Spring Valley EDA News

Need help around the home? Kiwanis can help!

April 25, 2025 by Chris Hahn

The Kiwanis Club of Spring Valley is volunteering to help you with those small projects around your home that you may be unable to do. These projects typically consist of minor lawn cleanup, window cleaning and leaf raking.

For more information…please contact Jay @ Edina Realty: 507-346-1751.

The Kiwanis Club of Spring Valley has been happy to assist the City of Spring Valley residents with these projects for over 25 years. The club volunteers their service for these projects in the Spring and Fall of the year.

For more information about the Kiwanis Club of Spring Valley, please attend our weekly meeting on Wednesdays at noon in the Spring Valley Community Center.

Spring Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars honor Kingsland bus driver Brian Miner

April 24, 2025 by 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

Kiwanis Honor Brayden Betts

April 21, 2025 by Chris Hahn

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

Key to Giving 5K race set for April 27th

April 2, 2025 by Chris Hahn

Key to Giving race set for April 27

The Kingsland Key Club is holding a new race this year called Key to Giving 5k on Sunday, April 27. The race will start at 1 p.m. at Kingsland High School located at 705 N. Section Ave. in Spring valley, MN. Runners and walkers are encouraged to take part in the event, which will raise funds for Doctors Without Borders. People may also donate to the cause without taking part.

Registration is available online at https://runsignup.com/Race/MN/SpringValley/KeyToGiving5k

The registration page also has choices at the top to sign up for the race or donate to the race. People registering by April 18 will receive a T-shirt.

The Key Club is a service organization sponsored by the Spring Valley Kiwanis Club. Students in the club set up charitable projects each year. This is the first time they have organized a running event.

REGISTER HERE

Bluff Brothers Brewery pours out first year of business

March 3, 2025 by Chris Hahn

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, November 20, 2025. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy

While his brother, Mitchell, wanted to game, Marcus Plaehn always wanted to be a cruncher.

This approachable beer’s calling Marcus’s workweek bluff.

“Our goal has been to make approachable beers that people can come in and try. Don’t be scared to come in and try our beers – the theory people might have is that they have to drink heavy beers, but we want our beer to be approachable,” said Bluff Brothers Brewery co-proprietor Mitchell Plaehn, as his brother Marcus concurred, “We wanted to create a nice, warm environment with good vibes so that people can enjoy that beer.”

This plan’s quite the shift from what Marcus, who graduated from Kingsland in 2015, wanted to do post-education. In fact, he was determined to be a cruncher, just like their father, Doug. “My plan was pretty much always to go into school for accounting and follow my dad’s footsteps,” he admitted, while 2010 graduate Mitchell cited that he had experienced his own shifts in addition to the newer dream of becoming a brewer and owner of a taproom. “In high school, I wanted to be a game warden, then I changed my mind in college and ended up in finance.”

Mitchell outlined how the introduction to beer-craft happened as just a simple flirtation with kitchen distilling. “We started at the end of 2019…our homebrewing started in my kitchen with a typical kitchen distiller, and I moved it to the garage… made a couple of beers for my wedding, and it was sort of marketing for us…to see what everybody thought, and everybody liked our beer.”

Having established that their suds were as friendly as a handshake, the pair began searching for a building to open their brewery in September 2021, and with the relocation of the Spring Valley Veterinary Clinic to a new building in the industrial park to the northwest, they began overhauling the rooms where puppies and kittens were introduced to the veterinarian for the first time. They had considered a building downtown but determined that it didn’t have as much exposure or potential for amenities as they’d have liked, but the clinic’s square footage won them over. From November 2022 to October 2023, they tore out walls and renovated, brewed some good beers and tasted them, tasted other beers and compared them, and applied for their brewery license so that they could officially open in October 2023. Marcus recounted, “We did a full renovation.” Mitchell added, “We put in all new wiring, new plumbing…took a lot of trips to Stewartville with the demoed materials. We accomplished it, and it was rewarding.” Marcus concurred, “Our hard work paid off. It’s exciting…and we are now finally able to share our beers. We’ve gotten advice from others who said that ‘if you like your beer, (others will, too)’.”

New beers have bubbled up in addition to the original list of favorites, and they determined at the outset of brewery ownership that they would maintain certain beers and leave room for new pints to populate the rotation. Mitchell pointed out that their own favorites and those of their customers are “consistently” available until sold out, but experimentation’s always underway behind the brewery’s back wall and in conversation between people holding the glasses. Mitchell stated, “It’s like baking a new batch of cookies…it takes a few weeks to try it.” Marcus agreed that beer-craft adventures often begin much like neighborly recipe exchanges. “A lot of times, we’ve either had a beer at another place that we like or we’re looking into something that people like.”

The brothers, who have maintained day jobs in finance alongside brewing for the weekends, acknowledged at their brewery’s outset that things – like enjoying a lager or ale and a good chat – are much friendlier with room for children and for good eats, and that meant that they welcome families to bring their half-pints and order pizza to feed them if they’d like to do so. “We want to create a nice, warm environment with good vibes,” Marcus reiterated, while Mitchell observed, “We want this to be a place for people to hang out. We have big TVs for people to watch football. And it’s a good problem when we’re running out of beer.”

