Chris Hahn

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, April 17, 2025.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy

The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round, then Brian subs or cranks, and then he gets back on and drives.

That’s dedication worth ceremony.

“This award exemplifies outstanding achievement and dedication to safety,” said Spring Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Senior Vice Commander Ross Heusinkveld, standing before the post’s members last Tuesday evening, April 8, sharing, “I asked the superintendent at Kingsland to come up with a candidate, and Mr. (Scott) Klavetter wrote a very nice letter about Mr. Brian Miner.”

Retired Fillmore County deputy Miner attended the meeting and heard words written by Klavetter in a letter of support for the VFW to present the Minnesota VFW School Bus Driver Safety Award to him based on his devotion to the work of making the wheels on the bus go ‘round the rural rounds to convey students to school safely in all kinds of weather.

Klavetter elaborated on why he felt that Miner would be a fitting candidate for the award. “It is my honor to recommend Mr. Brian Miner for the Minnesota VFW School Bus Driver Safety Award. Mr. Miner has been a bus driver at Kingsland Public Schools throughout my eight years as a principal and superintendent in the school district. Like so many school districts across the state, recruiting and hiring enough qualified school bus drivers has been challenging at Kingsland. As a full-time sheriff’s deputy for Fillmore County Law Enforcement, Brian regularly drove school bus routes at Kingsland before and after his police shifts to help the school district as much as he could. When he retired from the police force in 2023, Mr. Miner began driving school bus full time. As his successful career in law enforcement might suggest, Mr. Miner does not drive school bus to make a living. He does it to serve his local community and support kids.”

He went on, “Whether it is getting kids to and from school safely or taking them to a basketball game and heading inside to cheer them on, Mr. Miner is always there to support our Kingsland students. He is calm, consistent, and friendly yet firm when working with children. Students respond positively to his approach, which helps limit challenging behaviors on his school bus. This quality contributes just as much to providing a safe ride to and from school as Mr. Miner’s driving record.”

Klavetter then acknowledged that Miner doesn’t simply pocket or hang up the bus keys and go home once students are delivered to the school each morning. “While he has certainly been a great bus driver, Mr. Miner’s contributions to our school community do not end with his time behind the wheel. Since his retirement from the police force, Mr. Miner has become a licensed substitute teacher and regularly fills in wherever needed inside the school. It is quite common to see Mr. Miner drive a bus full of students in to school, park his bus, teach all day, and then hop back on his bus to take students home. When he is not needed in a classroom, he can often be found in the bus garage performing routine maintenance on the vehicles to ensure they are in proper working order to transport students safely.”

The superintendent concluded by citing that “Mr. Miner’s dedication and contributions to the children and community of Kingsland are beyond measure…he provides so much more than a safe ride to school for students.” Klavetter continued, “He is a tireless advocate and champion for all kids, whatever the need might be. He would be an incredibly deserving recipient of the VFW School Bus Driver Safety Award. We are grateful to Mr. Miner for his service to Kingsland and honored to nominate him for this great award.”

Miner then stood to accept the award as Heusinkveld relayed how thankful the VFW’s membership is that he is among the dedicated Kingsland bus drivers who roll out the fleet each school day and that even when he brings the bus to a stop at the curb and then in the bus garage, Miner just might not be done yet – he could very well be called to stand in or gear up, and he certainly does so with community in mind.

Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, April 17, 2025.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy

The Spring Valley Kiwanis Club honored Brayden Betts with a Kiwanis Academic Excellence Award during a recent club meeting. He is the son of Jessy Betts and Heather Kaster.

The Kingsland senior is active in Kingsland’s robotics, HOSA, drama club, game club and Knowledge Bowl. “I’ve mostly just done these extracurriculars, but I did try golf for one year. Robotics is my favorite because I really enjoy all the people in it, and it aligns with what I plan to do in my future. My favorite subject is any sciences, but especially physics, and my least favorite is English.”

He’s rather invested in his school activities, as he noted, “I’m not in many activities outside of school besides extracurriculars. I work at the Pizza Place, and I enjoy all the people and the vibe there, as well as the flexible schedule. I spend most of my spare time playing video games or watching YouTube. I don’t watch many movies, though, so I don’t have a favorite to think of, and I don’t read often, but my favorite book is ‘My Side of the Mountain,’ as I remember reading it often when I was younger and only wanting to read that book.” He added, “I usually listen to J-Pop or Nerd core – I really enjoy music, and I even considered going into it as a career at one point. My biggest pet peeve is people stating obvious things for no reason, and I could live on grilled cheese for the rest of my life, but I think the grossest food is sardines.” If he could travel to any country in the world for free, he’d choose Japan. “I enjoy learning about the culture, and I think the architecture looks really cool. If I could travel to any state, I’d go to California because it’s warm and big, so I think there would be a lot to see.”

The 18-year-old maintains that people ought to have a strong sense of who they are. “I don’t have people I admire in a usual sense. There isn’t really anyone I look up to or want to be like.” He remarked that if he could do one thing to change the world, he’d “end homelessness because it would improve everyone’s life and solve many other problems in volved with that.” After graduation, he’d like to pursue a career as a software engineer. “I find the realm of coding re ally fun, and it aligns with my way of thinking really well. When I was younger, I wanted to be a pediatrician.”

The Kiwanis recognized Brayden and his parents during a recent club meeting. The Spring Valley Kiwanis Club meets at noon on Wednesdays at the Spring Valley Community Center and welcomes any visitors interested in becoming members.

Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325