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Bavarian Blast is back

Bavarian Blast is back in New Ulm. The entertainment began Thursday night and will continue through Sunday, which will include the Bavarian Blast Parade. This is the 20th year Bavarian Blast has been held in New Ulm. The festival has come a long way since it first began. Bavarian Blast began with an emphasis on traditional German bands, but has brought in the contemporary with evenings dedicated to country music and another dedicated to rock ‘n roll covers. The festival remains an impressive undertaking put on by a handful of dedicated volunteers 

Poor air quality plagues the country

Around 100 million people in North America are under an air quality alert due to the Canadian wildfires. Smoke is pouring into major cities creating orange smog disrupting visibility. The smoke has not quite reached southern Minnesota yet, but it’s only a matter of time. The Great Lakes area has been hit hard by the smoke. Upper Michigan has reported some of the worst air quality conditions, but Duluth is not much better. Air quality is likely to remain poor through Saturday. There is some hope that rain could clear up the problem next week, but with the rising frequency of wildfires, poor air quality might be a seasonal reality.

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More housing and housing options

On Tuesday, the New Ulm Economic Development Authority toured the first building in the Highland Apartment project that began construction 11 months ago. The first building is nearly complete with tenants preparing to move in by Aug. 1. Three other buildings in connection with this project are under construction as well. In total, this will add 146 residential units to New Ulm. That’s a big deal for a community with a housing shortage. On the smaller side of things, the Tiny Homes project at 13th S. and Minnesota Street is also underway. Two tiny homes are on schedule to be completed by this fall. While not the biggest increase to housing, the Tiny Homes represent a new type of housing option for the city.