By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com I think we’ve all attended a high school sporting event and witnessed some behavior from a fan that made for an awkward situation. It sets the tone and become a toxic situation for all involved. Some people are more expressive than others, but there is a point at which a line is crossed. … [Read more...]
Honorable Judge Opat retires with a full courtroom
The Fillmore County District Court had a full house on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. Hundreds of people from near and far funneled in and out of the courtroom to congratulate Judge Matthew Opat for his service to the area. In the State of Minnesota, judges are required to retire at the age of 70, which is why Opat was signing off as a full-time judge. It was apparent that … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Did you really meme that?
Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com OK, so all of a sudden, a few years ago, smartphone users started using gifs and memes. Not sure how it happened, but it was magic. It showed up as an option, and we embraced it. I have to say there are some pretty funny ones that seem to add to, or capture a moment better than a simple text message. A … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… A busy time of the year
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day is one of the busiest times of the year. At the newspaper, we have so much going on. And, I’m thankful we have such an incredibly talented and energetic team managing the workflow of the season. When I look at the … [Read more...]
Forecasting the future From now until the Class of 2035
Back in 2010, the Fillmore County Journal published an article sharing the projected graduating class sizes per school district in the immediate newspaper coverage area. At that time, schools were experiencing an influx of students in their preschool programs, anticipating the need for more teachers as a result of what became coined the “Baby Boomlet” of 2007. With the … [Read more...]
Volunteer of the Year recognized at Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce annual meeting
The annual Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce meeting was held at the Five Wynds Event Centre in Spring Valley, Minn., on Wednesday, November 16. With more than 30 local business people and community leaders present, there was a special presentation made by Chamber President Stacey Rath. Rath opened with, “What does Spring Valley mean to me? I have lived in this town for … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… A Groovy Turkey Day Run
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com I remember back in about 9th grade, when I started running long distance with the endurance runners on our track team. Somehow, maybe by process of elimination, I was selected to run the mile (1600 meters) event instead of being a sprinter. I had to run with the guys who ran a minimum … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Honoring our Veterans
Thank you again to all of our veterans for their service to our country. Veterans Day has come and gone, but we can never forget their sacrifices of so many men and women from our region. Back in 2014, with the help of some amazing people on our team at the Fillmore County Journal, we started a project in which we had hopes of publishing our first-ever book dedicated to the … [Read more...]
Highlights from 2022 election First female mayor, nay to the booze, and nobody wants the job
This election cycle had quite a bit of activity taking place, which meant voters were making some significant decisions, yet again. In District 26B, State Representative Gregory M. Davids ran uncontested with 94.67% of the votes. For Governor and Lt. Governor, DFL incumbent Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan won with 52.27% of the statewide votes. However, in Fillmore County, … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Our next generation of thought provokers
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com There’s something pretty amazing about getting your written work published in a newspaper or magazine. Back in the late 1970s, following the flood that devastated our family and many others in Rochester, Minn., on July 6, 1978, my mother wrote a piece about that experience that was … [Read more...]
