by Stan Gudmundson In 1948, when Israel was established in a barren and desolate Palestine, today about the size of New Jersey, there were roughly 700,000 inhabitants.  About six million Jews and two million Arabs now live there.  The Jewish people who emigrated to Israel, came from widely diverse cultures and societies.  Somehow, they have created a modern and prosperous … [Read more...]

To the Editor, I was driving by the high school in Harmony this past Sunday and couldn’t help but notice all the cars. Volleyball!  The same thing was taking place in Preston. I just believe this is such a travesty. Kids and their parents deserve a day that is a break from the competition aspect of sports and all that entails. These events run all day. When are we … [Read more...]

By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal  jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com I recall seeing those commercials when I was a kid. They started running in 1971, so that shows my age. For the “Zoomers” out there, this was back when we used audiocassette tapes to record and listen to music. It was the more compact successor of eight-track tapes. The brand … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota  Initiative Foundation As President of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), I have witnessed firsthand the power of collaboration. It is through partnering with other funders and organizations that we have been able to make transformative change in southern Minnesota. Additionally, as one of six Minnesota … [Read more...]

To the Editor, Durning Lent and now Holy Week I have been thinking a lot about how greed and hate can destroy at every level of society, and it exists at every level.  I know, as I have experienced it.  At least the hate has only been verbal, so I have not been afraid.  (Maybe being white and a male helps.)  I have also seen greed at a personal and local level.  Why … [Read more...]

By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal  jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com  This Sunday, March 31, 2024, marks one year since Madeline Kingsbury went missing. After a massive search of the farmland, ditches, and woods along Highway 44 between Mabel and Rushford, her body was discovered on June 7, 2023 – wrapped up in a grey fitted sheet, bound by Gorilla … [Read more...]

To the Editor, Last week Vice President Kamala Harris visited our Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Minneapolis as part of her crusade to peddle fear mongering about the “health crisis” in our country.  With Gov. Tim Walz at her side she praised Planned Parenthood and our state: “I’m here at this health care clinic to uplift the work that is happening in Minnesota as … [Read more...]

By David Webb Lanesboro, MN   Dunning–Kruger strikes again and again.  Mr Erding’s and Thorson’s one-sided presentations of cherry-picked historical and “alternative” facts do not fully explain and certainly do not negate the actual horrific facts of the situation on the ground in Gaza.  Homes, hospitals, and schools bombed.  People starving.  Journalists, nurses, … [Read more...]

To the Editor, Providing free school lunch for all children has numerous benefits that extend beyond just addressing hunger. By ensuring that every child has access to a nutritious meal during the school day, we can improve their overall health and well-being. Proper nutrition is essential for children’s physical and cognitive development, as well as their ability to … [Read more...]

Terri and Dick Markos La Crescent, MN We are responding to Jeff Erding’s one sided article in the Fillmore County Journal on the history of what is happening in Israel and Palestine. Just one example of his erroneous statements about the idea that “Muslim Arabs’’ have been offered a homeland five times since 1936 and rejected each proposal. First of all, these proposals … [Read more...]

To the Editor, I didn’t realize there were so many misinformed communists in South East Minnesota until Stan Gudmundson and Jason Sethre wrote their thoughtful pieces in the Fillmore County Journal. I have three reasons why we have become a nation of educated idiots. 1. Educational brainwashing about socialism. 2. Big techs only allowing the people to learn what … [Read more...]

By Scott Ewalt Harmony, MN Mr. Erding needs to re-examine his reading of the history of Palestine. The area of Palestine and the indigenous people of Palestine have been a part of history for nearly 4,000 years as a semi-autonomous area within many occupying empires (Assyrian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Ottoman and others). It has been an important trading … [Read more...]

To the Editor, I want to give Minnesota legislators a big shout out and thank you for ensuring that emergency funding for nursing homes was included in the budget surplus spending last legislative session. Some of our nursing homes were in desperate situations financially, as a lot of them have not been able to recover financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and … [Read more...]

By Tommy Thorson Ostrander, MN Mr. David Webb, January 22, 2024, Fillmore County Journal: “Statistics From Gaza.” He missed a few “statistics”; more follow: After WW2, many nations of the world gathered in the lUnited Nations and together agreed the Israelis needed their own homeland. After much deliberation, and considering different locations around the world, most … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Since 1986, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) has invested $56.9 million in grants in our 20-county region. While these grants support a wide range of projects – from providing books to young children to supporting small town growth – they each have had a transformative and long-term impact … [Read more...]