Leigh and Kayla Volkman owned and operated L&L Volkman Auto Body Repair in Rushford for four and a half years before an opportunity came up that they couldn’t turn down. They had been discussing the possibility of moving their business to a better location for some time and were thinking about building, but when they heard that a place was for sale in Rushford, their plans … [Read more...]
Articles by Hannah Wingert
Reporter
hannah@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Lanesboro Ambulance Service in dire need of volunteers
At the December 2 Lanesboro City Council meeting, Ambulance Director Deane Benson asked the council for permission to hold a town meeting in February or March of 2020. If the ambulance service does not get more volunteers to help staff it, there is a danger of losing its Advanced Life Support license. If that happens, the ambulance staff would only be able to perform triage, … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central grad raises concerns about ADA accessibility
Fillmore Central graduate Taryn Raaen attended the November 26 Fillmore Central School Board meeting to discuss the lack of accessibility to the weight room. She pointed out that the school is not ADA compliant because of the stairs leading to the weight room. Raaen suggested that it be moved to the stage area in the old gym and the theater department be moved into its own … [Read more...]
Vacant seat on Lanesboro School Board filled
At the November 21 Lanesboro School Board meeting, Sarah Peterson was nominated to fill the vacant seat on the board left by Lolly Melander. Melander resigned in September after serving on the board for nearly nine years. A roll call vote to appoint Peterson passed unanimously. Steve Storhoff was nominated and appointed as the board treasurer to replace Melander. The … [Read more...]
New consignment business opens in Harmony
It all started when Harmony native Becky Hoff started downsizing the contents of her closet by selling some of her clothes on online marketplace apps such as Poshmark and Mercari. Then, she started finding pieces while out browsing estate sales and thrift stores. “And I thought, I could sell that,” she said. The next thing she knew, she was in business. She stayed busy prepping … [Read more...]
Harmony council approves playground equipment purchase
Harmony resident Dan Dornink attended the November 12 Harmony City Council meeting to discuss the plans for the proposed playground. “It has come to my attention that we’re talking about putting a new playground outside the community center here. I would like to ask the council to reconsider the location as this side of town is already well served by playgrounds,” he said, … [Read more...]
Lanesboro council urges citizens to be aware of radon
The City of Lanesboro recently worked with Fillmore County to test all of its public facilities for radon. All of the buildings except for two fell under the average of 5.81 for Fillmore County. The basement of the museum tested only slightly over the average, but the fire department was very high. Two tests were conducted in different areas of the building, and they came back … [Read more...]
Whalan mayor reminisces about time in Navy
“I wasn’t ready,” Marlys Tuftin of Whalan said. While Tuftin was studying at Winona State, her college roommate asked her to join the Navy with her on the buddy system. Tuftin wasn’t interested at the time and ended up turning her down for a job in civilian nursing, but five years later, she had second thoughts. “I decided to try it for three years,” she said. Those three … [Read more...]
Harmony welcomes new Chamber director
“I felt that I was up to the challenge,” Melissa Vander Plas about her new job as the director of the Harmony Area Chamber of Commerce. Melissa grew up on a small farm just northeast of Harmony, graduated from Harmony High School, and has lived the last 20 years in Harmony. When Melissa saw the posting for the Chamber director job, it seemed too opportune to pass up. “I … [Read more...]
After barn collapse, North-Creek Dairy has hope for the future
“It was the first time in 116 years we weren’t milking a cow,” Corey Hoffman of North-Creek Dairy said. After the blizzard in late February 2019, Corey, a fourth generation farmer, and his family thought they were going to have to shut down their dairy farm near Chatfield for good. “I was heartbroken,” he said. It started at about 1 a.m. on February 24. An 80’x100’ section … [Read more...]
Fountain artist decorates Harmony windows for fall
Art and window painting has always been a part of Geri Hanson’s life. Her father owned a gas station in La Crosse and, when she was a child, she often helped him paint the windows with decorative pictures. Geri’s mother was artistic as well. “My mom was incredibly crafty and painted a lot,” Geri said. One of Geri’s recent projects was painting the windows of various … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central Board reviews audit report
At the October 22 Fillmore Central School Board meeting, Kali Olstad from Smith & Shafer presented the audit report for 2018-19. Olstad reported an unmodified, clean opinion for the audit. The average daily membership currently stands at 616 students. “These numbers are what drive your funding,” Olstad noted. For 2018-19, the district showed 9.6 million in revenues which is … [Read more...]
Hands-free law solutions at Main Street Wireless
“It was assumed that it was coming,” Lee Novotny, owner of Main Street Wireless in Chatfield, said of the hands-free driving law that went into effect in Minnesota on August 1, 2019. According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, Minnesota is the 20th state in the US to pass a hands-free law. Novotny was not surprised. “I think it was an obvious one that it was … [Read more...]
Filthy 50 bike race celebrates first year in Lanesboro
“Race it and set a record. Ride it and take in the beauty. Either way, get filthy,” Trenton Raygor quoted. He was referring to the Filthy 50 bike race that took place in Lanesboro on October 12. This was the bike ride’s seventh consecutive year, but the first in Lanesboro. The previous six were held in Stewartville where Raygor grew up and his parents still live. Trenton’s … [Read more...]
Lanesboro school continues to prepare for upcoming facilities project
At the October 14 Lanesboro School Board meeting, the Finance, Facilities, and Long-Range Planning Committee reported that the substantial completion date for the facilities project was moved from the beginning of September 2020 to the last day of that month instead. The hope is that the extended timeline will bring prices down and be more flexible for the contractors. Bids … [Read more...]