Names & Notables

Edie Schmierbach, The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
·4 min read

May 14—Pioneer Power Association

Attendees at Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association's annual holiday party in December collected more than 100 pounds of non-perishable food items for the Le Sueur and Le Center food shelves.

Arbor Day poster contest

The winners of the city of Mankato's 2023 Arbor Day Poster Contest were selected in three grade categories:

Kindergarten and first grade:

First place, Kinsley Selland; second, Gretchen Willaert; third, Aurora Mude.

Second and third grade:

First place, Daphne VanThuyne; second, Ryleigh Frawley; third, Brooke Flatin.

Fourth and fifth grade:

First place, Noah Londgren; second, Malachi Springer; third, Zach Larson.

Trees will be planted in various city parks in recognition of the first-place winners.

Springfield Public School

For the second year in a row, Springfield Public School has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation.

Now in its 24th year, the designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.

State FFA

Area high school students received recognition the 94th Minnesota FFA Convention last month in Minneapolis.

Jana Johnson, a Mankato West High School student, and Lainey Brandt, a student at Sibley East High School in Arlington, were named state winners in the agribusiness division of the Supervised Agricultural Experience contest.

Student projects ranged from research, to education, to sales.

Johnson was the winner in the ag processing category, sponsored by the CHS Foundation.

Brandt was the winner in the ag sales entrepreneurship, sponsored by Bremer Bank.

University of Nebraska

Austin Herold, of North Mankato, received a stipend for a fall research project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

A biological sciences major, he is a participant in the project "Investigating Host Preference for Phoresy across Microhabitats in the Nebraska-Native Pseudoscorpion Dactylochelifer silvestris."

The project is part of Nebraska's Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience program, which supports undergraduates to work with faculty mentors in research or creative activities. Students receive stipends of $2,400 to engage in intensive research or creative activity for 20 hours per week.

Northern State UniversityArea residents graduated from Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Dec. 10.

Chase Groh, of Mankato, and Jordan Hillesheim, of New Ulm, earned bachelor of science degrees.

Palmer College of Chiropractic

Maxamillion Mettler, of North Mankato, was named to the 2022 trimester dean's list for Palmer College of Chiropractic's main campus in Davenport, Iowa.

Association of Minnesota Counties

A Sibley County program was recognized in December with an Association of Minnesota Counties 2022 County Achievement Award.

The award was presented to representatives of counties that exhibited excellence and innovation.

Leading Sibley Together is a countywide leadership cohort program that helps bridge the communities and government entities to improve effectiveness in local governance and increase public participation to address local issues. The program is a partnership between the county and Extension Center for Community Vitality, along with support by municipalities, businesses and community organizations.

Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota is the recent recipient of a $5,000 Community Assistance Award from Altra Federal Credit Union.

Community members' votes are used to determine the winners of the credit union's Best Life Community Awards.

Catholic Charities will use the funds in its mission to serve poor and vulnerable people.

State Community and Technical College

Area residents were among students named to Minnesota State Community and Technical College's fall semester president's and dean's lists.

Saisha Dau and Mia Williams, both of Mankato, were named to the president's list. They earned grade-point averages of 4.0 while completing a minimum of six college-level credits and 75% of the courses in which they enrolled for the semester.

Olivia Tanke, of Lake Crystal, and Allison Denn, of Mankato, were named to the dean's list. They earned GPAs between 3.50 to 3.99 while completing a minimum of six college-level credits and 75% of the courses in which they enrolled for the semester.

Minnesota State Community and Technical College's campuses are in Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead and Wadena.

University of New Hampshire

Josephine DeMerit of Madison Lake, was named to the fall semester dean's list at the University of New Hampshire-Durham.

DeMerit was among students on the list who were awarded highest honors for earning grade-point averages of 3.85 or better out of a possible 4.0.

University of Minnesota-Crookston

The University of Minnesota-Crookston has announced students who were named to its fall academic lists.

Area residents named to the chancellor's list are:

Courtland — Teddy Giefer.

New Ulm — Johanna Stelljes, Mara Weisensel.

To qualify for the chancellor's list, students must complete 12 or more letter-graded credits while attaining a 4.0 grade-point average.

Tonya Klinkner, of Madelia, was named to the fall semester dean's list.

Students named to the list completed 12 or more letter-graded credits while attaining a 3.66 or higher GPA.

University of Dubuque

Avery Flowers, of Mankato, was appointed to the fall semester dean's list for the University of Dubuque in Iowa.

Full-time students in good academic standing who earn a term grade-point average of 3.5 or above are eligible for the academic honor.