The Plaehns marked the one-year anniversary of their sociable hops house on Oct. 5, 2024 with an Oktoberfest at their establishment, and expansion is on their horizon in 2025 as they aspire to purchase and install a new brew system and fermenter and buy kegs. Meanwhile, they’ve added canned beers to their menu, they’ve kept a steady lineup of food trucks stopped outside their front door to make the choice of what to eat with a cold one easier, and they’ve taken their suds to the streets during Spring Valley community events such as Wednesdays on Broadway and Ag Days – they don’t always stay home to help people celebrate what’s satisfying in this life.

Finally, the brothers themselves have been as approachable as their beers, as highlighted by an article on the Spring Valley Economic Development Authority (EDA) website written by former Bluff Country News Group (BCNG) owner David Phillips, who relayed, “Bluff Brothers Brewing received the first-ever Community Spirit Award during the annual meeting and banquet of the Spring Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Jan. 15 at the Spring Valley VFW Hall. The award is the successor to the previous Volunteer of the Year Award, which the Chamber has awarded to individuals the past several years.”

The article went on, “Chamber President Angie Gensmer said that there are many deserving people, but often it is the same people getting recognized by various organizations. ‘Since we are a chamber that represents businesses, we should try to give an award to a business instead of an individual,’ she said. Bluff Brothers Brewery is always trying to help out in the community, which is why it is deserving of this first-ever award, noted Gensmer. ‘I think the Bluff Brothers are a very great new business in the community,’ she said. ‘They bring a lot of people with a lot of their activities, and they are constantly evolving with their different events.’ She explained that the business gets a lot of attention, not just from the local community, but also by others from outside the area. The owners are ‘out-of-the-box’ thinkers’ who work with multiple local nonprofit organizations, even opening their business after hours for events, she added.”

The Plaehns’ beers are ever-changing, of course, because that’s part of the fermented fun – raising a glass to introduce tastebuds to different delights — but what remains the same is that they’re two guys who know just how to bubble up the best brews in town.

Bluff Brothers Brewery, at 817 N. Broadway Ave., Spring Valley, is open Thursday from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, call 507-218-0548, email bluffbrothersbrewingllc@gmail.com, or log onto the Bluff Brothers Brewing Facebook page.

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

Kingsland school board handles roofing project bids

February 24, 2025 by Chris Hahn

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, November 20, 2025. Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy

Roofing company representatives attended the Feb. 6 Kingsland school board workshop to outline for the board the details of the condition of the school building’s existing roof and elaborate on the work that will be done this summer to reroof the main school structure. The voters of the Kingsland district authorized the roofing project through a referendum held during the Nov. 5 general election. The ballot included two questions – one for re-roofing the school and making various repairs to it and auxiliary structures on the grounds, and a second for the construction of a new gymnasium to ease the district’s physical education classes’ schedules as they attempt to use the district’s only gymnasium each school day. Voters approved the first question but not the second.

Kingsland used Garland Company, a roofing materials manufacturer, to install a new roof over the gymnasium two years ago after severe weather caused damage, and the administration chose to seek the company’s service as a contractor for the rest of the building for consistency and assurance of continuity in project oversight. The representative brought with him a sample of the roofing materials’ layers to allow board members to see how the materials would be laid down and mitigate water entering the building. Kingsland Superintendent Scott Klavetter informed the board that Garland brings with its work a 30-year warranty that will cover the district’s literal overhead liability if any need arises – 2053 is the next time a school board should have to consider re-roofing the school if it’s still in place. Facilities business listed later on the agenda involved the roofing and maintenance projects, and it was then that he spoke of how re-roofing is set for this summer and any further work will be done next summer. The board voted to approve low bidder Jackson & Associates as the subcontractor that Garland will use to carry out the roofing work.

A resident of the district raised concerns during the district public comments, expressing frustration that the board had decided to pursue a May facilities referendum to poll voters for a new gymnasium shortly after the general election vote showed that taxpayers were not willing to support such an expenditure as part of the initial referendum. He stated that he felt that the board is “sneaking this in under the radar” because he and others with whom he had conversed did not feel that they had been offered a community outreach opportunity. “It’s just three months ago that we voted this down by two-thirds. It wasn’t even close…the TV station was in the locker rooms the other night, and they showed pictures of the rusty registers over the showers at least three times. That tells me that you can’t take care of what you’ve got, so why should you build new?” He went on to suggest that the district focus on academics, on hiring or further educating teachers. “I think we’re looking at the wrong thing – none of this is because of the gymnasium space. And if you’re going to hold a vote, why not have a polling place in Wykoff? The thing that makes this look suspicious is that it was (begun) before the new board members we voted on were in place.”

