At the August 1 meeting of the Preston City Council, Sheila Craig, president of the Preston Historical Society, updated the council as to the ongoing activities of the Society. The Society had received a $10,000 Small Community Grant from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) in the fall of 2021. The funds are being used to study funding options for the … [Read more...]
Schematic design presented for Fillmore County Jail
At the August 2 meeting of the county board, Bruce Schwartzman and Henry Pittner, BKV Group, presented a schematic design for the jail remodeling and addition. BKV Group last presented to the county board on June 7. Since then, they have worked through plans, systems, materials, and have studied the site for all underground utilities that may conflict with … [Read more...]
CUP recommended by Fillmore County Planning Commission
The Fillmore County Planning Commission met on July 21 for a public hearing to consider an application for a conditional use permit for a sand and gravel pit, located in section 19 of Spring Valley Township. Mitch Froehlich spoke for Ulland Brothers, Inc., a local paving and excavation contractor (founded in 1920). The employee-owned company has a three-year lease agreement … [Read more...]
Chatfield to continue bag system for waste removal
At the July 25 meeting of the Chatfield City Council, a resolution was unanimously approved to continue the current method of waste and recycling collection for at least another year. Bill Hanson, William Hanson Waste Removal, agreed now is not a good time to make a switch. The Public Services committee needs more time to resolve the many issues that have popped up over the … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Community Corrections savings
The newly hired Community Corrections Director Tom Jensen addressed the Fillmore County board for the first time at its July 26 meeting. Jensen has been on the job for the county since July 18. He has been working on the 2023 budget for the new department. The board voted to withdraw from Dodge-Fillmore-Olmsted Community Corrections and the Joint Powers Agreement, effective … [Read more...]
MiBroadband to expand internet service for Fillmore County residents
A groundbreaking event was held on July 18 to announce two broadband projects, one in rural Fillmore County and one in Howard/Chickasaw Counties in Iowa. MiBroadband was awarded a $1.1 million grant in 2021 from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Border-to-Border Grant. The grant and a $2.1 million local match will be used to upgrade … [Read more...]
Chatfield approves 2022 crack-filling plan
Brian Burkholder provided a list of streets that are scheduled to get crack-filling maintenance at the city council’s July 11 meeting. Streets to be crack-filled are those that had been overlayed in the years from 2017 to the present. A bid from Durst Outdoor Services in the amount of $27,892.80 was approved. The plan from Widseth to crack-fill streets from years one through … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Airport to receive $950,000
At the July 11 Fillmore County Board meeting, airport manager Pam Schroeder reported that the Fillmore County Airport will be awarded a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant in the amount of $950,000. It is one of four grants to be received by Minnesota airports. The federal funding is part of the bi-partisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed into … [Read more...]
Scouting for soybean aphids and armyworms
Extension Educator University of Minnesota Extension Fillmore and Houston Counties Despite the somewhat late start to the planting season, we are seeing soybean aphids and armyworms starting to pop up in southern Minnesota. If you have not already started you should be scouting for these pests. Now with alfalfa weevils still floating around, one might think that we aren’t … [Read more...]
Preston extends Park Lane development land option
The Preston City Council met on July 5 for their regular meeting. Gabby Kinneberg, in her role as EDA director, reported on two separate option agreements for the possible purchase of 3.7 acres for a Park Lane development. A Housing Committee formed in 2018 worked to compile areas for residential expansion. The Park Lane area was one of these areas; it could possibly be … [Read more...]