Editor’s note: The weekly “Prior Lake in the Past” column contains summary excerpts of news items published in the Prior Lake American during decades from the past. We hope our readers enjoy remembering those people and events mentioned in the articles, and this feature provides historical perspective about how much the community has changed over the decades.
Prior Lake American
Published 60 years ago
June 7, 1966
New church hosts confirmation service: Five young men were confirmed by Rev. Robert Bedford in the new Holy Trinity Methodist Church on Sunday, May 29. Confirmants included: Pat Trichie, Craig Hotzler, Steven Cornwell, Richard Claire and Roy Callaway.
Parents of five killed in crash: Five area children became orphans when their parents were killed in a head-on crash in Wadena. Killed were Norman Wegscheid and his wife, Dorothy, along with his brother, John, age 20. The children — ages 9, 8, 4, 22 months and two months, were moved to their grandmother’s home until permanent arrangements were made.
Published 38 years ago
June 6, 1988
Long-time guidance counselor honored: Stewart Walker, Prior Lake High School guidance counselor, was named “Teacher of the Year” by the Prior Lake Education Association. He started in that role in 1967, counseling students in grades seven through 12.
New board member sought: Credit River resident Jack Casey announced he would not be seeking a second term on the Scott County Board of Commissioners. During his tenure on the board, major accomplishments included purchase of the Lynnville Minimum Security Jail Annex near Jordan and passing an admission tax on tickets sold to patrons of Canterbury Downs, the Renaissance Festival and Valleyfair.
Tops in Class of 1988: Amy Hallberg was the valedictorian of Prior Lake High School’s Class of 1988, while James Kempf was named salutatorian. Commencement services were held on June 6. The class song chosen by seniors was “These Are the Times To Remember” by Billy Joel.
Published 20 years ago
June 3, 2006
World record setters: Two area pilots – Loren Jones from Prior Lake and Gary Schettl, Jordan — set a world record after clocking a six-hour, six-minute flight from Minneapolis to Martha’s Vineyard, culminating five years of painstaking construction and planning. The duo flew 1,250 miles in Schettl’s home-built kit plane named “Fortitude Vincimus,” (“By Endurance We Conquer”). Approximately 56 gallons of fuel were used in the trip to Massachusetts.
Test driving grandma’s car: A nine-year-old Prior Lake girl hopped behind the wheel of her grandmother’s car on May 27, but she made it only as far as a neighbor’s yard before coming to an unanticipated stop. No one was injured in the incident and minimal damage was done to the neighbor’s property and grass located on Timber Trail. The child reportedly told police she wanted to “go for a test drive and to go shopping.”
Car crashed on last day of school year: Six Prior Lake teenagers sustained injuries in a single-vehicle accident that occurred on the last day of school. The 16-year-old driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle while driving on County Road 81 at 154th Street. The vehicle slid sideways, rolled, then went airborne and hit a tree before coming to rest on its roof in the woods. All passengers were transported to Hennepin County Medical Center with injuries but were later released. There were no signs of alcohol use or impairment, according to the police report.
