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The Minnesota Newspaper Association held its 159th Annual MNA Convention and Trade Show at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, Brooklyn Park from January 28-30. The closing keynote address on Friday was presented by Rufus Friday of the Center for Integrity in News Reporting. He presented data documenting the loss of trust in journalism in the U.S. and outlined strategies to help rebuild it. The central message provided by Friday in his keynote speech was that news organizations need to remove...
Sunburg Free Lutheran church held worship on Sunday, January 25. The attached video features most of the worship service held that morning. After worship, a potluck dinner was held in the fellowship hall....
By Randy Olson, newspaper publisher, written on Thursday, January 22 The Post Office continues to lose my newspapers. For 6 straight days this past week, the Post Office failed to deliver my Willmar/Benson/Spicer/New London newspapers. Multiple subscribers from those communities all received the January 15 issue in today's mail - today! Thursday, January 22. In November, the Post Office did the same thing the week before B-B-E's fall two-act play took place. I am still quite sore about that!...
The Brooten city council met on Monday, January 12 for their first regular meeting of the new year. During the report by Brooten Fire Chief Mark Torkelson, discussion began about setting a financial fee for illegal burning within city limits. Currently, the Brooten Fire Department does not bill for fire calls within the city limits. The city is exploring what it could charge in the case of the fire department responding to an illegal burn. Also at Monday's meeting, the city council set the 2026...
Lucky Shots Bowling Alley in Brooten hosted a jigsaw puzzle contest that included a total of 8 teams on Saturday, January 10. It was part of a busy weekend in Brooten with a high level of foot and auto traffic for early January. The top two teams in the competition were featured on page one of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper's January 15 issue. The attached video was recorded later in the evening after most of the teams had completed their puzzles....
The joint parish Christmas Eve worship for Trinity and West Lake Johanna Lutheran churches was held in Brooten on Wednesday, December 24. A near-full house of children and adults gathered and heard a Christmas message from Synodically Authorized Minister Linda Simms, who has helped guide Trinity and WLJ since September as the parish seeks a new full-time minister. The attached video begins with Simms providing her children's sermon....
Sunday School children and teachers at Big Grove Lutheran Church in North Fork Township held their Christmas program on Sunday, December 21. The attached video features most of the Christmas program. The video has a rough beginning while the tripod was adjusted at the rear of the church sanctuary. During that part, two students gave welcoming comments to worshipers and asked that cell phones be turned off. Finally, 44 seconds into the video, the rough part ends. (You may want to just skip the...
The God Squad students of Trinity and West Lake Johanna Lutheran churches of Brooten held their Christmas program on Sunday, December 7 at Trinity. The attached video includes video from the program that morning. The parish God Squad students performed Christmas carols on Saturday, December 6 as part of the Brooten Santa Day events. They were featured on one of the units in the Brooten lighted Christmas parade that evening....
Here's a video from the upper deck of East Norway Lake Lutheran church in Arctander Township on Saturday, December 20. The ENL church hosted the Sunburg Community Players, who performed an hour's worth of Christmas songs. They were directed by Joyce Rudningen. This video begins with the song We Three Kings being performed....
A cozy group of over 70 children and adults gathered in the warm confines of the South Lake Johanna Lutheran church sanctuary on Wednesday, December 24 for a Christmas Eve worship. The service was led by Pastor Ron Knutson, who currently preaches at Sunburg Free Lutheran and Scandia Lutheran churches. The attached video, which begins while worshipers are singing It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, features most of the worship service. Pastor Ron graduated from Brooten in 1958. This is his 55th year...
Multiple Santa Day events were held in the Bonanza Valley area on two separate weekends, first on Saturday, December 6 (Elrosa and Brooten) and then one week later on December 13 (Belgrade and Sedan). In all four towns, numerous volunteers, families and businesses worked together to bring Christmas cheer to children of all ages. In the attached video, you can watch Amy Zenzen of Elrosa read a Christmas story to children gathered for Santa Day at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church on...
On Friday, December 19, customers of the community banks of Bonanza Valley State Bank of Brooten and Kensington Bank of Belgrade are invited to Christmas-season appreciation events. At BVSB in Brooten that day, bank customers are invited to the lobby between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to receive free gifts and enjoy numerous treats. Treats made by the Brooten American Legion Auxiliary will be part of what's offered plus meat and cheese trays and coffee and milk. At Kensington Bank that day, they will...
