Bill Hanson from Hanson Waste Removal & Recycling out of Chatfield was present at the June 8 Harmony City Council meeting to discuss a city clean-up day in Harmony. Hanson’s company is available to do the clean-up on Wednesday, June 23 and will enlist Tony Severson of S & S Sanitation to help so that it can be done in one day. The cost will be $150 an hour for each of … [Read more...]
Articles by Hannah Wingert
Reporter
hannah@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Minnesota Bound films in Preston area
Ron Schara and his black labrador retriever, Raven have been a staple on the Minnesota television airwaves since 1995. His show, Minnesota Bound, has showcased many of the favorite outdoor pastimes and destinations of the state, sharing them with its many fans. Recently, Ron’s daughter, Laura Schara, visited the Preston area to film an episode featuring fly fishing in the … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central holds first concerts since December 2019
At the May 25 Fillmore Central School Board meeting, superintendent Heath Olstad updated the board on the spring concerts. Elementary music teacher Matthew Patterson has been holding concerts for each of the K-6 grades separately. High school choir teacher Sarah Holten and band teacher Duane Ledin also held smaller concerts by combining several grades instead of the whole high … [Read more...]
Lanesboro wrapping up the school year and facilities project
At the May 20 Lanesboro School Board meeting, board member Steve Snyder asked when the final walk-through for the facilities project would be taking place. Superintendent Matt Schultz said that the final punch list walk-through would occur on May 26, but there are still some things left to do before everything is complete. The asphalt needs to be done on both parking lots, the … [Read more...]
Harmony Telephone to apply for broadband grant with City of Harmony
A public hearing to discuss the application of a grant from the Small Cities Coronavirus Community Development Block Grant Program was held at the beginning of the May 11 Harmony City Council meeting. Harmony Telephone would like to apply for it in conjunction with the City of Harmony so that the every home in town would have access to broadband internet. The grant would pay … [Read more...]
Lanesboro council approves sidewalk assessments
The May 3 Lanesboro City Council meeting opened with a public hearing to discuss sidewalk improvements and assessments. There were no questions or comments from the public, so the hearing was closed and the regular council meeting opened. The assessments were approved by the council. City Engineer Brian Malm reviewed with the council pay request #5 for the wastewater treatment … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central in need of summer rec director
At the April 27 Fillmore Central School Board meeting, Superintendent Heath Olstad said that no applications have been turned in for the position of summer rec director yet. Summer rec activities begin in early June right after school gets out, but may need to be canceled if the job cannot be filled. The kindergarten enrollment for next year is projected to be approximately … [Read more...]
Lanesboro enrollment numbers continue to increase
At the April 15 Lanesboro School Board meeting, Superintendent Matt Schultz reported that 36-37 kindergarten students are enrolled for the 2021-2022 school year at Lanesboro school. Just two years ago, the prediction was that the kindergarten enrollment number would be 20 students for this upcoming school year. “It’s a positive development,” Schultz said. Over the past school … [Read more...]
Lanesboro Council addresses pothole issue
At the April 5 Lanesboro City Council meeting, Public Works Director David Haugen noted that there’s been a lot of concern from the public about potholes in the city streets. He explained that potholes tend to develop while plowing snow during the winter. They will be patched with hot mix, but the plant that makes that isn’t open until May so he and the city crew have been … [Read more...]
Hobby: Shawn Hoff stays busy with guitar hobby
Shawn Hoff bought his first guitar at the age of 16, but it wasn’t until he came to Harmony many years later that he actually started playing it. About 10 years ago, he moved from Hastings to Harmony, but Becky, his wife, wasn’t able to move with him for about six months and so he spent his first winter in the area living alone and so bored that he finally picked up his guitar … [Read more...]
Lanesboro museum welcomes Dan Rooney as new director
It’s been a great 10 years, but Sandy Webb is ready for retirement. Webb started working at the Lanesboro Historical Museum in 2011 and became the director just one year later. Now, she’s turning the reins over to Dan Rooney, who was recently hired as the new museum director. Webb moved to Lanesboro from New Mexico in 2010, but her roots are in the Midwest. “I felt like I was … [Read more...]
Two-year-old Bailee Stackhouse bravely fights cancer
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. “She’s our everything,” Brandon Stackhouse said about his two-year-old daughter Bailee. “To be told she has cancer, it’s been devastating. I wouldn’t wish this on anybody.” Brandon and his wife Sara live in Spring Valley with Bailee. In January, they received a phone call from their daycare provider telling them that she had noticed blood … [Read more...]
Hobby: A lifelong love of woodworking helps Andy Walsh relax
When most people think of relaxing after a long day at work, they might think of sitting down on the couch and catching up on a TV show or going for a walk. Not Andy Walsh. His relaxing hobby is woodworking, which incidentally is also his day job. The two are not the same though. “All day, I work on big stuff,” Walsh said about his job as a union carpenter in the Mayo Clinic … [Read more...]
Lanesboro school going forward with senior class trip
At the March 18 Lanesboro School Board meeting, Superintendent Matt Schultz updated the board on the upcoming senior class trip. The tour bus company canceled the original trip to Washington, D.C., as the city is mostly shut down right now. After looking into different options, it was decided to book a trip to Florida with the same company. The trip will include various stops … [Read more...]
New owner, same great service at Matt’s Body Shop
“Business ownership was kind of always in the back of my mind as something I wanted to do,” Greg Melartin said. Melartin recently purchased Matt’s Body Shop and Tire Service in Spring Valley and fulfilled his dream of owning his own business. It started back in the fall of 2020 when Melartin stopped into the body shop for some business and noticed a “For Sale” sign. He didn’t … [Read more...]