The 2022 Midterm Elections took place nearly one month ago, and KYMN Election Guide Editor Logan Wells has used that time to study the 
election numbers and learn just how some of the winners earned their victories. The results of that study have now been published on the KYMN Election Guide.
Wells looked at three of the races: Minnesota House District 58A, Minnesota Senate District 58, and Rice County Attorney, plus he has taken a trending look at the way residents of Lonsdale, Faribault and Northfield vote.
His study shows that Democratic candidates were far more popular in Northfield than in any other part of the respective districts, although Dundas did lean blue in this election, while voters in Faribault, Lonsdale and the surrounding Townships were very much Republican leaning.
In Senate District 58, Republican Bill Lieske took 56% of the total vote. DFL candidate Clarice Grabau took 75% of the vote in Northfield and 55% of the vote in Dundas, but those numbers were not enough to overcome Lieske’s wide margins of victory in Lonsdale, New Prague, and especially the Township voters, who favored Lieske by a 2-1 margin. The surprise came from Farmington, where Lieske served on the school board for two terms. Grabau’s 44% share of the vote there was much higher than had been expected.
Kristi Pursell’s win over Republican candidate Gary Bruggenthies was an expected one, powered by the overwhelming support she received in Northfield and Dundas, who together make up the largest population center in the district. Some 76% of voters in Northfield voted for Pursell, and she took 55% of the vote in Dundas. Again, the Township vote vastly favored Bruggenthies at 66%. Lonsdale voted even more favorably for Bruggentheis with 72%, and the Northern section of New Prague, which sits in the district, favored Bruggentheis at 61%.
The closest vote in the area was the Rice County Attorney race, where Brian Mortenson defeated incumbent John Fossum by 118 votes out of almost 25,000 votes cast. While Fossum did garner 71% of the votes in Northfield and 58% in Dundas, Mortenson carried the rest of the county by a two-thirds margin.
For all the information on last month’s election, as well as a look at how the major municipalities in Rice County have voted over the years, visit the 2022 Election guide at kymnradio.net.
City hoping to help those with leaky water bills
Last week during the city council work session, Northfield Director of Public Works Justin Wagner brought the council’s attention to an 
uncommon problem, but one that can have substantial effects on homeowners.
Water leaks are a relatively common thing. Toilets can require easy maintenance to be fixed, and every water softener will eventually develop a leak after years of use. Usually, those issues are quickly dealt with, and there isn’t much impact on a homeowner’s water bill. However, if those leaks go unnoticed, then they can have enormous financial implications.
Wagner explained a situation one Northfield homeowner is currently having to deal with to the council. A leak developed in their home at some point, and over the course of two months, it drove the cost of their regular bill from $100 to $1800. This is an extreme case, he said, but it is something the city sees about twenty-five times a year, and he asked the council for some clarification in city ordinance language to help customers in this kind of situation.
The council was supportive of the idea of some type of credit. Councilor Brad Ness pointed out that even if all 25 annual problems were as extreme as the one they discussed, forgiving the extra cost on a bill would cost the city about $50,000, which would not have a major impact on the city finances.
City Administrator Ben Martig said the water that is being leaked does not put extra strain on the sewer system.
“It’s mainly clean water going down the drain. Our current ordinance doesn’t allow for the kind of credit city staff are asking for. This is probably an unusually high [occurrence], according to Justin Wagner, our utilities director, but you know, it seems to make sense. The Council was supportive to look at it, so we’ll bring back an ordinance draft to look at it.”
The council will consider an ordinance amendment at their first meeting of 2023.
Laura Baker gala has options for those without a ticket
Laura Baker Services Association will present their 27th annual gala on Saturday night. The organization’s largest fundraiser of the year 
will feature a silent auction and a live auction, as well as presentations from LBSA staff and clients. Carleton College President Alison Byerly will speak, and the event will be emceed by Northfield favorite and KYMN Radio alum Will Healy.
LBSA Director of Community Relations Andrei Sivanich said the tickets for the gala are sold out, but there are still ways for people to participate. The gala will be shown on the LBSA website for the third year in a row. Those watching the “Virtual Gala” will be able to bid on the items in the silent auction and participate in the annual Fund-A-Cause drive.
Members of the public are also invited to the post-gala after party at the Northfield Golf Club, which will offer a wide range of appetizers, a cash bar and live music provided by Russ Franek and the Biscuits. Entry to the party requires a $20 donation. The after party is free to all gal attendees.
As 2022 is the Laura Baker Association’s 125th anniversary, Sivanich said that a special announcement will be made during the gala but would not divulge what it is.
“I can’t reveal too much here, but we have a special announcement this year that we’re going to make at the gala. So, stay tuned for that. I’m sworn to secrecy right now, but it’s exciting. This will be a big year for us. It’s the 125th anniversary. It’s an extra special gala.”
Bidding for the silent auction will begin online tomorrow. A no-charge ticket is required to watch the virtual gala. Registration can be found on the Laura Baker Services Association website, as can all the other pertinent information about the gala and the after party at laurabaker.org.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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