On October 1, Virginia Arnold turned 104 years old; as a baby, Virginia was either born or left at the Henke (Grandview) Hospital in La Crosse, Wis. Virginia never knew her mother. By the time she was nine months old, she’d been taken to the Lutheran Hospital; she was adopted from there by Archie and Tillie Dent who lived about 10 miles west of Rushford on a farm. Virginia … [Read more...]
Christianson pedals to victory in Breckenridge
Fillmore County native Jarad Christianson likes to ride his bicycle. A lot. And he’s gotten quite good at it. As proof, he recently placed first in the 30 and older age group at the highly competitive Breck Epic mountain bike trail race, in Breckenridge, Colo. Jarad recently sat for an interview about the experience. When asked to describe the Breck Epic, Jarad explained that … [Read more...]
Houston County Township Officers Association hosts 60th annual meeting
The 60th annual meeting and fellowship dinner of the Houston County Township Officers Association took place on Tuesday, September 28, at the Four Seasons Community Center, Caledonia. Typically, the association holds two separate events each year, a dinner and the annual meeting. However, since neither event happened in 2020 due to COVID-19 both events were combined into one … [Read more...]
#RhettStrong: Rural Preston boy fights cancer
“Rhett is proving to us that he is tough, he is loved, he is happy,” Kayla Carroll said about her son. “We are just doing our best to show him our support.” Rhett, an energetic, determined five-year-old, was recently diagnosed with a Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor or MRT which is a rare childhood tumor that starts in the kidney and other soft tissues. Only about 15 cases are … [Read more...]
Harmony welcomes animal grooming business to Main Street
Who doesn’t love being pampered with a relaxing shampoo, haircut and blowout? After a little “buff and shine,” one can leave the salon feeling like a whole new person! It’s no different for our canine and feline loved ones and they can get a “custom cut, from nose to butt,” at Birch Bark Grooming in Harmony. Emily Ragan, a groomer for 14 years, opened her pet salon in July … [Read more...]
Houston Schools’ health and safety measures approved
After a failed resolution at the previous board meeting, the Houston School Board approved a revised health and safety plan for the 2021-2022 year, at their September 2 meeting. Before the approval, several members of the public commented once again on the masking and Covid procedures of the school. Tara Klinski spoke against contract tracing; Kendra Van Grundy wanted the … [Read more...]
Ian Meisner hiked the Appalachian Trail
Ian Meisner completed the first hike in his quest to conquer the Triple Crown of Hiking. Long distant hikers must complete the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide to earn the title Triple Crowner, recognized by the American Long Distance Hiking Association (ALDHA-West). The three trails total approximately 7,500 miles and cross 22 states. The … [Read more...]
Announcing – Whalan Auto Body, LLC
As of September 1, 2021, Whalan’s number one auto body shop, Doc’s Auto Body and Repair, will have a new name: Whalan Auto Body, LLC. New owner Jon VanMinsel will officially take over the shop from former owner Dale Peterson. Peterson owned the shop for almost 19 years; VanMinsel worked for Peterson for over 11 of those years. The transition had been in the works for several … [Read more...]
Vintage base ball with the Fungis
The Fillmore Fungis are a bunch of guys ranging in age from 74 to 16 who like to have fun playing vintage base ball – hence the name Fungis (fun guys). The Fungis play according to the vintage rules of 1860, the first real set of rules written down. The biggest difference between their base ball and our current baseball is that no gloves were used until the 1870s. At that … [Read more...]
Veterans home groundbreaking celebration
A large crowd gathered on August 9 for the groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future state veterans home in Preston. This was the first of three groundbreaking ceremonies for the new veterans homes to be built in Minnesota. Ceremonies will be held in Montevideo and Bemidji later this month. Deputy Commissioner of Veterans Homes Healthcare Douglas Hughes said the … [Read more...]