Mindy Bear. Mindy Jacobsen. Mindy Jones. Mindy Riley. While her name has changed, her story has not. For more than two decades, Mindy has been caught up in a whirlwind of nefarious activities, becoming a household name in area newspapers. The telling of this story has been made possible with the collaboration of staff and resources shared between The Waukon Standard, … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… I want to believe we still live in Mayberry
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com Quite a few people in the area heard about the craziness happening in Fountain, Minn., a couple of Fridays ago. The town went into lockdown, because there were two felons on the loose who happened to be wanted for murder. It’s front page news this week, in case you missed it. On February … [Read more...]
Fountain went into lockdown
On the eve of Friday, March 24, 2023, just before 5:20 p.m., while a state trooper was working traffice enforcment on Highway 52 near mile marker 25, in the City of Fountain, the trooper observed a Ford SUV traveling at a high rate of speed and activated their emergency lights to stop the vehicle. The driver of the Ford turned onto Fillmore County 8 into the City of Fountain, … [Read more...]
Journal launches TV network
Over the past year, the team at the Fillmore County Journal has been in launch mode with a new tech-based project. We’ve been quite busy learning new software, proprietary hardware, and installing televisions all throughout the newspaper coverage area, spanning multiple communities in Southeast Minnesota. Out-of-home digital billboard advertising has become very popular … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… We need more of you
It’s been noted quite often throughout my lifetime that if you want to get something done, give it to a busy person. Most often, I’ve heard this said while involved in volunteer organizations. It seems like those who volunteer for things have a hard time saying no. So, they keep volunteering for whatever needs to be done. These volunteers, with their time and talents, are … [Read more...]
2022 Business Persons of the Year Kraus couple receives award of excellence from Journal readers
As a newspaper, we have an opportunity to bring people together for a common good. To inspire and foster positive news presented by our readers that lifts people up in the communities we serve. Starting in 2020, the staff at the Fillmore County Journal coordinated the first-ever recognition for the Business Person of the Year. The newspaper publishes a form to fill out and … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Go easy on the refs unless you want the job
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com I think we’ve all attended a high school sporting event and witnessed some behavior from a fan that made for an awkward situation. It sets the tone and become a toxic situation for all involved. Some people are more expressive than others, but there is a point at which a line is crossed. … [Read more...]
Honorable Judge Opat retires with a full courtroom
The Fillmore County District Court had a full house on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. Hundreds of people from near and far funneled in and out of the courtroom to congratulate Judge Matthew Opat for his service to the area. In the State of Minnesota, judges are required to retire at the age of 70, which is why Opat was signing off as a full-time judge. It was apparent that … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Did you really meme that?
Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com OK, so all of a sudden, a few years ago, smartphone users started using gifs and memes. Not sure how it happened, but it was magic. It showed up as an option, and we embraced it. I have to say there are some pretty funny ones that seem to add to, or capture a moment better than a simple text message. A … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… A busy time of the year
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day is one of the busiest times of the year. At the newspaper, we have so much going on. And, I’m thankful we have such an incredibly talented and energetic team managing the workflow of the season. When I look at the … [Read more...]
Forecasting the future From now until the Class of 2035
Back in 2010, the Fillmore County Journal published an article sharing the projected graduating class sizes per school district in the immediate newspaper coverage area. At that time, schools were experiencing an influx of students in their preschool programs, anticipating the need for more teachers as a result of what became coined the “Baby Boomlet” of 2007. With the … [Read more...]
Volunteer of the Year recognized at Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce annual meeting
The annual Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce meeting was held at the Five Wynds Event Centre in Spring Valley, Minn., on Wednesday, November 16. With more than 30 local business people and community leaders present, there was a special presentation made by Chamber President Stacey Rath. Rath opened with, “What does Spring Valley mean to me? I have lived in this town for … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… A Groovy Turkey Day Run
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com I remember back in about 9th grade, when I started running long distance with the endurance runners on our track team. Somehow, maybe by process of elimination, I was selected to run the mile (1600 meters) event instead of being a sprinter. I had to run with the guys who ran a minimum … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Honoring our Veterans
Thank you again to all of our veterans for their service to our country. Veterans Day has come and gone, but we can never forget their sacrifices of so many men and women from our region. Back in 2014, with the help of some amazing people on our team at the Fillmore County Journal, we started a project in which we had hopes of publishing our first-ever book dedicated to the … [Read more...]
Highlights from 2022 election First female mayor, nay to the booze, and nobody wants the job
This election cycle had quite a bit of activity taking place, which meant voters were making some significant decisions, yet again. In District 26B, State Representative Gregory M. Davids ran uncontested with 94.67% of the votes. For Governor and Lt. Governor, DFL incumbent Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan won with 52.27% of the statewide votes. However, in Fillmore County, … [Read more...]