🌱 Owatonna woman killed in I-35 crash south of town

Greetings Owatonna! We’re your go-to source for what’s happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Owatonna woman killed in I-35 crash south of town
• Can Owatonna’s Carmen Jirele repeat as Minnesota’s Class AAA golf champion?
• Area communities remember Margaret “Marge” Deanne French, born in Owatonna

Also on today's calendar: Dancing with the Steele County Stars and 5 more events.

Today's riddle: What did the inventor of the knock-knock joke win? 🤔 (Answer below!)

---

Weather forecast:

• Friday: A heavy t-storm in the p.m., with a high of 68 and low of 25 degrees.
• Saturday: Cloudy, windy and much colder, temps: high: 45, low: 28.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 48 and low of 28 degrees.

---

📰 News we're reading

• Update: 40-Year-Old Owatonna Woman Killed in Crash on I-35 (krocnews.com) — A 40-year-old Owatonna woman, Jennifer Ann Parsons, was killed Wednesday evening when her northbound car and a pickup collided on I-35 about 10 miles south of Owatonna. She died at the scene, while the 33-year-old Ellendale pickup driver was uninjured. The Steele County Sheriff’s Office and Owatonna Fire Department assisted the State Patrol.
   

• Teeing Off 2026: Minnesota High School Golf Season Preview (mngolf.org) — Owatonna golf fans can watch standout Carmen Jirele enter 2026 as one of Minnesota’s early Ms. Golf contenders after last year’s Class AAA individual title. A statewide preview highlights Owatonna’s girls among teams chasing the AAA crown, alongside power programs like Minnetonka and Wayzata, and breaks down key boys and girls players to watch across all classes.
   

• Margaret 'Marge' Deanne French (westconcordmn.net) — Family and friends are remembering Margaret “Marge” Deanne French, born in Owatonna in 1942 and longtime resident of West Concord, who died Tuesday at age 83. Known as “GAP Grandma” and “Grandma Cookie,” she cherished horses, baking, and lively gatherings at her home. Visitation and funeral services are set for May 29–30 at Michaelson Funeral Home in West Concord.
   

---

📸 Around Owatonna

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

---

🗓 Upcoming Events in Owatonna

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Saturday April 18

• Barefoot Winos - Owatonna
  Mineral Springs Brewery, 210 N Oak Ave Suite 1, Owatonna
  6:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

---

Other local events

Saturday April 18

• Dancing with the Steele County Stars
  Owatonna High School , 1455 SE 18th St , Owatonna
  6:00 pm
• Dancing with Our Steele County Stars
  Owatonna High School , 1455 SE 18th St , Owatonna
  6:00 pm

Sunday April 19

• OMS & OHS Jazz Band Concert
  OHS Auditorium
  4:00 pm

Tuesday April 21

• Council Study Session
  Owatonna, MN Calendar Owatonna, MN 55060
  5:30 pm
• City Council Meeting
  Owatonna, MN Calendar Owatonna, MN 55060
  7:00 pm

Wednesday April 22

• Open Book Meeting
  Owatonna, MN Calendar , Steele County Administration Assessor's Office 630 Florence Avenue , Owatonna
  8:00 am

Thursday April 23

• GB Leighton Band Live at Mineral Springs Brewery
  Mineral Springs Brewery , 210 N Oak Ave Suite 1 , Owatonna
  7:00 pm

---

📣 Owatonna Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

---

🗓 Events Nearby

Saturday April 18

• Comedy Under The Bridge
  10,000 Drops Craft Distillers , 28 4th St NE , Faribault
  8:00 pm

Saturday April 25

• GrowCast Presents: Grow Your Own: The Tour! @ Area 42, MN
  AREA 42 , 21240 Elmore Ave , Faribault
  4:15 pm
• Jamison Murphy
  Mineral Springs Brewery , 210 N Oak Ave Suite 1 , Owatonna
  6:00 pm

Friday May 1

• 2 Cavemen Grill'in — 10,000 Drops Craft Distillers
  10,000 Drops Craft Distillers , 28 4th St NE , Faribault
  4:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

---

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

---

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Open house today a grand opening for our new building 1650 Madison Ave.
  , Mankato 3 PM to 6 PM. Come stop and grab something to eat and drink chat with us. Hope to see you there. (Nextdoor S Oak Ave)

---

🗞 Nearby News

Medford

• JWP softball goes 2-1 amid busy weekend of action (tncontentexchange.com)

Waseca

• Area roundup: Fairmont track dominates in Waseca (fairmontsentinel.com)
• Severe Weather Awareness Week: Flash Flooding Can Strike Anywhere In Minnesota (knsiradio.com)

Faribault

• South Central Minnesota candidates prioritize farmers in the 2026 race (keyc.com)
• Top 15 Items People Steal The Most From Target Stores Right Now (kdhlradio.com)
• Diamond Wrap: Buccaneers fall late to Waseca, Falcons pick up loss (tncontentexchange.com)

---

Ok Owatonna! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: The NO-BELL prize (Thank you Gina M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

---

👉 Help make Patch AM better

• Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
• Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
• List items for sale or services offered

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

---

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook