Gertrude (Trudy) Elizabeth Ellestad, 97, entered new life May 13, 2017. She was born in Winneshiek County, Iowa, June 12, 1919, to William Walter and Rose Emy (Gresbrink) Gossman. Following graduation from Canton High School in 1936, she attended Normal Teachers Training and taught in the Amherst and Scheie country schools. On September 30, 1939, she and Sanford G. Ellestad … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Journal Athlete of the Week ~ Ashley Agrimson
Patricia Jean Matson Dinsen
Patricia Jean Matson Dinsen passed away May 10, 2017, following a sudden illness. Patricia was born on March 23, 1948, to Leland and Esther Matson, and graduated from Preston-Fountain High School in 1967. In 1970 she married David Thiede in Preston; they were later divorced. She married Harry Dinsen on August 10, 1974. She served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany, … [Read more...]
Wayne Quincy Johnson
Wayne Quincy Johnson, of Rochester, Minn., passed away on January 6, 2017 after a battle with cancer. The fifth son of Willard and Norma (Hanson) Johnson of Preston, Minn., he was born in Harmony, Minn., on October 29, 1966. Wayne was a beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Doug Johnson of Independence, Iowa. He is … [Read more...]
1976 Champion Harmony basketball team reunites
On Saturday, May 7, members of the 1976 District Champion Boys Basketball Team from Harmony gathered with their coaches, cheerleaders and fans at Estelle’s Eatery & Bar in Harmony. This was the 40 +1 anniversary of their winning season. They had big plans to be in the July 4th parade last year on the 40th anniversary, even having commemorative shirts printed with their … [Read more...]
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...]
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...]