Kicking off 2019, Google’s possibility of building a data center in Becker made the most headlines and currently senators and representatives are asking for funding from the state — around $24.7 million for infrastructure and it has to stand out among other bonding proposals, as lawmakers will determine a bonding package in the 2020 session.

Richard Donald Schmit of Foley pled not guilty to fifth-degree assault when he punched then House candidate Shane Mekeland at Jack & Jim’s bar in October of 2018. He later changed his plea to guilty of third-degree assault, a felony.

Troy Cox took his first oath of office after he won the seat on council vacated by Lori Keller, who declined to run. Hendrickson took his third oath of office since being elected to council for the first time back in 2013 when Phil Knutson resigned his seat after moving outside the city limits. Knutson has since been hired by the city as public services director.

Dwight Lundeen began 2019 as his 50th year as head coach of the Becker Bulldog football program. In 1970 Lundeen was asked to birth the football program at Becker and he’s never looked back. He has  over 360 wins and three state championships under his belt.

Jeremy Schmidt was hired as Becker School Superintendent in February to replace retiring Supt. Dr. Stephen Malone. David Kreft was hired as principal to replace interim Rick Toso.

In early February, Minnesota effectively ground to a halt as the lowest temperatures in a generation forced the state into a deep freeze. Minus 20º temperatures caused school and business closings while wind chills in the range of -50º to -60º kept everybody indoors for days.

Former Becker Bulldog gymnastics head coach Jen Harmoning was inducted into the Minnesota Gymnastics Coaches Association Hall of Fame in March and was given a surprise banquet at Pebble Creek where parents and former coaches and players honored the 23-year coach.

Accurate Automotive held an open house in early June to celebrate their relocation to the corner of Hwy. 10 and Co. Rd. 11 in Big Lake. Owners Brandon and Nicolle Hines had  bean bag games and bouncey houses, shirts, travel mugs and koozies for sale. along with food booths and a kids area.

In September, Jean Johnson led an entourage of helpers to move a 32x24 foot white barn from one side of Hwy. 10 to another to become the home for the Farm Friends organization she commenced. The move took about an hour and included a crane to lift the barn on and off the flatbed truck and a police escort to cross the crowded highway enroute to its new home near the history center.

One of the best and most heart-warming stories of 2019 was the tale of a little boy gone lost — but found. Six-year-old Ethan Haus and his dog, Remmie, went missing in mid-October after jumping off the school bus around 4 p.m. More than 600 volunteers descended upon the area in Palmer Twp. to help look for the little boy and his companion. Through the help of a heat-seeking drone, Ethan was found safe at around 1:50 a.m. in a cornfield about a mile east of his home.

Northern Metals gave tours of their new facility in September to curious residents to demonstrate the facilities functions and answer any questions from skeptics and nay-sayers on the environmental impact  the operation will have on the area. NMR is nearing the date to be fully operational as utilities and routes are being worked on with the city.

Becker dancer Sara Robbins was chosen  in June to be part of the Minnesota Vikings cheerleading squad for 2019. Robbins, 23, is a former SCSU national championship cheerleader and is the daughter of Robin and Scott Robbins of Becker.

Jason Rothmeyer, 39, of Clear Lake was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for killing 18-year-old Kyle Foley and injuring two others in a DUI crash in August of 2018. Rothmeyer had left Pebble Creek and was noticed to be driving erratically by  police officer, who tried to pull him over. Rothmeyer proceeded to try and outrun the officer and ran a stop sign, resulting in the death of Foley on Hwy. 25.

Emma Domka became the first female football player for Becker when she made the varsity squad last fall as the team’s placekicker. Domka, a celebrated soccer player on the girls team,  was called upon to convert extra points for the team as well as a couple field goal attempts.

The winter of 2019 turned even uglier in April when Mother Nature dumped two inches of snow in the area — just two days after temperatures had reached 68º! The powerful storm hit South Dakota the hardest as residents reported 18 inches of snow.

The Becker Lady Bulldogs basketball team finished second in the state playoffs in March, losing to DeLaSalle by a score of 56-40.  The Bulldogs went 27-5 under the direction of Head Coach Dan Baird, who won Breakdown Sports USA’s Coach of the Year award.