More Scenic Byway Photos
Belle Plaine Man Indicted in Baby’s Death
Football Tigers Upset Marshall, Host Playoff Opener Tonight
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ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOURTH YEAR
BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA, OCTOBER 14, 2015
75¢ SINGLE COPY
NUMBER 42
Peter Eischens Defends Scenic Residents Shocked by B.P. Man’s Arrest in Cold Case Murder Byway Half-Marathon Title; Neighbors in the area were tight-lipped about Wightman, Top Female Finishes With Dad Wightman many indicating they didn’t by Dan Ruud Unlike the previous two Belle Plaine Scenic Byway Half-Marathon races, there was no marriage proposal at the finish line of Saturday’s fifth annual event, which was run in splendid fall colors and temperatures. And plenty of sunshine. In fact, if not for a train, this year’s half-marathon would have been without a hitch or any sort. Some runners in the latter part of the pack had to stop and wait for a train in the village of Blakeley to go by (see photo on page 2). Many of the racers had already crossed the track before the train arrived. For a second year in a row, Belle Plaine native Peter Eischens won the race with a time of 1:29:11, which was a little over a minute behind his time last year. Eischens, a 2007 graduate of Belle Plaine High School and son of Steve and Janel Eischens of Belle Plaine, didn’t have a lot to say, even after he caught his breath. He did say “it was a pretty course.” Eischens is currently working on his master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling at St. Cloud State University. Gerald Mead of Minneapolis was second overall, almost six minutes behind Eischens. The first female to complete the half-marathon was Alyssa Gammelgaard of Chaska. Her time of 1:35:57 was third best overall, just one minute behind Mead. Gammelgaard, 25, did not cross the finish line alone. Running at her side throughout the race was her 55-year-old father, Will Gammelgaard, formerly of Belle Plaine and a 1978 graduate of BPHS. Alyssa Gammelgaard, who works as a film producer at River Valley Church in Apple Valley, said she had run the race
Scheduled for Hearing on Extradition to Arizona
Alyssa Gammelgaard and her father, Will Gammelgaard, crossed the finish line together at Saturday’s half-marathon. Alyssa was the overall female winner, while Will, a 1978 graduate of BPHS, was third overall among the males. the four previous years with her father but was not able to keep up with him. This year she did. “I feel really blessed that God gave me the strength today,” said an elated Gammelgaard. The first Belle Plaine runner to finish among the 129 halfmarathoners (there were 22 in the relay) was Brad Peterson with a sixth-best overall time of 1:38:20. Other top 15 finishers from Belle Plaine were Brian Jamison (seventh), Steve Schroeder (12th) and Lisa Jamison (15th). The brother/sister team of Joe Murphy and Megan Gerres of Belle Plaine took first in the two-person half-marathon relay. They combined for a time of 1:40:53, which was more than five minutes ahead of the second-place team called the
Beer Runners. Murphy ran 8.0 miles of the relay and Gerres 5.1. It was a good day for the family, as Gerres’ 11-year-old son placed third overall in the Scenic Byway 5K race that took place in town shortly after the start of the half-marathon. Meanwhile, Emmett’s dad, Jim Gerres, won his age group despite finishing about 30 seconds behind his son. Jim was fourth overall.
Residents of a quiet Belle Plaine neighborhood were surprised this past week when news broke of an alleged fugitive living in their midst. Steven Scott Wightman was arrested without resistance at his house at 977 Farmer Ridge Trail in southeastern Belle Plaine Wednesday morning Sept. 30. Sheriff’s deputies and Belle Plaine police went to Wightman’s house to arrest him in connection with a murder in Mesa, Ariz. nearly a decade ago. The 46-year-old man’s arrest caught residents by surprise. During the search of Wightman’s residence in Belle Plaine, police and Scott County sheriff’s deputies located 90 grams of marijuana, said Sheriff Kevin Studnicka. They also seized two shotguns, five assault rifles, and four handguns. The search also uncovered information that will assist with the case the Mesa investigators are currently working. Wightman is being held in the Scott County Jail without bail. Residents took to social media after news of the arrest and search broke.
know him well and that he kept to himself. He and his wife, Christine, bought the house in July for $192,000. “A little too close for comfort. His house was on the main street as you go into our neighborhood. Goes to show you can never really know who your neighbors are,” Lisa Olson posted on her Facebook page. “OMG, are you serious,” Stephanie Paulson wrote. “That’s my street.” Belle Plaine police had no official interaction with Wightman.
Murder
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Steven Scott Wightman
Bridge Groundbreaking Oct. 10 A groundbreaking ceremony for the Enterprise Drive extension and overpass project in Belle Plaine will take place 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19. It will be held at 702 South Meridian Street, which is the former Eric and Lisa May property that the city acquired last year as part of the right-of-way for the project. Representatives from city of Belle Plaine, Scott County and Minnesota Department of Transportation will be on hand, along with anyone from the public who would like to join in.
Refreshments, courtesy of Coborn’s Grocery Store and Emma Krumbee’s Restaurant, will be served. The city council recently awarded the bid for the construction of the project to S.M. Hentges and Sons of Jordan at the low bid of $3,179,966.84, which was over $1.2 million below the city engineer’s construction estimate of $4,387,703. The new bridge and Enterprise Drive area will also be the site of a new Ridgeview Medical Center Clinic, which is proposed to be constructed in 2016.
5K Winners
Kevin Weiser of Minneapolis said “I wasn’t going to be denied this year” after he won his second Scenic Byway 5K in two years with a time of 18:59,
Scenic Byway
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Firefighters Are Your Friends Belle Plaine firefighters visited students at Chatfield Elementary School (above) and Oak Crest last week during Fire Prevention Week. During the visits, students learned about the tools firefighters use to help people. They also learned about the equipment firefighters wear to protect themselves.
School Board Wants More Info on Busing, Weight Room Proposals The Belle Plaine School Board was intrigued enough by the potential of two initiatives discussed during Monday’s workshop meeting that board members want more information for additional discussion of plans to improve attendance of younger students who walk to school during the cold winter months and upgrading the high Participants of the Scenic Byway Half-Marathon cross the Minnesota River twice, first in Belle Plaine (above) and again in Blakeley.
school’s weight room at an affordable price. Superintendent Ryan Laager proposed daily busing of an estimated 71 kindergartners, first- and second-graders that live east of Meridian Street and north of State Street and within one mile of Chatfield Elementary School. He believes their attendance might be better if they didn’t have to walk to school on cold winter school days. State law requires the district to provide transportation for
kindergarten, first- and secondgraders that live beyond a mile of school. “The attendance of those kids has to go down when it’s that cold,” said Director Matt Lenz. The proposal would cost an estimated $267 a day for winter days. The route would be additional to the service Stier Transportation provides the district
School Board
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