The signs that fall is just around the corner. Leaves are beginning to change colors, fall is in the air, and the Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days are days away. Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days is celebrating 70 years, September 8-11. Steam Engine Days is an opportunity to step back and experience farming as it was done in the early 1900s with the giant steam engines. Visitors … [Read more...]
A tasty tradition
Fall in Bluff County provides the perfect weather to enjoy a leisurely bike ride or walk on the scenic Root River State Trail and the Harmony-Preston Valley State Trail. The paved trails wind their way from one town to the next. The Taste of the Trail offers visitors the opportunity to sample all the scenic river valley has to offer – vistas, limestone bluff formations outdoor … [Read more...]
Houston County begins the 2023 budget process
An informative section of the Houston County Commission meetings is the annual presentations which are also a component of the county’s budget process. For example, at the August 23 board meeting, commissioners heard from the Medical Examiner (ME), Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), and Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). MnDOT Principal Planner … [Read more...]
Caledonia approves ambulance purchase
At the August 22 regular Caledonia City Council meeting, the Council approved Ambulance Director Mike Tornstrom’ s request to move forward on the purchase of a new ambulance to replace Unit 257. Council members in attendance were Mayor DeWayne (Tank) Schroeder, Robert “Bob” Klug, Amanda Ninneman, and David Fitzpatrick. Brad Rykhus was absent. Others in attendance included … [Read more...]
Fillmore County raises funds for cancer research
The 2022 Relay for Life of Fillmore County held in Fountain on August 19 exceeded its self-imposed goal of $50,000. “I’m so very proud of everyone who contributed to this year’s Fillmore County Relay for Life. Despite the multiple rounds of storms, we still had a great turnout and exceeded our fundraising goal. Fillmore County puts on one of the best Relays around all because … [Read more...]
Spring Grove School participates in CIRD visioning workshops
Superintendent Rachel Udstuen updated the school board on the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) workshops at the board’s regular meeting on August 15. The visioning workshops took place in Spring Grove August 3-5. The workshops are a part of the Spring Grove 2030 initiative to gather community input on the next steps. The visioning workshops are a result of the … [Read more...]
Spring Grove Ambulance Department seeks volunteer EMTs
Recruiting volunteer EMTs in Minnesota face an uphill battle as EMT certification numbers decline. However, at the August 16 city council meeting, member Karen Folstad said she wanted to make her colleagues aware of the situation, emphasizing that she is not saying it will happen in Spring Grove, but the council should be ready for it in case it happens. The Spring Grove … [Read more...]
The man who saved a billion lives
Celebrate the rich life of Norman Borlaug, the man who saved a billion lives, at the Norman Borlaug Harvest Fest in Cresco, Iowa, Friday, August 26 through Sunday, August 28. Join fellow ag enthusiasts on Saturday for tours of the Borlaug family farm. Wander the farm sites searching for over 10 geocaches as you explore the 1915 restored barn, country schoolhouse, and the … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Public Health acquires car seats through grant, will sponsor car seat clinic
“Ninety percent of car seats, nationally, are misused,” quoted Brenda Pohlman, CPS (Child Passenger Safety) Technician Proxy. “That number is higher in Fillmore County.” Fillmore County Public Health has Blue Plus, UCare, and Office of Public Safety grant car seats, and now the Gift of Safety grant. Fillmore County Public Health was one of three Minnesota organizations to … [Read more...]
A dog park in Eitzen
Eitzen residents, Jack and Cathy Scheeler, appeared before the Eitzen City Council on Thursday, August 11, to ask the Council to think about converting the area known as the Chicken Que into a dog park. There were no objections to the proposal. Council members in attendance were Mayor Jeffrey Adamson, Emily Burrichter, Doug Meyer, Mitch Luttchens, and Mitch Lange. Other … [Read more...]