Note: on Friday, for the second time, a video embed code was fixed on this web article. We continue having technical difficulties. To see a photo gallery from the lighted Christmas parade, click here: BrootenChristmasParade. Brooten was buzzing all day and into the evening on Saturday, December 6. Retail businesses were busy with activity, and the Brooten Activities Club hosted the annual Santa Day event in downtown Brooten. Businesses like Earthy Elements, LLC, had a great response from the...
Sunburg Free Lutheran Church in Norway Lake Township is in the Advent season on the Christian calendar. In the attached video, you can watch part of worship service at Sunburg Free on Sunday, November 30. Early in this clip, Pastor Ron Knutson begins reading his Holy Gospel and then gives his sermon. Sunburg Free will hold its Sunday School Christmas program during worship at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 14....
The Minnesota Farm Bureau held their state convention on November 21-22 at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest hotel in Minnetonka. On Friday that weekend, the Farm Bureau hosted their awards banquet. Featured guest speakers that evening included Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and Third District Congresswoman Kelly Morrison, First District Congressman Brad Finstad and also Seventh District Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach The attached video features Finstad and Fishbach speaking at the...
The big day for Brooten to shine is coming THIS Saturday, December 6, when the Brooten Activities Club will host Santa Day on Main Street. All events are sponsored by the generous support of the Brooten Fire Relief Association and numerous locally-owned businesses in Brooten. Posters for Santa Day started going up last week, and a color version of the poster was published on the back page of the November 27 and December 4 issues of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper. Brooten's Santa Day fun...
The big day for Brooten to shine is coming on Saturday, December 6, when the Brooten Activities Club will host Santa Day on Main Street. All events are sponsored by the generous support of the Brooten Fire Relief Association and numerous locally-owned businesses in Brooten. Posters for Santa Day started going up last week, and a color version of the poster was published on the back page of the November 27 and December 4 issues of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper. Brooten's Santa Day fun...
The men and women of the Brooten American Legion and Legion Auxiliary Post No. 288 were honored guests at the Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa elementary school Veterans Day program. This was held at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday this week. In the attached video, the full Veterans Day program can be viewed. After the Presentation of Colors by the American Legion, Principal Trent Johnson provided the welcome address. The B-B-E senior high band performed the National Anthem. Grades 4-5 students performed the song...
The newspaper ad this week on page 2 for the Brooten American Legion pancake breakfast was outdated, and was designed for their spring breakfast last April. Here's the correct information: The Brooten American Legion Post No. 288 invites everyone to their annual fall pancake breakfast on Sunday, November 16 at the Bucky's Pickle's building, formerly the American Legion Post Hall, on Central Avenue. They are serving from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Menu: pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, juice, coffee,...
It was over a month ago, but it's worth a look again at the Roger Sagedahl Estate auction that was held on September 20 in Brooten. Ziemer Auction Service is shown in action in the attached video. Roger had what seemed like an endless amount of artifacts and local products he collected through the years. He will never be forgotten in Brooten....
Ricky Gerhardson, 69, of New London, died Saturday, November 1, at his home near New London surrounded by his loving family. His funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 7 at Crow River Lutheran Church, rural New London. Visitation will be from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Thursday and continue one hour prior to the service all at the church. Arrangements are with Harvey Anderson and Johnson Funeral Home in Belgrade. Online tributes can be posted at the funeral home's website: w...
On Friday, October 17 in North Fork Township, Big Grove Lutheran church was the site of a terrific turnout of support for the annual fall WELCA supper and auction. The church basement at Big Grove got comfortable crowded as families from near and far gathered for food and fellowship. They also enjoyed the entertaining presence of Mark and Brian Ziemer, who ran a successful auction that had a total of 69 bidders. More coverage was in the October 23 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper. In...
The Crow River Lutheran Church fall soup supper and auction fundraiser was held on Saturday, October 11. Video attached features part of the live auction, which was led by Ziemer Auction Service of New London....
The Elrosa Fire Department will serve from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church basement on Saturday, October 10. The cash raffle drawing will be held in the church basement at 8 p.m. at the end of the steak fry. Yes, takeouts are availabe! Please pass the word....
The weather was warm and sunny for Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa's 10th annual Color FUND Run on Wednesday, September 24. Student participation was the best it has ever been with 97 percent of the high school student body part of the race. The attached video features the first "finish line" video of the Color Run recorded by the Bonanza Valley Voice. Fundraising totals and other financial information from the Color Run and the school's activities fund which it supports will be published in the...