At approximately 1 p.m. on Monday, September 25, 2023, an 82-year-old female was traveling along River Street in Chatfield, Minn., on her motorized scooter. According to Chatfield Police Chief Shane Fox, there was a tree removal company clearing out an area at a nearby lot. While cleaning up the lot, the driver of a skid loader backed off of the boulevard of the lot onto the … [Read more...]
Culture and Community: Where People Discover God’s Country
For anyone who has ever travelled from Chatfield to Fountain on Highway 52, they’ve observed “God’s Country.” They’ve seen it spray painted bold and black on a 70-year-old steel farm building full of round hay bales. Tom, who grew up in Rochester, Minn., discovered God’s Country when he was just a kid. He recalls when he was about nine years old, he would ride a Jefferson … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Hutchinson News in Kansas or Minnesota?
This past week, there was a buzz in the newspaper industry about a faux pas for The Hutchinson News located in Hutchinson, Kan. They had a wonderfully designed front page showing a group of senior citizens kayaks on a lake in Hutchinson. The headline of the story read, “Engaged, happy and active.” It was about all about how the Hutchinson Senior Center keeps seniors busy … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… National Newspaper Carrier Day – September 4
I’ve been working in the newspaper business, technically, since I was 10 years old. That’s when I started delivering a shopper route in Northwest Rochester. I had 200 shoppers to deliver, spanning 17 blocks in our neighborhood. It became a family affair. The shoppers would arrive and we would stuff them in long plastic bags to protect them from the elements on the doorstep … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… “I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
Made famous by Dorothy and her ruby red slippers, that was the memorable moment when Judy Garland’s character realized she had suddenly arrived in the Land of Oz. Well, Marion County seemed to have a tornado of sorts rip through the little town of Marion (pop. 1,902). It was like the Land of Oz with a few agendas working behind the curtains of the law. On Friday, August … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Corporate vs. Family-owned Newspapers
A few weeks ago, a Rochester Post-Bulletin reporter contacted me regarding my thoughts on a report presented by the Minnesota Center for Rural Policy & Develop-ment (MCRPD) in April 2023. I told the reporter I was glad he contacted me, because I had actually sent an email to Julie Tesch, president & CEO of the MCRPD. I shared my email to Julie with the P-B reporter, … [Read more...]
Mabel Firefighter Runs for Maddi
Since Madeline Kingsbury’s body was discovered several miles north of Mabel, Minn., Rick Aske has done his part to show support for the Kingsbury family during a very difficult time. Every week, Aske mows and trims the lawn of the memorial site dedicated to Maddi. And, he recently coordinated a fundraiser in tandem with the annual Run from the Sun event held in Mabel, … [Read more...]
Journal Earns 8 More Awards at ACP Conference
In April 2023, the Association of Community Publishers held their annual conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the annual conference, ACP coordinated the annual “Best of the Best” contest for the publishing industry. There were more than 1,200 contest entries in over 100 categories. The Fillmore County Journal team earned a total of eight awards in the following … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… You Can Call Me AI
The newspaper business has been a part of my life for nearly 40 years, dating back to my early days as a Post-Bulletin route carrier. As many in our industry would say, “I have ink in my blood.” It’s truly a privilege to do what I do; to work with the people I work with. We have an amazing team that continuously strives to improve both our content and our presentation of … [Read more...]
Culture & Community This Ex-Amish Life: Eddie Swartzentruber
I had the opportunity to sit down with Eddie Swartzentruber and his wife Karwyn for about three hours at Estelle’s Eatery & Bar in Harmony, Minn., to discuss his life’s story. For those of you who don’t know, Eddie has become a mega ex-Amish superstar, interviewed by major TV networks and media nationwide. He’s become a social media sensation. He told me he was offered a … [Read more...]