Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and readers will find a section in this issue of the Fillmore County Journal that includes recognition of the fifth annual Teacher of the Year. Stacy Fritz, ag teacher and FFA inspiration for students at Chatfield Public Schools, was named the 2021 Teacher of the … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Teacher appreciation
For more than 12 months, we’ve been navigating a pandemic. A major hurdle that caught us off-guard was how to keep our children moving forward with an education system administered via distance learning or hybrid scenarios. It’s been difficult for students, parents, and teachers alike -- and that’s putting it lightly. None of us signed up for this. If we have learned … [Read more...]
Real Bites- Good Times Restaurant and Bar
I had a meeting scheduled in Caledonia, Minn., recently, and Good Times Restaurant and Bar was the place of choice. Over the past decade, our family has spent quite a bit of time in Caledonia, attending basketball games for our daughter and son. So, we have become quite familiar with Good Times. Restaurant owner Sarah Glasrud runs a fine establishment. Caledonia has quite … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… It’s been one year since our world changed
I don’t have to remind everyone of what we’ve endured for the past 12 months. But, I feel like it is important to reflect on the past and present state of the pandemic. On Thursday, March 12, 2020, our family was gathering in the Twin Cities to watch the Fillmore Central Falcons girls basketball team battle for a state tournament title. I recall standing in line with other … [Read more...]
Journal earns seven awards
The 154th annual Minnesota Newspaper Association conference and trade show was not quite the same this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, that didn’t prevent the big show from coming together in a virtual presentation. Each year, hundreds of newspaper professionals from more than 200 daily and weekly newspapers throughout the state of Minnesota gather in … [Read more...]
Schultz takes on new role with Journal
In January of 2021, Sherry Hines retired as an advertising sales representative with the Fillmore County Journal after serving customers in Southeast Minnesota and Northeast Iowa for 35 years. With Hines retiring from the Journal, Sara Schultz has taken over her territory. Schultz started her career as a graphic designer with the newspaper in October of 2019. With … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… People do business with people
This past week, I was happy to see how well the “2020 Business Person of the Year” recognition was embraced in the communities we serve. “We need more positive news, after the year we’ve gone through,” said one business owner. “Thank you for doing this.” This was our first time ever coordinating a nomination process like this, and I think it went well. One thing we did, … [Read more...]
2020 Business Person of the Year Jones receives award of excellence from Journal readers
The year 2020 became one that tested everyone in ways never imagined. For business leaders, they contended with circumstances they had never encountered before. There were issues with supply chain, facility capacity limitations, shutdowns, social distancing, mask mandates, COVID exposure protocol, staffing, sanitization, health, and safety – to name a few. Over the past few … [Read more...]
COVID-19 update as of January 21, 2021
Since worldwide tracking of COVID-19 began on January 23, 2020, there have been 96,563,635 total cases (up from 87,588,168 compared to two weeks ago) with 2,067,143 fatalities (up from 1,890,824 compared to two weeks ago) — 2.14% of total cases (down from 2.16% compared to two weeks ago). In the United States, there have been 24,433,486 total cases (up from 21,559,660 … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Hitting deadline for 35 years
In the newspaper business, our schedule is dictated by press deadlines. Right when we finish one deadline, the countdown to the next one begins immediately. Over the course of 35 years of working for the Fillmore County Journal, Sherry Hines has successfully hit more than 1,800 deadlines. That’s truly astounding! More than a year ago, she shared with her Journal family that … [Read more...]