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With summer comes warm temperatures and strong sunshine. While these bring joy, outdoor fun, and plenty of opportunities to be active, it is still important to make your health and wellness a priority. If you will be spending long periods of time outdoors, be sure to bring the right items to keep you and your family safe. Helpful items may include water, sunscreen, sunglasses, light clothing, SPF lip balm, and a wide-brimmed hat.
Choosing and Using Sunscreen
When selecting sunscreen or SPF lip balm, choose products with SPF 30 or higher and check that they are not expired. Apply sunscreen every two hours, and more often if you are swimming or sweating. Use more sunscreen than you might expect. Aim for at least one ounce, which is about a palmful, to cover your arms, legs, neck, and face. Remember to apply it to your ears, hands, feet, and the undersides of your arms.
It is important to note that babies under six months should not use sunscreen and should always be kept out of direct sunlight.
Know the Signs of Heat-Related Illness
Spending long periods outdoors in the summer also increases the risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Knowing the symptoms and understanding what steps to take can help keep you and your loved ones safe. See the graphic for more information.
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2026 Family Fun Day
Steele County Public Health’s Family Health team hosted our second annual Family Fun Day on June 23 at Manthey Park.
The event was originally created to offer families one convenient location to learn about all the programs Public Health provides, especially for those with children ages birth to five. Each program hosted its own table with a unique activity that highlighted its services. At our 2025 event, we served 100 children and received great feedback, which encouraged us to bring the event back this year with the addition of several community partners. Much of the work we do would not be possible without these partners, and we recognize that community resources extend beyond Public Health.
The structure of the 2026 event remained similar, with each table offering a different program activity to keep children engaged. As families arrived, they received a bag sponsored by the Follow Along Program and a bingo card. Families who completed activities at each table earned stamps on their card. Once they achieved bingo, they were able to claim a prize and enter a drawing.
With the expanded reach, additional activities, and involvement from partners, we served 260 children this year, which is almost triple the number from last year. We appreciate everyone that attended and hosted a table!
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YOLO Day at the Capitol with the American Lung Association
Public Health's Youth Oriented Leadership Organization (YOLO) had the opportunity to visit the Minnesota State Capitol in March for the American Lung Association's (ALA) Day at the Capitol. The day featured a brief training from ALA on how to talk to legislators, a short tour of the Capitol, and then meetings with legislators. The students met with Senator John Jazinski, Senator Gene Dornink, Representative Tom Sexton, and Representative Peggy Bennett. YOLO features students from the Owatonna School District and the NRHEG School District, which offered the opportunity to meet with all four of these individuals. These meetings brought up great conversations around youth mental health and the vaping epidemic.
The tobacco industry continues to target youth with their products by using child‑appealing flavors that mask highly addictive and harmful chemicals. One in eight Steele County high school students are vaping, and 87 percent of those students use flavored products. Nicotine usage impacts youth brain development, mental health, and their ability to fight off illness. These statistics highlight the importance of continued education, policy advocacy, and youth leadership efforts like YOLO, which empower students to speak up and help create healthier, safer communities for their peers.
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Cannabis Rules and Regulations Update
On June 9th, 2026, the Steele County Board of Commissioners approved the Ordinance #42, Regulating Cannabis Businesses.
Ordinance #42 was originally passed in December of 2024. Since then, it has been amended twice: first in late 2025, after 2025 state legislative changes and again in 2026 at the commissioners’ request.
The first amendments passed in November of 2025 was in response to regulatory and statute requirements made by the State of Minnesota during the legislative session. These changes included the additions to Section 3: Requirements for Cannabis Businesses. Key changes included the addition of a minimum clerk age, age restrictions on eligible retail locations, and prohibited sales practices: vending machine, self-service display, moveable place of business, and delivery sales. The November 2025 amendments strengthened Steele County’s ordinance and its ability to defend against under-age purchases.
Ordinance #42 was amended again in June of 2026 to add and clarify language for both the public, potential retailers, and enforcement agencies. The only additions made were to Section 3 with the prohibition of sales via drive-through window, re-enforcing Minnesota State Chapter 342, and the addition of places of worship to the 500 buffer requirements. Language was updated in Section 2 to clarify the registration process for cannabis businesses as well as the expectation of age-verification compliance checks. Language was also updated in Section 3 to align the hours of operation restrictions for cannabis businesses within the Steele County with the hour of operation restrictions found in the ordinances for the cities of Blooming Prairie, Ellendale, Medford, and Owatonna.
If you have any questions regarding Steele County Cannabis regulations or about general health information related to cannabis use, questions can be submitted anonymously to the Steele County Public Health Community Cannabis Questions. Questions will be answered via social media posts on the Steele County Facebook and Instagram.
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 Pride in the Park 2026
Small Town, Big Pride
RainbOwatonna is hosting their annual Pride in the Park on July 11th from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM in Central Park, 100 E Main St, Owatonna, MN.
The event will feature vendors, activities, community services, artists, and food trucks.
Public Health will be participating—hope to see you there!
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Immunization Mobile Clinic for all K-12 students
Steele County Public Health is partnering with Mayo Clinic Health System and Owatonna Public Schools to host a mobile immunization clinic at Owatonna Middle School (500 15th St. NE, Owatonna, MN) on August 27th from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
This clinic is offered in conjunction with Owatonna Middle School Orientation Day to help meet families where they are. All school-aged children are welcome, regardless of health insurance status. Insurance will be billed when available, but low- to no-cost immunizations are provided for children with Medical Assistance or no insurance.
For more information, please contact Public Health.
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Steele County Public Health (SCPH) is dedicated to preventing disease, promoting wellness, and protecting the health of Steele County residents through a variety of services such as family health programs, immunization clinics, and home health care. SCPH also provides resources for radon and water testing, health education, and emergency preparedness to realize its vision of Healthy People in Healthy Communities. |
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