At the October 13 Harmony City Council meeting, SMIF President and CEO Benya Kraus addressed the council about SMIF’s work in the community and Southern Minnesota. “Your donation to SMIF allows us to continue to do this work,” she said. “Thank you for being part of that.” For every $1 donated in Fillmore County, $32 is invested back. SMIF’s areas of focus are early childhood, … [Read more...]
Articles by Hannah Wingert
Reporter
hannah@fillmorecountyjournal.com
A Team of Their Own: Fillmore Fighters Take the Court
High school sports are a big part of life for those in Fillmore County and now, for the first time, the homeschool community has their own team competing. Per Minnesota Statute 123B.49, Subdivision 4(a) homeschool students are eligible to play on public school teams in the district in which they reside, but it’s not always the best option for them. When Amy and Ryan Grabau … [Read more...]
A Winning Team: Harmony Clinic Nurses Recognized for Excellence
When Melissa Fuhrmann, DNP of Emplify Health by Gundersen Harmony Clinic was awarded the Nurse Excellence Award for Advanced Degree Nursing this year, she joined her co-workers Cheryl Hotvedt, RN, and Lori Pfremmer, LPN, as recipients. Emplify Health by Gundersen has been presenting the Nurse Excellence Award for over 25 years now, but this is the first time that every nurse on … [Read more...]
Balancing the Journal, Farm and Family
When Ellen Whalen took a workforce test about 25 years ago, her results showed a strong affinity for office work. “I thought it sounded kind of boring,” she commented. But for the past 12 years, she’s been doing just that at the Fillmore County Journal. “It’s been a great fit,” she said. “I’m very comfortable with it.” Ellen started out as a proofer and is now the assistant … [Read more...]
Lanesboro Council Considers Feral Cat Issue
At the October 5 Lanesboro City Council meeting, residents Sarah Pieper and John Lavelle spoke about the issue of feral cats. Pieper estimated that there could be as many as 40 roaming in Lanesboro with more litters of kittens being born. Lavelle said that he had personally paid for nine to be fixed and found homes for another nine of the cats, but the problem continues to … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central FFA Offers Great Opportunities for Students
FFA Officers Korra Biel and Weston Bernau, and FFA Advisor Kelsey Biel updated the Fillmore Central School Board on the FFA activities at the September 22 school board meeting. The team has over 80 members this year. In FFA, there are a lot of opportunities for students to travel and test with a Supervised Agricultural Experience, or SAE. A networking dinner will be held in … [Read more...]
Harmony Resident Speaks Out Against Data Center
During the public forum portion of the September 8 Harmony City Council meeting, Harmony resident Ann Lyons spoke about the recent joint planning session at which community feedback was discussed in regards to the proposed data center ordinance. “I find it very disingenuous that residents were not able to speak at the meeting,” Lyons stated. She noted that a lifelong friend of … [Read more...]
Chatfield Man Recounts Memories of 9/11 at the Pentagon
At Fort Myer, located next to the Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon, and now named Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, it was a beautiful day as Carey Welder and his unit spent their morning training. Welder, who grew up outside of Blue Earth, Minnesota, had enlisted in the Army right out of high school in 1999. “I knew I wanted to do my duty to the country,” Welder … [Read more...]
Fall Sports Season Underway at Fillmore Central
At the August 25 Fillmore Central School Board meeting, Superintendent Heath Olstad reported that streaming for the fall sports season has been set up, and families have been learning how to use Bound for athlete registrations. Sixteen students are registered for cross country, 12 for cheerleading, 77 for football, and 25 for volleyball. The baseline concussion testing for … [Read more...]
17 Lead Utility Lines to be Replaced in Harmony
At the August 12 Harmony City Council meeting, the consent agenda was approved and included the minutes of the July 14 meeting, the claims and July checks, the investment report, the cash balances, and the budget, as well as a step increase for City Administrator Alissa Stelpflug. The Personnel Committee noted that Stelpflug’s hard work and dedication has been proven through … [Read more...]