart disease and menopause
Hone Health explores new research into the complex link between heart disease and menopause.
Guide to the average savings in America by age
SoFi shares the average savings by age in the U.S. and some tips to help meet your saving goals.
How much do property managers charge, anyway?
TurboTenant examines property management fees and their structure, discusses factors affecting the cost of using a property management company, and explains what you need to consider when searching for one.