The Caledonia City Council completed all its business for the year and unanimously voted to cancel the regularly scheduled council meeting on December 22, 2025. The next council meeting will be held on January 12, 2026. Mayor Jeremy Leis called the December 8 meeting to order at 6 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. Present were Bob Klug, Amanda Ninneman, David Fitzpatrick, … [Read more...]
Mabel Sets 3.01% Levy
On December 10, the Mabel City Council held its annual Truth in Taxation hearing during the regularly scheduled city council meeting. The council meeting was called to order at 6 p.m. by Mayor Adam Wilder. After the Truth in Taxation hearing, the council adopted the city’s 2026 budget and set the levy at 3.01%. City Clerk Karen Larson had hoped she could get it below 3%, but … [Read more...]
Mabel-Canton Joint Board Meeting
During the second quarter of each school year, the Mabel-Canton School Board hosts a joint board meeting with the Mabel and Canton city councils. This year, the joint board meeting was held on Tuesday, December 2, at the Mabel-Canton High School. The joint board meeting is an initiative implemented during Superintendent Gary Kuphal’s tenure at M-C. At the end of each joint … [Read more...]
Caledonia Town Hall Addresses State of Rural Healthcare
The city of Caledonia held a town hall meeting on Tuesday, December 2, at 6 p.m. in the city auditorium to discuss the state of rural healthcare following Mayo Clinic’s announcement that they would be closing its Caledonia clinic at the beginning of December. City Clerk/Administrator Jake Dickson welcomed attendees and explained why the city hosted the forum. “With so … [Read more...]
Houston County Commissioners Vote Down Proposed Solar Ordinance
At the December 2 Houston County Commission meeting, the board considered a proposed ordinance aimed at regulating commercial solar projects. The ordinance failed to pass, with Commissioners Kurt Zehnder, Bob Schuldt, and Greg Myhre voting against it, and Commissioners Cindy Wright and Eric Johnson voting in favor. If the ordinance had passed, the board would have needed to … [Read more...]
Spring Grove Welcomes Four New Teachers
Spring Grove School District is excited to introduce four new teachers who have joined the Spring Grove community this year: Ethan Papenfuss, Dana Langworthy, Brett Gulbranson, Erin Woods, Jeannine Hisel, and Laura Moen, a group united by their dedication to students and their love of learning. Ethan Papenfuss Growing up near Spring Grove, Ethan Papenfuss always … [Read more...]
Caledonia Council Reviews Budget, Prepares for Holiday Season
Caledonia Finance Officer Stephanie Mann attended the November 24, 2025, Caledonia City Council meeting to review the proposed 2026 budget as the deadline to set the levy approaches. Currently, the tax levy is set at 12%, with hopes of lowering it, but Mann said she does not see any way to do so. She asked council members if they saw any options to let her know. The levy will … [Read more...]
Houston County Approves New Leadership
At the Houston County Board of Commissioners’ November 25 regular meeting, Chairman Eric Johnson recommended that Human Resources Officer Brent Parker be named the Houston County Coordinator/Human Resource Director. Chairman Johnson explained that he and Commissioner Wright held several organizational meetings and discussions regarding an administrative position or … [Read more...]
Kelly Ristau: An Artist’s Journey
Earlier this year, I sat down with Preston Native Kelly Ristau, at Paddle on Coffee & Maker Emporium in Lanesboro, Minn. for an interview. The assignment was to write a story about Kelly work as a muralist. It did not take long to realize that there was much more to this artist, and what began as a conversation about murals evolved into a much richer portrait of a young … [Read more...]
Three New Teachers at Mabel-Canton
The new school year brings fresh faces to the Mabel-Canton School District, which welcomed three new teachers: Cole Mundt, Samantha Livingood and James Ryan. Cole Mundt Cole Mundt teaches seventh through 12th grade government, economics, health, and physical education. He hails from Utica, Minn., and graduated from Lewiston-Altura High School in 2020. He graduated … [Read more...]