News - Hastings Journal

High School Athletic Director Trent Hanson and Track and Field Coach Austin Eliason highlighted Hastings student achievement from Track and Field, adapted softball and archery.

The ISD 200 school board met on Wednesday, July 23 to approve the MSHSL contract and discuss professional development across the district at the first school board meeting with new Superintendent Dr. … more

Graham P. Johnson gjohnson@hastingsjournal.news | 7/29/25

The Cannon Old West Society had various reenactments that occasionally ended with gunshots.

Little Log House Pioneer Village celebrates 34th Antique Power Days

To walk through the streets of the Little Log House Pioneer village is to catch visions from the past. Hundred-year-old tractors putter past six-shooter-strapped cowboys as WWII soldiers saunter … more

Graham P. Johnson gjohnson@hastingsjournal.news | 7/29/25

The two eggs that appeared outside the Lebanon Hills are the first sculpture from Ifrah Mansour in the Weaving Abundance program that will play out across Dakota County Parks in August.

Dakota County Parks Welcomes First Artist in Residence

Visitors of Lebanon Hills Regional Park Visitor Center may have noticed two large eggs appear in the pollinator garden outside. What laid the feet-tall purple- and white-speckled eggs there is not a … more

Graham P. Johnson gjohnson@hastingsjournal.news | 7/29/25

Dakota County Manager Heidi Welsch discussed the nearly $8.5 million of proposed cuts to the Dakota County 2026 budget.

Dakota County proposes $8.5 million of cuts in 2026 budget, raise levy 8-10%

Grim budget forecasts have appeared at Federal, State, and now County levels of government. On Wednesday, July 23 County Manager Heidi Welsch walked Dakota County Commissioners and staff through … more

Graham P. Johnson gjohnson@hastingsjournal.news | 7/29/25

School Board Election officially begins

ISD 200 is officially looking for its next school board member. The two-week filing period for candidates for the ISD 200 school board opened on July 29 and will remain open through Tuesday, … more

Graham P. Johnson gjohnson@hastingsjournal.news | 7/29/25

Hastings woman killed in Wednesday afternoon crash

A Hastings woman is dead following a two-vehicle crash on Highway 61 in front of River Oaks Golf Course on Wednesday, July 16. Crystal Rae Maciewski, age 43 of Hastings, was pronounced dead following … more

By Joseph Back | 7/23/25

Representatives and team members from the Hockey Day Minnesota took the stage for the lineup announcement on Friday, July 18.

Hockey Day Minnesota lineup announced

Teams from across the area, state and Midwest will be making their way to Hastings come January for Hockey Day Minnesota 2026. The 20th anniversary of the event will host not only Hastings boys and … more

By Graham P. Johnson | 7/23/25

The Rivertown Days Sunday car show brought crowds to downtown along with their antique cars.

Rivertown Days hosts 46th annual celebration

For 46 years Hastings residents have been going to the banks of the Mississippi to celebrate Rivertown Days. From carnivals to live music to car shows, the weekend has long been an excuse to get out … more

By Graham P. Johnson and Bruce Karnick | 7/23/25

Minnesota job market, labor force maintain high levels in June

Minnesota's employment level, unemployment rate and labor force were stable in June, with metrics unchanged over the month, according to new data from the Department of Employment and Economic … more

7/23/25

Hawks unleash sixth-inning barrage to bury Royals 16-0

On a perfect summer night at Veterans Park, with the midway lights of Rivertown Days flickering in the distance, the Hastings Hawks put on a show that was as loud as the carnival and just as … more

By Bruce Karnick | 7/23/25

Hurricanes win weekend and Federal League South Division

Coming into this past weekend, the Hastings Hurricanes 35-plus Baseball Team knew that their games on Friday and Saturday would give them as close to a real-life simulation to life in the AAA State … more

By Peter Gasparino | 7/23/25

Barrels of wine can age for up to 6 years, stacked in the basement of winery.

