For quite a number of years, the Fillmore County Journal has administered a contest devoted to encouraging readers to vote for their favorite businesses in approximately 40 different categories. At the end of the contest, we tally up the results to determine which businesses or organizations received the most votes in their respective category. We conduct a drawing from all … [Read more...]
Where no veteran ever dies
In less than four years since it opened on November 11, 2015, the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Preston, Minn., has earned top honors from the National Cemetery Association (NCA). At 9 a.m. on Friday, September 6, 2019, local, regional, and national dignitaries gathered for an award presentation. On this beautiful morning, local veterans, their families, and … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… A population crisis
Back in January 2009, over 10 years ago, when my wife and I moved our family to this beautiful area, it was undoubtedly a buyer’s real estate market. The Financial Crisis had left behind a trail of foreclosed properties in all of the cities we were considering establishing roots, such as Fountain, Harmony, Lanesboro, or Preston. After a five month search, we decided to … [Read more...]
Headstone unearthed beneath driveway of body shop
On Thursday, September 5, 2019, there was a discovery made in front of the Chatfield Body Shop. In Chatfield, Minn., the construction capital of Southeast Minnesota, the headstone of Almira Caw was found while crews were doing some dirt work to replace the driveway of the repair shop. Almira Caw’s headstone read “Almira, Wife of Joseph Caw, Born Feb. 23, 1831, Died Apr. … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… When a school dies
Several months ago, we booked a family vacation via www.vrbo.com. We’ve had friends tell us about their great experiences, so we figured we’d give it a shot. We wanted to visit the Lake Okoboji area, but every place I looked at was $350 or more per night. On www.vrbo.com, I found this farmhouse on Silver Lake on the fringe of a little town known as Ayrshire, in Iowa. It … [Read more...]
Hindt wins seat as District 3 County Commissioner
On August 13, 2019, a special election was held for voters residing in District 3 to elect their next county commissioner. Kevin Beck and Larry Hindt faced off in what was expected to be a close race, according to the primary election held on May 14, 2019. In the primary election, third place finisher Jordan Fontenello captured 27 votes, with Beck claiming 92 and Hindt … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Recognizing farm families
In this week’s edition of the Fillmore County Journal, you will notice an advertisement that we hope will become a long-term feature dedicated to recognizing our area farm families. Our local farm families have such an impact on our lives, and a good majority of the population has become disconnected from the farm. It’s not our fault. I didn’t grow up on a farm and I don’t … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Not your typical libraries
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com Over the past several weeks, I have come to appreciate a few revelations. A newspaper library First, at the Fillmore County Journal office, we do our best to preserve the history of our newspaper. When I worked at daily newspapers in Minnesota, Illinois, and Indiana, there … [Read more...]
Second kayak winner of the summer!
Rebecca Wangen Kahn of Plainview, Minn., stands next to her brand new kayak she won in a recent contest. On June 30, 2019, Visit Bluff Country Magazine conducted the second prize giveaway drawing of the summer, which was a brand new kayak. As the magazine celebrates 34 years as the premier tourism publication of Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Area), they will … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Your buying decisions
Imagine if you owned an auto repair shop, and a customer came to you and asked you to give them a quote on repairing their vehicle. The customer tells you they can’t afford to get the repairs made at this time. Within a week, that customer calls you, the auto repair shop owner, and says they went on the Internet and bought all of the parts needed for the repairs and they … [Read more...]