2025 Year in Review October – December

October Top stories…

PCMC plans $14 million surgery renovation
A renovation is planned for Pipestone County Medical Center’s (PCMC) surgery area that will add a third operating room and make other improvements for an estimated $14,360,000.
PCMC has been considering the addition of a third operating room for several years. PCMC Governing Board Chair Chris Hollingsworth said during a Sept. 30 special meeting to discuss the renovation project that one of the primary reasons is to be able to provide emergency cesarean sections. PCMC CEO Brad Burris said the third operating room will enable PCMC to provide those services and still have flexibility in general surgery.

Work begins on veterans memorial
After years of effort, a veterans memorial began to take shape in Pipestone. Ground was broken at Leon H. Moore Park on Monday, Oct. 6 and workers with Tim Rustad Construction started pouring concrete on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
The concrete work included the eye-shaped memorial area and a sidewalk leading from the street to the memorial. Veterans Memorial Committee Chair Cristy Appel said the committee reached its first goal of raising over $175,000 and part of that goal included laying concrete and ordering the black granite tablets and stones. She said the tablets and stones have been ordered and were expected to be ready by November or December.

Carnegie Library repairs estimated to cost over $800,000
The estimated cost to repair the historic Carnegie Library building in Pipestone is $838,589.50, according to a memorandum from architectural firm LHB.
Of that, $518,092.50 is for work considered high priority. That includes an estimated $250,250 to reset the masonry walls on the east side of the building, $112,500 to replace the roof and $20,000 repair interior finishes. Secondary priority work is estimated to cost $320,497. That includes $90,000 to repair the north wall, $56,000 to replace windows, $40,000 to reconstruct the north sidewall at the front stairs, $17,500 for repointing, $12,000 for repair of original transom windows, $12,000 for the front stairs and $3,600 for repointing of the south sidewall at the front stairs. Other costs related to mobilization, contingencies and general conditions are also included in the total cost.

765 kV transmission line project planned
A 765 kilovolt (kV) transmission line project is planned that would run from northeast South Dakota, across southern Minnesota to the metro area. It could potentially run through Pipestone County on its way from the Brookings substation to the Lakefield junction substation.
“PowerOn Midwest is a series of new electric transmission projects enhanced by a 765-kilovolt transmission backbone that is being developed by Great River Energy, ITC Midwest, Otter Tail Power Company and Xcel Energy,” said Anna Thill, community relations manager for Xcel, during the Oct. 14 Pipestone County Commissioner meeting. “Overall, the project will connect eastern South Dakota, southern Minnesota and the broader region, enhancing grid reliability in the upper Midwest to meet the growing and evolving energy needs.”

City administrator terminated
The Pipestone City Council during its Oct. 20 meeting voted to terminate City Administrator Deb Nelson, effective immediately.
Prior to the Council’s decision, it approved a summary of Nelson’s performance evaluation, which took place during a closed session, as allowed by state statute, during the Council’s Oct. 6 meeting. According to the summary, which was read by Mayor Dan Delaney, the Council unanimously agreed that Nelson’s performance was unsatisfactory. The summary cited the reasons for the unsatisfactory review as poor personnel management skills, poor professional conduct and lack of integrity, poor communication with staff, incompetency, and poor handling of financial matters.

Pipestone property damaged by fire
A fire at the Matthias and Larissa Pemberton property in Pipestone damaged a shop and other property, but injured no one on Tuesday evening, Oct. 21.
Larissa Pemberton said the day after the fire, that they saw a haze out the window and went outside to find smoke coming from their shop, which is around 35 feet from closest part of their house.
“We had been in there probably 30 to 45 minutes prior to that,” she said. “My husband and my boys were out there hanging out, moving some Legos up into the lofted area, so the boys could do their Legos and kind of have their little hangout space up there.”
After they discovered the smoke, she went inside to get her phone to call 911, and when she got back outside there were flames coming out of the building. According to the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office, the call came in at 6:07 p.m. Larissa said firefighters arrived within four or five minutes, but by that time the whole building was on fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November Top stories…

City Council supports work on Carnegie Library
The Pipestone City Council during its Nov. 3 meeting, voted 3-2 to request an extension for the $122,162 grant the city was awarded by the Minnesota Historical Society to repair the east wall of the Carnegie Library building. Four days later, on Friday, Nov. 7, the City Council voted unanimously during a special meeting to replace the roof of the building and take temporary measures to prevent further deterioration to the east wall using available funds.

PAS launches esports team
Pipestone Area Schools (PAS) started an esports team for which the preseason began Nov. 10.
“Esports is competitive video gaming,” said Head Coach Neil Ramsbey. “It’s also a good way to get students who aren’t in conventional sports involved with the school.”
The PAS team included 18 students, all boys, in ninth through 12th grade. The students play Minecraft Bedwars Java Edition on PCs, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros Ultimate on Nintendo Switch 2s, chess, Fortnite Build and Valorant.
Teams from over 100 Minnesota schools compete online through the Minnesota Varsity League. The regular season began Dec. 1 and lasts until Feb. 13. There’s then a state tournament from March 13 to 15 at St. Cloud State University.

