"Where Fillmore County News Comes First"
Online Edition
Wednesday, June 19th, 2013
Volume ∞ Issue ∞
Mabel City Council still in need of EMTs and First Responders
 
Good Day(s) For Gopher Track and Field
 
State Highway 16 undergoes extensive maintenance
 
Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page
 
The Biggest Loser Challenge ends
 
 
 
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Letter about Senator Miller and sand mining

By News Team

Fri, May 10th, 2013
Posted in Rushford Letter to the Editor



To the Editor,

Sen. Matt Schmit of Red Wing, working with Trout Unlimited, has proposed provisions to protect trout streams in Southeast Minnesota from damage resulting from frac sand mining. He wanted these provisions included in the Game and Fish Policy Bill, Senate File 796. Pristine cold water springs in our karst area create some of the best trout streams in the United States. Frac sand mining threatens to pollute this water, and disrupt the flow of springs in ways that would raise the water temperature. Death for our trout. Our state has invested millions in stocking and protecting these streams. Trout fishing has provided over a billion dollars in economic activity in the Driftless Area. These special provisions in SF 796 only apply to the Paleozoic Plateau, which is our part of the Driftless Area.

We live within a mile of an old quarry being considered for frac sand mining. It is at the head of a drainage system which feeds our springs and a stream which flows into Money Creek, a tributary of Root River. All of this is threatened because we have no state level standards to protect our region’s trout streams. Sen. Schmit proposed: a mile setback from trout streams; a limit on how much groundwater frac sand facilities could use; and limiting mining to within 25 feet of the water table. DNR Commissioner Landwehr testified we need all of these provisions to protect the trout streams and groundwater. Despite this knowledge, Sen. Miller cast the deciding vote to kill these provisions. In talking to Senator Miller’s office staff, I was told he needs more data before he would vote for the amendment. I listened online to the testimony given by DNR Commissioner Landwehr’s, and a representative from Trout Unlimited which Senator Miller would have heard. I heard some very specific data.

It is time we, the concerned citizens who live here, are heard and taken seriously about having input to regulations on sand mining instead of just the sand mining industry. I listened to the sand mining representative say if the set backs are put into the regulations, that would stop sand mining. These regulations, put in place, would only relegate the sand mines to areas not as sensitive to its impact.

Call Sen. Miller at 651-296-5649, or email him at: sen.jeremy.miller@senate.mn, to let him know you want him to protect his constituents, not frac san .....
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Letter about Miller’s actions

By News Team

Fri, May 3rd, 2013
Posted in Rushford Letter to the Editor
Comments(2)

To the Editor, In this time of crisis, Southeast Minnesota deserves leadership to provide strong protections against the ravages of industrial-scale frac sand mining. Not only is Sen. Jeremy Miller not leading, he is an obstructionist to meaningf ..... 
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Letter about Greg Davids survey

By News Team

Fri, Mar 8th, 2013
Posted in Rushford Letter to the Editor
Comments

To the Editor, One of the questions that Greg Davids brought up in his questionnaire was to put a 3.5 percent tax on our insurance premiums. I don’t know about anyone else, but my insurance premiums are a huge chunk out of our check already. He ..... 
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Letter about liberal brilliance

By Col. Stan Gudmundson

Fri, Feb 8th, 2013
Posted in Rushford Letter to the Editor
Comments

To the Editor, Here are a few gems highlighting liberal brilliance. “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.” -Nancy Pelosi “I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go?” -Barack Obama “Thank God, I ..... 
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Letter about R-P School Board

By News Team

Fri, Feb 1st, 2013
Posted in Rushford Letter to the Editor
Comments

Letter about R-P School Board To the Editor, December was my last Rushford-Peterson School Board meeting, after serving one four-year term. Neither I nor my family is RP alumni, since we have lived here only 13 years. With this background, I was s ..... 
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Letter about R-P Referendum

By News Team

Fri, Dec 14th, 2012
Posted in Rushford Letter to the Editor
Comment(1)

To the Editor, I attended the RP referendum meeting, took the tour of the facilities and listened intently to presenters, numerous questions and answers. I learned new facts and gained greater understanding of what assumptions were used in developi ..... 
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Letter about R-P referendum

By News Team

Fri, Dec 14th, 2012
Posted in Rushford Letter to the Editor
Comments

To the Editor, When I mentioned to a proponent that increased taxes for a new school are problematic for people on a fixed income, she said, “There are a lot of old people with money here. They are just greedy.” The 2007 flood was absolutel ..... 
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Letter about R-P referendum

By News Team

Fri, Nov 30th, 2012
Posted in Rushford Letter to the Editor
Comments

Letter about R-P referendum To the Editor, I think everyone in Rushford would love to have a new school. The thing that concerns me is the cost to the tax payers. $15,000,000 is not something to deal with lightly. I know that the interest rates ar ..... 
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Letter about R-P referendum

By News Team

Fri, Nov 30th, 2012
Posted in Rushford Letter to the Editor
Comments

Letter about R-P referendum To the Editor, This letter is in response to the commentary featured prominently in The Journal on November 26, written by Brett Kues, about the school referendum. I have never heard of Mr. Kues, even though I’m also ..... 
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