in the rearview mirror
A month-by-month look at the highs and lows of the past year …
January
Senior TMB basketball player Trevor Smith makes school history by scoring his 2,060th point, passing his older brother on the school’s all-time scoring list.
Marin Knott and Trevor Smith (right) are TAHS’s Triple ‘A’ nominees.
For the first time in four years, Tracy Area High School will compete in MSHSLsanctioned one-act competition in 2025.
Seth Schmidt, George Landuyt and Brian Hinrichs are sworn in on the Tracy City Council.
Fultz Farms donates more than $2,200 to the Tracy Kitchen Table Food Shelf.
“We are intending to be here next year, 100%, Supt. John Willey tells Milroy Public School staff at a January board meeting. “We are beginning to explore the process of consolidation.”
A number of TAHS BPA students qualify for state competition. During a public hearing, the Tracy City Council passes an ordinance establishing the Tracy Local Housing Fund.
The former Salmon Chevrolet-Oldsmobile building on 4th St. has been purchased by the Brian Knochenmus family and will be leased out to Iterro.
february
TAHS junior Aliyah Loftness is a 2025 ExCEL Award winner.
The Tracy Area Chamber of Commerce hands out awards to Greg Carlson, Garry Hippe and Ron Boje, Rhonda Fredericks, Steve Buyck, and the Tracy Parks Board.
TAHS junior David Schuh wins his second-straight Section 3A title. The TAHS e-sports team advances to the state level.
march
The sale of Balaton’s Lakeview Senior Housing facility to MN Signature Care is finalized.
The District No. 2904 approves a move to begin consolidation negotiations with the K-6 Milroy Public School.
The Fricke family (right) assumes ownership of Balaton Bay Golf Course.
The City of Tracy is awarded a $500,000 Minnesota Multi-Purpose Community Facility Projects Grant to put toward its new community center.
Trevor Smith earns the statewide Triple ‘A’ Award.
Adisyn Erdman begins her new position as director of the Laura Ingalls Widler Museum in Walnut Grove.
Marin Knott is selected as a finalist for an FFA Star in Agriscience. Grant Robinson and Liam Martinez win state championships at the NYWA Youth Wrestling State Tournament in Rochester.
april
The Tracy Area Headlight Herald moves its date of publication to Thursdays after changing printers.
Balaton Area Chamber of Commerce awards go to Theresa Zaske, Teri Hively, Kasey Holm, Pam Johnson and Dylan Fricke.
Local and area law enforcement search for about one hour on the south side of Tracy before taking a man considered armed and dangerous into custody without incident.
Tracy Lion Larry Muenchow (right) becomes the latest member of the MD5M Hall of Fame.
Jada Schmidt, a TAHS junior, qualifies for the State Speech Tournament.
The Tracy Lions Club and its “Help Tuck Them In” program, are beneficiaries of Lions Clubs International’s Kindness Matters Service Award.
Shetek Area Smooth Sailing evolves as a new branch after parting ways with Let’s Go Fishing.
MayTAHS FFA advisor Elizabeth Rupp (left) is recognized for receiving the Honorary State FFA Degree. The TAHS FFA Poultry Team takes first place in state. Six TAHS seniors — Chance Birman, Hadyn Ohman, Dalton Timmerman, Troy Gillette, Tshangwa Yang and Mason Anderson — are recognized for signing on to a military career. Drs. Marie Buschschulte-Schreier and Kristin Cuperus carry on the legacy in veterinary care from Bill and Kathy Brockway.
The Tracy Lions “Help Tuck Them In” project will send 49 beds to California.
Jean DeSmith (right) calls it a career after a remarkable 41 years as special education teacher in Tracy.
TAHS Principal Tony Miller resigns and will work in the Cedar Mt. School District.
Fifty-six seniors received their diploma from Tracy Area High School.
june
The installation of a new playground at Central Park is scheduled to begin July 7.
Hmong and Lao veterans are honored in Walnut Grove during a program to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of their service in the war in Southeast Asia.
After months of communication with Canadian Pacific Railway — and more than a few complaints from residents — it appears that fixes at the railroad crossing on Center St. will soon come to fruition.
The caboose at Wheels Across the Prairie Heritage Center suffered minor damage from a small fire.
The City of Tracy purchases land near downtown as part of its clean-up project.
july
A Balaton man facing multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct with minors makes his first court appearance via Zoom in Lyon County District Court.
Organizers hold yet another successful Tracy Area Quilts & Gardens Tour (above), as nearly 400 tickets are sold.
Mandy Dibble, of Westbrook, assumes her position as TAHS’s new principal.
One of Milroy’s most popular and beloved residents, Melvin Welu, perishes in a grain bin accident.
Bill Richards is honored with the 2025 Southwest Minnesota Arts Council’s Prairie Disciple Award.
The City of Balaton hosted its annual Balaton Fun Fest, and it was come one, come all in the City of Currie for its annual 4th of July Celebration.
Although rural fire contracts are already set through the year 2026, the question on everyone’s mind at a rural fire contract meeting last week is, what does the future hold?
Walnut Grove Police Chief David Graham submits his resignation and gives a 30-day notice to the Walnut Grove City Council.
august
Kids and adults celebrate at the grand opening of Central Park’s new playground (above).
The Tracy Lutheran Church family and the community mourn the loss of youth pastor Amy Munson.
Work continues on the road/culvert project on Valhalla Road at Lake Shetek.
Tracy celebrates its law enforcement and emergency personnel at National Night Out in Central Park.
Denny Johnson and Kenny Bassett, both of Currie, receive their Quilts of Valor.
