The August 16 Harmony city council meeting opened with a public hearing on vacating a portion of 2nd Ave SW. Roxanne Johnson spoke on behalf of property owner Mavis Brunsvold. Brunsvold and all other property owners for the area in question have signed the petition to vacate and are in favor of it. The public hearing was closed. The consent agenda was approved and included … [Read more...]
Articles by Hannah Wingert
Reporter
hannah@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Lanesboro council makes changes to street improvement plan
Andy Heimdahl, owner of Sylvan Brewing, addressed the Lanesboro City Council at their regular August 1 meeting. He had noticed that the addition of two parking spaces in front of his brewery along with a small ramp were in the street improvement plan. While he understood the need for more parking spots, that space is frequently used for large brewery deliveries. “If there were … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central replaces elementary school supply lists with supply fees
A K-6 grade supply fee of $25 per student was reviewed by the Fillmore Central School Board at their July 26 meeting. The fee will allow the teachers to purchase the exact supplies the students in their classrooms will need rather than sending out a school supply list for families to purchase individually. Due to the change, a supply drive will no longer be held, but people … [Read more...]
Harmony resident voices concerns over utility billing process
Lisa Miller addressed the Harmony City Council at their July 12 meeting about her utility bills from the month of May. She owns six properties in Harmony and typically receives her bills via email and then a mailed late notice if they are not paid promptly. However, in May, she said that she did not receive any notifications at all about her bills. She didn’t realize it until … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central repairs elementary school roof
Superintendent Heath Olstad gave an update on the elementary roof project to the Fillmore Central school board members at their regular June 28 meeting. The project is going well so far. Olstad and board member Jim Love were able to go up on the roof last week to see what was being done up there. It was discovered that the weeps, which are ropes placed through the masonry to … [Read more...]
Harmony Council welcomes new member
A resolution accepting the resignation of council member Tony Webber was adopted at the June 14 Harmony Council meeting. A notification had previously been put out asking any Harmony residents interested in filling his seat to send a letter of interest to the city and several letters were received. “I want to thank everybody who applied,” Mayor Steve Donney said, noting that it … [Read more...]
Popcorn stand memories
“Peanuts, popcorn, cracker jacks!” Della Marie Jetson Mehaffey can still hear her Grandpa Linstroth calling out those words to attract customers to his popcorn stand. “I’m not sure where the cracker jacks came from,” she laughed. She remembers the popcorn and the peanuts, but doesn’t recall him ever selling cracker jacks. Francis Linstroth grew up in Preston and moved to … [Read more...]
Lanesboro approves food truck ordinance
At the June 6 regular city council meeting, Lanesboro resident Sarah Pieper from the Old Village Hall Restaurant addressed the council about her concerns with proposed ordinance 113.11 regarding food trucks. She requested that the annual use license be removed from the ordinance and that the price for single use licenses be increased. She also asked whether the council had … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central Board addresses peanut allergy concerns at high school
At the May 24 Fillmore Central School Board meeting, Superintendent Heath Olstad reviewed an email from a student’s parents regarding her severe peanut allergy and addressing ways to keep their daughter safe at school, as she will be moving to the high school building in the fall. They had visited the April council meeting to discuss the matter as well. Board member Shelly … [Read more...]
Preston woman shares memories of growing up on the railroad
Not many people remember a time when trains ran through Preston, but for life-long Preston resident Ila Mae Olstad, those memories are near and dear to her heart. “My dad worked on the railroad. He was section foreman here in Preston,” Ila Mae explained. Her parents, Art and Melda Noel, moved to Preston around 1921 and she was born 10 years later. Ila Mae’s father had a … [Read more...]
Seat opens up on Harmony City Council
At the May 10 regular city council meeting, the Harmony Council accepted a resignation from council member Tony Webber effective June 1. A resolution regarding his resignation will be voted on at a special council meeting on May 19. Anyone interested in filling Webber’s term, which ends this year, should submit a letter to the city by the regular June 14 meeting. Tom Olinger … [Read more...]
Fillmore Central parents address peanut allergy concerns
Fillmore Central parents Aaron and Emily Scheevel addressed the school board at the April 26 meeting to discuss concerns regarding their daughter’s peanut and tree nut allergy, especially as she transitions to the high school next year. “Everyone has been super supportive in the school and in the community,” Emily said, adding that she’s thankful that her daughter’s classmates … [Read more...]
Harmony Council reviews property tax change requests
The April 12 Harmony City Council meeting opened with the Board of Equalization and Appeals. Fillmore County Assessor Jason McCaslin gave a presentation to the council explaining how property taxes and assessments work. The role of the assessor is to ensure that the property tax burden is distributed equitably and according to Minnesota statutes. Physical property inspections … [Read more...]
Public comment section added to Lanesboro council meetings
The Lanesboro City Council met for their regular meeting on March 7 at 6 p.m. The consent agenda was approved and included accounts payable, Resolution 2022-19 reestablishing precincts and polling locations, and a temporary liquor license for the fire department as well as a gambling permit, parade permit, and temporary liquor license for Buffalo Bill Days. At the February … [Read more...]
Harmony Council approves amended zoning ordinance
The March 8 Harmony City Council meeting took place in the community center gymnasium due to the large number of residents present. Council member Tony Webber was absent. The meeting opened with a public hearing on the proposed Industrial Park Plat. Jerome Illg spoke regarding the special meeting that took place on March 1. At that meeting, some people questioned how often the … [Read more...]