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...]
Fillmore County Turkey Day Run registration deadline is November 6
On Thursday, November 22, 2018, the Fillmore County Turkey Day Run will celebrate 10 years of gobblin’ on the gravy train. The 10.3-mile event takes runners, bikers, walkers, and dog-walkers along the scenic stretch of the Root River State Bike Trail from the starting point of Riverside on the Root in Lanesboro, Minn., all the way to Trailhead Inn & Suites in Preston, … [Read more...]
Olstad shares experience with young Falcons
It’s a rarity to have an athlete from any rural community rise to stardom at a professional level. So, when it does happen, people take notice. There hasn’t been a professional football player with Fillmore County, Minn., roots since a Rushford-Peterson High School prodigy named Steve Heiden was drafted as a tight end to play in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers (1999-2001) … [Read more...]
Letter to the Editor Policy leading up to Election Day 2018
“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” — Benjamin Franklin In case you hadn’t noticed, the 2018 election season is well underway and as Election Day draws near, so does its impact on the community and this newspaper. This is also the time … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Dirty jobs
Some of you may remember the TV show named Dirty Jobs starring host Mike Rowe. From 2005 to 2012, Rowe would tag along with people who had the dirtiest jobs in America. He was outstanding at capturing the essence of a job in the most graphic of details, helping viewers appreciate all of the jobs that came with disgusting smells and physically demanding conditions. As I … [Read more...]
Letter to the Editor Policy leading up to Election Day 2018
“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” — Benjamin Franklin In case you hadn’t noticed, the 2018 election season is well underway and as Election Day draws near, so does its impact on the community and this newspaper. This is also the time … [Read more...]
What came first, the chicken or the ordinance? Chickens are allowed in 43% of Fillmore County cities
In recent years, Fillmore County has become a brooder box of chicken politics. It’s not about whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican. It’s about important stuff. It’s about whether townies should have the right to egg it up. The late KFC kingpin Colonel Sanders would delight in all this crispy chicken chatter. On Tuesday, November 6, 2018, voters living in the City of … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Questions for candidates
As we embark upon another election, among all seats available, we have two highly contested positions up for grabs in Fillmore County. After the dust settles from the Primary Election on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, we’ll be counting down the days until a decision is made by the voters on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, in the General Election. Who will be the next Fillmore County … [Read more...]
Mail ballot process on the rise
Registered voters in a select few precincts in Fillmore County may have recently received a special packet in the mail that allows them to vote in the primary and general election by mail instead of visiting a precinct. According to Carrie Huffman with the Fillmore County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office, for the 2018 election there will be three cities and five townships offering … [Read more...]