Bottling up a new vintage: A look into the bottling process of Minnesota’s oldest vineyard

There is much that can be taken for granted in wine in the age of liquor stores and global shipping. From labels to capsules to the type of cork, for buyers, these details are often completely … more

By Graham P. Johnson | 7/23/25

Lon Peterson demonstrates the functions of a Cycling Without Age trishaw to a fellow Rotary member outside the new CWA storage and maintenance facility, located behind the Tilden Senior Center on the Fourth Street side. The building, built primarily by Hastings High School students, has space to grow and stands ready to support the expanding program.

Hastings Rotary celebrates new “CWA Shed,” built by high school trades students

The sun glinted off the freshly installed siding and brand new roof as members of the Hastings Area Rotary Club gathered this week in their new storage building. The facility, located near the Tilden … more

By Bruce Karnick | 7/23/25

The Hastings River Blades Skating School, representing the Hastings Civic Arena, claimed the Overall Championship Team Trophy at the 2025 Summer Breeze Competition, held June 27–28 at the Woog Arena. Front row, left to right: Avery Piskor, Millie Nitti, Chesney Marthaler, Hannah Woehrmann, Lyla Sieben, Piper Radford, Aislynn Haider, Etta Thoms, Letty Meyer. Back row, left to right: Josie Jacobs, Carly Sieben, Avery Mikonowicz, Marissa Nitti, Abby Stagno, Livie Schmidt, Maddy Graham, Sydney Iverson, Mabel Forrest.

Hastings River Blades triumph at Summer Breeze, prepare for ISI Worlds, and celebrate 20 Years of skating excellence

Hastings, MN — The Hastings River Blades Skating School, proudly representing the Hastings Civic Arena, recently took home the Overall Championship Team Trophy at the Summer Breeze Competition … more

7/23/25

Water usage for the Hastings Water Resource Recovery Facility which is expected to meet the city’s capacity through 2050.

City Council discusses future sewer facility with Met Council that could free up downtown space

The Hastings City Council met on Monday, July 21 to hear from the Metropolitan Council regarding near- and long-term planning for Hastings sewage, the future of the Hastings water resource recovery … more

By Graham P. Johnson | 7/23/25

United Heroes League President and Founder Shane Hudella spoke at the most recent Hastings Area Rotary Club meeting about Hastings hosting the upcoming Hockey Day Minnesota 2026 event. Hudella touched on the planning processes and those things becoming reality at the UHL campus on Ravenna Trail in Hastings.

Hastings gears up for a historic Hockey Day Minnesota 2026

Come January 2026, the puck will drop on something far bigger than just a game. Hockey Day Minnesota is heading to Hastings for its 20th anniversary, and the celebration is shaping up to be the … more

By Bruce Karnick | 7/16/25

Hastings residents celebrated National Parks and Recreation Month at the Party in the Park that featured recreational activities from around the Hastings community.

Party in the Park celebrates Hastings rec activities

Lines for facepainting, henna art and balloon animals stretched across Levee Park during the Party in the Park on Tuesday, July 8. The event celebrated National Parks and Recreation Month and focused … more

By Graham P. Johnson | 7/16/25

Hastings Farmers Market organizers Jim Voelker and Holly Bohlken have been selling vegetables, jellies and hot sauces for a quarter century at the Hastings Farmers Market.

Hastings Farmers Market welcomes new crop of vendors

When Edward Voelker started the Hastings Farmers Market in the mid-1970s—the market and the city of Hastings—looked a little different than they do today. Some 50 years later, that same … more

By Graham P. Johnson | 7/16/25

Minnesota’s Best showcases Hastings businesses

The 2025 winners from the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Minnesota Best contest released on Sunday July 13 and highlighted various Hastings businesses. Gold winners from the Hastings area include the … more

7/16/25

The 27-foot-long Wienermobile turns heads outside Cub Foods in Hastings during its cross-country tour stop. The rolling hot dog, with its gleaming mustard-yellow bun and friendly “Frankfurters” on board, made for an unmissable summer photo op.

Oscar Mayer Wienermobile visits Hastings Cub

So many of us remember the commercial song “My bologna has a first name…” in fact, you probably completed it before continuing to read, and that’s just fine, but why did that … more

By Bruce Karnick | 7/16/25