Sherman Cole, 98, of Houston, Minn., died on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, at Valley View Healthcare in Houston. Sherman was born in Stillwater, Minn., on November 22, 1924. On June 15, 1957, he married Evelyn Hall of Grand Meadow, Minn. He graduated from the Stillwater High School in 1942; he then entered the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and graduated with a … [Read more...]
Fr. David Wechter
Father David L. Wechter, OCSO, 92, returned to the Lord, the second Sunday of Advent, December 4, 2022, surrounded by his community, the Hermits of St. Mary of Carmel. He was born April 23, 1930, in Buffalo, N.Y., to Vincent and Grace (O’Brien) Wechter. While living in New York, he attended St. Mark’s Church and grammar school, Holy Angels Collegiate Institute for four … [Read more...]
Houston examines budget for street renovations
After being sworn in, the Houston council canvassed the recent election results in a short special meeting prior to their regular meeting November 14. With a total of 382 in-person voters and additional mail-in and early voters, Scott Wallace was elected as the new mayor, and Zeb Bauman and Steve Westby were elected to the council. The new council members will join the council … [Read more...]
Charlotte F. Braniff
Charlotte F. Braniff, 83, of Houston, Minn., died Tuesday, October 18, 2022, at Northcrest Care Center in Waterloo, Iowa. Charlotte Florence Happel was born on December 17, 1938, in La Crosse, Wis., to Wesley and Stella (Evans) Happel. Charlotte was raised on South Ridge in rural Houston, Minn., on the family farm. She graduated from Houston High School and from Winona State … [Read more...]
Wayne K. Bestor
Wayne K. Bestor, 90, of Houston, Minn., died on Friday, October 14, 2022, at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, Wis. Wayne Kay Bestor was born on Sunday, December 13, 1931, in Bristol Township of Fillmore County, Minn. He was raised on the family farm near Granger, Minn. He was a 1950 graduate of Harmony High School. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean … [Read more...]
Opportunities for Houston Schools
Amy Guenther, a 20-year educator working with Access Point, attended the Houston School Board meeting October 6 to present a student opportunity. Access Point helps connect high school students beginning their senior year with jobs that will begin at $50,000 to $60,000 a year. Working with community colleges, Access Point trains students for jobs that have already been set … [Read more...]
A night of bids and purchases at Houston City Council
The Houston City Council approved participation in a program to purchase a John Deere skid steer with broom and a zero-turn commercial lawn mower for $41,735.93 at their October 11 meeting. This program is similar to the program in force for the city maintenance truck. After the initial purchase, the skid steer will be traded in for a replacement each year; if the program is … [Read more...]
New teachers at Houston
This year, Houston Public Schools welcomed six new teachers to their staff. Here is a little introduction to each of them. Lisa Skifton Lisa is the new special education teacher at Houston High School. Lisa grew up in South St. Paul, Minn. She has a plethora of teaching experience including teaching elementary special education in Winona (1995) and at Houston … [Read more...]
Houston County Township Officers Association holds 61st annual meeting
The Houston County Township Officers Association held its 61st annual meeting and fellowship dinner on Wednesday, September 14, at the Four Seasons Community Center, Caledonia. Over 70 township officers and their guests from the 17 townships, all five Houston County Department Heads, Houston County Commissioners, State Representative Greg Davids, State Senator Jeremy Miller, … [Read more...]
Museum proposed for Houston’s old community center
Shelly Jerviss appeared before the Houston City Council at the September 12 meeting to ask permission to explore the possibility of creating a museum in the old community center. Representing Jim Skree and herself, Jerviss explained the museum would be a non-profit run on grants and donations. It would collect the history of the city, accept items for display, and only hold … [Read more...]
