News from the week of August 9, 2000 Headlight Herald - Serving Tracy, Minnesota, since 1880

Country stars coming to fair

Nashville recording artists the Wilkinsons headline this year's Lyon County Fair to be held in Marshall August 10-13. Two nights of PRCA Rodeo action, a perfromance by the Johnny Holm Band, and the annual Demolition Derby round out the main entertainment at the 97 th annaul coutny get-together.

Lyon County Fair Board member Gary Johns comments on the caliber of entertainment at this year's fair. “There are so many big names at the fair this year. The Wilkinsons, who will perform Sunday night, are a nationally known country music group, the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) is sanctioning two nights of professional rodeo action, and Johnny Holm is back for another year.”

Johns is particularily excited about the Sunday night entertainment at the fair this year. “The Wilinsons recetnly returned from the Canadian Coutnry Music Awards where they cleaned house.” The act consists of a teenage brother-sister duo accompanied by their father. Recent hit songs include “26 cents,” “Jimmy's Got a Girlfreind,” and “Shame on Me.”

The show begins at 6:30 p.m. Opening for the Wilkinsons are local acts Lonny Carpenter of Lake Benton and Kimber Lee of Pipestone.

Lightning zaps rural Milroy barn

A rural Milroy barn was completely destroyed by fire early Saturday morning at the Vincent Lanoue farm taking with it 1600 square bales of straw and causing an estimated $50,000 worth of damage.

The fire was apparently caused by a bolt of lightning which struck around 1:45 a.m. Lanoue says, “I was asleep, but my wife was awake. She heard a loud crash and saw the reflection of fire.” The call went out from the Lanoue home shortly after and was met with response from three fire departments.

“Tracy, Walnut Grove and Marshall fire departments came right out. They saw that the barn was a goner, though, and started to protect my other buildings.” says Lanoue. The last firefighter left around 7 a.m. The fire burned the barn to the ground and damaged a nearby silo, its contents, and a feed unloader.

Shetek Camp plans rec center, expanded retreat center rooms

Shetek Lutheran Ministries has set sail on a $550,000 capital improvements fund-raising campaign.

Improvements planned for the Lake Shetek Bible Camp and retreat center include:

* Expansion of the Lakota Retreat Center ($185,000).

* A new 6,840 square-foot recreation building ($185,000).

* Upgrading the camp's septic system. ($7,000).

* Chapel renovations ($35,000).

* Build new waterfront equipment storage facility ($10,500).

* New bell tower ($4,500).

An additional $60,000 is sought to cover the costs of the fundraising campaign.

News of fire strikes owner like thunderbolt

Jeff Salmon had no trouble knowing what time lightning struck his Ford-Chrysler dealership on Monday night. “The clocks stopped at exactly 8:54 p.m,” says Salmon. “That must have been the moment the bolt struck and stopped the clock dead in its tracks.”

At the time the lightning struck, Lyon County was in a severe thunderstorm warning. Wind, heavy rain and constant thunder and lightning were rolling across the area.

Just before 9:00 p.m., an employee at the Subway restaurant just across Highway 14 from the car dealership, heard a crash and says sparks and flames on the southeast side of Salmon's. She immediately called the 911 emergency line to report the fire, and then telephoned Salmon.

New charter school teachers are hired

Two teachers recently hired by the Yankton Country School (YCS), a new public charter school in Balaton slated to open Sept. 5, have Tracy connections.

Both Jina Baartman and Mary Daniels, graduates of Southwest State University in Marshall, are former Tracy teachers.

Balaton's School Board voted in February to tuition its 9-12 students to the Tracy and Marshall school districts. Shortly after, a group of Balaton area people began pursuing the option of opening a charter school in Balaton. The Department of Children, Famkilies and Learning approved the charter school in late June.

W-w-w-w-w-w-what happened at Twin Circle?
A phonemic seminar

Twenty-two area teachers took part in a Phonemic Awareness summer workshop July 31-August 3 at the Twin Circle community room in Tracy. The workshop was presented by Lisa Schaar, St. Mary's Catholic School principal.

“Phonemic Awareness is a hot topic in education today,” Schaar explains. “Teachers are searching for ways to help students who struggle with reading and spelling. This workshop will help teachers in their classrooms.” The workshop utilized the Lindamood Phonemic Sequencing (LiPS) program.