Hwy. 75 project delayed until 2029
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) decided to delay a concrete overlay project on U.S. Highway 75 from Pipestone County Road 57 south of Pipestone to County State Aid Highway 9 west of Edgerton. The project had been planned for 2026, but is now planned for 2029.
According to information from MnDOT, the project will be done at the same time as another project planned for Hwy. 75 from County Road 57 to Highway. 30 in Pipestone, which will also be overlaid with concrete. That project includes a pedestrian trail alongside the highway and could include adjusting the alignment of the intersection of Hwy. 75 and Hwy. 30.

City Council supports development denied by county
Pipestone City Council members during their Nov. 17 meeting voted to support a project proposed by the Pipestone Development Company (PDC) to develop six lots for residential homes on land it owns on the east side of Eighth Avenue Northwest. The houses would have driveways entering onto Eighth Avenue Northwest, which Pipestone County opposed in June.

Jasper Parade of Lights planned
A first annual Jasper Parade of Lights was planned for Friday, Dec. 19 at 6:30 p.m. The Jasper City Council during its Nov. 18 meeting approved a request from Angelica Rieck to block off streets to hold the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December Top stories…

Body cameras coming to Sheriff’s Office
The Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office expects to have body cameras for its officers early next year. The cameras are part of a purchase approved by the Pipestone County Commissioners that also includes a new records management system, computer aided dispatching and mobile system, new cameras for squad vehicles, new cameras for interview rooms at the Sheriff’s Office and cameras for jailers. The equipment will come from Motorola and cost $264,935 the first year and a total of $1,014,116 over the course of a 10-year contract. Of that, $820,000 is for the records management and computer aided dispatch equipment, and $194,116 is for the squad and body cameras.

LaBrune hired as city administrator
Stephanie LaBrune became the new Pipestone city administrator. City Council members approved hiring LaBrune for the position during their Dec. 1 meeting.
The Pipestone native started working in local government in 2008 as an administrative assistant for the Pipestone County Soil and Water Conservation District. She worked there for about 12 years before becoming the city administrator/clerk in Tyler for about four years. She started working for the city of Pipestone in 2023 as the city clerk and became the assistant city administrator/clerk in 2024. The City Council appointed her temporary city administrator in October when former city administrator Deb Nelson was terminated.
City allocated $1 million for replacement of lead pipes
The Minnesota Public Facilities Authority (PFA) plans to provide the city of Pipestone with $1 million from its Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to replace water service lines that contain lead. City Engineer Travis Winter said during the Dec. 10 Utility Committee meeting that the city was included in the PFA’s intended use plan. He said the funding will cover all construction and engineering costs.

Council chooses not to increase utility rates
The Pipestone City Council during its Dec. 15 meeting voted to leave some utility fees unchanged for 2026.
Increases to the utility fees were included in a proposed ordinance establishing fees and charges for city services. The ordinance was introduced during the Dec. 1 City Council meeting and when it was brought up for consideration on Dec. 15, Mayor Dan Delaney said he didn’t support the proposed increases due to the current economic conditions.
He suggested approving the fee ordinance without the proposed increases to the water base fee, water usage fee, sewer base fee, sewer usage fee, storm sewer residential equivalency factor and commercial garbage fee. The Council supported his suggestion and the fee schedule was approved accordingly.

Middle school mentoring program planned
A new mentoring program for middle school students at Pipestone Area Schools is expected to begin early in the new year. Middle and High School Principal Sonja Ortman said during the Dec. 15 School Board meeting that the program will involve pairing trusted adult mentors with at risk students.
“The commitment is intentionally designed to be manageable while still meaningful,” Ortman wrote in a letter she sent out to parents. “By spending just 30 minutes a week (starting in late January), mentors help students build confidence, develop social skills, and feel supported by the adults around them. Often, students benefit most from having someone who listens, encourages, and shows up consistently.”

MTCO given extension for redevelopment project
The Pipestone City Council during its Dec. 15 meeting gave MTCO Real Estate, LLP another year to utilize tax increment financing (TIF) district funds to redevelop the property at 214 East Main Street.
MTCO bought the property from the Pipestone Economic Development Authority (EDA) for $1 at the end of 2023 and planned to redevelop it. The EDA, at that time, authorized the reimbursement of costs to redevelop the property up to $75,580 using TIF district funds.
According to the purchase and redevelopment agreement between the EDA and MTCO, MTCO would begin the redevelopment project around June 1, 2024 and complete it by Dec. 31, 2025. The amended spending plan, and purchase and redevelopment contract approved by the EDA and City Council extend the deadline by which the TIF funds must be spent and minimum improvements must be completed to Dec. 31, 2026.