It’s been 23 years since Brenda Ristau started working at Fillmore Central. She started out as a special education paraprofessional in 1994. Three years later, she moved into working with the hot lunch accounts and stayed in that job for four years. Finally, she accepted a position as an administrative assistant and has doing that for 16 years now. Brenda’s ability to know … [Read more...]
Articles by Hannah Wingert
Reporter
hannah@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Mabel-Canton and Spring Grove rally around one of their own
When Paula Snell was diagnosed with breast cancer, several communities rallied around her and her family in support. Snell was formerly a teacher at Mabel-Canton and currently teaches at Spring Grove. Her daughter, Hannah Snell, attends Mabel-Canton and plays varsity volleyball there. Her teammates wanted to help so they and their parents put their heads together and came … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central trials ergonomic standing desks
When Fillmore Central High School English teacher Gerri Nielson decided that it was time for a change in her classroom, she started researching flexible seating options for her students. She began her search online, but wasn’t impressed with what she saw. “They all looked like they would break easily,” Nielson said. So she decided to take her search local. Her first step … [Read more...]
Bluff Country Harvest addresses world hunger
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. That statement defines the Food Resource Bank, an organization with which locals, Gary Broadwater and Jim Keune, recently began working. If you’ve driven down Highway 16 between Spring Valley and Preston lately, you’ve probably noticed the Food Resource Bank/Bluff Country … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central School Board considers purchase of Slim’s Woodshed
“We have been storing a lot of the props we had built in a storage building in Granger,” Jay Masters said about the equipment for the Monster Bash, which he runs. The shed’s owner plans to rent it out and needs it empty by November 1, creating a problem for Masters as he now has to find a new storage space. “We also have 4’ x 8’ plywood walls being stored in the bus shed in … [Read more...]
School year off to a great start in Lanesboro
Recently hired Lanesboro Superintendent Matt Schultz was pleased to say that the 2016-17 school year was off to a great start. He has been enjoying working with the staff and wished to recognize transportation director Chad Wangen for the fantastic job he does handling the bus and van scheduling. Schultz spent some time observing Wangen at work and was impressed with how he … [Read more...]
Mabel City Council hears noise complaint from resident
Mabel Resident Lois Suckow asked that the council take action to address the loud noises coming from the American Legion and the On/Off Sale Bar. She had spoken at the August council meeting as well, but reported that the situation has not changed. Mayor Westby spoke to the owners of both establishments after last month’s meeting, and they agreed to be sure that all of … [Read more...]
New owners for Harmony Gardens and Floral
Andrew and Lisa Kingsley have always had a love of gardening, and now they’ve turned that love into a career. The Kingsleys had been considering the possibility of buying the Harmony Greenhouse from Paula MacKenberg for some time now, but when she announced that she had found a home in Montana and would be moving there, they knew it was time to move forward with the … [Read more...]
Enrollment holding steady at Mabel-Canton Schools
Mabel-Canton welcomed 20 new students to the district this year. “Enrollment is currently at about 260,” Superintendent Jennifer Backer stated. “We haven’t seen those numbers in a while. It’s normal for them to ebb and flow all the time, but they’ve been maintaining over the last few years.” The new students were introduced to the student body at the pep fest along with the … [Read more...]
Harmony’s Monster Bash promises a scary good time
When Jay Masters first started the Monster Bash at the Community Center gym in Harmony five years ago, he didn’t realize it would be such a big hit. Masters first approached the Fillmore Central high school band director with the idea of starting a haunted house as a fundraiser for band trips. In the five years that the haunted house has been open, it’s grown into a success … [Read more...]