Here's what's been going on in and around Belle Plaine lately, according to the Belle Plaine Herald:

- John Sandholm's job description covers Scott County. When Tim Sonnek accepted a position at the Minnesota Farm Service Agency in downtown St. Paul, the Carver County Farm Service Agency director stepped in. He will split time working in St. Lawrence Township (near Jordan) and Waconia. Sonnek served in the position for 25 years.

- The Belle Plaine School Board consists of Matt Bigaouette, Matt Lenz, Mike Daly, Jennifer Johnson, and Betsy Ollhoff.

- Belle Plaine teachers agreed to a contract that will cost the school district more than $480,000. The district finished the agreement before being assessed a $45,000 fine from the state.

- The city of Belle Plaine will charge a flat hourly rate for fire calls, rather than a "per firefighter per hour rate" it charged in the past. Owners of property that need fire department assistance are charged $500 per hour for the first hour and $250 per hour thereafter. Last year, the city charged $28 per hour and multiplied that number by the number of firefighters who showed up for a particular fire -- so if 20 firefighters showed up, their services would cost a property owner $560 per hour (with a minimum billing of $150).

- Last month, Jordan's controversy of the year -- expansion at the intersection of highways 21 and 282 -- was relegated to the very last page of the Herald.

- Last month, what might well be the biggest story of the year in Jordan -- the death
of Pfc. Joshua Anderson of Jordan -- appeared on page 2 of the Herald.