[2][3] The Waseca County News began as the Waseca Weekly in May 1981 under the supervision of News Editor Lisa Vanderwerf and Sports Editor Jonathan Kronstadt.
Its publisher, Michael Johnson, had previously been employed at the Waseca Daily Journal.
The paper originally ran on Tuesdays at no cost to the citizens of Waseca.
Vanderwerf would leave the paper in July 1981, with Konstadt taking over News Editor duties; Konstadt having been replaced by Jim Lutgens as the Sports Editor.
Reporters in the County News were also fired because they allegedly withheld information regarding the case.