Much of the May 9 County Board meeting was dominated by long discussions concerning PTO policy and staffing structure for Community Services. Commissioner Mitch Lentz was absent. The county is in the process of updating its policies. The proposed update of the PTO policy has resulted in a lot of comments from employees. Proposed new language: “Employees initially hired … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2017
Recycling 101
We get a variety of garbage related questions at the Resource Recovery Center and the Recycling Center here in Fillmore County. Many of them concern whether or not we will accept a certain material, and of course, how much it is going to cost to get rid of it. A similar article on this subject was published a couple years ago, but many of the fees have changed, … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… More good than bad
Routinely, every morning I turn on the news while running on the treadmill, and inevitably I hear bad news. There are drive-by shootings in Rochester, robberies, drug abuse, child abuse, sex trafficking, threats of war, violent protests -- constant negativity. It’s enough to make a person think there is more wrong in the world than there is right. But, that’s … [Read more...]
With a $1.65 billion surplus, why is the Legislature short-changing our justice system?
By Minnesota Third Judicial District Chief Judge Jeffrey D. Thompson As a district court judge, I know firsthand the importance of a strong, adequately-funded judiciary. Our courts play a crucial role in our democracy. As Chief Judge of the Third Judicial District, I see the impact of the courts throughout southeastern Minnesota, from rural one judge counties like Dodge, … [Read more...]
Government this week
•Monday, May 15 • Preston City Council, Council Chambers, 6 p.m. • Kingsland School Board, District Conference Room, 6:30 p.m. • Chatfield School Board, High School Media Center, 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 16 • Mabel-Canton School Board, Media Center, 7 p.m. • Rushford Village City Council, CRV Office, 7 p.m. Thursday, May 18 • Houston School Board, High School … [Read more...]
Basic needs
My wife and I just welcomed our second child and first son, Timothy Scott, into the family. Almost immediately after he was born, the bonkers nature of Minnesota weather decided to drop the temperature about 40 degrees overnight, and now the entire house is sporting a case of the sniffles. Now, I’d love to tell you all about how I sit in a second-hand chair in my … [Read more...]
Child care crisis: We’re listening
By Rae Jean Hansen Vice President - Early Childhood, SMIF Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) understands that early childhood is a key component to sustained economic development. For more than 30 years, even before research proved investing in early childhood was more than a “nice thing to do,” we were pulling cross-sector partners together to improve the … [Read more...]
Rushford plans for upcoming projects
Preliminary cost estimates for capital improvement projects are in and the city of Rushford is in the early steps of planning for them. A cost summary was provided to the council at the brisk, Monday, May 8 meeting. The summary was drafted last September and contains more than 40 recommended improvement projects. While the listing may look daunting, the recommendations are a … [Read more...]
Walk-Off Caps Cougar 10-Run Comeback
There was never a feeling the game was over. Neither team’s pitching was strong. The only fence was of the men’s slow-pitch variety. Runs were going to score. A 7-run second and an 8-run third had Houston softball up 15-5 on Mabel-Canton. Alyssa Rostad, Richelle Botcher (doubles), and Amber Chapel (ITP-HR) each had three-run hits. The ‘Canes led 15-8 after 6 ½. In M-C’s … [Read more...]
Unlucky (13-0) Gophers
Unlucky usually means things go against you. One can always circumvent luck, be “unlucky” by simply being good. Young Chatfield softball is now an unlucky 13-0. Carissa Campbell’s 3-run home run capped a 23-1 five inning win over R-P. McKenna Daniels (3 IP, 5 K, 3 BB, 1 ER, Win (4-0)) and Megan Cullen (2 IP, 2 K, 1 BB) didn’t surrender a hit. Eleven different Gophers … [Read more...]