I keep hearing chatter about raising the minimum wage from $9.65 per hour to $15.00 per hour. That’s greater than a 55% increase! Now, I do believe an increase in minimum wage is warranted, but maybe keeping pace with the rate of inflation makes a little more sense. Maybe a 2.5% to 4% increase in the minimum wage each year would be more sensible. I remember more than 25 … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… National Postal Worker Day
On Sunday, July 1, 2018, your local United States Postal Service locations will be closed, just like any other Sunday. And, this day has been recognized as National Postal Worker Day. I think it is important to recognize our local postal workers for a variety of reasons. For most people in our area, there are three places they visit on a regular basis: the grocery store, … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… The words of graduates
In this issue of the Fillmore County Journal, our readers will find a special section dedicated to the Class of 2018. Every year, this is an enormous project involving all seven school districts in our circulation area. Collectively, there are upwards of 300 students graduating from Chatfield, Fillmore Central, Houston, Kingsland, Lanesboro, Mabel-Canton, and … [Read more...]
Thanks to our local keepers of history
In this special Memorial Day section, dedicated to those who served in our U.S. military, we honor Fillmore County’s men who served in the War of 1812. Fortunately, we have a wealth of knowledge residing at the Fillmore County Historical Center & Genealogy Library in Fountain, Minn. Her name is Debra Richardson, and she is the FCHC Executive Director. As I visited with … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… More than an education
The week of May 7, 2018, is Teacher Appreciation Week. And, Teacher Appreciation Day is on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. This past week, our newspaper presented the Golden Apple Award to Ms. Maryellen Dean, a long-time teacher at Rushford-Peterson Schools. She was nominated by two individuals: a parent and a student. Both nominations were submitted to the Fillmore County Journal … [Read more...]
Spring Home & Garden Section
Due to a neverending relentless winter, our staff at the Fillmore County Journal decided to hold off on publishing the Spring Home & Garden Section until April 30, 2018. We didn’t feel like it was spring yet, so we wanted to wait until the forecast looked promising. If this snow didn’t quit, we thought we might have to call it the “Summer Home & Garden Section.” Or, … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… I’m praying for a rebellion
Nearly every generation rebels against their parents in some way, even with subtleties. To me, the most notable rebellion is what resulted in the hippies of the late 1960s. And, I think we are due for another generation of hippies. But, the next generation of hippies won’t necessarily be dancing around half-baked at a rain swelled muddy concert at Woodstock. They will be … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Why did Facebook use print media?
Over the past several weeks, many of our readers have probably heard about the data privacy issues relating to Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, and how the information from more than 50 million Facebook users was utilized to influence the election that resulted in Donald Trump claiming the title of President of the United States of America. Yes, Facebook made all user … [Read more...]
Celebrating National Pet Day locally
On Wednesday, April 11, 2018, the world will celebrate National Pet Day. We have decided to embrace this opportunity in our newspaper in the Monday, April 9, 2018, issue of the Fillmore County Journal. For many of our readers, pets are an important part of their lives. In our household, we have an eight-year-old male Yorkshire Terrier named Baxter. We purchased him as a … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… 2018 Teacher of the Year nominations
On May 2, 2017, the Fillmore County Journal presented the first Golden Apple Award to Mary Hoiland, a 42-year veteran of the Rushford-Peterson School District. Historically, this was the first time in which a Teacher of the Year was selected from the six school districts in Fillmore County. As referenced in a May 10, 2017, article authored by Barb Jeffers, “In addition to … [Read more...]