Knowledge Bowl

Thumbs Up: It’s that time of year when we congratulate local athletes and teams for state tournament trips and successful seasons. But let’s not forget the academic athletes who compete in mental competitions like Knowledge Bowl.

On Friday, three area Knowledge Bowl teams cometed in the regional contest and qualified for the state K-Bowl tournament. The New Ulm High School’s Team Purple and Team White qualified in the AA (large school) division, and Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s Team Cobalt won the Class A division. Only five teams from the region go to state (three in AA, two in A), so that means New Ulm students make up three fifths of the regional competitors.

Congratulations to them all, and good luck in the state tournament, which takes place April 6.

Hope for RENU

Thumbs Up: This week the New Ulm municipal sales tax extension legislation had a good week in the Minnesota Legislature. The bills in the House and Senate both had hearings which were quick and uneventful. Chances are good that the extension will get legislative approval and New Ulm can begin working on the good projects that the tax will finance.

The extension and the RENU plan it will finance got strong approval in last November’s referendum, and that fact helps ease the passage in the Legislature. And the support the project gained is due to the excellent work done by the RENU committee, which sifted through the many project proposals and developed the final plan.

Thanks to the committee, and to those who supported the plan. We hope it will have smooth sailing in this legislative session.