“It’s been really exciting for me to finally be able to say yes when people call,” Lanesboro Child Care Center Director Heidi Brown said. Until the recent expansion of the center, she had to answer inquiries for childcare by telling them that she’d put them on the waiting list. Before the daycare was expanded, it was licensed to care for 11 infants, 14 toddlers, 35 … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2017
County preliminary 2018 budget
The commissioners covered a lot of ground at an extended September 5 board meeting. The process of reviewing each departmental budget continued. Public Health, Human Services, the various budgets related to the Sheriff’s office, and others were looked at in some detail. The total 2018 budget increase proposed by Jessica Erickson, director of nursing, in her department was … [Read more...]
Rushford opts for bluff road reconstruct
The City of Rushford, upon review of engineering estimates, has opted not to look further into the buyout of two bluff properties within the city limits. Purchase of the two homes, located on Lamplighter Lane, was discussed at the earlier August meeting as the city grappled with how to address the failing roadway. The homes sit perched on the east Rushford bluff, part of a … [Read more...]
Celebrating our future entrepreneurs
In late July the Somali American Cultural Society of Owatonna (SACSO), was vandalized with spray paint and had a fire lit in front of its building. I was saddened by this senseless act of vandalism against SASCO which has been a reliable and valued Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) grantee and client. Several years ago, SASCO was founded by Ibrahim Hussein to … [Read more...]
Harmony EDA announces return of Experience Harmony community input program
The Harmony Economic Development Authority (EDA) is hosting the second series of “Experience Harmony” to gather community input on how to continue to grow and improve the community over the next several years. The first Experience Harmony series was held in early 2014, shortly after major regional initiatives like Mayo Clinic’s Destination Medical Center, or DMC, were … [Read more...]
Government this week
Monday, September 11 • Whalan City Council, Town Hall, 5 p.m. • Houston City Council, City Hall, 6 p.m. • Spring Valley City Council, City Hall, 6 p.m. • City of Rushford City Council, City Hall, 6:30 p.m. • Chatfield City Council, City Hall, 7 p.m. • Wykoff City Council, City Hall, 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 12 • Fillmore County Commissioners, Courthouse, 9 … [Read more...]
Preston enters into development agreement
At the September 5 Preston City Council meeting, the council voted to go forward with a development agreement with Andrew Bunge as unanimously recommended by the EDA. Councilman David Collett voted against. In the North Street Project agreement the city is to sell four unimproved city parcels to Bunge for $1. Bunge agrees to build four housing units, each of at least 950 … [Read more...]
Rushford Village looks to address equipment needs
The Rushford Village Council passed a preliminary 2018 budget and levy at their Tuesday, September 5 meeting. Seeking to fund some needed equipment upgrades, the council approved a preliminary $450,000 levy, an increase of $25,000 from the previous year. The council may still reduce the amount, prior to certifying the final amount to the county at the end of the year, but it … [Read more...]
Staying Home
There wasn’t a snow day, or a cold day. School hadn’t quite started so technically everyone was staying home anyway. From Houston to Spring Valley to Chatfield to Lanesboro to Harmony to Mabel, the first week of the football season had six of seven county teams playing home games. Six picked up victories. … [Read more...]
Houston’s Thursday Night Lights
With a big Spring Grove versus Cleveland/Emmanuel Lutheran 9-man game scheduled for Friday, Houston got a head start on the season by hosting Alden-Conger/Glenville Emmons Thursday. Joey Fishel and Zach Schneider combined to score the game’s first five TDs and the Hurricanes converted four two-point attempts to build a 38-0 second quarter lead. They cruised past A-C/G-E … [Read more...]