Hwy 14 bill

THUMBS UP: The Highway 14 bill introduced in the Minnesota House this week had its first hearing in the House Transportation Committee on Thursday and sailed through, with a unanimous vote, on to the House Ways and Means and the Capital Investment committees. Legislators who have been hearing about the need for the Highway 14 Project for the last couple of decades are ready to get it done quickly this session. Congratulations to all who have been lobbying so intensely for the past several years. Your work is paying off.

All the plans and designs have been in place for a while; all that is needed is the money. This bill will allow the state to apply for a federal loan that has been guaranteed. The state government is committed to making it work this year, so we can look forward to getting a safer four-lane highway connection to New Ulm in a couple of years.

Ridler award

THUMBS UP: Congratulations to Brad, Brady and Cory Ranweiler, owners of Show Cars Automotive, Inc. of New Ulm. Last weekend they won the Super Bowl of the automakers’ world at the Detroit Autorama. The Ranweilers – father Brad and sons Brady and Cory — took the show’s top award, the Don Ridler Memorial Award for the best show car at the show. Their lovingly modified 1963 two-door station wagon with its gleaming black finish was the best in the show.

It is an outstanding achievement for the New Ulm family.

NUMC award

THUMBS UP: It almost seems like a sign of returning spring when the New Ulm Medical Center announces its latest national honor. The hospital and clinic have had many such announcements over the past several years. This week NUMC announced it has been named one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the United States by the Chartis Center for Rural Health. This is the ninth time in 10 years that NUMC has received this honor.

This record speaks to NUMC’s continuing commitment to providing top quality health care for the community it serves.

Congratulations to all the staff and health care provides at NUMC, and thank you for taking such good care of us.