The Tracy EDA unanimously votes to purchase a residential lot at 79 1st St. for $100.
Work begins on a major park upgrade in the City of Garvin. The project includes a pickleball court and sand volleyball court.
The
Milroy Irish lose their first game of the 2024 Minnesota Amateur State Baseball Tournament.
The Walnut Grove Fire Department receives a $10,000 grant for turnout gear.
The school boards of District No. 2904 (Tracy Area High School) and District No. 635 (Milroy Public School) both vote unanimously to approve resolutions to consolidate at their respective school board meetings.
One of the backbones of the Lyon County PRCA Rodeo, Dick Richards, dies at Avera Morningside Heights Care Center in Marshall at the age of 86.
Funfest will return to Milroy for the first time in more than a decade.
Avery Torgeson, Rosa Vang, AnnaRae Bowman, Andria Johnson, Addison Kainz, Johnnie Fransen, Pipe Freeburg, Cheyenne Hoffman and Aliyah Loftness are up for Miss Tracy 2026.
Tracy celebrates the 98th annual Box Car Days. Aliyah Loftness is crowned Miss Tracy 2026. Addison Kainz is 1st Runner-up, and Rosa Vang is 2nd Runner-up (below).
A small celebration took place at the End-O-Line Park in Currie, as four new e-Bikes will be available for use.
“Help Tuck Them In” organizers plan a block party to raise funds to continue the popular and growing project.
Lyon County commissioners hear from a number of deer hunters concerning the State’s planned repeal of the use of high-powered rifles in 2026.
aug. — celebration in central park The City of Garvin celebrates its new-look park (above).
Lyon County Commissioners eye a 9.9% levy increase for 2026.
The District No. 2904 passes a resolution to pursue purchasing a lighting system for the high school baseball field.
TAHS 2025 homecoming candidates are Avery Torgeson, Cheynne Hoffman, Aliyah Loftness, Addison Kainz, Rosa Vang, Lawton Verlinde, Sy Sanders, Connor Lanoue, David Schuh and Griffin Zick.
The Tracy City Council approves a 5% preliminary levy hike for 2026. Rosa Vang is named TAHS Homecoming Queen, and Sy Sanders is King (left). The owner of Tracy’s Cedar Lane Mobile Home Park faces a possible license suspension from Southwest Health and Human Services for the lack of a storm shelter and emergency evacuation plan. The Southwest Health and Human Services Board has ruled that Mike Grover, the known owner and operator of the Cedar Lane Mobile Home Park in Tracy, is in non-compliance with Minnesota law for failure to construct a storm shelter or have a City-approved evacuation plan and therefore has had his license to operate the park suspended for 60 days.
Now Open october
Jordyn Lenertz and Ryanne Christopherson (below left) place at the National Pedal Pull Tournament in Mitchell, SD.
The Amiret Busy Bees is gearing up for their celebration of 100 years of service.
A new food option comes to the Tracy Eagles Club called “Get in Ma Belly,” which was formerly a food truck.
Tracy Fire Chief Dale Johnson III (right) was named Fire Officer of the Year for cities under 10,000 population, while Marshall Fire Chief Quentin Brunsvold earned the honor for cities over 10,000.
The Walnut Grove community was notified that a Level 3 sex offender was moving into town.
The Tracy community remembers the life of Jack Miller, aka “Jack the Barber.” He died Oct. 14.
TAHS vows to be more diligent when implementing its current cell phone policy in the school building.
Shirley Knakmuhs, a longtime cast member of the “Fragments of a Dream” pageant, as well as one of its founders, dies at the age of 96.
The Tracy American Legion Auxiliary hosted its final Haunted house at the Legion club.
november
Dru Larson (above) is the recipient of the Tracy Area Public School Lifetime Service Award, and Paul Shons and AnnMarie (Mickelson) Killian were inducted into the district’s Wall of Fame at this year’s American Education Banquet.
The City of Balaton stands up against a dog that has attacked another dog on a public street in town.
Iterro closes its Balaton facility. Above The Fold Publishing (upper right), the parent company of the Tracy Area Headlight Herald, announces it is purchasing the assets of Lincoln County newspapers the Tyler Tribute, Lake Benton Valley Journal and Hendricks Pioneer.
At this month’s District No. 2904 School Board meeting, concerns over gym space were discussed, given the closing of the Milroy School and the future unavailability of the gymnasium at the former Balaton High School, which will close with the closure of Iterro in Balaton.
The man connected with the Cedar Lane Mobile Home park is delivered a notice of license revocation.
For the first time in school history, there will be a girls’ wrestling team, with 10 student-athletes on the initial roster.
A “potentially dangerous” label was given to a dog in Balaton that has a history of violence against another dog in town.
december
Owners of The Caboose — Diane Fiegen, and Doug and John Edwards (upper left) — announced that they are selling the business. Diane and her late husband, David, opened the popular restaurant in 2010.
The latest ExCEL Award nominees at TAHS are Taylor Squires and Taylor Munson (above).
The Tracy Area FFA Chapter (right) has purchased and donated 75 blankets to Tracy’s “Help Tuck Them In” bed project that provides beds and bedding for families in need.
The Tracy City Council, after much discussion, certified the 2026 tax levy at 5%. Balaton’s was set at 3.59%.
Lyon County commissioners vote to go with a new state law that will allow hunters to use high-powered rifles on public land, beginning Jan. 1, 2020.
Lyon County commissioners certify the 2026 levy at 9.9% There will be a new look to the End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum (above) in 2026 after the General Store and Mill building were moved to a different location on the museum’s campus.
