Fountain’s special council meeting May 24 was initially scheduled to discuss road maintenance needs, but the recent break-in of city hall garnered the bulk of the conversation. According to Mayor Jim Schott, the break-in occurred late Monday May 17 or early Tuesday May 18. At this time, it is unclear who was responsible. City Clerk Mary Tjepkes confirmed items taken, which … [Read more...]
Kirsten Zoellner
Reporter
kirsten@fillmorecountyjournal.com
Kirsten has been a reporter for Fillmore County Journal since 2008. No awards to date, but her mother finds her articles riveting. She enjoys shining a light on the great people and events in the county and has aspirations to someday write a novel about them. A native of Rushford, she is a member of Root River Community Church, co-founder of Odyssey Homeschool Association, and was the founder for the Rushford-Peterson Valley Farmers' Market.
When not writing, Kirsten happily spends her time raising a family alongside Joel, her husband of 18 years. She homeschools their six children (Evin, Lauren, Logan, Ada, Kathleen, and Emelia) and does her best to ensure domestic bliss. Kirsten is an advocate for conservation and homesteading and operates Liten Dal Farm, where the family raises dairy goats, pastured poultry and hogs, alpacas, a few steers, and horses. Hobbies other than juggling include the outdoors, reading, vegetable gardening, cheesemaking, fermenting various things in Ball jars, and making everything from scratch despite the fact that it probably costs more.
Kirsten and her family proudly reside in rural Fountain on her great-great-grandfather's farm.
You can follow more about Kirsten on the family's Facebook page, Liten Dal Farm, or their blog: ourprairienest.wordpress.com.
Rushford receives clean audit
Despite technical difficulties at the start, the Rushford Council meeting held May 10 yielded a clean audit for the city. Auditor Jason Boynton and Kali Lentz, of Smith Schafer & Associates joined the meeting virtually to present the findings, which highlighted healthy funds in an unusual year. The city’s tax levy for 2020 was $973,000, up from $936,000 in 2019. The … [Read more...]
Peterson approves welcome sign, community garden
After several months of discussion, the Peterson City Council has approved the order of a new welcome sign to be placed on the Root River State Trail. The 2x4-foot composite sign will taut a three-dimensional design and the city’s former school colors through a gold background and maroon lettering. Produced by Art Sign Works, of Murrieta, Calif., the sign will also have the … [Read more...]
Rushford Village ponders trail study, reopens parks
The City of Rushford Village is working with Community and Economic Development Associates’ (CEDA) representative Rebecca Charles to determine if a proposed trail study would benefit the Village. The study is the work of University of La Crosse students under the tutelage of Dr. Daniel Plunkett, Assistant Professor of Recreation Management & Therapeutic Recreation. The … [Read more...]
Fountain sticks with wastewater management contract for now
The May 5 Fountain Council meeting was largely presentations from persons in attendance. Craig Britton, City Engineer from Widseth Smith Nolting & Associates, was in attendance to discuss the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and ongoing investigation into a bypassed component. Seven months ago, it was discovered that a sand filtration component had been bypassed, however … [Read more...]
Rushford holds hearing on preliminary project layout
The City of Rushford is drawing closer to its next big project – the complete reconstruction of Highway 30. The highway is one of three that intersect within the city. The proposed $5.32 million project is being led by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). City Engineer Derek Olinger, of Bolton & Menk, was on hand at the April 26 council meeting and public … [Read more...]
Peterson property walkabout completed
With the influx of warmer weather, the Peterson spring walkabout was conducted recently by Councilors Gail Boyum and Chris Stenzel on behalf of the council. The two independently surveyed both residential and commercial properties, with Boyum additionally taking photos. Boyum noted several concerns with corn chaff and dust coming from Chuck’s Feed & Grain, an agricultural … [Read more...]
Rushford approved parking ordinance
After discussions during the last several meetings, the Rushford City Council has formally approved a new parking ordinance, which goes into effect immediately. The decision was reached at the April 12 meeting, following citizen input at a public hearing last month. Several modifications were made to the original draft. They include the addition of all terrain vehicles and … [Read more...]
Fountain gets updates; hears citizen concerns
In February, Fountain’s City Council received notice from Sara Sturgis, Executive Director at Fillmore County Historical Society, that the society was requesting the Historical Center also be designated as the Fountain Visitor’s Center. The center, which is housed in the former Fountain Elementary School, is operated by the society. While the center is within the city, it’s … [Read more...]
Rushford holds hearing on parking ordinance
A public hearing held March 22 in Rushford saw just one resident in attendance, but plenty of suggestions and clarifications will be made following the discussion. Resident Tom Butterfield acknowledged that many hearings go without any citizen comment and that he felt it was worthy of discussion before being passed. “I’ve looked at this and I have some strong feelings. I’m … [Read more...]
R-P gets a first look at proposed budget cuts
Rushford-Peterson Superintendent Jon Thompson has made it abundantly clear these last few months that the district is going to need to make some serious budget cuts. A March 1 press release from Minnesota Association of School Business Officials echoes several of Thompson’s concerns and clearly notes that R-P isn’t the only district in the state facing this challenge. … [Read more...]
Peterson looks at sign designs heading into new season
At the March 9 Peterson Council meeting, plans for a new welcome sign on the Root River State Bike Trail took a notable step forward. After months of discussion and seeking public input, the council had favorable comments about design options presented by Councilor Chris Stenzel. Stenzel, like the other councilors, looked into options and early estimates for signs to suit the … [Read more...]
Fountain seeking answers to treatment plant questions
At the March 3 Fountain City Council meeting, Widseth Smith Nolting Engineer Craig Britton described how missing information on components of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is eluding them. Britton has been seeking maintenance manuals for the plant for more than six months. “Some components are lacking information, particularly the effluent filter bed at the end of the … [Read more...]
Village continues hall closure
Rushford Village will not be opening its community center until at least July 31. The unanimous city council decision came at the March 2 meeting following a discussion on the topic. The Village Hall first closed May 5, 2020, nearly two months into pandemic shutdowns issued by Governor Tim Walz. At the time, the Minnesota Department of Health recommended events no larger than … [Read more...]
Rushford approves seeking deputy clerk/accounting
At the February 22 meeting, the Rushford City Council tackled just a few items of business, but one could spell some relief for city staffing. Following a retirement of Deputy Clerk Louane Davidson at city hall last year, administrative staff was shifted. Julianne Frick was moved into the position with utility, but the city never filled the positions fully. Rather than fill a … [Read more...]