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Kraft loses promised federal funding

Last year, New Ulm’s Kraft plant was earmarked to receive $3 million in federal funds to improve energy efficiency upgrades. This was part of a larger $170 million grant to help the Kraft Heinz company decarbonize.

It is not happening anymore. The U.S. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOEG) has decided that this promised federal grant is not an efficient use of federal money and has pulled the money away. This is disappointing and a little unfair. Different people can debate whether it is in the federal government’s best interest to help companies decarbonize, but reneging on a promise is unprofessional. For a year, Kraft Heinz was operating under the impression they would receive funding for improvements.

How much money has the company already spent based on the promise? Kraft Heinz stated that the company still plans to move forward with energy efficiency investments despite the cuts, but the abrupt stop likely hurt their long-term planning.

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The Storm a great mascot option for SE

After years of deliberation, the Sleepy Eye School District has selected “Storm” as its new name and mascot. Storm was a front-runner for the new mascot last year, but bearcats was also considered. Ultimately, the decision came down to a student and staff survey, with most favoring storm as the winner. The team logo will feature the team name over a swirling tornado. The Journal appreciates the name Storm. The name does allow for fun headlines. For example: “Storm blows away the competition” or “Storm leaves a downpour or points.” Combining the team name with the city name also has potential. “Sleepy Eye of the Storm” has a nice ring to it. Using the school’s new team name will be fun for the paper’s sports writers. It is certainly more fun to use the team’s name than to avoid using the old one.

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New playground equipment 

Washington Park and Lincoln Park are scheduled to get new playground equipment. This is part of a planned replacement schedule. In 2024, the city created a replacement fund for playground equipment throughout New Ulm.

The equipment at Washington Park was the first equipment prioritized for replacement as it is the oldest. While some equipment at Lincoln Park will be replaced, most of it will be relocated within the park. The toddler section of the park will be moved closer to the main playground equipment to decrease the playground’s footprint. The playground changes at Washington Park and Lincoln Park are the first since the city established the replacement fund. It is a good idea. New Ulm has a lot of park space and it is great to see the city being proactive about updating equipment.