Madeline Kingsbury, 26, disappeared on the morning of Friday, March 31, 2023. She didn’t show up for work, and she didn’t pick up her children at daycare at the end of the day. She just vanished. While Maddi lived in Winona County, law enforcement has been seeking answers relating to her disappearance in Fillmore and Houston Counties. In April, for several weeks in a … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… We are fortunate in so many ways
By Jason Sethre Publisher Fillmore County Journal jason@fillmorecountyjournal.com This is the seventh consecutive year in which the Fillmore County Journal has recognized a Teacher of the Year from our coverage area, and I am so grateful to everyone involved in this recognition. When we initiated this idea, we wanted to show our appreciation for teachers during Teacher … [Read more...]
New request to property owners in Madeline Kingsbury case
Madeline Kingsbury, age 26 and residing in Winona with her two young children, has not been seen since the morning of Friday, March 31, 2023. After nearly one month since her disappearance, with thousands of concerned citizens searching properties in Fillmore and Houston Counties, the search continues. The Winona Police Department issued the following statement on April 26, … [Read more...]
Father’s Day Cruise for a Cause
This upcoming Father’s Day is going to be extra special. Dads like cars, and dads like helping people. So, why not have an event that gets fathers out on the roadways of scenic bluff country, and raise some money for an important cause along the way? On Sunday, June 18, 2023, Visit Bluff Country Magazine will be hosting the first-ever “Father’s Day Cruise for a Cause.” … [Read more...]
Missing: Madeline Kingsbury
Winona Police Chief Tom Williams held a press conference at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, relating to the disappearance of Madeline (Maddi) Kingsbury. Maddi, 26, a mother of two young children, has been missing since the early morning of March 31, 2023. The father of her children went with her to drop their children off at daycare shortly after 8 a.m. According to a … [Read more...]
2023 Volunteer of the Year Spring Grove Fire Chief receives award of excellence from Journal readers
Spring Grove must have something pretty special. Over the past 12 months, they’ve earned three awards of excellence with the help of Journal readers. The 2022 Teacher of the Year was Stacey Schultz, an elementary school teacher for Spring Grove. In January 2023, we recognized Jerry and Nancy Kraus, owners of Kraus Oil, as the 2022 Business Persons of the Year. Today, we … [Read more...]
Tin, Rust & Swindle
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...]