LESTER PRAIRIE, MN – Lester Prairie City Council, following a performance evaluation of Community Development Coordinator Adam Birkholz during a closed session, re-opened the meeting to the public and voted to re-classify the community development coordinator position to a city administrator position. The city will work with a consultant to develop a job description and wage scale for the city administrator position.
Read more in the Friday, Sept. 14 issue of Herald Journal.
LESTER PRAIRIE, MN – The City of Lester Prairie hired Angel Achen to fill its vacant assistant city clerk position July 23. She resigned Aug. 23. During Tuesday’s city council meeting, the council approved the hiring of Justine Damlow, one of the other two finalists from the recent search, to fill the position at a wage of $16.43 per hour. She will be eligible for a pay increase in six months.
For more from Tuesday’s council meeting, see the Sept. 14 issue of Herald Journal.
LESTER PRAIRIE, MN – Geraldine “Geri” Finstrom, 80, of Lester Prairie, died Monday, Sept 3, 2018. Memorial service will take place Saturday, Sept. 15, at 11 a.m. at Prairie Community Church, 700 1st Avenue, in Lester Prairie. Visitation will take place at the church one hour prior to the service.
LESTER PRAIRIE, MN – Barbara “Barb” Dammann, 73, of Lester Prairie, passed away Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, at St. Mary’s Care Center in Winsted. Funeral service will take place Thursday, Sept. 13 at 5 p.m. at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Lester Prairie, with interment at the church cemetery. Visitation will take place at the church Thursday, Sept. 13 from 3 to 5 p.m. Arrangements are with the Paul-McBride Funeral Chapel of Lester Prairie.
LESTER PRAIRIE, MN – Lester Prairie City Council will discuss the city’s preliminary budget and levy for 2019 during its Tuesday, Sept. 11 meeting, which will start at 7 p.m. at city hall.
Other items on the agenda include the Weise property and employee resignations/hiring.
LESTER PRAIRIE – ReMax Commercial Broker Douglas Harris confirmed today that the former Prairie Market grocery store building at 26 Juniper Street has been sold. Closing on the property took place Aug. 31.
Former owners Mark and Linda Detlefsen purchased the grocery store in 2008 from Dan and Shari Wagner, who had purchased the business in 2006. The Detlefsens operated the grocery store until early this year, closing it permanently Jan. 26.
Harris indicated the new owners, an investment group, allegedly intend to open a bakery in the building.
Lester Prairie’s Economic/Community Developement Coordinator Adam Birkholz knows rumors have been circulating about the building‘s fate. As of today, Birkholz said, no one has approached him regarding potential city Economic Development Authority (EDA) opportunities at the former grocery store building. No one has inquired about planning and zoning issues related to the property, either.
Watch this blog and Herald Journal for updates.
