I recently had a conversation with a parent who said their son, soon to be graduating from high school, wanted to be an entrepreneur some day. Their son had taken an interest in culinary arts, and had expressed interest in owning a restaurant. At age 18, that’s a remarkable vision. I was enlisted for some advice, because I must have been deemed an entrepreneur by the … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… HIPAA, obituaries, and births
Do you remember how excited you were when you heard about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)? Yeah, me neither. But, HIPAA has impacted all of us in many ways we may not even realize. Companies had to become compliant with the HIPAA Security Rule by April 21, 2005. That was nearly 14 years ago. The whole reason HIPAA was introduced related … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… The clock is ticking
January 19, 2019, is approaching fast. Unfortunately, we are just days away from the iconic Branding Iron of Preston, Minn., closing its doors. KAAL6 News recently broadcast a feature highlighting the dilemma of Baby Boomers wanting to retire from owning their business, but not able to do so because they can’t find a buyer. Our Preston Area Chamber of Commerce/Preston Area … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Our second family
This past week, members of our newspaper staff attended a funeral at Root River Community Church in Rushford, Minn., to pay our respects to Peggi Redalen. Peggi worked in advertising sales for the Fillmore County Journal since way before my wife and I purchased the company in 2009. And, she had worked for the Rushford Tri-County Record for many years prior to joining the … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… I0 years and 103 miles
November 22, 2018, marked the 10-year anniversary of when it all began. Back in 2009, Jim Peters, Craig Britton, Jason Schwarz, Ross Kiehne, and myself scheduled Saturday morning runs on the bike trail. We’d usually aim for running five miles each time. We’d run at a talking pace, and it was a refreshing way to solve the world’s problems. For me, running has always cleared … [Read more...]
County vs. state election results
When comparing election results between Fillmore County, Houston County, and the State of Minnesota, the comparisons didn’t quite match up, but they usually don’t. For Governor and Lt. Governor, Minnesota voted 53.84% in favor of Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan (DFL), while Fillmore County voted 49.43% in favor of Jeff Johnson and Donna Bergstrom (R). Senator Amy Klobuchar … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… That Barenaked Ladies song is so 1993
Around 2001, my wife and I had the pleasure of attending a concert to see the headlining band named Barenaked Ladies. Back in 1993, the Canadian-born Barenaked Ladies produced a hit song titled “If I Had a Million Dollars.” This song was iconic for several reasons. The lyrics made it sound like what an average median household income person might do if they suddenly … [Read more...]
County prepares for Election Day
On Thursday, November 1, 2018, the public was invited to witness and participate in the General Election Public Accuracy Testing of Election Equipment. Sherida Newgard, who serves as the Absentee Voter Clerk for Fillmore County, Minn., demonstrated how the equipment worked as it processed ballots. She has worked with the count A total of 18 test deck ballots from Bristol … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… “If you can’t say something nice, then…”
Please raise your hand if you are sick and tired of all of the political ads; especially the negative ones! “If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all” apparently doesn’t apply to elections. Back to back political commercials flood the morning TV news channels. Our mailboxes are heaping with piles of direct mail that fill our recycling bins. And, most … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Am I a left-wing conservative or a right-wing liberal?
“I was very unhappy to see half the front page of Fillmore Journal dedicated to a Trump supporter. I believe that rally was adequately followed in Rochester newspapers and television. It’s obvious to me where this newspaper leans. So disappointed in my hometown newspaper,” said a reader from Lanesboro, Minn., in an e-mail to me on Monday, October 22, 2018. This was in … [Read more...]