Kingsland’s school board did return to posing a referendum to build a new gymnasium within months of the first proposal’s failure, but the consensus that led to the decision was that if the community were to be willing to reconsider, it would be best to bring the matter back to them before the costs of materials and labor rose significantly. New board member Ann Oeltjen acknowledged that the timing might appear suspicious, but she countered that she is in favor of the action. “Just so you know, I am okay with it.” Board member Brady Wolfgram said, “There’s nothing underhanded. It was the timeline. We had to come back with it so that the cost is the same amount.” The visitor commented, “Maybe you can use the money to pay teachers a little better.” Klavetter stated that the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) sets guidelines for teacher pay, meaning that Kingsland has no large authority to raise teacher pay even if the board were to wish to do so. Wolfgram cited, “On Facebook…everybody thinks we’re trying to sneak this through, but it’s not the intent. We’re trying to get this out to people. My daughter comes home and says that the high school students have to stand around for 10 minutes to wait for half of the gym.” Klavetter contributed, “We have had two different high school and elementary physical education teachers use the gym with the curtain down the middle, but they all said that it’s not rigid enough to stop balls going through the curtain into the other side, and if a middle school teacher is trying to teach a lesson, the kids can’t hear.” And Wolfgram relayed his opinion on the gymnasium and replacing the circa-1950s locker rooms. “For me, I don’t feel that we’re asking for what we don’t need. At what point are we not going to be able to use the locker rooms? When they talked to us about it, they said that the cost would be the same to build new as it is to repair them, and if we had (new locker rooms), we could park all of the buses in the bus shed instead of storing things in the bus shed.”

Board chairman Kyle Rader rounded out the exchange between the board and the visitor, thanking him for his time and input while Rader and Klavetter recounted that the board has delegated its membership to attend township and local government meetings to provide information and hosted numerous open house events before each facilities referendum proposal is forwarded to a vote, and typically, only one – or no one – attends. Rader advised, “It’s frustrating trying to reach people these days. We went to all the town hall meetings, held open houses. Sometimes you have to engage with your community to know what’s going on the community, because I can’t do all of that (for everyone).”

Klavetter’s superintendent’s report involved a preview of planning the 2025-2026 aca[1]demic calendar. He wrote, “We developed a draft calendar for next school year. I will be meeting with administrators from the other SMEC schools in February to compare draft calendars and create as much consistency as possible for our shared programs. The goal will be to have a final draft ready for school board approval in March.”

He then outlined, “Governor Walz recently released the first version of his proposed state budget for 2025-2027. The governor’s proposed budget includes minimal funding increases in a few specific areas and some funding reductions in other areas…the December minimal budget surplus for the current legislative cycle (fiscal year 2026-2027) and a $3.5 billion deficit for the next (fiscal year 2028-2029). It is, however, a development that we will need to monitor and plan for accordingly. One upside is that inflationary increases for education were written into statute during the last legislative session, meaning school districts will see a 2 percent increase in the per pupil funding formula each year.”

He continued, “Among the governor’s proposed spending reductions, special education funding is particularly concerning locally. Special education transportation is currently fully funded by the state. The governor’s proposed budget would re[1]duce this to 95 percent for school year 2025-2026 and 90 percent for school year 2026-2027, meaning local districts would need to begin funding a portion of this expense out of the local general fund. This relatively small percentage would add up quickly for rural school districts like Kingsland that transport students across multiple school districts to attend shared special education programs.”

Klavetter included that “the Spring Valley-Wykoff FFA will be hosting its annual pancake breakfast Tuesday, February 18 from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the ag shop…community members are welcome to attend,” as “this is one of many activities that will be held throughout the week of February 18-21 to celebrate National FFA Week.”

High school principal Dana Simmons relayed in her written report that the Kingsland One Act Play team placed second at the sub-section competition and is advancing to sections at Kasson; that the seventh grade ag class is meeting with kindergarten monthly to cooperate on an art project; “the FFA wildlife team placed sixth in their most recent competition and will advance to state…Carson Wolfgram came in first place overall,” and in spelling bee news, “Emmalyn Rader won first place, and Blaze Haddad came in second…these students will advance to the regional spelling bee on February 4.”

Important dates for students and parents to note include that there is no school this Friday, Feb. 14 due to teacher in-service and professional development, but Snow Week coronation is slated for that evening following the 6:00 girls’ basketball game. There is also no school on Feb. 17, in observance of Presidents’ Day. Snow Week is Feb. 18 to Feb. 21 – the FFA pancake breakfast is included.

The consent agenda included reviewing the minutes of the Jan. 22 meeting and February bills.

Kingsland’s school board holds two meetings each month. The first is a workshop held on the first Monday at 6:00 p.m., and the second is the regular meeting on the third Monday at 6:00 p.m., each in the Kingsland elementary conference room.

The public is welcome to attend.

For more information, log onto the Kingsland website at www.kingsland.k12.mn.us, call the district office at 507-346- 7276, or join the gallery at the next meeting. The February board meeting is set for Wednesday, Feb. 19 in observance of the Monday, Feb. 17 Presidents’ Day holiday.

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