Remembering One of Area’s Worst Tornado Outbreaks
BPHS Art Fair Tonight Page 2
BPHS Baseball Team Takes Over First Page 13
Page 11
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOURTH YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, MAY 6, 2015
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 19
Scott County Asks Belle Plaine to Support Transportation Tax
Moonlight in Paris The theme of Saturday’s grand march at Belle Plaine High School was Moonlight in Paris. Among the nearly 250 prom-goers who took a stroll past the lit up Eiffel Tower before heading to Mall of America for prom were Selin Dikmen and Jeremy Buszmann. More prom night photos appear on page 14.
Searchers Turn to River to Find Le Sueur Woman Having searched a large swath of land along the river bottoms where she and a friend were camping, Le Sueur County sheriff‘s deputies are turning their attention to the Minnesota River itself in the hopes of determining what happened to Moriah Lynn Zwart. The 20-year-old Le Sueur woman was reported missing Friday (May 1) morning just before 7 a.m. Zwart had been camping with a friend during the night on a sandbar on the east side bank of the river near the southwest corner of the city of Le Sueur. At some point during the camping venture, Zwart’s friend lost track of her in the earlymorning hours of Friday. The friend walked back to Zwart’s parents’ residence by 5 a.m. on
South Main Street in Le Sueur. A candlelight vigil was held Monday night (May 4) at American Legion Park in Le Sueur. Attendees were encouraged to wear purple, Zwart’s favorite color. Le Sueur County Sheriff Dave
Tietz said both Zwart and her friend had been drinking during the camping outing. He said foul play is not suspected in
Le Sueur Woman (continued on page 2)
BPHS Pops Concert Friday Night The annual Belle Plaine High School Pops Concert is Friday (May 8) night in the junior-senior high school’s north gymnasium. The popular concert features the talents of the school’s arts students – visual, choral and band. It begins with an arts
show beginning at 6 p.m. The music begins at 7 p.m. with a variety of Belle Plaine choirs and bands. There is no charge for the performances. FFA students will have plants on sale outside the gymnasium. A concession stand will also be open.
Catching Up With an Old Friend With a dump rake to lean on, Jerel Holloway of Le Sueur (left) and Justin Deutsch of New Prague discussed farming, the weather and the latest goings-on during the auction at the 2015 Scott-Carver Threshers Spring Swap Meet Saturday (May 2) at the festival grounds in St. Lawrence Township. A warm spring morning drew a nice crowd to the auction of farm equipment, ladders, tools and other items.
by Dan Ruud Several Scott County officials addressed the Belle Plaine City Council Monday night asking for the city’s support of a proposed one-half percent countywide sales tax, proceeds from which would go directly to transportation-related projects in the county. Among those present from Scott County were commissioners Jon Ulrich, Mike Beard and Joe Wagner, and County Administrator Gary Shelton and Lisa Freese, the latter of whom is Scott County’s transportation program delivery manager. Ulrich, Beard and Shelton did most of the talking, all pitching for the sales tax, which the county board is scheduled to vote on next Tuesday (May 12). That vote was originally scheduled to take place April 21 but the county board decided to delay a decision until more people had a chance to learn about the proposal, including the Belle Plaine and Jordan city councils, whose communities Wagner represents. Wagner has expressed opposition to the sales tax, and says most of his constituents are also against it. State Statute 297a.993 authorizes county boards to implement a sales tax of up to onehalf percent for transportation purposes and $20 excise tax on vehicle purchases. The proceeds of these taxes must be dedicated exclusively to transportation purposes, including transit operation, capital, and highway, road and bridge projects. Scott County’s 2030 Comprehensive Transportation Plan has identified future needs and deficiencies on the system. Since the plan was adopted in 2009, multiple corridor studies have been completed on the county highways 17, 13, 42 and Highway 169 corridors, identifying critical needs along the
system. Traffic is expected to grow over the next 25 years by 67 percent. The county’s report also states that residents and businesses have “made it clear” there is the need for more transit options to employment centers within and outside of Scott County. The report further states that the transportation tax would enable Scott County to capture revenue from the 10 million annual visitors to the various entertainment, restaurant and shopping venues in Scott County to be invested towards regional transportation services needed to support these visitors, as well as other economic development projects in the county. “Residents in Scott County will be assured that the sales tax they pay will fund projects in Scott County,” continued the report. Property taxes are not
affected. The projected revenue from the one-half percent sales tax and $20 excise tax is $6 million annually. Ulrich asked that the city of Belle Plaine send a letter of support to the county, including Wagner. Ulrich told the council he recently learned of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s denial of the city’s application for up to $750,000 to help fund the proposed overpass project near the intersection of Highway 169 and County Road 3/ Meridian Street. Ulrich said if the county-wide sales tax is approved, it’s possible the county could provide the money to offset the grant rejection. As for the $700,000 that the county had already pledged for
Transportation Tax (continued on page 6)
Design Work Continues for Proposed Overpass Project Belle Plaine City Engineer Joe Duncan reported this week that design work for the proposed overpass project near the intersection of Highway 169 and County Road 3/Meridian Street is continuing. “The layout drawing has been reviewed and commented on by Mn/DOT,” stated Duncan. “Typical minor comments were received, which can be easily addressed. However, a final decision on the closure or removal of the existing three-quarter intersection has not yet been made, which will have an impact on the final plan submittal schedule.” Duncan added that he and City Administrator Holly Kreft will be “diligently working with Mn/DOT representatives to find resolution and continue with
the plan delivery process.” “Notwithstanding, major changes to both the bridge and roadway plans are ready for submittal upon official Mn/ DOT approval of the layout,” Duncan continued. He also reported that he and Kreft will continue to work with Scott County to resolve concerns the county has had with the westward extension of Enterprise Drive from County Road 3. “The county has requested additional focus on roadway geometrics at both Commerce Drive and Enterprise Drive, which we feel we have been satisfactorily resolved at this point,” Duncan concluded. The city is hopeful that the overpass project can begin this fall.
BPHS’s Megan Littlepage Earns All-State Choir Honors For BPHS Junior, ‘It’s Kind of My Thing’
Megan Littlepage seems to be one of those people with a song in her heart. She just loves to sing. And she’s really good at it, too. Littlepage, a junior, was recently named to the all-state choir, an honor she earned through an audition to established members of the Minnesota Music Educators Association. Littlepage is the first BPHS student to earn the award since Jeremy Winders was named all-state in the spring of 2009, said Cheryl Gorton, BPHS’s choir director. The honor affords Littlepage, the daughter of Tracy and John Littlepage, the opportunity to attend prestigious choir camps and clinics over the summer and next year. She was one of 100 students selected for the girls choir and one of 96 selected for a mixed gender choir. One of the 306 students who auditioned, Littlepage is one of 12 sopranos in the mixedelitechoir. “It’s a very elite group,” Gorton said. “Her voice is exceptional. Megan has a beautiful voice.” The preparation for the audition began in February when Gorton and Littlepage began considering what piece she
BPHS Junior Megan Littlepage was recently named to the allstate choir. would sing in the audition. Un- The Italian piece took weeks like previous years, where a of preparation. Littlepage restudent and instructors traveled hearsed on it at home and she to audition, the auditions are and Gorton worked on it during recorded to save schools travel weekends. expenses and staff time. Instruc- With the right amount of preptors must avow the auditions aration, Gorton was certain Litare not digitally enhanced. Littlepage “We’re held to a very high code of ethics,” Gorton said. (continued on page 3) Littlepage performed an Italian piece, “Alma Del Core” with only the benefit of a starting pitch. She also performed, “How Lovely Are Thy Dwellings” with an accompanist.