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

- The Belle Plaine City Council unanimously approved an amendment to its city code that "will apparently provide an unidentified potential grocer with protection from future competition if that person does in fact decide to open a grocery store in a proposed retail facility in Belle Plaine," according to a front page story in the May 7 issue of the Herald.

- Anthony Mark Klaseus of Belle Plaine was charged with two felonies
and two lesser crimes in the accidental shooting death of his son,
Hunter, who he had mistaken for a wild turkey last month. Klaseus faces
charges of second-degree manslaughter, reckless discharge of a firearm,
trespassing, and hunting turkeys without a license. According to the Herald, the state contended in the complaint that Klaseus was negligent because he had marijuana and beer in his system.

- Belle Plaine celebrated German Day on Saturday, when the event called for a sauerkraut-eating contest, among various other activities.

- State Sen. Kevin Dahle and State Rep. David Bly spoke to a couple dozen people who attended a town hall meeting on the day of the fishing opener. One audience member criticized government for an apparent lack of long-range planning, and according to the Herald, Bly responded, "There are a lot of deep-seeded philosophical differences between the (Democratic and Republican) parties, and often times, it's hard to reach middle ground."

- Maynard Harms, a former longtime teacher in Belle Plaine, went to Minneapolis to be inducted into the Minnesota Future Farmers of America Hall of Fame.