100,000 views for the HJ Blog!

The HJ Blog reached more than 100,000 views last week. It started up Oct. 1, 2007. Subjects over the past year range from everything to tracking criminals, grieving over the loss of a fellow student, to tall ships at Duluth harbor, what the local royalty are up to, roundabouts, and many other subjects.

Here is a sample of interesting blogs month-to-month over the past year:

October 2007 – This month included coverage of Homecomings, the pending statewide smoking ban, and a number of blog posts about the Sam Munoz fatal crash. There is also an entry from Ivan Raconteur about the “Great Pumpkin Caper.”

November 2007 – this month, blog posts carried a great deal of election coverage results (school levy attempts fail), since this was before Herald Journal separated the Blog into two, making a News Log, too.  Other posts:  a first-hand account of the I-35W bridge collapse, and local songbird Lauren Eggert’s scheduled appearance to sing at the Blue Note.

December 2007 – Lexy, the dangerous dog who dwelled in Lester Prairie before her owner moved away dominated this month’s blog, along with the announcement that Lester Prairie Supt. Joe Miller was thinking of retiring (which he did, but was just voted onto the school board this month), and the unexpected death of Bob Winters of Waverly.

January 2008 - the valuation error that took place in Carver County that caused its proposed levy to be incorrect highlighted this month,as well as Winsted Lake’s mysterious submerged island and the death of actor Heath Ledger.

February 2008 – A great shot of the lunar eclipse was posted, courtesy of Paul Beckermann.  The moving in of students and staff at the new HLWW high school was featured, along with a slide show of rooms.  Also, Cherilynn offered a brief feature called “Guess the City,” as well as a blog about the Eden Prairie students who walked out after they were caught with photos on Facebook showing them in near proximity with alcohol.  There was also a photo of 12 cute Tiger Scouts from Lester Prairie who visited the Herald Journal office.

March 2008 – Tiffany Ogle sponsoring a show on KARE-11 was featured, Bob Carlson resigned from the Lester Prairie School Board, and a nice clip of the HLWW pep band playing “Anchors Aweigh,”‘ the school song.  Pack 494 visited the Herald Journal office, along with a South Korean guest.

April 2008 – April Fool’s jokes kicked off April, with a photo of the front page of the “Winstead Journal” years ago, and parking meters on Highway 12 in Howard Lake that take Canadian coins only.

May 2008 – the controversial firing of administrator Nan Crary in McLeod County, and return of troops who drove through Howard Lake by bus highlighted this month.  Also, there were comments about a suspect who was captured in the Winsted cemetery who was involved in Watertown Township shooting.  At the end of the month, just before graduation, a tragic car accident took the life of Madey Kleve and changed the lives of Mitch Bayerl, Kacie Carlsted, and Brie Barfknecht.

June 2008 – Wright Co. Commissioner Dick Mattson orders a traffic study done on the intersection that killed Madey Kleve, and Herald Journal begins to search for a columnist in New Germany who can fill the shoes of Dawn Hengtes (who temporarily filled the shoes of Glenna Lehrke).  The search continues now.

July 2008 – A benefit was set for the crash victims involved in the fatal Madey Kleve accident.

August 2008 – the DNR partnered with Wright County to attempt to eradicate Wild Parsnip, which is running rampant in the county.  It is a weed that has juice that causes leisions.  Tall ships are the largest attraction ever in Duluth.  The Blog featured a sketch of an original antique iron ornament from a Winsted garage.

September 2008 – A Winsted native is part owner of the chic shop Lillians in Nisswa, a video of “How to drive a roundabout” is posted, and a benefit is set for Natalie Roufs, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Also, St.John’s Church is looking for interdenomination help with a sandwich ministry.

October 2008 – the DNR unveiled a new web site to track fall colors, and the Wright County board decided to close one of two county parks off to horses. The blog also contains school fall plays.  There was also a post about the ghost of Betsy who haunts a bar in the Minneapolis warehouse district.

November 2008 – election related items dominate the blog, along with playing cards of cold case victims from the BCA, and the blog “Roundabouts — good at catching criminals? about two felons from Montana who got into a minor traffic accident in the roundabout in Hutch and were caught. There was also a post about gas prices hovering at $1.92 per gallon.