By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com One of the stories in this week’s newspaper relates to a USPS semi-trailer that burst into flames along Highway 52 north of Rochester. The Oronoco Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire within a short window of time, so traffic could resume on Highway 52. At the time … [Read more...]
FCJ Earns General Excellence Award
At the annual Association of Community Publishers conference, held in Mobile, Ala., the Fillmore County Journal was recognized with nine awards. Best Self Promotion (Other Media) - First Place Best Front Page-Cover (Special Section) - First Place Best Self Promotion (Community Service) - Second Place Best Self Promotion (Awards) - Third Place Best Educational … [Read more...]
Alleged Drunk Driver Totals Classic Car and More
Over the past two weeks, anyone passing through Preston on Highway 52 has probably seen a black tarp covering a vehicle on the lot of Preston Service Plus. Passersby probably also noticed signs had been struck along with damage to the north side of the long-time body shop. The Statement of Probable Cause - Verbatim “On or about August 8, 2025, at approximately 1:25 AM, … [Read more...]
Future of Fillmore County Journal
While there have been many local family-owned newspapers that have either been sold to a corporation or simply closed, the Fillmore County Journal has been fortunate to remain healthy and sustainable. But, this is only possible because we have an amazing team working at the newspaper and a tremendously supportive community. We have readers who help guide the ship for what … [Read more...]
Expansion and New Ventures Based on Talent
After Amanda and I purchased the Fillmore County Journal in 2009, I started to recognize underserved opportunities in the market. Based on the talent we’ve attracted, I have always considered our company to be media, marketing and technology focused. SMG Web Design Many businesses were seeking web design services outside of the area, so we launched SMG Web Design in … [Read more...]
One Employee Spanning 35 Years
The history of the Fillmore County Journal would not be complete without mentioning the impact of one key employee that worked for all three newspaper owners. Sherry Hines, who resides in Harmony, Minn., started working for the Journal in 1986, just one year after its inception. She worked in advertising sales for the Fillmore County Journal and Visit Bluff Country Magazine … [Read more...]
Making the News for Over 40 Years
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! This is a special edition of the Fillmore County Journal as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of publishing this community newspaper. What makes this so special is that we have an opportunity to celebrate something that rarely happens with community newspapers – especially these days. While corporations have gobbled up community … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Movies Theaters and Social Engagement
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com As of July 27, 2025, the city of Rochester only has one movie theater. CMX Chateau, one of the biggest movie theaters in Rochester, closed, leaving only Marcus Rochester Cinema left to serve a booming population currently approaching 124,000. Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Leaving Hawaii for Bluff Country?
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com I wear a number of hats, besides working at the newspaper. One of my jobs, which I thoroughly enjoy, is delivering copies of the Visit Bluff Country Magazine to locations all throughout Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. While recently making my rounds in Rochester, Minn., I stopped … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Another New Feature: Arts & Entertainment
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com Each year, our team at the newspaper discusses ways in which we can create more story sharing opportunities for the sake of our readers and advertisers. We discuss the presentation of the content, story selection ideas, and how we can involve the supportive and connected business … [Read more...]